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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z5 Comparison

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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 Z5

24 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon Z5
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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z5 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing E-M10 IV and Z5, two Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Nikon. Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV is a Entry-Level Mirrorless class camera and Nikon Z5 is a Advanced Mirrorless class camera.

Olympus E-M10 IV was introduced to market in August 2020 and Nikon Z5 was launched in July 2020. Both E-M10 IV and Z5 were launched within the same month so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and available technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 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 Z5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2020-07-20
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50 - 102400)
  • Nikon Z Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.20" Tilting Screen
  • 3690k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 4.5fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 675g. 134 x 101 x 70 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 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 Z5
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 4.5fps 10.5 fps faster
Weight
383 g vs 675 g 292 g lighter
CHECK E-M10 IV PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon Z5 over Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.8x vs 0.62x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 25.600 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
273 vs 121 152 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2 vs 3 0.2 inches larger display
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
470 shots vs 360 shots 110 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
3690k dot vs 2360k dot 56% higher resolution
Sensor Pixel Area
35.51µm2 vs 11.22µm2 216% larger pixel area
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
IS Stop Effectivity
Up to 5.0-stop vs Up to 4.5-stop 0.5 stop more Effective Stabilization
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK Z5 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection
Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
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 Size
3.20" vs 3.20" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 1.040k dots High resolution screens
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Take multiple photos shifting focus point
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 Nikon Z5
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z5: 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 Z5 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 Z5 has external dimensions of 134 x 101 x 70 mm (5.28 x 3.98 x 2.76″) and weighs 675 g (1.49 lb / 23.81 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5. Olympus E-M10 IV is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 12mm narrower, 17mm shorter and 21mm thinner than Nikon Z5.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z5 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z5 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5.
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z5 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 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 (292g ) than the Nikon Z5 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 Z5 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 Nikon Z5 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M10 IV
Z5
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M10 IV
Z5
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of Z5, 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

Nikon Z5's 3.20" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus E-M10 IV's 3 screen.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z5: 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 Z5 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 6 processor.

Below you can see the E-M10 IV and Z5 sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z5 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon Z5 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 Nikon Z5 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 Nikon Z5. There are 120 lenses for Olympus E-M10 IV's Micro Four Thirds mount, on the other hand there are only 35 lenses for Nikon Z5's Nikon Z lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. E-M10 IV's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 4.5-stops according to CIPA standards whereas Z5's IS system is rated upto 5.0-stops.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-M10 IV Lenses # of Nikon Z5 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 6 (5 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 15 5 (4 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 6 3 (3 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 32 7 (7 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 19 3 (2 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 11 6 (6 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 8 2 (1 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 n/a
Macro Prime 4 3 (3 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 120 35 (31 Full Frame)


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 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 Z 24-70mm F2.8 S Lens Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S
24 - 70mm 805gr 1480gr 126mm 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
Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200 F2.8 VR S Lens Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200 F2.8 VR S
70 - 200mm 1440gr 2115gr 220mm 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 Z 50mm F1.8 S Lens Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S
50mm 415gr 1090gr 87mm 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 Z 14-30mm F4 S Lens Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S
14 - 30mm 485gr 1160gr 85mm 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 Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR Lens Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR
24 - 200mm 570gr 1245gr 114mm 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 Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR Lens Nikon Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR
75 - 375mm 405gr 1080gr 110mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z5 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 Z5 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 (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon Z5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
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 (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon Z5 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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
273 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Anti Flicker feature
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.5fps
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon Z5 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
383g
Body Thickness 49mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Anti Flicker feature
Medium size Body
675g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon Z5 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 (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z5: 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 Z5, 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 Z5 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 Z5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #32 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #37 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Nikon Z5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus E-M10 IV in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Olympus E-M10 IV. Otherwise, Nikon Z5 is the better camera overall.

Olympus E-M10 IV
Olympus E-M10 IV
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Nikon Z5
Nikon Z5
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Nikon Z5 vs Olympus E-M10 IV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV Nikon Z5
Brand Olympus Nikon
Announced 2020-08-04 2020-07-20
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds Full frame
Dimensions 17.4 x 13 mm 35.9 x 23.9 mm
Area 226.20mm2 858.01mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 6016 x 4016
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 51,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO 102400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 100 ISO 50 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 121 273
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Nikon Z
Number of Available Lenses 120 35
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.20"
Resolution 1,040k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots 3,690k 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 Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.20 m (at ISO 200) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.7 fps 4.5 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, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 383g 675g
Dimensions 122 x 84 x 49mm 134 x 101 x 70mm
Battery Life 360 shots 470 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


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