OM-D E-M5 Mark IIvs A7S III
Olympus
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
Starting from £350 new
Best for Travel & Landscape
View OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Sony
A7S III (2020)
Starting from £2999 new
Best for Professional video & low-light filmmaking
View A7S III
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.
Professional Video & Low-Light Filmmaking — A7S III (2020): If video is your primary discipline, the A7S III is the camera. 4K/120p at 10-bit in a weather-sealed body with a 9.44M dot EVF is an extraordinary package. The 12MP sensor isn't limiting for video — and it's usable at ISO 409,600 in a pinch.
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
A7S III (2020)
- Filmmakers and videographers who need 4K/120p at 10-bit
- Event videographers who shoot in dark venues regularly
- Documentary filmmakers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Hybrid shooters where video is primary and stills are secondary
Quick take: The om-d e-m5 mark ii has the highest resolution at 16mp; 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) | A7S III (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £2,999 |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS (12-bit, back-illuminated) |
| Resolution | 16.0MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/60p 10-bit S-Cinetone/S-Log3, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | Phase-detect, 759 points, real-time Eye AF (human & animal), subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | 5.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~600 shots (CIPA) / ~70min continuous 4K recording |
| Weight | 417g (with battery and card) | 699g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | OLED EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification — best EVF Sony has made |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.44M dots |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II (both slots) |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), full-size HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | A7S III |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Street | ||
| Macro | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Video | — | |
| 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