Clicky

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII

Portability
81
Imaging
51
Features
70
Overall
58
Olympus OM-D E-M5 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII front
Portability
88
Imaging
54
Features
78
Overall
63

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII 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
  • Announced April 2012
  • Successor is Olympus E-M5 II
Sony RX100 VII
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-200mm (F2.8-4.5) lens
  • 302g - 102 x 58 x 43mm
  • Introduced July 2019
  • Succeeded the Sony RX100 VI
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII Overview

Lets examine more in depth at the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony RX100 VII, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the RX100 VII (20MP) is relatively close but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and RX100 VII (1") use different sensor measurements.

Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The E-M5 was announced 8 years earlier than the RX100 VII which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 VII being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-M5 scores versus the RX100 VII with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

        

Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Sony RX100 VII

 E-M5 RX100 VII 

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 VII over the Olympus E-M5

 RX100 VII E-M5 
IntroducedJuly 2019April 2012Newer by 88 months
Screen resolution921k610kSharper screen (+311k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Sony RX100 VII

 E-M5 RX100 VII 
Focus manually Dial precise focus
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen measurements
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII Physical Comparison

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 offers outer measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Sony RX100 VII has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 43mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.7") with a weight of 302 grams (0.67 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony RX100 VII in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using during that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M5 and the RX100 VII.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 and RX100 VII is 81 and 88 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII Sensor Comparison

Often, it can be hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions only by viewing specs. The image underneath should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 and RX100 VII.

All in all, both the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Sony RX100 VII will provide you with more detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged E-M5 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Portrait photography info
Sony RX100 VII Portrait photography info
70
has manual focus
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
provides face detection focus
saves RAW formats
66
manual focus
flash sync is higher than normal (1/2,000s)
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (1")
has face detect focusing
delivers RAW files
external flash not possible
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 as a Street photography camera
Sony RX100 VII as a Street photography camera
82
has a tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
includes touch focus
environment proofing
good high ISO (25,600)
85
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is decent (1")
delivers RAW files
has focus by touch
lighter than competition in class (302 grams)
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-M5
Sports photography with Sony RX100 VII
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
provides tracking autofocus
environment proofing
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
70
silent mode (1/32,000 seconds)
fast continuous shooting (20.0 frames per second)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (20MP)
sensor size is decent (1")
has tracking focus
has phase detect AF
bad battery life (260 shots)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Travel photography details
Sony RX100 VII Travel photography details
66
environment proofing
includes touch focus
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
77
lighter than competition in class (302 grams)
connects via bluetooth
has focus by touch
MP count decent (20MP)
flash built-in
selfie friendly screen
really wide (24mm)
bad battery life (260 per charge)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Landscape photography advice
Sony RX100 VII Landscape photography advice
73
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count decent (16MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
good high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW formats
environment proofing
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
65
manual focus
really wide (24mm)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (20MP)
sensor size is decent (1")
delivers RAW files
cannot switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
bad battery life (260 CIPA)
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Vlogging info
Sony RX100 VII Vlogging info
34
screen is touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detection focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
doesn't have external mic jack
81
really wide (24mm)
selfie friendly screen
touchscreen functionality
built in image stabilization (Optical)
has face detect focusing
high quality video (3840 x 2160 resolution)
has microphone support
lighter than competition in class (302 grams)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 and Sony RX100 VII
 Olympus OM-D E-M5Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII
General Information
Make Olympus Sony
Model Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII
Type Advanced Mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Announced 2012-04-30 2019-07-25
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VI Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 20MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4608 x 3456 5472 x 3648
Max native ISO 25600 12800
Lowest native ISO 200 125
RAW photos
Lowest enhanced ISO 100 64
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points 35 -
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 24-200mm (8.3x)
Maximal aperture - f/2.8-4.5
Macro focus distance - 8cm
Total lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.7
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 610 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder resolution 1,440 thousand dots 2,360 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.58x 0.59x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/2000s
Fastest silent shutter speed - 1/32000s
Continuous shutter rate 9.0 frames per second 20.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 5.90 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) -
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/250s 1/2000s
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) 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Max video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video file format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) NP-BX1 lithium-ion battery & USB charger
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 425g (0.94 lb) 302g (0.67 lb)
Dimensions 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") 102 x 58 x 43mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 71 63
DXO Color Depth score 22.8 21.8
DXO Dynamic range score 12.3 12.4
DXO Low light score 826 418
Other
Battery life 360 images 260 images
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLN-1 NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots Single Single
Launch pricing $799 $1,298