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Unparalleled Image Quality for the Modern Traveler

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV represents a significant leap forward in compact mirrorless camera technology, offering travelers unparalleled image quality and convenience. This mid-range mirrorless camera is designed to meet the needs of both photography beginners and seasoned enthusiasts, providing a perfect blend of professional-grade features and user-friendly interface.

With its 20MP sensor and impressive stabilization system, the E-M10 Mark IV is capable of capturing crisp, punchy images in a variety of shooting conditions. Whether you’re navigating bustling city streets or capturing the beauty of challenging low-light environments, this camera is equipped to handle it all.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV builds upon Olympus’s legacy of creating cameras that inspire creativity while remaining practical for real-world travel scenarios. For more insights into the camera’s performance and features, you can check out this detailed review.

Throughout this comprehensive review, we’ll analyze how the E-M10 Mark IV performs across various shooting conditions that travelers commonly encounter. From its compact form factor to its advanced features, we’ll explore how this camera can enhance your travel photography experience.

Key Features and Specifications

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a powerhouse of a camera, boasting a range of features that make it perfect for travelers and photography enthusiasts. At its core is a newly upgraded 20.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds sensor, a significant improvement over the 16MP sensor found in the Mark III model.

Sensor and Processor

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV includes a new 20.3-megapixel Live MOS image sensor paired with a TruePic VIII image processor. This combination provides a sensitivity range of ISO200-6400 as standard, with extended settings equivalent to ISO80-25,600.

  • The 20.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds sensor offers greater detail capture and improved cropping flexibility.
  • Paired with Olympus’s TruePic VIII image processor, the camera delivers responsive performance.
  • The native ISO sensitivity ranges from 200-6400, expandable to ISO80-25,600 for extreme lighting conditions.
  • The Super Sonic Wave Filter dust reduction system actively protects the sensor from contamination during lens changes.

The E-M10 IV’s sensor and processor work in tandem to provide efficient handling of image data, contributing to the camera’s impressive battery life and quick operational response. This is crucial for capturing fleeting travel moments.

Design and Ergonomics

With its magnesium-alloy body, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV presents itself as a robust and solid camera, despite being the most affordable in the Olympus OM-D range. The camera’s dimensions of 121.7 x 84.6 x 49mm are virtually identical to its predecessor, the E-M10 III, but it weighs slightly less at 383g, including the battery and memory card.

Body Design and Controls

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV embraces a classic retro-inspired design that pays homage to Olympus’s film camera heritage while incorporating modern ergonomics for comfortable handling. The redesigned grip features a subtle but effective sculpted indent where your forefinger naturally rests, providing more secure handling during extended shooting sessions. Olympus has thoughtfully arranged the dual control dials and function buttons to be easily accessible with one-handed operation, a crucial feature when traveling and shooting on the go.

As noted in reviews on rtings.com, the camera’s compact dimensions belie its robust build quality, making it an ideal companion for travelers. The built-in flash is cleverly integrated into the viewfinder housing, maintaining the camera’s sleek profile while providing illumination when needed in challenging lighting situations.

The E-M10 Mark IV’s design is a testament to Olympus’s ability to merge vintage style with contemporary ergonomics, making it both a visually appealing and highly functional tool for photographers.

Improved Grip and Handling

Olympus has managed to pack professional-level features into the E-M10 Mark IV without adding bulk. This achievement is significant for travelers who need a reliable camera that doesn’t weigh them down.

Weight and Portability

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is constructed mostly of plastic, making it remarkably lightweight at 383g. This design choice aligns with its competitors, such as the Nikon Z50 and Canon EOS R100, ensuring that it remains portable without compromising on the build quality.

The camera’s lightweight profile makes it an ideal travel companion. It can easily fit into a small bag or even a large pocket when paired with the compact 14-42mm EZ kit lens. The redesigned grip provides a secure purchase for all finger sizes, ensuring excellent handling characteristics despite its lightweight construction.

