Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony A58

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and the Sony Alpha SLT-A58 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in August 2015 and February 2013. The E-M10 II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the A58 is a DSLR. The cameras are based on a Four Thirds (E-M10 II) and an APS-C (A58) sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 19.8 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		Sony A58
Mirrorless system camera		Digital single lens reflex
Micro Four Thirds lenses		Sony A mount lenses
15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor		19.8 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60p Video		1080/60i Video
ISO 200-25,600		ISO 100-16,000 (100 - 25,600)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (1440k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		2.7" LCD – 460k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
8 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		In-body stabilization
320 shots per battery charge		690 shots per battery charge
120 x 83 x 47 mm, 390 g		129 x 95 x 78 mm, 492 g

Check E-M10 II offers at
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Check A58 offers at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and the Sony Alpha SLT-A58? 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 Sony A58 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 II can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, brown), while the A58 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 Sony A58 is notably larger (23 percent) than the Olympus E-M10 II. Moreover, the A58 is markedly heavier (26 percent) than the E-M10 II. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-M10 II nor the A58 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. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the E-M10 II gets 320 shots out of its Olympus BLS-50 battery, while the A58 can take 690 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FM500H 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, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons 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.		Olympus E-M10 II	120 mm	83 mm	47 mm	390 g	320	n	Aug 2015	649	ebay.com
2.		Sony A58	129 mm	95 mm	78 mm	492 g	690	n	Feb 2013	599	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D3200	125 mm	96 mm	77 mm	505 g	540	n	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-M10	119 mm	82 mm	46 mm	396 g	320	n	Jan 2014	699	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	122 mm	84 mm	50 mm	410 g	330	n	Aug 2017	649	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-P5	122 mm	69 mm	37 mm	420 g	330	n	May 2013	999	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-PL5	111 mm	64 mm	38 mm	325 g	360	n	Sep 2012	599	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-PL6	111 mm	64 mm	38 mm	325 g	360	n	May 2013	599	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-PL7	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Aug 2014	599	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-PL8	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Sep 2016	549	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-PL9	117 mm	68 mm	39 mm	380 g	350	n	Feb 2018	599	ebay.com
12.		Olympus PEN-F	125 mm	72 mm	37 mm	427 g	330	n	Jan 2016	1,199	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GX85	122 mm	71 mm	44 mm	426 g	290	n	Apr 2016	799	amazon.com
14.		Sony A68	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	610 g	540	n	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
15.		Sony A77 II	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	647 g	480	Y	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
16.		Sony A5100	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	283 g	400	n	Aug 2014	549	ebay.com
17.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
Note: 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 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 A58 was somewhat cheaper (by 8 percent) than the E-M10 II 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 size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants 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. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Olympus E-M10 II features a Four Thirds sensor and the Sony A58 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the A58 is 63 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 A58 offers a 3:2 aspect.

With 19.8MP, the A58 offers a higher resolution than the E-M10 II (15.9MP), but the A58 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.31μm versus 3.76μm for the E-M10 II) due to its larger sensor. However, the E-M10 II is a much more recent model (by 2 years and 6 months) than the A58, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that 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.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A58 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A58 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 27.3 x 18.2 inches or 69.3 x 46.1 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 21.8 x 14.5 inches or 55.4 x 36.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 18.2 x 12.1 inches or 46.2 x 30.8 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 corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha SLT-A58 are ISO 100 to ISO 16000, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

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.		Sony A58	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.3	12.5	753	74
3.		Nikon D3200	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/30p	24.1	13.2	1131	81
4.		Olympus E-M10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	884	72
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1120	74
6.		Olympus E-P5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.4	895	72
7.		Olympus E-PL5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	889	72
8.		Olympus E-PL6	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.5	12.0	717	68
9.		Olympus E-PL7	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.7	12.4	873	72
10.		Olympus E-PL8	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	23.0	12.6	1030	73
11.		Olympus E-PL9	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1162	74
12.		Olympus PEN-F	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	23.1	12.4	894	74
13.		Panasonic GX85	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.9	12.6	662	71
14.		Sony A68	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.5	701	79
15.		Sony A77 II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.4	13.4	1013	82
16.		Sony A5100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	12.7	1347	80
17.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
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. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the E-M10 II provides a higher frame rate than the A58. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the Sony is limited to 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under consideration are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the E-M10 II offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the A58 (2360k vs 1440k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Olympus E-M10 II and Sony A58 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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.		Olympus E-M10 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Sony A58	1440	n	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Nikon D3200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
4.		Olympus E-M10	1440	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
6.		Olympus E-P5	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Olympus E-PL5	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
8.		Olympus E-PL6	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
9.		Olympus E-PL7	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
10.		Olympus E-PL8	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
11.		Olympus E-PL9	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
12.		Olympus PEN-F	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
13.		Panasonic GX85	2765	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Sony A68	1440	Y	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony A77 II	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Sony A5100	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
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 II has a touchscreen, while the A58 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 II 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 Olympus E-M10 II has 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.

The E-M10 II writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A58 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The E-M10 II supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the A58 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 Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and Sony Alpha SLT-A58 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.		Olympus E-M10 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Sony A58	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Nikon D3200	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Olympus E-M10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Olympus E-P5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Olympus E-PL5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Olympus E-PL6	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Olympus E-PL7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Olympus E-PL8	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Olympus E-PL9	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
12.		Olympus PEN-F	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
13.		Panasonic GX85	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
14.		Sony A68	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Sony A77 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony A5100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the E-M10 II offers wifi support, while the A58 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Both the E-M10 II and the A58 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The A58 was replaced by the Sony A68, while the E-M10 II was followed by the Olympus E-M10 III. Further information on the features and operation of the E-M10 II and A58 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-M10 II Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A58 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Olympus E-M10 II better than the Sony A58 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor 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 versus 1080/60i).
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2360k vs 1440k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.62x vs 0.57x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.7") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 460k dots).
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (8 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (120x83mm vs 129x95mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 102g or 21 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• 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-I standard.
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 6 months of technical progress since the A58 launch.

Advantages of the Sony Alpha SLT-A58:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (19.8 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 14%.
• 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.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (690 versus 320) out of a single battery charge.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in February 2013).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the E-M10 II is the clear winner of the match-up (16 : 5 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 wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports 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 Sony A58 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the E-M10 II or the A58. 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 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], 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.		Olympus E-M10 II	4.5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2015	649	ebay.com
2.		Sony A58	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	599	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D3200	5/5	+ +	..	73/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-M10	4/5	..	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	699	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M10 III	..	+	5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2017	649	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-P5	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	999	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-PL5	3/5	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	599	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-PL6	..	..	..	..	..	..	May 2013	599	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-PL7	4/5	+	..	..	5/5	4/5	Aug 2014	599	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-PL8	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	549	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-PL9	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2018	599	ebay.com
12.		Olympus PEN-F	..	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	1,199	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GX85	4.5/5	+ +	..	82/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2016	799	amazon.com
14.		Sony A68	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
15.		Sony A77 II	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
16.		Sony A5100	4.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	549	ebay.com
17.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

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. 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.

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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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