OMG, the Olympus camera is so fricken light!  A game changer!  Right? Err, not exactly.

The Olympus OM 1 (their flagship) outfitted with the pro 12-100mm F4 lens (4.59″ long) weighs a total of 2.5 lbs.  The Sony A7Rr V paired with a Sony 24-105mm lens (4.46″ long) weighs 2.9 lbs.

Both brands generally weigh the same and are similarly compact.

Do they perform the same?  

  • Sony provides 15 stops of dynamic range (DR) and can recover approx five stops of underexposed content.  The Olympus has only 12.7 stops of dynamic range and 2.5 of recovery.  The DR of the Sony is four times that of the Olympus (each stop doubles the range).
  • Sony delivers over three times the resolution. 62 MP vs. 20MP.  Sharper photos, easier to crop, blow up large.
  • Sony has vastly superior low-light performance (given its full-frame sensor) and color rendition.

Cost comparison:

  • Olympus OM-1 $2,200, 12-100mm F4 lens $1,200
  • Sony A7R V $3,900, Sony A7 IV $2,500, 24-105mm F4 lens $1,300

Note: If the Sony A7R V is too expensive for your tastes, the Sony A7 IV (33MP) is a great lower-cost choice.

Pin It on Pinterest