  • The E-M10 Mark IV strikes a balance between substantial feel and lightweight design, making it comfortable to hold and carry.
  • The compact design, coupled with the retractable kit lens, enhances its portability.
  • The camera’s handling is improved by the pronounced thumb hook on the rear, which works in concert with the front grip.
  • This design creates a stable shooting platform, even when operating the camera one-handed in challenging environments.
Feature Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Nikon Z50 Canon EOS R100
Weight 383g 405g 412g
Body Material Plastic Polycarbonate Polycarbonate
Kit Lens 14-42mm EZ 16-50mm 18-45mm

For travelers concerned about weight restrictions or fatigue from carrying equipment, the E-M10 Mark IV offers professional-level features in a package that won’t become a burden during extended exploration. Its balance of weight, portability, and performance makes it an attractive option for photographers on the go.

Display and Viewfinder

One of the standout features of the E-M10 Mark IV is its high-quality electronic viewfinder, designed to enhance your composition experience. The camera’s advanced viewfinder technology provides a clear and detailed view of your subject, allowing for more precise framing and focusing.

Exceptional Viewfinder Performance

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV features a crisp 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder that provides 100% field of view with 1.23x magnification, delivering a bright and detailed composition experience. This high-quality EVF allows you to preview exposure, white balance, and art filters in real-time, eliminating the guesswork often associated with optical viewfinders and helping travelers capture their vision precisely.

The viewfinder’s eye sensor automatically switches between the EVF and rear LCD when you raise or lower the camera from your eye, creating a seamless shooting experience that keeps you connected to your surroundings. Additionally, Adaptive Brightness Control adjusts the EVF’s luminance based on ambient conditions, ensuring comfortable viewing whether you’re shooting in bright Mediterranean sunlight or dimly lit interiors.

For those who prefer a more traditional experience, the Super OVF mode simulates an optical viewfinder by providing an “unprocessed” view of the scene, offering versatility for different shooting preferences and situations. As noted by photography experts, “The electronic viewfinder on the E-M10 Mark IV is one of the best in its class, providing a truly immersive shooting experience.”

“The E-M10 Mark IV’s electronic viewfinder is a significant upgrade, offering a more intuitive and engaging way to compose your shots.”

The E-M10 Mark IV also features a proper built-in pop-up flash, which usefully supports wireless flash control, and there’s even a flash hotshoe on top of the camera. This combination of advanced viewfinder technology and versatile flash capabilities makes the E-M10 Mark IV an ideal choice for photographers seeking creative control and flexibility.

By combining a high-resolution electronic viewfinder with advanced features like Adaptive Brightness Control and Super OVF mode, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV offers a sophisticated viewing experience that caters to a wide range of photographic styles and preferences.

Tilting Touchscreen LCD

The E-M10 Mark IV features a 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD that brings a new level of flexibility to your photography. This advanced screen is not just a display; it’s an interactive tool that enhances your overall camera experience.

The LCD screen boasts a high resolution of 1.037 million dots, ensuring that images look vivid with plenty of contrast. Whether you’re reviewing your shots or adjusting settings, the screen’s clarity makes it easy to navigate through your camera’s functions.

Enhanced Functionality for Selfies and Vlogging

A significant upgrade from the Mark III is the new 180-degree downward-tilting capability, transforming the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV into a powerful tool for self-portraits and vlogging. When you flip the screen down, the camera automatically switches to a specialized selfie mode, displaying virtual buttons for shutter release, video recording, and exposure compensation.

This feature is particularly useful for travel documentation, allowing you to capture high-quality selfies and videos with ease. The touchscreen also enables intuitive operation, similar to a smartphone, with touch-to-focus and touch-to-shoot functionality that helps you capture spontaneous moments without fumbling with physical controls.

Feature E-M10 Mark IV E-M10 Mark III
Screen Size 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution 1.037 million dots 1.037 million dots
Tilting Capability 180-degree downward tilt Limited tilt
Selfie Mode Yes, with virtual buttons No

While the screen’s downward-tilting design is excellent for handheld selfies and vlogging, it’s worth noting that this configuration becomes blocked when the camera is mounted on a tripod. However, for primarily handheld travel shooters, this feature is a significant advantage.

