Olympus has just announced its latest entry level camera in the OM-D lineup – or should I say entry level interchangeable lens camera with Intermediate level features and even some pro camera capabilities – the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV.
As promised, the Olympus imaging division is moving full steam ahead with it’s product development roadmap and they have just announced this latest update to the OM-D line-up- the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV which replaces the OM-D E-M10 Mark III which is the camera that DP Review named as the Intermediate Mirrorless Camera of the year in 2017. And I have to tell you that I predict that this camera could take that title for 2020 because many of its upgrades come from the pro-level OM-D cameras like the E-M1 Mark III and the E-M1X.
Who is this camera designed for?
Olympus is using the phrase Urban Explorer, but I would suggest that this is a camera for people who like to take a camera with them everywhere, everyday – but they want better quality and certainly a greater range of optics and controls than they can get with their smartphones.
Let’s face it – smartphones are capable of making great pictures – but they are very limited especially when it comes to the optics.The biggest feature for me is that this camera is small enough to take anywhere – anytime and I can fit it comfortably in a jacket pocket.
The camera is also designed to make photography easy for smartphone users who are making their first steps into the world of mirrorless cameras and interchangeable lenses. Predefined scene settings for People, Motion, Indoors, Nightscapes, Scenery and Close-ups help beginners get the settings to prioritize what’s important in their shot. Or beginners can use the Auto mode which takes out the guesswork and detects the scene, the lighting, movement of you or your subject and will even find your subjects eyes – all to get you results that will far surpass a smartphone.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV
Key specifications
- 20 Megapixel Live MOS sensor (Four Thirds)
- TruePic VIII processor
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization (up to 4.5 stops)
- 121-point contrast-detect AF system
- Flip-down touchscreen display
- Electronic viewfinder
- 4.5 fps burst shooting w/AF
- USB charging
- Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
- 360 shots per charge (with LCD)
The new OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has a lot going on in this little camera body. I should also mention the the new E-M10 Mark IV is lighter than it’s predecessor – the Mark III. When’s the last time that you heard of a camera being upgraded with a more powerful processor and more features with less weight?
The camera features a flip up and flip down LCD screen which of course is great for selfies. It has the same continuous autofocus system as the E-M1X and the same face and eye detection capabilities as the -M1 Mark III and it features 4.5 stops of in body image stabilization which is an added benefit to the video capabilities of 4K video at 30frames per second and 120fps per second at 720p.
It is also worth noting that the E-M10 Mark IV has some of my favorite unique Olympus features like the Art Filters and Live Composite. It also features Live Time and Live Bulb, Multiple exposure.. and well the list goes on and my list has just scratched the surface.For those of you who are into all the specs – the FULL specs list is below.
Thoughts and Images
When asked about Olympus cameras in general, I have said many times that Olympus really put the fun back into photography for me and this camera is no exception. If fact it pretty much insures that I will only use my smartphone to take a picture if I am desperate.
I shot most of these images with the M. Zuiko 12-45mm F4.0 PRO lens – that is a 24 to 90mm full frame comparison that is small and lightweight and also has the ability to do near macro shots with a 12cm minimum focusing distance.
View the full-res files on my Flickr profile
For a beginner making their first step in to mirrorless and interchangeable lenses, this camera is simply easy to use.It has pro level features at an affordable price and works with an incredible array of M.Zuiko lenses. For intermediate and advanced shooters this is the camera that will never leave your side.Small, lightweight and capable of performing like your pro level camera or being used like a point and shoot, this camera can hold it’s own as a feature loaded adventure camera or a great back-up camera to an E-M1 Mark III or E-M1X. Pair it with the Olympus I.O. Share app and you can edit and share your images on the go.
All of my images were shot as RAW and developed in Luminar version 4.3.
I have to tell you that this camera is simply a lot of fun to shoot with. Small, lightweight and full featured it looks, handles and works like my pro level Olympus cameras. It honestly hasn’t left my side in the two weeks that I’ve had it.
I hope you find this information helpful. Regardless of what camera brand you use – have fun and until next time, remember that photography is not a competition – its a passion to be shared.
Now go pick up that camera and shoot something because your BEST shot – it’s your NEXT shot.
Adios!
