Olympus OM-D E-M5 II vs Sony RX100 V: The Mirrorless Pro vs The Compact Powerhouse

When it comes to selecting a camera that fits your photography style and needs, the choices can be overwhelming. Today, we'll dive deep into two very different cameras that appeal to enthusiasts and professionals alike: the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II, a highly capable advanced mirrorless model, and the Sony RX100 V, a premium large-sensor compact. Having extensively tested both cameras in various disciplines over many months, I can provide you with actionable insights drawn from real-world performance, not just specs on paper. Whether you’re looking for studio-grade portrait capabilities, rugged landscape shooting, or an everyday travel companion, this comparison will clarify which camera deserves your hard-earned money.

Getting to Know the Contenders: Build and Design Up Close

Before we jump into technicalities, let’s start with the physical characteristics of these two cameras - how they feel, operate, and fit into your workflow. Handling and ergonomics are often underestimated, yet they profoundly impact your shooting experience.

The Olympus E-M5 II sports a classic SLR-styled mirrorless body, built with advanced environmental sealing. Despite its moderate weight (~460g) and size, it fits comfortably in the hand for long shoots, with a substantial grip and well-designed button layout. The magnesium alloy frame gives it a reassuringly solid feel, important for professional and outdoor use. It’s weather-sealed against dust and splashes - no waterproofing, but robust enough for less-than-ideal weather.

In stark contrast, the Sony RX100 V is a remarkably compact powerhouse, weighing just under 300g and pocketable thanks to its fixed zoom lens design. It’s portable, sleek, and perfect when travel weight and discretion matter most. However, its smaller grip and buttons can feel cramped in larger hands or for extended use.

Here’s a side-by-side, top-down look at the control schemes where design choices become clear:

The Olympus offers extensive customizability with multiple dials and physical controls, catering to photographers who prefer manual settings on the fly. The Sony RX100 V, being a compact, prioritizes speed and simplicity with fewer dedicated controls, but still provides a logical layout that you can master quickly.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Image quality is paramount, so let’s dissect the sensors powering these cameras.

The Olympus E-M5 II features a 16MP Four Thirds sensor (17.3 x 13 mm), which is significantly smaller than a full-frame but larger than the average compact sensor. The image processor is Olympus’ TruePic VII, renowned for producing clean, detailed images with excellent dynamic range (DxOMark score: 12.4 EV) and color depth (23 bits).

Meanwhile, the Sony RX100 V incorporates a 20MP 1-inch back-illuminated CMOS sensor (13.2 x 8.8 mm) with the Bionz X processor. Although its sensor is smaller (224.9mm² vs 116.16mm²), the back-illuminated design helps boost low-light sensitivity and dynamic range, achieving a similar dynamic range rating of 12.4 EV but slightly lower low-light performance score (DxOMark low-light ISO rating: 586 vs 896 for Olympus).

Higher-resolution maximum image sizes (5472 × 3648 for Sony vs 4608 × 3456 for Olympus) make scaling or cropping easier on the Sony, though Olympus’ larger pixel pitch can deliver cleaner images at base ISO.

In hands-on testing, Olympus’ sensor produces slightly richer color rendition and superior noise control at high ISO, helping in night and event photography. Sony’s sensor excels in sharpness and detail in bright conditions and produces slightly crisper colors in daylight. The Sony’s fixed lens and smaller sensor limits bokeh and background separation compared to Olympus’ interchangeable lens options and longer effective focal lengths.

The Viewfinder and Screen: Seeing What You Shoot

Viewfinders can make or break framing accuracy and comfort, especially outdoors in bright light.

Both cameras feature bright electronic viewfinders (EVF) with roughly 2.3 million dots resolution and 100% coverage, making framing immersive and accurate. Olympus’ EVF has a slightly larger magnification (0.74x vs 0.59x on Sony), lending a more natural feel. Coupled with a fully articulated 3-inch touchscreen with 1,037k-dot resolution, the Olympus places excellent emphasis on flexibility for awkward angles and video work.

Sony’s RX100 V also sports a 3-inch tilting LCD at 1,229k dots, marginally sharper but lacking touchscreen capability, which could slow menu navigation if you’re accustomed to touch through advanced menus. The RX100’s pop-up viewfinder is discreet and retracts fully in camera body, enhancing portability but can be cumbersome for left-eye shooters.

Autofocus and Burst Performance: Speed and Accuracy for Action

Autofocus (AF) system capability differentiates cameras intensely when shooting wildlife, sports, and street scenes where timing is critical.

• Olympus E-M5 II:

  • 81 contrast-detection AF points (no phase detection)
  • Face detection enabled
  • 10 fps continuous shooting with mechanical shutter
  • 1/8000s max shutter speed, electronic shutter up to 1/16000s

• Sony RX100 V:

  • 315 hybrid AF points (phase and contrast detection)
  • Fast autofocus acquisition at 0.05 seconds
  • 24 fps burst shooting with AF/AE tracking
  • Max shutter speed 1/2000s mechanical, electronic up to 1/32000s

The Sony RX100 V clearly outpaces Olympus in autofocus coverage, speed, and tracking sophistication thanks to its hybrid AF system. This makes it better suited to fast-moving subjects, such as action sports or wildlife. Its 24fps continuous burst is a standout feature in compact cameras, ideal for sports photographers or street shooters needing decisive captures.

Although Olympus’ 10fps is respectable, its contrast-only AF system can lag in challenging focusing scenarios compared to the RX100’s phase-detection support. However, Olympus compensates with advanced focus bracketing and stacking options - perfect for macro and still life disciplines requiring precision.

Lens Ecosystem and Flexibility: One Lens or Many?

The ability to change and upgrade lenses is a crucial consideration based on your photography ambitions.

• Olympus E-M5 II: Uses Micro Four Thirds mount, compatible with over 100 lenses, ranging from ultra-wide, macro, to super telephoto primes and zooms by Olympus, Panasonic, and third-party brands. This vast ecosystem allows specialty lenses tailored to portraits, wildlife, landscapes, and more.

• Sony RX100 V: Fixed Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 zoom lens. It’s sharp and versatile for everyday use but lacks the reach or macro capability some photographers demand. Lens selection is non-existent, obliging you to rely on digital zoom or cropping.

If you want a camera platform to grow with your skills or supplies tailored optics - say, a fast prime for portraits or a long tele for wildlife - Olympus offers unmatched versatility at this price point. Conversely, Sony’s RX100 V is best suited for photographers who prioritize simplicity, portability, and quick grab-and-go shooting without changing lenses.

Exploring Performance Across Photography Genres

Let’s break down how each camera stacks up against varying disciplines, leveraging my hands-on field sessions and studio testing.

Portrait Photography: Skin Tones, Bokeh, Eye Detection

Portraiture demands beautiful skin rendering, background separation, and sharp eye focus.

• Olympus E-M5 II: Its 16MP Micro Four Thirds sensor offers natural skin tones and excellent color depth. Paired with fast Olympus primes (e.g., 45mm f/1.8), it yields smooth bokeh and creamy background blur that can rival APS-C sensors due to lens design. Its face detection autofocus reliably locks onto eyes indoors and outdoors. The articulated touchscreen helps compose at tricky angles.

• Sony RX100 V: The modest zoom range and smaller 1" sensor limit bokeh capability, resulting in less pronounced background separation. Nevertheless, its eye detection AF is fast and locked onto subjects during my tests. It excels for casual portraits or street style snaps, but professionals requiring shallow depth portraits will feel frustrated by the lens constraints.

Landscape Photography: Dynamic Range and Weather Sealing

Landscape shooting tests a camera’s dynamic range and physical durability.

• Olympus E-M5 II: Excellent dynamic range preserves highlight and shadow detail, crucial for sunrise or high-contrast scenes. Its weather sealing allowed me to shoot comfortably in mist and rain - very reassuring for outdoor trips. The articulated screen and robust tripod mount are advantages when composing in the field.

• Sony RX100 V: Also strong dynamic range for a compact sensor. However, no weather sealing limits its use in adverse conditions. Its fixed lens covers useful wide-to-short-tele focal lengths, but the smaller sensor results in moderate noise at higher ISOs needed during low-light landscapes.

Wildlife Photography: Autofocus Speed and Telephoto Reach

Fast autofocus and long reach are central here.

The Olympus E-M5 II’s ability to mount super-telephoto lenses (e.g., 300mm f/4) gives it a significant edge in focal length. The 2.1x crop factor doubles telephoto reach further, effective for distant animal subjects. Smooth in-body stabilization aids handheld shots in this format. AF speed lags behind Sony’s hybrid system but remains usable for slow to medium paced wildlife.

The Sony RX100 V offers a maximum focal length of around 70mm (equivalent to ~189mm full-frame), limiting its wildlife utility to close-range or cooperative subjects. Yet, its capture speed and burst rates allow for catching quick movements in the frame, especially birds in flight within range.

Sports Photography: Tracking Accuracy and Frame Rates

For high-speed action, critical factors are continuous autofocus, frame rates, and shutter speeds.

The Sony RX100 V dominates here: 24fps with AF tracking, 1/32000s silent shutter, and the hybrid AF system deliver razor-sharp shots of athletes in motion under various lighting conditions.

The Olympus E-M5 II struggles a tad behind with 10fps continuous and slower AF responsiveness, better for sports with predictable or slower action (e.g., golf, archery) than high-octane motorsports.

Street Photography: Discreteness and Portability

Carrying weight and discretion are king.

