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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II

Portability
71 Imaging
53 Features
85 Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M1 front
 
Sony Alpha A9 Mark II front
Portability
62 Imaging
76 Features
93 Overall
82

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 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
  • Introduced October 2013
  • Refreshed by Olympus E-M1 II
Sony A9 II
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 51200 (Increase to 204800)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 678g - 129 x 96 x 76mm
  • Revealed October 2019
  • Replaced the Sony A9
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II Overview

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II, both Pro Mirrorless cameras by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and A9 II (24MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A9 II (Full frame) feature totally different sensor size.

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The E-M1 was brought out 7 years before the A9 II and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before we go straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-M1 matches up versus the A9 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Sony A9 II

		

		

			
 E-M1 A9 II 
		

	

	
	

		

		
Reasons to pick Sony A9 II over the Olympus E-M1

		

		

			
 A9 II E-M1 
RevealedOctober 2019October 2013More recent by 72 months
Screen resolution1440k1037kClearer screen (+403k dot)
		

	

	
	

		

		
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A9 II

		

		

			
 E-M1 A9 II 
Focus manually  Dial accurate focusing
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen size
Selfie screen  Neither contains selfie screen
Touch screen  Quickly navigate
		

	

	

	
	
	
	

	

		

		
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II Physical Comparison

		

		

			
For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera, you will have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 has got outside measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") and a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Sony A9 II has sizing of 129mm x 96mm x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0") having a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs).
Contrast the Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M1 and the A9 II.
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II size comparison
Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and A9 II is 71 and 62 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II top view buttons comparison		

	

	
	

		

		
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II Sensor Comparison

		

		

			
In many cases, it is tough to see the contrast in sensor measurements purely by viewing specifications. The photograph here should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 and A9 II.
Plainly, both of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A9 II will provide you with extra detail having its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures far more aggressively. The older E-M1 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.
	
			Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II sensor size comparison			
		

	

	
	

		

		
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II Screen and ViewFinder

		

		

					

		Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison	

	
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Photography Type Scores

		

	

	
Portrait Comparison
Olympus E-M1 Portrait photography information
Sony A9 II Portrait photography information
71
 manual focus
 great flash sync speed (1/320s)
 megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
 sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
 supports face detect autofocus
 supports RAW formats
85
 you can focus manually
 sensor resolution is decent (24MP)
 great sensor size (Full frame)
 features face detect focus
 exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison
 Olympus E-M1 as a Street photography camera
 Sony A9 II as a Street photography camera
78
 screen tilts up and down
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
 supports RAW formats
 boasts touch to focus
 environment proof
 lighter than competition (497 grams)
 great ISO range (25,600)
78
 tilting screen
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 great sensor size (Full frame)
 exports RAW formats
 comes with focus by touch
 environment proofing
 great ISO range (51,200)
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Sports Comparison
Olympus E-M1 Sports photography info
Sony A9 II Sports photography info
70
 max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
 sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
 supports tracking focus
 environment proof
 sensor has phase detect autofocus
 terrible battery pack (350 shots)
88
 maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
 silent mode (1/32,000 seconds)
 max fps high (20.0 frames per second)
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 sensor resolution is decent (24MP)
 great sensor size (Full frame)
 features tracking focus
 environment proofing
 good battery power (690 per charge)
 comes with phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison
 Olympus E-M1 as a Travel photography camera
 Sony A9 II as a Travel photography camera
65
 lighter than competition (497 grams)
 environment proof
 boasts touch to focus
 megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
 terrible battery pack (350 CIPA)
 does not posses selfie friendly display
73
 good battery power (690 shots)
 environment proofing
 connects via bluetooth
 comes with focus by touch
 sensor resolution is decent (24MP)
 screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison
Landscape photography with Olympus E-M1
Landscape photography with Sony A9 II
73
 manual focus
 interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
 screen is a good size (3 inch)
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 megapixel count good (16MP)
 sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
 great ISO range (25,600)
 supports RAW formats
 environment proof
 terrible battery pack (350 per charge)
86
 you can focus manually
 swap lenses (Sony E mount)
 screen size is good (3 inches)
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 sensor resolution is decent (24MP)
 great sensor size (Full frame)
 great ISO range (51,200)
 exports RAW formats
 environment proofing
 good battery power (690 per charge)
 2 card slots
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Vlogging Comparison
 Olympus E-M1 as a Vlogging camera
 Sony A9 II as a Vlogging camera
36
 built-in touchscreen
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 supports face detect autofocus
 high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
 includes mic support
 lighter than competition (497g)
 does not posses selfie friendly display
36
 built-in touchscreen
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 features face detect focus
 good video quality (3840 x 2160 resolution)
 does have microphone support
 screen is not selfie friendly
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A9 II Specifications

		

		

					

		
		

			Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 and Sony A9 II
 Olympus OM-D E-M1Sony Alpha A9 Mark II
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Sony Alpha A9 Mark II
Class Pro Mirrorless Pro Mirrorless
Introduced 2013-10-28 2019-10-03
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor TruePIC VII BIONZ X
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Full frame
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 35.6 x 23.8mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 847.3mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 24MP
Anti alias filter    
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and  16:9 3:2
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 6000 x 4000
Highest native ISO 25600 51200
Highest boosted ISO - 204800
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW images    
Lowest boosted ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing    
Autofocus touch    
Autofocus continuous    
Single autofocus    
Autofocus tracking    
Selective autofocus    
Autofocus center weighted    
Multi area autofocus    
Autofocus live view    
Face detection autofocus    
Contract detection autofocus    
Phase detection autofocus    
Total focus points 81 693
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds Sony E
Available lenses 107 121
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3 inches 3 inches
Screen resolution 1,037 thousand dots 1,440 thousand dots
Selfie friendly    
Liveview    
Touch friendly    
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots 3,686 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x 0.78x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Highest silent shutter speed - 1/32000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 10.0fps 20.0fps
Shutter priority    
Aperture priority    
Expose Manually    
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance    
Image stabilization    
Built-in flash    
Flash distance no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash settings Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), Manual Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync
External flash    
AE bracketing    
WB bracketing    
Highest flash synchronize 1/320 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment metering    
Average metering    
Spot metering    
Partial metering    
AF area metering    
Center weighted metering    
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone support    
Headphone support    
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth    
NFC    
HDMI    
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing    
Water proofing    
Dust proofing    
Shock proofing    
Crush proofing    
Freeze proofing    
Weight 497g (1.10 pounds) 678g (1.49 pounds)
Dimensions 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") 129 x 96 x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 73 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.7 not tested
DXO Low light rating 757 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 images 690 images
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2, 5, 10 secs + continuous, 3 or 5 frames)
Time lapse recording    
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible)
Card slots One Two
Launch cost $799 $4,498