Olympus E-M5 vs Sony W230
81 Imaging
51 Features
70 Overall
58
95 Imaging
34 Features
25 Overall
30
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony W230 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
- Replacement is Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 30-120mm (F2.8-5.8) lens
- 156g - 95 x 57 x 22mm
- Released February 2009
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Here, we are reviewing the Olympus E-M5 and Sony W230, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and W230 (12MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and W230 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-M5 was announced 3 years later than the W230 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W230 being a Compact camera.
Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a short view of how the E-M5 scores vs the W230 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Sony W230 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Sony W230
| E-M5 | W230 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | April 2012 | February 2009 | More recent by 39 months | |
| Display type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting display | |
| Display resolution | 610k | 230k | Sharper display (+380k dot) | |
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony W230 over the Olympus E-M5
| W230 | E-M5 |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Sony W230
| E-M5 | W230 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Dial precise focus | |||
| Display size | 3" | 3" | Same display measurement | |
| Selfie screen | Neither features selfie screen |
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony W230 Physical Comparison
If you are aiming to lug around your camera, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 enjoys exterior dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Sony W230 has measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-M5 and Sony W230 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the E-M5 versus the W230.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 and W230 is 81 and 95 respectively.
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony W230 Sensor Comparison
Often, it can be difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through technical specs. The graphic here may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and W230.
As you can tell, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 will give you greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The younger E-M5 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony W230 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M5 vs Sony W230 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 |
| Class | Advanced Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
| Released | 2012-04-30 | 2009-02-17 |
| Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic VI | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Highest native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
| Min native ISO | 200 | 80 |
| RAW data | ||
| Min enhanced ISO | 100 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Number of focus points | 35 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 30-120mm (4.0x) |
| Max aperture | - | f/2.8-5.8 |
| Macro focus range | - | 4cm |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Screen size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Screen resolution | 610 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Screen tech | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
| Viewfinder resolution | 1,440 thousand dot | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | - |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 1 secs |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
| Continuous shutter speed | 9.0 frames/s | 2.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | 3.90 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash sync | 1/250 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 640x480 |
| Video file format | H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| 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 | 425 gr (0.94 lb) | 156 gr (0.34 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") | 95 x 57 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 71 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 22.8 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 12.3 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 826 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 360 pictures | - |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery model | BLN-1 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
| Storage slots | Single | Single |
| Launch price | $799 | $180 |