Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A850
71 Imaging
52 Features
85 Overall
65


54 Imaging
67 Features
60 Overall
64
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A850 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
- Launched October 2013
- Later Model is Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
- 25MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 200 - 3200 (Push to 6400)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 895g - 156 x 117 x 82mm
- Released April 2010

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A850 Overview
Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A850, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and A850 (25MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A850 (Full frame) posses different sensor dimensions.

The E-M1 was announced 3 years after the A850 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before delving into a in depth comparison, here is a short view of how the E-M1 scores against the A850 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A850 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Sony A850
E-M1 | A850 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | October 2013 | ![]() | April 2010 | Newer by 44 months |
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 922k | Crisper display (+115k dot) |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A850 over the Olympus E-M1
A850 | E-M1 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A850
E-M1 | A850 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Very accurate focus | ||
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal display sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither provides selfie screen |
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A850 Physical Comparison
If you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 provides outer dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Sony A850 has measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") along with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A850 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-M1 against the A850.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and A850 is 71 and 54 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A850 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it's tough to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions just by going over a spec sheet. The image here will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and A850.
As you can see, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh more difficult and the Sony A850 will deliver more detail with its extra 9MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 provides an edge in sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A850 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A850 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 |
Class | Pro Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
Launched | 2013-10-28 | 2010-04-15 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | TruePIC VII | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Full frame |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 35.9 x 24mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 861.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 25 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 6048 x 4032 |
Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
Maximum enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Total focus points | 81 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Display size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Display resolution | 1,037k dot | 922k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Display tech | - | TFT Xtra Fine color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 98 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.74x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 10.0 frames per sec | 3.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated 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 | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/320 secs | 1/250 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video data format | H.264, Motion JPEG | - |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 497 gr (1.10 pounds) | 895 gr (1.97 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") | 156 x 117 x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 73 | 79 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 23.0 | 23.8 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.7 | 12.2 |
DXO Low light rating | 757 | 1415 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 pictures | 880 pictures |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLN-1 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo |
Storage slots | Single | 2 |
Cost at release | $799 | $0 |