Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A390
80 Imaging
61 Features
88 Overall
71
66 Imaging
53 Features
54 Overall
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A390 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- 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
- Launched October 2019
- Succeeded the Olympus E-M5 II
- Successor is OM System OM-5
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
- Introduced July 2010
- Superseded the Sony A380
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A390 Overview
Here is a complete comparison of the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony A390, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and A390 (14MP) and the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and A390 (APS-C) posses different sensor size.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-M5 III was introduced 9 years later than the A390 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before we go straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-M5 III matches up vs the A390 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A390 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III & Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery & Sony A390 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 III over the Sony A390
| E-M5 III | A390 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | October 2019 | July 2010 | Fresher by 113 months | |
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 1040k | 230k | Crisper screen (+810k dot) | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A390 over the Olympus E-M5 III
| A390 | E-M5 III |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony A390
| E-M5 III | A390 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | More accurate focus |
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A390 Physical Comparison
When you are aiming to carry your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 III offers 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 A390 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).
See the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony A390 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the E-M5 III compared to the A390.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 III and A390 is 80 and 66 respectively.
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A390 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it's hard to picture the difference in sensor sizing simply by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 III and A390.
As you can see, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 III using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Olympus E-M5 III will produce more detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The younger E-M5 III should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A390 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony A390 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 |
| Type | Advanced Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Launched | 2019-10-17 | 2010-07-28 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | 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 area | 226.2mm² | 369.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20MP | 14MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4592 x 3056 |
| Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Lowest enhanced ISO | 64 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect autofocus | ||
| Contract detect autofocus | ||
| Phase detect autofocus | ||
| Total focus points | 121 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Available lenses | 107 | 143 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
| Display sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
| Resolution of display | 1,040 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.68x | 0.49x |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
| Fastest quiet shutter speed | 1/32000s | - |
| Continuous shutter rate | 30.0 frames per second | 3.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash settings | 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 | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/250s | 1/160s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | - |
| Maximum video resolution | 4096x2160 | None |
| Video 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 proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 414g (0.91 pounds) | 549g (1.21 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 125 x 85 x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | 66 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.5 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.5 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 607 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 310 pictures | 230 pictures |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLN-1 | NP-FH50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Retail pricing | $1,199 | $500 |