Olympus E-M10 III vs Sony A1

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Olympus E-M10 III vs Sony A1

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4/3 226.2mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M10 III Review.
How does it shoot? Olympus E-M10 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M10 III.
Compare Olympus E-M10 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Olympus E-M10 III conclusion.

35mm 861.6mm²
50.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 32,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A1 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A1.
Compare Sony A1 image quality against competitors.

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Differences

Olympus E-M10 III advantages over Sony A1

Less expensive
$799 vs $5498*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Thinner
49 mm vs 80 mm
Thinner
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 165 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A1 advantages over Olympus E-M10 III

Larger sensor
35mm vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Slower slow-motion
240 fps vs 120 fps
Supports slower slow-mo
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
Longer video battery life
150 vs 80 minutes
Capture more video
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

530 vs 330 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Higher max flash sync
1/400 vs 1/250 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Newer
4 years vs 7 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
More viewfinder magnification
0.90x vs 0.62x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
50.1 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Faster JPEG shooting
30.0 fps vs 8.6 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
20.0 fps vs 8.6 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
155 vs 33 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/16000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
102400 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
Both provide
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Slow-motion videos
Both provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A1 User Reviews

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Body Only (Black)
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Kit with 14-42mm EZ lens (Black)
Kit with 14-42mm EZ lens (Silver)

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Review Excerpt

Superbly-built, comfortable and compact body; Pairs beautifully with pancake kit lens; Excellent image quality; Excellent performance in most respects; Great single-shot autofocus; Really nice viewfinder and touch-screen display; Friendlier user interface courts amateurs.
Some controls are a bit small and tightly-packed; Hand grips are still a bit modestly-sized for larger lenses; Continuous and video autofocus just isn't up to snuff; New user interface can feel limiting to advanced photographers; Underwhelming battery life.
Read our Olympus E-M10 III Review

We haven’t finished our review of the Sony A1, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.
Read our Sony A1 Shooter's Report

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-M5 II

Olympus E-M10 III

Olympus E-M5 II

$549
4/3

Shoot 4K video
Internal flash

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
High resolution composite

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus E-M5 II

Sony A1

Olympus E-M5 II

$5831
35mm

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

$899
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A1 vs Olympus E-M5 II

Compared to Olympus E-M10 II

Olympus E-M10 III

Olympus E-M10 II

$549
4/3

Shoot 4K video
Bigger JPEG buffer

$349
4/3

Less expensive

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus E-M10 II

Sony A1

Olympus E-M10 II

$5831
35mm

Larger sensor
Slower slow-motion

$349
4/3

Less expensive
Lens selection

Compare Sony A1 vs Olympus E-M10 II

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Olympus E-M10 III

Panasonic GX85

$549
4/3

More telephoto lens reach
Higher max flash sync

$598
4/3

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Panasonic GX85

Sony A1

Panasonic GX85

$5831
35mm

Larger sensor
NFC

$598
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A1 vs Panasonic GX85

Compared to Sony A7R IV

Olympus E-M10 III

Sony A7R IV

$549
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

$3331
35mm

Larger sensor
High resolution composite

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Sony A7R IV

Sony A1

Sony A7R IV

$5831
35mm

Slower slow-motion
Longer video battery life

$3331
35mm

Less expensive
High resolution composite

Compare Sony A1 vs Sony A7R IV

Compared to Canon R5

Olympus E-M10 III

Canon R5

$549
4/3

Less expensive
Internal flash

$3349
35mm

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

Compare Olympus E-M10 III vs Canon R5

Sony A1

Canon R5

$5831
35mm

Slower slow-motion
NFC

$3349
35mm

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A1 vs Canon R5

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