Review: Olympus E-m5 mark i - The Original Mirrorless Camera
Short and Simple
While the Olympus E-m5 mark i is definitely showing its age, it still proves to be a highly capable photography camera. It was a revolution for its time and still offers incredible value. On the used market, you’ll be hard pressed to find such a feature rich camera under $300.
Key Olympus E-m5 mark i specs:
16 MP Micro Four Thirds Sensor
Magnesium Body
Contrast Detect Autofocus
3-Inch, 610,000 Dot Touchscreen
Max 1/4,000 Shutter Speed
1080p 60fps video
9 Frames Per Second
425g with Battery
Max 25,600 ISO
I’m Not an Olympus Rep
I bought this camera used on eBay. I have no relationship with Olympus / OM System nor have I ever. I do not accept loaner cameras for review or do sponsored reviews, as I believe it introduces a conflict of interest.
Price
This camera can’t be bought new anymore, it came out in the 2012, but they are still easy to get on the used market (especially on eBay). You can find an Olympus E-m5 mark i in good-excellent condition for between $200-300 USD.
When you start to get up towards the $300 range, the decision to buy the original E-m5 gets a little trickier, because the E-m5 mark ii can be bought for a similar price, and as we’ll discuss, that camera is definitely a bit more refined than its older brother (although the mark i has a unique set of benefits).
Have Cameras Changed Since 2012? Is The E-m5 Outdated?
Let’s get one thing straight from the very beginning, the Olympus E-m5 mark i is capable of taking beautiful photos, and you can absolutely get amazing modern looking results even though the camera is 10+ years old.
In a previous review (E-m1x review) I discussed how camera tech has changed very little since 2018-2019, and how those cameras are very comparable to the latest offerings from camera manufacturers. I think it would be naive to say the same thing about cameras made 6-8 years earlier.
The Olympus E-m5 mark i was one of the first serious mirrorless cameras to be produced. It was revolutionary when it arrived, and it’s still amazing, but technology did make some significant strides in the years immediately following its release. I wouldn’t call the E-m5 outdated, but it is beginning to show its age.
OM System’s latest offerings are the OM-3 and the OM-1 mark ii. They are undeniably superior, but they are also 10 times the price.
Olympus E-m5 mark i with the Panasonic Lumix 12-35 f/2.8 ii
Olympus E-m5 mark i with the Panasonic Lumix 12-35 f/2.8 ii
Build Quality of the Olympus E-m5 mark i
Olympus build quality in the 2010s was always top-notch, and the E-m5 mark i is no exception. It’s small but with a weight of magnesium quality.
The body is metal and the buttons are sealed against the weather. On my 12 year old E-m5, all the buttons work, the SD card door hinge is still smooth, and the tilting screen still slides like it camera off the factory line yesterday. It’s a camera that was built to last, unlike a lot of the cheap plastic garbage being sold these days.
Handling
Overall, for a small camera, the ergonomics are very good. I have no complaints in that department.
It is surprisingly small, especially when paired with a lens like the Panasonic Lumix 14mm f/2.5 or the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7. If small and compact are a priority for you, the E-m5 series is definitely worth considering. This camera is only a touch larger than my E-m10 mark ii (E-m10 mark ii review).
Being the first pro-level Olympus camera, the design team still had some things to learn. The original E-m5 has mushy, squishy, hard-to-press buttons (the playback button is especially hard to press). The buttons work fine, but they are unpleasant to use. Olympus remedied this very quickly by changing the feel of the buttons on future models.
I also hate the location of the on/off button. It’s located at the bottom right of the camera, just below the D-Pad. It isn’t very tactile, and it’s hard to find by feel. I suspect Olympus chose this location because some Canon DSLRs were set up that way. Olympus listened to feedback and changed the location of the on/off switch to the top plate on future models.
I have no major gripes with the handling of the E-m5 mark i, but there is no question it was a first gen model that needed refinement.
AutoFocus: Not Bad, Not Great
The Olympus E-m5 mark i was one of the first serious mirrorless cameras to hit the market, and this is central to the auto-focus discussion. It was released before phase-detect autofocus became popular. The E-m5 has a contrast-detect focusing system which is great for some applications, but less so for others.
If most of your photography is done using single point autofocus (like mine), this camera will be great for you. The contrast detect is snappy and accurate. Slow moving targets are easy to lock on to, like my turtle friend in the image above.
Fast moving subjects are a different matter. Scenes with a lot of motion and quick moving subjects are going to be very challenging to photograph. The tech just wasn’t advanced enough in the early 2010s to provide extremely reliable tracking autofocus. If you’re in need of a camera with tracking continuous autofocus, I would encourage you to save your pennies and buy a slightly more modern camera. The E-m1 mark ii (review here) is marvelous for this application and it can be found used for between $400-$500 USD.
Video: It’s What You Expect from Early Olympus
Video has never been the strong suit of Olympus / OM System, and I would absolutely consider the E-m5 mark i a photography first camera. This wouldn’t be my first recommendation to someone looking for a video camera. You’ll be able to get better results from most smartphones.