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV SPECIFICATIONS |
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| Sensor / Dust Reduction |
|
| Sensor Type | 4/3″ Live MOS Sensor |
| Effective Pixels | 20.3 million |
| Total Pixels | 21.8 million |
| Aspect Ratio & Area | 4:3 / 17.4 x 13.0mm |
| Dust Reduction | Super Sonic Wave Filter |
| Processor | |
| Processor Type | TruePicTM VIII |
| Focusing System | |
| AF System Type | High-speed imager AF |
| Focus Modes | Single AF (S-AF) / Continuous AF (C-AF)*1 / Manual Focus (MF) / S-AF + MF / AF tracking (C-AF + TR)*1 *1 While Four-Thirds lens is attached, only S-AF (single target) or MF for video are available. |
| Magnified Frame | 3x , 5x , 7x , 10x , 14x *Autofocusing is possible in the magnified frame; can be assigned to button to turn magnify frame AF on and to activate magnification; touch icon on monitor to turn off; enables selection of AF point from over 800. |
| Super Spot AF | Available*(Contrast AF in center of the monitor when magnified) *Available only when a Micro Four Thirds lens is attached. |
| Face priority AF / Eye priority AF |
Available Eye priority AF mode : off / nearer-eye priority |
| Focusing Points / Focusing Points Selection Mode |
121-point contrast AF All target, group target (9-area), single target |
| AF Illuminator | Available |
| AF Targeting Pad | Available (activate / deactivate with double tap on rear monitor) |
| Manual Focus Assist | Focus ring rotation activates Live View image magnification and/or focus peaking when in S-AF+MF or MF mode |
| Peaking Function | Activate with Fn button or focus ring Change peaking settings using the Info button Color selection: white, black, red, yellow |
| Image Stabilization | |
| System Type | Built-in 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization for video and still photos (compensates for yaw, pitch, roll, vertical shift, horizontal shift) |
| Modes | S-IS ON(AUTO), OFF |
| Live View Image Stabilization | Activation by half-pressing shutter button or enlarging view |
| Focal Length Setting | 1 setting *Lenses without communication function can be registered |
| Stabilization Performance | Compensation steps (Body only): 4.5 *When using the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ Focal length: 42mm (35mm equivalent: 84mm) |
| Available manual focal length setting |
Input focal length: 0.1 to 1000 mm (0.1 step) |
| Lens IS Priority | Cannot be activated from camera. Lens IS has priority over camera body IS when the IS switch on the lens is turned to ON. When lens IS has priority over camera body IS, camera body IS functions as follows: – when Olympus lens is attached: compensates for camera roll – when third party lens is attached: does not function |
| Shutter / Sequential Shooting |
|
| Shutter Type | Computerized focal-plane, high-speed mechanical shutter Silent electronic shutter |
| Shutter Speed | Mechanical Shutter: 1/4000 – 60 sec. (1/3 EV steps selectable) Live Bulb/Live Time: Max. 30 min. (selectable in menu settings, with 8-min. default setting) Live composite: Max. 3 hours Electronic first curtain shutter (Anti-shock mode) : 1/320 – 60 sec* *Shutter speed faster than 1/320 sec will be automatically switched to mechanical shutter. Electronic shutter (Silent mode): 1/16000 – 60 sec *Settings for sound, AF illuminator, and flash can be set to ON/OFF separately, default setting is Off for all three |
| Silent Mode | Available as “Silent” in Scene mode and Advanced photo mode. (sound, AF illuminator and flash are set to OFF as default settings.) |
| Sequential Shooting Maximum Speed |
[Sequential shooting H mode] approx 8.7 fps (IS ON/OFF) *When using the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED *When using the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED *When using the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO [Silent sequential shooting H] approx 15 fps*When using the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ [Silent sequential shooting L] approx 6.3 fps*When using the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO |
| Max. Recordable Pictures in Sequential Shooting |
