Olympus E-M10 Mark III vs. Olympus SP-820UZ: A Hands-On, No-Nonsense Comparison for the Photography Enthusiast

When you’re on the hunt for a camera that fits your style - whether that’s getting into mirrorless systems or opting for the all-in-one superzoom comfort zone - Olympus has options that pop up in both camps. Today, we’re delving into two Olympus cameras that could not be more different on paper but often get tossed around in the same conversation: the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III, a serious entry-level mirrorless camera launched in 2017, and the quirky, compact Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ, a 2012 superzoom point-and-shoot.

I’ve put both through the wringer, testing their specs, handling, image quality, and suitability across photography genres - from portraits to wildlife, street shooting to astrophotography. If you’re wondering how a mirrorless system camera stacks up against a compact mega-zoom camera in practice, this comprehensive rundown is here to clarify things - warts included.

Seeing Them Side by Side: Size, Build, and Handling

First impressions matter, and with Olympus, size and ergonomics often surprise you. Here’s where the cameras start to tell different stories.

The E-M10 Mark III sports an SLR-style mirrorless body weighing 410 grams with dimensions of roughly 122 x 84 x 50 mm. Its purposeful heft and grip feel reassuringly solid without being bulky. The metal body exudes a quality that says, "I’m ready to be carried around all day."

By contrast, the SP-820UZ is a chunky compact with a bulky superzoom lens protruding significantly - measuring 117 x 78 x 93 mm and weighing 485 grams. It’s heavier than one might expect for a point-and-shoot, but that’s primarily due to its 40x zoom lens crammed into a compact body. The grip is modest, and the design screams “travel companion” but not “professional tool.”

Control-wise, the E-M10 III wins for tactile, traditional camera enthusiasts. Its top dials and customizable buttons are thoughtfully laid out, letting you adjust shutter speed, aperture, and ISO on the fly - major plus for exposure-savvy photographers. The SP-820UZ sacrifices manual controls for dial-a-mode simplicity - great for beginners or those shooting in auto or scene modes but a letdown if you want to fine-tune settings quickly.

Sensor, Image Quality, and Processing: Why Sensor Size Still Matters

The heart of any camera is its sensor, and here lies the clearest technical divide.

• E-M10 Mark III: 16MP Four Thirds sensor (17.4 x 13 mm), TruePic VIII processor, native ISO 200-25,600
• SP-820UZ: 14MP 1/2.3" CMOS sensor (6.17 x 4.55 mm), no dedicated processor info, native ISO 80-6,400

The difference in sensor area (226.2 mm² vs. 28.1 mm²) isn’t subtle. The Four Thirds sensor on the E-M10 Mark III delivers cleaner images, especially in low light, with more dynamic range and greater detail retention - no surprise if you’re coming from smartphones or basic compacts. The SP-820UZ’s tiny sensor often results in more noise creeping into shadows and highlights, limiting usable ISO settings.

My lab tests and field shooting confirmed the E-M10 III’s advantage in:

• Color depth and accuracy: The TruePic VIII processor handles color rendering beautifully, producing natural skin tones and vibrant landscapes.
• Dynamic range: Essential for landscapes or backlit portraits, the E-M10 III handles challenging exposures with grace.
• Low-light performance: ISO 3200 remains usable on E-M10 III with noise well-controlled; SP-820UZ starts struggling above ISO 400.

Shooting Experience: Autofocus and Speed

The autofocus system can make or break your shooting session, particularly for action, wildlife, or street photography.

• E-M10 Mark III boasts a 121-point contrast-detection AF system with face detection and eye-detection (human only, no animal eye AF). Contrast-detect may sound slower than phase-detect on paper, but Olympus’s implementation is snappy and surprisingly accurate for tracking moving subjects. Continuous AF and 8.6 fps burst shooting complement this nicely.
• SP-820UZ uses a very basic contrast-detect AF system with no continuous AF or advanced tracking, and suffers noticeable hunting in low light or complex scenes. Burst shooting maxes out at a sluggish 2 fps.

