Panasonic LX100 vs Olympus E-M5 II

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Panasonic LX100 vs Olympus E-M5 II

Leave Feedback

4/3 224.9mm²
12.8 megapixels
24.00mm - 75.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Panasonic LX100 Review.
How does it shoot? Panasonic LX100 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the LX100.
Compare Panasonic LX100 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Panasonic LX100 conclusion.

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.

Succeeded by the Panasonic LX100 II
Compare LX100 vs LX100 II

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

Compare PANASONIC LX100 II vs OLYMPUS E-M5 III

Buy From

Differences

Panasonic LX100 advantages over Olympus E-M5 II

Less expensive
$598 vs $899
Save money for lenses or accessories
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
Higher max flash sync
1/4000 vs 1/250 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Faster JPEG shooting
11.6 fps vs 10.4 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
130 vs 18 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
22 vs 13 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Olympus E-M5 II advantages over Panasonic LX100

Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs none
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 2.0 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.
E-M5 II test data on DxO Mark LX100 test data on DxO Mark

908 vs 553 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More pixels
16.1 vs 12.8 megapixels
Higher resolution photos

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
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
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
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 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
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Integrated ND filter
Neither provide
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
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

Amazon
Adorama
Read LX100 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-M5 II User Reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Panasonic LX100

Panasonic LX100 (Black)

Panasonic LX100 (Black)
Panasonic LX100 (Silver)

All LX100 Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Olympus E-M5 II

Body Only (Silver)

Body Only (Silver)
Body Only (Black)

All E-M5 II Deals

Review Excerpt

Very good image quality; Great performance in most respects; Bright zoom lens with good macro performance; Photographer-friendly body easily fits in a coat pocket or small bag; Roomy, high-res built-in viewfinder; Decent battery life
Won't fit in a pants pocket; Relatively low resolution by modern standards; Zoom lens has only a modest telephoto; Soft corners at wide or tele positions; Aperture dial is too easily bumped; Bundled flash is fairly weak
Read our Panasonic LX100 Review

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

The Competition

Compared to Sony RX100 III

Panasonic LX100

Sony RX100 III

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

$748
1 inch

Tiltable Screen
Internal flash

Compare Panasonic LX100 vs Sony RX100 III

Olympus E-M5 II

Sony RX100 III

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

$748
1 inch

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony RX100 III

Compared to Canon G7X

Panasonic LX100

Canon G7X

$598
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$1239
1 inch

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Panasonic LX100 vs Canon G7X

Olympus E-M5 II

Canon G7X

$899
4/3

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$1239
1 inch

NFC
Internal flash

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Canon G7X

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Panasonic LX100

Panasonic GX7

$598
4/3

Shoot 4K video
Higher max flash sync

$648
4/3

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Panasonic LX100 vs 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

Compared to Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

Panasonic LX100

Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Lacks anti-aliasing filter

$875
4/3

Has anti-aliasing filter

Compare Panasonic LX100 vs Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

Olympus E-M5 II

Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$875
4/3

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Leica D-LUX (Typ 109)

Compared to Canon G5X

Panasonic LX100

Canon G5X

$598
4/3

Larger sensor
Less expensive

$700
1 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Panasonic LX100 vs Canon G5X

Olympus E-M5 II

Canon G5X

$899
4/3

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$700
1 inch

Less expensive
NFC

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Canon G5X

Compare Other Cameras?