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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55

Portability
71
Imaging
53
Features
85
Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M1 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 front
Portability
92
Imaging
37
Features
28
Overall
33

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • 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
  • Released October 2013
  • Renewed by Olympus E-M1 II
Sony H55
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-250mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 200g - 103 x 58 x 29mm
  • Released June 2010
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 Overview

Following is a extended overview of the Olympus E-M1 and Sony H55, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the H55 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and H55 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-M1 was introduced 3 years after the H55 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony H55 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-M1 grades versus the H55 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Sony H55

 E-M1 H55 
ReleasedOctober 2013June 2010More modern by 41 months
Focus manually Very precise focus
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution1037k230kClearer display (+807k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony H55 over the Olympus E-M1

 H55 E-M1 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Sony H55

 E-M1 H55 
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display measurements
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 Physical Comparison

If you're aiming to carry around your camera, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 features exterior measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Sony H55 has specifications of 103mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M1 and Sony H55 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-M1 against the H55.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and H55 is 71 and 92 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it is difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading through technical specs. The image here should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 and H55.

As you can tell, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-M1 will give you greater detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos far more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Portrait photography info
Sony H55 Portrait photography info
71
manual focus
above average flash sync (1/320 seconds)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
provides face detect autofocus
exports RAW files
28
good megapixels (14MP)
no manual focus
lack of manual exposure
external flash not possible
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW support
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1
Street photography with Sony H55
78
screen tilts up and down
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
boasts touch to focus
weather proofing
lighter than competitors in class (497 grams)
above average high ISO (25,600)
56
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen is fixed
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Sports photography features
Sony H55 Sports photography features
70
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
provides tracking focus
weather proofing
sensor has phase detect autofocus
low battery power (350 shots)
38
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
no shutter priority mode
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Travel photography details
Sony H55 Travel photography details
65
lighter than competitors in class (497g)
weather proofing
boasts touch to focus
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
low battery power (350 per charge)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
67
good megapixels (14MP)
built-in flash
fairly wide (25mm)
very long zoom (250mm)
does not have Time Lapse recording
doesn't have selfie friendly display
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Landscape photography information
Sony H55 Landscape photography information
73
manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a decent size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
above average high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW files
weather proofing
low battery power (350 per charge)
42
fairly wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14MP)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
lack of manual exposure
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW support
does not have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Vlogging highlights
Sony H55 Vlogging highlights
36
touch screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detect autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
includes mic socket
lighter than competitors in class (497g)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
28
fairly wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
doesn't have selfie friendly display
low quality video (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have mic jack
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony H55 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 and Sony H55
 Olympus OM-D E-M1Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55
Class Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Released 2013-10-28 2010-06-16
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePIC VII Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Full resolution 4608 x 3456 4320 x 3240
Max native ISO 25600 3200
Minimum native ISO 100 80
RAW images
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points 81 9
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 25-250mm (10.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focus distance - 5cm
Available lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Range of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 1,037 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/1600s
Continuous shooting speed 10.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range no built-in flash 3.80 m
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, Slow Syncro, Off
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/320s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4
Mic 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
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 497g (1.10 lbs) 200g (0.44 lbs)
Dimensions 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") 103 x 58 x 29mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 73 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 23.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 12.7 not tested
DXO Low light score 757 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photographs -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Battery model BLN-1 NP-BG1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, portrait1/ portrait2)
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo/ PRO HG-Duo, SD/SDHC, Internal
Storage slots One One
Price at launch $799 $235