Olympus OM-D E-M5 Detailed Review

In additional OM-D E-M5 was introduced by Olympus in December 2012. It belongs to the Mirrorless Cameras category.

Olympus is well-known and shouldn’t require further introduction, please see our manufacturer’s page for more digital cameras by Olympus.

Also OM-D E-M5 has a Four Thirds CMOS sensor with size of 17 x 13 mm² (0.68″ x 0.51″).

Picture of OM-D E-M5’s sensor compared to popular format.

The 1-Euro coin has a diameter of 23.25mm.

The OM-D E-M5’s image sensor has an effective resolution of around 16 megapixel. That’s roughly average and will be sufficient for most purposes. Photos with this resolution can easily be printed to A3 or A2 size.

The Olympus supports taking images in RAW. RAW images are stored as they come from the sensor, without any in-camera processing or sharpening. Converting to JPEG or other formats takes place on the computer, using software like Adobe Lightroom or Olympus’s RAW converter. This involves one extra processing step but almost always results in superior image quality. Some filters, like converting to monochrome (black and white) will only yield decent results when used with RAW images.

The OM-D E-M5 features a mechanism for automatic sensor cleaning.

The OM-D E-M5 uses an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 1.44 megapixel, an above average value for a viewfinder like this.

The magnifcation is c. 0.74x, an excellent value for an electronic viewfinder.

The OM-D E-M5’s shutter speed varies from 1/4000s to 60s.

The OM-D E-M5’s sensitivity goes from 200 ISO und 25600 ISO, a very useful and practical range.

The OM-D E-M5 supports all general exposure modes.

The Olympus allows spot exposure for the difficult occasion.

The OM-D E-M5’s auto focus processor uses 35 AF points (or sensors). A basic rule of thumb says that the more AF points you have, the better. More AF points mean a better chance to have a point at the location of interest in a scene, a big plus in challenging situations (e.g. when panning the camera).

Manual focus is also possible with the Olympus, a plus in tricky situations or for some creative freedom.

The OM-D E-M5 doesn’t feature a built-in flash. That is not unsusual in this camera category.

A flash or a trigger for remote flashes can be attached to the Olympus’s hotshoe.

The OM-D E-M5 display has a diagonal of 76.00mm (3.0 inches.) and a resolution 0.61 megapixel.

The camera display is intended for selfies or other occasion.

Display parameters:

OM-D E-M5 video supported the resolution with 1920 x 1080 pixel.

ACamera is not equipped with an external microphone.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Video parameters:

Built-in wireless connectivity is not available with the Olympus. You will need appropriate accessories to wirelessly transfer images between camera and smartphone.

Connect the Olympus to a monitor or TV set over HDMI.

The Olympus supports USB 2.0.

Connection parameters:

The camera supports SD HC and SD XC cards.

Memory cards characteristics:

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 has a BLN-1 LiIon battery. The battery provides a shooting life of 750 shots. It`s enough for one day or more.

The OM-D E-M5’s battery battery parameters:

The Olympus OM-D E-M5’s size is 122 x 88.9 x 43.1mm³. (4.8″ x 3.5″ x 1.7″). That dimensions are without lens. The weight of camera is 4.8″ x 3.5″ x 1.7″ grams (425 oz.) without lens weight.

Here is front and top view of the OM-D E-M5:

For a better idea of the size of the camera, takes a look off camera and ID card comparison image.