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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1

Portability
81
Imaging
62
Features
83
Overall
70
Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV front
 
Sony Alpha a1 front
Portability
61
Imaging
81
Features
93
Overall
85

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 Key Specs

Olympus E-M10 IV
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 383g - 122 x 84 x 49mm
  • Announced August 2020
  • Older Model is Olympus E-M10 III
Sony a1
(Full Review)
  • 50MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 32000 (Push to 102400)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 7680 x 4320 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 737g - 129 x 97 x 70mm
  • Announced January 2021
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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 Overview

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus E-M10 IV versus Sony a1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the E-M10 IV (20MP) and a1 (50MP) and the E-M10 IV (Four Thirds) and a1 (Full frame) have totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-M10 IV was unveiled 5 months before the a1 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras have the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before getting into a thorough comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-M10 IV grades vs the a1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M10 IV over the Sony a1

 E-M10 IV a1 
Selfie screen Take selfies

Reasons to pick Sony a1 over the Olympus E-M10 IV

 a1 E-M10 IV 
Screen resolution1440k1040kSharper screen (+400k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony a1

 E-M10 IV a1 
AnnouncedAugust 2020January 2021Similar generation
Focus manually Very exact focus
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen sizing
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 Physical Comparison

If you are aiming to travel with your camera, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M10 IV features external measurements of 122mm x 84mm x 49mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 1.9") and a weight of 383 grams (0.84 lbs) and the Sony a1 has proportions of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M10 IV versus Sony a1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-M10 IV vs the a1.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M10 IV and a1 is 81 and 61 respectively.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is very tough to see the difference between sensor dimensions only by checking specs. The picture underneath will provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M10 IV and a1.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-M10 IV having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony a1 will resolve extra detail having an extra 30MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots more aggressively.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M10 IV as a Portrait photography camera
Sony a1 as a Portrait photography camera
77
you can focus manually
decent megapixels (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports face detection focusing
exports RAW formats
88
you can focus manually
high flash sync (1/400 seconds)
high MP (50 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports face detection autofocus
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M10 IV
Street photography with Sony a1
84
screen tilts up and down
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
provides touch to focus
good ISO range (25,600)
79
screen tilts
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
exports RAW formats
has focus via touch
environment proofing
good high ISO (32,000)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M10 IV Sports photography information
Sony a1 Sports photography information
72
silent shutter (1/16,000s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent megapixels (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports tracking autofocus
lack of phase detect AF
90
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shooting (1/32,000 seconds)
high max fps (30.0 frames/s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
high MP (50 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports tracking autofocus
environment proofing
great battery power (530 per charge)
has phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M10 IV Travel photography advice
Sony a1 Travel photography advice
84
has bluetooth
provides touch to focus
decent megapixels (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
selfie friendly screen
73
great battery power (530 per charge)
environment proofing
connects via bluetooth
has focus via touch
high MP (50 megapixels)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M10 IV Landscape photography advice
Sony a1 Landscape photography advice
82
you can focus manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent megapixels (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
good ISO range (25,600)
exports RAW formats
88
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
high MP (50MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
good high ISO (32,000)
exports RAW formats
environment proofing
great battery power (530 shots)
has dual storage slots
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M10 IV as a Vlogging camera
Sony a1 as a Vlogging camera
78
selfie friendly screen
touch screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detection focusing
video resolution high (3840 x 2160 pxls)
missing external mic jack
36
built-in touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detection autofocus
high res video (7680 x 4320 pxls)
has external microphone jack
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony a1
 Olympus OM-D E-M10 IVSony Alpha a1
General Information
Make Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV Sony Alpha a1
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Pro Mirrorless
Announced 2020-08-04 2021-01-26
Body design SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VIII -
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Full frame
Sensor measurements 17.4 x 13mm 35.9 x 24mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 861.6mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixel 50 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 5184 x 3888 8640 x 5760
Maximum native ISO 25600 32000
Maximum boosted ISO - 102400
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW images
Minimum boosted ISO 100 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 121 759
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds Sony E
Number of lenses 107 133
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1
Screen
Range of display Tilting Tilting
Display size 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 1,040 thousand dot 1,440 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot 9,437 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.62x 0.9x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/8000 secs
Highest quiet shutter speed 1/16000 secs 1/32000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 8.7 frames per second 30.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 7.20 m (at ISO 200) no built-in flash
Flash settings Redeye, fill-in, off, redeye slow-sync (1st-curtain), slow sync (1st-curtain), slow sync (2nd-curtain), manual Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/250 secs 1/400 secs
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 7680x4320 (30p, 25p, 23.98)
Maximum video resolution 3840x2160 7680x4320
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 XAVC S, XAVC HS, H.264, H.265
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Yes
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 383g (0.84 lb) 737g (1.62 lb)
Physical dimensions 122 x 84 x 49mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 1.9") 129 x 97 x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 360 shots 530 shots
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLS-50 NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots (UHS-II supported)
Storage slots Single 2
Retail cost $699 $6,498