Olympus E-5 reviews (The E-5 beats the Panasonic GH2?)
Four-Thirds-User (Click here) made a very intriguing test. They compared the best Panasonic camera (the GH2) against the best Olympus camera (The E-5): “In our tests the results clearly show that the E-5 and GH2 can significantly out-resolve Olympus’ E-3 and E-30 DSLRs. The E-5 also out-resolves the GH2 at low and high ISO settings, although the GH2 rallies in mid-range ISO sensitivities.”
UPDATE: Take the test with a grain of salt. As our readers have noticed the test method and results are at least “questionable”. See the comparison made by DxOmark (Click here) to see a more scientific test:
Techradar (Click here) posted a new Olympus E-5 review: “There’s plenty about the Olympus E-5 to keep the enthusiast photographer happy; however, it’s one of those cameras that has lots of ‘buts’ about it. For a start many photographers, apart from those already committed to the Four Thirds standard, are still like to be put off by the fact that it has a smaller than average sensor with no obvious weight, cost or size advantage. Although there’s no denying the high quality of the results the camera can produce at low sensitivity settings, a pixel count of 12 million is also decidedly last season and this may discourage some photographers more than it should.”
Olympus E-5 direct links at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
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Recent comments
Comment from Raist: Hmmm because it's much smaller than thos...
Comment from Raist3d: Dude seriously? The L1 is years old and ...
Comment from Inge-M: +1...
Comment from Mr. Reeee: +1...
Jerodequin
2 years ago |Hmm – no mention of lenses used (should be using the same lens on both cameras if possible) and also, was this raw or jpeg? If jpeg, not sure what the point is as Olympus has always pushed sharpness in jpeg mode.
safaridon
2 years ago |Obviously a test from a pro 4/3 user. One should note that his graph shows GH2 maximum resolution at ISO 150 being 2500 lines compared to 2800 lines found in DPR and other tests? As above commentor has said probably because different lens were used on these cameras for comparison and also JPEGs, but DPR rating for 2800 lines for GH2 was also for JPEGs!
So I wouldn’t put too much credulence on this individuals test other than to say it shows both are very good cameras indeed and a match for some of the best APS-C cameras. Note the just released DPR test of 18 MP Canon T3i 600D showed a maximum resolution of 2500 lines in JPEG.
mar
2 years ago |Yes it does.
Have you tried banging up e5 and gh2 together? Im sure gh2 wouls get beat up pretty bad :p
pdc
2 years ago |Your comment doesn’t make sense. I believe that the E-5 sensor is the same as all the first generation MFT, with the exception of the GH1. The difference in resolving ability between FT and MFT, would be minimal. The shorter flange-back in MFT will result in more light fall off at the edges than is the case with FT. So, rather than being “beat-up pretty bad”, the GH2 would fare quite well in any resolving tests againt the E-5, as it does slightly outresolve the first generation MFT offerings.
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Joke alert.
I think he means the E5 is an oversized, overweight beast that would physically crush a GH2.
Nathan
2 years ago |Grrr, all this time on my E-30 I’ve been shooting RAW because I couldn’t find the superfine option for JPEG- it’s there in (wrench) G under White Balance/compression and it makes an enormous difference for JPEG shooting.
I have had it for only 3 months though.
YouDidntDidYou
2 years ago |I’m guessing you never read the manual as I found it pretty easy in my Olympus Four Thirds Camera manual on the 1st day…
GreyOwl
2 years ago |It’s just as hard to find the SF record mode on the E-P2, but after a great deal of searching in the manual and scrolling menus, I was able to find it’s hiding place. I was left with the impression that Olympus did not want it to be to easy for the user to set this option. Maybe this is because of the increased file size of approx. 8.4MB given by the compression of 1/2.7.
Inge-M
2 years ago |Inn Norwegwn photo magazine “Fotografi” have a test by E-5 there NR.filter is off, and them use camera on RAW, lens so use is macro 50mm f2 on the sharpnes test, but 2 step down to f4.
By Nyquist sequence on 3024 line give 100%,
but only ca 85%(2570 line) on ISO 100,
and by ISO 200-800 is the over 95%(ca. 2900 line),
and on ISO 1600 is the come down to 90%(2720 line) sharpnes
Wt21
2 years ago |Is there any new cam more irrelevant today than the e5?
spam
2 years ago |Yes, the Sigma SD1
Vlad
2 years ago |Wait until it gets out at least.
spam
2 years ago |It’s the not getting out that makes it irrelevant.
spam
2 years ago |Interesting “test”
- They don’t say which lens is used
- No info about aperture
- No info about RAW or JPG, and if RAW the conversion settings, if JPG the camera settings.
