Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus SH-2

Here is a in depth overview of the Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus SH-2, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both designed by Olympus. The resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the SH-2 (16MP) is very similar but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and SH-2 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-M5 was launched 3 years prior to the SH-2 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-M5 scores against the SH-2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Olympus Stylus SH-2. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Olympus SH-2 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera often, you're going to have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 provides external measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus SH-2 has specifications of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus SH-2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-M5 versus the SH-2.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and SH-2 is 81 and 88 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing simply by going over a spec sheet. The visual here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 and SH-2.

Clearly, the 2 cameras feature the identical MP but not the same sensor sizing. The E-M5 features the larger sensor which is going to make getting shallower depth of field easier. The older E-M5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.