Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV
The perfect first camera!
Despite its complex name, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a simple, compact entry-level mirrorless camera. And if you’re a beginner or keen photographer looking for a compact body that takes consistently attractive photos, it’s a camera that has to be on your list.
Sure, the E-M10 Mark IV is lacking some of the more advanced features being touted by its pricier rivals, like phasedetection autofocus, 4K/60p video and microphone/headphone inputs. But it does a brilliant job as a stills camera that can shoot a little bit of quality video when needed.
Build and handling
The first thing that strikes you about the E-M10 IV is its diminutive size. It’s small enough to fit into the pocket of regular fit trousers – and that’s with its 14-42mm M.Zuiko f/3.5-5.6 pancake kit lens attached.
We’ve always been huge fans of the twin control dial setup of the E-M10, as it allows you to make adjustments to both shutter speed, aperture or exposure compensation with ease when shooting manually.
The mode dial that sits beside them provides straightforward access to the camera’s nine shooting modes, including video. There’s also a dedicated video record button, placed sensibly on the shoulder of the camera for quick access.
There isn’t much room for buttons elsewhere on the camera, but Olympus has managed to place controls that cover most key functions without making the camera feel cluttered. There’s also touchscreen access via the rear LCD, further boosting the camera’s usability.
The 3.0-inch LCD touchscreen is the most ambitious of the series so far. This time, the E-M10 IV’s screen tilts upwards 90-degrees for shooting at hip level, and also flips downwards 180-degrees in the other direction. This positions it under the camera for selfies and vlogging. It’s good to see more flexibility introduced, but it does present a potential issue for people who want to self-shoot while using the camera on a tripod.
Features
The E-M10 Mark IV is powered by a TruePic VIII imaging processor, which works to deliver reduced noise in images captured in low light and has a native ISO sensitivity range of ISO 200-6400. This can be expanded to ISO 80 (LO) and ISO 25,600 (HI), but you’d be wiser to take advantage of the camera’s quality five-axis in-body image stabilisation system (IBIS) before you crank the ISO up to those numbers.
This IBIS system is the same as the one in Olympus’ awardwinning flagship E-M1 series, and it’s excellent. It boosts the E-M10
Mark IV’s handheld shooting capabilities and means you can pack light and don’t need a tripod to get fantastic shots, even at night.
Also borrowed from the upper tier of OM-D cameras, is the updated 121-point autofocusing system, which can better detect and track faces and eyes.
Aside from these features, there aren’t other big spec or physical changes of note from the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III. It’s a sensible update, one that focuses on improving the camera’s stills capabilities.
Olympus has included its trademark scene (SCN) and Art Filter modes, which function as you might imagine, placing ‘creative’ looks over images. We’re not huge fans, but they can be fun to have a play with. We’re more keen on the Advanced Photo (AP) section of the mode dial.
Autofocus systems need to be predictable, even if they’re not the fastest. The E-M10 Mark IV’s autofocusing system may not be the most advanced in this camera class, but it functions consistently and that’s the main thing we want from a camera’s autofocus.
Hybrid systems that incorporate on-sensor phase detection AF, such as the AF system featured in the Sony ZV-1, are superior and better suited for things like vlogging. This is because they are quicker at detecting faces from a range of angles and will stick with them more tenaciously without hunting for focus.
Image quality and performance
Carrying a high resolution 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor helps the E-M10 Mark IV capture a significantly more impressive dynamic range compared to smartphones and other small sensor cameras. This is most visible when looking at high contrast or night mode scenes. The physical advantage of a larger sensor means the E-M10 Mark IV has great light-gathering powers.
Pushing the camera’s ISO sensitivity to its limits, the results were usable, although details begin looking smudged past ISO 6400 when viewed at 100%. The ability to take better pictures in low light is further supported by the camera’s five-axis in-body image stabilisation. This manages to keep images sharp when shooting handheld as slow as 1/8th of a second, which is a significant advantage for dimly lit scenes.
The IBIS system also works quite well during video recording when walking and panning. While the E-M10 Mark IV can be used to capture attractive looking video, it’s not heavily geared towards video shooters.
The omission of a microphone input or USB-C port, which could be used to adapt a microphone or headphone input, is another giveaway that this camera isn’t focused on video. It’s also capped at 4K/30p and FHD/60p resolutions. There’s a highspeed movie mode, but it’s only 120fps at 720p resolution. In terms of video specs, this is one of the most unambitious cameras released since the E-M10 Mark III in 2017.
It is, though, a different story for stills. We were really impressed with this camera’s basic kit lens – its 14-42mm pancake lens option is a fantastic starting place for someone upgrading from a phone.
The E-M10 Mark IV is an easy camera to overlook, but if you’re looking for a small, stills-focused camera, it deserves serious consideration. If you’re a beginner or enthusiast who’s looking to take the next step up in photography, this is a brilliant option.
Jon Devo