In conclusion, the tilting touchscreen LCD on the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a versatile feature that enhances the camera’s usability and functionality, making it an excellent choice for travelers and vloggers alike.

User Interface and Controls

With its advanced control system, the E-M10 Mark IV offers a seamless blend of accessibility and sophistication, making it an ideal choice for both beginners and seasoned photographers. The camera’s user interface is designed to provide quick access to key settings, allowing you to focus on capturing the moment.

Menu System and Navigation

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV features a menu system similar to that of the professional OM-D E-M1, offering a complex, multi-level menu that allows for extensive customization. While this might seem daunting at first, especially for those new to advanced cameras, the menu is primarily used to set up the camera to your preferences. Once configured, the numerous external controls and the Super Control Panel minimize the need to delve into the menus again.

The camera’s control system is thoughtfully designed, featuring dual command dials that provide immediate access to primary exposure parameters such as aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. This allows travelers to quickly adapt to changing scenes and lighting conditions without having to navigate through menus.

  • The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV balances sophisticated functionality with accessibility through its thoughtfully designed control system featuring dual command dials—a premium feature rarely found in entry-level cameras.
  • These tactile control dials provide immediate access to primary exposure parameters (aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation) without diving into menus, allowing travelers to respond quickly to changing scenes and lighting conditions.
  • While the camera inherits the professional-grade menu system from higher-end OM-D models, beginners can rely on the excellent Super Control Panel—an interactive status screen that provides quick access to commonly used settings.
  • The shortcut button on the camera’s top plate calls up context-sensitive menus tailored to each shooting mode, simplifying operation for newcomers while maintaining depth for experienced photographers.
  • For those transitioning from smartphones, the touch interface provides familiar operation, though Olympus has wisely maintained physical controls for critical functions that might be difficult to access through touch alone in challenging shooting conditions.

The combination of these features ensures that the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is both powerful and user-friendly, catering to a wide range of photography needs and preferences.

Customizable Buttons and Dials

Customization is key to the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, allowing users to personalize their shooting experience. This camera offers an impressive level of customization, making it an ideal choice for photographers who value flexibility and quick access to frequently used functions.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Review

Touch Controls and AF Targeting Pad

The AF Targeting Pad feature on the E-M10 Mark IV is a standout functionality, enabling photographers to move the focus point around the touchscreen using a finger while holding the camera up to their eye. This intuitive feature is similar to Panasonic’s Touchpad AF and works seamlessly with the camera’s viewfinder.

To set the focus area, users can utilize the touchscreen, even when shooting through the viewfinder. Alternatively, pressing the left key activates focus area selection, allowing for navigation using the d-pad. This dual functionality provides flexibility and precision in various shooting conditions.

The E-M10 Mark IV offers several benefits through its customization options:

  • Assign frequently used functions to physical buttons for quick access during fast-paced travel shooting.
  • Use the innovative AF Targeting Pad to move the focus point by sliding your thumb across the touchscreen while keeping your eye on the viewfinder.
  • Customize both command dials to control preferred exposure parameters in each shooting mode, adapting the camera to your personal shooting style.
  • Enjoy the best of both worlds with a touchscreen interface that complements physical controls, offering precise button control and intuitive touch operation.
  • For travelers who switch between different types of photography, customizing the camera’s controls means less time navigating menus and more time capturing special moments.

By providing an intuitive and personalized shooting experience, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV empowers photographers to focus on their art, making it an excellent choice for travel enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Review: Performance and Speed

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV’s performance is characterized by its swift operational responsiveness, making it an ideal choice for travelers who need a camera that can keep up with their fast-paced adventures. With its advanced technology, the E-M10 Mark IV delivers impressive performance, ensuring that you never miss a moment.

Startup and Operational Speed

The E-M10 Mark IV boasts an incredibly fast startup time of approximately one second, allowing you to capture spontaneous moments with ease. This rapid startup is complemented by the camera’s dual independent image-processing cores, one for recorded images and one for Live View, ensuring that both the electronic viewfinder (EVF) and the rear screen perform fluidly even during continuous shooting.

