Canon G1X vs Olympus E-M5 II

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Canon G1X vs Olympus E-M5 II

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1.5 inch 261.8mm²
14.3 megapixels
28.00mm - 112.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Canon G1X Review.
See real-world photos taken with the G1X.

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.

Succeeded by the Canon G1X Mark II
Compare G1X vs G1X Mark II

Succeeded by the Olympus E-M5 III
Compare E-M5 II vs E-M5 III

Compare CANON G1X MARK II vs OLYMPUS E-M5 III

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Differences

Canon G1X advantages over Olympus E-M5 II

Larger sensor
1.5 inch vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
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
Bigger RAW buffer
Unlimited vs 13 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Olympus E-M5 II advantages over Canon G1X

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
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 1.9 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
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 G1X test data on DxO Mark

908 vs 644 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
E-M5 II test data on DxO Mark G1X test data on DxO Mark

12.4 vs 10.8 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
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

310 vs 250 shots
Capture more photos
Thinner
44 mm vs 64 mm
Thinner
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Less shutter lag
0.14 vs 0.70 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Bulb shutter
Bulb vs No bulb
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Faster JPEG shooting
10.4 fps vs 4.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
18 vs 6 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
10.4 fps vs 1.1 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
Tilt-swivel screen
Both provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
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
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
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

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Review Excerpt

Large-sensor image quality. Sharp lens with useful zoom range. Tilt/swivel LCD. Twin dials. Smaller than competing interchangeable-lens cameras with a similar lens. Lots of photographer-friendly features.
Not as small as you might hope. Mediocre burst shooting and autofocus speed. Far too easy to accidentally change exposure compensation. Viewfinder is of surprisingly little use. Battery life could be better.
Read our Canon G1X 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 Sigma DP1 Merrill

Canon G1X

Sigma DP1 Merrill

$576
1.5 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Eye-level viewfinder

$849
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon G1X vs Sigma DP1 Merrill

Olympus E-M5 II

Sigma DP1 Merrill

$899
4/3

Focus peaking
Tilt-swivel screen

$849
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Sigma DP1 Merrill

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Canon G1X

Panasonic GX7

$576
1.5 inch

Larger sensor
Less expensive

$648
4/3

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

Compare Canon G1X 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 Sigma dp2 Quattro

Canon G1X

Sigma dp2 Quattro

$576
1.5 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Eye-level viewfinder

$899
APS-C

Larger sensor
Less shutter lag

Compare Canon G1X vs Sigma dp2 Quattro

Olympus E-M5 II

Sigma dp2 Quattro

$899
4/3

Focus peaking
Tilt-swivel screen

$899
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Sigma dp2 Quattro

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Canon G1X

Panasonic GX85

$576
1.5 inch

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$598
4/3

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon G1X 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

Compared to Canon G1X Mark III

Canon G1X

Canon G1X Mark III

$576
1.5 inch

Bigger pixels
More telephoto lens reach

$999
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon G1X vs Canon G1X Mark III

Olympus E-M5 II

Canon G1X Mark III

$899
4/3

High resolution composite
Fast startup

$999
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Canon G1X Mark III

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