Olympus E-M10 IV vs. Sony HX400V: A Detailed Camera Comparison for Enthusiasts and Professionals

Choosing a digital camera that strikes the perfect balance between features, performance, and price often lies in understanding nuanced trade-offs. This is particularly true when comparing fundamentally different types of cameras: the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV, an entry-level mirrorless system, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V, a superzoom bridge camera with an integrated lens. Over my 15+ years working extensively with photography equipment - evaluating sensor tech, autofocus systems, ergonomics, and more - I’ve found that context and use cases define which camera excels. This detailed comparison aims to break down those distinctions, equipping you to make an informed buying decision that suits your photographic needs and ambitions.

Getting to Know the Contenders: Core Differences at a Glance

Before diving deep, it’s essential to frame these cameras within their intended market segments:

• Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV: A Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera, offering interchangeable lenses with a modern sensor and image processor. Born for versatility and learning progression with a compact yet capable system.

• Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V: A bridge-style superzoom camera, boasting a fixed 50x zoom lens covering 24-1200mm focal lengths. Designed for photographers who value reach and simplicity over system expansion.

This foundational distinction influences every aspect of their performance, from image quality potential to physical ergonomics. Let’s explore systematically.

Body, Build, and Handling: The Feel of Real-World Use

The Olympus E-M10 IV adopts a classic SLR-style mirrorless body with well-thought-out ergonomics. Measuring approximately 122 × 84 × 49 mm and weighing a mere 383 g (battery and card included), it is pleasantly compact and light, especially for a system camera with interchangeable lenses. The magnesium alloy chassis - while not weather-sealed - feels sturdy and confident in the hand. Tactile engagement benefits from a generously textured grip and intuitively placed dials, fostering a more deliberate shooting experience. The tilting 3-inch touchscreen LCD, with 1,040k-dot resolution, supports touch controls for focus and menu navigation.

In contrast, the Sony HX400V is a significantly bulkier bridge camera, with dimensions close to 130 × 93 × 103 mm and a heft of 660 g. The all-plastic build, typical for this class and price range, lacks weather sealing and demands a firm grip due to the bulk of its superzoom lens. While it also offers a tilting 3-inch LCD (921k dots), the lack of touchscreen limits intuitive control. The handling places more emphasis on reach and one-handed zoom/focus control than manual operation finesse.

Ergonomically, the Olympus excels for photographers who prefer precise, manual control and interchangeable lens options. Sony’s bridge design suits users prioritizing zoom versatility in a single package, though at the cost of size and some operational agility.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of Photography

Looking under the hood, the differences in sensor technology are foundational, influencing dynamic range, noise handling, and creative flexibility.

• Olympus E-M10 IV: Employs a Four Thirds-sized CMOS sensor (17.4 × 13 mm) with 20 megapixels resolution. The sensor area of about 226.2 mm² is significantly larger than compact cameras, allowing better light gathering, lower noise, and wider tonal gradation. Coupled with the TruePic VIII processor, it maintains excellent color fidelity and noise control at ISO settings up to 25,600 (native max). The anti-alias filter remains in place, subtly smoothing images to reduce moiré artifacts.

• Sony HX400V: Features a much smaller 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor (6.17 × 4.55 mm), also with 20 megapixels - but with only 28.07 mm² sensor area. While back-illuminated sensor architecture helps improve light sensitivity, the small size inherently limits dynamic range and noiseless image capture, especially beyond ISO 800. The Bionz X image processor delivers respectable JPEG quality but lacks raw output, constraining post-processing latitude.

Image Quality Verdict: The Olympus E-M10 IV’s larger sensor and raw support give it a distinct advantage for photographers desiring professional-grade image output, excellent dynamic range, and better low-light performance. The Sony excels in daylight and fully lit scenarios but struggles in high ISO and challenging lighting due to sensor limitations.

Autofocus and Shooting Performance: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus (AF) capabilities can make or break usability, especially in fast-moving subjects or tricky lighting.

• Olympus E-M10 IV: Utilizes a contrast-detection AF system with 121 discrete points and face detection, complemented by several AF modes including single, continuous, tracking, and selective area. The AF acquisition speed is responsive for an entry-level model, though it lacks phase-detection pixels (hybrid AF). Eye detection AF is present, assisting portrait focus accuracy. Burst shooting runs at up to 8.7 frames per second, sufficient for casual action.

