OM-D E-M5 Mark IIvs A5100
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?
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.
Casual & Travel — A5100 (2014): The A5100 is one of the smallest APS-C mirrorless cameras ever made. Its 24MP sensor, phase-detect AF, and selfie-friendly flip screen pack remarkable capability into a shirt-pocket-sized body. No EVF or hot shoe limits it for serious use, but as a compact travel camera or beginner's first mirrorless, it punches well above its price on the used market.
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
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Quick take: The a5100 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a5100 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) | A5100 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £200 |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 16.0MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | None |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 417g (with battery and card) | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | None |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | A5100 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Street | ||
| Macro | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Portrait | — |
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