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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z50 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 Z50

21 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon Z50
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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z50 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing E-M10 IV and Z50, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Nikon. Olympus E-M10 IV was introduced to market in August 2020 and Nikon Z50 was launched in October 2019. There is only 10 months difference between E-M10 IV and Z50 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50 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 Z50 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-10-10
  • 21MP - APS-C BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 204800)
  • Nikon Z Mount
  • 3.20" Tilting Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 11.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 397g. 127 x 94 x 60 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 Z50 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 Nikon Z50
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
Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 11.0fps 4 fps faster
Battery Life
360 shots vs 320 shots 40 more frames with a single charge
Weight
383 g vs 397 g 14 g lighter
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
CHECK E-M10 IV PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon Z50 over Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.68x vs 0.62x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
21 MP vs 20 MP 5% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 25.600 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
209 vs 121 88 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2 vs 3 0.2 inches larger display
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area
15.37µm2 vs 11.22µm2 36% larger pixel area
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
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK Z50 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection
Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
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 21 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
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
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs Yes Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-I Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z50: 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 Z50 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 Z50 has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 60 mm (5 x 3.7 x 2.36″) and weighs 397 g (0.88 lb / 14.00 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50. Olympus E-M10 IV is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 5mm narrower, 10mm shorter and 11mm thinner than Nikon Z50.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z50 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z50 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50.
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z50 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50 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 14g lighter than the Nikon Z50 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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 Z50 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 Z50 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M10 IV
Z50
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M10 IV
Z50
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of Z50, 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 Z50's 3.20" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus E-M10 IV's 3 screen.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z50: 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 Z50 has a 21.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed 6 processor.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Nikon Z50'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 Z50 sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z50 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon Z50 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 Z50 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 Z50. 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 Z50's Nikon Z 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 Z50 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 11 lenses for Nikon Z mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-M10 IV Lenses # of Nikon Z50 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 6
Standard Prime 15 5
Wideangle Zoom 6 3
Wideangle Prime 32 7
Telephoto Zoom 19 3
Telephoto Prime 11 6
SuperZoom 8 2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 n/a
Macro Prime 4 3
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 120 35

What types of Photography are Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M10 IV and Nikon Z50 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 Z50 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 (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon Z50 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 (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon Z50 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: 1/4000s
209 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon Z50 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
383g
Body Thickness 49mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
397g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon Z50 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 APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Nikon Z50: 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 Z50, 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 Z50 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 Z50
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #63 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #95 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Nikon Z50 scores higher than the Olympus E-M10 IV in Overall. It has better image quality and better value than Olympus E-M10 IV. On the other hand, Olympus E-M10 IV is more portable and has more features than Nikon Z50.
If image quality is very important for you and you want to get the most bang for your bucks, choose the Nikon Z50.
If you are looking for a small camera where you can take everywhere with you, and having more features are also important, Olympus E-M10 IV is the right choice for you.

Olympus E-M10 IV
Olympus E-M10 IV
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Nikon Z50
Nikon Z50
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Nikon Z50 vs Olympus E-M10 IV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV Nikon Z50
Brand Olympus Nikon
Announced 2020-08-04 2019-10-10
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Four Thirds APS-C
Dimensions 17.4 x 13 mm 23.5 x 15.7 mm
Area 226.20mm2 368.95mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 21 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 5568 x 3712
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 51,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO 204800 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 121 209
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 2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.62x 0.68x
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 Digital only
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.20 m (at ISO 200) 7.00 m (at ISO 100)
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, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 383g 397g
Dimensions 122 x 84 x 49mm 127 x 94 x 60mm
Battery Life 360 shots 320 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


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