Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony W550
80 Imaging
61 Features
88 Overall
71
96 Imaging
37 Features
28 Overall
33
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony W550 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
- New Model is OM System OM-5
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 26-104mm (F2.7-5.7) lens
- 110g - 94 x 56 x 19mm
- Introduced July 2011
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony W550 Overview
Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony W550, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and W550 (14MP) and the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and W550 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor measurements.
Photography GlossaryThe E-M5 III was released 8 years after the W550 which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-M5 III grades versus the W550 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery & Sony W550 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 III over the Sony W550
| E-M5 III | W550 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | October 2019 | July 2011 | Newer by 101 months | |
| Manual focus | Dial precise focusing | |||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating display | |
| Display resolution | 1040k | 230k | Clearer display (+810k dot) | |
| Selfie screen | Easy selfies | |||
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony W550 over the Olympus E-M5 III
| W550 | E-M5 III |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony W550
| E-M5 III | W550 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display sizing | 3" | 3" | Equivalent display measurements |
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony W550 Physical Comparison
In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 III has got outside measurements of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") and a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Sony W550 has measurements of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony W550 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M5 III versus the W550.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 III and W550 is 80 and 96 respectively.
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony W550 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it is difficult to see the difference between sensor dimensions merely by checking specifications. The picture here will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 III and W550.
Plainly, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 III featuring a larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 III will give extra detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos far more aggressively. The more modern E-M5 III will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony W550 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony W550 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550 |
| Type | Advanced Mirrorless | Ultracompact |
| Released | 2019-10-17 | 2011-07-24 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Ultracompact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic VIII | BIONZ |
| Sensor type | MOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.4 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 226.2mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4320 x 3240 |
| Highest native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 80 |
| RAW data | ||
| Minimum enhanced ISO | 64 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Selective autofocus | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Autofocus live view | ||
| Face detect autofocus | ||
| Contract detect autofocus | ||
| Phase detect autofocus | ||
| Total focus points | 121 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | - | 26-104mm (4.0x) |
| Highest aperture | - | f/2.7-5.7 |
| Macro focusing distance | - | 5cm |
| Total lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Display sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of display | 1,040 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display technology | - | Clear Photo LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | None |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.68x | - |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 2 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
| Max quiet shutter speed | 1/32000 secs | - |
| Continuous shutter rate | 30.0 frames per second | 1.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 3.80 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/250 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1280x720 |
| Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4 |
| 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 | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 414 grams (0.91 lbs) | 110 grams (0.24 lbs) |
| Dimensions | 125 x 85 x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") | 94 x 56 x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 310 shots | - |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery ID | BLN-1 | NP-BN1 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | Single | - |
| Pricing at release | $1,199 | $119 |