Olympus E-M10 IV vs Samsung SL720 Comparison

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Olympus E-M10 IV

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

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Samsung SL720

12 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Samsung SL720 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 Samsung SL720, which was introduced in July 2009 is a Ultracompact camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, SL720 is 11 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 Samsung SL720 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

Samsung SL720 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-07-14

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 1600

28-102 mm F2.8-5.7 Zoom Lens

2.7" Fixed Type Screen

fps continuous shooting

- 640 x 480 video resolution

168g. 92 x 61 x 23 mm

Also known as PL70

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus E-M10 IV and Samsung SL720 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 Samsung SL720

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode	Yes vs No	Excellent help for long-exposure photography
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
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
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	20 MP vs 12 MP	66% more pixels
Max ISO	25.600 vs 1.600	1500% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 230k dots	352% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/1500s	faster mechanical shutter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Flash Coverage	7.2m vs 4.6m	2.6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	11.22µm² vs 2.31µm²	385% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 640 x 480	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly 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
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support	UHS-II vs none	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Reasons to choose Samsung SL720 over Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

Weight	168 g vs 383 g	215 g lighter

Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Samsung SL720

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light

Common Weaknesses of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Samsung SL720

LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	Small display
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Samsung SL720: 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 Samsung SL720 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). Samsung SL720 has external dimensions of 92 x 61 x 23 mm (3.62 x 2.4 x 0.91″) and weighs 168 g (0.37 lb / 5.93 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Samsung SL720. Samsung SL720 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 30mm narrower, 23mm shorter and 26mm thinner than Olympus E-M10 IV. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Samsung SL720 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 Samsung SL720 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Samsung SL720.

Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Samsung SL720 Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Samsung SL720 is significantly lighter (215g ) 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

Unfortunately neither Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV nor Samsung SL720 (PL70) 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-M10 IV's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Samsung SL720's 2.7" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Olympus E-M10 IV LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Samsung SL720 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-M10 IV.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Samsung SL720: 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, Samsung SL720 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Olympus E-M10 IV's sensor provides 8MP more than Samsung SL720'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 SL720 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Samsung SL720 Cameras

As seen above, Olympus E-M10 IV has a 8.2x Larger sensor area than Samsung SL720. 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 Samsung SL720 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M10 IV and Samsung SL720 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

Samsung SL720 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

Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
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

Samsung SL720 for Street Photography

POOR

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

Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Sports Photography

GOOD

Samsung SL720 for Sports Photography

POOR

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

No Image Stabilization
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
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
Focus Points
102 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Samsung SL720 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

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

Compact Body
168g
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
3.6X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung SL720 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

28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Samsung SL720: 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 Samsung SL720, 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 Samsung SL720 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

Samsung SL720

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #137 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #1186 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 Samsung SL720 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.

Samsung SL720 vs Olympus E-M10 IV Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV	Samsung SL720
Brand	Olympus	Samsung
Announced	2020-08-04	2009-07-14
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	Ultracompact
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CCD
Size	Four Thirds	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	17.4 x 13 mm	6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area	226.20mm²	27.72mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	5184 x 3888	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	25,600 ISO	1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	25600 ISO	-
Min Native Light sensitivity	200 ISO	80 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	28-102 mm (3.6×)
Max Aperture	no lens	F2.8-5.7
Macro Focus Range	no lens	5cm
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	3"	2.7"
Resolution	1,040k dots	230k 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	1/1500s
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)	4.60 m
Max Flash Sync	1/250s	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	8.7 fps	n/a
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	640 x 480
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	383g	168g
Dimensions	122 x 84 x 49mm	92 x 61 x 23mm
Battery Life	360 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction