OM-D E-M5 Mark IIvs GR IIIx HDF
Olympus
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
Starting from £350 new
Best for Travel & Landscape
View OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Ricoh
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street & documentary photography with a distinctive aesthetic
View GR IIIx HDF
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Street & Documentary Photography With A Distinctive Aesthetic — GR IIIx HDF (2024): The GR IIIx with a built-in dream filter — for photographers who want the GR's legendary APS-C quality with an added layer of analogue magic.
Who should buy what
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
- Travel photographers wanting compact + weather sealing
- Outdoor and landscape shooters
- Micro Four Thirds system users
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
- GR IIIx fans who want the HDF bloom effect without using post-processing
- Street photographers who want a distinctive, instantly recognisable aesthetic
- Film photography enthusiasts who want to replicate analogue optical character digitally
- GR III owners ready to upgrade to the 40mm equivalent perspective
Quick take: The gr iiix hdf has the highest resolution at 24mp; the om-d e-m5 mark ii is the most affordable; only the om-d e-m5 mark ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015) | GR IIIx HDF (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £999 |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 16.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 1920 × 1080 / 60fps |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | Phase/contrast hybrid CDAF with Snap Focus |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | 3-axis Shake Reduction (SR) — 4 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 4fps continuous |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 417g (with battery and card) | 262g body only |
| Dimensions | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm | 122.5 × 69.5 × 35.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | None — rear LCD only |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fixed LCD touchscreen, 1.037M dots |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Fixed GR Lens 26.1mm f/2.8 (40mm equivalent) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Single SD/SDHC/SDXC slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | GR IIIx HDF |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Street | ||
| Macro | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Sports | — |
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