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Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1

Portability
81
Imaging
52
Features
70
Overall
59
Olympus OM-D E-M5 front
 
Sony Alpha QX1 front
Portability
90
Imaging
63
Features
48
Overall
57

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 425g - 122 x 89 x 43mm
  • Launched April 2012
  • Successor is Olympus E-M5 II
Sony QX1
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - APS-C Sensor
  • " Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 216g - 74 x 70 x 53mm
  • Introduced September 2014
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Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 Overview

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony QX1, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Lens-style by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the QX1 (20MP) is fairly well matched but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and QX1 (APS-C) come with different sensor sizes.

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The E-M5 was revealed 3 years before the QX1 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony QX1 being a Lens-style camera.

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-M5 grades against the QX1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Sony QX1

 E-M5 QX1 
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display sizing3""Larger display (+3")
Display resolution610k0kSharper display (+610k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony QX1 over the Olympus E-M5

 QX1 E-M5 
IntroducedSeptember 2014April 2012Fresher by 28 months

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Sony QX1

 E-M5 QX1 
Manual focus More precise focus
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 Physical Comparison

When you are intending to carry your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 comes with physical 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) while the Sony QX1 has specifications of 74mm x 70mm x 53mm (2.9" x 2.8" x 2.1") and a weight of 216 grams (0.48 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony QX1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-M5 and the QX1.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and QX1 is 81 and 90 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it can be hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizing only by checking specs. The photograph below may offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 and QX1.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony QX1 will give extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics far more aggressively. The older E-M5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony QX1 as a Portrait photography camera
71
has manual focus
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
provides face detect focus
supports RAW files
66
manual focus
decent megapixels (20MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
has face detect focusing
saves RAW files
lack of manual exposure
external flash not possible
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M5
Street photography with Sony QX1
82
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
comes with focus by touch
weather sealing
great ISO range (25,600)
69
sensor size is good (APS-C)
saves RAW files
comes with focus via touch
screen does not articulate
lack of image stabilization
heavier than competition (216 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Sports photography highlights
Sony QX1 Sports photography highlights
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
provides tracking focus
weather sealing
has no phase detect auto focus
56
decent megapixels (20MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
better than average battery (440 per charge)
slow fps (4.0 frames/s)
lack of image stabilization
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-M5
Travel photography with Sony QX1
66
weather sealing
comes with focus by touch
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
no Time Lapse function
does not offer selfie friendly display
71
better than average battery (440 per charge)
comes with focus via touch
decent megapixels (20MP)
flash built-in
no Time Lapse function
heavier than competition (216g)
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Landscape photography details
Sony QX1 Landscape photography details
73
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sized screen (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
great ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW files
weather sealing
no Time Lapse function
64
manual focus
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
decent megapixels (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
saves RAW files
better than average battery (440 per charge)
tiny screen ( inches)
lack of manual exposure
lack of image stabilization
no Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Vlogging details
Sony QX1 Vlogging details
34
touch screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detect focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does not offer selfie friendly display
no mic support
32
touchscreen capability
has face detect focusing
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
no mic port
heavier than competition (216g)
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Olympus E-M5 vs Sony QX1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 and Sony QX1
 Olympus OM-D E-M5Sony Alpha QX1
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony Alpha QX1
Category Advanced Mirrorless Lens-style
Launched 2012-04-30 2014-09-03
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Lens-style
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VI Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 23.2 x 15.4mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 357.3mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 20 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3 and 3:2
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 5456 x 3632
Highest native ISO 25600 16000
Lowest native ISO 200 100
RAW data
Lowest boosted ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 35 25
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds Sony E
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 1.6
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inches -
Screen resolution 610k dot 0k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen technology Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 1,440k dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.58x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting speed 9.0fps 4.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range no built-in flash 4.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) Off, auto, fill, slow sync, rear sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30p)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 425 gr (0.94 pounds) 216 gr (0.48 pounds)
Dimensions 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") 74 x 70 x 53mm (2.9" x 2.8" x 2.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around 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 440 images
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLN-1 NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2, 10 secs)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC, Memory Stick Micro
Storage slots 1 1
Cost at launch $799 $500