Nikon D5200 vs Olympus OM-D E-M1

      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D5200 and the Olympus OM-D E-M1, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Nikon D5200 was introduced in May 2013 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 was introduced in October 2013. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Nikon D5200 Highlights

      • 24.1 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 39 Focus Points (39 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Olympus OM-D E-M1 Highlights

      • 16.3 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 81 Focus Points (81 Cross-type)
      • 5-Axis Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 1,037k dot Tilting Screen
      • 2,360k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 10.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-In Wi-Fi
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Nikon D5200 and Olympus OM-D E-M1.

      PROS

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   High Flash Sync Speed - 1/320 sec
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 497 g (1.10 lb / 17.53 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Short Battery Life - 350 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   39 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 84
      •   Weight - 555 g (1.22 lb / 19.58 oz)
      •   Price
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   DxO Overall Score - 73

      Advantage of Nikon D5200

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D5200 over Olympus OM-D E-M1.

      Nikon D5200 vs Olympus OM-D E-M1
      Larger Sensor APS-C vs Micro Four Thirds
      Higher Sensor Resolution 24.1 Megapixel vs 16.3 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 6000 x 4000 vs 4608 x 3456
      Higher Bit Depth 14-Bit vs 12-Bit
      More Cross-type Focus Points 9 vs 0
      Screen Type Fully Articulated vs Tilting
      Built-in Flash vs
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 1284 vs 757
      Higher DxO Color Depth 24.2 vs 23.0
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 13.9 vs 12.7
      Higher DxO Overall Score 84 vs 73
      Longer Battery Life 500 shots vs 350 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Nikon D5200.

      Advantage of Olympus OM-D E-M1

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus OM-D E-M1 over Nikon D5200.

      Nikon D5200 vs Olympus OM-D E-M1
      Higher Native ISO 6,400 vs 25,600
      More Focus Points 39 vs 81
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Center Autofocus vs
      Image Stabilization vs 5-Axis Sensor Shift
      Touch Screen vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 921k dot vs 1,037k dot
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 95% vs 100%
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.52x vs 0.74x
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 60 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/8000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps vs 10.0 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/200 sec vs 1/320 sec
      Built-In Wi-Fi Optional vs
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Lighter 555 g (1.22 lb / 19.58 oz) vs 497 g (1.10 lb / 17.53 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus OM-D E-M1.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Nikon D5200 Olympus OM-D E-M1
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        HDMI Output Mini Type C Micro
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Nikon D5200 Olympus OM-D E-M1
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        Short Battery Life500 shots350 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Nikon D5200 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 have 3.0" screens with 921k dot and 1,037k dot resolutions respectively. Nikon D5200 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Olympus OM-D E-M1 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Olympus OM-D E-M1) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

      Image cannot be displayed

      Nikon D5200 with Fully Articulated screen


      Viewfinder

      Nikon D5200 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinderOlympus OM-D E-M1 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution. Nikon D5200 has 95% coverage with 0.78x (0.52x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Olympus OM-D E-M1 has 100% coverage with 1.48x (0.74x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Nikon D5200 features a 24.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 366.6 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Olympus OM-D E-M1 features a 16.3 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Nikon D5200 is equipped with EXPEED 3 processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4496 x 3000, 2992 x 2000 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Olympus OM-D E-M1 is equipped with TruePIC VII processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution.


      Lens Mount

      Nikon D5200 has Nikon F lens mount and Olympus OM-D E-M1 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor in Nikon D5200 its crop factor is equal to 1.5x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Olympus OM-D E-M1 its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Olympus OM-D E-M1

      Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a built-in 5-Axis Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi on Olympus OM-D E-M1

      Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Nikon D5200 has a Mini Type C HDMI and Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Nikon D5200 comes with EN-EL14 battery pack with battery life of 500 shots and Olympus OM-D E-M1 comes with BLN-1 battery pack with battery life of 350 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Nikon D5200 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Nikon D5200 has Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon D5200, and up to 1/8000 sec on Olympus OM-D E-M1. Nikon D5200 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps. Olympus OM-D E-M1 can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Nikon D5200 has 39 (9 cross-type) focusing points and Olympus OM-D E-M1 has 81 focusing points. Nikon D5200 has detection range from -1 to +19 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Nikon D5200 ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Nikon D5200 and ±5 EV range on Olympus OM-D E-M1. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D5200 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Olympus OM-D E-M1.


      Flash

      Nikon D5200 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. Olympus OM-D E-M1 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal or Proprietary or Wireless connection. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Nikon D5200 and 1/320 sec on Olympus OM-D E-M1.

      Physical Parameters

      Nikon D5200 body has dimensions of 129 x 98 x 78 mm (5.08 x 3.86 x 3.07") and Olympus OM-D E-M1 body has dimensions of 130 x 94 x 63 mm (5.13 x 3.68 x 2.48"). Nikon D5200 weighs 555 g (1.22 lb / 19.58 oz) and Olympus OM-D E-M1 weighs 497 g (1.10 lb / 17.53 oz).

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      129 mm

      98 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      130 mm

      94 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      98 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      94 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      78 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      63 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Nikon D5200 and Olympus OM-D E-M1

      Nikon D5200 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      GOOD
      72
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      81
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   39 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      76
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 350 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      AVERAGE
      61
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   39 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      72
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 350 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      GOOD
      79
      •   39 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Small Sensor
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   High Flash Sync Speed - 1/320 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      GOOD
      82
      •   39 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 555 g (1.22 lb / 19.58 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   Small Sensor
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 497 g (1.10 lb / 17.53 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      GOOD
      79
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 555 g (1.22 lb / 19.58 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 497 g (1.10 lb / 17.53 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 350 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Nikon D5200 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 and give them scores of 68 and 76 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      OVERALL
      68
      OVERALL
      76

      Sensor

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      GOOD
      70
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 84
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 73

      Photo

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      GOOD
      78
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   High Flash Sync Speed - 1/320 sec

      Video

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      BAD
      14
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      POOR
      52
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      GOOD
      82
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   39 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      GOOD
      80
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      GOOD
      82
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot

      Connectivity

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      GOOD
      78
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Nikon D5200

      Olympus OM-D E-M1

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 555 g (1.22 lb / 19.58 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 497 g (1.10 lb / 17.53 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 350 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

      Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
      ZKelectronics is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca, etc) and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.