Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II: A Complete Comparison

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 IIWe compare two Semi-Pro Mirrorless cameras. The Canon M5 which has a 24.0MP APS-C sensor and the Olympus E-M5 II which has a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. To start, here’s a brief overview of the main features of both cameras.

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II Specs

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II

Specifications

Canon M5

E-M5 II

Megapixels 24.2 16.1
Sensor Type CMOS Live MOS
Sensor Format APS-C Micro Four Thirds
Crop Factor 1.6x 2.0x
AA Filter Yes None
Image Resolution 6000 x 4000 4608 x 3456
Body Image Stabilization Yes (Movie only) Yes
Lens Mount Canon EF-M Micro Four Thirds
ISO 100 – 25,600 200 – 25,600
Expanded ISO None None
AF Points 49 Hybrid 81 Contrast
Cross-type AF Points Dual Pixel AF 0 phase
Continuous Mode 7fps 5fps/10fps
LCD 3.2″ – Articulating 3.0″ – Fully Articulated
LCD Resolution 1,620,000 dots 1,037,000 dots
Touchscreen Yes Yes
Focus Peaking Yes Yes
Top LCD Display No No
Viewfinder Type EVF (2.36M) EVF (2.36M)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 1.48x
Video Resolution 1920×1080 (60/50/30/25/24p 1920×1080 (60/50/30/25/24p)
1280×720 (60/50p) 1280×720 (60/50/30/25/24p)
Microphone Jack Yes Yes
Headphone Jack No No
Memory Card Type SD SD
Dual Card Slots No No
SD UHS Support UHS-I UHS-II
Fastest Shutter Speed 1/4000 1/16000
Slowest Shutter Speed 30″ 60″
Bulb Mode Yes Yes
JPEG Buffer Size 27 18
RAW Buffer Size 18 13
Time Lapse Yes Yes
Built-in Flash Yes No
Max Flash Sync Speed 1/200 1/250
Startup Time 1.2s 0.8s
Built-in Wi-Fi Yes Yes
Built-in GPS No No
Built-in NFC Yes No
Bluetooth Yes No
USB Type USB 2.0 USB 2.0
Environmentally Sealed No Yes
Battery Life (CIPA) 295 shots 310 shots
Battery Included Yes (LP-E17) Yes (BLN-1)
Weight 15.0 oz (427g) 16.5 oz (469g)
Size 4.6 x 3.5 x 2.4″ 4.9 x 3.3 x 1.8″
Price Amazon Amazon
Release Date 2016 2015

Olympus E-M5 II vs Canon M5 Common Features

Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes
Touch Screen Yes vs Yes
Viewfinder Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic)
RAW Support Yes vs Yes
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes
Continuous Shooting 9.0fps vs 10.0fps
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs Yes
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II Size Comparison

The Olympus E-M5 II is 4mm shorter and 16mm thinner than the Canon M5 however it is 8mm wider. Furthermore, the Canon M5 is 42g lighter than the Olympus E-M5 II. The weight difference here is not enough to be considered a deterrent.

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II

And, since the Canon M5 has an APS-C sized sensor and the Olympus E-M5 II has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, the Olympus E-M5 II’s lenses for a similar focal length and aperture are generally lighter and smaller than the Canon M5 lenses.

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II Sensor Comparison

The Canon M5 has a 24.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features a Digic 7 processor. However, the Olympus E-M5 II has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VII processor.

The Canon M5’s sensor is 8MP more than Olympus E-M5 II’s sensor. This difference in megapixels has a significant advantage in photography and videography. It allows you to print your images larger or crop more freely. Although, do keep in mind that max sensor resolution is not the only factor that influences the output of images. Factors such as the optical elements, low-pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affect the final resolution of the captured image.

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II Sensor Comparison

Canon M5 vs Olympus E-M5 II Sensor Comparison

The Canon M5 features a 1.5x Larger sensor area than the Olympus E-M5 II. Larger sensors allow for more control over the depth of field and blurry background compared to the smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Canon M5 Advantages Over Olympus E-M5 II

 Built-in Flash Yes vs No
 Max Sensor Resolution 24 MP vs 16 MP
 LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 3″
 LCD Screen Resolution 1.620k dots vs 1.037k dots
 Weight 427 g vs 469 g
 NFC Connection Yes vs No
 Bluetooth Yes vs No

Reasons you might want to choose the Canon M5 over the Olympus E-M5 II:

  • Megapixels –  8.1 more megapixels. For printing big and cropping, the Canon M5 is a much better choice.
  • Sensor Format – APS-C is bigger than MFT, which results in slightly less noise at higher ISO levels.
  • Continuous mode – 7fps vs 5fps/10fps.
  • LCD – 3.2″ vs 3.0″.
  • LCD Resolution – Higher resolution.
  • JPEG Buffer Size – 27 vs 18. Useful for long bursts.
  • RAW Buffer Size – 18 vs 13. 
  • Built-in Flash
  • Built-in NFC
  • Bluetooth Support

Video: Canon M5 Hands-on Review

Canon’s latest mirrorless camera promises to be an 80D in a smaller package. With 1080p and a reasonable 24-megapixels, is it another flop or does the Dual Pixel Autofocus save the day? Watch as Kai takes you through the pros and cons.

Olympus E-M5 II Advantages Over Canon M5

Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shiftvsNone
Number of Focus Points 81vs49
Max Shutter Speed 1/16000svs1/4000s
Continuous Shooting 10.0fpsvs9.0fps
Battery Life 310 shotsvs295 shots
Environmental Sealing YesvsNo
Sensor Pixel Area 14.12µm2vs13.84µm2
Price $899vs$929
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EVvs±3 EV
Pixel Shift High-Resolution Mode Yes (40.0MP)vsNo
Focus Bracketing YesvsNo

Reasons why you may choose to buy the Olympus E-M5 II over the Canon M5:

  • AA Filter – The Olympus E-M5 II has no AA filter.
  • Body Image Stabilization – The Olympus E-M5 II has built-in body stabilization for photos and videos, which is an excellent feature for traveling and shooting in low light.
  • AF Points – 81 vs 49.
  • LCD – It’s fully articulated.
  • UHS-II – Faster writing speeds than UHS-I, but you need a memory card that can handle such speeds.
  • Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/16000 vs 1/4000.
  • Slower Max Shutter Speed – 60” vs 30”.
  • Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs /200.
  • Environmentally Sealed – The Olympus E-M5 II is better suited for shooting outdoors in difficult terrain and bad weather conditions.
  • Size – The Olympus E-M5 II is noticeably smaller.

Video: Olympus E-M5 II Hands-on Review

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