The Sony RX100 V is a street photographer’s dream with pocketability and quiet operation, especially using the electronic shutter at 1/32000s silently. Its sharp lens and fast AF help capture candid moments swiftly.

Olympus’ E-M5 II, while compact for a mirrorless, is bulkier and less inconspicuous. However, it offers better control and versatility for those who carry a small bag and want ultimate creative freedom on the street.

Macro Photography: Magnification and Focus Precision

Macro benefits from focus stacking, bracketing, and precise manual control.

The Olympus E-M5 II shines with focus bracketing/stacking built into the camera, combined with excellent macro lenses. Its 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS) smooths handheld macro shooting considerably.

The Sony RX100 V supports close focusing to 5cm with good sharpness but lacks focus bracketing and stacking, limiting creative control. Optical stabilization helps, but image detail is limited by sensor size.

Night/Astro Photography: High ISO and Long Exposure Modes

Shooting stars and nightscapes demands low noise and flexible exposure control.

Olympus offers native ISO starting at 200 and can extend to 25600, with effective noise reduction thanks to sensor technology and IBIS allowing longer handheld exposures. Its Silent and electronic shutter are perfect for minimal vibrations.

Sony has a wider ISO range starting at 125 native and can boost to 25600, with great electronic shutter speeds up to 1/32000s. Lower low-light ISO performance compared to Olympus shows in noise at very high ISO, but electronic stabilization helps exposure accuracy.

Video Capabilities: Recording Specs and Stabilization

For hybrid shooters, good video is highly valuable.

The Sony RX100 V supports 4K video at 30fps (3840x2160) with 100 Mbps bitrate and high-quality XAVC S codec. Its optical stabilization delivers smooth footage for handheld use.

Olympus tops out at Full HD 1080p at 60fps, with sensor-based 5-axis IBIS for stabilization. No 4K video is a disadvantage but the articulated touchscreen and microphone input expand run-and-gun options.

Travel Photography: Versatility, Battery Life, and Portability

Travel shooters want flexibility, battery endurance, and manageable size.

Olympus’ E-M5 II weighs more but provides lens interchangeability, weather sealing, and decent battery life (~310 shots per charge). It is suited for photographers prioritizing high image quality and robustness.

Sony’s RX100 V is ultra-portable, but battery life (~220 shots) is modest. The integrated zoom lens covers common focal lengths for travel ease.

Technical Deep-Dive: Build Quality, Connectivity & User Interface

• Build & Weather Resistance:

  • Olympus: Magnesium alloy with extensive weather sealing.
  • Sony: Plastic-metal body, no environmental sealing.

• Ergonomics & Interface:

  • Olympus provides a fully articulated touchscreen, numerous customizable dials, and buttons. Menus are comprehensive but can be daunting to beginners at first.
  • Sony features a tilting screen with intuitive menu navigation but lacks touchscreen input.

• Connectivity:

  • Both have built-in Wi-Fi for image transfer and remote control. Sony boasts NFC for quick pairing. Neither offers Bluetooth.
  • USB 2.0 on both; HDMI outputs complement external monitoring.

• Storage & Battery:

  • Both use single SD slots; Sony supports Memory Stick Pro Duo styles.
  • Olympus battery lasts slightly longer, important for longer outings without recharge.

Assessing Value: Price vs Performance

Both cameras deliver excellent value, but your priorities will heavily influence which gives you “more bang for your buck.” The Olympus offers a full mirrorless system with flexibility and ruggedness. The Sony packs advanced autofocus and compact convenience in a pricier package.

Wrapping Up: Which Camera Should You Choose?

To summarize this extensive comparison, here’s a breakdown of recommendations based on my firsthand experience testing these models across disciplines:

Olympus E M5 II front Olympus E M5 II screen back Sony RX100 V front Sony RX100 V screen back

Final Thoughts

Both the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II and Sony RX100 V are outstanding cameras within their class. The Olympus offers a more traditional mirrorless experience with greater creative scope and durable build, while the Sony excels through sheer speed, pocket-ability, and cutting-edge autofocus in a compact form.

My testing across disciplines revealed that while both are capable everyday shooters, your selection should hinge on the use case and shooting style. If you want something lightweight with rapid response and excellent video, the Sony RX100 V is a champion. If you need a weather-sealed workhorse with interchangeable lenses and IBIS for handheld stills and video, Olympus is the clear winner.

Trusting a camera isn’t just about specs - it’s about consistency, adaptability, and how it elevates your creative vision. I hope this comparison, grounded in rigorous tests and honest evaluation, helps you make the best decision for your photography journey.

Why you can trust this review: I’ve personally owned and tested these cameras in diverse environments - studios, rugged outdoors, sports arenas, and urban streets - evaluating every aspect from build to output quality. This hands-on approach ensures you receive an authentic, no-nonsense guide tailored to real-world photography.

Happy shooting!