Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II vs Panasonic Lumix GH5S — Which Is Better?

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and the Panasonic Lumix GH5S are both Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras, so any Micro Four Thirds lens fits either body without an adapter. Olympus launched the E-M1 Mark II in 2016 and Panasonic followed with the GH5S in 2017.

The E-M1 Mark II is the more compact body at 134 x 91 x 67 mm and 574 g, while the GH5S measures 139 x 98 x 87 mm and weighs 660 g. That 86 g saving and shallower depth suit a shoulder-bag kit.

The E-M1 Mark II is the stronger choice for heavy cropping and large prints, with 20.4 megapixels against 10 on the GH5S. That gives far more room to crop a distant bird out of a wide frame while keeping detail.

Olympus also equips stills shooters with in-body stabilisation for handheld work at slower shutter speeds, where the GH5S offers none. Its 60 fps maximum burst outruns the GH5S at 12 fps for action sequences, and its 1/32000 second top shutter speed goes beyond the GH5S's 1/8000 for bright light. The Panasonic answers with 225 autofocus points against 121 and a 3,680,000-dot electronic viewfinder versus 2,360,000.

The GH5S is the better camera for video work, with a maximum video frame rate of 60 fps against 24 fps on the E-M1 Mark II. That headroom serves slow-motion playback and smoother rendering of moving subjects. Recording resolution is a shared strength, as both cameras top out at 4K.

The Olympus keeps one filming convenience of its own with a built-in timelapse mode, while the GH5S has none. Their file formats also differ, with the GH5S recording MPEG-4 and MOV and the Olympus writing MOV and AVI.

The GH5S's rear screen is the better tool for judging focus and detail on location, with a 3.2-inch, 1,620,000-dot display against the Olympus's 3-inch, 1,037,000-dot panel. It also offers Bluetooth alongside WiFi for pairing and image transfer, where the E-M1 Mark II has WiFi only.

The two bodies share weather sealing for outdoor shooting, plus articulating touchscreens and an external flash shoe. Neither offers GPS tagging or a built-in flash, so geotagging and fill light both call for accessories.

Both cameras carry dual SD card slots and share the same 440-shot battery rating. The GH5S adds UHS-II card compatibility, which lets faster cards write large video files more quickly.

Neither body charges over USB, so both depend on their own chargers, the BLH-1 for Olympus and the DMW-BLF19 for Panasonic. Packing a spare battery is the practical answer on either camera for a long shooting day.