Olympus E-M10 IV vs Olympus TG-870 Comparison

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Olympus E-M10 IV

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

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Olympus TG-870

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Olympus TG-870 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Olympus cameras 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 Olympus TG-870, which was introduced in January 2016 is a Ultracompact camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3' sensor. As you can see, TG-870 is 4 years older than E-M10 IV. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870 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

Micro Four Thirds Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Tilting Screen

2360k dot Electronic viewfinder

15.0fps 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

Olympus TG-870 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-01-06

16MP - 1/2.3' BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)

21-105 mm F3.5-5.7 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Tilting Screen

7.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

221g. 113 x 64 x 28 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV over Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870

Live Composite Mode	Yes vs No	Excellent help for long-exposure photography
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder	Electronic vs None	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution	20 MP vs 16 MP	25% more pixels
Max ISO	25.600 vs 6.400	300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 921k dots	12% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	15.0fps vs 7.0fps	8 fps faster
Battery Life	360 shots vs 300 shots	60 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Flash Coverage	7.2m vs 4.0m	3.2m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	11.22µm² vs 1.76µm²	537% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing	Yes vs No	Take multiple photos shifting focus point
UHS Card Support	UHS-II vs none	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Reasons to choose Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 over Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

GPS	BuiltIn vs None	track your location
Weight	221 g vs 383 g	162 g lighter
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions

Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen	Tilting vs Tilting	Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting	15.0fps vs 7.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Weaknesses of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Olympus TG-870: 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 Olympus TG-870 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). Olympus TG-870 has external dimensions of 113 x 64 x 28 mm (4.45 x 2.52 x 1.1″) and weighs 221 g (0.49 lb / 7.80 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870. Olympus TG-870 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 9mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 21mm thinner than Olympus E-M10 IV. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Olympus TG-870 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-M10 IV doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-M10 IV, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870.

Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870.

Top View Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus TG-870 is significantly lighter (162g ) than the Olympus E-M10 IV which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-M10 IV, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Olympus TG-870: 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, Olympus TG-870 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3' (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features TruePic VII processor.

Below you can see the E-M10 IV and TG-870 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870 Cameras

As seen above, Olympus E-M10 IV has a 8.1x Larger sensor area than Olympus TG-870. 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.

What types of Photography are Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M10 IV and Olympus TG-870 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

Olympus TG-870 for Portrait Photography

POOR

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

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus TG-870 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

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f0.00
21 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus TG-870 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 15.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
121 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Wireless Connection
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Focus Points
21 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus TG-870 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
383g
Body Thickness 49mm
Read the details

Compact Body
221g
Environmental Sealings
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus TG-870 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

Environmental Sealings
Built-in GPS
21 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Olympus TG-870: 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 Olympus TG-870, 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 Olympus TG-870 scores compare:

Olympus E-M10 IV

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #68 out of 90 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #145 out of 1230 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-870

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #5 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #513 out of 1230 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M10 IV is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus TG-870 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Olympus E-M10 IV.

Olympus TG-870 vs Olympus E-M10 IV Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV	Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870
Brand	Olympus	Olympus
Announced	2020-08-04	2016-01-06
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	Ultracompact
Sensor
Type	CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	Four Thirds	1/2.3'
Dimensions	17.4 x 13 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	226.20mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	5184 x 3888	4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	25,600 ISO	6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	25600 ISO	12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	200 ISO	125 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	no lens	21-105 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	no lens	F3.5-5.7
Macro Focus Range	no lens	1cm
Screen
Type	Tilting	Tilting
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	1,040k dots	921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	None
Viewfinder Resolution	2,360k dots	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	0.62x	n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/2000s
Max Electronic Shutter	1/16000s	n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	7.20 m (at ISO 200)	4.00 m (at ISO 1600)
Max Flash Sync	1/250s	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	15.0 fps	7.0 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	1920 x 1080
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	221g
Dimensions	122 x 84 x 49mm	113 x 64 x 28mm
Battery Life	360 shots	300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction