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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Canon 50D Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Olympus E-M10 IV

20 MP | Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-M10 IV
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Canon 50D

15 MP | APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 50D
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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Canon 50D Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Olympus E-M10 IV, which was introduced in August 2020 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor whereas Canon 50D, which was introduced in October 2008 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 15.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, 50D is 12 years older than E-M10 IV. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus E-M10 IV Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2020-08-04
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100 - 25600)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 8.7fps (15.0fps Electronic) continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 383g. 122 x 84 x 49 mm
  • Replaced Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III Compare

Canon 50D Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2008-10-30
  • 15MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200 ( expands to 12800)
  • Canon EF/EF-S Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 6.3fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 822g. 146 x 108 x 74 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon EOS 40D Compare

Canon 50D was replaced by Canon EOS 60D. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 60D vs Canon EOS 50D
Canon EOS 60D vs Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV over Canon EOS 50D
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.62x vs 0.6x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 15 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 3.200 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
121 vs 9 112 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 920k dots 13% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage
100% vs 95% More accurate viewfinder
Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 6.3fps 8.7 fps faster
Weight
383 g vs 822 g 439 g lighter
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs None Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
CHECK E-M10 IV PRICE


Reasons to choose Canon EOS 50D over Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
800 shots vs 360 shots 440 more frames with a single charge
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Flash Coverage
13.0m vs 7.2m 5.8m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
22.08µm2 vs 11.22µm2 96% larger pixel area
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
CHECK 50D PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Canon EOS 50D
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 6.3fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Canon EOS 50D
New4
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Canon 50D: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-M10 IV has external dimensions of 122 x 84 x 49 mm (4.8 x 3.31 x 1.93″) and weighs 383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz) (including batteries). Canon 50D has external dimensions of 146 x 108 x 74 mm (5.75 x 4.25 x 2.91″) and weighs 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D. Olympus E-M10 IV is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 24mm narrower, 24mm shorter and 25mm thinner than Canon 50D.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Canon 50D Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Canon 50D Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-M10 IV is significantly lighter (439g ) than the Canon 50D which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Canon 50D has an APS-C sized sensor and Olympus E-M10 IV has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Olympus E-M10 IV's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Canon 50D lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

E-M10 IV
50D
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

E-M10 IV
50D
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of 50D, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to E-M10 IV.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Olympus E-M10 IV features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Canon 50D has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-M10 IV.
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Canon 50D: Sensor Comparison

Olympus E-M10 IV has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VIII processor. On the other hand, Canon 50D has a 15.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 4 processor.

Olympus E-M10 IV's sensor provides 5MP more than Canon 50D's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the E-M10 IV and 50D sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Canon 50D Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D Cameras


As seen above, Canon 50D has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Olympus E-M10 IV. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Canon 50D Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Canon 50D has an advantage over Olympus E-M10 IV There are 333 lenses for Canon 50D's Canon EF/EF-S mount, on the other hand there are only 120 lenses for Olympus E-M10 IV's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Olympus E-M10 IV has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. E-M10 IV's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 4.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Canon 50D doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 113 lenses for Canon EF/EF-S mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-M10 IV Lenses # of Canon 50D Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 40
Standard Prime 15 21
Wideangle Zoom 6 37
Wideangle Prime 32 51
Telephoto Zoom 19 59
Telephoto Prime 11 44
SuperZoom 8 28
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 7
Macro Prime 4 28
Perspective Control Prime n/a 16
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1
TOTAL 120 333


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II Lens OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II
24 - 80mm 382gr 765gr 84mm Amazon B&H Photo
Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM Lens Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM
27.2 - 88mm 645gr 1467gr 111mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0 Lens Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0
70 - 200mm 1650gr 2033gr 214mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM Lens Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM
80 - 240mm 1350gr 2172gr 198mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus M 25mm F1.8 Lens Olympus M 25mm F1.8
50mm 136gr 519gr 41mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM Lens Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM
48mm 435gr 1257gr 63mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO Lens Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO
14 - 28mm 534gr 917gr 106mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM Lens Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
16 - 32mm 520gr 1342gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD Lens Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD
24 - 120mm 575gr 958gr 99mm Amazon B&H Photo
Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM
24 - 136mm 575gr 1397gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS Lens Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS
300 - 800mm 1850gr 2233gr 314mm Amazon B&H Photo
Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM
100 - 400mm 1590gr 2412gr 193mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Olympus E-M10 IV for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Canon 50D for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 50D for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon 50D for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.7fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
121 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 6.3fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
Good Battery Life: 800 shots
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.3fps
No Image Stabilization
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Canon 50D for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
383g
Body Thickness 49mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
822g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 50D for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Canon 50D: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Olympus E-M10 IV and Canon 50D scores compare:

Olympus E-M10 IV
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #77 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #139 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Canon 50D
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #52 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #344 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M10 IV is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon 50D in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Olympus E-M10 IV
Olympus E-M10 IV
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Canon 50D
Canon 50D
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Canon 50D vs Olympus E-M10 IV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV Canon EOS 50D
Brand Olympus Canon
Announced 2020-08-04 2008-10-30
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds APS-C
Dimensions 17.4 x 13 mm 22.3 x 14.9 mm
Area 226.20mm2 332.27mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 15 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 4752 x 3168
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO 12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 100 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 121 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Canon EF/EF-S
Number of Available Lenses 120 333
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.62x 0.6x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.20 m (at ISO 200) 13.00 m (ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.7 fps 6.3 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 None
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 383g 822g
Dimensions 122 x 84 x 49mm 146 x 108 x 74mm
Battery Life 360 shots 800 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 63
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.8
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 696
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