Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 IV
71 Imaging
52 Features
85 Overall
65


61 Imaging
80 Features
92 Overall
84
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 IV Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
- Revealed October 2013
- Successor is Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
- 33MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Increase to 204800)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 699g - 129 x 97 x 81mm
- Released October 2021
- Older Model is Sony A7 III

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 IV Overview
Below, we are matching up the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A7 IV, both Pro Mirrorless cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and A7 IV (33MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A7 IV (Full frame) possess totally different sensor size.

The E-M1 was unveiled 9 years prior to the A7 IV and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with the identical body type (SLR-style mirrorless).
Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-M1 scores against the A7 IV with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 IV Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Sony Alpha A7 IV. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Sony A7 IV Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Sony A7 IV
E-M1 | A7 IV |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony A7 IV over the Olympus E-M1
A7 IV | E-M1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | October 2021 | ![]() | October 2013 | Fresher by 97 months |
Display type | Fully articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Display resolution | 1440k | ![]() | 1037k | Clearer display (+403k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A7 IV
E-M1 | A7 IV | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focus | ||
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical display size |
Touch display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 IV Physical Comparison
For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 has got outer measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) whilst the Sony A7 IV has dimensions of 129mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2") and a weight of 699 grams (1.54 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A7 IV in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M1 compared to the A7 IV.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and A7 IV is 71 and 61 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 IV Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it can be difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by researching specifications. The photograph underneath will provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 and A7 IV.
To sum up, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A7 IV will provide you with extra detail having an extra 17MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images much more aggressively. The older E-M1 will be behind in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 IV Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 IV Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Sony Alpha A7 IV | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Sony Alpha A7 IV |
Class | Pro Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless |
Revealed | 2013-10-28 | 2021-10-21 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePIC VII | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Full frame |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 35.8 x 23.8mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 852.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 33 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 7008 x 4672 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 51200 |
Max boosted ISO | - | 204800 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Minimum boosted ISO | - | 50 |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Number of focus points | 81 | 759 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Total lenses | 107 | 172 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Fully articulated |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Screen resolution | 1,037 thousand dot | 1,440 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dot | 3,690 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.78x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/8000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 10.0fps | 10.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
Flash modes | Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), Manual | no built-in flash |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/320s | 1/200s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 3843840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 140 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 140 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 600 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 500 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 300 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 250 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 240 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 120p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 100p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
Video format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-I, H.264, H.265 |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | Yes (USB PD supported) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 497 grams (1.10 lb) | 699 grams (1.54 lb) |
Dimensions | 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") | 129 x 97 x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 73 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 23.0 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.7 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 757 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 shots | 600 shots |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLN-1 | NP-FZ100 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots |
Storage slots | One | Two |
Launch price | $799 | $2,500 |