Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony NEX-5

On this page, we are comparing the Olympus E-M5 II versus Sony NEX-5, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is fairly similar but the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.

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The E-M5 II was announced 4 years later than the NEX-5 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a complete comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-M5 II grades against the NEX-5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 II and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 II Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 II provides outside dimensions of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") having a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M5 II versus Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at that moment. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M5 II compared to the NEX-5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 II and NEX-5 is 80 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to picture the difference between sensor measurements purely by reading specs. The graphic here should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 II and NEX-5.

All in all, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 II using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh harder and the Olympus E-M5 II will deliver more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The newer E-M5 II should have an edge with regard to sensor tech.