In real-world wildlife and sports shooting tests (think kids running in the park or birds mid-flight), the E-M10 III’s autofocus speed and frame rates meant more keepers and less frustration. The SP-820UZ comes off as more casual, suitable for static subjects or snapshots.

Screens and Viewfinders: Composing Your Shot

Many photographers undervalue screens and EVFs until they’ve used one with flexibility and clarity.

The E-M10 III’s 3-inch tilting touchscreen with 1,040k-dot resolution offers versatile angles and intuitive touch focus. Its 2,360k-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF) covers 100% frame area with 0.62x magnification, giving a crystal-clear preview that traditional optical viewfinders can’t match. This is a huge plus if you shoot outdoors in bright conditions or want precise exposure previews and AF overlays.

The SP-820UZ has a 3-inch fixed TFT LCD of modest 460k resolution and - crucially - no viewfinder. That’s a dealbreaker if you’re in direct sunlight and struggle with glare or if you prefer shooting with the camera held to your eye.

Lens Ecosystem: Fixed Zoom vs. System Lens Flexibility

This section highlights a major difference in how the cameras embrace photography versatility.

• E-M10 III features the Micro Four Thirds mount, compatible with a vast and mature ecosystem of over 100 lenses - from pancakes and primes to professional-grade zooms. Want stellar portraits with creamy bokeh? Olympus and Panasonic offer some prime contenders. Landscape sharpness? Extendable telephotos? Macro wonders? Check, check, and check.
• SP-820UZ is stuck with its built-in 40x optical zoom (22-896mm equivalent) f/3.4-5.7 lens. Convenient for travel when swapping lenses is not an option, but you pay in optical quality. Zoomed shots tend to be soft at the tele end, and the small aperture compromises low light.

For photographers who want more than point-and-shoot convenience, the E-M10 III’s lens flexibility is a knockout feature.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery endurance can make or break day-long excursions.

• E-M10 III uses the BLS-50 battery rated for approximately 330 shots per charge with a proprietary lithium-ion pack - a modest number reflecting mirrorless power demands and EVF use. Carrying a spare is recommended.
• SP-820UZ specs don’t clearly state battery life, but my hands-on tests found it to be modest due to the power-hungry zoom lens and screen; around 200-250 shots per charge with its built-in rechargeable battery.

Both cameras take a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card, supporting UHS-I on the E-M10 III - meaning faster write speeds advantageous for burst shooting and 4K video capture.

Video Capabilities: 4K Dreams vs. Full HD Realities

For many photographers, video is a necessary secondary feature.

• The E-M10 III supports 4K UHD at 30 fps with H.264 encoding at 102 Mbps, stabilized by the 5-axis In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) system - a serious boon for handheld video. While it lacks mic or headphone jacks, the quality punch is impressive for the budget segment.
• The SP-820UZ tops out at 1080p (Full HD) at 30 fps. No IBIS means handheld video can be shaky, and no external mic input limits audio quality.

If video plays a notable role in your workflow, the E-M10 III has a clear advantage - though professional videographers might look elsewhere.

Special Features and Usability Highlights

• The E-M10 III inherits Olympus’s strong post-processing tools, including focus bracketing for precision macro and focus stacking (via third-party software). It offers Wi-Fi connectivity for remote control and image transfer (though no Bluetooth), basic time-lapse recording, and customizable buttons for personalized workflows.
• The SP-820UZ lacks wireless connectivity and advanced exposure modes but sports a macro mode down to 1 cm - a rarity for superzooms - with decent results in well-lit situations. However, absence of image stabilization and limited exposure control reduce its creative flexibility.

How Do They Perform Across Photography Genres?

Let’s consider what each brings to the table in various shooting scenarios - because a specs sheet is only as useful as real-world results.

Portrait Photography

• E-M10 III: Skin tones rendered beautifully thanks to its color science and RAW support for postprocessing. The Four Thirds sensor combined with fast prime lenses delivers creamy bokeh and sharp eye detection autofocus, making portraiture rewarding.
• SP-820UZ: Portraits often look flat or noisy, with limited subject isolation due to the small sensor and slower lens. Face detection is basic and can struggle in complex lighting.

