Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A9 II
81 Imaging
52 Features
70 Overall
59


62 Imaging
75 Features
93 Overall
82
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A9 II Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 425g - 122 x 89 x 43mm
- Revealed April 2012
- Replacement is Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Push to 204800)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 678g - 129 x 96 x 76mm
- Introduced October 2019
- Superseded the Sony A9

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A9 II Overview
Here, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony A9 II, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and A9 II (24MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and A9 II (Full frame) have totally different sensor measurements.

The E-M5 was manufactured 8 years prior to the A9 II which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).
Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-M5 matches up against the A9 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A9 II Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Sony Alpha A9 Mark II. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Sony A9 II Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Sony A9 II
E-M5 | A9 II |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony A9 II over the Olympus E-M5
A9 II | E-M5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | October 2019 | ![]() | April 2012 | Newer by 90 months |
Screen resolution | 1440k | ![]() | 610k | Sharper screen (+830k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Sony A9 II
E-M5 | A9 II | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very accurate focusing | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting screen |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither includes selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A9 II Physical Comparison
If you're intending to travel with your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 features exterior measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Sony A9 II has measurements of 129mm x 96mm x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs).
Analyze the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony A9 II in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at the time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-M5 and the A9 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and A9 II is 81 and 62 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A9 II Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it can be hard to envision the contrast in sensor dimensions only by researching a spec sheet. The image underneath may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 and A9 II.
Clearly, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony A9 II will render more detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged E-M5 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A9 II Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A9 II Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Sony Alpha A9 Mark II | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Sony Alpha A9 Mark II |
Class | Advanced Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless |
Revealed | 2012-04-30 | 2019-10-03 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VI | BIONZ X |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Full frame |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 35.6 x 23.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 847.3mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 24MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 6000 x 4000 |
Highest native ISO | 25600 | 51200 |
Highest enhanced ISO | - | 204800 |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Minimum enhanced ISO | 100 | 50 |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | 693 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Number of lenses | 107 | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Tilting | Tilting |
Display diagonal | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of display | 610 thousand dot | 1,440 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Display technology | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 1,440 thousand dot | 3,686 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | 0.78x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
Max quiet shutter speed | - | 1/32000 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 9.0fps | 20.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) | Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/250 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
Video format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 425 gr (0.94 lb) | 678 gr (1.49 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") | 129 x 96 x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 71 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.8 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 826 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 images | 690 images |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLN-1 | NP-FZ100 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2, 5, 10 secs + continuous, 3 or 5 frames) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible) |
Storage slots | One | 2 |
Retail cost | $799 | $4,498 |