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20.30 Megapixels	Micro Four Thirds	4/3 size sensor

Olympus E-M10 Mark IV Preview -- First Impressions

by Jeremy Gray
Preview posted: 08/04/2020

Updates:
08/04/2020: First Shots & Gallery posted

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is the latest in Olympus' popular compact interchangeable lens camera line, and it brings with it a variety of new features, while simultaneously doubling down on what made the E-M10 Mark III such a popular camera. Accessibility, ease of use and versatile performance are at the forefront of the E-M10 Mark IV.

Key Features

• Compact and lightweight interchangeable lens Micro Four Thirds camera
• Weighs only 1.05 pounds with the EZ 14-42mm kit lens attached
• Classic-inspired camera design with dual command dials and a four-way directional pad
• Redesigned grip
• 20-megapixel Live MOS image sensor
• Native ISO range of 200-25,600, expandable down to ISO 100
• TruePic VIII image processor with up to 15 frames per second continuous shooting
• Built-in 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization with up to 4.5 stops of compensation
• Improved continuous autofocus performance, including Face/Eye detection
• 3.0-inch tilting touchscreen with selfie-friendly design
• Electronic viewfinder with 100 percent frame coverage
• 4K/30p video
• In-camera USB charging
• Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Dedicated OI.Share smartphone app allows for always-on connection plus "How To" guides

The E-M10 IV may be familiar in style and shape, but it includes numerous improvements

With the E-M10 Mark IV, Olympus has placed an emphasis on preserving the overall classic design while making the camera increasingly accessible for beginners. Further, the camera is as compact and portable as ever. The body itself weighs a mere 0.85 pounds. When paired with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ lens, the total weight is just over a pound. The front grip has been improved, allowing a more comfortable and stronger grip on the camera.

On the back of the camera there is a 3.0-inch tilting touchscreen. The display has approximately 1.04M dots of resolution. It may look like the display found on the E-M10 Mark III, but there is a big difference in terms of functionality. The Mark IV's display tilts down 180 degrees, allowing it to perform as a selfie display, whereas the Mark III's display tilts down only 45 degrees. There's a slight trade-off, as the new downward flexibility resulted in 5 degrees less upward tilt, but it can still tilt up 80 degrees.

To the right of the display are an assortment of buttons and controls. Around a central OK button are ISO, Flash, Drive Mode and Autofocus Area function buttons. Surrounding the quartet of function buttons are Menu, Info, Delete and Playback buttons. Just above these is a protruding thumb grip and an AF-L/AE-L button. The E-M10 Mark IV has a 2.36M dot electronic viewfinder with approximately 100 percent frame coverage.

Moving to the top of the camera, to the left of viewfinder is a power switch. Moving the switch between the 'ON' position will pop up the built-in flash. To the immediate right of the viewfinder is the mode dial, which includes Auto, Program Auto (P), Aperture Priority (A), Shutter Speed Priority (S), Manual (M), Video, Art, Advanced Photo (AP) and Scene shooting modes. In addition, there are zoom and movie record buttons located on the top deck of the camera. When viewing the top of the camera, we see that the E-M10 Mark IV has a pair of command dials, which is a nice inclusion for a camera aimed at beginner photographers.

New image sensor and new modes make the E-M10 IV a more capable camera than its predecessor

The E-M10 IV includes a new 20-megapixel Live MOS Micro Four Thirds image sensor. The sensor, which includes a Super Sonic Wave Filter for dust removal, is paired with a TruePic VIII image processor. The native ISO range is 200-25,600, although interestingly the camera's Auto ISO functionality includes the extended Low setting, which is equivalent to ISO 100. Auto ISO tops out at ISO 6400 at default settings.

In addition to the new sensor, the Olympus E-M10 Mark IV offers expanded functionality and shooting modes when compared to Mark III. The SCN shooting mode optimizes image settings according to the scene and subject. The E-M10 Mark IV includes 28 scenes in total across six categories: People, Nightscapes, Motion, Scenery, Indoors and Close-ups. There is a new scene included as well, Panorama.

Panorama shooting is also available via the Advanced Photo (AP) mode. AP mode includes several other interesting and potentially very useful shooting modes, such as: Live Composite, Live Time, Multiple Exposure, HDR, Silent, Digital Shift, AE Bracket and AF Bracket.

The Art Filter function on the mode dial includes 16 art filters, including a new one, Instant Film. In addition to offering a new filter, this mode now also includes the ability for the user to fine tune the intensity of the selected filter by using an on-screen slider or the front dial. This should be great for the times when you want to add only a subtle change to your images.

Additional new functions for the E-M10 IV include a One Touch e-Portrait function in Auto mode. For astrophotographers, Olympus cameras have always been nice, and the E-M10 IV includes a new Live Boost On2 setting, making it easier to frame and focus images at night. Plus, the OI.Share mobile app has a new Night View mode, which makes the interface and remote control on your smartphone dark and red, preserving your night vision. Further, Multi Exposure shooting modes are now available in PASM shooting modes and combined with raw image recording.

Before moving onto the E-M10 IV's performance, it's worth discussing the camera's silent photography mode. In the E-M10 III, this mode was only available in the AP and SCN shooting modes. With the Mark IV, you can now silently capture images across all still photography shooting modes, much like other higher-end OM-D models.

Stabilization, autofocus & performance: An agile entry-level camera

The E-M10 IV has numerous features to help you capture crystal clear images with the new 20.3-megapixel image sensor. The camera includes 5-axis in-body sensor-shift image stabilization. The stabilization is rated for up to 4.5 stops of compensation.

