Nikon D5500 vs Olympus E-M10 II: We compare the Nikon D5500, an Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor and the Olympus E-M10 II, an Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. Which of these cameras is a better choice for you? Here’s a brief overview of the specifications before we go into more detail.
Nikon D5500 vs Olympus E-M10 II Specs
Nikon D5500 vs Olympus E-M10 II – Comparison
Specifications |
Nikon D5500 |
E-M10 II |
|---|---|---|
| Megapixels | 24.2 | 16.1 |
| Sensor Type | CMOS | Live MOS |
| Sensor Format | APS-C (DX) | Micro Four Thirds |
| Crop Factor | 1.5x | 2.0x |
| AA Filter | None | None |
| Image Resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Body Image Stabilization | No | Yes |
| Lens Mount | Nikon FX/DX | Micro Four Thirds |
| ISO | 100 – 25,600 | 200 – 25,600 |
| Expanded ISO | No | None |
| AF Points | 39 | 81 Contrast |
| Cross-type AF Points | 9 | 0 phase |
| Continuous Mode | 5fps | 8fps |
| LCD | 3.2″ – Fully Articulated | 3.0″ – Articulating |
| LCD Resolution | 1,036,800 dots | 1,037,000 dots |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Focus Peaking | No | Yes |
| Top LCD Display | No | No |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical | EVF (2.36M) |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 95% | 100% |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.82x | 1.23x |
| Video Resolution | 1920×1080 (60/50/30/25/24p) | 1920×1080 (60/50/30/25/24p) |
| 1280×720 (60/50p) | 1920×1080 (60/50/30/25/24p) | |
| Microphone Jack | Yes | No |
| 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 | 100 | 28 |
| RAW Buffer Size | 7 | 18 |
| Time Lapse | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Flash | Yes | Yes |
| Max Flash Sync Speed | 1/200 | 1/250 |
| Startup Time | 0.4s | 0.8s |
| Built-in Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in GPS | No | No |
| Built-in NFC | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| USB Type | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Environmentally Sealed | No | No |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 820 shots | 320 shots |
| Battery Included | Yes (EN-EL14a) | Yes (BLS-50) |
| Weight | 14.8 oz (420g) | 13.8 oz (390g) |
| Size | 4.9 x 3.8 x 2.8″ | 4.7 x 3.3 x 1.8″ |
| Price | Amazon | Amazon |
| Release Date | 2015 | 2015 |
Nikon D5500 vs Olympus E-M10 II Common Features
| Wireless Connection | Yes vs Yes | Better connectivity |
| Articulating Screen | Yes vs Yes | Flexible shooting positions |
| Built-in Flash | Yes vs Yes | Useful in low-light |
| External Flash Shoe | Yes vs Yes | Better for flash photography |
| Touch Screen | Yes vs Yes | Easy control of camera functions |
| Viewfinder | Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Electronic) | Better framing and control |
| RAW Support | Yes vs Yes | Better image quality |
| Face Detection Focus | Yes vs Yes | very handy for portraits |
| LCD Screen Resolution | 1.037k dots vs 1.040k dots | Higher resolution screens |
| Timelapse Recording | Yes vs Yes | Creative shooting |
| AE Bracketing | Yes vs Yes | Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR |
Nikon D5500 vs Olympus E-M10 II Common Weaknesses
| Environmental Sealing | No vs No | Not suitable for tough conditions |
Olympus E-M10 II vs Nikon D5500 Size Comparison
The Olympus E-M10 II is the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 4mm narrower, 14mm shorter and 23mm thinner than Nikon D5500. It is also 30g lighter than the Nikon D5500.
Nikon D5500 vs Olympus E-M10 II – Comparison
Sensor Comparison
The Nikon D5500 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features an Expeed 4 processor. Meanwhile, the Olympus E-M10 II has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features a TruePic VII processor.
The D5500 lacks an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. This increase sharpness and details. It also has 8 megapixels more than the E-M10 II. Lastly, the Nikon D5500 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than the Olympus E-M10 II. A larger sensor allows you to have more control over the depth of field and blurry background.
Why You Should Choose The Nikon D5500
| Max Sensor Resolution | 24 MP vs 16 MP | 50% more pixels |
| LCD Screen Size | 3.2″ vs 3″ | 0.2 inches larger display |
| Battery Life | 820 shots vs 320 shots | 500 more frames with a single charge |
| Microphone Port | Yes vs No | High-quality audio recording option |
| Flash Coverage | 12.0m vs 5.8m | 6.2m longer range |
| Color Depth | 24.1 vs 23.1 | Higher color depth |
| Dynamic Range | 14.0 vs 12.5 | Higher dynamic range |
| Low Light ISO | 1438 vs 842 | Better High ISO performance |
| Sensor Pixel Area | 15.28µm2 vs 14.12µm2 | 8% larger pixel area |
| Selfie Friendly LCD | Yes vs No | Rotate LCD for taking Selfies |
Advantages of the Nikon D5500 Over Olympus E-M10 II
- Megapixels – 8.1 more megapixels. For printing big and cropping, the Nikon D5500 is a much better choice.
- Sensor Format – APS-C is bigger than MFT, which results in slightly less noise at higher ISO levels.
- Cross-type AF Points – 9 vs 0 phase.
- LCD – 3.2″ vs 3.0″ and it’s fully articulated.
- Microphone Jack – If you’re going to record videos where audio quality is important, a microphone jack is super helpful.
- JPEG Buffer Size – 100 vs 28.
- Battery Life – 820 shots vs 320 shots.
Video: Nikon D5500 Hands-on Review
Why You Should Choose The Olympus E-M10 II
| Built-in Image Stabilization | Sensor-shift vs None | All the lenses are stabilized |
| Number of Focus Points | 81 vs 39 | 42 more focus points |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 100% vs 95% | More accurate viewfinder |
| Max Shutter Speed | 1/16000s vs 1/4000s | faster shutter speed |
| Continuous Shooting | 8.0fps vs 5.0fps | 3 fps faster |
| Weight | 390 g vs 420 g | 30 g lighter |
| Price | $549 vs $700 | $151 cheaper |
| AE Bracketing Range | ±5 EV vs ±2 EV | Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR |
| Focus Bracketing | Yes vs No | Take multiple photos shifting focus point |
| Smartphone Remote Control | Yes vs No | Remote control your camera with a smartphone |
Advantages of the Olympus E-M10 II Over the Nikon D5500
- Body Image Stabilization – The Olympus E-M10 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 Contrast vs 39.
- Continuous mode – 8fps vs 5fps. More is better for sports and wildlife since you have more chances of getting a tack sharp shot.
- LCD Resolution – Higher resolution
- Focus Peaking – Very useful for seeing if your subject is in focus (both photo and video).
- Viewfinder Coverage – 100% vs 95%.
- Viewfinder Magnification – Higher magnification.
- 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”.
- RAW Buffer Size – 18 vs 7.
- Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs 1/200.
- Size – The Olympus E-M10 II is noticeably smaller.