Olympus E-M5 vs Sony HX350

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-M5 and Sony HX350, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the HX350 (20MP) is very close but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and HX350 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The E-M5 was announced 5 years earlier than the HX350 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX350 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-M5 scores against the HX350 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX350. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Sony HX350 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera often, you should take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 offers exterior dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Sony HX350 has specifications of 130mm x 93mm x 103mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.1") accompanied by a weight of 652 grams (1.44 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M5 and Sony HX350 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-M5 against the HX350.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and HX350 is 81 and 62 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizing merely by viewing specifications. The graphic below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and HX350.

To sum up, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 with its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony HX350 will result in more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The older E-M5 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.