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Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V

Portability
80
Imaging
53
Features
84
Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M5 II front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V front
Portability
90
Imaging
42
Features
50
Overall
45

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V Key Specs

Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 469g - 124 x 85 x 45mm
  • Released February 2015
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-M5
  • Renewed by Olympus E-M5 III
Sony HX20V
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-500mm (F3.2-5.8) lens
  • 254g - 107 x 62 x 35mm
  • Released July 2012
  • Earlier Model is Sony HX10V
  • Successor is Sony HX30V
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V Overview

Below is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus E-M5 II and Sony HX20V, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the HX20V (18MP) is pretty comparable but the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and HX20V (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

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The E-M5 II was revealed 2 years later than the HX20V and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera 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 HX20V being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-M5 II scores against the HX20V in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 II over the Sony HX20V

 E-M5 II HX20V 
ReleasedFebruary 2015July 2012More recent by 32 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1037k922kSharper screen (+115k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony HX20V over the Olympus E-M5 II

 HX20V E-M5 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 II and Sony HX20V

 E-M5 II HX20V 
Manual focus Very exact focus
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen measurement

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V Physical Comparison

In case you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 II comes with physical 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 HX20V has specifications of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 II and Sony HX20V in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-M5 II against the HX20V.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 II and HX20V is 80 and 90 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V Sensor Comparison

Typically, it can be hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements merely by going through technical specs. The photograph here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 II and HX20V.

As you can tell, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 II having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony HX20V will produce extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The younger E-M5 II provides an edge with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Portrait photography details
Sony HX20V Portrait photography details
71
focusing manually
good megapixels (16MP)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
features face detect focusing
exports RAW formats
45
you can focus manually
decent megapixels (18 megapixels)
includes face detection autofocus
no external flash support
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Street photography info
Sony HX20V Street photography info
82
fully articulated screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
provides touch to focus
environment sealing
above average ISO range (25,600)
61
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (254 grams)
fixed screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Sports photography factors
Sony HX20V Sports photography factors
65
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shooting (1/16,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
features tracking focus
environment sealing
terrible battery power (310 shots)
lack of phase detect AF
49
incredible zoom range (25-500mm 20.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (18MP)
includes tracking autofocus
no shutter priority mode
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Travel photography details
Sony HX20V Travel photography details
74
environment sealing
provides touch to focus
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
selfie friendly display
terrible battery power (310 per charge)
69
lighter than competition in class (254 grams)
decent megapixels (18 megapixels)
built-in flash
reasonably wide (25mm)
very long reach (500mm)
no Time Lapse mode
screen is not selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.2)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Landscape photography highlights
Sony HX20V Landscape photography highlights
74
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good megapixels (16MP)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
above average ISO range (25,600)
exports RAW formats
environment sealing
terrible battery power (310 per charge)
50
you can focus manually
reasonably wide (25mm)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (18 megapixels)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.2)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
no Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-M5 II
Vlogging with Sony HX20V
82
selfie friendly display
touch screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detect focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does have mic socket
34
reasonably wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competition in class (254 grams)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.2)
screen is not selfie friendly
no external mic support
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX20V Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 II and Sony HX20V
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IISony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M5 II Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V
Type Advanced Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Released 2015-02-06 2012-07-20
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VII BIONZ
Sensor type MOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 18MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4896 x 3672
Maximum native ISO 25600 12800
Lowest native ISO 200 100
RAW pictures
Lowest boosted ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 81 9
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-500mm (20.0x)
Largest aperture - f/3.2-5.8
Macro focusing distance - 1cm
Amount of lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Type of screen Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3" 3"
Screen resolution 1,037 thousand dots 922 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen technology - XtraFine TruBlack TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/1600 secs
Highest silent shutter speed 1/16000 secs -
Continuous shooting rate 10.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 7.10 m
Flash modes Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/250 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
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 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic support
Headphone support
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 BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 469 grams (1.03 lbs) 254 grams (0.56 lbs)
Physical dimensions 124 x 85 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") 107 x 62 x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 73 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.4 not tested
DXO Low light rating 896 not tested
Other
Battery life 310 photographs 320 photographs
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 NP-BG1
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Launch price $699 $397