Key Performance Features:

  • The FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology) autofocus system enables near-instantaneous focus acquisition in good lighting conditions.
  • Menu navigation and image review operations are snappy and responsive, with minimal lag when scrolling through images or adjusting camera settings.
  • The camera’s performance compares favorably to competitors in its class, such as the Sony A6100, offering a significant advantage when quickly checking shots between fleeting photo opportunities.

In practical use, the E-M10 Mark IV’s autofocus system responds almost instantaneously when you squeeze the shutter release halfway, with the AF point flashing green and an accompanying confirmation beep. This level of performance ensures that you can stay connected to your subject, even during continuous shooting.

The E-M10 Mark IV’s operational speed and responsiveness make it a valuable tool for travelers, allowing you to focus on capturing the moment rather than worrying about the camera’s performance. Whether you’re shooting in Single AF mode or utilizing the camera’s other modes, the E-M10 Mark IV delivers the performance you need to capture stunning images.

Continuous Shooting Capabilities

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV excels in capturing fast-paced action with its enhanced continuous shooting capabilities, making it an ideal choice for action photographers and travelers alike.

When it comes to burst mode, the E-M10 Mark IV offers impressive speeds. With the electronic shutter, it can shoot up to 15 frames per second (fps) when the focus is locked at the first frame. This is particularly useful for capturing rapid sequences where the subject’s movement is predictable.

Buffer Performance and Shooting Modes

The camera’s buffer performance is robust, especially when paired with a fast UHS-II SD card. During testing, we found that the E-M10 Mark IV could capture at least 27 RAW+JPEG images at the maximum burst speed before slowing down. This capability ensures that you can capture extended sequences without interruption, perfect for dynamic travel photography.

For subjects that require continuous autofocus, the E-M10 Mark IV offers a respectable 6.5 fps with the electronic shutter or 5 fps with the mechanical shutter. While these speeds are more modest compared to focus-locked shooting, they still provide good versatility for capturing moving subjects.

Shooting Mode Electronic Shutter Speed Mechanical Shutter Speed
Focus Locked 15 fps 8.7 fps
Continuous Autofocus 6.5 fps 5 fps

One of the creative advantages of the E-M10 Mark IV is its ability to apply Art Filters during continuous shooting. While this might slightly reduce the maximum burst rate, it offers a unique flexibility that many competitors lack. This feature allows you to add a creative touch to your action shots, making your travel photography stand out.

In conclusion, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV’s continuous shooting capabilities, combined with its robust buffer performance, make it a powerful tool for capturing fast-paced action. Whether you’re shooting with the electronic shutter or mechanical shutter, the camera’s versatility and creative options ensure that you can capture your travel moments with precision and style.

Autofocus System

With its sophisticated 121-point contrast-detect autofocus, the E-M10 Mark IV ensures precise focus in various shooting conditions. The camera’s autofocus system is a critical component that enables photographers to capture high-quality images with ease.

Advanced Contrast-Detect AF

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV employs a 121-point contrast-detect autofocus system that covers nearly the entire frame, allowing for precise subject placement and composition freedom. This advanced system is designed to provide fast and accurate focusing, even in challenging lighting conditions.

The autofocus system offers flexible focusing options, including all-target (automatic), 9-point group targeting for moving subjects, and single-point selection for precise focus on specific details. This versatility adapts to various travel photography scenarios, making it an ideal choice for capturing a wide range of subjects.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Autofocus System

In static subject photography, such as architecture, landscapes, and portraits, the contrast-detect system delivers exceptional accuracy, often surpassing phase-detection systems in focusing precision. Additionally, the low-light autofocus performance is impressive, with the system capable of focusing in conditions as dim as -2 EV, equivalent to moonlit scenes.

Autofocus Mode Description Best Used For
All Target Automatic autofocus mode General photography, everyday scenes
Group Target (9-area) 9-point group targeting for moving subjects Sports, wildlife, and action photography
Single Target Single-point selection for precise focus Portraits, still-life, and macro photography

The E-M10 Mark IV’s autofocus system is designed to provide photographers with the flexibility and accuracy needed to capture stunning images in a variety of situations. By leveraging advanced contrast-detect technology and flexible focusing options, this camera is well-suited for travel photography and other applications where speed and precision are essential.

