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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A6100 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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Sony A6100

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A6100
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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A6100 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing E-M10 IV and A6100, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Sony. Olympus E-M10 IV was introduced to market in August 2020 and Sony A6100 was launched in August 2019. There is only 11 months difference between E-M10 IV and A6100 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 Sony A6100 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

Sony A6100 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-08-28
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 51200)
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 1440k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 11.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 396g. 120 x 67 x 49 mm
  • Replaced Sony Alpha a6000 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100 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 Sony Alpha a6100
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
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 922k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 11.0fps 4 fps faster
Weight
383 g vs 396 g 13 g lighter
Flash Coverage
7.2m vs 6.0m 1.2m longer range
Viewfinder Resolution
2360k dot vs 1440k dot 63% higher resolution
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Max Video Bit rate
102mbps vs 100mbps Higher bit rate for better video quality
CHECK E-M10 IV PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha a6100 over Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Video Record Limit
Unlimited vs Limited Record clips longer than 30 minutes
Tiltable Flash
Yes vs No Bounce built-in flash off the ceiling
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.71x vs 0.62x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 25.600 25% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 121 304 more focus points
Battery Life
420 shots vs 360 shots 60 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Sensor Pixel Area
15.28µm2 vs 11.22µm2 36% larger pixel area
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
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 A6100 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Sony Alpha a6100
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 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
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
Video Bit rates
102mbps vs 100mbps High Video quality
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-I Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Sony Alpha a6100
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A6100: 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 Sony A6100 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). Sony A6100 has external dimensions of 120 x 67 x 59 mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 2.32″) and weighs 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100. Sony A6100 is 2mm narrower and 17mm shorter than Olympus E-M10 IV but they have the same thickness of 49mm.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A6100 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A6100 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100.
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A6100 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100 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 13g lighter than the Sony A6100 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 Sony A6100 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 Sony A6100 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M10 IV
A6100
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M10 IV
A6100
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV nor Sony Alpha a6100 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

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 Sony A6100: 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, Sony A6100 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Below you can see the E-M10 IV and A6100 sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A6100 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A6100 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 Sony A6100 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 Sony A6100 has an advantage over Olympus E-M10 IV There are 189 lenses for Sony A6100's Sony E 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, Sony A6100 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 38 lenses for Sony E mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-M10 IV Lenses # of Sony A6100 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 19
Standard Prime 15 32
Wideangle Zoom 6 14
Wideangle Prime 32 57
Telephoto Zoom 19 17
Telephoto Prime 11 26
SuperZoom 8 10
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 2
Macro Prime 4 9
Perspective Control Prime n/a 2
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 120 189


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100 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
Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G Lens Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G
24 - 82.5mm 494gr 890gr 100mm 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
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS Lens Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS
82.5 - 315mm 345gr 741gr 108mm 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
Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS Lens Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS
52.5mm 155gr 551gr 45mm 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
Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS Lens Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS
15 - 27mm 225gr 621gr 64mm 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
Sony E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS Lens Sony E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS
24 - 105mm 308gr 704gr 75mm 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
Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS Lens Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
105 - 525mm 625gr 1021gr 142mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A6100 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

Sony A6100 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 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A6100 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 15.6 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

Sony A6100 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
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
425 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A6100 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 15.6 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
396g
Body Thickness 49mm
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A6100 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 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A6100: 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 Sony A6100, 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 Sony A6100 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
Sony A6100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #17 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #128 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M10 IV
Olympus E-M10 IV
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Sony A6100
Sony A6100
CHECK PRICE

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Sony A6100 vs Olympus E-M10 IV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV Sony Alpha a6100
Brand Olympus Sony
Announced 2020-08-04 2019-08-28
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds APS-C
Dimensions 17.4 x 13 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 226.20mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 32,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO 51200 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 121 425
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Sony E
Number of Available Lenses 120 189
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots 1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.62x 0.71x
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) 6.00 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, XAVC S, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 383g 396g
Dimensions 122 x 84 x 49mm 120 x 67 x 49mm
Battery Life 360 shots 420 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


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