Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic G9

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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic G9

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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.

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

Go in depth with our full Panasonic G9 Review.
How does it shoot? Panasonic G9 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the G9.
Compare Panasonic G9 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Panasonic G9 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Olympus E-M5 III
Compare E-M5 II vs E-M5 III
Compare Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic G9

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Differences

Olympus E-M5 II advantages over Panasonic G9

Less expensive
$899* vs $1498
Save money for lenses or accessories
Thinner
44 mm vs 91 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
469g vs 658g
Lighter weight

Panasonic G9 advantages over Olympus E-M5 II

Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
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

400 vs 310 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Newer
7 years vs 10 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
More viewfinder magnification
0.83x vs 0.74x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
20.3 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Faster JPEG shooting
60.0 fps vs 10.4 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
50 vs 18 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
60.0 fps vs 10.4 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
50 vs 13 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/16000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

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
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
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

In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-M5 II User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read G9 User Reviews

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Buy the Panasonic G9

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lens

All G9 Deals

Review Excerpt

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

Great build quality; Very good image quality; Effective IBIS; Excellent performance; Fast shooting speeds; 4K/60p video.
No phase-detection autofocus; 10-minute limit for 4k60p video clips; No V-Log or 10-bit video.
Read our Panasonic G9 Review

The Competition

Compared to 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

Panasonic G9

Panasonic GX7

$965
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Shoot 4K video

$648
4/3

In-camera panoramas
Internal flash

Compare Panasonic G9 vs Panasonic GX7

Compared to Panasonic GX8

Olympus E-M5 II

Panasonic GX8

$899
4/3

High resolution composite
Fast startup

$998
4/3

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GX8

Panasonic G9

Panasonic GX8

$965
4/3

High resolution composite
Fast startup

$998
4/3

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Panasonic G9 vs Panasonic GX8

Compared to 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

Panasonic G9

Panasonic GX85

$965
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
High resolution composite

$598
4/3

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Panasonic G9 vs Panasonic GX85

Compared to Panasonic GH5

Olympus E-M5 II

Panasonic GH5

$899
4/3

Less expensive
High resolution composite

$1348
4/3

Shoot 4K video
Built-in Bluetooth

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GH5

Panasonic G9

Panasonic GH5

$965
4/3

High resolution composite
Top deck display

$1348
4/3

Less expensive
Bigger JPEG buffer

Compare Panasonic G9 vs Panasonic GH5

Compared to Panasonic G95

Olympus E-M5 II

Panasonic G95

$899
4/3

High resolution composite
Thinner

$848
4/3

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic G95

Panasonic G9

Panasonic G95

$965
4/3

Slower slow-motion
High resolution composite

$848
4/3

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Panasonic G9 vs Panasonic G95

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