YI M1 vs Olympus E-M10 II

The YI M1 and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2016 and August 2015. Both the M1 and the E-M10 II are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The YI has a resolution of 20.2 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

YI M1		Olympus E-M10 II
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses		Micro Four Thirds lenses
20.2 MP – Four Thirds sensor		15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600		ISO 200-25,600
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Fixed touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
5 shutter flaps per second		8 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
450 shots per battery charge		320 shots per battery charge
114 x 64 x 34 mm, 281 g		120 x 83 x 47 mm, 390 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the YI M1 and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II? 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

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the YI M1 and the Olympus E-M10 II. 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 M1 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the E-M10 II is available in three color-versions (black, silver, brown).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-M10 II is notably larger (37 percent) than the YI M1. Moreover, the E-M10 II is substantially heavier (39 percent) than the M1. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the M1 nor the E-M10 II 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.

Concerning battery life, the M1 gets 450 shots out of its YI BXM-10 battery, while the E-M10 II can take 320 images on a single charge of its Olympus BLS-50 power pack. The power pack in the M1 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. 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.		YI M1	114 mm	64 mm	34 mm	281 g	450	n	Sep 2016	349	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-M10 II	120 mm	83 mm	47 mm	390 g	320	n	Aug 2015	649	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX420	104 mm	69 mm	85 mm	325 g	195	n	Jan 2016	299	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX430	104 mm	69 mm	85 mm	323 g	195	n	Jan 2017	299	ebay.com
5.		Canon SX710	113 mm	66 mm	35 mm	269 g	230	n	Jan 2015	349	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX720	110 mm	64 mm	36 mm	270 g	250	n	Feb 2016	379	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX730	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	300 g	250	n	Apr 2017	399	ebay.com
8.		Fujifilm X-A3	117 mm	67 mm	40 mm	339 g	410	n	Aug 2016	399	ebay.com
9.		Nikon 1 J5	98 mm	60 mm	32 mm	231 g	250	n	Apr 2015	399	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-M10	119 mm	82 mm	46 mm	396 g	320	n	Jan 2014	699	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-M10 III	122 mm	84 mm	50 mm	410 g	330	n	Aug 2017	649	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-P5	122 mm	69 mm	37 mm	420 g	330	n	May 2013	999	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-PL5	111 mm	64 mm	38 mm	325 g	360	n	Sep 2012	599	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-PL8	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Sep 2016	549	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GF7	107 mm	65 mm	33 mm	266 g	230	n	Jan 2015	499	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic GX850	107 mm	65 mm	33 mm	269 g	210	n	Jan 2017	549	ebay.com
17.		Sony HX80	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	390	n	Mar 2016	349	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 naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The M1 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 46 percent) than the E-M10 II, which puts it into a different market segment. 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.

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 tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units 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 associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies 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.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the M1 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 M1 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). In this context, it should be noted, however, that the M1 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year) than the E-M10 II, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size. 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 YI M1 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the M1 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 YI M1 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II are ISO 200 to ISO 25600, 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.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. 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 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.		YI M1	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.0	12.6	1030	73
2.		Olympus E-M10 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.1	12.5	842	73
3.		Canon SX420	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/25p	20.3	11.7	806	48
4.		Canon SX430	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/25p	20.5	11.9	900	49
5.		Canon SX710	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	712	47
6.		Canon SX720	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.3	11.8	817	48
7.		Canon SX730	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	924	50
8.		Fujifilm X-A3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	13.1	1664	81
9.		Nikon 1 J5	1-inch	20.7	5568	3712	4K/15p	21.1	12.0	479	65
10.		Olympus E-M10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	884	72
11.		Olympus E-M10 III	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1120	74
12.		Olympus E-P5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.4	895	72
13.		Olympus E-PL5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	889	72
14.		Olympus E-PL8	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	23.0	12.6	1030	73
15.		Panasonic GF7	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60p	22.7	12.3	874	70
16.		Panasonic GX850	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	23.2	13.3	586	73
17.		Sony HX80	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.4	11.8	822	48
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the M1 provides a higher video resolution than the E-M10 II. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the Olympus is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the E-M10 II has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the M1 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the YI M1, the Olympus E-M10 II, 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.		YI M1	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
2.		Olympus E-M10 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon SX420	none	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	0.5/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon SX430	none	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	0.5/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon SX710	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/3200s	6.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon SX720	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon SX730	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
8.		Fujifilm X-A3	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon 1 J5	none	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	60.0/s	Y	n
10.		Olympus E-M10	1440	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Olympus E-M10 III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
12.		Olympus E-P5	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Olympus E-PL5	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
14.		Olympus E-PL8	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
15.		Panasonic GF7	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/500s	5.8/s	Y	n
16.		Panasonic GX850	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/500s	10.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony HX80	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that differentiates the E-M10 II and the M1 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The E-M10 II reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the M1 offers no blur reduction with lenses that themselves do not provide optical image stabilization.

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 YI M1 and the Olympus E-M10 II 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 M1 and the E-M10 II write their files to SDXC cards. The E-M10 II supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the M1 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 YI M1 and Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II 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.		YI M1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Olympus E-M10 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
3.		Canon SX420	-	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon SX430	-	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon SX710	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Canon SX720	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon SX730	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Fujifilm X-A3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Nikon 1 J5	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Olympus E-M10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Olympus E-M10 III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Olympus E-P5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
13.		Olympus E-PL5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Olympus E-PL8	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
15.		Panasonic GF7	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Panasonic GX850	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
17.		Sony HX80	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

Both the M1 and the E-M10 II have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-M10 II was replaced by the Olympus E-M10 III, while the M1 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the M1 and E-M10 II can be found, respectively, in the YI M1 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-M10 II Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the YI M1 better than the Olympus E-M10 II or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the YI M1:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (20.2 vs 15.9MP) with a 13% higher linear resolution.
• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• More compact: Is smaller (114x64mm vs 120x83mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 109g or 28 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (450 versus 320) on 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.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (46 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 1 year after the E-M10 II).

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.
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• 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.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in August 2015).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the M1 comes out slightly ahead of the E-M10 II (10 : 9 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 YI M1 and the Olympus E-M10 II 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 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 M1 or the E-M10 II. 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 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.		YI M1	..	..	..	69/100	..	..	Sep 2016	349	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-M10 II	4.5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2015	649	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX420	..	..	..	..	..	3/5	Jan 2016	299	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX430	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jan 2017	299	ebay.com
5.		Canon SX710	..	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2015	349	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX720	..	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	379	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX730	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	399	ebay.com
8.		Fujifilm X-A3	..	..	..	74/100	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2016	399	ebay.com
9.		Nikon 1 J5	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2015	399	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-M10	4/5	..	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	699	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-M10 III	..	+	5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2017	649	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-P5	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	999	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-PL5	3/5	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	599	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-PL8	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	549	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GF7	4/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	499	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic GX850	..	+	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	549	ebay.com
17.		Sony HX80	..	..	..	..	..	..	Mar 2016	349	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated 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 comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods 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

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