Olympus E-M10 II versus Canon 760D

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and the Canon EOS 760D (labelled Canon T6s in some countries) are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in August 2015 and February 2015. The E-M10 II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the 760D is a DSLR. The cameras are based on a Four Thirds (E-M10 II) and an APS-C sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 15.9 megapixel, whereas the Canon provides 24 MP.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Olympus E-M10 II and the Canon 760D are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the E-M10 II – represents the basis or 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 760D is notably larger (34 percent) than the Olympus E-M10 II. Moreover, the 760D is substantially heavier (45 percent) than the E-M10 II. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-M10 II nor the 760D are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist. You can find an overview of optics for the two cameras in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog (E-M10 II) and the Canon EF Lens Catalog (760D). Mirrorless cameras, such as the Olympus E-M10 II, have moreover the advantage that they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance and can thus use many lenses from other systems via adapters.

Concerning battery life, the E-M10 II gets 320 shots out of its BLS-50 battery, while the 760D can take 440 images on a single charge of its LP-E17 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The E-M10 II was somewhat cheaper (by 6 percent) than the 760D at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants 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. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Olympus E-M10 II features a Four Thirds sensor and the Canon 760D an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the 760D is 48 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.0 and 1.6. The sensor in the E-M10 II has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the 760D offers a 3:2 aspect.

With 24MP, the 760D offers a higher resolution than the E-M10 II (15.9MP), but the 760D has marginally smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.72μm versus 3.76μm for the E-M10 II). It is noteworthy in this context that the E-M10 II is a somewhat more recent model (by 6 months) than the 760D, and its sensor might 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 II has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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 Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar image quality. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the E-M10 II provides a higher frame rate than the 760D. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the Canon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the E-M10 II has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), while the 760D has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Olympus E-M10 II and Canon 760D in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

Both the E-M10 II and the 760D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 760D was replaced by the Canon 77D, while the E-M10 II was followed by the Olympus E-M10 III.

Summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Olympus E-M10 II and the Olympus E-M10 II? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p vs 1080/30p).
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (8 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More compact: Is smaller (120x83mm vs 132x101mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 175g or 31 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization build-in.
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 6 months after the 760D).

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 760D:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 25%.
• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• Easier setting verification: Has a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• More flexible LCD: Has swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (440 versus 320) out of a single battery charge.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in February 2015).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the E-M10 II emerges as the winner of the contest (9 : 7 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the E-M10 II and the 760D 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. This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites. The detailed reviews can be accessed, respectively, on the websites of cameralabs.com, dpreview.com, ephotozine.com, imaging-resource.com, and photographyblog.com.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. 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. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored. If the camera you are interested in is not available, please contact me, and I will try to add information on that model to the database.