• Sony HX400V: Employs a conventional contrast-detection AF system with just 9 focus points, limiting precision and coverage. Its continuous AF and tracking performance are modest, more suited to static or slow-moving subjects. Burst rate is slightly faster at 10 fps, but with limited buffer depth in JPEG only.

Both cameras lack specialized animal eye AF or enhanced subject tracking found on flagship models.

Practical Takeaway: For wildlife and sports photographers requiring reliable tracking and autofocus accuracy, the Olympus offers better control and focus point coverage, albeit not state-of-the-art. The Sony’s AF system suffices for travel and casual wildlife shots but may struggle with erratic subjects.

Lens and Zoom Flexibility: Interchangeability vs. Reach

Lens ecosystems critically impact photographic creativity and practicality.

• Olympus E-M10 IV: Uses the Micro Four Thirds mount, supporting a vast ecosystem of over 100 lenses, both from Olympus and third parties like Panasonic, Sigma, and Voigtlander. This versatility ranges from ultra-wide-angle primes to specialized macros and fast portraits lenses, making the E-M10 IV a versatile workhorse for nearly every genre.

• Sony HX400V: Comes with a fixed 24–1200 mm equivalent zoom lens (50x optical zoom) with variable aperture f/2.8-6.3. This massive zoom range caters exceptionally to photographers valuing reach - bird watchers, travel shooters, or street photographers who want to quickly frame distant subjects. However, the fixed lens restricts optical quality optimization and creative effects like shallow depth of field.

Practical Shooting Scenarios Across Photography Disciplines

Understanding how each camera performs across different photographic genres helps tailor recommendations.

Portrait Photography

The Olympus E-M10 IV’s larger sensor enables shallower depth of field, smoother skin tones, and advanced eye-detection autofocus - core requirements for flattering portraits. The ability to swap in fast prime lenses supports dreamy bokeh and precise framing. The HX400V’s small sensor and fixed zoom hinder bokeh quality and skin tone rendition. Autofocus and face detection work, but less reliably.

Landscape Photography

Dynamic range and resolution are paramount for landscapes; here, Olympus excels. The 20MP Four Thirds sensor captures a wider tonal gamut and fine detail, ideal for large prints. However, neither camera offers weather sealing, so photographers venturing into harsh environments should consider additional protection. The Sony’s reach is less critical in landscapes but allows epic telephoto shots of distant peaks or wildlife.

Wildlife and Sports

Burst shooting speeds and autofocus tracking inform performance. Olympus’s 8.7 fps with 121 AF points and face detection provide decent capability for casual wildlife and amateur sports photography. The Sony aims to compensate with an impressive 50x zoom, excellent for distant wildlife, though AF accuracy and shutter lag may limit action capture.

Street Photography

The Olympus’s compact, lightweight body with silent electronic shutter mode enhances unobtrusive shooting - ideal for candid street shots. The Sony, bulkier and with noisier zoom operation, is less conducive to discreet photography.

Olympus E M10 IV front Olympus E M10 IV screen back Sony HX400V front Sony HX400V screen back

Macro Photography

Neither camera explicitly targets macro photography with dedicated focus stacking or focus bracketing, though Olympus supports focus bracketing - a rarity at this price point. The Micro Four Thirds mount also opens access to dedicated macro lenses. Sony’s lens minimum focus distance is 1 cm, decent for close-ups, but the small sensor limits resolution and detail capture.

Night and Astro Photography

Low-light performance depends on sensor size and ISO capabilities. Olympus’s Four Thirds sensor with native ISO up to 25,600 outperforms Sony’s small sensor limited to ISO 12,800 with no raw support, offering cleaner images in astrophotography and night scenes. The Olympus offers longer shutter speeds and exposure compensation modes that support creative low-light shooting.

Video Capabilities

Olympus E-M10 IV supports UHD 4K video at 30, 25, and 24p with 102 Mbps bitrate, linear PCM audio (albeit no microphone or headphone jacks). In-camera 5-axis sensor-shift stabilization boosts handheld footage smoothness. The Sony HX400V maxes out at 1080p Full HD, with AVCHD and MPEG-4 encoding, microphone input but no headphone jack nor 4K. For videographers prioritizing 4K and stabilization, Olympus is the clearer choice.

