Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A65
81 Imaging
51 Features
70 Overall
58


64 Imaging
63 Features
85 Overall
71
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A65 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
- Introduced April 2012
- Replacement is Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Raise to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 622g - 132 x 97 x 81mm
- Revealed November 2011
- Successor is Sony A68

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A65 Overview
The following is a detailed comparison of the Olympus E-M5 and Sony A65, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and A65 (24MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and A65 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

The E-M5 was unveiled 6 months after the A65 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A65 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before delving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-M5 scores vs the A65 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A65 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Sony SLT-A65. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Sony A65 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Sony A65
E-M5 | A65 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A65 over the Olympus E-M5
A65 | E-M5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 921k | ![]() | 610k | Sharper screen (+311k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Sony A65
E-M5 | A65 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | April 2012 | ![]() | November 2011 | Similar age |
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial precise focus | ||
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen measurement |
Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A65 Physical Comparison
When you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 features external measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Sony A65 has measurements of 132mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 622 grams (1.37 lbs).
Examine the Olympus E-M5 and Sony A65 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the E-M5 compared to the A65.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 and A65 is 81 and 64 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A65 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it is hard to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing technical specs. The image below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 and A65.
As you have seen, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A65 will offer you more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures way more aggressively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A65 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A65 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Sony SLT-A65 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Sony SLT-A65 |
Type | Advanced Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Introduced | 2012-04-30 | 2011-11-15 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VI | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 24 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 6000 x 4000 |
Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
Maximum enhanced ISO | - | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Min enhanced ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 15 |
Cross type focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Number of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Fully Articulated |
Screen size | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 610k dot | 921k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Screen technology | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 1,440k dot | 2,359k dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | 0.73x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 9.0fps | 10.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 10.00 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/250 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic 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 | BuiltIn |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 425 grams (0.94 lbs) | 622 grams (1.37 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") | 132 x 97 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 71 | 74 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.8 | 23.4 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.3 | 12.6 |
DXO Low light rating | 826 | 717 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 pictures | 560 pictures |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLN-1 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Pricing at release | $799 | $700 |