• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 25,600
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 24.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 51,200

Buy From

Differences

Olympus E-M5 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Thinner
    43 mm vs 77 mm
    Thinner
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    8.9 fps vs 8.1 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    9.0 fps vs 8.2 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Olympus E-M5

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • High resolution composite
    Yes vs No
    Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,106 vs 826 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.6 vs 12.3 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • Built-in GPS
    GPS vs None
    Geotag your photos
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 720 vs 360 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Top deck display
    Yes vs No
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • 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
    346k 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
  • Less shutter lag
    0.14 vs 0.28 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.63x vs 0.58x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • More pixels
    24.4 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
  • Optional anti-aliasing filter
    Optional vs Fixed
    Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    60 vs 17 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster shutter
    1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 25600 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • 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
  • 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
  • In-camera panoramas
    Neither provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • 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
  • 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
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Buy From

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.

  • Top-notch image quality; Spectacular detail from Pixel Shift Resolution; Better performance than K-3; Geotag images with no accessories; Great ergonomics in a compact body; Clever on-demand low-pass filtering; Broad sensitivity range; Large and bright viewfinder for an APS-C camera; Dual card slots

  • No built-in flash strobe; No wireless flash support out of the box; AstroTracer function can be finicky; AE Lock button is poorly located; Below-average battery life for a prosumer DSLR; Requires a different battery grip accessory than its predecessors

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
Pentax K-3 II
Olympus E-M1
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • High resolution composite
  • $1099
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Tiltable Screen

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
Pentax K-3 II
Panasonic G3
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Tiltable Screen

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
Pentax K-3 II
Olympus E-P5
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • $1249
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Tiltable Screen

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
Pentax K-3 II
Panasonic GX7
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • High resolution composite
  • $648
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • In-camera panoramas

Compared to Canon T6i

Olympus E-M5
Canon T6i
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Thinner
  • $699
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Less expensive
Pentax K-3 II
Canon T6i
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $699
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Tilt-swivel screen
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