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Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10

Portability
67
Imaging
62
Features
96
Overall
75
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III front
 
Pentax Q10 front
Portability
92
Imaging
36
Features
56
Overall
44

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 580g - 134 x 91 x 69mm
  • Announced February 2020
  • Superseded the Olympus E-M1 II
Pentax Q10
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax Q Mount
  • 200g - 102 x 58 x 34mm
  • Revealed September 2012
  • Superseded the Pentax Q
  • Replacement is Pentax Q7
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 Overview

Here is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and Q10 (12MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and Q10 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-M1 III was launched 7 years later than the Q10 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax Q10 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-M1 III grades vs the Q10 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Pentax Q10

 E-M1 III Q10 
RevealedFebruary 2020September 2012Fresher by 91 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1037k460kSharper screen (+577k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax Q10 over the Olympus E-M1 III

 Q10 E-M1 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax Q10

 E-M1 III Q10 
Manually focus More accurate focusing
Screen size3"3"Same screen dimensions

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 Physical Comparison

If you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 III has exterior measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) while the Pentax Q10 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M1 III compared to the Q10.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 III and Q10 is 67 and 92 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to see the difference between sensor sizing purely by reading a spec sheet. The photograph here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 III and Q10.

As you can see, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 III featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 III will deliver more detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The newer E-M1 III will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Portrait photography features
Pentax Q10 Portrait photography features
77
you can focus manually
decent MP (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
features face detection autofocus
supports RAW files
48
focusing manually
great flash sync speed (1/2,000s)
has face detection focus
exports RAW files
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Street photography details
Pentax Q10 Street photography details
78
screen articulates fully
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
supports touch to focus
environment sealing
above average ISO range (25,600)
68
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
exports RAW files
lighter than average (200 grams)
fixed screen
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Sports photography with Pentax Q10
81
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
silent mode (1/32,000s)
high max frames per second (60.0 frames/s)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent MP (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
features tracking autofocus
environment sealing
supports phase detect autofocus
36
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
has tracking autofocus
low frames per second (5.0 frames/s)
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery power (270 per charge)
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Travel photography highlights
Pentax Q10 Travel photography highlights
79
environment sealing
supports bluetooth
supports touch to focus
decent MP (20MP)
display is selfie friendly
60
lighter than average (200 grams)
has built in flash
bad battery power (270 CIPA)
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Landscape photography information
Pentax Q10 Landscape photography information
81
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent MP (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
doesnt have anti-alias filter
above average ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW files
environment sealing
two card slots
54
focusing manually
swap lenses (Pentax Q mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
exports RAW files
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery power (270 CIPA)
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-M1 III
Vlogging with Pentax Q10
79
display is selfie friendly
touchscreen enabled
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detection autofocus
high res video (4096 x 2160 resolution)
comes with external microphone socket
35
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than average (200 grams)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
no external mic support
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax Q10 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax Q10
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIIPentax Q10
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Pentax Q10
Category Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Announced 2020-02-11 2012-09-10
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic IX -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 20MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 5184 x 3888 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 25600 6400
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW pictures
Min boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 121 25
Cross focus points 121 -
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Pentax Q
Number of lenses 107 8
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 1,037k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen technology - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (optional)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Highest silent shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shooting rate 60.0fps 5.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range no built-in flash 7.00 m
Flash modes Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Trailing-curtain sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/250s 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720p (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 580g (1.28 lbs) 200g (0.44 lbs)
Physical dimensions 134 x 91 x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") 102 x 58 x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 49
DXO Color Depth score not tested 21.1
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 10.9
DXO Low light score not tested 183
Other
Battery life 420 photographs 270 photographs
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLH-1 D-LI68
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II on first slot) SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Two 1
Cost at launch $1,800 $350