Nikon P7800 vs Olympus E-M10 III

The Nikon Coolpix P7800 and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2013 and August 2017. The P7800 is a fixed lens compact, while the E-M10 III is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on a 1/1.7-inch (P7800) and a Four Thirds (E-M10 III) sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 12 megapixels, whereas the Olympus provides 15.9 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon P7800		Olympus E-M10 III
Fixed lens compact camera		Mirrorless system camera
28-200mm f/2.0-4.0		Micro Four Thirds lenses
12 MP – 1/1.7" sensor		15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor
1080/30p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 80-3,200 (80 - 6,400)		ISO 200-25,600
Electronic viewfinder (921k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)
3.0" LCD – 921k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)		Tilting touchscreen
8 shutter flaps per second		8.6 shutter flaps per second
Lens-based stabilization		In-body stabilization
350 shots per battery charge		330 shots per battery charge
119 x 78 x 50 mm, 399 g		122 x 84 x 50 mm, 410 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Coolpix P7800 and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Nikon P7800 and the Olympus E-M10 III is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The E-M10 III can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the P7800 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-M10 III is notably larger (10 percent) than the Nikon P7800. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the P7800 nor the E-M10 III are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the P7800 has a lens built in, whereas the E-M10 III is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the E-M10 III and their specifications in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the P7800 gets 350 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL14 battery, while the E-M10 III can take 330 images on a single charge of its Olympus BLS-50 power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon P7800	119 mm	78 mm	50 mm	399 g	350	n	Sep 2013	549	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	122 mm	84 mm	50 mm	410 g	330	n	Aug 2017	649	ebay.com
3.		Canon G12	112 mm	76 mm	48 mm	401 g	370	n	Sep 2010	499	ebay.com
4.		Canon G15	107 mm	76 mm	40 mm	352 g	350	n	Sep 2012	499	ebay.com
5.		Canon G16	109 mm	76 mm	40 mm	356 g	360	n	Aug 2013	549	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X10	117 mm	70 mm	57 mm	350 g	270	n	Sep 2011	599	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm X20	117 mm	70 mm	57 mm	353 g	270	n	Jan 2013	599	ebay.com
8.		Fujifilm X30	119 mm	72 mm	60 mm	423 g	470	n	Aug 2014	599	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-M10 II	120 mm	83 mm	47 mm	390 g	320	n	Aug 2015	649	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	122 mm	84 mm	49 mm	383 g	360	n	Aug 2020	699	amazon.com
11.		Olympus E-PL8	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Sep 2016	549	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-PL9	117 mm	68 mm	39 mm	380 g	350	n	Feb 2018	599	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-PL10	117 mm	68 mm	39 mm	380 g	350	n	Oct 2019	599	ebay.com
14.		Olympus Stylus 1	116 mm	87 mm	57 mm	402 g	410	n	Oct 2013	699	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic LF1	103 mm	62 mm	28 mm	192 g	250	n	Apr 2013	499	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic LX7	111 mm	68 mm	46 mm	298 g	330	n	Jul 2012	499	ebay.com
17.		Pentax MX-1	122 mm	61 mm	51 mm	391 g	290	n	Jan 2013	499	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The P7800 was launched at a lower price than the E-M10 III, despite having a lens built in. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon P7800 features a 1/1.7-inch sensor and the Olympus E-M10 III a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the E-M10 III is 423 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 4.5 and 2.0. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

With 15.9MP, the E-M10 III offers a higher resolution than the P7800 (12MP), but the E-M10 III nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.76μm versus 1.89μm for the P7800) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the E-M10 III is a much more recent model (by 3 years and 11 months) than the P7800, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the E-M10 III has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Olympus E-M10 III implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the E-M10 III for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon P7800 are 20 x 15 inches or 50.8 x 38.1 cm for good quality, 16 x 12 inches or 40.6 x 30.5 cm for very good quality, and 13.3 x 10 inches or 33.9 x 25.4 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Nikon Coolpix P7800 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 80 to ISO 3200, which can be extended to ISO 80-6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III are ISO 200 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

