Canon G5X vs Olympus E-M1 II

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Canon G5X vs Olympus E-M1 II

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1 inch 116.2mm²
20.2 megapixels
24.00mm - 100.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Canon G5X Review.
How does it shoot? Canon G5X in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the G5X.
Compare Canon G5X image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon G5X conclusion.

4/3 226.2mm²
20.4 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M1 II Review.
How does it shoot? Olympus E-M1 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M1 II.
Compare Olympus E-M1 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Olympus E-M1 II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Canon G5X Mark II
Compare G5X vs G5X Mark II

Succeeded by the Olympus E-M1 Mark III
Compare E-M1 II vs E-M1 Mark III

Compare CANON G5X MARK II vs OLYMPUS E-M1 MARK III

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Differences

Canon G5X advantages over Olympus E-M1 II

Less expensive
$700 vs $899
Save money for lenses or accessories
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
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
Thinner
44 mm vs 68 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/2000 vs 1/250 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Lighter weight
377g vs 574g
Lighter weight
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Bigger RAW buffer
Unlimited vs 51 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Olympus E-M1 II advantages over Canon G5X

Larger sensor
4/3 vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 3.36 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Shoot 4K video
4K (DCI) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer video battery life
90 vs 40 minutes
Capture more video
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

440 vs 215 shots
Capture more photos
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
0.11 vs 0.27 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
60.6 fps vs 7.6 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
51 vs 8 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
60.6 fps vs 0.8 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/2000 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
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
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
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
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Adorama
Read G5X User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-M1 II User Reviews

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Body Only (Black)

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Review Excerpt

Photographer-friendly controls; Good OLED viewfinder; Good image quality with sharp detail especially with RAW; Vari-angle touchscreen display.
Only 31 autofocus points; Subpar continuous shooting performance; Soft corners at wide-angle; Flare issues and fringing shooting wide-open; No 4K video; Poor battery life.
Read our Canon G5X Review

Excellent image quality; Very good dynamic range & high ISO performance; Fantastic C-AF performance; Incredible burst rates, even with RAW; 4K UHD & Cinema 4K (DCI) video; Clean HDMI; Dual SD card slots.
Expensive; Menus still confusing; UHS-II support only on one card slot; No optical low-pass filter means greater risk of moire; No built-in flash.
Read our Olympus E-M1 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Fujifilm X-T2

Canon G5X

Fujifilm X-T2

$700
1 inch

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$999
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon G5X vs Fujifilm X-T2

Olympus E-M1 II

Fujifilm X-T2

$899
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

$999
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Olympus E-M1 II vs Fujifilm X-T2

Compared to Canon G16

Canon G5X

Canon G16

$700
1 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

$499
1/1.7 inch

Less expensive
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Canon G5X vs Canon G16

Olympus E-M1 II

Canon G16

$899
4/3

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$499
1/1.7 inch

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

Compare Olympus E-M1 II vs Canon G16

Compared to Panasonic G7

Canon G5X

Panasonic G7

$700
1 inch

In-Camera Image Stabilization
NFC

$498
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Canon G5X vs Panasonic G7

Olympus E-M1 II

Panasonic G7

$899
4/3

In-Camera Image Stabilization
High resolution composite

$498
4/3

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic G7

Compared to Panasonic GX8

Canon G5X

Panasonic GX8

$700
1 inch

Less expensive
Internal flash

$998
4/3

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon G5X vs Panasonic GX8

Olympus E-M1 II

Panasonic GX8

$899
4/3

High resolution composite
Fast startup

$998
4/3

In-camera panoramas
NFC

Compare Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic GX8

Compared to Canon G7X Mark II

Canon G5X

Canon G7X Mark II

$700
1 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Eye-level viewfinder

$700
1 inch

Longer stills battery life
Shoots 24p video

Compare Canon G5X vs Canon G7X Mark II

Olympus E-M1 II

Canon G7X Mark II

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

$700
1 inch

Less expensive
NFC

Compare Olympus E-M1 II vs Canon G7X Mark II

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