Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A6500

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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A6500

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

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M1 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M1.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6500 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6500 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6500.
Compare Sony A6500 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6500 conclusion.

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

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare OLYMPUS E-M1 II vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Olympus E-M1 advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 1.3 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher max flash sync
1/320 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Olympus E-M1

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
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.
A6500 test data on DxO Mark E-M1 test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 757 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 9.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 50 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 9.9 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 50 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
51200 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
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
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
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
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

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-M1 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 12-40mm Lens

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Buy the Sony A6500

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

All A6500 Deals

Review Excerpt

Exceptional rugged, weather-proof, professional build; Lightning fast contrast-detect AF, and phase-detect AF that makes Four Thirds lenses far more responsive; Tons of useful physical controls with immense customizability; Arguably the best image quality of any Micro Four Thirds camera we've tested to date; Large, sharp, high-resolution electronic viewfinder; Advanced Wi-Fi capabilities, including remote control shooting in PASM exposure modes.
Bigger and heavier than many other compact system cameras; Most expensive Micro Four Thirds camera on the market to date; Menu system and customization options have a steep learning curve; No optical low-pass filter means greater risk of moire; No built-in flash.
Read our Olympus E-M1 Review

Comfortable, premium body with good controls; Touch-screen for subject selection; Hybrid image stabilization system; Excellent image quality; Better high ISO JPEGs than the A6300; Extremely fast 11.1 fps burst capture; Very deep buffers for raw and JPEG alike; 4K video capture with no pixel binning
Pricey for an APS-C camera; JPEG colors aren't the most accurate; Very slow buffer clearing; Laggy touch-pad AF function; Poorly-placed movie button; No headphone jack; Mediocre battery life
Read our Sony A6500 Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-M5

Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-M5

$1099
4/3

Focus peaking
Fast startup

$900
4/3

Thinner
Shoots 60p video

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M5

Sony A6500

Olympus E-M5

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$900
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Olympus E-M5

Compared to Panasonic GH3

Olympus E-M1

Panasonic GH3

$1099
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$798
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Longer stills battery life

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic GH3

Sony A6500

Panasonic GH3

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$798
4/3

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Panasonic GH3

Compared to Panasonic GH4

Olympus E-M1

Panasonic GH4

$1099
4/3

In-Camera Image Stabilization
On-sensor phase detect

$898
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic GH4

Sony A6500

Panasonic GH4

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Slower slow-motion

$898
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Panasonic GH4

Compared to Panasonic GX8

Olympus E-M1

Panasonic GX8

$1099
4/3

Fast startup
On-sensor phase detect

$998
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic GX8

Sony A6500

Panasonic GX8

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$998
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Panasonic GX8

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Olympus E-M1

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1099
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1300
APS-C

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Sony A6500

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$1300
APS-C

Higher max flash sync
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

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