When it comes to focusing your images, the E-M10 IV includes improvements here as well. It includes the same moving subject detection algorithm as is found in the flagship Olympus E-M1X camera. When paired with the TruePic VIII image processing engine, the E-M10 IV promises improved continuous autofocus speed, accuracy and overall performance.

Autofocus is driven by a 121-point contrast-detect autofocus system. Available autofocus modes include: All target, group target (9-area) and single target. Further, the E-M10 IV includes Face/Eye Detection autofocus, which was added to its predecessor via a firmware update.

Doubling back to the improved continuous autofocus performance, there are three primary improvements to C-AF performance compared to the E-M10 III. First, the Mark IV is said to be better able to prevent false focus using enhanced precision. Secondly, it should do a better job of preventing background confusion by using improved separation calculations and better differentiating between close and distant subjects. Finally, there is improved reliability with respect to predicting a moving subject's future path.

If you want to manually focus instead, you can activate focus peaking by using the Fn button or focus ring. You can select from white, black, red and yellow peaking. You can also zoom at 3x, 5x, 7x, 10x and 14x levels to check your focus (you can autofocus when zoomed in as well, which is neat).

Moving on to performance, the E-M10 Mark III is a swift camera, but the Mark IV is even faster. With its improved silent photography mode, the E-M10 IV can shoot at up to 15 frames per second, up slightly from 14 fps in a less capable silent shooting mode on the E-M10 III. When using the mechanical shutter, which has a shutter speed range of 60 seconds to 1/4000s, the E-M10 IV can shoot at up to 8.7 fps. There is also a sequential shooting low mode which captures images at 5 fps.

Video: The E-M10 IV is 4K capable

While the E-M10 Mark IV has a video recording mode on its mode dial, you can use the movie record button while in any shooting mode to record 4K footage. Specifically, the E-M10 IV records 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) footage at 24p/25p/30p frame rates with a maximum bit rate of 102 Mbps. When recording at 24p, the camera can also record Cinema 4K (C4K) footage, which is 4096 x 2160. The camera can also record 1080p footage at up to 60p.

When recording video, the camera's in-body image stabilization can be used, which facilitates handheld video recording. Further, you can use Art Filter effects while recording video, although certain filters may impact the frame rate.

Ports, power and connectivity

The E-M10 IV has a Micro USB port, which allows for in-camera charging. In addition to the USB port, there is also a Micro HDMI (type D) port and a hot shoe on the top of the camera. Notably, the E-M10 IV now includes radio wave external flash compatibility. The camera records images and videos using an SD card slot, which is UHS-II compatible. In terms of battery life, the E-M10 IV is rated for 360 shots.

For wireless connectivity, the E-M10 IV has built-in Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth (version 4.2). The inclusion of Bluetooth Low Energy allows for an always-on connection between your camera and compatible smartphone via the Olympus OI.Share smartphone app. The dedicated app allows for easy transfer of photos and videos, plus remote control. The app also includes a camera "How To" guide, helping new users learn about the camera's features and how to capture better images.

What are the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV's 'unique selling points'?

Olympus is positioning the E-M10 Mark IV as an entry-level camera with an accessible, retro-inspired design. To this end, the camera has many accessible and easy-to-use shooting modes located right on its mode dial, while also offering users more customizable shooting modes as their skills improve.

The camera has also been designed around portability, as evidenced by its lightweight and compact design, especially when using the EZ 14-42mm kit lens. Further, the new touchscreen-centric selfie-friendly design appears aimed at a younger audience more familiar to a smartphone photography experience.

In addition to selfie-friendly features, the E-M10 IV includes more Scenes and Art Filters, allowing the user to fine-tune the look and feel of their images and videos without the use of an external editor on their phone or computer.

Olympus also points out the expandability of the system overall. While a new photographer may start with just the kit lens and learn as they go with the OI.Share smartphone app, there are many compatible lenses and accessories available, including fast f/1.8 lenses and external flashes, which can be controlled wirelessly by the E-M10 IV.

From the outside, the E-M10 IV may look quite similar to the E-M10 III, but inside is a updated image sensor and autofocus algorithm, all promising improved performance.

To summarize the primary differences between the E-M10 Mark IV and the E-M10 Mark III:

• The E-M10 IV includes a new 20.3-megapixel image sensor versus the 16.1-megapixel sensor in the E-M10 III.
• The built-in image stabilization on the IV is rated for 4.5 stops rather than the 4.0 stops of shake reduction in the Mark III.
• An expanded downward range for the touchscreen monitor allows the E-M10 IV to be selfie-friendly, whereas the Mark III was not. With respect to the camera's usability, the E-M10 IV also has an improved front grip.
• Expanded shooting modes: The E-M10 IV has a new Art Filter, tunable art filters, a panorama scene mode and expanded silent shooting modes when compared to its predecessor.
• The E-M10 IV has new wireless radio wave flash compatibility.
• Further, the E-M10 IV now offers in-camera USB charging.

It will be interesting to see how the improved features and performance impact the real-world shooting experience of the E-M10 Mark IV. The E-M10 IV looks to offer a lot of performance in a compact, lightweight and user-friendly package.

Pricing and availability

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV will be available as a body-only option and in a kit. The body itself comes in black and silver colorways and has a suggested retail price of $699.99 USD in the United States and $999.99 CAD in Canada. The camera will also be available with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ lens for $799 USD/$1,049.99 CAD. For a limited time, through October 31, 2020, if you purchase an Olympus E-M10 Mark IV, you will receive an Olympus starter kit including an Olympus camera bag, extra BLS-50 battery and 32GB SD card. This starter kit is valued at around $100.

The Olympus E-M10 is available for pre-order now with shipping expected to begin on September 25, 2020.