Nikon D500 vs Olympus E-M1 II – Comparison

Let’s compare the Nikon D500 vs Olympus E-M1 II. They both cost nearly the same, share a lot of exciting features, so it’s not an easy choice if you’re looking to upgrade your current camera and want something for action and pretty much everything else.

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.

	Nikon D500	E-M1 II
Megapixels	20.9	20.4
Sensor Type	CMOS	Live MOS
Sensor Format	APS-C (DX)	Micro Four Thirds
Crop Factor	1.5x	2.0x
AA Filter	None	None
Image Resolution	5568 x 3712	5184 X 3888
Body Image Stabilization	No	Yes
Lens Mount	Nikon FX/DX	Micro Four Thirds
ISO	100 - 51,200	200 - 25,600
Expanded ISO	50 - 1,638,400	None
AF Points	153	121 Hybrid
Cross-type AF Points	99	121 phase
Continuous Mode	10fps	18fps
LCD	3.2" - Articulating	3.0" - Fully Articulated
LCD Resolution	2,359,000 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	1.00x	1.48x
Video Resolution	3840x2160 (30/25/24p)	4096x2160 (24p)
	1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p)	3840x2160 (30/25/24p)
Microphone Jack	Yes	Yes
Headphone Jack	Yes	Yes
Memory Card Type	SD + XQD	SD + SD
Dual Card Slots	Yes	Yes
SD UHS Support	UHS-II	UHS-II
Fastest Shutter Speed	1/8000	1/32000
Slowest Shutter Speed	30"	60"
Bulb Mode	Yes	Yes
JPEG Buffer Size	200	118
RAW Buffer Size	200	102
Time Lapse	Yes	Yes
Built-in Flash	No	No
Max Flash Sync Speed	1/250	1/250
Startup Time	0.3s	0.8s
Built-in Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
Built-in GPS	No	No
Built- in NFC	Yes	No
Bluetooth	Yes	No
USB Type	USB 3.0	USB 3.0
Environmentally Sealed	Yes	Yes
Battery Life (CIPA)	1240 shots	440 shots
Battery Included	Yes (EN-EL15)	Yes (BLH-1)
Weight	30.2 oz (856g)	20.2 oz (574g)
Size	5.8 x 4.5 x 3.2"	5.3 x 3.6 x 2.7"
Price	Amazon	Amazon
Release Date	2016	2016

Nikon D500 Advantages:

• Sensor Format – APS-C is bigger than MFT, which results in slightly less noise at higher ISO levels.

• ISO – 1,638,400 vs 25,600. Higher maximum ISO sensitivity.

• AF Points – 151 vs 121. It also has 99 cross-type, so they’ll be more accurate in low light than the majority of mirrorless cameras.

• LCD – 3.2″ vs 3.0″.

• LCD Resolution – Higher resolution.

• Top LCD Display – When shooting in semi-auto/manual modes, you can quickly preview all of your settings.

• JPEG Buffer Size – 200 vs 118. Useful for long bursts.

• RAW Buffer Size – 200 vs 102.

• Built-in NFC

• Bluetooth Support

• Battery Life – 1240 shots vs 440 shots.

The D500 offers much higher maximum ISO speed, better AF system for sports and action, a bigger LCD and twice as big buffer. The E-M1 II’s buffer is already more than what most people will ever need, but if you often shoot extremely long bursts (10fps for 20 seconds) then you’ll love the 200 limit. One important difference is also the battery life, which is 3x longer. You can always carry extra batteries with the E-M1 II, but nothing beats DSLR batteries so far.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.

Olympus E-M1 II Advantages:

• Body Image Stabilization – The Olympus E-M1 II has built-in body stabilization for photos and videos, which is an excellent feature for traveling and shooting in low light.

• Continuous mode – 18fps vs 10fps, but only in electronic shutter mode. In mechanical, it can do 10fps with AF-C selected.

• Focus Peaking – Very useful for seeing if your subject is in focus (both photo and video).

• Viewfinder Magnification – Higher magnification.

• Video Resolution – DCI 4K. Both cameras can record 4K though.

• Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/32000 vs 1/8000.

• Weight – The Olympus E-M1 II weighs 282g less.

• Size – The Olympus E-M1 II is noticeably smaller.

If you want something smaller and lighter, then the E-M1 II already wins. If you plan on using it with older lenses, or not all of your lenses have stabilization added, you’ll really appreciate the built-in 5-xis body stabilization that will help you in any situation. The camera can also do 60fps (AF-S) but with electronic shutter.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.