Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX10
81 Imaging
52 Features
70 Overall
59


58 Imaging
51 Features
76 Overall
61
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX10 Key Specs
(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
- Released April 2012
- Renewed by Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
- 20MP - 1" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 125 - 12800 (Bump to 25600)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-200mm (F2.8) lens
- 813g - 129 x 88 x 102mm
- Revealed March 2014
- Updated by Sony RX10 II

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX10 Overview
Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-M5 and Sony RX10, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the RX10 (20MP) is pretty similar but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and RX10 (1") boast totally different sensor measurements.

The E-M5 was released 22 months prior to the RX10 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.
Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the E-M5 matches up against the RX10 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX10 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Sony RX10 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Sony RX10
E-M5 | RX10 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony RX10 over the Olympus E-M5
RX10 | E-M5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | March 2014 | ![]() | April 2012 | Newer by 22 months |
Screen resolution | 1290k | ![]() | 610k | Clearer screen (+680k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Sony RX10
E-M5 | RX10 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting screen |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen |
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX10 Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to travel with your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 comes with physical dimensions 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 RX10 has proportions of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") and a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-M5 and Sony RX10 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the E-M5 vs the RX10.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and RX10 is 81 and 58 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX10 Sensor Comparison
Typically, it can be tough to envision the gap between sensor dimensions only by reading technical specs. The image below should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and RX10.
As you can tell, each of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony RX10 will deliver more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-M5 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX10 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX10 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 |
Category | Advanced Mirrorless | Large Sensor Superzoom |
Released | 2012-04-30 | 2014-03-20 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | SLR-like (bridge) |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | TruePic VI | Bionz X |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 13.2 x 8.8mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 116.2mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 20 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 5472 x 3648 |
Highest native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
Highest boosted ISO | - | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 125 |
RAW pictures | ||
Min boosted ISO | 100 | 80 |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 24-200mm (8.3x) |
Max aperture | - | f/2.8 |
Amount of lenses | 107 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 2.7 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of screen | 610k dot | 1,290k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen technology | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor | WhiteMagic |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 1,440k dot | 1,440k dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | 0.7x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/3200s |
Continuous shooting speed | 9.0fps | 10.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 10.20 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) | Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/250s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p) ,1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
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 | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 425g (0.94 pounds) | 813g (1.79 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") | 129 x 88 x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 71 | 69 |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.8 | 22.9 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.3 | 12.6 |
DXO Low light score | 826 | 474 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 photos | 420 photos |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLN-1 | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Pricing at launch | $799 | $698 |