OM-D E-M5 Mark IIvs BF
Olympus
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
Starting from £350 new
Best for Travel & Landscape
View OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Sigma
BF (2025)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Photographers who want to strip back every distraction
View BF
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.
Photographers Who Want To Strip Back Every Distraction — BF (2025): The most radical camera in years — no dials, no buttons, just a flat aluminium body and total creative minimalism.
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
BF (2025)
- Photographers who find camera menus and dials a distraction from the creative process
- L-mount system users who want the lightest, most minimal full-frame body available
- Design enthusiasts who value the object quality and philosophy as much as the output
- Sigma fp/fp L users ready for a more radical step toward minimal photography
Quick take: The bf 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 | OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015) | BF (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 16.0MP | 24.0MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p, 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | Phase-detect AF — face and eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | 5-axis IBIS — 7 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 9fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 417g (with battery and card) | 427g body only |
| Dimensions | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm | 127.0 × 75.0 × 45.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | EVF 0.75× 3.68M-dot |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen — primary interface |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | L-mount (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Single UHS-II SD slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | BF |
|---|---|---|
| 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 →
More comparisons with OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Camera family history