Updated (March, 2013): Compare the Olympus OM-D E-M5 vs Sony NEX-7n

Sony NEX-7
Winner
Sony NEX-7

89

vs
Olympus OM-D E-M5

85

Olympus OM-D E-M5
Runner-up
 
 
 
 

Reasons to buy the Sony NEX-7

Overall image quality
 Great image quality
81.0
Viewfinder
 Great viewfinder
Digital
True resolution
 High true resolution
24 MP
Supports 24p
 24p movies
For that film look
 

Reasons to buy the Olympus OM-D E-M5

Viewfinder
 Great viewfinder
Digital
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
Weather sealed Weather sealed Yes vs No
Help
 Sealed to shoot in the rain
Image stabilization Image stabilization Sensor shift vs None
Help
 Helps eliminate blur caused by small camera movements
Screen type Has an OLED screen OLED vs LCD
Help
 OLED screens are often brighter and more vibrant than typical LCD screens
Touch screen Has a touch screen Yes vs No
Help
 Fewer buttons to worry about and direct interaction with camera menus
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
Battery life Longer battery life 500 shots vs 430 shots
Help
 Around 20% more shots per battery charge
Lens availability More lenses available 26 lenses vs 8 lenses
Help
 Around 3.5x more lenses available
Focus points Slightly more focus points 35 vs 25
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Startup delay Slightly less startup delay 1100 ms vs 1200 ms
Help
 Around 10% less delay when turning on
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 NEX-7
External mic jack Has an external mic jack Yes vs No
Help
 Record high quality audio with an external microphone
Screen resolution Higher resolution screen 921k dots vs 610k dots
Help
 More than 50% higher resolution screen
True resolution Much higher true resolution 24 MP vs 15.9 MP
Help
 Capture more than 50% more detail in your photos
Supports 24p Supports 24p Yes vs No
Help
 Get that real film feel
Overall image quality Better image quality 81.0 vs 71.0
Help
 More than 10% better image quality
Movie continuous focus Continuous video focus Yes vs No
Help
 Record movies without worrying about focus
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 1,016 ISO vs 826 ISO
Help
 The NEX-7 has a slight edge (0.3 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Sensor size Larger sensor APS-C 23.5x15.6mm vs Four thirds 17.3x13.0mm
Help
 More than 60% larger sensor
Size Significantly smaller 111x59x38 mm vs 122x89x43 mm
Help
 Around 50% smaller
Dynamic range More dynamic range 13.4 EV vs 12.3 EV
Help
 1.1 f-stops more dynamic range
Color depth Better color depth 24.1 bits vs 22.8 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1.3 more bits of color
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
Weight Lighter 350 g vs 425 g
Help
 Around 20% lighter
Thickness Thinner 1.5" vs 1.7"
Help
 More than 10% thinner
Sony NEX-7 Learn more about
the Sony NEX-7
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent mirrorless cameras, and ignoring price

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Olympus OM-D E-M5
85 vs 89
Explain scores
Sony NEX-7 Sony NEX-7
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Sony NEX-7.

similarities

Compared to recent mirrorless cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Viewfinder Both have digital viewfinders Help
Digital
Overall image quality Good image quality Help
E-M5:71.0
NEX-7:81.0
Screen flips out Flip-out screens Help
Great for movies
Dynamic range Good dynamic range Help
E-M5:12.3 EV
NEX-7:13.4 EV
Color depth Good color depth Help
E-M5:22.8 bits
NEX-7:24.1 bits
Battery life Great battery life Help
E-M5:500 shots
NEX-7:430 shots
3D 3D photos Help
View photos in 3D on 3D televisions
Panorama In-camera panoramas Help
Stitches together multiple photos into a panorama
External flash Each supports an external flash Help
Better lighting

Snapsort is not aware of any interesting weaknesses shared by these two products.

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony Alpha NEX-6

Sony Alpha NEX-6

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$648 body only

$798 with 16-50mm lens
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder
Startup delay Has slightly less startup delay
Size Is slightly larger
3D Doesn't take 3D photos
Compare the Alpha NEX-6 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the Alpha NEX-6 vs the NEX-7
Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5N

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$650 with 18-55mm lens
Weight Is slightly lighter
Startup delay Has slightly more startup delay
Viewfinder Doesn't have a viewfinder
Compare the NEX-5N vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the NEX-5N vs the NEX-7
Fujifilm X-E1

Fujifilm X-E1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$799 - $1,000 body only

$1,199 with 18-55mm lens
Size Is slightly larger
3D Doesn't take 3D photos
Compare the X-E1 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the X-E1 vs the NEX-7
Olympus PEN E-PL5

Olympus PEN E-PL5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$685 with 14-42mm lens
Startup delay Has slightly less startup delay
Battery life Has a slightly shorter battery life
Viewfinder Doesn't have a viewfinder
Compare the PEN E-PL5 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the PEN E-PL5 vs the NEX-7
Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100

Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100

Pro digicam

$648 - $760
Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
Weight Is slightly lighter
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
External flash Doesn't support an external flash
Compare the Cybershot DSC-RX100 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the Cybershot DSC-RX100 vs the NEX-7
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$1,298 body only

$2,599 with 12-35mm lens
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder
Battery life Has a slightly longer battery life
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the Lumix DMC-GH3 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the Lumix DMC-GH3 vs the NEX-7
Canon EOS M

Canon EOS M

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$479 - $599 with 22mm lens
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Thickness Is thinner
Panorama Lacks a built in panoramas
3D Doesn't take 3D photos
Compare the EOS M vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the EOS M vs the NEX-7

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Olympus OM-D E-M5.

Sony NEX-7 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony NEX-5R

Sony NEX-5R

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$498 body only

$598 with 18-55mm lens
Autofocus Faster autofocus
Touch screen Has a touch screen
Viewfinder No viewfinder
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Compare the NEX-5R vs the NEX-7

appearance

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony NEX-7
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony NEX-7
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony NEX-7

discussion

Showing 3 comments

kathleen (5:30 AM, May 28, 2013)
but the nex 7 point is 90 and omd is 89..the nex 7 is a little bit higher..
thats it im gonna pick nex 7 :D..what do you guys think?
 
Avatar for عبدالله المعوشرجي عبدالله المعوشرجي (5:03 PM, July 06, 2012)
There's one advantage for the NEX-7 that's not mentioned here, that it's.. AVAiLABLE! the OM-D is always out of stock or is only available wt prices significantly higher than the suggested retail price. This is a temporary advantage though.
 
Kibberlasen (5:06 PM, May 10, 2012)
I was going for the Nex-7, and in some ways (not all)  it is the best camera, but reading different forums it is also a dust magnet, and I have had enough of that, so I go for the Olympus.

The Olympus has also better AF, they have the best anti-dust system, and it is weather sealed, so the dust-problem of the Nex-7 does it for me - there are reports that even NOT shifted lenses it sucks dust (perhaps the missing weather sealing ?), and even I do know how to clean it I would rather use my time better.