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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5

Portability
80
Imaging
53
Features
84
Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M5 II front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5 front
Portability
95
Imaging
38
Features
34
Overall
36

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • 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
  • Announced February 2015
  • Superseded the Olympus E-M5
  • Newer Model is Olympus E-M5 III
Panasonic SZ5
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600 (Increase to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-250mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
  • 136g - 104 x 58 x 21mm
  • Released July 2012
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 Overview

Here is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-M5 II was released 2 years later than the SZ5 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-M5 II matches up against the SZ5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 II over the Panasonic SZ5

 E-M5 II SZ5 
ReleasedFebruary 2015July 2012Fresher by 32 months
Manually focus Very precise focusing
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution1037k230kSharper display (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic SZ5 over the Olympus E-M5 II

 SZ5 E-M5 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic SZ5

 E-M5 II SZ5 
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display dimensions

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 Physical Comparison

For those who are planning to carry your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 II has exterior dimensions of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") along with a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ5 has specifications of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-M5 II versus the SZ5.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 II and SZ5 is 80 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is very hard to see the difference between sensor sizing simply by checking technical specs. The graphic underneath should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 II and SZ5.

As you have seen, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 II featuring a larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-M5 II will give you greater detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The more modern E-M5 II is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Portrait photography features
Panasonic SZ5 Portrait photography features
71
focusing manually
MP count good (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with face detection autofocus
saves RAW files
34
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
includes face detection focusing
focusing manually not possible
lack of manual mode
can't use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Street photography highlights
Panasonic SZ5 Street photography highlights
82
screen can move to multiple angles
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
offers focus via touch
weather proof
good ISO range (25,600)
63
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than others in class (136g)
fixed screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Sports photography highlights
Panasonic SZ5 Sports photography highlights
65
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
quiet shutter (1/16,000s)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking autofocus
weather proof
low battery (310 per charge)
no phase detect autofocus
40
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14MP)
includes tracking autofocus
very slow continuous shooting (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Travel photography advice
Panasonic SZ5 Travel photography advice
74
weather proof
offers focus via touch
MP count good (16 megapixels)
display is selfie friendly
low battery (310 CIPA)
70
lighter than others in class (136 grams)
good megapixels (14MP)
flash built-in
quite wide (25mm)
long zoom (250mm)
does not have Timelapse recording
does not feature selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II as a Landscape photography camera
Panasonic SZ5 as a Landscape photography camera
74
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
good ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW files
weather proof
low battery (310 per charge)
42
quite wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
lack of manual mode
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-M5 II
Vlogging with Panasonic SZ5
82
display is selfie friendly
touchscreen functionality
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
comes with face detection autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
includes external microphone jack
32
quite wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detection focusing
lighter than others in class (136 grams)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
does not feature selfie friendly display
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have external microphone port
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic SZ5 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic SZ5
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IIPanasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus OM-D E-M5 II Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5
Class Advanced Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Announced 2015-02-06 2012-07-18
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VII -
Sensor type MOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4320 x 3240
Highest native ISO 25600 1600
Highest enhanced ISO - 6400
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW data
Min enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points 81 23
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 25-250mm (10.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.1-5.9
Macro focus range - 5cm
Amount of lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.9
Screen
Range of display Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 1,037 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display tech - TFT Screen LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Min shutter speed 60 secs 8 secs
Max shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/1600 secs
Max quiet shutter speed 1/16000 secs -
Continuous shutter speed 10.0 frames per sec 2.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range no built-in flash 5.60 m
Flash options Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash sync 1/250 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 640 x 480 (30p) 1280 x 720p ( 30,25 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
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
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 469 gr (1.03 lb) 136 gr (0.30 lb)
Dimensions 124 x 85 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") 104 x 58 x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 73 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 23.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 12.4 not tested
DXO Low light score 896 not tested
Other
Battery life 310 images 250 images
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLN-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 secs)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots One One
Cost at release $699 $195