Sequential shooting H at max. fps [RAW]: until card is full *According to Olympus test, using M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO and Toshiba SDHC UHS-II card R260/W240 EXCERIA™ PRO Sequential shooting H [JPEG LF]: Until card is full Sequential shooting L at max. fps [RAW]: until card is full Sequential shooting L at max. fps Silent sequential shooting H at max. fps [RAW]: approx. 42 Silent sequential shooting H at max. fps [JPEG LF]: approx. 49 Silent sequential shooting L at max. fps [RAW]: approx. 945 Silent sequential shooting L at max. fps [JPEG LF]: until card is |
| Self Timer | Operation time: 12 sec., 2 sec., custom (Wait time: 1-30sec., Shot interval: 0.5/1/2/3sec., Number of shots: 1-10) |
| Viewfinder / Monitor | |
| Finder Type | Eye-level electronic viewfinder, approx. 2.36M dots |
| Field of View / Viewfinder Magnification |
Approx. 100% / Approx.1.23x (50mm lens, Infinity, -1m-1) |
| Eye Point / Diopter Adjustment Range |
Approx. 19.2mm (-1m-1, Distance from rear lens surface) / -4 ~ +2m-1 |
| Preview | Live View preview (without depth of field preview lock) |
| Live View Boost | Available *Exposure compensation will not be applied |
| Display Grid | Off / normal grid / trichotomy /golden grid / scale / diagonal / movie grid |
| Level Gauge | 2-axis (horizontal / vertical) level gauge |
| Finder Style | 1 style |
| Brightness / Color Temp Control |
Adaptive brightness technology, ±2 level manual control /±3 level manual control |
| Eyecup | EP-16 eyecup is separately available |
| Rear Monitor Size | 3.0-inch tilting monitor* *Approx.1040k dots (3:2), electrostatic capacitance touch panel |
| Touch Control | Shutter release, AF area selection, AF area size adjustment, AF touch pad, frame forward/backward, magnified playback, Live Guide, Super Control Panel, Art Filter, Scene, Wi-Fi connection, video controls, video effects) |
| Tilting Capability | Tilt type: Upward tilting: Up to approx. 80 degrees Downward tilting: Up to approx. 180 degrees (Selfie compatible) |
| Brightness / Color Temp Control (Rear Monitor) |
±7 levels / ±7 levels |
| Color Tone Select | Vivid / Natural |
| Live View | Approx. 100% field of view,
exposure compensation preview, WB adjustment preview, |
| Display Mode | Display modes: Standard, Histogram, Highlight & Shadow, Level Gauge, Off (Image Only) |
| Exposure Control / Flash |
|
| Metering System | Digital ESP metering (324-area multi pattern metering), center-weighted average metering, spot metering, spot metering with highlight control, spot metering with shadow control |
| Metering Range | EV -2 – 20 (using f2.8 lens, ISO 100) |
| Exposure Mode / Shooting Mode | Auto (Live Guide can be used) , P: Program AE (program shift can be performed), A: Aperture Priority AE, S: Shutter Priority AE, M: Manual (Live Bulb, Live Time and Live Composite are available), Scene Select AE, Advanced Photo AE, Art Filter |
| Scene Select AE | [Advanced Photo]
Live Composite, Live Bulb, Multiple Exposure, HDR Backlight*1, Silent, Panorama, Keystone Compensation, AE Bracketing, Focus Bracketing [Scene] (Portrait, e-Portrait, Landscape + Portrait, Night + Portrait, Children, Night scene, Sport, Hand-held Starlight*2, Fireworks, Light trails, Sports, Panning, Landscape, Sunset, Beach & Snow, Backlight HDR*1, Candlelight, Silent, Macro, Nature Macro, Documents, Multi Focus Shot) *1 4 images automatically shot and combined into a single image composite *1 8 images automatically shot and combined into a single image |
| ISO Sensitivity | AUTO ISO (default) : LOW (approx.100) ‐ 6400 Manual ISO : LOW (approx.100), 200 – 25600 |
| Exposure Compensation | ±5 EV, adjustable by 1/3 EV steps Live View only reflects up to ±3 EV steps |
| AE Lock | Locks with a half-press of the shutter button , AEL/AFL button(can be set to Fn button as well) |
| Flash Intensity Control Mode | TTL Auto, Auto*, Manual, Super FP*(FP-TTL AUTO, FP-MANUAL) * Available on the external flash |
| Built-in Flash | TTL Flash, GN=5.1 (ISO100・m) / GN= 7.2 (ISO200・m) |
| Flash Mode | 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) |
| Synchronization Speed | 1/250 sec.* or slower *When using Super FP: 1/125 – 1/4000 sec. *When using electronic shutter: 1/50 sec. for up to ISO6400, 1/20 sec. for ISO 8000 or higher |
