Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A9, both Pro Mirrorless cameras by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and A9 (24MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A9 (Full frame) feature different sensor sizes.

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The E-M1 was released 4 years before the A9 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with the identical body type (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before going through a full comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-M1 matches up vs the A9 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Sony Alpha A9. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 offers outer measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) whilst the Sony A9 has measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") having a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A9 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-M1 compared to the A9.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and A9 is 71 and 65 respectively.

Normally, it can be difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements simply by going through technical specs. The graphic here will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 and A9.

As you have seen, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A9 will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics much more aggressively. The older E-M1 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.