Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7R III

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Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7R III

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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.

35mm 861.6mm²
42.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 32,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A7R III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7R III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7R III.
Compare Sony A7R III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7R III conclusion.

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

Succeeded by the Sony A7R IV
Compare A7R III vs A7R IV

Compare OLYMPUS E-M1 MARK III vs SONY A7R IV

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Differences

Olympus E-M1 II advantages over Sony A7R III

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$899* vs $1805
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 1.7 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Less shutter lag
0.11 vs 0.25 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
60.6 fps vs 9.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
60.6 fps vs 9.2 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
51 vs 30 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A7R III advantages over Olympus E-M1 II

Larger sensor
35mm vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 4.51 vs 3.36 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
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.
A7R III test data on DxO Mark E-M1 II test data on DxO Mark

3,523 vs 1,312 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.
A7R III test data on DxO Mark E-M1 II test data on DxO Mark

14.7 vs 12.8 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

650 vs 440 shots
Capture more photos
More pixels
42.4 vs 20.4 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
82 vs 51 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
102400 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

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
Shoot 4K video
Both provide
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
On-sensor phase detect
Both provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Dual card slots
Both provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
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 GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-M1 II User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7R III User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens
Kit with 24-70mm f/4 lens

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Review Excerpt

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

Fantastic image quality; Improved dynamic range over its predecessor; Very good high ISO performance; Much improved real-world AF performance; Class-leading burst rates, even with RAW; Improved 5-axis in-body image stabilization; Better 4K video quality; 1080/120fps video; Dual card slots; Significantly better battery life.
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; Buffer clearing still slow despite UHS-II support.
Read our Sony A7R III Review

The Competition

Compared to 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

Sony A7R III

Fujifilm X-T2

$2151
35mm

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$999
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Sony A7R III vs Fujifilm X-T2

Compared to 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

Sony A7R III

Panasonic G7

$2151
35mm

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$498
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R III vs Panasonic G7

Compared to Sony A7R II

Olympus E-M1 II

Sony A7R II

$899
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

$2348
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7R II

Sony A7R III

Sony A7R II

$2151
35mm

Touchscreen
High resolution composite

$2348
35mm

In-camera panoramas

Compare Sony A7R III vs Sony A7R II

Compared to 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

Sony A7R III

Panasonic GX8

$2151
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$998
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R III vs Panasonic GX8

Compared to Panasonic G85

Olympus E-M1 II

Panasonic G85

$899
4/3

High resolution composite
Higher effective ISO

$631
4/3

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic G85

Sony A7R III

Panasonic G85

$2151
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$631
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R III vs Panasonic G85

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