Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A37
71 Imaging
52 Features
85 Overall
65
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67 Imaging
57 Features
65 Overall
60
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A37 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- 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
- Released October 2013
- Replacement is Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.6" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 506g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
- Released May 2012
- Older Model is Sony A35
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A37 Overview
Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A37, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the A37 (16MP) is fairly similar but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A37 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.
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The E-M1 was brought out 18 months later than the A37 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before we go right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-M1 grades versus the A37 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A37 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Sony SLT-A37. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Sony A37 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Sony A37
E-M1 | A37 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | October 2013 | ![]() | May 2012 | Fresher by 18 months |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.6" | Larger display (+0.4") |
Display resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper display (+807k dot) |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A37 over the Olympus E-M1
A37 | E-M1 |
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Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A37
E-M1 | A37 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither provides selfie screen |
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A37 Physical Comparison
If you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 provides 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) and the Sony A37 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A37 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the E-M1 compared to the A37.
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Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and A37 is 71 and 67 respectively.
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A37 Sensor Comparison
Generally, its tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing purely by reading specs. The photograph here may offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and A37.
All in all, both the cameras have the same resolution but different sensor sizing. The E-M1 features the tinier sensor which should make getting shallower DOF trickier. The fresher E-M1 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A37 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A37 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Sony SLT-A37 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Sony SLT-A37 |
Class | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Released | 2013-10-28 | 2012-05-16 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePIC VII | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4912 x 3264 |
Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 25600 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 81 | 15 |
Cross focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Number of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 2.6 inches |
Resolution of screen | 1,037 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dot | 1,440 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.73x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 10.0 frames/s | 6.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
Flash modes | 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, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/320 secs | 1/160 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) | 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 497g (1.10 pounds) | 506g (1.12 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") | 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 73 | 75 |
DXO Color Depth score | 23.0 | 23.3 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.7 | 12.9 |
DXO Low light score | 757 | 799 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 images | 500 images |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLN-1 | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Cost at launch | $799 | $522 |