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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Leica SL 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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Leica SL

24 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Leica SL
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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Leica SL Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing E-M10 IV and SL, two Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Leica. Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV is a Entry-Level Mirrorless class camera and Leica SL is a Pro Mirrorless class camera.

Olympus E-M10 IV was introduced to market in August 2020 and Leica SL was launched in October 2015. As you can see, SL is 5 years older than E-M10 IV. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL 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

Leica SL Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-10-21
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 50 - 50000
  • Leica L Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 4400k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 11.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (DCI) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 847g. 147 x 104 x 39 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Also known as Typ 601

Leica SL was replaced by Leica SL2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Leica SL2 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)
Leica SL2 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 Leica SL compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV over Leica SL
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
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Number of Focus Points
121 vs 49 72 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 11.0fps 4 fps faster
Weight
383 g vs 847 g 464 g lighter
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±3 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
CHECK E-M10 IV PRICE


Reasons to choose Leica SL over Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Internal Storage
2GB vs None Extra built-in storage
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.8x vs 0.62x Larger Viewfinder
GPS
BuiltIn vs None track your location
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO
50.000 vs 25.600 95% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
400 shots vs 360 shots 40 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Viewfinder Resolution
4400k dot vs 2360k dot 86% higher resolution
Sensor Pixel Area
36.00µm2 vs 11.22µm2 220% larger pixel area
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
USB Version
USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
CHECK SL PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Leica SL
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 1.040k dots High resolution screens
Max Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 11.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-II Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Leica SL
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Leica SL: 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 Leica SL 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). Leica SL has external dimensions of 147 x 104 x 39 mm (5.79 x 4.09 x 1.54″) and weighs 847 g (1.87 lb / 29.88 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL. Olympus E-M10 IV is 25mm narrower and 20mm shorter than Leica SL but it is also 10mm thicker.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Leica SL Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Leica SL Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL.
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Leica SL Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL Size

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 (464g ) than the Leica SL 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 Leica SL has a Full frame 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 Leica SL lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M10 IV
SL
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M10 IV
SL
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of SL, 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 Leica SL'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 Leica SL has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-M10 IV.
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Leica SL: 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, Leica SL has a 24.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Maestro II processor.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Leica SL's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

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

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Leica SL Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL Cameras


As seen above, Leica SL has a 3.8x 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 Leica SL 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 Olympus E-M10 IV has an advantage over Leica SL. There are 120 lenses for Olympus E-M10 IV's Micro Four Thirds mount, on the other hand there are only 58 lenses for Leica SL's Leica L 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, Leica SL doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 9 lenses for Leica L mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-M10 IV Lenses # of Leica SL Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 8 (7 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 15 11 (10 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 6 5 (5 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 32 18 (17 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 19 7 (7 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 11 7 (7 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 8 n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 n/a
Macro Prime 4 2 (2 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 120 58 (55 Full Frame)


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL 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
Panasonic S 24-70mm F2.8 Lens Panasonic S 24-70mm F2.8
24 - 70mm 935gr 1782gr 140mm 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
Panasonic S 70-200 F2.8 Lens Panasonic S 70-200 F2.8
70 - 200mm 1570gr 2417gr 209mm 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
Panasonic S 50mm F1.4 Lens Panasonic S 50mm F1.4
50mm 955gr 1802gr 130mm 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 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art Lens Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art
14 - 24mm 795gr 1642gr 131mm 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
Panasonic S 24-105mm F4 Lens Panasonic S 24-105mm F4
24 - 105mm 680gr 1527gr 118mm 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
Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 OS Lens Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 OS
100 - 400mm 1135gr 1982gr 197mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M10 IV and Leica SL 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

Leica SL for Portrait Photography

GOOD
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 Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica SL for Street Photography

GOOD
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 Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Sports Photography

GOOD

Leica SL 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
49 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Leica SL for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
383g
Body Thickness 49mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
847g
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Leica SL for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Leica SL: 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 Leica SL, 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 Leica SL 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
Leica SL
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #44 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #59 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Leica SL has a higher Overall Score thanks to its better image quality and more features compared to Olympus E-M10 IV. On the other hand the Olympus E-M10 IV beats Leica SL in two significant areas: Value for Money and Compactness.
If you are a price conscious buyer and looking for a small and relatively low priced camera where you can take everywhere with you, Olympus E-M10 IV is the right choice for you.
If you are after the better photographic performance with all the advanced features, definitely get the Leica SL

Olympus E-M10 IV
Olympus E-M10 IV
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Leica SL
Leica SL
CHECK PRICE

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Leica SL vs Olympus E-M10 IV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV Leica SL
Brand Olympus Leica
Announced 2020-08-04 2015-10-21
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds Full frame
Dimensions 17.4 x 13 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 226.20mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 50,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 50 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 49
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Leica L
Number of Available Lenses 120 58
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots 4,400k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.62x 0.8x
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) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.7 fps 11.0 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 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 383g 847g
Dimensions 122 x 84 x 49mm 147 x 104 x 39mm
Battery Life 360 shots 400 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 88
DxO Color Depth not tested 25.0
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1821
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