Upgrade Guide
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III→Olympus OM-D E-M5
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Skip it
The OM-D E-M5 offers little measurable spec improvement over the OM-D E-M1 Mark III. Spend the money on glass instead.
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 III | OM-D E-M5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -1.8 | ||
| Street | -0.2 | ||
| Travel | -0.1 | ||
| Wedding & Events | -2.8 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Filmmaking | — | ||
| Documentary | -2.4 | ||
| Sports & Action | -2.4 | ||
| Landscape | -1.2 | ||
| Wildlife | -1.8 | ||
| Casual | -0.5 | ||
| Food | -1.3 | ||
| Macro | -2.8 | ||
| Architecture | -1.6 | ||
| Astrophotography | -2.0 |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | OM-D E-M1 Mark III | OM-D E-M5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £425 used | £40 used | |
| Released | 2020 | 2012 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS | 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | |
| Resolution | 20MP | 16MP | ↓ |
| Video | C4K/24p, 4K/30p, Full HD 1080p/120 | Full HD 1080/60i | |
| Autofocus | 121-point all cross-type on-sensor phase detect + contrast AF, face / eye detection, Starry Sky AF | Contrast-detect AF, 35 areas, face and eye detection | |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis in-body stabilisation, 7 stops (7.5 with Sync IS) | 5-axis in-body stabilisation | |
| Burst Rate | 60fps (18fps with continuous AF) | 9fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~420 shots (CIPA) | ~360 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 580g (with battery) | 425g (with battery) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots, 1.48x | EVF, 1.44M dots | |
| Screen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting OLED touch screen, 610k dots | |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds | |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD slots | Single SD slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See OM-D E-M1 Mark III and OM-D E-M5 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
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Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the OM-D E-M5 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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