Sony SLT A77
Winner
Sony SLT-A77

60

vs
Olympus OM-D E-M5

53

Olympus OM-D E-M5
Runner-up
 
 
 
 

Reasons to buy the Sony SLT A77

Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
True resolution
 High true resolution
24 MP
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
12 fps
 

Reasons to buy the Olympus OM-D E-M5

Size
 Really small
Standard size 122x89x43 mm
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
25,600 ISO
Touch screen
 Touch screen
Less buttons
 
Differences | Recommendations | Similarities | Competitors | Appearance | Discussion

differences

Advantages of the Olympus E-M5
Screen type Has an OLED screen OLED vs LCD
Help
 OLED screens are often brighter and more vibrant than typical LCD screens
Size Significantly smaller 122x89x43 mm vs 143x104x81 mm
Help
 2.6x smaller
Touch screen Has a touch screen Yes vs No
Help
 Fewer buttons to worry about and direct interaction with camera menus
Startup delay Much less startup delay 1100 ms vs 3100 ms
Help
 2.8x less delay when turning on
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 25,600 ISO vs 16,000 ISO
Help
 The E-M5's maximum light sensitivity is 0.7 f-stops better
Weight Significantly lighter 425 g vs 732 g
Help
 More than 40% lighter
Thickness Significantly thinner 1.7" vs 3.2"
Help
 Around 50% thinner
Focus points More focus points 35 vs 19
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Longest exposure Longer exposures 60s vs 30s
Help
 2x longer exposures
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Learn more about
the Olympus E-M5

Advantages of the Sony SLT A77
Autofocus Faster autofocus Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Help
 Catch candid moments easily
External mic jack Has an external mic jack Yes vs No
Help
 Record high quality audio with an external microphone
Supports 24p Supports 24p Yes vs No
Help
 Get that real film feel
Autofocus Faster video autofocus Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Help
 Shoot videos without worrying about focus
True resolution Much higher true resolution 24 MP vs 15.9 MP
Help
 Capture more than 50% more detail in your photos
Viewfinder size Much larger viewfinder 0.72x vs 0.44x
Help
 More than 2.5x larger viewfinder
Screen resolution Higher resolution screen 921k dots vs 610k dots
Help
 More than 50% higher resolution screen
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
Movie continuous focus Continuous video focus Yes vs No
Help
 Record movies without worrying about focus
GPS Has a GPS Yes vs No
Help
 Automatically geotags your photos when traveling
Overall image quality Better image quality 78.0 vs 71.0
Help
 Around 10% better image quality
Lens availability More lenses available 92 lenses vs 26 lenses
Help
 More than 3.5x more lenses available
Sensor size Larger sensor APS-C 23.5x15.6mm vs Four thirds 17.3x13.0mm
Help
 More than 60% larger sensor
Built-in flash Built-in flash Yes vs No
Help
 A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 12 fps vs 9 fps
Help
 More than 30% faster continuous shooting
Dynamic range More dynamic range 13.2 EV vs 12.3 EV
Help
 0.9 f-stops more dynamic range
Shutter lag Less shutter lag 124 ms vs 277 ms
Help
 2.2x less delay when taking photos
Color depth Better color depth 24 bits vs 22.8 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1.2 more bits of color
Battery life Slightly longer battery life 530 shots vs 500 shots
Help
 Around 10% more shots per battery charge
Fastest shutter speed Faster max shutter speed 1/8000s vs 1/4000s
Help
 2x faster max shutter speed
Sony SLT-A77 Learn more about
the Sony SLT A77
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent digital cameras, and ignoring price

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Olympus OM-D E-M5
53 vs 60
Explain scores
Sony SLT A77 Sony SLT-A77
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Sony SLT-A77. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a mirrorless interchangeable-lens with a pro DSLR.