Face and Eye Detection

Advanced Face and Eye Detection is a standout feature of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, making it an ideal choice for travel photographers. This feature, inherited from Olympus’s professional E-M1 Mark III, significantly enhances the camera’s autofocus capabilities, particularly in portrait photography.

The E-M10 Mark IV includes Face/Eye Detection autofocus, which was added to its predecessor via a firmware update. The camera’s continuous auto-focusing has been improved by using algorithms borrowed from the flagship E-M1X sports and wildlife camera. These changes have made the E-M10 Mark IV’s contrast-detection AF system more reliable for locking onto and tracking moving subjects.

Enhanced Detection Capabilities

The E-M10 Mark IV incorporates advanced Face and Eye Detection algorithms capable of recognizing faces at a wider range of angles, including profiles and partially obscured faces. This enhanced detection system proves invaluable for travel portraiture, automatically identifying and focusing on your subject’s eye even when they’re not looking directly at the camera.

  • The camera can detect and prioritize faces within groups, making it easier to capture social interactions during your travels without worrying about focus precision.
  • For moving subject tracking, Olympus has implemented algorithms from their flagship E-M1X camera, significantly improving the contrast-detection system’s ability to maintain focus on subjects moving toward or away from the camera.

While some focus hunting may still occur with erratically moving subjects, a limitation of contrast-detection systems, the improvements make the E-M10 Mark IV surprisingly capable for casual action photography during your travels.

Feature Description Benefit
Face/Eye Detection Advanced algorithms for face and eye recognition Improved focus accuracy on human subjects
Moving Subject Tracking Algorithms borrowed from E-M1X camera Enhanced ability to track subjects moving toward or away from the camera

As noted by photography experts, “The ability to accurately detect and focus on faces and eyes is a game-changer for portrait photography, allowing for more natural and candid expressions to be captured.”

“The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV’s Face and Eye Detection feature is a significant advancement in autofocus technology, making it an indispensable tool for photographers who prioritize capturing high-quality portraits during their travels.”

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV’s advanced Face and Eye Detection capabilities make it an excellent choice for photographers seeking to capture high-quality portraits and action shots during their travels. With its enhanced autofocus system and improved detection algorithms, this camera is well-suited for a variety of photography applications.

Image Stabilization

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV boasts an advanced image stabilization system, crucial for capturing sharp images on the go. This feature is particularly beneficial for travelers who often find themselves in situations where camera shake can easily ruin a shot.

Advanced 5-Axis Mechanism

Most image stabilization systems compensate for camera shake by correcting yaw and pitch. However, Olympus claims that camera shake is actually caused by five different kinds of motion. Their image stabilization mechanism additionally corrects for horizontal shift, vertical shift, and rotary motion (rolling) for both still images and movies.

The E-M10 Mark IV offers a slightly improved 4.5 stops of compensation (versus 4 stops on the Mark III model), complete with auto panning detection. Olympus claims that handheld shutter speeds as low as 1/4 second are obtainable, a claim backed up by our testing of the camera for both stills and video.

  • Comprehensive Stabilization: The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV features an impressive 5-axis in-body image stabilization system that compensates for all types of camera movement: yaw, pitch, roll, horizontal shift, and vertical shift.
  • Enhanced Shake Reduction: This comprehensive stabilization approach delivers up to 4.5 stops of shake reduction, allowing handheld shooting at shutter speeds as slow as 1/4 second with consistently sharp results.
  • Versatility with Lenses: Unlike lens-based stabilization systems, the E-M10 Mark IV’s in-body approach works with any attached lens, including vintage manual lenses via adapters, expanding your creative options while traveling without sacrificing stability.
  • Travel Photography Benefits: For travel photography, this powerful stabilization system means you can leave your tripod behind in many situations, including low-light interiors, evening cityscapes, and night photography, reducing your gear burden significantly.
  • Intelligent Panning Detection: The system’s auto-panning detection intelligently adapts when following moving subjects, stabilizing only the axes needed while allowing smooth panning motion, perfect for capturing moving vehicles, wildlife, or cultural performances during your travels.

