Comparing the Olympus OM-D E-M1, E-M5, and E-M10
Olympus has recently announced a new addition to their OM-D line of Micro Four Thirds cameras, the Olympus OM-D E-M10. At first it was thought that the OM-D E-M10 would be replacing the E-M5. However, Olympus intends to keep all three models in their OM-D line of Micro Four Thirds cameras.
In this blog post, I will compare the three Olympus OM-D models and tell you why you might select one over another. There is also a table near the bottom of the blog post that compares the key features of the OM-D line of cameras.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 sits at the top of the OM-D line of cameras. It is the biggest of the cameras, has the most features, and the highest specifications. The OM-D E-M1 also has many configurable dials and buttons giving the camera a more professional feel. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 has the best weather proofing of the 3 OM-D cameras with splash, dust, and freeze resistance.
When you compare the E-M5 to the E-M10, it starts to get more confusing. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is an older camera so it has the older version of the TruePIC image processor. However, it does have splash and dust weather proofing while the new E-M10 does not have any weather proofing. So if you need weather proofing, that limits your choices to the E-M1 and E-M5. The E-M5 also has 5-axis image stabilization like the E-M1 while the OM-D E-M10 only has 3-axis image stabilization.
The new E-M10 has some of the new features that are present in the flagship E-M1 camera such as built-in WiFi and Timelapse Recording. It also has some of the higher specifications that are found in the E-M1 but not in the E-M5. For example the E-M1 and E-M10 have 81 focus points while the E-M5 only has 35. The OM-D E-M10 also has a higher resolution LCD screen than the E-M5 with 1,037,000 screen pixels. The Olympus OM-D E-M10 is also a bit smaller and lighter than the EM-5.
If you don't need weather proofing on your camera and want some of the newer features found in the E-M1, you might want to take a look at the Olympus OM-D E-M10.
Updated for the OM-D E-M5 Mark II and E-M10 Mark II
Olympus OM-D Camera Specification Comparison
Feature
|
E-M1 |
E-M5 |
E-M10 |
Image Processor |
TruePIC VII |
TruePIC VI |
TruePIC VII |
Megapixels |
17 MP |
16.9 MP |
17 MP |
Sensor |
4/3" Live MOS Sensor |
4/3" Live MOS Sensor |
4/3" Live MOS Sensor |
ISO Range |
100 – 25600 |
200 – 25600 |
200 – 25600 |
AF Points |
81 |
35 |
81 |
WiFi |
Built-in 802.11b/g/n |
None |
Built-in 802.11b/g/n |
LCD Display
|
3.0-inch articulated LCD 1,037,000 screen pixels |
3.0-inch articulated LCD, 610,000 screen pixels |
3.0-inch articulated LCD, 1,037,000 screen pixels |
Shutter Frames Per Second Continuous |
10 FPS |
9 FPS |
8 FPS |
Shutter Speed |
60 – 1/8000 sec |
60 – 1/4000 sec |
60 – 1/4000 sec |
Image Stabilization |
5 axis |
5 axis |
3 axis |
Weight (incl. battery) |
17.3 oz / 497g |
14.99 oz / 425g |
13.97 oz / 396g |
Size |
130 x 94 x 63mm / 5.13 x 3.68 x 2.48 in. |
122 x 89 x 43mm / 4.8 x 3.5 x 1.69 in. |
119 x 82 x 46mm / 4.69 x 3.24 x 1.81 in. |
Weather Proofing |
Advanced (dust, splash, freeze resistant to -10c |
Yes (dust, splash) |
No |
Battery |
BL-1 lithium-ion |
BL-1 lithium-ion |
BLS-5 lithium-ion |
Other Features |
Timelapse Recording, Focus Peaking |
|
Timelapse Recording, Built-in flash, Focus Peaking |
Related Posts
Olympus OM-D E-M1 and E-M5 a Visual Comparison
Putting Focus Peaking to the Test on the Olympus OM-D E-M1
The WiFi Feature on the Olympus OM-D E-M1