Superb zoom lenses & weather resistance set the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II apart as a great backpacking & hiking camera. With the EM-5 II you’ll continue taking great pictures in tough environmental conditions that would shut down other cameras. [Picture above is the environmentally sealed Olympus OM-D EM-5 II and 12-40 f/2.8 PRO lens working in the rain-shadow of hurricane Matthew.] Note: This Olympus OM-D EM-5 II Camera Review focuses on how well it does as a backpacking and hiking camera. As such, this review criteria differs significantly from mainstream camera reviews like DP Review. See more on what makes a great backpacking camera… What’s Good about the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II What’s Not so Good about the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II Summary – Why the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II is an Excellent Backpacking Camera Top 5 Criteria for a backpacking and hiking camera – how the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II does Suggested Lenses for the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II Tips for Using the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II

COMPARISON: Olympus OM-D EM-5 II vs. the Sony a6000 through a6500 Cameras To fully appreciate why the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II is an excellent backpacking camera you have to look at the camera, its excellent lenses and features as a whole. As such, it has an unbroken chain of elements to produce excellent final images, even shooting handheld in the challenging situations encountered backpacking. laptop backpack pcmagAs you can see below, the camera does well in all of the Top 5 Criteria for a Backpacking Camera. backpack ajj[For a full explanation of these criteria see:  (clickable link)]eberlestock packs ebay Again, what sets the Olympus apart from many cameras is an excellent selection of lenses. zeroshock backpack

But in particular, superb zoom lenses!Unless you really need a single lens solution that includes a long telephoto, I would shy away from the Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 II lens that is sometimes bundled with the camera. It’s expensive and has lower image quality than the combination of the 12-42 and 40-150 lenses above.ghibli backpack vacuum cleaner Micro 4/3 is an open format also used by Panasonic, which along with Sigma (and a few others like Rokinon and Tamron) also makes some excellent lenses.zynga backpack The Olympus’ excellent camera controls (2 knurled top knobs and many function buttons) allow you to make essential adjustments quickly and without having to take your eyes off viewfinder. deuter backpack kikki

In comparison, some important Sony adjustments must be made in-menu or using the less than perfect camera back dial. In addition, the Olympus has a much larger and brighter EVF display. The Olympus has a better rear touchscreen display that both rotates and twists. The Sony a6000 and a6300 have non-touchscreen displays that only tilt. (The a6500 has a touchscreen display but it only tilts.) The Sony 24 MP sensor when combined with the best prime lenses will out resolve the Olympus 16 MP sensor. In addition the larger Sony sensor has slightly better high ISO performance, color depth, and dynamic range. But Olympus wins the resolution battle for zoom lenses. The best Olympus u4/3 zoom lenses have slightly higher perceptual resolution of 10 MP vs. 8-9 MP for the best Sony zoom lenses. The Olympus is a solid but not exceptional video camera, while Sony cameras are killer video machines. With their standard kit lenses ( Olympus 14-42 F4.0-5.6 II lens  and Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS)  the perceptual resolution of the Sony and Olympus cameras are essentially equal at 6 MP.

Even though the Sony has a 24 MP sensor vs. the Olympus 16 MP sensor. This is because the Olympus kit zoom is a higher resolution lens. But the Olympus OM-D EM-5 II has a clear advantage when you need a higher quality/higher resolution zoom lens. There are six u4/3 mount zoom lenses with perceptual resolution of 8-10 MP—at least two are weather resistant. These zoom lenses approach the 12 perceptual MP range of the best Sony E-mount prime lenses. (They even slightly beat the perceptual resolution of the bestSony zoom lenses!)  In comparison, there are only three Sony E-mount lenses with perceptual resolution of 8-9 MP—none are weather resistant. These Sony E-mount zoom lenses are nowhere near reaching the 16 perceptual MP range of the best Sony E-mount prime lenses. Sony has the perceptual resolution advantage when it comes to prime (fixed focal length) lenses. There are six Sony E-mount prime lenses with perceptual resolution of 12-16 MP. In comparison, there are four u4/3 mount prime lenses with a perceptual resolution of 11-13 MP.

This is mostly due to Sony’s larger 24 MP sensor. Olympus has the advantage with its tried and true 5-axis in-camera image stabilization that works with any lens. This hugely expands lens options for handheld shooting when backpacking. Only the most recent Sony a6500 has camera image stabilization. But this is huge deal for Sony fans that hike and backpack (that is don’t use a tripod often). The Olympus OM-D EM-5 II is 19 oz with its 14-42  F4.0-5.6 II lens kit lens. But the comparable (weather sealed, in body stabilization) Sony camera, the a6500 is about an ounce heavier with its 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens. The Sony a 6000 is a svelte 16 oz and about 3 oz lighter than the Olympus.Random Excellence: Simon Robinson The World's Best Photography Magazine Fuji GFX Expected to be a Strong Seller The Ideal Outfit for a Serious Beginner Lens Geek (Wednesday Open Mike) How To Choose Your Gear Fine Fuji X-T2 Book Subscribe in a reader