similarities

Compared to recent digital cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Weather sealed Both are weather sealed, which is fairly uncommon among similar cameras Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Screen flips out Flip-out screens Help
Great for movies
Light sensitivity Very good maximum light sensitivity Help
E-M5:25,600 ISO
SLT A77:16,000 ISO
3D 3D photos Help
View photos in 3D on 3D televisions
True resolution Capture very high resolution images Help
E-M5:15.9 MP
SLT A77:24 MP
Interchangeable lenses Both support interchangeable lenses, which is uncommon in cameras similar to these Help
Many lenses to choose from
Color depth Good color depth Help
E-M5:22.8 bits
SLT A77:24 bits
Panorama In-camera panoramas Help
Stitches together multiple photos into a panorama
Dynamic range Good dynamic range Help
E-M5:12.3 EV
SLT A77:13.2 EV
Battery life Great battery life Help
E-M5:500 shots
SLT A77:530 shots
Supports RAW Supports RAW Help
Better editing
Sensor size Large sensors Help
E-M5:Four thirds 17.3x13.0mm
SLT A77:APS-C 23.5x15.6mm
Sensor cleaning Both have self cleaning sensors, which is uncommon in cameras similar to these Help
Avoids dust in your photos
External flash Support external flash Help
Better lighting
Viewfinder Both have digital viewfinders Help
Digital
Sensor type Better sensor types Help
Better in low light
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
E-M5:1/4000s
SLT A77:1/8000s
Weight Heavy Help
E-M5:425 g
SLT A77:732 g

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100

Entry-level DSLR

$1,197 body only

$1,497 with 18-105mm lens
Screen size Has a slightly larger screen
Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the D7100 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the D7100 vs the SLT A77
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$897 body only

$997 with 18-105mm lens
Startup delay Has slightly less startup delay
Lens availability Significantly more lenses available
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the D7000 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the D7000 vs the SLT A77
Sony NEX-7

Sony NEX-7

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$948 body only

$1,098 with 18-55mm lens
Size Is slightly smaller
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Weather sealed It's body is not weather sealed
Compare the NEX-7 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the NEX-7 vs the SLT A77
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,299 - $1,725 body only

$1,499 with 28-135mm lens
Startup delay Has slightly less startup delay
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is much heavier
Compare the EOS 7D vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the EOS 7D vs the SLT A77
Nikon D5200

Nikon D5200

Entry-level DSLR

$697 body only

$797 with 18-55mm lens
Startup delay Has slightly less startup delay
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5200 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the D5200 vs the SLT A77
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$649 - $968 body only

$949 - $1,182 with 18-135mm lens
Startup delay Has slightly less startup delay
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the EOS 60D vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the EOS 60D vs the SLT A77
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$1,298 body only

$2,599 with 12-35mm lens
Image stabilization Has better image stabilization
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the Lumix DMC-GH3 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the Lumix DMC-GH3 vs the SLT A77

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Olympus PEN E-PL5

Olympus PEN E-PL5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$674 with 14-42mm lens
Size Smaller
Startup delay Less startup delay
Screen type Doesn't have an OLED screen
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Compare the PEN E-PL5 vs the OM-D E-M5
Fujifilm X-E1

Fujifilm X-E1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$799 - $1,000 body only

$1,199 with 18-55mm lens
External mic jack Has an external mic jack
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Screen type Doesn't have an OLED screen
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Compare the X-E1 vs the OM-D E-M5
Sony Alpha NEX-6

Sony Alpha NEX-6

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$648 body only

$798 with 16-50mm lens
Autofocus Faster autofocus
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Screen type Doesn't have an OLED screen
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Compare the Alpha NEX-6 vs the OM-D E-M5
Fujifilm X-Pro1

Fujifilm X-Pro1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$1,199 body only

$1,599 with 18-55mm lens
Screen resolution Much higher resolution screen
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Screen type Doesn't have an OLED screen
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Compare the X-Pro1 vs the OM-D E-M5

Sony SLT-A77 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony SLT-A65

Sony SLT A65

Entry-level DSLR

$587 - $648 body only

$748 - $1,005 with 18-55mm lens
Size Smaller
Startup delay Less startup delay
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Overall image quality Slightly worse image quality
Compare the SLT A65 vs the SLT A77
Sony SLT-A99

Sony SLT-A99

Pro DSLR

$2,798 body only

$3,196 - $3,198 with 28-75mm lens
Startup delay Much less startup delay
Sensor size Much larger sensor
3D Doesn't take 3D photos
Continuous shooting Shoots slower
Compare the SLT-A99 vs the SLT A77

appearance

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony SLT-A77
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony SLT-A77
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony SLT-A77

discussion

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