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Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-M1X

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Sony A7R III

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R III
$3,198.00
or
BUY
Change

Olympus E-M1X

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

Olympus E-M1X
$2,999.00
or
BUY
Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-M1X Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A7R III and E-M1X, two Pro Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Olympus. Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Olympus E-M1X has a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R III and Olympus E-M1X before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-10-25
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50-102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 657g. 127 x 96 x 74 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7R II Compare

Olympus E-M1X Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-01-24
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3 Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 60.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4096 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 997g. 144 x 147 x 75 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Compare
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Max Sensor Resolution 42 MP vs 20 MP 110% more pixels
Max ISO 32.000 vs 25.600 25% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points 425 vs 121 304 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution 1.440k dots vs 1.037k dots 38% higher resolution screen
Weight 657 g vs 997 g 340 g lighter
Viewfinder Resolution 3686.4k dot vs 2360k dot 56% higher resolution
Sensor Pixel Area 20.43µm2 vs 11.22µm2 82% larger pixel area
NFC Connection Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Autofocus at f/8 aperture 0 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M1X over Sony Alpha A7R III
Continuous Shooting 60.0fps vs 10.0fps 50 fps faster
Battery Life 870 shots vs 650 shots 220 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Price $2,999 vs $3,198 $199 cheaper
Max Video Resolution 4096 x 2160 vs 3840 x 2160 Higher Resolution Video
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes (50.0MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
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 Sony Alpha A7R III and Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
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
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
Max Resolution 42 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
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
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-II vs UHS-II Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-M1X: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Olympus E-M1X. Sony A7R III is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 51mm shorter and 1mm thinner than Olympus E-M1X.

Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-M1X Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Olympus E-M1X.
Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-M1X Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-M1X Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7R III is significantly lighter (340g ) than the Olympus E-M1X which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 A7R III has a Full frame sensor and Olympus E-M1X has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Olympus E-M1X's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7R III lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
E-M1X
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
E-M1X
Min
Average
Max
Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-M1X: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Olympus E-M1X has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual TruePic VIII processor.

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 22MP more than Olympus E-M1X'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.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R III's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A7R III and E-M1X sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-M1X Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Olympus E-M1X. 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 Sony A7R III and Olympus E-M1X Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Olympus E-M1X 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.

Sony A7R III for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-M1X for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
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

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-M1X for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
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

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-M1X for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
425 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 60.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
121 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 870 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-M1X for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
997g
Body Thickness 75mm
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-M1X for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Olympus E-M1X vs Sony A7R III 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 A7R III has an advantage over Olympus E-M1X. There are 101 lenses for Sony A7R III's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 98 lenses for Olympus E-M1X's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A7R III and Olympus E-M1X has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R III Lenses # of Olympus E-M1X Lenses
Standard Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 14
Standard Prime 17 (8 Full Frame) 12
Wideangle Zoom 5 (4 Full Frame) 4
Wideangle Prime 32 (17 Full Frame) 26
Telephoto Zoom 6 (5 Full Frame) 17
Telephoto Prime 13 (9 Full Frame) 8
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 7
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 5
Macro Prime 7 (6 Full Frame) 4
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1
TOTAL 101 (59 Full Frame) 98
Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-M1X: 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 Sony A7R III and Olympus E-M1X, 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 Sony A7R III and Olympus E-M1X scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 60 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #5 out of 1166 in all Cameras
Olympus E-M1X
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #15 out of 60 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #33 out of 1166 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III scores higher than the Olympus E-M1X thanks to its better general imaging quality, compact size and higher value for the money. On the other hand, Olympus E-M1X has some extra features which may become a game changer if you have some specific requirements.
We recommend you to read our detailed Pro's and Con's section and see if any Pro of Olympus E-M1X is a must-have for you. If not, choose the Sony A7R III.

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
$3,198.00

Olympus E-M1X
Olympus E-M1X
$2,999.00

Olympus E-M1X vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Brand Sony Olympus
Announced 2017-10-25 2019-01-24
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Price $3,198.00 $2,999.00
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Four Thirds
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 17.4 x 13 mm
Area 861.60mm2 226.20mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 5184 x 3888
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO 64 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 425 121
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 101 98
Screen
Type Tilting Fully Articulated
Size 3″ 3
Resolution 1,440k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots 2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78 0.74
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
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 60.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 4096 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 997g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 144 x 147 x 75mm
Battery Life 650 shots 870 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 not tested
DxO Color Depth 26.0 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 not tested
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