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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500

Portability
80
Imaging
62
Features
88
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M5 III front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500 front
Portability
91
Imaging
43
Features
56
Overall
48

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • 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
  • Refreshed by OM System OM-5
Sony WX500
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 80 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-720mm (F3.5-6.4) lens
  • 236g - 102 x 58 x 36mm
  • Announced April 2015
  • Earlier Model is Sony WX350
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 Overview

Below is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony WX500, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M5 III (20MP) and the WX500 (18MP) is pretty similar but the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and WX500 (1/2.3") boast different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M5 III was revealed 4 years later than the WX500 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX500 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-M5 III matches up vs the WX500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 III over the Sony WX500

 E-M5 III WX500 
AnnouncedOctober 2019April 2015More recent by 55 months
Manual focus Dial exact focus
Screen typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1040k921kClearer screen (+119k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony WX500 over the Olympus E-M5 III

 WX500 E-M5 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony WX500

 E-M5 III WX500 
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen sizing

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 Physical Comparison

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M5 III features exterior measurements of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") along with a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Sony WX500 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 III and Sony WX500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M5 III and the WX500.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 III and WX500 is 80 and 91 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 Sensor Comparison

Typically, its tough to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements just by going over technical specs. The visual here should provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 III and WX500.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 III with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-M5 III will offer extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 III provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Portrait photography factors
Sony WX500 Portrait photography factors
77
has manual focus
resolution is good (20MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has face detect focusing
delivers RAW files
39
good megapixels (18MP)
provides face detect autofocus
lack of manual focus
can't use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Street photography info
Sony WX500 Street photography info
83
screen articulates
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
provides focus by touch
weather proofing
good ISO range (25,600)
69
screen tilts
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competitors (236g)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Sports photography camera
Sony WX500 as a Sports photography camera
76
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
quiet shutter (1/32,000s)
fast continuous shooting (30.0 frames per second)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
weather proofing
comes with phase detect AF
low battery life (310 CIPA)
57
great zoom range (24-720mm 30.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (18 megapixels)
provides tracking focus
good battery (360 CIPA)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-M5 III
Travel photography with Sony WX500
77
weather proofing
supports bluetooth
provides focus by touch
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
selfie friendly display
low battery life (310 shots)
71
good battery (360 shots)
lighter than competitors (236g)
good megapixels (18 megapixels)
has built in flash
relatively wide (24mm)
great zoom (720mm)
missing Time Lapse recording
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Landscape photography camera
Sony WX500 as a Landscape photography camera
77
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
good ISO range (25,600)
delivers RAW files
weather proofing
low battery life (310 CIPA)
49
relatively wide (24mm)
screen is a good size (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (18MP)
good battery (360 per charge)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
missing Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Vlogging details
Sony WX500 Vlogging details
84
selfie friendly display
touch screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detect focusing
high video quality (4096 x 2160 pixels)
does have microphone jack
35
relatively wide (24mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competitors (236g)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
missing mic port
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony WX500 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 III and Sony WX500
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IIISony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model Olympus OM-D E-M5 III Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500
Category Advanced Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Announced 2019-10-17 2015-04-14
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VIII Bionz X
Sensor type MOS BSI-CMOS
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 18 megapixels
Anti aliasing 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 4896 x 3672
Highest native ISO 25600 12800
Lowest native ISO 200 80
RAW photos
Lowest boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 121 -
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 24-720mm (30.0x)
Highest aperture - f/3.5-6.4
Macro focus distance - 5cm
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Range of display Fully Articulated Tilting
Display diagonal 3" 3"
Display resolution 1,040 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Maximum quiet shutter speed 1/32000 seconds -
Continuous shooting speed 30.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range no built-in flash 5.40 m (with Auto ISO)
Flash options Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, flash on, slow sync, flash off, rear sync
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 30p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (30p)
Highest video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD, XAVC S
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
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 414g (0.91 lbs) 236g (0.52 lbs)
Physical dimensions 125 x 85 x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") 102 x 58 x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 310 photos 360 photos
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLN-1 NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo
Storage slots One One
Price at launch $1,199 $348