Olympus E-M5 vs Sony HX1

In this write-up, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony HX1, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and HX1 (1/2.4") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-M5 was launched 3 years later than the HX1 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-M5 matches up vs the HX1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 features exterior measurements 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 Sony HX1 has specifications of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony HX1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M5 compared to the HX1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and HX1 is 81 and 67 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The photograph here might provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 and HX1.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 will deliver extra detail utilizing its extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The newer E-M5 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.