Olympus E-M5 vs. Panasonic FX90: A Thorough Hands-On Camera Comparison for the Curious Photographer

Having tested thousands of cameras over fifteen years, I can honestly say that comparing two very different cameras is often where the magic - and sometimes the frustration - happens. Today we’re looking at two distinct beasts from the Olympus and Panasonic stables: the Olympus OM-D E-M5, an advanced mirrorless classic from 2012, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX90, a small sensor compact aimed at casual shooters from roughly the same era.

If you’re wondering how these two stack up - sensor tech, handling, photo quality, real-world usability across various types of photography - and if either might be worth your hard-earned money, you’re in the right place. I’ll be drawing from thorough hands-on tests, breaking down specs, and sharing my subjective impressions along the way. Let’s dive in.

First Impressions: Size, Ergonomics, and Design Philosophy

Looking at each camera’s physicality is a solid way to frame the conversation. The Olympus E-M5 is a weather-sealed, SLR-style mirrorless with solid heft and a bristling controls layout when compared to the petite, pocketable Panasonic FX90 aimed at shooters who want quick shots with minimal fuss.

In the above image, you can see the Olympus E-M5 dwarfs the FX90 in size and grip bulk. Weighing 425g and measuring 122x89x43mm, the E-M5 has the feel of a serious tool - great for those of us who prefer a DSLR-like handling experience and plan to shoot with interchangeable lenses. The FX90, at a mere 149g and slim 102x56x22mm, fits comfortably in your pocket, ideal for snap-happy street or travel photography on the go.

If tactile controls and solid grip matter - say for bursts of wildlife or sports shooting - the E-M5 wins hands down. The FX90’s compactness might be a blessing or a curse depending on your finger size.

Top-Down Look at Controls and Usability

Controls can make or break the shooting experience, especially under pressure.

The Olympus sports a traditional top-plate dimple of dedicated dials for shutter speed, exposure compensation, and a mode dial - all tactile knobs unlike the FX90’s simpler compact design with just a power button and zoom toggle. The E-M5’s control layout screams “Shoot like a pro!” - you get custom buttons, exposure compensation dial, and shutter priority mode, giving you nuanced command over settings.

Contrast that to the FX90’s straightforward interface, which, while approachable, lacks manual exposure control or shutter priority modes completely. This is great for point-and-shoot simplicity but a limitation for more advanced users.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Arguably the largest gap - the sensor. The E-M5 packs a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) 17.3x13mm CMOS sensor with 16MP resolution. Meanwhile, the FX90 features a tiny 1/2.3” CCD sensor measured at 6.08x4.56mm with 12MP.

The headline here: The Olympus offers nearly 8 times the sensor surface area, which translates directly into better dynamic range, color depth, and lower noise at higher ISOs. The TruePic VI processor in E-M5 further enhances image processing, delivering cleaner files with excellent skin tone reproduction and punchy colors.

In real-world terms, the E-M5 captures landscapes with more detail in shadows and highlights, as well as cleaner low light shots. The FX90’s sensor is significantly smaller, resulting in more noise above ISO 800 and less refined color rendition - expected given the compact camera market segment and its CCD technology, which is slower in readout and less sensitive than CMOS.

Viewing and Composing: LCD Screens and Electronic Viewfinders Compared

Neither camera sports an optical viewfinder, so LCD and EVF quality come into play.

The E-M5 has a 3" tilting OLED touch-panel with 610k dots and an electronic viewfinder boasting 1.44 million dots at 100% coverage and 0.58x magnification - excellent for composing in bright sunlight and incorporating manual focus precision. The articulated screen tilts, which is a clear plus for macro or low-angle shooting.

In contrast, the FX90 offers a fixed 3” TFT LCD with just 460k dots and no viewfinder at all. The low-res LCD works fine for casual snaps but can be challenging under harsh light.

From personal shooting experience, the E-M5’s EVF is a massive advantage when doing deliberate compositions - portraits, landscapes, or fast sports shooting - especially if you fancy manual focus. The FX90’s fixed, non-articulated LCD and lack of EVF force reliance on live view, which can be limiting outdoors or in precise manual focus situations.

Autofocus and Continuous Shooting

Autofocus (AF) systems can separate a mediocre camera from a camera you actually want in serious shooting scenarios.

The Olympus E-M5 features 35 contrast-detection AF points, face detection, continuous AF, and tracking with sophisticated algorithms for subject locking. While there’s no phase-detection AF (still rare in MFT cameras of that era), the system is very usable and accurate.

The Panasonic FX90 offers 23 contrast-detection points but lacks face detection or advanced tracking, so it trails behind in autofocus sophistication.

Burst shooting speed is also quite in favor of the E-M5: 9fps continuous shooting can capture fleeting moments better than the FX90’s 4fps max.

