E-M10 IV or E-M5 II (2020 VS 2015) - RED35 Review 

Love my EM5 Mk ii Cracking camera for the money. Its with me for Life.

A few weeks ago sold my E-M5 Mark II loved it. Especially the weather sealing that never failed me. It made me continue a shooting where others needed to protect their gear. Sold it to fund the E-M1 Mark II. No regrets, but the E-M5 Mark II (or III, even better) would be my preferred camera because of the weather sealing that the E-M10 range lacks.

I love my em5ii. The JPEG’s are amazing.

Great points. I recently checked out latest em10iv and em5iii vs the older em5ii, in the end bought the older em5ii. I know people dont often discuss the tactile feel, but the metal body feels vastly superior.

The em5ii is still my main camera till today, and I definitely think it's more than capable based on what I use it for!

I had an e-m5 mark ii very briefly, but the grip was not working with my hands -- my older e-m10 mark ii, with an aftermarket grip, was a better choice for me. I did purchase a launch kit e-m10 mark iv and am quite pleased with it. Putting together my camera bag for a (sadly) delayed long term return to the UK and will pack the e-m10 mark iv, an older e-m1 mark i body for when I need weather sealing, and a Sony RX100v for when small size is the most important consideration. Keep up all the good work, Jimmy, truly love your videos. Grieving that the streets of London are not accessible these days for health reasons.

Just picked up the EM5 Mark ii a month ago.. Still learning and growing with it.. Has been aiming for it since it was first launched.

Even thought I have the Sony A7RIV, I’m still using my Olympus EM10 MKII as my casual workaround camera, as I really enjoy using it, it's light and small, plus none of my friends can tell which camera I used when I show them the final result. A good well looks after 2nd hand EM5 MK II is a bargain now.

I have both these cameras and only really bought the 10 mkIV for the tilt screen. For me, the only thing I don't like about the 5 mkII is the fully articulating screen, otherwise I'm more than happy with it and it has a lot more features than the newer one. I don't do video and the autofocus on the 5 is fine for me. The 10 won't replace the 5 but it will probably be used more. I have the battery grip to go with the 5 so it's better with bigger lenses but the grip on the 10 is perfect with small primes. It's nice to have the choice.

the em5 mk ii has such good build quality, proper solid feeling camera. I love mine!

I took some photos on my old 20mp bridge camera at the weekend.Just needed the reach for birds and it was a very nice day so my photo's came out pretty good. I uploaded them on google photos and checked them out on my 27 inch monitor. Yep really nice and some good feather detail on some Geese. Not bad at all for a small sensor. Then i realised i'd had my camera set at 8mp and yet they still looked good on the big screen. So yeah megapixels isn't always the whole story.

That ending is epic! Looooollllll

I got the EM5 II together with the EM10 II. It has focus stacking in camera as an option which i need for a photoshoot. And it works brilliantly. Lovely all purpose canera. Will never sell them...

The E-M10 IV is significantly more expensive new than my E-M5 ii was new. So, I'll just stick with the E-M5 ii. I added the grip & battery which makes it PRO grade for me. I also bought the E-M1 when it first came out, I still prefer the tilt screen.

My full frame Nikon D750 spends its time at home while my 16MP Panasonic GX85 goes everywhere with me. Small size, great features, easy to stow away. 24MP full frame vs 16MP MFT...no sweat. They both provide fantastic results and the smaller camera is so portable I carry it far more than I ever did my FF camera. I only miss FF in some shots where extreme dynamic range is desired, such as shots with the sun in the frame. However, I adjust as needed and learned how to deal with the difference. In nearly all other shots...you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between cameras. I love the MFT format and have no need to obliterate backgrounds in portraits. Plenty of separate achievable with MFT, so I'm comfortable with either. In 2021, I still enjoy my 16MP GX85 and I'm looking for a 2nd MFT body so I can sell off my FF camera and lenses.

Both of my OM-D EM 5II developed issues with the battery compartment. I only use original Olympus batteries The camera wouldn't get any juice and shut off from time to time and ultimately I needed a paper clip between the compartment door and the battery for the camera to still get power. Then the issue would come back with even that solution. Both cameras ultimately died. With the first one, the power shut down right when the shutter had closed and the shutter would never open again. The other one just didn't turn on anymore. Camera one I used in Costa Rica and the Caribbean. Camera two I used in Costa Rica and Columbia. I think the OM-D EM 5 II just can't take the temperatures of those regions. 2018 I bought OM-D EM 1 MKII and it has never failed me and I have revisited both regions with it. PS.: I still love the EM-5 MK II. I got it twice in a row, mind you.

