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Canon G5 X vs Olympus E-M1

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Camera to replace
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Canon G5 X

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Canon G5 X
$699.00
13%
off
Change

Olympus E-M1

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-M1
$1,099.00
Canon G5 X vs Olympus E-M1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon G5 X is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 20.0MP 1 sensor whereas Olympus E-M1 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor.
Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Canon G5 X and Olympus E-M1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon G5 X Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-09-11
  • 20MP - 1 BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • 24–100 mm F1.8-2.8 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5.9 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 353g. 112 x 76 x 44 mm

Olympus E-M1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-10-28
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Tilting Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 497g. 130 x 94 x 63 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Olympus E-M1 was replaced by Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II vs Olympus OM-D E-M1
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II vs Canon PowerShot G5 X

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G5 X over Olympus OM-D E-M1
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Sensor Resolution 20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
Weight 353 g vs 497 g 144 g lighter
Price $699 vs $1,099 $400 cheaper
Built-in ND Filter Yes vs No Use larger aperture under strong light
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
NFC Connection Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone_remote control Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M1 over Canon PowerShot G5 X
Max ISO 25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster shutter speed
Continuous Shooting 10.0fps vs 5.9fps 4.1 fps faster
Battery Life 350 shots vs 210 shots 140 more frames with a single charge
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area 14.12µm2 vs 5.82µm2 142% larger pixel area
Focus Bracketing Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Common Strengths of Canon PowerShot G5 X and Olympus OM-D E-M1
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization Optical vs Sensor-shift All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution 1.040k dots vs 1.037k dots Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Canon PowerShot G5 X and Olympus OM-D E-M1
Canon G5 X vs Olympus E-M1: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon G5 X and Olympus E-M1. Canon G5 X is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 18mm narrower, 18mm shorter and 19mm thinner than Olympus E-M1. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon G5 X has a built-in lens but Olympus E-M1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-M1, its thickness will increase significantly.

Canon G5 X vs Olympus E-M1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon G5 X and Olympus E-M1.
Canon G5 X vs Olympus E-M1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Canon G5 X vs Olympus E-M1 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon G5 X is significantly lighter (144g ) than the Olympus E-M1 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-M1, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Canon G5 X vs Olympus E-M1: Sensor Comparison

Canon G5 X has a 20.0MP 1 (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 6 processor. On the other hand, Olympus E-M1 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePIC VII processor.

Below you can see the G5 X and E-M1 sensor size comparison.

Canon G5 X vs Olympus E-M1 Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Olympus E-M1 has a 1.9x Larger sensor area than Canon G5 X. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Canon G5 X and Olympus E-M1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon G5 X and Olympus E-M1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon G5 X for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Canon G5 X for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-M1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon G5 X for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M1 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.9fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 210 shots
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Canon G5 X for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
4X Optical Zoom
353g
Body Thickness 44mm
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
497g
Body Thickness 63mm
Read the details

Canon G5 X for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M1 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details


Canon G5 X vs Olympus E-M1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon G5 X and Olympus E-M1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon G5 X and Olympus E-M1 scores compare:

Canon G5 X
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #6 out of 44 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #105 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Olympus E-M1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #17 out of 49 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #55 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M1 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon G5 X in all criterias except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon G5 X. Otherwise, Olympus E-M1 is the better camera overall.

Canon G5 X
Canon G5 X
$699.00
13%
off

Olympus E-M1
Olympus E-M1
$1,099.00

Olympus E-M1 vs Canon G5 X Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon PowerShot G5 X Olympus OM-D E-M1
Brand Canon Olympus
Announced 2015-09-11 2013-10-28
Body Type Large sensor compact SLR-style mirrorless
Price $699.00 $1,099.00
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1 Four Thirds
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 116.16mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points n/a 81
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses n/a 92
Lens Focal Range 24–100 mm (4.2×) no lens
Max Aperture F1.8-2.8 no lens
Macro Focus Range 5cm no lens
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Tilting
Size 3″ 3″
Resolution 1,040k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots 2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.74
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/2000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.00 m (at Auto ISO) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/320s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.9 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 H.264, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 353g 497g
Dimensions 112 x 76 x 44mm 130 x 94 x 63mm
Battery Life 210 shots 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 73
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.0
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.7
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 757
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