Olympus E-M10 vs Sony RX100 III

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Olympus E-M10 vs Sony RX100 III

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4/3 224.9mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

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

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.2 megapixels
24.00mm - 70.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Sony RX100 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony RX100 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the RX100 III.
Compare Sony RX100 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony RX100 III conclusion.

Succeeded by the Olympus E-M10 II
Compare E-M10 vs E-M10 II

Succeeded by the Sony RX100 IV
Compare RX100 III vs RX100 IV

Compare OLYMPUS E-M10 II vs SONY RX100 IV

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Differences

Olympus E-M10 advantages over Sony RX100 III

Larger sensor
4/3 vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 3.75 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~1.30 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
E-M10 test data on DxO Mark RX100 III test data on DxO Mark

884 vs 495 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Hot shoe
Hot shoe vs None
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster RAW shooting
8.1 fps vs 6.7 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Faster shutter
1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony RX100 III advantages over Olympus E-M10

In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Higher max flash sync
1/2000 vs 1/250 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
Less shutter lag
0.15 vs 0.23 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More pixels
20.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
10.0 fps vs 8.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
48 vs 19 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
26 vs 15 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
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
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Neither provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

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Read E-M10 User Reviews

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Sony RX100 Mark III

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Review Excerpt

Great image quality especially from RAW files; Excellent dynamic range for a Four Thirds sensor; Very good high ISO performance; Realistic colors and excellent hue accuracy; Built-in Wi-Fi with remote control and sharing features; Improved HD video; Lightweight and very portable; Built-in pop-up flash; Minimal EVF lag time.
Contrast-Detect AF struggles with small and low-contrast subjects; Mediocre battery life; No external microphone or headphone jack; Mediocre burst speed with continuous AF; No weather sealing; Heavy-handed high ISO noise reduction.
Read our Olympus E-M10 Review

Pocket-friendly design; Popup electronic viewfinder; Bright lens across the zoom range; Great performance with very fast autofocus; Very high resolution gives lots of detail in good light; High ISO noise levels much better than most pocket camera rivals; Wi-Fi wireless networking
Feels a little unbalanced without an accessory grip; Not as much telephoto reach as its siblings; Noise processing is heavier-handed than in earlier models; Quite pricey for a fixed-lens camera
Read our Sony RX100 III Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony RX100

Olympus E-M10

Sony RX100

$399
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$1074
1 inch

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Sony RX100

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Tiltable Screen

$1074
1 inch

More telephoto lens reach
Faster RAW shooting

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Sony RX100

Compared to Sony RX100 II

Olympus E-M10

Sony RX100 II

$399
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$598
1 inch

In-camera panoramas
NFC

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Sony RX100 II

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Fast startup

$598
1 inch

Less expensive
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Sony RX100 II

Compared to Canon G7X

Olympus E-M10

Canon G7X

$399
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$1239
1 inch

NFC
Integrated ND filter

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Canon G7X

Sony RX100 III

Canon G7X

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
In-camera panoramas

$1239
1 inch

Touchscreen
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Canon G7X

Compared to Panasonic LX100

Olympus E-M10

Panasonic LX100

$399
4/3

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

$598
4/3

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Panasonic LX100

Sony RX100 III

Panasonic LX100

$748
1 inch

Tiltable Screen
Internal flash

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Panasonic LX100

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-M10

Panasonic GX7

$399
4/3

Less expensive
Higher effective ISO

$648
4/3

In-camera panoramas
Fast startup

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Panasonic GX7

Sony RX100 III

Panasonic GX7

$748
1 inch

Integrated ND filter
Thinner

$648
4/3

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Panasonic GX7

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