OM-D E-M5 Mark IIvs A7 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?
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.
Travel, Portrait — A7 II (2014): The camera that proved full-frame IBIS was possible in a compact body.
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
A7 II (2014)
- Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want full-frame on a budget
- Film shooters adapting vintage lenses (IBIS helps enormously)
Quick take: The a7 ii 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) | A7 II (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £549 |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | Full-frame BSI CMOS 35mm |
| Resolution | 16.0MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 1080p 60fps |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | 117-point phase-detect hybrid AF |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | 5-axis IBIS, 4.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | 350 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 417g (with battery and card) | 599g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | EVF 0.71× 2.36M-dot |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.23M-dot |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E-Mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | SD / Memory Stick Pro Duo |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi, NFC, Micro USB, Micro HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | A7 II |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Street | ||
| Macro | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
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