Clicky

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV

Portability
85
Imaging
55
Features
78
Overall
64
Olympus PEN E-PL9 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV front
Portability
52
Imaging
53
Features
82
Overall
64

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV Key Specs

Olympus E-PL9
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 6400 (Raise to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 380g - 117 x 68 x 39mm
  • Introduced February 2018
  • Old Model is Olympus E-PL8
Sony RX10 IV
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 12800 (Raise to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-600mm (F2.4-4.0) lens
  • 1095g - 133 x 94 x 145mm
  • Launched September 2017
  • Succeeded the Sony RX10 III
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV Overview

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the RX10 IV (20MP) is pretty close but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and RX10 IV (1") boast totally different sensor measurements.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The E-PL9 was released 5 months after the RX10 IV so they are of a similar generation. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX10 IV being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving right into a in depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL9 grades vs the RX10 IV in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL9 over the Sony RX10 IV

 E-PL9 RX10 IV 

Reasons to pick Sony RX10 IV over the Olympus E-PL9

 RX10 IV E-PL9 
Screen resolution1440k1040kClearer screen (+400k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony RX10 IV

 E-PL9 RX10 IV 
LaunchedFebruary 2018September 2017Same generation
Focus manually Dial precise focusing
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen measurements
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL9 comes with physical dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") having a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Sony RX10 IV has dimensions of 133mm x 94mm x 145mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.7") and a weight of 1095 grams (2.41 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL9 and the RX10 IV.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and RX10 IV is 85 and 52 respectively.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV Sensor Comparison

Generally, its difficult to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions purely by researching a spec sheet. The picture underneath might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and RX10 IV.

As you can see, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony RX10 IV will provide you with greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures a bit more aggressively.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Portrait photography factors
Sony RX10 IV Portrait photography factors
73
manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers face detect focusing
exports RAW files
71
has manual focus
above average flash sync speed (1/2,000s)
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (1")
supports face detect focus
saves RAW files
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Street photography info
Sony RX10 IV Street photography info
84
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
features focus by touch
64
screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is good (1")
saves RAW files
comes with touch to focus
weather sealing
more heavy than competition in class (1,095g)
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-PL9
Sports photography with Sony RX10 IV
69
silent mode (1/16,000 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers tracking focus
has no phase detect AF
76
long zoom range (24-600mm 25.0 x zoom)
quiet shooting (1/32,000s)
high fps (24.0 frames per second)
has image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (20MP)
sensor size is good (1")
supports tracking focus
weather sealing
comes with phase detect auto focus
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PL9
Travel photography with Sony RX10 IV
77
has bluetooth
features focus by touch
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
flash built-in
screen isn't selfie friendly
56
weather sealing
supports bluetooth
comes with touch to focus
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
built-in flash
decently wide (24mm)
long zoom (600mm)
no Timelapse mode
more heavy than competition in class (1,095 grams)
display isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.4)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Landscape photography information
Sony RX10 IV Landscape photography information
80
manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
62
has manual focus
decently wide (24mm)
good sized screen (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (20MP)
sensor size is good (1")
saves RAW files
weather sealing
cannot swap lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.4)
no Timelapse mode
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 as a Vlogging camera
Sony RX10 IV as a Vlogging camera
35
touch screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
offers face detect focusing
high quality video (3840 x 2160 pxls)
screen isn't selfie friendly
no mic port
29
decently wide (24mm)
touchscreen functionality
has image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detect focus
high video quality (3840 x 2160 resolution)
does have microphone port
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.4)
display isn't selfie friendly
more heavy than competition in class (1,095g)
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX10 IV Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL9 and Sony RX10 IV
 Olympus PEN E-PL9Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model Olympus PEN E-PL9 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Large Sensor Superzoom
Introduced 2018-02-08 2017-09-12
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VIII Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 20MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 5472 x 3648
Maximum native ISO 6400 12800
Maximum boosted ISO 25600 25600
Minimum native ISO 200 125
RAW format
Minimum boosted ISO 100 64
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 121 315
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 24-600mm (25.0x)
Largest aperture - f/2.4-4.0
Macro focus distance - 3cm
Available lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 2.7
Screen
Display type Tilting Tilting
Display sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 1,040k dot 1,440k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359k dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/2000s
Maximum quiet shutter speed 1/16000s 1/32000s
Continuous shooting speed 8.6 frames per second 24.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 7.60 m (at ISO 200) 10.80 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash settings Auto, manual, redeye reduction, slow sync w/redeye reduction, slow sync , slow sync 2nd-curtain, fill-in, off Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync - 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p) ,1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Maximum video resolution 3840x2160 3840x2160
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 380 gr (0.84 lbs) 1095 gr (2.41 lbs)
Physical dimensions 117 x 68 x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") 133 x 94 x 145mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 350 pictures 400 pictures
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I supported) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Retail pricing $599 $1,698