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.
E-P5 test data on DxO Mark GX7 test data on DxO MarkHandsome retro styling; Very good image quality and dynamic range, with competitive high ISO performance; Lightning fast autofocusing; Excellent burst speeds (nearly 10fps at full res); Top shutter speed of 1/8000 second; Sharp, bright 17mm f/1.8 kit lens; 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD with 1.04M dots of resolution.
Heavier than some mirrorless models; Weak flash; Below average battery life; No built-in viewfinder (but EVF available in a kit or for separate purchase); A bit pricey compared to the similar E-M5, which offers a built-in EVF and weather sealing at about the same price.
Sharp retro design and solid build; High resolution, tiltable electronic viewfinder and LCD touchscreen monitor; Competitive still image quality; Very good video quality, recording Full HD at frame rates up to 60p; Fast autofocusing and all-around performance; Robust Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities, including remote shooting when paired with a smart device
Weak built-in flash; No external mic or headphone jack for video recording; Some poor results when shooting in Creative Panorama mode
