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Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II

Portability
89
Imaging
48
Features
52
Overall
49
Olympus PEN E-PM1 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II front
Portability
89
Imaging
51
Features
74
Overall
60

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II Key Specs

Olympus E-PM1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 265g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
  • Revealed November 2011
  • Updated by Olympus E-PM2
Sony RX100 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 160 - 12800 (Expand to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-100mm (F1.8-4.9) lens
  • 281g - 102 x 58 x 38mm
  • Announced June 2013
  • Succeeded the Sony RX100
  • Successor is Sony RX100 III
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II Overview

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PM1 versus Sony RX100 II, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and RX100 II (20MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and RX100 II (1") possess different sensor size.

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The E-PM1 was announced 19 months before the RX100 II making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-PM1 scores versus the RX100 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM1 over the Sony RX100 II

 E-PM1 RX100 II 

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 II over the Olympus E-PM1

 RX100 II E-PM1 
AnnouncedJune 2013November 2011Fresher by 19 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution1229k460kClearer display (+769k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony RX100 II

 E-PM1 RX100 II 
Manually focus Dial exact focus
Display dimension3"3"Identical display size
Selfie screen Neither offers selfie screen
Touch display Neither offers Touch display

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II Physical Comparison

If you're going to carry your camera, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM1 offers physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Sony RX100 II has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PM1 versus Sony RX100 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select at that moment. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PM1 against the RX100 II.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PM1 and RX100 II is 89 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it can be hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing purely by researching specifications. The graphic underneath should offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and RX100 II.

Plainly, both of those cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Sony RX100 II will result in more detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PM1 will be behind in sensor technology.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Portrait photography advice
Sony RX100 II Portrait photography advice
60
has manual focus
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
includes face detect focusing
exports RAW files
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
70
focusing manually
above average flash sync (1/2,000 seconds)
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (1")
supports face detect focusing
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Street photography advice
Sony RX100 II Street photography advice
75
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
screen does not articulate
85
tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
good sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
lighter than competitors in class (281g)
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-PM1
Sports photography with Sony RX100 II
49
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
includes tracking focus
max frames per second low (6.0 frames per second)
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
has no phase detect AF
67
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (20MP)
good sensor size (1")
supports tracking focus
great battery power (350 CIPA)
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PM1
Travel photography with Sony RX100 II
45
no Timelapse function
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
80
great battery power (350 shots)
lighter than competitors in class (281g)
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
decently wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
doesn't have selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Landscape photography advice
Sony RX100 II Landscape photography advice
65
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
no Timelapse function
74
focusing manually
decently wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (20MP)
good sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
great battery power (350 CIPA)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Vlogging information
Sony RX100 II Vlogging information
34
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
no microphone jack
37
decently wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
has image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detect focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competitors in class (281g)
doesn't have selfie friendly display
missing mic port
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony RX100 II Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PM1 and Sony RX100 II
 Olympus PEN E-PM1Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
General Information
Company Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus PEN E-PM1 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Revealed 2011-11-23 2013-06-27
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VI -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 20 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4032 x 3024 5472 x 3648
Maximum native ISO 12800 12800
Maximum boosted ISO - 25600
Min native ISO 100 160
RAW format
Min boosted ISO - 100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points 35 25
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-100mm (3.6x)
Maximal aperture - f/1.8-4.9
Macro focusing range - 5cm
Total lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.7
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 460k dot 1,229k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display technology HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating Xtra Fine WhiteMagic TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Electronic (optional)
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/2000s
Continuous shooting speed 6.0 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 15.00 m (ISO Auto (W))
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/160s 1/2000s
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), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format AVCHD, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
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 265 gr (0.58 pounds) 281 gr (0.62 pounds)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") 102 x 58 x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 52 67
DXO Color Depth rating 21.0 22.5
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.3 12.4
DXO Low light rating 499 483
Other
Battery life 330 photographs 350 photographs
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLS-5 NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (10 sec. / 2 sec. / Self-portrait One-person/ Self-portrait Two-person/ Self timer Continuous (3 or 5 shots))
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Retail cost $499 $598