But let me give the Olympus E-m5 credit where it deserves it. The video isn’t unpleasant to view, the colors are nice, and the video footage is stable thanks to the built in IBIS (something you aren’t going to get in most $250 cameras. The tilt screen is also a really nice benefit for those shooting video behind the camera.
If you’re looking for a simple video camera with better handling than a phone, the E-m5 is a great little memory making camera, even if the video quality isn’t up to modern specs.
I’ve included some 1080 60fps footage below:
Is 16 Megapixels Enough?
I won’t tell you resolution and megapixels don’t matter, its a very subjective thing that depends on the photography you do, but in my experience, megapixels matter less than manufacturers want you to think.
You can do a lot with 16mp, including cropping. It’s a nice balance between cropping potential, small file sizes, and resolution.
I’ve shot with 12mp cameras before, like the Sony a7s (a7s Review) and I’ve found them limiting. For me 16mp is a sweet spot. In truth, I prefer a 20mp camera, but I’ve been very satisfied with the results I’ve gotten from various 16mp cameras.
Heavily cropped image from the 16mp E-m5 mark i
Dynamic Range: Better than Reported
I’ve heard several full-frame evangelists bashing on micro four thirds sensors for having bad dynamic range, but its my opinion that much of their whining is overblown.
While it is true that full-frame cameras generally offer better dynamic range, that doesn’t mean micro four thirds is bad. In fact, I’ve been very pleased with the dynamic range on the Olympus E-m1x and many other m4/3 cameras (even old ones), and its only in extreme conditions that you’ll notice the difference. For general photography and videography, the E-m1x is more than enough. The only person I might not recommend the E-m1x to is a landscape photographer who regularly needs to capture highlight details in the sky and shadow details in the ground shadows (that’s where full-frame will shine).
See my highlight and shadow recovery tests below:
+2 Overexposed
+3 Stops Overexposed
-2 Stops Underexposed
-3 Stops Underexposed
Corrected in Adobe Lightroom
Corrected in Adobe Lightroom
Recovered in Adobe Lightroom
Recovered in Adobe Lightroom
I was shocked when I edited the overexposed photos, especially the +3 stops overexposed image. I didn’t think an old sensor like the one in the E-m5 mark i would retain any of the sky details, but I was clearly wrong. Although the image was severely overexposed, some of the cloud details were still present in the recovered image. It isn’t perfect, you can see the color shift towards magenta in the corrected image, but it should also be noted that this is a very extreme example of overexposure.
As you can see, the camera had no problem bringing up the shadows in the underexposed images.
Like most cameras, you should try to protect your highlights and underexpose if the situation forces a choice. This is true on almost every camera ever made.
A full-frame or APSC camera may be able to retain more information in the extreme highlights and shadows, but be realistic about how often you’ll need that extra capability before writing-off a micro four thirds camera for concerns about dynamic range performance.
IBIS (Stabilization)
In body image stabilization (IBIS) has always been a huge draw for me towards Olympus cameras. They revolutionized the implementation of stabilization into small mirrorless cameras in the early days. I was shocked when I learned the original E-m5 had IBIS.
IBIS is a benefit in photography to eliminate camera shake when using longer shutter speeds, and in videography to keep micro jitters out of your footage. I hate electronically stabilizing video footage in post processing, so IBIS is a must-have for me.
The IBIS in the E-m5 is surprisingly effective. It’s so effective that some modern full frame / APSC cameras have yet to catch up. It’s good enough to stabilize short telephoto lenses without any lens-based stabilization. Getting great IBIS in the $200-$300 price range is an amazing deal.
My Favorite Features of the E-m5 Original
A few of my favorite nice-to-have features of the E-m5:
Tilt screen (no fully articulating), perfect for photographers who work behind the camera.
Surprisingly good battery life. You can find batteries here.
Super compact with an EVF (electronic viewfinder).
Great build quality. They don’t make them like this anymore.
Budget friendly yet highly capable.
My Least Favorite Things About the Olympus E-m5
No usb-c charging, requires a dedicated charger for the older battery.
Shutter is a bit loud. Some say it causes shutter-shake, but I didn’t not experience any.
Buttons are mushy.
User interface and menus are definitely dated.
Great for Compact Lenses
One of the advantages of having a smaller body is that the Olympus E-m5 pairs uniquely well with small m4/3 lenses.
Some of my favorite lenses for this platform include:
Recommendation and Conclusion
To whom would I recommend this camera?
This is the perfect camera for a photographer on a budget. Few cameras offer the same value, build quality, and features in the $200-300 price range. It is excellent for any photographer who doesn’t require high speed tracking autofocus.
I would not recommend this camera to most videographers, unless you’re planning to shoot manual focus. The 1080p 60p quality is nice, but the video codex are limited. It can make some nice videos, but it shows its age in this department.
Overall, It is great value for money!
Additional Reading
Sony Rx100 mark i Review (the Original)
The Olympus E-m1 mark ii Review in 2024 and 2025
Fujifilm X-H2 - Best Hybrid Camera? - Long Term Review in 2025
Review: Sony A7s (the original) - A Great Deal in 2024?
Olympus E-M10 Mark ii Review in 2024 - The Value King
Olympus Pen-F - One and Done Legend? - A Review in 2025
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