OM-D E-M5 Mark IIvs ZV-1 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.
Pocket Vlogging — ZV-1 II (2023): The best pocket vlogging camera — 1-inch sensor, ultrawide zoom, flip screen, and real-time Eye AF in a shirt 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
ZV-1 II (2023)
- Vloggers and content creators who want a pocketable fixed-lens camera
- Travellers who want 4K video and a flip screen in a jacket-pocket size
- ZV-1 owners who want a wider lens and improved subject tracking
- Beginners who want a simple, capable vlogging camera without changing lenses
Quick take: The zv-1 ii 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) | ZV-1 II (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £649 |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS |
| Resolution | 16.0MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | Phase-detect + contrast, 315 points, Real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | Optical SteadyShot (OIS) |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 15fps |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~260 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 417g (with battery and card) | 292g |
| Dimensions | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm | 105.5 × 60.0 × 43.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | None |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Fixed zoom — 18–50mm f/1.8–4.0 equiv |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic input |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | ZV-1 II |
|---|---|---|
| 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