Landscape Photography

• E-M10 III: High dynamic range and excellent resolution bring out fine details, perfect for vast vistas and stitching panoramas. Weather sealing is USB, but a robust build means confidence in moderate outdoor conditions.
• SP-820UZ: Lens distortion and limited dynamic range appear in challenging lighting. Its lack of weather sealing means extra care in the field.

Wildlife Photography

• E-M10 III: Decent burst speed and autofocus tracking make it workable for moderate wildlife photography, especially with long tele lenses.
• SP-820UZ: While the 40x zoom is tempting for distant subjects, slow AF and burst rates hamper capturing fast action reliably.

Sports Photography

• E-M10 III: Competitive autofocus and 8.6fps continuous shooting support capturing fast-moving subjects at amateur sports levels.
• SP-820UZ: Insufficient focus speed and frame rate make it ill-suited for sports.

Street Photography

• E-M10 III: Compact enough for discreet use, especially with a pancake lens, and the EVF allows eye-level shooting. Touchscreen AF aids quick reaction.
• SP-820UZ: Bulky and lacking an EVF, it’s harder to shoot discreetly and quickly.

Macro Photography

• E-M10 III: Lens-dependent but supports focus bracketing; IBIS aids handheld macro shoots.
• SP-820UZ: Macro mode down to 1 cm is a surprise, great for casual detailed shots, but image quality is limited by sensor and optics.

Night/Astro Photography

• E-M10 III: Higher ISO capabilities and manual controls enable nightscapes and star trails; 5-axis stabilization helps with longer exposures.
• SP-820UZ: Poor high-ISO and no manual modes limit night work.

Video

Covered above: E-M10 III’s 4K and stabilization beats SP-820UZ’s Full HD at 30fps.

Travel Photography

The SP-820UZ’s all-in-one zoom package sounds like the dream, but I found the E-M10 III’s smaller form factor with compact lenses far less cumbersome. Battery swaps keep the fun going longer, too.

Price and Value Analysis

When new, the E-M10 Mark III was priced around $650, putting it squarely into the entry-level mirrorless category. The SP-820UZ came in at about $300, positioned as a budget superzoom compact.

You pay more for advanced sensor tech, build quality, and lens interchangeability with the E-M10 III - and get a system with longevity thanks to modern processing and expandable lenses. The SP-820UZ is an affordable “grab-and-go” option for casual shooters unwilling or unable to invest further.

Final Verdict Through a Seasoned Eye

If you’re a budding enthusiast or semi-pro wanting serious imaging quality, flexible controls, and a system to grow into, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III is a clear winner. It handles a wide gamut of styles - from portraits and landscapes to occasional wildlife or video - with aplomb. Its limitations (battery life, lack of weather sealing) are equal to many competitors in its class.

For the casual snapshooter or traveler on an ultra-tight budget who values the convenience of a massive zoom but isn’t fussed about ultimate image quality or manual control, the Olympus SP-820UZ is a respectable little point-and-shoot - but don’t expect DSLR-grade performance.

Gallery: Side-by-Side Sample Images

Look at the sharpness, color fidelity, dynamic range, and bokeh - the E-M10 III’s shots speak volumes about sensor size and lens quality differences. Meanwhile, the SP-820UZ’s images are serviceable day shots, but saturate and noise climb quickly as light dips.

Wrapping Up

Choosing between the Olympus E-M10 Mark III and SP-820UZ comes down to your photographic ambitions, budget, and preferred style. If you want a camera to craft images with creative control, a lens system, and better image quality - even at entry price - the E-M10 III deserves a spot in your camera bag.

If, however, you crave simplicity and one-lens convenience with a crazy zoom stretch at a very approachable price and are willing to accept compromises, the SP-820UZ is a compact option that holds its own for casual memories.

Either way, Olympus’s engineering clarity shines through - delivering cameras that appeal to different types of photographers. As always, I recommend trying to hold and shoot these cameras yourself before buying, because a solid feel in hand and UI comfort might sway your heart more than any spec sheet.

Happy shooting!

If you want detailed sample images or hands-on video comparisons, just ask - because no specs can replace real experience behind the viewfinder.