Why You'll Love It

A compact, retro-styled Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera built for photographers who want serious image quality without a bulky body — it earned the EISA Award for Best European Prosumer Compact System Camera the year it launched.

Imagine this: some venues restrict "professional-looking" cameras — big lenses, big bodies, obvious press gear. A small, retro-styled body like this one usually isn't what anyone's watching for, so real image quality gets in anyway. That's the E-M5 Mark II's appeal for a school's yearbook or photography club too — light enough for all-day carry, weather-sealed for intramurals or a rainy campus fair, and unassuming enough to shoot without drawing attention.

16MP Sensor and TruePic VII Processor. The E-M5 Mark II pairs a 16-megapixel Four Thirds sensor with Olympus's TruePic VII processor for accurate color and detail. Native ISO runs 100-25600, giving it real flexibility from bright daylight through dim indoor gyms and auditoriums.

5-Axis In-Body Stabilization. Built-in sensor-shift stabilization compensates for up to 5 stops of camera shake on its own, making sharp handheld shots possible in low light without a tripod — useful for indoor events where flash isn't allowed.

81-Point Autofocus. 81 contrast-detect autofocus points cover the frame, keeping moving subjects in focus for anything from a sports day to a stage performance. Continuous shooting hits up to 10fps.

Silent Electronic Shutter. A fully electronic shutter mode fires with no mechanical noise at all — useful for a ceremony, a recital, a quiet gallery, or candid street work where a shutter click would draw every eye. It also unlocks a faster 1/16000s top speed for shooting wide open in bright light. (Best for still or slow-moving subjects — fast motion and some LED lighting can show skew or banding, which the mechanical shutter avoids.)

40MP High Res Shot Mode. A sensor-shift High Res mode combines multiple exposures into a single 40-megapixel composite for static subjects — ideal for yearbook portraits, product shots, or anything that benefits from extra detail beyond the sensor's native 16 megapixels.

Weather-Sealed, Compact Body. A dustproof and splashproof magnesium-alloy body handles outdoor shooting without the bulk of a full-size DSLR — light enough to carry all day, sturdy enough for a rainy campus fair or an outdoor sports event.

Vari-Angle Touchscreen and Electronic Viewfinder. A 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen flips out for high, low, or selfie-style angles, and the 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder gives a bright, accurate preview in direct sunlight where a screen alone can wash out.

Resources

• Manual
• See Real Photos Shot on This Camera (Flickr Gallery)
• In-Depth Overview — Every Menu and Setting Explained