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OM-D E-M5 vs PEN E-PL7
Quick take: The OM-D E-M5 is the most affordable; only the OM-D E-M5 is weather sealed.
Where the OM-D E-M5 wins
- Cheaper new: £40 vs £105
- Burst Rate: 9fps
- Battery Life: ~360 shots (CIPA)
- Weather Sealed: Yes
- Wedding & Events: 4.0 vs 3.3
Where the PEN E-PL7 wins
- Weight: 357g (with battery)
- Street: 6.6 vs 6.0
16 specs side by side·13 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video, Clifton Cameras, MPB, eBay and Amazon UK
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Size comparedbody only, no lens · drawn to one scale
- OM-D E-M5 122 × 89 × 43 mm · 425 g
- PEN E-PL7 115 × 67 × 38 mm · 357 g
The PEN E-PL7 is 7 mm narrower, 22 mm shorter, 5 mm slimmer and 68 g lighter than the OM-D E-M5.
Drawn to scale from the makers' dimensions (W × H × D). Front shown, depth on the slanted edge.
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | OM-D E-M5Olympus · 2012 | PEN E-PL7Olympus · 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £40 usedBest | £105 used |
| Sensor | 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 16.1MP Four Thirds Live MOS |
| Resolution | 16.1MP | 16.1MP |
| Video | Full HD 1080/60i | Full HD 1080p/30 |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, 35 areas, face and eye detection | Contrast-detect AF (FAST AF), 81 areas, face / eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis in-body stabilisation | Sensor-shift in-body stabilisation |
| Burst Rate | 9fpsBest | 8fps |
| Battery Life | ~360 shots (CIPA)Best | ~350 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 425g (with battery) | 357g (with battery)Best |
| Dimensions | 121.9 × 88.9 × 43.2mm | 114.9 × 67 × 38.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | YesBest | Not weather sealed |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 1.44M dots | None built in (optional VF-4) |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting OLED touch screen, 610k dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen (flips down 180°), 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Memory Cards | Single SD slot | Single SD slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 multi-connector, micro HDMI, hot shoe, Accessory Port 2 | USB, micro HDMI, hot shoe, Accessory Port 2, Wi-Fi |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
OM-D E-M5
PEN E-PL7
Portrait
4.9/10
4.6/10
Street
6.0/10
6.6/10
Travel
5.9/10
5.8/10
Wedding & Events
4.0/10
3.3/10
Documentary
4.1/10
3.4/10
Sports & Action
5.3/10
4.4/10
Landscape
4.7/10
4.1/10
Wildlife
6.1/10
5.2/10
Casual
4.3/10
4.6/10
Food
5.5/10
5.5/10
Macro
5.1/10
5.1/10
Architecture
4.4/10
4.3/10
Astrophotography
3.7/10
3.8/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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