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Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5

Portability
82
Imaging
54
Features
77
Overall
63
Olympus OM-D E-M10 II front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5 front
Portability
89
Imaging
54
Features
58
Overall
55

Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 Key Specs

Olympus E-M10 II
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 390g - 120 x 83 x 47mm
  • Introduced August 2015
  • Superseded the Olympus E-M10
  • Refreshed by Olympus E-M10 III
Sony NEX-5
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 287g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
  • Introduced June 2010
  • Newer Model is Sony NEX-5N
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 Overview

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Olympus E-M10 II and Sony NEX-5, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M10 II (16MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is relatively similar but the E-M10 II (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-M10 II was unveiled 5 years after the NEX-5 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M10 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a complete comparison, below is a short view of how the E-M10 II grades vs the NEX-5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M10 II over the Sony NEX-5

 E-M10 II NEX-5 
IntroducedAugust 2015June 2010More modern by 64 months
Screen resolution1040k920kClearer screen (+120k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5 over the Olympus E-M10 II

 NEX-5 E-M10 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M10 II and Sony NEX-5

 E-M10 II NEX-5 
Manually focus More accurate focus
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen measurements
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen

Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 Physical Comparison

If you are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M10 II has exterior measurements of 120mm x 83mm x 47mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 1.9") having a weight of 390 grams (0.86 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M10 II and Sony NEX-5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-M10 II compared to the NEX-5.

Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-M10 II and NEX-5 is 82 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 Sensor Comparison

Often, it can be difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading technical specs. The pic below should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M10 II and NEX-5.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-M10 II with its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus E-M10 II will offer you more detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more modern E-M10 II will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M10 II Portrait photography features
Sony NEX-5 Portrait photography features
72
focusing manually
good resolution (16MP)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
includes face detect focusing
supports RAW files
72
focusing manually
good resolution (14MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M10 II Street photography highlights
Sony NEX-5 Street photography highlights
83
screen tilts up and down
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
supports touch to focus
above average ISO range (25,600)
76
screen tilts up and down
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M10 II as a Sports photography camera
Sony NEX-5 as a Sports photography camera
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
includes tracking focus
doesn't have phase detect AF
52
good resolution (14MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
does not have image stabilization
lacks phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M10 II as a Travel photography camera
Sony NEX-5 as a Travel photography camera
73
supports touch to focus
good resolution (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
does not have a selfie friendly display
59
good resolution (14 megapixels)
missing Time Lapse mode
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M10 II Landscape photography highlights
Sony NEX-5 Landscape photography highlights
79
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good resolution (16MP)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
above average ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW files
68
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
good resolution (14MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
missing Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M10 II Vlogging highlights
Sony NEX-5 Vlogging highlights
35
touchscreen functionality
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detect focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not have a selfie friendly display
lack of microphone socket
28
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
missing external mic jack
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Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony NEX-5 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M10 II and Sony NEX-5
 Olympus OM-D E-M10 IISony Alpha NEX-5
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M10 II Sony Alpha NEX-5
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2015-08-25 2010-06-07
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VII Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4592 x 3056
Maximum native ISO 25600 12800
Lowest native ISO 200 200
RAW pictures
Lowest boosted ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points 81 25
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds Sony E
Amount of lenses 107 121
Crop factor 2.1 1.5
Screen
Range of display Tilting Tilting
Display sizing 3" 3"
Resolution of display 1,040k dot 920k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.62x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting speed 8.0 frames per sec 7.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 5.80 m (ISO 100) 12.00 m
Flash settings Auto, redeye reduction, fill flash, flash off, 1st-curtain slow sync w/redeye, 1st-curtain slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p/30p/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p/24p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG AVCHD
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
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 390 grams (0.86 lbs) 287 grams (0.63 lbs)
Dimensions 120 x 83 x 47mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 1.9") 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 73 69
DXO Color Depth rating 23.1 22.2
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.5 12.2
DXO Low light rating 842 796
Other
Battery life 320 photos 330 photos
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLS-50 NPFW50
Self timer Yes (12 sec., 2 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots One One
Retail pricing $499 $599