Leica SL3vs OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Leica
Leica SL3 (2024)
Starting from £6499 new
Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters
View Leica SL3
Olympus
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
Starting from £350 new
Best for Travel & Landscape
View OM-D E-M5 Mark II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional & Luxury Hybrid Shooters — Leica SL3 (2024): Leica's most capable mirrorless — 60MP, 30fps burst, 8K ProRes, and 7.5-stop IBIS with L-mount's growing lens ecosystem.
Travel & Landscape — OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015): The E-M5 II was the benchmark weather-sealed travel camera of its generation. The 16MP sensor is modest by today's standards but excellent in practice, and the 5-axis IBIS is genuinely useful. Weather sealing, a flip screen, and a high-res composite mode make it a practical companion. A highly capable used-market buy for travel and outdoor photographers who don't need the latest resolution numbers.
Who should buy what
Leica SL3 (2024)
- Leica photographers who want autofocus full-frame in the L-mount system
- SL2 owners upgrading to 60MP and improved autofocus performance
- Professionals who want Leica build quality with L-mount lens versatility
- Photographers who want to share lenses across Leica, Sigma, and Lumix bodies
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
- Travel photographers wanting compact + weather sealing
- Outdoor and landscape shooters
- Micro Four Thirds system users
Quick take: The leica sl3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the om-d e-m5 mark ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica SL3 (2024) | OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,499 | £350 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 16.0MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | Contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 7.5-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic | 10fps |
| Battery Life | 410 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 875g body only | 417g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Leica L-mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica SL3 | OM-D E-M5 Mark II |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Macro | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Astrophotography | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history