Canon G16 vs Olympus E-M5 II

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Canon G16 vs Olympus E-M5 II

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1/1.7 inch 43.3mm²
12.1 megapixels
28.00mm - 140.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Canon G16 Review.
How does it shoot? Canon G16 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the G16.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon G16 conclusion.

4/3 224.9mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M5 II Review.
How does it shoot? Olympus E-M5 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M5 II.
Compare Olympus E-M5 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Olympus E-M5 II conclusion.

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Differences

Canon G16 advantages over Olympus E-M5 II

Less expensive
$499 vs $899
Save money for lenses or accessories
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

770 vs 310 shots
Capture more photos
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Higher max flash sync
1/2000 vs 1/250 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Lighter weight
355g vs 469g
Lighter weight
Longer exposure
250 vs 60 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
12.5 fps vs 10.4 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
39 vs 13 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos

Olympus E-M5 II advantages over Canon G16

Larger sensor
4/3 vs 1/1.7 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs none
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Bigger pixels
~ 3.75 vs 1.90 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 1.8 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
E-M5 II test data on DxO Mark G16 test data on DxO Mark

908 vs 230 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
Less shutter lag
0.14 vs 0.31 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More pixels
16.1 vs 12.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Bulb shutter
Bulb vs No bulb
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Bigger JPEG buffer
18 vs 5 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
10.4 fps vs 1.8 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 12800 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities

Common Weaknesses

In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

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Read G16 User Reviews

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Adorama
Read E-M5 II User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

AF speed vastly improved; Increased continuous frames per second (JPEGs at 12.5fps vs 10fps in G15); Solid build and ergonomic, comfortable feel; Excellent f/1.8-2.8 5x optical zoom lens; Advanced photographic features, including PASM dial and RAW capture; Dedicated ISO button; Customizable buttons; Excellent macro mode; 1080p/60fps Full HD video.
LCD screen not articulated; Larger design makes it not very pocketable; Optical viewfinder not very accurate; RAW burst shooting still slow; Wi-Fi is clunky to set-up & no remote shooting capabilities; No built-in GPS.
Read our Canon G16 Review

Excellent handling in a compact, weather-sealed body; Crisp, roomy electronic viewfinder; Image quality that can take the fight to APS-C DSLRs; Unique high-res mode lets it bat far above its weight for static scenes; Extremely fast 10 fps burst shooting, Excellent video feature set
Control dials are easily bumped; Below-average battery life at default settings; Buffer depths for raw shooters are a bit limited; 16-megapixel sensor resolution feels dated; Weak bundled flash strobe
Read our Olympus E-M5 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus XZ-2

Canon G16

Olympus XZ-2

$499
1/1.7 inch

Focus peaking
Eye-level viewfinder

$470
1/1.7 inch

Touchscreen
In-camera panoramas

Compare Canon G16 vs Olympus XZ-2

Olympus E-M5 II

Olympus XZ-2

$899
4/3

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$470
1/1.7 inch

In-camera panoramas
Internal flash

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Olympus XZ-2

Compared to Canon G15

Canon G16

Canon G15

$499
1/1.7 inch

Focus peaking
Built-in Wi-Fi

$650
1/1.7 inch

Shoots 24p video
Bigger JPEG buffer

Compare Canon G16 vs Canon G15

Olympus E-M5 II

Canon G15

$899
4/3

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$650
1/1.7 inch

Longer stills battery life
Internal flash

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Canon G15

Compared to Pentax MX-1

Canon G16

Pentax MX-1

$499
1/1.7 inch

Focus peaking
Slower slow-motion

$399
1/1.7 inch

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Canon G16 vs Pentax MX-1

Olympus E-M5 II

Pentax MX-1

$899
4/3

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$399
1/1.7 inch

In-camera panoramas
Internal flash

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax MX-1

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Canon G16

Panasonic GX7

$499
1/1.7 inch

Longer stills battery life
Integrated ND filter

$648
4/3

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon G16 vs Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-M5 II

Panasonic GX7

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
High resolution composite

$648
4/3

In-camera panoramas
Internal flash

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GX7

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Canon G16

Panasonic GX85

$499
1/1.7 inch

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

$598
4/3

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon G16 vs Panasonic GX85

Olympus E-M5 II

Panasonic GX85

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
High resolution composite

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GX85

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