- They manage to measure an increase in res for E-5 from Iso 800 to 1600 – exactly in the Iso range where E-5 image quality really start to deteriorate
Even Steves Digicam wouldn’t publish data like that.
Bu
2 years ago |Yes, but which is more likely to fit in a jacket pocket
Tobias W.
2 years ago |Honestly, a GH2 does NOT fit into a jacket pocket. I can hardly fit the E-PL1 with the Panasonic 20mm attached to it into any of my jackets and that’s when I detach the viewfinder.
And does anybody really believe the overall GH2 package provides more photographic (not videographic!) value than the E5 which is much more expensive and has been built to professional standards? I don’t need a dubious comparison from a website after holding both in my hands for real. The E5 beats the shit out of the GH2 in terms of built quality. With the 12-60mm attached to the E5, it’s hard to find ANY faster autofocus system even outside the FT/MFT world. In terms of image quality, you gotta take the available lenses into account. And while it’s true that Zuiko FT lenses are usable on the GH2, there is no IS and that combination gets a lot more unbalanced, plus even then the autofocus speed will be horrible. Yes, FT lenses are usable on MFT cameras, but they’re NOT perfectly usable. And I don’t believe a second that the MFT Panasonic lenses equal the FT Zuiko lenses in terms of quality, so it doesn’t even matter which lens was used for that comparison.
Comparing those two cameras is not useful. The E5 is a battleship camera for an unfriendly world when you need a reliable tool to take pictures where the action is. The GH2 won’t do that. It’s as simple as that. Expose the GH2 to a rain shower and you know. But the GH2 kicks butt when it comes to recording video. Honestly, when you look through all the posts on this site alone, whenever there is GH2 material, most likely it’s about the GH2′s video performance ONLY. This IS that camera’s most important use case. People buy that camera because of that alone.
There’s a right tool for the right job. When it comes to taking pictures in high quality with high quality lenses in any condition, I would always choose the E5 over the GH2. It’s as simple as that.
mahler
2 years ago |It (the GH2) fits well in MY jacket pocket with one of the two pancake lenses. Don’t conclude from your pockets to others. The GH2 is almost as pocketable as the PENs. Attach one of the kit zooms to them, both aren’t pocketable anymore.
Don’t tell everybody that the GH2′s most important use case is video. IT IS NOT. The GH2 is a very good still camera. The improvements in relation to its predecessor affect the still photographer much more, because the GH1 was already a very capable video camera.
The GH2 is mentioned for its video quality so often, because in this area, it still has a big lead, whereas in stills photography, it is within a bunch of equally competent competitors.
I would say that the value for the stills photographer is about equal in between the two. The E-5 is stronger build, the GH2 is much lighter and smaller.
George
2 years ago |do you even own a gh series cam ???
you are joking right??
gh2 fits in a pocket
lol
mahler
2 years ago |I own a GH2 and it fits in the pocket of my outdoor jacket, so what’s the problem? All this pocketability discussion is nonsense, because everything depends on the size of your pockets. Almost no serious camera will fit in a shirt pocket (should not go there anyway) nor in a pants pocket (never had any desire to carry a camera there).
In what pockets do you want to carry a system camera?
(You better find jackets that your camera fit in than vice versa).
Milos Janata
2 years ago |Kangaroo’s pocket? xD
RW
2 years ago |I’ve heard people blathering on about m43 cameras fitting into jacket pockets before, but thats rubbish. Even a GF-1 with 20mm doesn’t fit comfortably in a jacket pocket. Sure – it will *fit* into one – particularly if your idea of style is to wear a combat parka – but a m43 camera bulges significantly in any normal jacket pocket. You wouldn’t conceal-carry a pistol that obviously – so why would you carry a camera like that? I knew that Tobias would take flack for saying that a GH2 is not pocket size – but thats the outright truth. Frankly pocket-sizability is the big myth of the m43 movement. The tradeoff that you are paying for with m43 is compactness versus IQ – and while an m43 camera is MUCH more compact than a DSLR, it’s still a small camera bag proposition. Nobody with any sense of style would think that a camera of that size jutting out of your side is an every day carrying solution.
mahler
2 years ago |+1
I would even question this “all the time with you camera” notion. This is a mythos. It is this silly I have too shoot everything everytime mantra.
m4/3 isn’t made to be “the camera, which you have always with you, is the best (because you may miss a shoot)”. Period. For that purpuse, we have photo mobile phones, which are much better devices for this “always with me” thing, but certainly a different product.
deniz
2 years ago |i have been carrying my ep2 with me everywhere for the 1.5 years and i loved every day of it.
the fact that i always carry a small messenger bag helps tough
still. the camera may not comfortably fit in a jacket pocket but the lenses sure do.
