Clicky

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20

Portability
81
Imaging
52
Features
70
Overall
59
Olympus OM-D E-M5 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 front
Portability
96
Imaging
39
Features
50
Overall
43

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • 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
  • Refreshed by Olympus E-M5 II
Sony TX20
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F3.5-4.6) lens
  • 133g - 96 x 56 x 18mm
  • Announced February 2012
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 Overview

Following is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-M5 and Sony TX20, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the TX20 (16MP) is very comparable but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and TX20 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor dimensions.

Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

The E-M5 was announced 3 months after the TX20 and they are of a similar generation. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony TX20 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight into a full comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-M5 grades vs the TX20 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Sony TX20

 E-M5 TX20 
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display

Reasons to pick Sony TX20 over the Olympus E-M5

 TX20 E-M5 
Display resolution922k610kClearer display (+312k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Sony TX20

 E-M5 TX20 
AnnouncedApril 2012February 2012Same generation
Manual focus Dial precise focus
Display dimension3"3"Identical display sizing
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 Physical Comparison

In case you're planning to carry around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 provides physical dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Sony TX20 has specifications of 96mm x 56mm x 18mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 and Sony TX20 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at that time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-M5 vs the TX20.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and TX20 is 81 and 96 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it is tough to see the gap in sensor sizes simply by going through specs. The picture below will offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and TX20.

All in all, each of these cameras have got the exact same megapixels but not the same sensor sizes. The E-M5 features the larger sensor which is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-M5
Portrait photography with Sony TX20
71
has manual focus
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has face detection autofocus
exports RAW formats
40
you can focus manually
good megapixels (16MP)
provides face detect focus
manual exposure not possible
can't use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M5
Street photography with Sony TX20
82
has a tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
has touch focus
weather proof
great high ISO (25,600)
67
has image stabilization (Optical)
boasts touch to focus
environment proofing
fixed screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Sports photography highlights
Sony TX20 Sports photography highlights
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
weather proof
no phase detect autofocus
50
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
provides tracking focus
environment proofing
good battery life (250 shots)
no shutter priority
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus
Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Travel photography info
Sony TX20 Travel photography info
66
weather proof
has touch focus
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
no Timelapse recording
display is not selfie friendly
72
good battery life (250 CIPA)
environment proofing
boasts touch to focus
good megapixels (16MP)
has built in flash
quite wide (25mm)
missing Timelapse recording
display is not selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Landscape photography factors
Sony TX20 Landscape photography factors
73
has manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
great high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW formats
weather proof
no Timelapse recording
52
you can focus manually
quite wide (25mm)
nice screen size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
environment proofing
good battery life (250 per charge)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
manual exposure not possible
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
missing Timelapse recording
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Vlogging info
Sony TX20 Vlogging info
34
touch screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detection autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
display is not selfie friendly
no external microphone support
35
quite wide (25mm)
touch screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detect focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
display is not selfie friendly
missing microphone jack
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony TX20 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 and Sony TX20
 Olympus OM-D E-M5Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20
General Information
Make Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20
Class Advanced Mirrorless Ultracompact
Released 2012-04-30 2012-02-28
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VI BIONZ
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 25600 3200
Minimum native ISO 200 125
RAW data
Minimum enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 35 -
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-100mm (4.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/3.5-4.6
Macro focusing distance - 1cm
Total lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Range of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 610 thousand dot 922 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display tech Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor XtraFine TruBlack TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 1,440 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.58x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 4 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shutter speed 9.0 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 3.70 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/250 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 425g (0.94 lbs) 133g (0.29 lbs)
Dimensions 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") 96 x 56 x 18mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 71 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 22.8 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.3 not tested
DXO Low light rating 826 not tested
Other
Battery life 360 images 250 images
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 NP-BN
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Pricing at release $799 $330