Olympus E-M10 II vs E-M10 IV

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in August 2015 and August 2020. Both the E-M10 II and the E-M10 IV are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The E-M10 II has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the E-M10 IV provides 20.2 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-M10 II		Olympus E-M10 IV
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses		Micro Four Thirds lenses
15.9 MP, Four Thirds Sensor		20.2 MP, Four Thirds Sensor
1080/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 200-25,600		ISO 200-25,600
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)
3.0 LCD, 1040k dots		3.0 LCD, 1040k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
8 shutter flaps per second		15 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		In-body stabilization
320 shots per battery charge		360 shots per battery charge
120 x 83 x 47 mm, 390 g		122 x 84 x 49 mm, 383 g

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV? 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 Olympus E-M10 II and the Olympus E-M10 IV 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 measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The E-M10 II can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, brown), while the E-M10 IV is available in two color-versions (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-M10 IV is somewhat larger (3 percent) than the Olympus E-M10 II. However, the E-M10 IV is slightly lighter (2 percent) than the E-M10 II. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-M10 II nor the E-M10 IV 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. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog. 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.

The power pack in the E-M10 IV can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	120 mm	83 mm	47 mm	390 g	320	n	Aug 2015	649
2.		Olympus E-M10 IV	122 mm	84 mm	49 mm	383 g	360	n	Aug 2020	699
3.		Olympus E-PL10	117 mm	68 mm	39 mm	380 g	350	n	Oct 2019	599
4.		Olympus E-PL9	117 mm	68 mm	39 mm	380 g	350	n	Feb 2018	599
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	122 mm	84 mm	50 mm	410 g	330	n	Aug 2017	649
6.		Olympus E-PL8	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Sep 2016	549
7.		Olympus PEN-F	125 mm	72 mm	37 mm	427 g	330	n	Jan 2016	1,199
8.		Olympus E-M5 II	124 mm	85 mm	45 mm	469 g	310	Y	Feb 2015	1,099
9.		Olympus E-M10	119 mm	82 mm	46 mm	396 g	320	n	Jan 2014	699
10.		Olympus E-PL7	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Aug 2014	599
11.		Olympus E-P5	122 mm	69 mm	37 mm	420 g	330	n	May 2013	999
12.		Olympus E-PL5	111 mm	64 mm	38 mm	325 g	360	n	Sep 2012	599
13.		Panasonic GX80	122 mm	71 mm	44 mm	426 g	290	n	Apr 2016	799
Notes: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. 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 somewhat cheaper (by 7 percent) than the E-M10 IV at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. 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 tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Technology-wise, the E-M10 IV uses a more advanced image processing engine (TruePic VIII) than the E-M10 II (TruePic VII), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-M10 IV offers a higher resolution of 20.2 megapixels, compared with 15.9 MP of the E-M10 II. This megapixels advantage translates into a 13 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-M10 IV has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.34μm versus 3.76μm for the E-M10 II). However, it should be noted that the E-M10 IV is much more recent (by 4 years and 11 months) than the E-M10 II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size. 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.

The resolution advantage of the Olympus E-M10 IV implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the E-M10 IV for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 25.9 x 19.4 inches or 65.8 x 49.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 20.7 x 15.6 inches or 52.7 x 39.5 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 17.3 x 13 inches or 43.9 x 32.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Olympus E-M10 II are 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV offers exactly the same ISO settings.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. 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 following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.1	12.5	842	73
2.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	..	..	..	..
3.		Olympus E-PL10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	..	..	..	..
4.		Olympus E-PL9	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	..	..	..	..
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	..	..	..	..
6.		Olympus E-PL8	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	..	..	..	..
7.		Olympus PEN-F	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	23.1	12.4	894	74
8.		Olympus E-M5 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.0	12.5	842	73
9.		Olympus E-M10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	884	72
10.		Olympus E-PL7	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.7	12.4	873	72
11.		Olympus E-P5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.4	895	72
12.		Olympus E-PL5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	889	72
13.		Panasonic GX80	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.9	12.6	662	71

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the E-M10 IV provides a better video resolution than the E-M10 II. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the E-M10 II is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The E-M10 II and the E-M10 IV 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 following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-M10 II, the Olympus E-M10 IV, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Size (inch)	LCD Resolution (000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Mech Shutter Speed	Shutter Flaps (1/sec)	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	2360	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0	Y	Y
2.		Olympus E-M10 IV	2360	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	15.0	Y	Y
3.		Olympus E-PL10	none	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6	Y	Y
4.		Olympus E-PL9	none	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6	Y	Y
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	2360	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6	Y	Y
6.		Olympus E-PL8	optional	n	3.0	1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0	n	Y
7.		Olympus PEN-F	2360	n	3.0	1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0	n	Y
8.		Olympus E-M5 II	2360	n	3.0	1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0	n	Y
9.		Olympus E-M10	1440	n	3.0	1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0	Y	Y
10.		Olympus E-PL7	optional	n	3.0	1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0	n	Y
11.		Olympus E-P5	optional	n	3.0	1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0	Y	Y
12.		Olympus E-PL5	optional	n	3.0	460	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0	n	Y
13.		Panasonic GX80	2765	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0	Y	Y

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, both cameras under consideration feature an 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 Olympus E-M10 II and the Olympus E-M10 IV 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 E-M10 II and the E-M10 IV write their files to SDXC cards. The E-M10 IV supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the E-M10 II can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

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 Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV 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 Microphone	Internal Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
3.		Olympus E-PL10	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Olympus E-PL9	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Olympus E-PL8	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Olympus PEN-F	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Olympus E-M5 II	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Olympus E-M10	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Olympus E-PL7	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Olympus E-P5	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Olympus E-PL5	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Panasonic GX80	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-

The E-M10 IV is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Olympus. In contrast, the E-M10 II has been discontinued (but 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. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Olympus website.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Olympus E-M10 II better than the Olympus E-M10 IV or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

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

• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in August 2015).

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

• More detail: Has more megapixels (20.2 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 13%.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (TruePic VIII vs TruePic VII).
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (15 vs 8 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (360 versus 320) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 11 months of technical progress since the E-M10 II launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-M10 IV is the clear winner of the contest (10 : 1 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 wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro 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 Olympus E-M10 II and the Olympus E-M10 IV place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the E-M10 II or the E-M10 IV. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], 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	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	4.5/5	+ +	80/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2015	649
2.		Olympus E-M10 IV	4.5/5	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2020	699
3.		Olympus E-PL10	..	..	77/100	..	4/5	Oct 2019	599
4.		Olympus E-PL9	..	+	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2018	599
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	..	+	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2017	649
6.		Olympus E-PL8	..	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	549
7.		Olympus PEN-F	..	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	1,199
8.		Olympus E-M5 II	5/5	+ +	81/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2015	1,099
9.		Olympus E-M10	4/5	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	699
10.		Olympus E-PL7	4/5	+	..	5/5	4/5	Aug 2014	599
11.		Olympus E-P5	5/5	+ +	78/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	999
12.		Olympus E-PL5	3/5	+ +	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	599
13.		Panasonic GX80	4.5/5	+ +	82/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2016	799
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

~

Specifications: Olympus E-M10 II vs Olympus E-M10 IV

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.