Great video. Anyone could give me advices between the M5 II and the new Fujifilm X-T200?? Thanks

@Red35 - the big question i.e. MY big question is the Pen F vs the EM5 Mark 3. The Pen looks a bit nicer, and the Mark 3 is probably a bit better in terms of performance. What would you get?

I owned 2 5ii currently..and still the endanger spesis amongst local photogs carrying an Olympus..haha..

i went for a brand new m5 II for $600 aud.

Great review! Love my E-M10's (II and III). At this point if I score another body, might be the E-M5 III for the weather sealing yet still compact build. I know people dig hard on the plastic build, but I'm not too rough on my cameras and I sure as heck don't leave them overnight on a tripod. Not sure if I will ever score a E-M1 series body, maybe if I truly delve into pro work, it would make sense then.

I own the OMD EM-10 Mark 3 and the EM-5 II. I have as much pleasure with one as the other according to the needs of the moment.

Just curious, which other brand is in your top 2 for skin tone rendition?

i own a EM10 mark ii, is it time to upgrade to either of the two?

Get the EM5II if you want the weather sealing and maybe save some cash. Otherwise get the EM10IV Though the EM1III is now my main camera, I still own and use my old EM5II.

The E-M5 II is till the best looking Olympus camera. The dials not sticking out above a "tower" make the difference. But I have to recognize, makes the dials and their "tower" all the same color helps a lot on the E-M10 IV.

Has the Olympus shutter shock problem been resolved..I would have thought this would still be an issue with the E-M5 MII. Not so with the E-M10 IV..??

glad I just waited till 2021, now you can get a new EM1 mk2 body in Hong Kong for around 700 US$

Weirdly, I use an EM1 i and my wife uses an EM10 i, and we both love them- but if we swap cameras for whatever reason, we both find each others' very awkward to use (though not as awkward as other brands, obviously). They may look superficially similar, but they're chalk and cheese in use. I'd imagine the EM5 is closer in handling to the EM10, though I've never used one. IQ wise, I'll be getting the EM1 ii soon (as the front dial is dying after six years of hard use on my mk1, but it's seen some real abuse in that time) but not for the redundant extra 4 megapickles- it's for the faster processor/ AF, cine 4k video, and improved IBIS. Love the images from my mk1 and really can't see why I'd want more.

Hey! Could you help me? I can't decide between this camera (E-M5 II) and Sl2, i'm main focused in filmaking and Sl2 costs almost the same

Umm. 5ii has been my first body since last October...oh soon it's gonna be one year. IMO, It was fabricated like a tank when compared with 12-40 Pro. Rain✅ Snow✅ Drop from hip high ✅ Live comp took any technical settings out of my mind. It made me felt that startrail was too easy to captured but it still difficult to properly composed. CDAF is a bit tedious to use full 81 points AF but single-small AF with Fn button (it's DoF preview by default) set as AF select. I can quickly move AF point with front and back dial. By the way, I'm counting for 5iii price to be cut down heavily in the next couple of years as I buy 5ii in 2019 (4 years from launch) but if I'm lucky maybe I could get it sooner. 😂😂😂

I used to envision myself taking the camera to hiking and outdoor adventures. In practice, I have defaulted all that to my iPhone and whatever comes out of it is ok with me. Simply, carrying 400g around kills all the fun of hiking.

Its still worth in 2022 omd 5 mk2?

i just got the E-M5 mkii and the quality has blown me away. been then, I have GAS and want the latest and greatest. Nothing wrong with my E-M5. I just gotta stop window shopping online lol

Still an interesting video in 2023. I still have an E-M5 II and I still use it as a back up camera for still photos. If I'm out shooting I put the E-M5 II body in my bag just in case I need a spare camera body. I'd be interested in an updated video comparing the 2023 Olympus entry level cameras (OM-D EM10 Mk IV and E-M5 Mk III) to the 2015 E-M5 Mk II.

