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Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980

Portability
80
Imaging
53
Features
84
Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M5 II front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 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
  • Revealed February 2015
  • Replaced the Olympus E-M5
  • Updated by Olympus E-M5 III
Sony S980
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
  • Introduced February 2009
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 Overview

Its time to examine more in depth at the Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-M5 II (16MP) and S980 (12MP) and the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and S980 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-M5 II was released 6 years after the S980 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-M5 II matches up against the S980 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 II over the Sony S980

 E-M5 II S980 
IntroducedFebruary 2015February 2009Newer by 73 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1037k230kClearer screen (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Olympus E-M5 II

 S980 E-M5 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 II and Sony S980

 E-M5 II S980 
Manual focus Very accurate focusing

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 II features outside measurements of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") and a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs) whilst the Sony S980 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the E-M5 II vs the S980.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 II and S980 is 80 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is very tough to see the contrast in sensor dimensions just by seeing technical specs. The picture here may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 II and S980.

As you have seen, each of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 II because of its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 II will provide greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The newer E-M5 II will have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Portrait photography features
Sony S980 Portrait photography features
71
manual focus
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
features face detect focusing
saves RAW formats
27
focusing manually
manual exposure not available
cannot use external flash
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Street photography highlights
Sony S980 Street photography highlights
82
screen articulates fully
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
boasts focus by touch
environment sealing
good high ISO (25,600)
47
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Sports photography features
Sony S980 Sports photography features
65
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
silent shooting (1/16,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
features tracking focus
environment sealing
low battery (310 CIPA)
lacks phase detect AF
17
slow fps (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Travel photography information
Sony S980 Travel photography information
74
environment sealing
boasts focus by touch
megapixel count decent (16MP)
selfie friendly display
low battery (310 per charge)
51
built-in flash
no Timelapse mode
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
wide angle not great (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Landscape photography advice
Sony S980 Landscape photography advice
74
manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
good high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW formats
environment sealing
low battery (310 CIPA)
27
focusing manually
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not great (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
tiny screen (2.7")
manual exposure not available
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
no Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Vlogging factors
Sony S980 Vlogging factors
82
selfie friendly display
touch screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detect focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
includes mic jack
22
wide angle not great (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
does not have image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pixels)
no microphone socket
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 II and Sony S980
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IISony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model Olympus OM-D E-M5 II Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Class Advanced Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2015-02-06 2009-02-17
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VII -
Sensor type MOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 25600 3200
Min native ISO 200 80
RAW data
Min boosted ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points 81 9
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 33-132mm (4.0x)
Max aperture - f/3.3-5.2
Macro focus distance - 10cm
Available lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of screen 1,037k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 2 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/1600 seconds
Maximum silent shutter speed 1/16000 seconds -
Continuous shooting rate 10.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 3.50 m
Flash settings Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
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 format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 469g (1.03 pounds) 167g (0.37 pounds)
Dimensions 124 x 85 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 73 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 23.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 12.4 not tested
DXO Low light score 896 not tested
Other
Battery life 310 images -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery model BLN-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Pricing at launch $699 $300