Olympus E-M10 II versus Fujifilm X-E3

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and the Fujifilm X-E3 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in August 2015 and September 2017. Both the E-M10 II and the X-E3 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are based on a Four Thirds (E-M10 II) and an APS-C (X-E3) sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 15.9 megapixel, whereas the Fujifilm provides 24 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Olympus E-M10 II vs Fujifilm X-E3

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-M10 II and the Fujifilm X-E3 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side 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 side – the E-M10 II – represents the basis for the calculations 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 Fujifilm X-E3 is notably smaller (10 percent) than the Olympus E-M10 II. Moreover, the X-E3 is markedly lighter (14 percent) than the E-M10 II. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-M10 II nor the X-E3 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 Fujinon X Lens Catalog (X-E3). Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

Concerning battery life, the E-M10 II gets 320 shots out of its BLS-50 battery, while the X-E3 can take 350 images on a single charge of its NP-W126S power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. 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 camera comparisons there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Olympus E-M10 II»	4.7 in	3.3 in	1.9 in	13.8 oz	320	n	Aug 2015	799	-		Olympus E-M10 II
	Fujifilm X-E3«	4.8 in	2.9 in	1.7 in	11.9 oz	350	n	Sep 2017	899			Fujifilm X-E3
	Canon M6« »	4.4 in	2.7 in	1.8 in	13.8 oz	295	n	Feb 2017	779			Canon M6
	Fujifilm X-A5« »	4.6 in	2.7 in	1.6 in	12.7 oz	450	n	Jan 2018	399			Fujifilm X-A5
	Fujifilm X-T20« »	4.6 in	3.3 in	1.6 in	13.5 oz	350	n	Jan 2017	899			Fujifilm X-T20
	Fujifilm X-A3« »	4.6 in	2.6 in	1.6 in	12.0 oz	410	n	Aug 2016	399			Fujifilm X-A3
	Fujifilm X-E2S« »	5.1 in	3.0 in	1.5 in	12.3 oz	350	n	Jan 2016	699	-		Fujifilm X-E2S
	Olympus E-M10 III« »	4.8 in	3.3 in	2.0 in	14.5 oz	330	n	Aug 2017	649			Olympus E-M10 III
	Olympus E-PL8« »	4.5 in	2.6 in	1.5 in	12.6 oz	350	n	Sep 2016	549	-		Olympus E-PL8
	Olympus PEN-F« »	4.9 in	2.8 in	1.5 in	15.1 oz	330	n	Jan 2016	1,199			Olympus PEN-F
	Olympus E-M5 II« »	4.9 in	3.3 in	1.8 in	16.5 oz	310	Y	Feb 2015	1,099			Olympus E-M5 II
	Olympus E-M10« »	4.7 in	3.2 in	1.8 in	14.0 oz	320	n	Jan 2014	699	-		Olympus E-M10
	Olympus E-PL7« »	4.5 in	2.6 in	1.5 in	12.6 oz	350	n	Aug 2014	599	-		Olympus E-PL7
	Olympus E-P5« »	4.8 in	2.7 in	1.5 in	14.8 oz	330	n	May 2013	999	-		Olympus E-P5
	Olympus E-PL5« »	4.4 in	2.5 in	1.5 in	11.5 oz	360	n	Sep 2012	599	-		Olympus E-PL5
	Panasonic GX80« »	4.8 in	2.8 in	1.7 in	15.0 oz	290	n	Apr 2016	799			Panasonic GX80
	Panasonic GM5« »	3.9 in	2.4 in	1.4 in	7.4 oz	220	n	Sep 2014	749	-		Panasonic GM5
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The camera’s price is obviously a critical decision-making factor. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The E-M10 II was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 11 percent) than the X-E3, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. 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: Olympus E-M10 II vs Fujifilm X-E3

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and 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 tend to be more expensive and 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 Fujifilm X-E3 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the X-E3 is 64 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.0 and 1.5. The sensor in the E-M10 II has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the X-E3 offers a 3:2 aspect.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors.

With 24MP, the X-E3 offers a higher resolution than the E-M10 II (15.9MP), but the X-E3 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.92μm versus 3.76μm for the E-M10 II) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the X-E3 is a much more recent model (by 2 years) than the E-M10 II, 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 neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). 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 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 X-E3 provides a better video resolution than the E-M10 II. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Olympus is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison: Olympus E-M10 II vs Fujifilm X-E3

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The E-M10 II and the X-E3 are similar in the sense that both feature an electronic viewfinder, which is helpful when framing images in bright sunlight. Moreover, their viewfinders offer an identical resolution of 2360k dots. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Olympus E-M10 II and Fujifilm X-E3 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.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The E-M10 II has one, while the X-E3 does not. While the build-in flash of the E-M10 II is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

Both the E-M10 II and the X-E3 write their imaging data to SDXC cards.

The X-E3 is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock. In contrast, the E-M10 II has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the E-M10 II was succeeded by the Olympus E-M10 III.

Review summary: Olympus E-M10 II vs Fujifilm X-E3

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Olympus E-M10 II and the Fujifilm X-E3? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II:

• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization build-in.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (11 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in August 2015).

Advantages of the Fujifilm X-E3:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 25%.
• Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 53g or 14 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More modern: Reflects 2 years of technical progress since the E-M10 II launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the X-E3 emerges as the winner of the match-up (7 : 5 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 when reflecting and deciding on a new camera.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the E-M10 II or the X-E3. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The full reviews are available by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Olympus E-M10 II»	HiRec	80/100	5/5	5/5	5/5	Aug 2015	799	-		Olympus E-M10 II
	Fujifilm X-E3«	Rec	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2017	899			Fujifilm X-E3
	Canon M6« »	-	80/100	4/5	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	779			Canon M6
	Fujifilm X-A5« »	Rec	-	4/5	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2018	399			Fujifilm X-A5
	Fujifilm X-T20« »	HiRec	82/100	5/5	-	4.5/5	Jan 2017	899			Fujifilm X-T20
	Fujifilm X-A3« »	-	74/100	4.5/5	-	4/5	Aug 2016	399			Fujifilm X-A3
	Fujifilm X-E2S« »	-	77/100	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Jan 2016	699	-		Fujifilm X-E2S
	Olympus E-M10 III« »	Rec	80/100	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Aug 2017	649			Olympus E-M10 III
	Olympus E-PL8« »	-	-	4.5/5	-	4/5	Sep 2016	549	-		Olympus E-PL8
	Olympus PEN-F« »	-	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	1,199			Olympus PEN-F
	Olympus E-M5 II« »	HiRec	81/100	5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2015	1,099			Olympus E-M5 II
	Olympus E-M10« »	-	80/100	5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	699	-		Olympus E-M10
	Olympus E-PL7« »	Rec	-	5/5	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2014	599	-		Olympus E-PL7
	Olympus E-P5« »	HiRec	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	999	-		Olympus E-P5
	Olympus E-PL5« »	HiRec	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	599	-		Olympus E-PL5
	Panasonic GX80« »	HiRec	82/100	5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Apr 2016	799			Panasonic GX80
	Panasonic GM5« »	Rec	77/100	5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	749	-		Panasonic GM5

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, 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 rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored. If you do not see the camera that you are looking for, please send me an email, and I will try to update the database with the necessary infos.

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