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Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5

Portability
54
Imaging
61
Features
93
Overall
73
Olympus OM-D E-M1X front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5 front
Portability
89
Imaging
54
Features
58
Overall
55

Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1X
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 997g - 144 x 147 x 75mm
  • Launched January 2019
  • Old Model is Olympus E-M1 II
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
  • Revealed June 2010
  • Successor is Sony NEX-5N
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Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 Overview

Following is a complete assessment of the Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the image resolutions of the E-M1X (20MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the E-M1X (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1X was brought out 8 years after the NEX-5 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1X being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-M1X grades versus the NEX-5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1X over the Sony NEX-5

 E-M1X NEX-5 
RevealedJanuary 2019June 2010More modern by 106 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1037k920kClearer screen (+117k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5 over the Olympus E-M1X

 NEX-5 E-M1X 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1X and Sony NEX-5

 E-M1X NEX-5 
Manual focus Very exact focusing
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen dimensions

Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 Physical Comparison

When you are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1X has exterior measurements of 144mm x 147mm x 75mm (5.7" x 5.8" x 3.0") having a weight of 997 grams (2.20 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5 has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-M1X compared to the NEX-5.

Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1X and NEX-5 is 54 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizes just by reading through specifications. The image here might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1X and NEX-5.

Plainly, each of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-M1X due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Olympus E-M1X will resolve more detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The newer E-M1X should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-M1X
Portrait photography with Sony NEX-5
76
has manual focus
resolution is good (20MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with face detection focusing
supports RAW files
72
focusing manually
good megapixels (14MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M1X Street photography advice
Sony NEX-5 Street photography advice
67
screen articulates fully
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
includes focus by touch
environment proof
great ISO range (25,600)
heavier than competition (997g)
76
has a tilting screen
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1X as a Sports photography camera
Sony NEX-5 as a Sports photography camera
80
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shutter (1/32,000 seconds)
fast continuous shooting (60.0 frames per second)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking autofocus
environment proof
good battery pack (870 CIPA)
has phase detect AF
52
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
does not have image stabilization
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1X as a Travel photography camera
Sony NEX-5 as a Travel photography camera
68
good battery pack (870 per charge)
environment proof
supports bluetooth
includes focus by touch
resolution is good (20MP)
display is selfie friendly
heavier than competition (997g)
59
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
does not have Timelapse function
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1X as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-5 as a Landscape photography camera
79
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a good size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
great ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW files
environment proof
good battery pack (870 per charge)
2 card slots
68
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
good megapixels (14MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
does not have image stabilization
does not have Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1X Vlogging factors
Sony NEX-5 Vlogging factors
68
display is selfie friendly
touchscreen capability
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
comes with face detection focusing
video res high (4096 x 2160 pixels)
has external mic support
heavier than competition (997g)
28
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
does not have microphone support
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Olympus E-M1X vs Sony NEX-5 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1X and Sony NEX-5
 Olympus OM-D E-M1XSony Alpha NEX-5
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1X Sony Alpha NEX-5
Category Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Launched 2019-01-24 2010-06-07
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Dual TruePic VIII Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 17.4 x 13mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 5184 x 3888 4592 x 3056
Maximum native ISO 25600 12800
Lowest native ISO 200 200
RAW images
Lowest boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points 121 25
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds Sony E
Total lenses 107 121
Crop factor 2.1 1.5
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Tilting
Display sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 1,037k dots 920k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Maximum quiet shutter speed 1/32000 seconds -
Continuous shooting rate 60.0fps 7.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range no built-in flash 12.00 m
Flash settings 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, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB Yes (USB-PD allows charging by laptop or external power bank) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS Built-in None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 997g (2.20 lbs) 287g (0.63 lbs)
Physical dimensions 144 x 147 x 75mm (5.7" x 5.8" x 3.0") 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 69
DXO Color Depth score not tested 22.2
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 12.2
DXO Low light score not tested 796
Other
Battery life 870 photographs 330 photographs
Battery style Built-in Battery Pack
Battery model - NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse recording
Type of storage - SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots Two One
Cost at launch $2,999 $599