Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A57
71 Imaging
53 Features
85 Overall
65
64 Imaging
57 Features
85 Overall
68
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A57 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
- Launched October 2013
- Updated by Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
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Let's take a deeper look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A57, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the A57 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A57 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe E-M1 was unveiled 14 months after the A57 making them a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-M1 scores versus the A57 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Sony A57
| E-M1 | A57 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | October 2013 |  | September 2012 | More modern by 14 months |
| Display resolution | 1037k |  | 921k | Clearer display (+116k dot) |
| Touch friendly display |  | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Olympus E-M1
| A57 | E-M1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fully Articulated |  | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
| Selfie screen |  | Take selfies |
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A57
| E-M1 | A57 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually |  | Very accurate focus | ||
| Display size | 3" |  | 3" | Same display dimensions |
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 has outside dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") and a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A57 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 versus the A57.
Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and A57 is 71 and 64 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it's tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes just by reading through a spec sheet. The image here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and A57.
As you can see, the 2 cameras feature the identical resolution but different sensor sizes. The E-M1 provides the tinier sensor which should make obtaining shallower DOF more challenging. The newer E-M1 provides an edge in sensor innovation.
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A57 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Sony SLT-A57 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Sony SLT-A57 |
| Class | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Launched | 2013-10-28 | 2012-09-13 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePIC VII | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16MP | 16MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Max native ISO | 25600 | 16000 |
| Max boosted ISO | - | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW support | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Tracking autofocus | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection autofocus | ||
| Contract detection autofocus | ||
| Phase detection autofocus | ||
| Number of focus points | 81 | 15 |
| Cross focus points | - | 3 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Total lenses | 107 | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Tilting | Fully Articulated |
| Screen sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
| Screen resolution | 1,037k dots | 921k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Screen technology | - | Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dots | 1,440k dots |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.7x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shooting rate | 10.0 frames per sec | 12.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) |
| Flash options | 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 synchronize | 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 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| 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 | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 497g (1.10 pounds) | 618g (1.36 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") | 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 73 | 75 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 23.0 | 23.4 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 12.7 | 13.0 |
| DXO Low light score | 757 | 785 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 350 pictures | 550 pictures |
| Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLN-1 | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Price at launch | $799 | $1,000 |