OM-D E-M5 Mark IIvs Sony RX100 VII
Olympus
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
Starting from £350 new
Best for Travel & Landscape
View OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Sony
Sony RX100 VII (2019)
Starting from £1099 new
Best for Travel & versatility
View Sony RX100 VII
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 & Versatility — Sony RX100 VII (2019): The most versatile compact camera ever made — 24-200mm zoom, 20fps burst, and 960fps slow-motion in a jacket pocket.
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
Sony RX100 VII (2019)
- Travel photographers who want the most capable 1-inch compact available
- Vloggers who need fast AF and a flip screen in a jacket-pocket body
- Photographers who want a high-quality compact backup to a mirrorless system
- Anyone who wants professional AF performance without carrying a large camera
Quick take: The sony rx100 vii has the highest resolution at 20mp; the om-d e-m5 mark ii 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) | Sony RX100 VII (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £1,099 |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS BSI CMOS (stacked) |
| Resolution | 16.0MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p HLG, FHD/960fps super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | 357-point phase-detect + 425 contrast, Eye AF, tracking |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | 3-stop Optical SteadyShot |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 20fps AF/AE tracking (90fps short burst) |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~260 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 417g (with battery and card) | 302g with battery and card |
| Dimensions | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm | 101.6 × 58.1 × 42.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | Pop-up EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | Sony RX100 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Street | ||
| Macro | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Family & Everyday | — | |
| 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