Olympus E-M10 Review

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Main Features

16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 25600

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3 Tilting Screen

1440k dot Electronic viewfinder

8 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video

Built-in Wireless

396g. 119 x 82 x 46 mm

Replaced by Olympus E-M10 II

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Olympus E-M10 Overview

First introduced in March 2014 , Olympus OM-D E-M10 is a 16.0MP Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor, built-in Image Stabilization , Tilting touch screen and Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Olympus later replaced E-M10 with E-M10 II. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these cameras:
Compare Olympus OM-D E-M10 vs Olympus E-M10 II

Olympus E-M10 Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Lens Mount and Lenses
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Video
Other Features
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Olympus E-M10 is a member of Olympus's OM-D E-M10 series of cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this series and how their main specs have changed with each new version.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Olympus E-M10 IV Compare	2020	20.0MP - Four Thirds	8.7 fps	122 x 84 x 49mm	383g
Olympus E-M10 III Compare	2017	16.0MP - Four Thirds	8.6 fps	122 x 84 x 50mm	410g
Olympus E-M10 II Compare	2015	16.0MP - Four Thirds	8.0 fps	120 x 83 x 47mm	390g
Olympus E-M10	2014	16.0MP - Four Thirds	8.0 fps	119 x 82 x 46mm	396g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series:
Olympus E-M10 IV vs E-M10 III vs E-M10 II vs E-M10

Olympus E-M10 has an Overall Score of 71/100 and ranked #82 out of 211 in Mirrorless cameras (Top 10 Mirrorless), and ranked #145 out of 1220 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Olympus E-M10 Physical Specs

Olympus E-M10 weighs 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz) and has external dimensions of 119 x 82 x 46 mm (4.69 x 3.24 x 1.81″). Considering that the average weight of Mirrorless type cameras is 442g, its weight is about average in its class. With a thickness of 46mm, it also has an average thickness.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

Olympus E-M10

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Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

Olympus E-M10

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Here is the front and top view image of Olympus E-M10 with the dimensions:

Front and Top View External Dimensions and Size of Olympus E-M10 Camera Body

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Olympus E-M10, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Olympus E-M10 Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Olympus E-M10 with its main competitors:

Olympus E-M10 Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs E-M10	Thickness	vs E-M10
Olympus E-M5 Compare	425g	29g heavier	43mm	3mm thinner
Olympus E-M10 II Compare	390g	6g lighter	47mm	1mm thicker
Olympus E-M1 Compare	497g	101g heavier	63mm	17mm thicker
Sony A6000 Compare	344g	52g lighter	45mm	1mm thinner
Olympus E-M5 II Compare	469g	73g heavier	45mm	1mm thinner
Olympus E-M10 III Compare	410g	14g heavier	50mm	4mm thicker
Olympus E-PL7 Compare	357g	39g lighter	38mm	8mm thinner
Panasonic GX7 Compare	402g	6g heavier	55mm	9mm thicker

Weather Sealing

Olympus E-M10 doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Olympus E-M10 Sensor and Photography Features

Olympus E-M10 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VII processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. E-M10 has a native ISO range of 200 - 25600 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Olympus E-M10 is not the highest resolution Four Thirds camera. Panasonic G95 with its 20.3MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Olympus E-M10 vs Panasonic G95 or take a look at Highest resolution Mirrorless cameras list.

Olympus E-M10 DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Olympus E-M10 sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 72 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Olympus E-M10 here.

Let's look at how the size of the Olympus E-M10's Four Thirds sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Olympus E-M10 Lens Mount and Lenses

Olympus E-M10 has a Micro Four Thirds lens mount and currently there are 107 native lenses available for this mount. MFT is the most mature and versatile mount in the Mirrorles camera world. Olympus MFT lenses are known by their high optical quality and affordable prices. Other main contributor of the system, Panasonic also offers similarly well regarded lenses. Third party lens manufacturers also increase number of their offering and new manufacturers also jump in the wagon as the popularity of the system increases.

E-M10 also has a Sensor based Image Stabilization system which means that all of these lenses will be stabilized when used on E-M10. Sensor based image stabilization is one of the most useful features that you can have in an ILC. There are also 33 lenses with weather sealing for E-M10 but bear in mind that E-M10 body doesn't have weather sealings.

Here are some of the most popular Olympus E-M10 Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Olympus E-M10

Model	Focal Length on E-M10	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS	24-120mm	FourThirds	210gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH. Power O.I.S	28-280mm	FourThirds	265gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO	24-80mm	FourThirds	382gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH	50mm	FourThirds	125gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye Body Cap Lens	18mm	FourThirds	30gr	MF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm F1.8	50mm	FourThirds	136gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH Power OIS	24-70mm	FourThirds	305gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 OIS	70-200mm	FourThirds	360gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

Check our Olympus E-M10 Lenses page for more detailed lens search.

Olympus E-M10 LCD and Viewfinder

Olympus E-M10 has a Tilting 3 LCD screen with a resolution of 1,037k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

LCD is Touch screen type, so you can change the settings and set the focus point with your fingertips.

E-M10 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder, making it easier to shoot in direct sunlight and in other situations where it might be difficult to view the LCD monitor. The viewfinder has a resolution of 1,440kdots and coverage of 100%. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later. The magnification ratio of the viewfinder is 0.58x (35mm equivalent).

Olympus E-M10 Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Olympus E-M10 features built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity ( Live View, Rec View, Wireless Touch AF shutter, Wireless Release, Power Off) which lets you transfer your photos directly to compatible devices without any physical connection.One other feature that we like is the ability to use our smartphone as a remote to control our E-M10. You can change camera settings, release shutter, view LCD screen and tranfer files using remote control app.

You can connect E-M10 to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.

