Z5vs OM-D E-M5 Mark II
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?
Entry-Level Full-Frame & Dslr Switchers — Z5 (2020): The most affordable route into full-frame Z — dual card slots, IBIS, and a capable sensor at an accessible price.
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
Z5 (2020)
- DSLR photographers switching to full-frame mirrorless for the first time
- Enthusiasts who want full-frame image quality on a tighter budget
- Photographers stepping up from APS-C who don't need fast burst or 4K
- Z5 II shoppers on a budget — the original Z5 is now excellent value used
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 z5 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the om-d e-m5 mark ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Z5 (2020) | OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £999 | £350 |
| Sensor | 24.3MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS |
| Resolution | 24.3MP | 16.0MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (with crop), 1080p/60p | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Hybrid AF — 273 phase-detect points, eye/subject detection | Contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5 stops | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4.5fps | 10fps |
| Battery Life | ~470 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 590g (with battery) | 417g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 134 × 100.5 × 69.5mm | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.8× magnification | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Nikon Z mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Z5 | OM-D E-M5 Mark II |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | — | |
| Macro | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
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