Upgrade Guide
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II→Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the OM-D E-M1 Mark II. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the OM-D E-M5 Mark II
-
StabilisationIBIS added — significant for handheld and video
Unchanged or similar
-
Resolution16MP (down from 20MP — optimised for low light)
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | OM-D E-M1 Mark II | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -1.3 | ||
| Street | — | ||
| Travel | — | ||
| Wedding & Events | -2.3 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | -0.7 | ||
| Filmmaking | — | ||
| Documentary | -1.4 | ||
| Sports & Action | -2.2 | ||
| Landscape | -0.2 | ||
| Wildlife | -1.6 | ||
| Casual | -0.2 | ||
| Food | -0.4 | ||
| Macro | -0.4 | ||
| Architecture | -0.3 | ||
| Astrophotography | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | OM-D E-M1 Mark II | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £396 | £350 | |
| Released | 2016 | 2015 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | |
| Resolution | 20MP | 16MP | ↓ |
| Video | C4K/24p, 4K/30p, Full HD 1080p/60 | 1080p/60p | |
| Autofocus | 121-point all cross-type on-sensor phase detect + contrast AF, face and eye detection | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis in-body stabilisation, 5.5 stops (CIPA) | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | |
| Burst Rate | 60fps (18fps with continuous AF) | 10fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~440 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 574g (with battery) | 417g (with battery and card) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots, 1.48x | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | |
| Screen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds | |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD slots | Single SD UHS-I slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See OM-D E-M1 Mark II and OM-D E-M5 Mark II next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
Run the upgrade checker →
Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the OM-D E-M5 Mark II against your specific genres — not just specs.
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