Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GH3
80 Imaging
53 Features
84 Overall
65


66 Imaging
52 Features
80 Overall
63
Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GH3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 469g - 124 x 85 x 45mm
- Released February 2015
- Previous Model is Olympus E-M5
- Successor is Olympus E-M5 III
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 550g - 133 x 93 x 82mm
- Announced September 2012
- Old Model is Panasonic GH2
- Replacement is Panasonic GH4

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GH3 Overview
Following is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic GH3, both Advanced Mirrorless cameras by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the GH3 (16MP) is pretty close and both cameras offer the identical sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

The E-M5 II was launched 2 years after the GH3 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).
Before delving right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-M5 II scores vs the GH3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GH3 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 II and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 II Gallery and Panasonic GH3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 II over the Panasonic GH3
E-M5 II | GH3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | February 2015 | ![]() | September 2012 | More modern by 30 months |
Screen resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 614k | Crisper screen (+423k dot) |
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH3 over the Olympus E-M5 II
GH3 | E-M5 II |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic GH3
E-M5 II | GH3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing | ||
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated screen |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen dimensions |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Both good for selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GH3 Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 II offers external dimensions of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") and a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs) while the Panasonic GH3 has specifications of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic GH3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M5 II vs the GH3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 II and GH3 is 80 and 66 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GH3 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is hard to see the gap in sensor sizes merely by viewing specs. The image here will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 II and GH3.
All in all, both of these cameras feature the identical sensor size and the identical megapixels and you should expect comparable quality of pictures though you should always take the production date of the cameras into account. The more recent E-M5 II is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GH3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GH3 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 II | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus OM-D E-M5 II | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 |
Category | Advanced Mirrorless | Advanced Mirrorless |
Released | 2015-02-06 | 2012-09-17 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic VII | Venus Engine VII FHD |
Sensor type | MOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4608 x 3456 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 200 |
RAW format | ||
Min boosted ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 81 | 23 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
Total lenses | 107 | 107 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 2.1 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Screen resolution | 1,037 thousand dot | 614 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | - | OLED Monitor with static touch control |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dot | 1,744 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.67x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 60 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Maximum silent shutter speed | 1/16000 seconds | - |
Continuous shooting speed | 10.0 frames per sec | 20.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
Flash options | Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/250 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 640 x 480 (30p) | 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25 24 fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25fps |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
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 | 469 gr (1.03 pounds) | 550 gr (1.21 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 124 x 85 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") | 133 x 93 x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 73 | 71 |
DXO Color Depth score | 23.0 | 22.7 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.4 | 12.4 |
DXO Low light score | 896 | 812 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 310 photographs | 540 photographs |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLN-1 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Storage slots | One | One |
Launch price | $699 | $799 |