Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 II

The following is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 II, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the RX100 II (20MP) is pretty well matched but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and RX100 II (1") use different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M5 was launched 14 months prior to the RX100 II which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-M5 scores against the RX100 II for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Sony RX100 II Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 features exterior measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Sony RX100 II has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 II in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that moment. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-M5 vs the RX100 II.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and RX100 II is 81 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions just by checking specifications. The image below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 and RX100 II.

Plainly, each of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony RX100 II will resolve extra detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will let you crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-M5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.