Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony NEX-5
80 Imaging
62 Features
88 Overall
72
89 Imaging
54 Features
58 Overall
55
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony NEX-5 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
- Released October 2019
- Replaced the Olympus E-M5 II
- Newer Model is OM System OM-5
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 287g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
- Revealed June 2010
- Replacement is Sony NEX-5N
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In this article, we will be matching up the Olympus E-M5 III versus Sony NEX-5, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe E-M5 III was released 9 years later than the NEX-5 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before we go in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-M5 III scores against the NEX-5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 III over the Sony NEX-5
| E-M5 III | NEX-5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | October 2019 |  | June 2010 | More recent by 114 months |
| Screen type | Fully Articulated |  | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
| Screen resolution | 1040k |  | 920k | Clearer screen (+120k dot) |
| Selfie screen |  | Easy selfies | ||
| Touch friendly screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5 over the Olympus E-M5 III
| NEX-5 | E-M5 III |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony NEX-5
| E-M5 III | NEX-5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus |  | Dial precise focusing | ||
| Screen sizing | 3" |  | 3" | Equivalent screen measurements |
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony NEX-5 Physical Comparison
If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 III comes with outer dimensions of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") along with a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5 has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).
See the Olympus E-M5 III versus Sony NEX-5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M5 III and the NEX-5.
Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 III and NEX-5 is 80 and 89 respectively.
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony NEX-5 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it is difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements purely by going through a spec sheet. The photograph below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 III and NEX-5.
Clearly, the two cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 III due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Olympus E-M5 III will show greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The newer E-M5 III is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony NEX-5 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Sony Alpha NEX-5 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Sony Alpha NEX-5 |
| Type | Advanced Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Released | 2019-10-17 | 2010-06-07 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | TruePic VIII | Bionz |
| Sensor type | MOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.4 x 13mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 226.2mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4592 x 3056 |
| Max native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
| Min native ISO | 200 | 200 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Min enhanced ISO | 64 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Tracking autofocus | ||
| Selective autofocus | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Autofocus live view | ||
| Face detect autofocus | ||
| Contract detect autofocus | ||
| Phase detect autofocus | ||
| Total focus points | 121 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Number of lenses | 107 | 121 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
| Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
| Display resolution | 1,040k dots | 920k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.68x | - |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
| Max quiet shutter speed | 1/32000s | - |
| Continuous shutter rate | 30.0 frames/s | 7.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
| 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, Fill-in |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/250s | 1/160s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | AVCHD |
| Mic 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 | 414 gr (0.91 lb) | 287 gr (0.63 lb) |
| Dimensions | 125 x 85 x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") | 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | 69 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.2 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 12.2 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 796 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 310 pictures | 330 pictures |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLN-1 | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Price at release | $1,199 | $599 |
