Clicky

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II

Portability
71 Imaging
52 Features
85 Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M1 front
 
Sony Alpha A7 II front
Portability
69 Imaging
70 Features
84 Overall
75

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II Key Specs

Olympus E-M1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
  • Announced October 2013
  • New Model is Olympus E-M1 II
Sony A7 II
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600 (Push to 51200)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 599g - 127 x 96 x 60mm
  • Released November 2014
  • Previous Model is Sony A7
  • Replacement is Sony A7 III
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II Overview

On this page, we are comparing the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A7 II, both Pro Mirrorless digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and A7 II (24MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A7 II (Full frame) boast totally different sensor sizing.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The E-M1 was brought out 12 months prior to the A7 II so they are of a similar age. Both cameras have the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-M1 matches up vs the A7 II when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video 

        

          

            
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Sony A7 II

          

          

            
 E-M1 A7 II 
Touch display  Easily navigate
          

        


        

          

            
Reasons to pick Sony A7 II over the Olympus E-M1

          

          

            
 A7 II E-M1 
ReleasedNovember 2014October 2013Newer by 12 months
Display resolution1230k1037kCrisper display (+193k dot)
          

        


        

          

            
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A7 II

          

          

            
 E-M1 A7 II 
Focus manually  Dial exact focusing
Display typeTiltingTiltingTilting display
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurement
Selfie screen  Missing selfie screen
          

        

        

	
	
	
	

        

          

            
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II Physical Comparison

          

          

            
If you're looking to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 has external dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Sony A7 II has proportions of 127mm x 96mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4") accompanied by a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).
See the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A7 II in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that moment. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 against the A7 II.
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II size comparison
Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and A7 II is 71 and 69 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II top view buttons comparison          

        


        

          

            
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II Sensor Comparison

          

          

            
Quite often, it is difficult to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing specifications. The pic here will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and A7 II.
Plainly, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Sony A7 II will deliver more detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics more aggressively. The more aged E-M1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.

            Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II sensor size comparison
          

        


        

          

            
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II Screen and ViewFinder

          

          

                      

          Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison        


                Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes        

	
	
	
	

        

          
Photography Type Scores

          

        

        
Portrait Comparison
Olympus E-M1 Portrait photography factors
Sony A7 II Portrait photography factors
71
 has manual focus
 flash sync is higher than normal (1/320s)
 resolution is good (16 megapixels)
 sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
 supports face detect autofocus
 supports RAW files
82
 you can focus manually
 decent MP (24 megapixels)
 big sensor size (Full frame)
 offers face detect focusing
 exports RAW formats
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone
Street Comparison
 Olympus E-M1 as a Street photography camera
 Sony A7 II as a Street photography camera
77
 screen tilts up and down
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
 supports RAW files
 features touch to focus
 environment proof
 lighter than competitors in class (497g)
 great ISO range (25,600)
80
 has a tilting screen
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 big sensor size (Full frame)
 exports RAW formats
 weather proofing
 above average ISO range (25,600)
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images
Sports Comparison
Olympus E-M1 Sports photography information
Sony A7 II Sports photography information
69
 great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 resolution is good (16 megapixels)
 sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
 supports tracking focus
 environment proof
 supports phase detect autofocus
 terrible battery pack (350 per charge)
73
 maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 decent MP (24MP)
 big sensor size (Full frame)
 offers tracking focus
 weather proofing
 comes with phase detect AF
 continuous shooting slow (5.0 fps)
 low battery power (350 CIPA)
Photography Glossary
Travel Comparison
 Olympus E-M1 as a Travel photography camera
 Sony A7 II as a Travel photography camera
65
 lighter than competitors in class (497g)
 environment proof
 features touch to focus
 resolution is good (16MP)
 terrible battery pack (350 CIPA)
 does not have a selfie friendly display
61
 weather proofing
 decent MP (24MP)
 low battery power (350 per charge)
 screen is not selfie friendly
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide
Landscape Comparison
Olympus E-M1 Landscape photography features
Sony A7 II Landscape photography features
72
 has manual focus
 switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
 good sized screen (3 inch)
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 resolution is good (16MP)
 sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
 great ISO range (25,600)
 supports RAW files
 environment proof
 terrible battery pack (350 shots)
79
 you can focus manually
 change lenses (Sony E mount)
 screen size is decent (3 inch)
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 decent MP (24MP)
 big sensor size (Full frame)
 above average ISO range (25,600)
 exports RAW formats
 weather proofing
 low battery power (350 per charge)
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards
Vlogging Comparison
Vlogging with Olympus E-M1
Vlogging with Sony A7 II
36
 touchscreen
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 supports face detect autofocus
 video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
 comes with mic support
 lighter than competitors in class (497 grams)
 does not have a selfie friendly display
36
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 offers face detect focusing
 video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
 does have mic socket
 screen is not selfie friendly
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms
        
                
        

          

            
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II Specifications

          

          

                      


          

            Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 and Sony A7 II
 Olympus OM-D E-M1Sony Alpha A7 II
General Information
Make Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Sony Alpha A7 II
Class Pro Mirrorless Pro Mirrorless
Announced 2013-10-28 2014-11-20
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePIC VII Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Full frame
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 35.8 x 23.9mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 855.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 24 megapixel
Anti alias filter    
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and  16:9 3:2 and  16:9
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 6000 x 4000
Highest native ISO 25600 25600
Highest boosted ISO - 51200
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW data    
Lowest boosted ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Focus manually    
Touch focus    
Continuous autofocus    
Single autofocus    
Autofocus tracking    
Autofocus selectice    
Center weighted autofocus    
Autofocus multi area    
Live view autofocus    
Face detection autofocus    
Contract detection autofocus    
Phase detection autofocus    
Total focus points 81 117
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds Sony E
Total lenses 107 121
Crop factor 2.1 1
Screen
Type of screen Tilting Tilting
Screen diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 1,037 thousand dots 1,230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly    
Liveview    
Touch friendly    
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots 2,359 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x 0.71x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 10.0 frames per second 5.0 frames per second
Shutter priority    
Aperture priority    
Manual mode    
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance    
Image stabilization    
Integrated flash    
Flash distance no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash modes Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), Manual no built-in flash
Hot shoe    
Auto exposure bracketing    
White balance bracketing    
Highest flash synchronize 1/320 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment metering    
Average metering    
Spot metering    
Partial metering    
AF area metering    
Center weighted metering    
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Mic port    
Headphone port    
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth    
NFC    
HDMI    
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing    
Water proofing    
Dust proofing    
Shock proofing    
Crush proofing    
Freeze proofing    
Weight 497g (1.10 pounds) 599g (1.32 pounds)
Physical dimensions 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") 127 x 96 x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 73 90
DXO Color Depth rating 23.0 24.9
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.7 13.6
DXO Low light rating 757 2449
Other
Battery life 350 photos 350 photos
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse shooting   With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Launch price $799 $1,456