OM-D E-M5 Mark IIvs A9
Olympus
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
Starting from £350 new
Best for Travel & Landscape
View OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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 Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
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
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
Quick take: The a9 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) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 16.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 417g (with battery and card) | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Macro | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| 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