Does the EM5ii have focus stacking with the Olympus 60mm F2.8 after its firmware upgrades? I'm reading conflicting reports everywhere.

Is it true that Olympus won't support mft anymore? I mean this is their last camera releases and lenses releases..

У меня в E-M5 II сломался диск выбора режима. Без щелчков крутится и все время режим А (((( Качество очень плохо деталей Олимпус. Там реально самому починить. Можете свой разобрать и показать как там

Hi Jimmy. Thanks for your nice reviews of Olympus cameras. Would you reccomend em10mark iii i/o mark iv to save money? It will be my enter to this system and I planning to start with 12-45mmf4 lens. Thanks in advance.

I have my eyes on the limited edition Titanium finish EM-5 II.

I'm a sony shooter now but some of my best shots were with the E-M5 ii... Time moves on... technology moves on... you can't stay in the present like you have an OM 1 in your hands. OLYMPUS please get a grip and advance your productivity instead of leaving us behind playing catch up...

Gosh it's a bit of a no brainer because the EM5 is weather sealed and built like a tank, metal body and all that plus the flippy screen. Olympus has definitely spoiled me because my criteria for new cameras now starts with weather sealing, IBIS and flippy screen given that most brands have a similar photo quality.

Hey Jimmy Great video. I'm a complete novice and have recently bought the EM10 MKiv. For me as a beginner it ticked all the right boxes. I'm looking to add a couple of new lenses in due course - just wondering if the 12 - 100 Pro lens would sit on it nicely or would it be too heavy or out of balance. Would really appreciate your thoughts. All the best Trev

One thing needs to be cleared up. The OMD EM 10 IV is not designed in a vulgar plastic. The word plastic must be banned! It's composite that contains magnesium. It's stronger than you think

I'd at least get a camera with the 20MP sensor, not for the extra pixels but the DR and image quality. I bought an EM5II but had to sell it soon after. coming from apsc/FF i could not stand the DR - the highlight blow out was driving me nuts.

Using the touchpad for AF selection with the viewfinder. Really, using the tiny d pad to move the only 4 point autofocus point just isn't up to snuff

I may be in a league of my own, but I had an E-M5 mk II, fully kited, and in the end I didn't like it. In fact I swapped it after some months for an original E-M1, which had very close specs and isn't that much bigger nor heavier. The controls are tiny and fiddly, and even the accessory grip feels cramped. I spent those months lamenting that I sold the E-M10 mk II I previously had. Since then I've moved on, I've got an E-M1 mk II for "serious" photography which is better in almost every way than the E-M5 mk II, and I've finally rekindled the flame after a short stint with a GX9 as my b-cam and bought back what I really missed : an E-M10 mk II. I haven't tried the 10.4 yet, but the 10 mk II is sure to stay now. Perfect "spur of the instant" camera for me.

I still prefer more MPX, specially now, when I do mountain landscapes. The yellow and golden trees between the green, don't have definition I am looking for. So it limits the size of the print. 20 MPX is marginal in my opinion. I like to see more like 30 MPX. I compared similar images to my 30 MPX Canon, and there is a visible difference in the details. I tried the high resolution mode and for some reason there was no improvement in terms of detail resolution.

Get a OM-3 or Om4! - sophisticated metering and made of brass...bomb proof..then just scan your negatives, superlative lenses..... Actually ..I have the Em5 and PenF...Actually its the thing behind the camera that makes the difference...not megapixels etc..

I have a clutch of mft cameras. The newer 20Mp does have slightly less noise and more dynamic range, it can produce a better image. Having more pixels is unimportant, as is weather sealing tbh. The PEN-F is 20Mp and sibling to the E-M5ii, you would be unable to tell which camera a finished photo came out of. The PEN-F can produce images the equal of the G9 (&h E-M1iii, same sensor). I want the flip screen. The E-PL7 has a good sturdy flip screen, sibling to the E-M10ii, but that on the E-M10iv looks flimsy.

