Olympus E-M1 vs E-P5

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the Olympus PEN E-P5 are two enthusiast cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in September 2013 and May 2013. Both the E-M1 and the E-P5 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 15.9 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-M1		Olympus E-P5
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses		Micro Four Thirds lenses
15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor		15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor
1080/30p Video		1080/30p Video
ISO 200-25,600		ISO 200-25,600
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Viewfinder optional
3.0" LCD – 1037k dots		3.0" LCD – 1037k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
10 shutter flaps per second		9 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		not weather sealed
350 shots per battery charge		330 shots per battery charge
130 x 94 x 63 mm, 497 g		122 x 69 x 37 mm, 420 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the Olympus PEN E-P5? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Olympus E-M1 and the Olympus E-P5 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The E-M1 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the E-P5 is available in three color-versions (black, silver, white).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-P5 is considerably smaller (31 percent) than the Olympus E-M1. Moreover, the E-P5 is markedly lighter (15 percent) than the E-M1. It is worth mentioning in this context that the E-M1 is splash and dust resistant, while the E-P5 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-M1	130 mm	94 mm	63 mm	497 g	350	Y	Sep 2013	US$ 1 399	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-P5	122 mm	69 mm	37 mm	420 g	330	n	May 2013	US$ 999	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M1 II	134 mm	91 mm	67 mm	574 g	440	Y	Sep 2016	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-M5	122 mm	89 mm	43 mm	425 g	360	Y	Feb 2012	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M5 II	124 mm	85 mm	45 mm	469 g	310	Y	Feb 2015	US$ 1 099	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-M10	119 mm	82 mm	46 mm	396 g	320	n	Jan 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-PL7	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Aug 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
8.		Olympus PEN-F	125 mm	72 mm	37 mm	427 g	330	n	Jan 2016	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic G80	128 mm	89 mm	74 mm	505 g	330	Y	Sep 2016	US$ 899	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GH3	133 mm	93 mm	82 mm	550 g	540	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GH4	133 mm	93 mm	84 mm	560 g	500	Y	Feb 2014	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic GX7	123 mm	71 mm	55 mm	402 g	350	n	Aug 2013	US$ 999	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GX8	133 mm	78 mm	63 mm	487 g	330	Y	Jul 2015	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The E-P5 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 29 percent) than the E-M1, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

In terms of chip-set technology, the E-M1 uses a more advanced image processing engine (TruePIC VII) than the E-P5 (TruePic VI), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 15.9 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the E-M1 and the E-P5 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the E-M1 is a somewhat more recent model (by 4 months) than the E-P5, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the E-M1 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The E-M1 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The Olympus PEN E-P5 offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Olympus E-M1	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	23.0	12.7	757	73
2.		Olympus E-P5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.4	895	72
3.		Olympus E-M1 II	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.7	12.8	1312	80
4.		Olympus E-M5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	22.8	12.3	826	71
5.		Olympus E-M5 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.0	12.5	842	73
6.		Olympus E-M10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	884	72
7.		Olympus E-PL7	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.7	12.4	873	72
8.		Olympus PEN-F	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	23.1	12.4	894	74
9.		Panasonic G80	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.8	12.5	656	71
10.		Panasonic GH3	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	22.7	12.4	812	71
11.		Panasonic GH4	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.2	12.8	791	74
12.		Panasonic GX7	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60p	22.6	12.2	718	70
13.		Panasonic GX8	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.5	12.6	806	75

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/30p).

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the E-M1 has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the E-P5 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. That said, the E-P5 can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the VF-4. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-P5 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Olympus E-M1	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
2.		Olympus E-P5	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Olympus E-M1 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	18.0/s	n	Y
4.		Olympus E-M5	1440	n	3.0 / 610	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	n	Y
5.		Olympus E-M5 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
6.		Olympus E-M10	1440	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Olympus E-PL7	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
8.		Olympus PEN-F	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
9.		Panasonic G80	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic GH3	1746	n	3.0 / 614	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
11.		Panasonic GH4	2359	n	3.0 / 1036	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	n
12.		Panasonic GX7	2760	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Panasonic GX8	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The E-P5 has one, while the E-M1 does not. While the built-in flash of the E-P5 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the E-M1 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Olympus E-M1 and the Olympus E-P5 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-M1 and the E-P5 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Olympus PEN E-P5 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Olympus E-M1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Olympus E-P5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
3.		Olympus E-M1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	-
4.		Olympus E-M5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Olympus E-M5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Olympus E-M10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Olympus E-PL7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Olympus PEN-F	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Panasonic G80	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Panasonic GH3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Panasonic GH4	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Panasonic GX7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Panasonic GX8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the E-M1 has a microphone port, which is missing on the E-P5. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Olympus E-M1 (unlike the E-P5) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the E-M1 and the E-P5 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-P5 was replaced by the Olympus E-P7, while the E-M1 was followed by the Olympus E-M1 II. Further information on the features and operation of the E-M1 and E-P5 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-M1 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-P5 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Olympus E-M1 better than the Olympus E-P5 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Olympus OM-D E-M1:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (TruePIC VII vs TruePic VI).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 4 months after the E-P5).

Arguments in favor of the Olympus PEN E-P5:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• More compact: Is smaller (122x69mm vs 130x94mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 77g or 15 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (29 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in May 2013).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-M1 emerges as the winner of the contest (9 : 6 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-M1 and the Olympus E-P5 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the E-M1 or the E-P5. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-M1	5/5	+ +	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2013	US$ 1 399	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-P5	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	US$ 999	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M1 II	5/5	+ +	5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2016	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-M5	4/5	+ +	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2012	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M5 II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 1 099	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-M10	4/5	..	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-PL7	4/5	+	..	..	5/5	4/5	Aug 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
8.		Olympus PEN-F	..	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic G80	..	+ +	..	84/100	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2016	US$ 899	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GH3	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GH4	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic GX7	4/5	+	..	79/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2013	US$ 999	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GX8	5/5	+	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2015	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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