Upgrade Guide
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II→Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Strong upgrade
The OM-D E-M1 Mark III improves across 4 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most OM-D E-M5 Mark II owners will notice the difference.
What's new in the OM-D E-M1 Mark III
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Resolution20MP vs 16MP (+4MP)
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Burst rate60fps (18fps with continuous AF) vs 10fps
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Battery life~420 shots (CIPA) vs ~310 shots (CIPA)
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Generation5 years newer (2020 vs 2015)
Unchanged or similar
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StabilisationIBIS not present in new body
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-M5 Mark II | OM-D E-M1 Mark III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +1.7 | ||
| Street | +0.3 | ||
| Travel | +0.2 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +2.8 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | +1.0 | ||
| Documentary | +1.9 | ||
| Sports & Action | +2.3 | ||
| Landscape | +0.5 | ||
| Wildlife | +1.8 | ||
| Casual | +0.5 | ||
| Food | +0.9 | ||
| Macro | +0.8 | ||
| Architecture | +0.6 | ||
| Astrophotography | +0.2 | ||
| Filmmaking | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | OM-D E-M5 Mark II | OM-D E-M1 Mark III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £124 used | £425 used | |
| Released | 2015 | 2020 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS | 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS | |
| Resolution | 16MP | 20MP | ↑ |
| Video | 1080p/60p | C4K/24p, 4K/30p, Full HD 1080p/120 | |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | 121-point all cross-type on-sensor phase detect + contrast AF, face / eye detection, Starry Sky AF | |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | 5-axis in-body stabilisation, 7 stops (7.5 with Sync IS) | |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 60fps (18fps with continuous AF) | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~420 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 417g (with battery and card) | 580g (with battery) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots, 1.48x | |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04M dots | |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD slots |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See OM-D E-M5 Mark II and OM-D E-M1 Mark III next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
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