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Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7S II

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Olympus E-M1 II

20 MP | Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-M1 II
$1399.00

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Sony A7S II

12 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7S II
$1998.00

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Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7S II Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing E-M1 II and A7S II, two Pro Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Sony. Olympus E-M1 II was introduced to market in September 2016 and Sony A7S II was launched in October 2015. There is 13 months difference between E-M1 II and A7S II so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger E-M1 II, especially in sensor tech.

Olympus E-M1 II has a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor whereas Sony A7S II has a 12.0MP Full frame sensor.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus E-M1 II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-09-19
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 64)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 15.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4096 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 574g. 134 x 91 x 67 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Olympus OM-D E-M1 Compare

Sony A7S II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-10-12
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 102400 ( expands to 50-409600)
  • Sony E (NEX) Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 627g. 127 x 96 x 60 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7S Compare

Olympus E-M1 II was replaced by Olympus OM-D E-M1X. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus OM-D E-M1X vs Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Olympus OM-D E-M1X vs Sony Alpha A7S II

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II over Sony Alpha A7S II
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution 20 MP vs 12 MP 66% more pixels
Continuous Shooting 15.0fps vs 5.0fps 10 fps faster
Weight 574 g vs 627 g 53 g lighter
Timelapse Recording Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Viewfinder Resolution 2360k dot vs 2359k dot 0% higher resolution
Color Depth 23.7 vs 23.6 higher color depth
Max Video Resolution 4096 x 2160 vs 3840 x 2160 Higher Resolution Video
Flash Sync Port Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes (50.0MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
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
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-II vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S II over Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Max ISO 102.400 vs 25.600 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points 169 vs 121 48 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution 1.229k dots vs 1.037k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Battery Life 370 shots vs 350 shots 20 more frames with a single charge
Dynamic Range 13.3 vs 12.8 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 2993 vs 1312 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area 70.55µm2 vs 11.22µm2 528% larger pixel area
NFC Connection Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and Sony Alpha A7S II
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift 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
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 1.037k dots vs 1.229k dots Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and Sony Alpha A7S II
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7S II: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II. Sony A7S II is 7mm narrower and 7mm thinner than Olympus E-M1 II but it is also 5mm taller.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7S II Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II.


Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II.
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7S II Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7S II Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-M1 II is 53g lighter than the Sony A7S II but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Sony A7S II has a Full frame sensor and Olympus E-M1 II has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Olympus E-M1 II's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7S II lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M1 II
A7S II
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M1 II
A7S II
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both E-M1 II and A7S II have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7S II: Sensor Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VIII processor. On the other hand, Sony A7S II has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Olympus E-M1 II's sensor provides 8MP more than Sony A7S II's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the E-M1 II and A7S II sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7S II Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Sony A7S II has a 3.7x Larger sensor area than Olympus E-M1 II. 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.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A7S II has a better overall score of 85, 5 points higher compared to E-M1 II's score of 80.

What types of Photography are Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II 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.

Olympus E-M1 II for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7S II for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details

Olympus E-M1 II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7S II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Olympus E-M1 II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7S II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 15.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
121 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
169 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Read the details

Olympus E-M1 II for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A7S II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
574g
Body Thickness 67mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
627g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details

Olympus E-M1 II for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7S II for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details


Sony A7S II vs Olympus E-M1 II Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A7S II has an advantage over Olympus E-M1 II There are 115 lenses for Sony A7S II's Sony E (NEX) mount, on the other hand there are only 101 lenses for Olympus E-M1 II's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-M1 II Lenses # of Sony A7S II Lenses
Standard Zoom 14 10 (7 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 12 17 (8 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 5 6 (5 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 27 37 (22 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 17 9 (7 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 8 16 (12 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 8 8 (1 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 2 (0 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 4 8 (7 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime n/a 2 (2 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 101 115 (71 Full Frame)
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7S II: 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 Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II, 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 Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7S II scores compare:

Olympus E-M1 II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #15 out of 68 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #27 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Sony A7S II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #16 out of 68 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #28 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Sony A7S II scores higher than the Olympus E-M1 II in Overall. It has better image quality and better value than Olympus E-M1 II. On the other hand, Olympus E-M1 II is more portable and has more features than Sony A7S II.
If image quality is very important for you and you want to get the most bang for your bucks, choose the Sony A7S II.
If you are looking for a small camera where you can take everywhere with you, and having more features are also important, Olympus E-M1 II is the right choice for you.

Olympus E-M1 II
Olympus E-M1 II
$1399.00

Sony A7S II
Sony A7S II
$1998.00

Sony A7S II vs Olympus E-M1 II Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Sony Alpha A7S II
Brand Olympus Sony
Announced 2016-09-19 2015-10-12
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds Full frame
Dimensions 17.4 x 13 mm 35.6 x 23.8 mm
Area 226.20mm2 847.28mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 4240 x 2832
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 102,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 409600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 64 ISO 50 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 121 169
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Sony E (NEX)
Number of Available Lenses 101 115
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Tilting
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.74 0.78
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 9.10 m (at ISO 100) no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 15.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 4096 x 2160 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MOV, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 574g 627g
Dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm 127 x 96 x 60mm
Battery Life 350 shots 370 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 80 85
DxO Color Depth 23.7 23.6
DxO Dynamic Range 12.8 13.3
DxO Low Light ISO 1312 2993
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