Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII
81 Imaging
51 Features
70 Overall
58


88 Imaging
54 Features
78 Overall
63
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII 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
- Announced April 2012
- Successor is Olympus E-M5 II
(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

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.

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.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Sony RX100 VII Gallery.
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 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | July 2019 | ![]() | April 2012 | Newer by 88 months |
Screen resolution | 921k | ![]() | 610k | Sharper 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 type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting screen |
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 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.
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.

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 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 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony RX100 VII Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Sony 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 |