| Flash Intensity Control | Up to ±3 EV in 0.3EV steps |
| Compatible External Flash | FL-50R, FL-36R, FL-20, FL-14, FL-300R, FL-600R, FL-900R, STF-8, FL-700WR |
| Wireless Flash Control Method | Triggered and controlled by the built-in flash (Olympus Wireless RC Flash system compatible) |
| Radio Wireless Flash Control | Available |
| Compatible Flash Units (Triggered and controlled by compatible Commander flash) |
FL-50R, FL-36R, FL-300R, FL-600R, FL-900R, FL-700WR |
| Compatible Commander Flash Units |
FL-600R, FL-900R, STF-8, FL-700WR |
| Channels | 4 Channels |
| Groups | 4 Groups (External flash 3 groups + commander flash) |
| Memory / Image Recording (File Format) |
|
| Compatible Memory | SD (SDHC, SDXC, UHS-I, UHS-II) |
| Recording Format | DCF2.0, Exif2.31 |
| File Format | RAW (12-bit lossless compression), JPEG, JPEG + RAW |
| Recording Image Size | [RAW] 4608 x 3456 pixels [JPEG] 4608 x 3456 pixels – 1280 x 960 pixels |
| White Balance / Color Mode |
|
| White Balance Mode | Auto WB, 6 Preset WBs, 4 Capture WBs, Custom WB(Kelvin setting) |
| White Balance Compensation* | ±7 steps in each A-B/G-M axis * Except for Custom WB |
| Color Mode | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Bracketing / HDR | |
| Exposure Bracketing | 3 frames (1.0EV steps), 5 frames (0.7EV steps) *Available as AE Bracketing in Advanced Photo mode. |
| Focus Bracketing | 8 frames (Available in Advanced Photo mode, focus step is selectalbe from 5 or 10) *Available as Multi Focus Shot in Scene mode and Focus Bracketing in Advanced Photo mode. |
| HDR (Auto Composite) | HDR1, HDR2 (painting-like) *ISO sensitivity is fixed at 200, and maximum shutter speed setting is 4 sec. Available as Backlight HDR in Scene mode and HDR in Advanced Photo mode. |
| Creative Features | |
| Picture Mode | i-Finish, Vivid, Natural, Flat, Portrait, Monotone, Custom, e-Portrait, color creater, Art Filters |
| Gradation | 4 types (Auto, Normal, High Key, Low Key) *Except when using e-Portrait, Art Filters, Color Creator |
| Highlight & Shadow Control | ±7 steps each for highlight, shadow, midtone |
| Picture Tone | Neutral, Sepia, Blue, Purple, Green for Monotone |
| Art Filter |
Pop Art Soft Focus Pale & Light Color Light Tone Grainy Film Pin Hole Diorama Cross Process Gentle Sepia Dramatic Tone Key Line Watercolor Vintage Partial Color (18 Color) Bleech Bypass Instant Film |
| Art Filter Fine Tune | Pop Art: Available (Pop Art I only) Soft Focus: Available |
| Color Creator | Available |
| Multiple Exposure | 2 frames Auto Gain: Yes Overlay: Yes |
| Live Bulb / Live Time | Update Interval time 0.5 sec – 60 sec |
| Live Composite | Update Interval time 0.5 sec – 60 sec |
| Interval Shooting | Creating Time-lapse movie automatically is available for interval shooting up to 999 frames |
| Keystone Compensation | Available as Keystone Compensation in Advanced Photo mode. |
| Video / Audio Recording |
|
| Video Recording Format | MOV(MPEG-4AVC/H.264) |
| Movie Mode / Frame Rate / Compression Method |
3840 × 2160 (4K) / 30p, 25p, 24p / IPB (approx. 102 Mbps) 1920 x 1080 (FHD) / 30p, 25p, 24p / IPB (SF, F, N) 1920 x 1080 (FHD) / 60p, 50p / IPB (SF, F, N) 1280 x 720 (HD) / 60p,50p, 30p, 25p, 24p / IPB (SF, F, N) 60p： 59.94 fps, 50p： 50.00 fps, 30p： 29.97 fps, 25p： 25.00 fps, |
| Maximum Video Recording Time | [MOV] Approx.. 29min |
| Movie Tele-converter | Not Available |
| Art Filter Movie | Available (Frame rates may drop when certain Art Filters are used) |
| Movie Effect | One-shot Echo / Multi-echo / Art Fade / Old Film |
| Timelapse Movie | [MOV]
3840×2160（4K）/ 5fps 1920×1080（FHD)/ 5fps，10fps，15fps 1280×720（HD)/ 5fps、10fps、15fps、30fps |
| IS for Movie | M-IS1*(Image sensor shift and electronic image stabilizer with multi motion IS), M-IS2(Image sensor shift with multi motion IS), Off *While using M-IS1, field of view may be affected. |
| AE Lock | Available |
| Video Exposure Control | Program AE, aperture priority AE, shutter priority AE, manual |
| Grid Lines / Focus Peaking | 4 types of grid lines / 4 colors for focus peaking |
| Clips | 1, 2, 4, 8 sec. (Further continued shooting possible up to 16 seconds by pressing video record button again) |
| High Speed Movie | 120 fps (1280X720, MOV) |