I used the EM-10 MK III but got the EM-5 MK II because it had weather sealing and better mechanical shutter etc. I honestly couldn't tell the difference in autofocus speed between the two for stills. Truepic VIII processor didn't make a difference in image quality either. Your mileage may vary of course

I like the burn at the end of the video. How many, spending extra £ thousands on full frames are wasting their 💰 LOL

You make my life harder. Im 10 years in that MFT, with an LUMIX GF1 - very nice raw pictures. I like "warm colours". I wanna go up, but not to that glossy. Im a since this week on a OLYMPUS PEN-F, but the finder is very small and i feel like is flicker'ing. As next a wanted to try a MK10 IV or EM5 MKII. How is the viewfinder compared to PEN-F or EM1 MKII? So what ya think? The very positiv is wheater sealing for EM5, because i like the idea to shoot in snow and maybe rain. But the important is the FINAL PICTURE. I read about that some people say pictures from EM-1 are different as from EM-5 modells. Is that right? I mean not by the technical specs, is there a different in this 3 classes EM1, EM5, EM10 or is it just about limiting features?

If the em5 ii would shoot 4K i would prefer it over the em10 iv

Who is the other company that is in there too two fort color science? My guess Canon, Fuji and maybe Nikon?

We hardly saw any firmware updates for the em10mkiii, so I don't expect much from them for this generation.

"Larger number of pixels = better camera" = nonsense. Indeed!! Most people never have large prints made, so pixeloverkill! Olympus quality is superb!

I just would like to see a firmware update for that pano feature on my EM5 Mark3

what is with the audio?

Only the M5 ii can double as a webcam, though.

Your not a Olympus ambassador your a JIP ambassador now. 😂

I’ve had 2 M5 Mrk II cameras, the titanium version and a silver one. It’s the camera that’s made a lasting impression on me and made a special bond with it. I’m going to be buying a brand new silver M5 Mrk II in a few months. It’s a gem of a camera, and this time it’s staying with me for life.

The truth is that even the newer Olympus cameras have a sensors introduced in 2016. They also have the same old LCD-screen as the E-M5 Mark II. The EVF hasn't evolved either. Newer cameras however have a more powerful image processor. With the slow development of Olympus cameras it's not a surprise that a 5 year old camera is a close match to newer cameras. Also worth noting is that E-M5 Mark II have several accessories like camera- and battery grips not available for new E-M5 and E-M10 cameras. Even the E-M1 Mark III has to do with a battery grip for Mark II with mismatching controls.

3:10 your hand shaked, Jimmy

I may consider the old em 5 mark 2. I hate the way the newer em 10 and 5 models have gone all plastic.

You can get the E-M1 II for around 700 Euro these days, so why bother? It‘s much better than both of these...

Proper metal body not plastic...

the only spec that made me bought em5 mk2 is the high res mode. probably the cheapest high res mode camera in the world. i love shoting jewelry with it. the only down side is when my friend asked me to shot her portrait. the auto focus speed is OK, its not slower than my nx300 or d1000, i dont know why would people needs any faster than this if they dont shot sport? but i really hates em5 mk2 doesnt have touch and drag focus point on it LCD, there is no joystick too, so the only thing we can do is tap tap tap that keypad to move focusing points, what shame. honestly this is ruined the camera experience. if em5 mk2 has touch and drag focusing point, it will be a complete camera. why olympus, why??? why crippled that feature? i wish it has dual card slot. small tiny micro sdcard invented from nokia era. 8 bit color LCD, polyphonic ringtones, and 3GP videos. there is no excuse for having 1 card slot in a mirroless camera. go pro, DJI can shot 4k with UHS II sd card. so there is no excuse to keep giving customers 1 slot, its a scam and tricks to pushing customers to buying more expensive models. a tilt screen PLEASE not a narcist screen. this narcist screen is annoying to use for photo and video behind the camera. its offset and make it awkward to shot. manufacture should invented optional LCD monitor using hot shoe like optional viewfinder. not everybody needs silly screen, we have 8B human and most of them never try to see their self while filming. if u need silly screen just use your phone, its not like anybody cares about your narcist videos quality. many IG girls got millions of viewers with phone cam lol and people complaining that a 600gram must have narcist screen so they can see their own ugly faces? really? lol nobody watching your vlog about how cute your cat, how bad your hair, how amazing your tshirt. people watch the information. and a better bigger battery plz. the camera is weather proof but not battery proof lol how do u gonna swap your tiny battery in a sand storm or under the rain? no battery no picture. sony did the right things, invented better battery. no matter how good the picture, the quality lenses, no battery no picture.