Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus SH-50

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus SH-50, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both created by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the SH-50 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and SH-50 (1/2.3") offer different sensor size.

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The E-M5 was released 8 months prior to the SH-50 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-M5 grades versus the SH-50 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Olympus SH-50. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Olympus SH-50 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 has got external dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus SH-50 has specifications of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus SH-50 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M5 and the SH-50.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 and SH-50 is 81 and 88 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to picture the gap between sensor sizes merely by reading through a spec sheet. The image below may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and SH-50.

As you can see, both of these cameras provide the same megapixels but different sensor sizes. The E-M5 comes with the larger sensor which will make getting shallower DOF easier. The more aged E-M5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.