To illustrate the effectiveness of the image stabilization system, here’s a comparison of different camera models:

Camera Model Image Stabilization Type Stops of Compensation
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV 5-Axis In-Body 4.5 Stops
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III 5-Axis In-Body 4 Stops
Other Camera Models Lens-Based or 3-Axis Varies (often less effective)

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV’s image stabilization is a significant advancement, offering travelers and photographers a powerful tool to capture sharp, clear images in a variety of conditions.

Real-World Stabilization Performance

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV’s 5-axis in-body image stabilization is a game-changer for travelers. One of Olympus’s key technologies, and a tradition upheld in the transition to OM-System, has always been its 5-axis in-body image stabilization, which works with practically any lens you can fit onto the camera.

This feature is particularly valuable when shooting handheld in low-light conditions or using slower shutter speeds for creative motion-blur effects. The E-M10 IV’s implementation isn’t as powerful as those on its higher-end siblings, but it still promises 4.5 stops benefit when shooting hand-held.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV image stabilization

In real-world testing, the E-M10 Mark IV’s 5-axis stabilization system consistently delivers on its promise of 4.5 stops of compensation. This allows for handheld shooting at surprisingly slow shutter speeds while maintaining image sharpness. The stabilization performance effectively compensates for the smaller Micro Four Thirds sensor by allowing lower ISO settings in challenging light.

  • The system proves especially effective with telephoto lenses like the affordable 40-150mm f/4-5.6, enabling sharp handheld shots at equivalent focal lengths up to 300mm.
  • When paired with Olympus’s lightweight M.Zuiko Digital lenses, the stabilization system creates a remarkably steady shooting platform.
  • Beyond technical specifications, the real-world benefit is confidence—knowing you can capture sharp images in challenging conditions means focusing on composition and timing rather than worrying about camera shake during your travels.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV’s stabilization system is a powerful tool that enhances your photography experience. As emphasized by photography experts, “Image stabilization is a critical feature for handheld shooting, and the E-M10 Mark IV delivers on this front.”

Image Quality

With its advanced Micro Four Thirds sensor, the E-M10 Mark IV produces images that are both vivid and detailed. The camera’s ability to deliver high-quality JPEGs straight out of the camera is one of its standout features.

JPEG Output and Color Reproduction

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is renowned for its exceptional JPEG output, characterized by the brand’s signature color science. This results in rich, vibrant colors with excellent skin tones that require minimal post-processing, making it ideal for travel photographers seeking ready-to-share images.

Despite its Micro Four Thirds sensor being physically smaller than APS-C alternatives like the Sony A6100, the E-M10 Mark IV delivers impressive dynamic range and detail retention in good lighting conditions. Olympus’s color profiles are particularly well-suited for travel photography, offering balanced, true-to-life colors with the Natural profile, while the Vivid setting enhances blues and greens for dramatic landscape imagery.

Feature E-M10 Mark IV Sony A6100
Sensor Size Micro Four Thirds APS-C
Color Profiles Natural, Vivid Standard, Vivid
ISO Range Up to ISO3200 Up to ISO3200

The camera’s JPEG engine applies sophisticated noise reduction that preserves detail well up to ISO3200, making it capable of handling indoor cultural sites, museums, and evening street photography. When paired with Olympus’s excellent M.Zuiko Digital lenses, the imaging system delivers impressive sharpness and micro-contrast that gives images a distinctive look, justifying the camera’s place in a traveler’s bag.

Images look particularly vivid with plenty of contrast when viewed on the E-M10 Mark IV’s screen, and this quality happily carries over when photos are downloaded to your desktop. The result is a camera that can keep up with the demands of travel photography, delivering high-quality images in a variety of conditions.

RAW File Flexibility

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV offers impressive RAW file flexibility, making it a valuable asset for photographers who want to maximize their image processing capabilities. This flexibility is particularly beneficial when dealing with images captured in challenging lighting conditions.

