Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony a5100

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-M10 IV versus Sony a5100, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M10 IV (20MP) and the a5100 (24MP) is pretty close but the E-M10 IV (Four Thirds) and a5100 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor size.

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The E-M10 IV was unveiled 6 years after the a5100 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M10 IV being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-M10 IV matches up vs the a5100 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Sony Alpha a5100. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M10 IV Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-M10 IV features physical measurements of 122mm x 84mm x 49mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 1.9") along with a weight of 383 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Sony a5100 has specifications of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M10 IV versus Sony a5100 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-M10 IV versus the a5100.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M10 IV and a5100 is 81 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to envision the gap in sensor sizes purely by viewing technical specs. The picture below may provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M10 IV and a5100.

As you have seen, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M10 IV having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony a5100 will result in extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The newer E-M10 IV is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.