Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony A6500

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Olympus E-M5 II 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-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.

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-M5 III
Compare E-M5 II vs E-M5 III

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare OLYMPUS E-M5 III vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Olympus E-M5 II advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$899* vs $1598
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 1.3 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher max flash sync
1/250 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-M5 II

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-M5 II test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 908 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.
A6500 test data on DxO Mark E-M5 II test data on DxO Mark

13.7 vs 12.4 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 18 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 13 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
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

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-M5 II User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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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

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 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

Sony A6500

Panasonic GX7

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

$648
4/3

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6500 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

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-M5 II

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$899
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1300
APS-C

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M5 II 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

Compared to Sony A6300

Olympus E-M5 II

Sony A6300

$899
4/3

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$821
APS-C

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$821
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

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

Sony A6500

Panasonic GX85

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
NFC

$598
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Panasonic GX85

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