Low Light Performance and ISO Range

The camera’s low light sensitivity stretches from ISO200 all the way up to a pro-like ISO25600, thanks to the implementation of the 20.3 megapixel sensor and the latest noise-reducing TruePic VIII processor. An extended LOW setting equivalent to ISO100 is also available, providing versatility for various lighting conditions.

The E-M10 Mark IV’s RAW files (ORF format) offer impressive flexibility in post-processing, allowing for good latitude for exposure adjustments of up to 2-3 stops without significant image degradation. While the Micro Four Thirds sensor doesn’t match the high-ISO performance of larger APS-C sensors like those in the Sony A6100, the E-M10 Mark IV produces clean, detailed images through ISO1600 and remains very usable at ISO3200.

  • The camera’s native ISO range of 200-25,600 (expandable down to ISO100) provides versatility for various lighting conditions, though most travelers will find the ISO200-6400 range most practical for quality results.
  • The effective in-body stabilization system helps offset the high-ISO limitations by allowing slower shutter speeds, often enabling you to shoot at base ISO in situations where unstabilized cameras would require ISO800 or higher.
  • For travelers concerned about low-light performance, pairing the E-M10 Mark IV with fast prime lenses like the affordable M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 (50mm equivalent) creates a powerful combination for evening and indoor photography.

By leveraging the E-M10 Mark IV’s RAW file flexibility and low-light capabilities, photographers can capture high-quality images across a range of environments, from bright daylight to challenging low-light conditions.

Video Capabilities

With its impressive 4K recording and 5-axis stabilization, the E-M10 Mark IV is a versatile tool for capturing high-quality video on the go. The camera’s video capabilities are designed to meet the needs of travel vloggers, documentary filmmakers, and anyone seeking to create compelling visual content.

Advanced Video Features

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV offers 4K UHD recording at 30p, 25p, or 24p, providing detailed and crisp results. The camera’s 5-axis stabilization system is particularly effective in video mode, delivering remarkably smooth handheld footage that rivals what you’d achieve with a gimbal.

Full HD recording at up to 60fps provides options for smooth motion or subtle slow-motion effects, while the 120fps VGA mode offers more dramatic slow-motion capabilities for creative storytelling. Additionally, the camera’s Art Filters can be applied to video recordings, providing distinctive looks without requiring post-processing.

While the lack of a microphone input may be a limitation for serious video production, the camera’s built-in stereo microphones perform adequately for casual travel documentation. The flip-down screen makes vlogging and self-recording straightforward, enhancing the overall video creation experience.

In conclusion, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a powerful tool for video creation, offering a range of features that cater to both professionals and enthusiasts. Its combination of high-quality video recording, advanced stabilization, and creative filters makes it an excellent choice for anyone looking to capture stunning video content on their travels.

FAQ

What is the sensor size of the Micro Four Thirds camera?

The camera features a 20.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds sensor, providing excellent image quality and low-light performance.

Does the camera have a built-in flash?

Yes, it has a built-in flash that can be used to add extra light to your images, and it also supports external flash units.

What is the continuous shooting speed of the camera?

The camera can shoot at up to 8.7 fps, making it suitable for capturing fast-moving subjects.

Is the camera’s touchscreen LCD tilting?

Yes, the camera features a tilting touchscreen LCD, allowing for more flexible shooting angles and selfie-friendly design.

Does the camera have face and eye detection?

Yes, it features advanced face and eye detection capabilities, ensuring that your subjects are in sharp focus.

What type of image stabilization does the camera have?

The camera features 5-axis in-body image stabilization, providing effective stabilization for both stills and video.

Can the camera record 4K video?

Yes, it can record 4K video at 30p, making it suitable for capturing high-quality video content.

What is the ISO range of the camera?

The camera has an ISO range of up to 6400, allowing for shooting in a variety of lighting conditions.

Are the camera’s buttons and controls customizable?

Yes, the camera allows for customization of buttons and controls, enabling you to tailor the camera to your preferences.

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