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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon D5000 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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Nikon D5000

12 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D5000
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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon D5000 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 Nikon D5000, which was introduced in June 2009 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 12.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, D5000 is 11 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 Nikon D5000 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

Nikon D5000 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-06-12
  • 12MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 3200 ( expands to 6400)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 2.70" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 4.0fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 590g. 127 x 104 x 80 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D60 Compare

Nikon D5000 was replaced by Nikon D5100. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D5100 vs Nikon D5000
Nikon D5100 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 Nikon D5000 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 Nikon D5000
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected 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
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.62x vs 0.52x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 12 MP 66% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 3.200 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
121 vs 11 110 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3 vs 2.7 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 230k dots 352% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage
100% vs 95% More accurate viewfinder
Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 4.0fps 11 fps faster
Weight
383 g vs 590 g 207 g lighter
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
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 Nikon D5000 over Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Battery Life
510 shots vs 360 shots 150 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage
17.0m vs 7.2m 9.8m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
30.54µm2 vs 11.22µm2 172% larger pixel area
CHECK D5000 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Nikon D5000
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fully Articulated Flexible shooting positions
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
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs Yes Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Common Weaknesses of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Nikon D5000
LCD Screen Size
2.70" vs 2.70" Small display
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon D5000: 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 Nikon D5000 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). Nikon D5000 has external dimensions of 127 x 104 x 80 mm (5 x 4.09 x 3.15″) and weighs 590 g (1.30 lb / 20.81 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon D5000. Olympus E-M10 IV is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 5mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 31mm thinner than Nikon D5000.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon D5000 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon D5000 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front 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 (207g ) than the Nikon D5000 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 Nikon D5000 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 Nikon D5000 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

E-M10 IV
D5000
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

E-M10 IV
D5000
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV nor Nikon D5000 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-M10 IV's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon D5000's 2.7 screen.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon D5000: 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, Nikon D5000 has a 12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor.

Olympus E-M10 IV's sensor provides 8MP more than Nikon D5000'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 D5000 sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon D5000 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon D5000 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon D5000 has a 1.6x 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 Nikon D5000 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 Nikon D5000 has an advantage over Olympus E-M10 IV There are 316 lenses for Nikon D5000's Nikon F 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, Nikon D5000 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 107 lenses for Nikon F mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-M10 IV Lenses # of Nikon D5000 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 32
Standard Prime 15 22
Wideangle Zoom 6 33
Wideangle Prime 32 50
Telephoto Zoom 19 55
Telephoto Prime 11 46
SuperZoom 8 30
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 8
Macro Prime 4 26
Perspective Control Prime n/a 11
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1
TOTAL 120 316


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon D5000 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
Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF Lens Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF
25.5 - 82.5mm 755gr 1345gr 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
75 - 225mm 1350gr 1940gr 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
Nikon 35mm f1.8G Lens Nikon 35mm f1.8G
52.5mm 200gr 790gr 53mm 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
Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED Lens Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED
15 - 36mm 460gr 1050gr 87mm 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
Nikon DX 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR Lens Nikon DX 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR
24 - 120mm 480gr 1070gr 86mm 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
Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR
80 - 400mm 1570gr 2160gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon D5000 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon D5000 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

Nikon D5000 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 (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D5000 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 APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5000 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 Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 510 shots
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5000 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 (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
590g
Body Thickness 80mm
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D5000 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 (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon D5000: 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 Nikon D5000, 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 Nikon D5000 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
Nikon D5000
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #46 out of 80 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #372 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 Nikon D5000 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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Nikon D5000
Nikon D5000
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Nikon D5000 vs Olympus E-M10 IV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV Nikon D5000
Brand Olympus Nikon
Announced 2020-08-04 2009-06-12
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds APS-C
Dimensions 17.4 x 13 mm 23.6 x 15.8 mm
Area 226.20mm2 372.88mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 4288 x 2848
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO 6400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 200 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 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 120 316
Screen
Type Tilting Fully Articulated
Size 3.00" 2.70"
Resolution 1,040k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.62x 0.52x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
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) 17.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.7 fps 4.0 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 1280 x 720
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 383g 590g
Dimensions 122 x 84 x 49mm 127 x 104 x 80mm
Battery Life 360 shots 510 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 72
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.7
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.5
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 868
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