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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230

Portability
80
Imaging
62
Features
88
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M5 III front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 front
Portability
69
Imaging
50
Features
40
Overall
46

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 414g - 125 x 85 x 50mm
  • Introduced October 2019
  • Replaced the Olympus E-M5 II
  • Newer Model is OM System OM-5
Sony A230
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 490g - 128 x 97 x 68mm
  • Launched May 2009
  • Superseded the Sony A200
  • Newer Model is Sony A290
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 Overview

Below is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and A230 (10MP) and the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-M5 III was revealed 10 years later than the A230 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-M5 III scores vs the A230 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 III over the Sony A230

 E-M5 III A230 
LaunchedOctober 2019May 2009More recent by 127 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1040k230kCrisper screen (+810k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Olympus E-M5 III

 A230 E-M5 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony A230

 E-M5 III A230 
Manually focus Dial accurate focus

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison

If you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M5 III enjoys physical measurements of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") and a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Sony A230 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-M5 III compared to the A230.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 III and A230 is 80 and 69 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements merely by going through specs. The visual here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 III and A230.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 III using its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more challenging and the Olympus E-M5 III will produce more detail because of its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The younger E-M5 III will have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Portrait photography details
Sony A230 Portrait photography details
77
you can focus manually
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
includes face detection autofocus
delivers RAW formats
54
has manual focus
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
no liveview
sensor resolution low (10MP)
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M5 III
Street photography with Sony A230
83
screen articulates fully
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
comes with focus by touch
environment proof
good high ISO (25,600)
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
screen does not articulate
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Sports photography info
Sony A230 Sports photography info
76
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
quiet shutter (1/32,000s)
high max fps (30.0 frames per second)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
includes tracking autofocus
environment proof
comes with phase detect autofocus
bad battery life (310 CIPA)
46
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
has phase detect AF
no liveview
max fps very slow (3.0 frames/s)
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
terrible battery (230 CIPA)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Travel photography factors
Sony A230 Travel photography factors
77
environment proof
has bluetooth
comes with focus by touch
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
selfie friendly display
bad battery life (310 per charge)
45
built-in flash
doesn't have Timelapse recording
terrible battery (230 shots)
sensor resolution low (10MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A230 as a Landscape photography camera
77
you can focus manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
good high ISO (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
environment proof
bad battery life (310 CIPA)
51
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
no liveview
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
terrible battery (230 per charge)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Vlogging details
Sony A230 Vlogging details
84
selfie friendly display
touchscreen capability
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detection autofocus
high quality video (4096 x 2160 pixels)
does have external mic jack
9
no video shooting
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A230 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 III and Sony A230
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IIISony Alpha DSLR-A230
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model Olympus OM-D E-M5 III Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
Type Advanced Mirrorless Entry-Level DSLR
Introduced 2019-10-17 2009-05-18
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VIII Bionz
Sensor type MOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 17.4 x 13mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 20MP 10MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 5184 x 3888 3872 x 2592
Maximum native ISO 25600 3200
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW data
Minimum boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 121 9
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds Sony/Minolta Alpha
Number of lenses 107 143
Crop factor 2.1 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of screen 1,040k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent 95 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x 0.55x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Maximum silent shutter speed 1/32000 seconds -
Continuous shooting rate 30.0 frames/s 3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 10.00 m
Flash options Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/250 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM -
Maximum video resolution 4096x2160 None
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 -
Microphone support
Headphone support
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 414 gr (0.91 pounds) 490 gr (1.08 pounds)
Physical dimensions 125 x 85 x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 63
DXO Color Depth score not tested 22.3
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 11.4
DXO Low light score not tested 531
Other
Battery life 310 photos 230 photos
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLN-1 NP-FH50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots Single Single
Launch pricing $1,199 $569