Tobias W.
2 years ago |+1
DouglasG.
2 years ago |I do not think the comparison is valid I think are two different cameras for different users with different needs.
Bu
2 years ago |@Tobias, you need bigger pockets
I can get my EP1 with eith the 20mm or kit lens in my jacket; and I’m sure I could squeeze the GH2 in as well 
– Though by jacket I mean coat opposed to suit jacket…
alyson
2 years ago |It really doesn’t matter how good it is. Nobody cares except the die-hard Oly fans who already have an investment in 4/3 lenses. It’s 4/3 last breath.
It should be embarrassing to Panny tho – somebody is getting better jpegs out of their owns sensors.
YouDidntDidYou
2 years ago |I’m pretty sure Panasonic Four Third users (the L10 and L1) might be interested in the the E5 who also have an investment in 4/3 lenses
Raist3d
2 years ago |Dude seriously? The L1 is years old and the L10 is a few years old too. Those probably moved to Panasonic next already, or moved to other brands. Besides how many of those are there?
- Raist
Inge-M
2 years ago |Last breath,….. NOT THE IS START, ON REALY GOOD BREATH
Mar
2 years ago |Why pay $1k for a gh2 when you can get similar if not better performance out of 2-3x cheaper entry level dslr?
With the E5 you get pro quality and access to the very best lenses available, wireless flash system, weather sealing and very fast AF.
George
2 years ago |admin i can’t believe that you posted such a ridiculous test. A test that even not saying which lens was used, what aperture settings. After all these useless “m4/3″ salvation articles from people that have no idea what is marketing this articles is another nail. Sorry but just because you wanted more comments you are losing visitors like me who i visit site daily, but now you are not even in my rss reader and visit like once a week.
Sorry but you are on the wrong way. IF you don’t have anything good to post then simply DON’T
spam
2 years ago |Agree, it’s a rumor site, but please admin don’t publish things like this. And if you have to, at least write som comments about the test/method.
admin
2 years ago |Hi guys!
I added a note after the test. FOur Thirds User is a well known and reputable website. But yes, the test method and results are very questionable.
Dummy00001
2 years ago |If it was the Ian Burley who has personally compared the cameras… I’m pretty sure it’s 50mm. Otherwise, anybody can drop by the forum (links are at the bottom of the article!) and ask Ian what he has used. He normally responds within a day or so.
spam
2 years ago |It doesn’t really matter who make the test, if the results don’t fit the expected results (like E-5 getting better res at Iso 1600 than 800 as the first camera ever) you shouldn’t publish the results with out retesting, retesting and retesting. If you still get the same results then maybe you should publish, but at least with some comments and certainly with a very detailed description of the test procedure.
And someone already asked the necessary questions, without any answers so far.
Raist
2 years ago |Hmmm because it’s much smaller than those, can use the 4/3rd lenses and in RAW can perform better than an E-5 while costing almost half the money? Also the GH2 AF is very very fast anyway. DSLR fast – fast.
I am not saying the E-5 doesn’t have its things but a lot of what you said could easily be used as justification to not get one.
no BS please
2 years ago |Slow news day huh…no news is better than rubbish news.
YouDidntDidYou
2 years ago |Two very different capable cameras for a photographer in different modes.
Practically every camera that has come out in the last 2-3 years has great resolution for everyday real world use and printing needs up to 24 inches by 20 inches (60cm by 50cm), same with 720HD over 1080 could you absolutely tell the difference unless you are pixel peeping on a bigger than 50 inch screen.
There are so many otter features and qualities you should judge a camera on…
sneye
2 years ago |Who cares?
Resolution is an over-rated quality. The viewing distance is proportional to the print size. Normal people do not scrutinize large prints with a magnifying glass. I made some very decent large prints from E-330 files. As to cropping, it is my opinion that composition should be finilized before exposure, not after.
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |+1
Inge-M
2 years ago |+1
Scott
2 years ago |Yall are starting to sound like a bunch of E-5 users after the dpreview was out. I switched from the E-3 to the E-5 there is an huge difference in quality but the best thing about that camera is the thing focus so dang good. My wife got hers last week and we were going through a few sessions we had and every single picture is sharp and in focus. That in itself is worth the difference in money.