Olympus E-M1 vs Sony RX100 IV

Below is a in depth review of the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony RX100 IV, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the RX100 IV (20MP) is very well matched but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and RX100 IV (1") come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-M1 was manufactured 19 months before the RX100 IV making the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 IV being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-M1 grades versus the RX100 IV in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Sony RX100 IV Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 provides outer measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Sony RX100 IV has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") with a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony RX100 IV in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use during that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M1 versus the RX100 IV.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and RX100 IV is 71 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to envision the contrast between sensor measurements only by looking at technical specs. The visual here may give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 and RX100 IV.

As you can tell, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony RX100 IV will give you extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older E-M1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.