Olympus E-M5 vs Nikon D3300

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Olympus E-M5 vs Nikon D3300

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

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M5 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M5.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Nikon D3300 Review.
How does it shoot? Nikon D3300 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the D3300.
Compare Nikon D3300 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Nikon D3300 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Olympus E-M5 II
Compare E-M5 vs E-M5 II

Succeeded by the Nikon D3400
Compare D3300 vs D3400

Compare OLYMPUS E-M5 II vs NIKON D3400

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Differences

Olympus E-M5 advantages over Nikon D3300

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
More telephoto lens reach
100 mm vs 83 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Thinner
43 mm vs 75 mm
Thinner
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Wider angle kit lens
24 mm vs 27 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
8.9 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
16 vs 7 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Nikon D3300 advantages over Olympus E-M5

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Less expensive
$16 vs $900
Save money for lenses or accessories
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 1.1 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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.
D3300 test data on DxO Mark E-M5 test data on DxO Mark

1,385 vs 826 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
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

700 vs 360 shots
Capture more photos
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
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
Higher-res screen
307k vs 205k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
100 vs 17 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
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
Focus peaking
Neither provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Adorama
Read E-M5 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D3300 User Reviews

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Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 14-42mm Lens

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Buy the Nikon D3300

Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Black)

Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Black)
Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Grey)
Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Red)

All D3300 Deals

Review Excerpt

Attractive body design; Well-built, weather-sealed body; Excellent image quality; Excellent image stabilization; Very fast autofocus.
Exposure compensation dial changes easily; Small buttons; No in-camera chromatic aberration correction; Bundled flash is weak; Video compression artifacts with rapidly-moving subjects.
Read our Olympus E-M5 Review

Excellent image quality with lots of fine detail; Very good high ISO performance; Good dynamic range; Good print quality; Deep buffers with JPEGs; 1080/60p video; Uncompressed HDMI output.
AF struggles in low-light; Contrast-detect AF in live view is slow; Buffer depth is shallow with RAW files; No AE bracketing; No built-in Wi-Fi.
Read our Nikon D3300 Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-M5

Olympus E-M1

$900
4/3

Thinner
Shoots 60p video

$1099
4/3

Focus peaking
Fast startup

Compare Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-M1

Nikon D3300

Olympus E-M1

$382
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-camera panoramas

$1099
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Olympus E-M1

Compared to Panasonic G3

Olympus E-M5

Panasonic G3

$900
4/3

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Higher effective ISO

$700
4/3

Internal flash
More viewfinder magnification

Compare Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic G3

Nikon D3300

Panasonic G3

$382
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-camera panoramas

$700
4/3

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Panasonic G3

Compared to Sony A58

Olympus E-M5

Sony A58

$900
4/3

Lens selection
Touchscreen

$598
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A58

Nikon D3300

Sony A58

$382
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$598
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Sony A58

Compared to Olympus E-P5

Olympus E-M5

Olympus E-P5

$900
4/3

Eye-level viewfinder
More telephoto lens reach

$1249
4/3

Focus peaking
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-P5

Nikon D3300

Olympus E-P5

$382
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$1249
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Olympus E-P5

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-M5

Panasonic GX7

$900
4/3

Higher effective ISO
More telephoto lens reach

$648
4/3

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic GX7

Nikon D3300

Panasonic GX7

$382
APS-C

Larger sensor
Fast startup

$648
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D3300 vs Panasonic GX7

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