Battery

Olympus E-M10 is powered by battery which provides a shooting life of 320 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Mirrorless type cameras is 369 shots, its battery life is about average in its class but it would still be wise to invest in some spare batteries for long photo trips.

Battery Life Comparison in Entry-Level Mirrorless Cameras

Olympus E-M10

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Max

Samsung NX mini with its 650shots is the model with longest battery life among Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras. Check the comparison of Olympus E-M10 vs Samsung NX mini or take a look at Longest Battery Life Mirrorless cameras list.

Olympus E-M10 Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Olympus E-M5 Compare	1920 x 1080	360shots	No	No	No
Olympus E-M10 II Compare	1920 x 1080	320shots	Yes	No	No
Olympus E-M1 Compare	1920 x 1080	350shots	Yes	No	No
Sony A6000 Compare	1920 x 1080	360shots	Yes	No	Yes
Olympus E-M5 II Compare	1920 x 1080	310shots	Yes	No	No
Olympus E-M10 III Compare	3840 x 2160	330shots	Yes	No	No
Olympus E-PL7 Compare	1920 x 1080	350shots	Yes	No	No
Panasonic GX7 Compare	1920 x 1080	350shots	Yes	No	Yes

Olympus E-M10 Video Features

With Olympus E-M10, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 30p fps and save in H.264 and Motion JPEG formats. Full HD resolution of Olympus E-M10 will be adequate in most of the situations. But if you are after the highest resolution videos available, see our list of Top Cameras with 4K (Ultra-HD) Video.

E-M10 has a built-in Stereo microphone and a Mono speaker.
Olympus E-M10 doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a Mirrorless camera with external microphone connectivity, consider Canon EOS M3 or Canon EOS M in a similar price range.

Olympus E-M10 Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Olympus E-M10 can shoot continuously at max speed of 8 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/4000 sec.

Flash

E-M10 has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

Focusing

Olympus E-M10 features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 81 points to choose from.

Olympus E-M10 also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

Olympus E-M10 PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Olympus E-M10 review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi)

Image Stabilization

Articulating Screen

Full HD Video

Touch Screen

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

Face Detection Focusing

25.600 Max ISO

81 Focus Points

1.037k dots LCD Resolution

8.0fps Shooting w/ Mechanical Shutter

396g Light Body

Timelapse Recording

1440kdot Viewfinder Resolution

Panorama Shooting

Wide AE Bracketing Range: ±5 EV

Flash Sync Port

Dual-axis Electronic Level

Remote control with a smartphone

Live Composite Mode

Report a correction

Buy Olympus E-M10 from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

0.58x magnification - Small Viewfinder

Low Battery Life: 320 shots

No Environmental Sealing

Report a correction

What type of Photography is Olympus E-M10 Good for?

In this section, we review and score Olympus E-M10 in 5 different photography areas.

Olympus E-M10 for Portrait Photography

Olympus E-M10 has a score of 64 for Portrait Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Portrait Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M10 for Portrait Photography

Olympus E-M10 for Street Photography

Olympus E-M10 has a score of 88 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen

Image Stabilization
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M10 for Street Photography

Olympus E-M10 for Sports Photography

Olympus E-M10 has a score of 69 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection

Good Ergonomics&Handling
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M10 for Sports Photography

Olympus E-M10 for Daily Photography

Olympus E-M10 has a score of 70 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body

396g
Body Thickness 46mm

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M10 for Daily Photography

Olympus E-M10 for Landscape Photography

Olympus E-M10 has a score of 40 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Mirrorless Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

Live-view
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor

Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M10 for Landscape Photography

Olympus E-M10 Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Olympus E-M10 compares with other Mirrorless cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Olympus E-M10 alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Olympus E-M10

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Olympus E-M10 amongst Camera Decision readers.

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Olympus E-M10 Alternatives in DSLR Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Olympus E-M10 with DSLR Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked DSLR cameras in Olympus E-M10's price range.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Olympus E-M10

Does the Olympus E-M10 have Image Stabilization?
Does the Olympus E-M10 have RAW support?
Does the Olympus E-M10 have Weather Sealing?
Does the Olympus E-M10 have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Olympus E-M10?
What is the Sensor Size of Olympus E-M10?
is the Olympus E-M10 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Olympus E-M10 have Touch Screen?
Does the Olympus E-M10 have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Olympus E-M10?
What is the Weight of Olympus E-M10?
What are the Dimensions of Olympus E-M10?

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Olympus
Model	Olympus OM-D E-M10
Announced	2014-03-18
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Lenses	107
Focal Length Multiplier	2x
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Tilting
Screen Technology	TFT LCD
Screen Size	3
Screen Resolution	1,037k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.58x
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	60s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/4000s
Continuous Shooting	8.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.80 m (ISO100)
Max Flash Sync	1/250s
Flash Modes	Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual（1/1（FULL）～1/64）
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	72
DxO Color Depth	22.8
DxO Dynamic Range	12.3
DxO Low Light ISO	884
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CMOS
Sensor Size	Four Thirds
Sensor Dimensions	17.3 x 13 mm
Sensor Area	224.90mm²
Sensor Resolution	16 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4608 x 3456
Max Native ISO	25,600
Min Native ISO	200
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	81
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	H.264, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	396g
Physical Dimensions	119 x 82 x 46mm
Battery Life	320 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	BLS-5
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (12 sec., 2 sec.,custom (Waiting time 1-30sec.,Shooting interval 0.5/1/2/3sec.,Number of shots 1-10))
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Optional
Storage Type	SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage Slots	1

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Sony a5100
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Fujifilm X-T20
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Nikon Z7 II
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Sony A7c
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Panasonic S5
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Olympus E-M10 IV
20 MP | Four Thirds Sensor | Micro Four Thirds Mount