For wildlife and sports photography, I generally found the Olympus more responsive and capable of holding focus on moving subjects. The FX90 is best for casual shooting without fast-moving subjects.

How Do They Handle Portraits?

Portrait photography demands accurate skin tones, pleasing bokeh, and reliable eye detection now that autofocus technology has matured.

With the Olympus E-M5’s larger sensor and Micro Four Thirds lenses, you get inherently shallower depth of field for subject isolation, yielding creamy bokeh when paired with fast primes. The Olympus also has face detection autofocus - a boon for portrait clarity, though this camera pre-dates animal eye AF or more advanced eye AF found in contemporary models.

The Panasonic FX90, while equipped with a 24-120mm equivalent zoom, maxes out at an aperture of f/2.5 to f/5.9 - not exactly portrait lens territory - and with a small sensor, background blur is mostly out of reach. No face or eye detection autofocus further limits framing precision.

If portraits are a priority, the E-M5 clearly has the tools for better skin tone rendition, subject separation, and overall control.

Landscape and Travel Photography: Resolving Power Meets Portability

For landscapes, sensor resolution, dynamic range, and weather sealing matter.

The Olympus offers a 16MP MFT sensor with 12.3 stops dynamic range (DxO Mark data), and rugged environmental sealing - meaning dust, splash, and light weather won’t wreck your shoot, ideal for hiking or coastal photography.

The FX90’s sensor, at only 12MP and much smaller, delivers limited dynamic range. The camera isn’t weather sealed and less ergonomically suited for carrying around all day, but its compact size is undeniable for stroll-and-shoot travel convenience.

The E-M5’s higher resolution and dynamic range allow for cropping flexibility and large-print landscapes, whereas the FX90 is best with good lighting and less ambitious prints.

Wildlife and Sports: AF Speed, Telephoto Reach, and Burst Performance

For wildlife, having a fast AF, high frame rates, and telephoto reach are key. The E-M5’s Micro Four Thirds lens ecosystem is vast - 107 lenses and counting, including many specialty telephotos and fast primes. You can put on anything from a 300mm f/4 to super-tele lenses providing an effective 2.1x crop factor for extra reach.

The FX90’s 24-120mm fixed zoom (5x optical) translates to a whopping 5.9x crop factor, but its slower aperture and modest focusing tech limit its effectiveness on fast-moving targets.

The Olympus shoots at up to 9fps in bursts, with reliable AF tracking, which makes it venturesome for avid bird photographers or club-level sports captures. The FX90’s 4fps combined with simpler contrast AF is more for relaxed environments.

Street and Macro Photography: Discretion and Close-up Capabilities

Street photographers value small size and discreetness. The tiny Panasonic FX90 excels here with quiet operation and extreme portability - tossing it in a jacket pocket disappears into urban life effortlessly.

The E-M5, larger and louder by design, might attract more attention, but its articulating screen aids in creative angles common in street photography.

On the macro front, the FX90 can focus down to 3cm, good enough for casual close-ups but lacking depth due to sensor and lens capabilities.

The E-M5’s wider lens selection includes true macro primes with excellent image stabilization, enabling sharper images at higher magnification. Its 5-axis in-body image stabilization is a standout feature to freeze handheld macro details.

Low Light and Night/Astro Photography Performance

When shooting at night or capturing the stars, sensor size, noise control, and exposure flexibility matter profoundly.

The Olympus E-M5’s MFT sensor and TruePic VI processor deliver better high ISO usability - with a native maximum ISO of 25600, usable ISO up to 1600 or even 3200 for prints or web sharing. The camera supports various exposure modes and manual control, letting you experiment with long exposure and bulb modes (though the minimum shutter speed tops out at 1/4000s - not as fast as modern cameras, but very solid for the era).

The FX90 clocks a max ISO of 6400 but with a small, noisy sensor, usable low light ISO doesn’t extend far beyond 800 before noise obliterates detail.

If you’re into astrophotography or nightscapes, the Olympus handles these genres far better.

Video Capabilities: Resolution, Stabilization, and Usability

Both cameras deliver Full HD video at 1080p and 60 fps - more than enough for typical users.

The Olympus utilizes its 5-axis sensor stabilization to keep handheld video footage smooth, while the FX90 relies on optical image stabilization within its lens.

Neither camera offers microphone or headphone jacks, so audio options are limited. The Panasonic uses MPEG-4 and AVCHD codecs, while the Olympus records in Motion JPEG and H.264.

I found the Olympus footage more stable and with less rolling shutter, thanks to sensor-based stabilization, which is a boon for run-and-gun videographers.

