Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic S5

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic S5, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and S5 (24MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and S5 (Full frame) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M5 was unveiled 9 years earlier than the S5 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-M5 scores versus the S5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Panasonic S5 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 offers exterior dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic S5 has sizing of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") having a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic S5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-M5 against the S5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and S5 is 81 and 60 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizes only by looking at specifications. The pic below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and S5.

To sum up, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M5 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic S5 will give more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-M5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.