Let’s compare the Canon 5D Mark IV versus the Olympus E-M5 II. They both share the same number 5 in their names, but that’s about as similar as they get because the latter is a mirrorless camera with lots of different features.
Our comparison table below covers all the important specifications of each camera. Below that, we specifically talk about the new improvements and which model is better suited for your needs.
| Canon 5D IV | E-M5 II | |
|---|---|---|
| Megapixels | 30.4 | 16.1 |
| Sensor Type | CMOS | Live MOS |
| Sensor Format | Full Frame | Micro Four Thirds |
| Crop Factor | None | 2.0x |
| AA Filter | Yes | None |
| Image Resolution | 6720 x 4480 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Body Image Stabilization | No | Yes |
| Lens Mount | Canon EF | Micro Four Thirds |
| ISO | 100 - 32,000 | 200 - 25,600 |
| Expanded ISO | 102,400 | None |
| AF Points | 61 | 81 Contrast |
| Cross-type AF Points | 41 | 0 phase |
| Continuous Mode | 7fps | 5fps/10fps |
| LCD | 3.2" - Fixed | 3.0" - Fully Articulated |
| LCD Resolution | 1,620,000 dots | 1,037,000 dots |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Focus Peaking | No | Yes |
| Top LCD Display | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical | EVF (2.36M) |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.71x | 1.48x |
| Video Resolution | 4096x2160 (30/25/24p) | 1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p) |
| 1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p | 1280x720 (60/50/30/25/24p) | |
| Microphone Jack | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone Jack | Yes | No |
| Memory Card Type | CF + SD | SD |
| Dual Card Slots | Yes | No |
| SD UHS Support | UHS-I & UDMA7 | UHS-II |
| Fastest Shutter Speed | 1/8000 | 1/16000 |
| Slowest Shutter Speed | 30" | 60" |
| Bulb Mode | Yes | Yes |
| JPEG Buffer Size | Unlimited | 18 |
| RAW Buffer Size | 19 | 13 |
| Time Lapse | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Flash | No | No |
| Max Flash Sync Speed | 1/200 | 1/250 |
| Startup Time | 0.5s | 0.8s |
| Built-in Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in GPS | Yes | No |
| Built- in NFC | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| USB Type | USB 3.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Environmentally Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 900 shots | 310 shots |
| Battery Included | Yes (LP-E6N) | Yes (BLN-1) |
| Weight | 31.4 oz (890g) | 16.5 oz (469g) |
| Size | 5.9 x 4.6 x 3.0" | 4.9 x 3.3 x 1.8" |
| Price | Amazon | Amazon |
| Release Date | 2016 | 2015 |
Canon 5D Mark IV Advantages:
- Megapixels – 14 more megapixels makes a big difference when printing big or cropping
- FF vs MFT – The 5D IV has a much bigger sensor and will therefore have less noise at higher ISO’s
- Higher Max ISO – 2 stops higher maximum ISO
- Auto Focus – It may have 20 less points, but they’re all phase-detect which means they will be able to focus faster in most situations. Plus, 41 of those are cross-type
- 7 vs 5fps – 2 frames more every second. The E-M5 II can shoot at 10fps but you lose auto focus, which is probably crucial for most situations
- LCD Size – 3.2″ vs 3.0″ and a higher resolution
- Touchscreen – The 5D IV supports touchscreen so you can navigate through the menus or select the focus point directly on the screen itself
- 4K Video – Available in 30/25/24p
- Headphone Jack – Allows you to monitor the audio quality
- Dual Memory Cards – Use CF + SD cards
- Buffer – Unlimited JPEG buffer vs 18, 19 vs 13 for RAW
- Connections – The 5D IV has built-in GPS and NFC connections
- USB 3.0 vs 2.0 – Faster file transferring directly from the camera
- Battery Life – 600 shots longer battery life
Why would you want the 5D IV? If you absolutely need the full frame sensor with cleaner high ISO speeds and much more resolution. The Canon 5D IV also offers a better auto focusing system, touchscreen, 4K Video, bigger buffer and dual memory card slots.
hy You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
Olympus E-M5 II Advantages:
- AA Filter – The E-M5 II has no AA filter
- Body Stabilization – You get built-in 5-axis image stabilization that works with every lens you mount
- LCD Screen – It’s fully articulated compared to the fixed one, so it’s better for shooting in awkward positions
- Focus Peaking – The Olympus E-M5 II can highlight what’s in focus! Excellent when focusing manually or recording videos
- UHS-II – Despite having only one memory card slot, it supports UHS-II writing speeds
- Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/16000 vs 1/8000
- Slower Max Shutter Speed – 60″ vs 30″, but both have a Bulb mode
- Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs 1/200
- Weight – Almost twice as light body, much smaller too
- Less Expensive – The E-M5 II costs around $2600 less
The Olympus E-M5 II is an excellent, small and affordable mirrorless camera. Its biggest advantage is obviously the small size and weight, so if you dislike carrying around a lot of weight then this is what you should get. The 16MP sensor provides plenty of resolution, and unless you’ll print huge you won’t ever notice any difference, especially if you’ll only be looking at your images on a computer screen.
The built-in stabilization and focus peaking are two extremely handy features for use with lenses that aren’t stabilized, or offer only manual focus.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.
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