Sony NEX-5R vs Olympus OM-D E-M10

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony NEX-5R and the Olympus OM-D E-M10, 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.

Sony NEX-5R was introduced in August 2012 and Olympus OM-D E-M10 was introduced in March 2014. Let us first list highlights of the models.

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.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony NEX-5R over Olympus OM-D E-M10.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus OM-D E-M10 over Sony NEX-5R.

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.

Screen

Sony NEX-5R and Olympus OM-D E-M10 have 3.0" Tilting screens with 920k dot and 1,037k dot resolutions respectively. Tilting screen makes cameras very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Both models feature touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality 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.

Viewfinder

Olympus OM-D E-M10 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,440k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 1.15x (0.58x 35mm equivalent) magnification.Sony NEX-5R does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic viewfinder can be attached.

Sony NEX-5R features a 16.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.4 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 365 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600. Olympus OM-D E-M10 features a 16.1 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 200 - 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
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Sony NEX-5R is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 4912 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4912 x 2760, 3568 x 2368, 3568 x 2000, 2448 x 1624, 2448 x 1376 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Olympus OM-D E-M10 is equipped with TruePic VII processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 1280 x 960 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Sony NEX-5R has Sony E lens mount and Olympus OM-D E-M10 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor in Sony NEX-5R 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-M10 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-M10

Olympus OM-D E-M10 has a built-in 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.

Built-in Wi-Fi

Cameras have built-in Wi-Fi 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. Sony NEX-5R has a Mini Type C HDMI and Olympus OM-D E-M10 has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Sony NEX-5R comes with NPFW50 battery pack with battery life of 330 shots and Olympus OM-D E-M10 comes with BLS-5 battery pack with battery life of 320 shots.

External Storage Slots

Sony NEX-5R has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot. Olympus OM-D E-M10 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Sony NEX-5R, and up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus OM-D E-M10. Sony NEX-5R can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps. Olympus OM-D E-M10 can shoot continuously up to 8.0 fps.

Flash

Olympus OM-D E-M10 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 5.80 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal or Proprietary or Wireless connection. Sony NEX-5R has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Proprietary. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on Sony NEX-5R and 1/250 sec on Olympus OM-D E-M10.

Sony NEX-5R body has dimensions of 111 x 59 x 39 mm (4.37 x 2.32 x 1.54") and Olympus OM-D E-M10 body has dimensions of 119 x 82 x 46 mm (4.69 x 3.24 x 1.81"). Sony NEX-5R weighs 276 g (0.61 lb / 9.74 oz) and Olympus OM-D E-M10 weighs 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz).

Sony NEX-5R

Olympus OM-D E-M10

111 mm

59 mm

119 mm

82 mm

59 mm

82 mm

39 mm

46 mm