OM System OM-5 Comparison Review

The OM System OM-5 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in October 2022 and is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. It offers a resolution of 20.2 megapixel.

Is the OM System OM-5 a good camera? The OM-5 has a Camera Elo of 2747. This rating puts the OM-5 among the top 30 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (Four Thirds cameras), the OM-5 ranks among the top 10 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 4.5-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the OM System OM-5 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the OM System OM-5 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		OM System OM-5	125 mm	85 mm	50 mm	414 g	310	Y	Oct 2022	1,199	amazon.com
2.		Olympus E-M1	130 mm	94 mm	63 mm	497 g	350	Y	Sep 2013	1,399	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M5	122 mm	89 mm	43 mm	425 g	360	Y	Feb 2012	1,299	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-M5 II	124 mm	85 mm	45 mm	469 g	310	Y	Feb 2015	1,099	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M5 III	125 mm	85 mm	50 mm	414 g	310	Y	Oct 2019	1,199	ebay.com
6.		Olympus PEN-F	125 mm	72 mm	37 mm	427 g	330	n	Jan 2016	1,199	ebay.com
7.		OM System OM-1	135 mm	92 mm	73 mm	599 g	520	Y	Feb 2022	2,199	ebay.com
8.		OM System OM-1 II	135 mm	92 mm	73 mm	599 g	500	Y	Jan 2024	2,399	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic G95	130 mm	94 mm	77 mm	536 g	290	Y	Apr 2019	999	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GH5 II	139 mm	98 mm	87 mm	727 g	400	Y	May 2021	1,699	amazon.com
11.		Panasonic GX8	133 mm	78 mm	63 mm	487 g	330	Y	Jul 2015	1,199	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The OM System OM-5 was launched in the US market at a price of $1,199. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check OM-5 price at
amazon.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The OM System OM-5 features a Four Thirds sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the OM System OM-5 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		OM System OM-5	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.4	13.4	1622	78
2.		Olympus E-M1	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	23.0	12.7	757	73
3.		Olympus E-M5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	22.8	12.3	826	71
4.		Olympus E-M5 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.0	12.5	842	73
5.		Olympus E-M5 III	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.3	13.1	1324	76
6.		Olympus PEN-F	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	23.1	12.4	894	74
7.		OM System OM-1	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.4	13.4	1553	77
8.		OM System OM-1 II	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.4	13.6	1749	78
9.		Panasonic G95	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.2	13.0	1273	75
10.		Panasonic GH5 II	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.7	13.1	1136	79
11.		Panasonic GX8	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.5	12.6	806	75
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The OM-5 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the OM-5 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the OM-5 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2360k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.68x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the OM System OM-5 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		OM System OM-5	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
2.		Olympus E-M1	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
3.		Olympus E-M5	1440	n	3.0 / 610	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	n	Y
4.		Olympus E-M5 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
5.		Olympus E-M5 III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
6.		Olympus PEN-F	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
7.		OM System OM-1	5760	n	3.0 / 1640	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
8.		OM System OM-1 II	5760	n	3.0 / 1640	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
9.		Panasonic G95	2360	n	3.0 / 1240	swivel	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic GH5 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
11.		Panasonic GX8	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the OM System OM-5 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is hinged on the side and can be flipped out for odd-angle shots in both portrait and landscape orientation. Also, this fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment is often appreciated by videographers for its flexibility. Moreover, v-loggers like the design because the screen can be turned to be front-facing.

One feature that differentiates the OM-5 from many older cameras is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The OM-5 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while cameras without IBIS have to rely on optical image stabilization in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the OM System OM-5 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		OM System OM-5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Olympus E-M1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
3.		Olympus E-M5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Olympus E-M5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Olympus E-M5 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Olympus PEN-F	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		OM System OM-1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	Y
8.		OM System OM-1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Panasonic G95	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Panasonic GH5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
11.		Panasonic GX8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the OM-5 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the OM-5 can be found in the free online OM System OM-5 Manual or on the OM System support site.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the OM-5 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		OM System OM-5	5/5	..	4.5/5	83/100	5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2022	1,199	amazon.com
2.		Olympus E-M1	5/5	+ +	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2013	1,399	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M5	4/5	+ +	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2012	1,299	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-M5 II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2015	1,099	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M5 III	5/5	+	5/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2019	1,199	ebay.com
6.		Olympus PEN-F	..	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	1,199	ebay.com
7.		OM System OM-1	5/5	..	..	87/100	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2022	2,199	ebay.com
8.		OM System OM-1 II	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jan 2024	2,399	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic G95	4.5/5	+	4.5/5	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2019	999	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GH5 II	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2021	1,699	amazon.com
11.		Panasonic GX8	5/5	+	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2015	1,199	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check OM-5 price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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