Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3
80 Imaging
53 Features
84 Overall
65


89 Imaging
54 Features
55 Overall
54
Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3 Key Specs
(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
- Revealed February 2015
- Old Model is Olympus E-M5
- Updated by Olympus E-M5 III
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
- Revealed June 2010
- Replacement is Sony NEX-C3

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3 Overview
Here is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is pretty similar but the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and NEX-3 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

The E-M5 II was revealed 4 years later than the NEX-3 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-M5 II matches up against the NEX-3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 II & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 II Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 II over the Sony NEX-3
E-M5 II | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | February 2015 | ![]() | June 2010 | Fresher by 57 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 920k | Clearer screen (+117k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Olympus E-M5 II
NEX-3 | E-M5 II |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 II and Sony NEX-3
E-M5 II | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial exact focus | ||
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen measurements |
Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3 Physical Comparison
If you are aiming to carry your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 II enjoys external measurements 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 Sony NEX-3 has proportions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that moment. Following is the front view size comparison of the E-M5 II compared to the NEX-3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 II and NEX-3 is 80 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3 Sensor Comparison
Typically, it is very tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizing merely by reviewing specs. The photograph here will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 II and NEX-3.
All in all, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 II having a tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus E-M5 II will deliver more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more modern E-M5 II is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-3 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 II | Sony Alpha NEX-3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus OM-D E-M5 II | Sony Alpha NEX-3 |
Type | Advanced Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Revealed | 2015-02-06 | 2010-06-07 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic VII | Bionz |
Sensor type | MOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4592 x 3056 |
Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 200 |
RAW images | ||
Minimum enhanced ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch to focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 81 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Total lenses | 107 | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display size | 3" | 3" |
Resolution of display | 1,037k dot | 920k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display tech | - | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | None |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | - |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Fastest quiet shutter speed | 1/16000 secs | - |
Continuous shutter speed | 10.0 frames/s | 7.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/250 secs | 1/160 secs |
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) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
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 seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 469g (1.03 lbs) | 297g (0.65 lbs) |
Dimensions | 124 x 85 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") | 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 73 | 68 |
DXO Color Depth score | 23.0 | 22.1 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.4 | 12.0 |
DXO Low light score | 896 | 830 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 310 photos | 330 photos |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLN-1 | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Retail pricing | $699 | $0 |