Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony HX9V

In this article, we are evaluating the Olympus E-M5 II versus Sony HX9V, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the HX9V (16MP) is fairly close but the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and HX9V (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-M5 II was announced 3 years after the HX9V which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX9V being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-M5 II scores against the HX9V for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 II & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 II Gallery & Sony HX9V Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and proportions. 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) while the Sony HX9V has measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 II versus Sony HX9V in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at the time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-M5 II versus the HX9V.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 II and HX9V is 80 and 91 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions only by researching a spec sheet. The pic below will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 II and HX9V.

Clearly, both of those cameras offer the same exact MP but different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 II uses the larger sensor which should make getting shallower DOF less difficult. The more recent E-M5 II should have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.