Canon PowerShot G5 X vs Olympus OM-D E-M1

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Canon G5 X

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

$729.00

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Olympus E-M1

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

$1,099.99

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 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 - F2.8 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	$729 vs $1,100	$371 cheaper
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
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area	14.12µm² vs 5.82µm²	179% 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
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

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon G5 X and Olympus E-M1.

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.

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.

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

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Image Stabilization
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

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Image Stabilization
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon G5 X for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M1 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Wireless Connection
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
External Flash Shoe
Image Stabilization
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

Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon G5 X for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

4X Optical Zoom
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
353g
Body Thickness 44mm
Read the details

Environmental Sealings
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
497g
Body Thickness 63mm
Read the details

Canon G5 X for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M1 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Live-view
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
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 #5 out of 44 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #96 out of 1119 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #15 out of 45 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #51 out of 1119 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

$729.00

Olympus E-M1

$1,099.99

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	$729.00	$1,099.99
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	86
Lens Focal Range	24�100 mm (4.2�)	no lens
Max Aperture	F1.8 - F2.8	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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