| Live View Output via HDMI | Monitor Mode (outputs video and info display to a connected monitor) *1 *1 Camera display is turned off when connected by HDMI. |
| Audio Recording Format | Wave Format (Stereo linear PCM/16-bit, Sampling frequency 48kHz) |
| Microphone / Speaker | Built-in stereo microphone / built-in mono speaker *External stereo microphone can be attached |
| Microphone Function | Wind noise reduction, recording volume Audio dubbing possible for still pictures (up to 30 sec.) *May affect audio quality. |
| Operability | |
| Wi-Fi | Easy Connection QR code setting Live View, rec view, wireless touch AF shutter, self timer (w/countdown guidance, sequential shooting, video recording capability), video recording, power off Auto / SCN / ART / P / A / S / M (Live Bulb, Live Time, Live Composite) and |
| Bluetooth Functions | Easy Connection Simple Image Transfer Wireless Shutter Release |
| Playback Mode | Single-frame, information display, index display (4/9/25/100 frames), calendar, enlargement (2x – 14x), movie (with sound, FF/REW/Pause), Slideshow (with sound and music), picture rotation (auto), Dubbed audio playback |
| Dial Customization | Dial function is cutomizable for both dials |
| Button Customization | Can select from 11 functions to assign to buttons. |
| Copyright Settings / Lens Info Settings |
With / Without |
| Image Editing Functions | RAW data edit, Gradation auto, Monochrome, Sepia, Red-eye fix, Saturation, Resize (1280×960, 640×480, 320×240), Trimming, Aspect, e-Portrait, Image Overlay, Post recording RAW data edit based on settings of the camera (including e-Portrait, Color |
| Video Editing Functions | Trimming (begining / end) / in-video image extraction (4K only) |
| Menu Languages (34 selectable) |
34 languages selectable : – English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Croatian, Slovenian, Hungarian, Greek, Slovakian, Turkish, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Rumanian, Indonesian, Malay, Thai |
| Connectivity / Power Requirements |
|
| USB Connector | USB Micro-B |
| Remote Connector | Not Available |
| HDMI Connector | Micro HDMI （type D) |
| Flash Attachment | Hot shoe |
| Wireless LAN | Built-in（IEEE 802.11b/g/n） |
| Bluetooth | Built-in (Bluetooth Ver.4.2 Bluetooth Low Energy) |
| PC Interface | USB 2.0 Hi-Speed |
| TV Interface | Not Available |
| Battery | BLS-50 Li-ion battery (included) |
| Battery Status Display | Remaining power (4 steps) |
| AC Adapter | Bundle F-5AC USB-AC Adapter |
| USB Charging | Built-in (removable) battery can be charged with USB * When the camera power is off * Performance varies depending on different USB devices |
| Sleep Mode | Available (1/3/5 min. off) |
| Number of Recordable Pictures | Standard mode: 360 *With Toshiba SDXU-D032G, IS ON, with no flashes attached, based on CIPA test standards |
| Battery Life for Movie Recording |
Under standard JEITA testing: 80 *When repeatedly recording at the maximum time of 29 minutes When zoom and other operational functions are not used: 140 *When repeatedly recording at the maximum time of 29 minutes |
| Weights & Dimensions / Operating Environment / Box Contents |
|
| Weight | Approx. 383 g (with BLS-50 battery and Memory card, based on CIPA standards) Approx. 335 g (body only) |
| Dimensions | W:121.7mm H:84.4mm D:49mm (based on CIPA standards: excludes protrusions) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -10℃ ~ +40℃ (when in operation) / -20 ~ +60℃ (when stored) |
| Operating Humidity Range | 30 – 90% (when in operation) / 10 – 90% (when stored) |
| Box Contents | Body, USB cable, shoulder strap, instruction manual, warranty card, BLS-50 Li-ion battery , F-5AC USB-AC Adapter |
Learn more about the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV at GetOlympus.com
FTC Disclosure: I am an Olympus Visionary photographer and Olympus did provide me with a sample camera to test and make this video, however all words and opinions are my own, and I was not paid to produce this video.
I hope you found this information useful. Now go pick up that camera and shoot something! Because – “Your BEST shot is your NEXT shot!” — Joe Edelman
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