In terms of underlying technology, the P7800 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the E-M10 III uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon P7800	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/30p	21.2	11.7	200	54
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1120	74
3.		Canon G12	1/1.7	10.0	3648	2736	720/24p	20.4	11.2	161	47
4.		Canon G15	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/24p	19.9	11.5	165	46
5.		Canon G16	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60p	21.0	11.7	230	54
6.		Fujifilm X10	2/3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/30p	20.5	11.3	245	50
7.		Fujifilm X20	2/3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60p	20.1	10.9	-462	46
8.		Fujifilm X30	2/3	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60p	20.4	11.2	-312	49
9.		Olympus E-M10 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.1	12.5	842	73
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.3	13.2	1402	76
11.		Olympus E-PL8	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	23.0	12.6	1030	73
12.		Olympus E-PL9	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1162	74
13.		Olympus E-PL10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.3	13.1	1324	76
14.		Olympus Stylus 1	1/1.7	11.8	3968	2976	1080/30p	20.7	11.6	179	51
15.		Panasonic LF1	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	20.8	11.6	211	52
16.		Panasonic LX7	1/1.7	10.0	3648	2736	1080/60p	20.7	11.7	147	50
17.		Pentax MX-1	1/1.7	12.0	4000	3000	1080/30p	20.4	11.3	208	49
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the E-M10 III provides a better video resolution than the P7800. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the E-M10 III offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the P7800 (2360k vs 921k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Nikon P7800, the Olympus E-M10 III, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon P7800	921	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon G12	optical	n	2.8 / 461	swivel	n	1/4000s	1.1/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon G15	optical	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.1/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon G16	optical	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.2/s	Y	Y
6.		Fujifilm X10	optical	n	2.8 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Fujifilm X20	optical	n	2.8 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Fujifilm X30	2360	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Olympus E-M10 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	15.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Olympus E-PL8	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
12.		Olympus E-PL9	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
13.		Olympus E-PL10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
14.		Olympus Stylus 1	1440	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Panasonic LF1	200	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Panasonic LX7	optional	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Pentax MX-1	none	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/8000s	1.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The E-M10 III has a touchscreen, while the P7800 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the E-M10 III is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Nikon P7800 and the Olympus E-M10 III both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the P7800 and the E-M10 III write their files to SDXC cards. The E-M10 III supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the P7800 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon Coolpix P7800 and Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon P7800	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
3.		Canon G12	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon G15	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Canon G16	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Fujifilm X10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Fujifilm X20	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Fujifilm X30	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Olympus E-M10 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Olympus E-PL8	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Olympus E-PL9	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
13.		Olympus E-PL10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
14.		Olympus Stylus 1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
15.		Panasonic LF1	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Panasonic LX7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Pentax MX-1	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the P7800 has a microphone port, which is missing on the E-M10 III. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Both the P7800 and the E-M10 III have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-M10 III was replaced by the Olympus E-M10 IV, while the P7800 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the P7800 and E-M10 III can be found, respectively, in the Nikon P7800 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-M10 III Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Nikon P7800 better than the Olympus E-M10 III or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon Coolpix P7800:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the E-M10 III requires a separate lens.
• Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the E-M10 III).
• More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2013).

Arguments in favor of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (15.9 vs 12MP), which boosts linear resolution by 15%.
• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
• Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/30p).
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2360k vs 921k dots).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 921k dots).
• Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-II standard.
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 11 months of technical progress since the P7800 launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-M10 III is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 8 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon P7800 and the Olympus E-M10 III place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Travel-Zoom Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the P7800 and the E-M10 III in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon P7800	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2013	549	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	..	+	5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2017	649	ebay.com
3.		Canon G12	4/5	+	..	73/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	499	ebay.com
4.		Canon G15	4/5	+	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	499	ebay.com
5.		Canon G16	4/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2013	549	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X10	..	..	..	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2011	599	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm X20	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2013	599	ebay.com
8.		Fujifilm X30	4/5	..	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2014	599	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-M10 II	4.5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2015	649	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	4.5/5	..	5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2020	699	amazon.com
11.		Olympus E-PL8	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	549	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-PL9	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2018	599	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-PL10	..	..	4/5	77/100	..	4/5	Oct 2019	599	ebay.com
14.		Olympus Stylus 1	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	699	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic LF1	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2013	499	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic LX7	3/5	+ +	..	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2012	499	ebay.com
17.		Pentax MX-1	3/5	..	..	74/100	4/5	4/5	Jan 2013	499	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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