Upgrade Guide
Olympus OM-D E-M1X→Olympus OM-D E-M5
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-M1X. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the OM-D E-M5
-
Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
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-M1X | OM-D E-M5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -2.0 | ||
| Street | +0.6 | ||
| Travel | +1.1 | ||
| Wedding & Events | -3.0 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Filmmaking | — | ||
| Documentary | -1.7 | ||
| Sports & Action | -2.4 | ||
| Landscape | -0.5 | ||
| Wildlife | -1.6 | ||
| Casual | — | ||
| Food | -1.1 | ||
| Macro | -0.9 | ||
| Architecture | -1.6 | ||
| Astrophotography | -1.1 |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | OM-D E-M1X | OM-D E-M5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £479 used | £40 used | |
| Released | 2019 | 2012 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 20.4MP Four Thirds Live MOS | 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | |
| Resolution | 20MP | 16MP | ↓ |
| Video | 4K/30p, C4K/24p, Full HD 120p | Full HD 1080/60i | |
| Autofocus | 121-point cross-type on-sensor phase detect + contrast, Intelligent Subject Detection | Contrast-detect AF, 35 areas, face and eye detection | |
| Stabilisation | Sensor-shift in-body stabilisation | 5-axis in-body stabilisation | |
| Burst Rate | 60fps (18fps with continuous AF) | 9fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~870 shots (CIPA) | ~360 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 997g (with battery) | 425g (with battery) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 100% coverage, 1.48-1.65x (50 mm lens) | 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-M1X and OM-D E-M5 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 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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