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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II

Portability
80
Imaging
62
Features
88
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M5 III front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II front
Portability
89
Imaging
51
Features
74
Overall
60

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II 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 Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 414g - 125 x 85 x 50mm
  • Announced October 2019
  • Replaced the Olympus E-M5 II
  • New Model is OM System OM-5
Sony RX100 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 160 - 12800 (Expand to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-100mm (F1.8-4.9) lens
  • 281g - 102 x 58 x 38mm
  • Revealed June 2013
  • Succeeded the Sony RX100
  • Renewed by Sony RX100 III
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II Overview

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony RX100 II, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M5 III (20MP) and the RX100 II (20MP) is pretty comparable but the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and RX100 II (1") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M5 III was released 6 years later than the RX100 II and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-M5 III scores versus the RX100 II 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 RX100 II

 E-M5 III RX100 II 
RevealedOctober 2019June 2013More recent by 77 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating screen
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 II over the Olympus E-M5 III

 RX100 II E-M5 III 
Screen resolution1229k1040kCrisper screen (+189k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony RX100 II

 E-M5 III RX100 II 
Focus manually Very accurate focusing
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen sizing

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II Physical Comparison

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M5 III offers exterior measurements of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Sony RX100 II has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony RX100 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M5 III against the RX100 II.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 III and RX100 II is 80 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to picture the contrast in sensor measurements merely by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic here may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 III and RX100 II.

As you can see, both of these cameras have the same resolution albeit different sensor measurements. The E-M5 III includes the bigger sensor which will make getting shallow DOF easier. The more recent E-M5 III should have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Portrait photography information
Sony RX100 II Portrait photography information
77
you can focus manually
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers face detection focusing
delivers RAW formats
70
you can focus manually
high flash sync speed (1/2,000s)
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
decent sensor size (1")
has face detection focusing
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Street photography highlights
Sony RX100 II Street photography highlights
83
screen articulates fully
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
supports touch to focus
weather proofing
above average ISO range (25,600)
85
tilting screen
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
lighter than competition (281g)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Sports photography camera
Sony RX100 II as a Sports photography camera
76
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
silent mode (1/32,000 seconds)
high max frames per second (30.0 frames/s)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers tracking autofocus
weather proofing
supports phase detect AF
terrible battery life (310 per charge)
67
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (1")
has tracking autofocus
good battery power (350 shots)
has no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Travel photography information
Sony RX100 II Travel photography information
77
weather proofing
supports bluetooth
supports touch to focus
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
display is selfie friendly
terrible battery life (310 per charge)
80
good battery power (350 CIPA)
lighter than competition (281g)
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
built-in flash
really wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Landscape photography information
Sony RX100 II Landscape photography information
77
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a decent size (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
above average ISO range (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
weather proofing
terrible battery life (310 shots)
74
you can focus manually
really wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
good battery power (350 per charge)
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Vlogging camera
Sony RX100 II as a Vlogging camera
84
display is selfie friendly
touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
offers face detection focusing
video res high (4096 x 2160 pxls)
comes with external microphone socket
37
really wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
image stabilization (Optical)
has face detection focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition (281 grams)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
doesn't have external mic port
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony RX100 II Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 III and Sony RX100 II
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IIISony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M5 III Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
Category Advanced Mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Announced 2019-10-17 2013-06-27
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VIII -
Sensor type MOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixels 20 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 5184 x 3888 5472 x 3648
Highest native ISO 25600 12800
Highest boosted ISO - 25600
Minimum native ISO 200 160
RAW pictures
Minimum boosted ISO 64 100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 121 25
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-100mm (3.6x)
Max aperture - f/1.8-4.9
Macro focusing distance - 5cm
Number of lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.7
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Tilting
Screen diagonal 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 1,040k dot 1,229k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen technology - Xtra Fine WhiteMagic TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/2000s
Highest silent shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shooting speed 30.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 15.00 m (ISO Auto (W))
Flash options Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/250s 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 414 grams (0.91 pounds) 281 grams (0.62 pounds)
Physical dimensions 125 x 85 x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") 102 x 58 x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 67
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.5
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.4
DXO Low light rating not tested 483
Other
Battery life 310 photographs 350 photographs
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (10 sec. / 2 sec. / Self-portrait One-person/ Self-portrait Two-person/ Self timer Continuous (3 or 5 shots))
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Pricing at launch $1,199 $598