Olympus OM-D E-M5 vs Olympus PEN E-PL5 — Which Is Better?

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 and the Olympus PEN E-PL5 are both 2012 mirrorless cameras on the Micro Four Thirds format, so any Micro 4/3 lens fits either body without an adapter. The E-M5, announced in February, is the larger body, while the E-PL5 from September takes the compact PEN route.

The E-M5 measures 122 x 89 x 43 mm and weighs 425 g, against 111 x 64 x 38 mm and 325 g for the E-PL5. That 100 g saving makes the PEN body the easier one to slip into a coat pocket.

The E-M5 is the stronger pick for eye-level shooting, offering a built-in electronic viewfinder while the E-PL5 has none, so every PEN shot is framed on the rear screen. Its 1,440,000-dot finder helps in bright sun where a screen can wash out.

For action, the E-M5 shoots at 9 fps against 8 fps on the E-PL5, capturing slightly more of a moving subject such as a dancer or a dog. The stills fundamentals match instead, with both pairing a 16.1 MP CMOS sensor with 35 autofocus points and in-body stabilisation for handheld shots at slower shutter speeds. The E-M5's expanded range also reaches 100 ISO in bright light, where the E-PL5 stays at 200.

Either body handles casual Full HD clips of family events or holidays, because the video specifications match. Both record up to Full HD, top out at 30 fps and write MOV or AVI files, with no built-in timelapse mode.

Weather sealing gives the E-M5 a practical edge for shooting in rain or dust, where the unsealed E-PL5 needs more care. Neither camera includes GPS, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so there is no wireless transfer or automatic geotagging. Neither has a built-in flash, though both take external flash units.

For composing and reviewing, the E-M5's rear screen is the more detailed, an OLED panel with 610,000 dots against a 460,000-dot LCD on the E-PL5. In a similarity, both screens are 3-inch touch displays that flip out, useful for waist-level shots and tapping to set focus.

The E-PL5 is the better bet for a long day out, rated at 360 shots per charge against 310 for the E-M5. Its BLS-5 battery and the E-M5's BLN-1 do not interchange, so spares are body-specific.

Both take a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card, with no second slot and no USB charging. Plan on a spare battery and enough card capacity.