Build Quality, Weather Sealing, and Battery Life

The Olympus E-M5 boasts dust and splash resistance, making it a rugged companion that can take a light drizzle or dusty trail with confidence. The Panasonic FX90 is a basic compact without weather sealing - a factor to keep in mind if you plan outdoor adventures.

Battery life also favors the Olympus, rated at around 360 shots per charge, attributable to a larger BLN-1 battery pack. The FX90 clocks a more modest 200 shots per charge.

If you anticipate long days shooting or unpredictable weather, E-M5 feels like an investment in reliability.

Lens Ecosystem and Expandability: Flexibility vs. Fixed Lens

The Micro Four Thirds mount on the Olympus E-M5 opens a world of 107 lenses - everything from affordable primes to pro telephotos, fast f/1.2 lenses to compact pancakes. This flexibility allows photographers to tailor their kit precisely to their shooting styles and subjects.

The Panasonic FX90, by design, is a fixed lens compact: you get a modest zoom range equivalent to 24-120mm at a slow f/2.5-5.9 aperture, limiting reach and low-light performance. Its strength lies in portability rather than flexibility.

For enthusiasts or pros who want an evolving system, the E-M5 wins hands down.

Connectivity and Storage Options: Modern Conveniences?

Both cameras support SD/SDHC/SDXC cards in a single slot, which is standard fare. The Olympus supports Eye-Fi card compatibility (wireless image transfer), whereas the Panasonic boasts built-in wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi), giving it a slight edge for direct social sharing and remote shooting - nifty for casual users.

Neither camera has Bluetooth or NFC, reflecting their 2011-2012 origins.

USB 2.0 and HDMI ports exist for both but beware: no USB 3.0 means longer file transfers.

Price-to-Performance: Who Gets the Better Bang?

At launch, the Olympus E-M5 landed around $799, and in 2024, it still commands respect in the used market between roughly $400-$600 depending on condition. The FX90 was a budget compact around $227 new.

If you compare apples to apples - advanced mirrorless vs. fixed lens compact - the E-M5’s price is justified by its vastly superior image quality, versatility, and build.

That said, the FX90 delivers decent image quality and features for casual photographers not wanting complexity or bulk.

Real-World Sample Images

Comparing outputs is the ultimate test. Below is a gallery exhibiting both cameras’ JPEG outputs in various scenarios: portraits, landscapes, street, and macro shots.

Olympus E M5 front Olympus E M5 screen back Panasonic FX90 front Panasonic FX90 screen back

Notice how the Olympus E-M5 renders finer textures, richer skin tones, and cleaner shadows - the Panasonic FX90 images show more compression, contrast limitations, and noise in low light.

Overall Scores and Genre-Specific Performance

Based on aggregated testing and my field trials:

And drilling into specific photography genres:

The E-M5 excels in most categories - especially portraits, landscapes, wildlife, sports, and macro - while the FX90 is solid only in street and casual travel segments.

Who Should Buy Which Camera?

Choose the Olympus OM-D E-M5 if:

• You’re comfortable with interchangeable lenses and want to grow your kit
• You prioritize image quality, manual controls, and weather sealing
• You shoot a range of styles: portraits, landscapes, wildlife, macro, sports
• You want a solid, dependable enthusiast-grade mirrorless experience
• You value built-in 5-axis image stabilization for handheld sharpness
• You expect to work in variable environments, needing durability

Pick the Panasonic Lumix FX90 if:

• Pocketability and ease of use outweigh supreme image quality for you
• You want a simple, all-in-one point and shoot to carry everywhere with no fuss
• Budget is constrained, and you accept limited manual control
• Your photography is mostly casual snapshots and travel documentation

Closing Thoughts: Different Cameras for Different Journeys

Having lived with both the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic FX90, it’s clear these cameras serve fundamentally different photographic philosophies. The Olympus is a capable partner for the serious enthusiast or pro stepping into mirrorless - a system built to nurture creativity and technical mastery.

The Panasonic FX90 is more a handy tool for lazy afternoons of easy shooting - perfectly respectable in sunlight but quickly outclassed when the light gets tough or you want creative control.

To me, this comparison affirms that sensor size, build quality, and lens ecosystem still reign supreme in determining a camera’s long-term photographic value. But hey - if you want a slim ‘snap-n-go’ that fits in your jeans pocket and fires up quickly, the FX90 keeps its promise.

If you're looking for a recommendation in 2024, I’d look beyond both for current tech - but if buying used or on a budget, it’s essential to match the camera’s capabilities with your shooting ambitions.

Happy shooting, and may your next camera feel just right - whether pocket-sized or power-packed!

This hands-on analysis relies on side-by-side tests, pixel-peeping outputs, and thoughtful handling over weeks in the field across diverse photography genres. After all, a camera’s true value is revealed only when you press the shutter - repeatedly.