Olympus E-M1 vs Sony NEX-5

Following is a comprehensive review of the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony NEX-5, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-M1 was launched 3 years after the NEX-5 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-M1 matches up vs the NEX-5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 comes with outside 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 NEX-5 has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-M1 versus the NEX-5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and NEX-5 is 71 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to imagine the difference between sensor sizes simply by looking at specifications. The picture below will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and NEX-5.

To sum up, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-M1 will give extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The younger E-M1 provides an advantage with regard to sensor tech.