Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A290

In this article, we will be looking at the Olympus E-M10 IV versus Sony A290, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the E-M10 IV (20MP) and A290 (14MP) and the E-M10 IV (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M10 IV was introduced 10 years after the A290 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M10 IV being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-M10 IV scores versus the A290 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M10 IV Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-M10 IV has got outside dimensions of 122mm x 84mm x 49mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 1.9") with a weight of 383 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-M10 IV versus Sony A290 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-M10 IV and the A290.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M10 IV and A290 is 81 and 66 respectively.

Often, it's hard to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions just by viewing specs. The pic here might give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M10 IV and A290.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M10 IV with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Olympus E-M10 IV will provide you with extra detail using its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots a little more aggressively. The younger E-M10 IV is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.