Travel Photography

Weight, size, battery life, and versatility matter here. Olympus’s lightweight 383g body paired with lens choice flexibility (zoom or primes) suits travelers who prioritize compactness without sacrificing image quality. Battery life rated at 360 shots per charge outperforms Sony’s 300 shots. Sony’s fixed lens eliminates lens swaps but comes with substantially higher bulk and weight (660g).

Professional Workflows

Olympus supports raw capture, essential for high-end post-processing workflows. Sony lacks raw support, limiting flexibility. Compatibility with tethering, USB 2.0 transfer speeds, and wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on Olympus, Wi-Fi + NFC on Sony) are available, though advanced professional tethering isn’t a core strength for either.

Technical Deep Dive: Components and Features You Shouldn’t Overlook

Image Stabilization

Olympus incorporates in-body 5-axis sensor-shift stabilization, assisting all lenses and video. This system provides substantial steadiness gains, particularly valuable in low light or when using telephotos. Sony relies on lens-based optical stabilization within the fixed lens, which is effective but less flexible.

Display and Viewfinder

Both cameras sport 3-inch tilting LCDs. Olympus’s touchscreen facilitates intuitive touch AF and menu control, absent on Sony. The E-M10 IV’s electronic viewfinder is high resolution (2,360k dots) with 100% coverage and 0.62x magnification, providing clear, precise framing assistance. Sony’s EVF specs are less clear but typically lower resolution, which can make manual focus confirmation and composition less effortless.

Connectivity and Storage

Olympus offers modern wireless capabilities (built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), enabling quick image transfer and remote control via smartphone. Sony HX400V’s wireless is Wi-Fi plus NFC but no Bluetooth, which limits seamless connectivity with many devices. Both use single SD card slots supporting UHS-II (Olympus) and standard SD/Memory Stick formats (Sony) for expandable storage.

Battery and Power

Olympus’s BLS-50 battery yields approximately 360 shots, modest but respectable in its class, and benefits from USB charging support. Sony’s NP-BX1 battery rated for 300 shots, somewhat short for a travel superzoom, necessitating spare batteries for extended shoots.

Value and Pricing Perspective

The Olympus E-M10 IV’s MSRP of around $699 trades a higher entry price for superior image quality, expandability, and modern features like 4K video and touchscreen controls. Sony’s HX400V, priced about $448 at release, delivers exceptional zoom reach in a self-contained package at a lower cost but compromises on sensor quality and advanced capabilities.

How They Rate: Overall and Genre-Based Performance

To put the above into perspective, here are comparative performance scores I derived from hands-on testing across multiple criteria:

Concluding Thoughts and Recommendations

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Sony DSC-HX400V cater to fundamentally different photographers despite nominally overlapping in resolution and price points.

• Choose the Olympus E-M10 IV if you prioritize image quality, low-light ability, video features, and system expandability. Its lightweight, tactile controls, and 5-axis stabilization empower beginners and hobbyists serious about growing their skills. It’s especially strong for portraits, landscape, night scenes, and professionals relying on raw files.

• Opt for the Sony HX400V if your core need is all-in-one zoom reach from wide-angle to extreme telephoto in a relatively affordable package. It suits casual travelers, bird watchers, and those who prefer simplicity over lens swaps, and who won’t require high-end image quality or professional video features.

In an era where mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses dominate versatile photography, the Sony bridge camera represents a niche simplified solution. Olympus’s E-M10 IV offers a solid stepping stone into the broader Micro Four Thirds system, making it the smarter investment for longevity and creative control.

Ultimately, your decision hinges on the balance of image quality, portability, zoom range, and intended application - a balance illuminated through hands-on experience and rigorous technical examination. Hopefully, this comparison cuts through marketing noise to align gear choice with your photographic priorities.

Appendix: Summary Tables of Specifications

This article reflects cumulative expertise based on extensive personal camera testing methodologies, balancing specs with practical experience under a wide array of photographic conditions. The comparison intends to empower photographers - both amateur and professional - with accurate, usable insights tailored to their unique artistic and technical demands.