Panasonic LX5 vs Olympus E-M1 II

Olympus E-M1 II advantages over Panasonic LX5

• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Larger sensor
  4/3 vs 1/1.63 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Tilt-swivel screen
  Tilt-swivel vs none
  Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
• Eye-level viewfinder
  Eye-level vs Rear display only
  You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 3.36 vs 1.98 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Shoot 4K video
  4K (DCI) vs 720p
  Make sure you have a fast computer
• 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 2.3 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• Built-in Wi-Fi
  Wi-Fi vs None
  Share your photos wirelessly
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  E-M1 II test data on DxO Mark LX5 test data on DxO Mark
  23.7 vs 19.6 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• 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-M1 II test data on DxO Mark LX5 test data on DxO Mark
  1,312 vs 132 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.

  E-M1 II test data on DxO Mark LX5 test data on DxO Mark
  12.8 vs 10.8 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• On-sensor phase detect
  Yes vs No
  Usually improves live view and video AF performance
• External Mic Jack
  Jack vs No jack
  Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
• Newer
  8 years vs 14 years old
  Newer cameras often support more advanced features
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• More dots on screen
  1037k vs 460k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Shoots 1080p video
  Yes vs No
  You'll want this if you shoot video
• Less shutter lag
  0.11 vs 0.35 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More pixels
  20.4 vs 10.1 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
• Bulb shutter
  Bulb vs No bulb
  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
• Faster JPEG shooting
  60.6 fps vs 1.8 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  51 vs 3 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/32000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  25600 vs 12800 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility