Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV review

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a compact, stylish mirrorless camera that blends ease of use with great creative potential. Designed for beginners and hobbyists ready to move beyond a smartphone or compact camera, it delivers a polished shooting experience without overwhelming complexity.

It combines a 20.3MP Micro Four Thirds sensor, in-body image stabilization and a touch screen to produce high-quality images and video. Its lightweight build and retro-inspired design make it a dream to carry around, and features like 4K video open the door for hybrid video and stills shooting. The E-M10 Mark IV offers an ideal balance of portability and performance, making it the ideal camera for beginners to build skills and confidence while still delivering results that look like they came from a much more advanced camera.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV review

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Design

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• Fits into a coat pocket
• Camera grip is basically non-existent
• Has everything you need on the body

The biggest draw of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is how small and lightweight it is, making it ideal for beginners and anyone wanting a small camera for traveling. Weighing just 13.5 oz / 383 g with the battery and card, it easily fits into your coat pocket and also won't give you neck strain when carrying it around your neck during longer shoots. We thought the grip was a little small, so if you're used to larger full-frame cameras or you have larger hands, it may take a bit of getting used to.

We thought the menu system was a little messy, but we liked that there was a short explanation of each setting, like on the OM-1 Mark II. However, once you know what you're doing, or if you're going to stay in one of the auto modes for point-and-shoot purposes, you shouldn't need to go into the menus much after the initial setup.

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It has the classic Olympus (now OM System) retro styling, and it pairs really well with the kit lenses — but can also comfortably pair with a slightly bigger lens. We used it with the 12-40mm f/2.8 II Pro, but we'd be reluctant to go any bigger to avoid throwing off the weight distribution.

The battery and card compartment door is on the underside of the camera, which is only annoying if you need to swap them while the camera is on a tripod — a possibility if you're using it for astrophotography. The buttons are well-pronounced and easy to press in the dark — albeit a little fiddly with long nails.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Performance

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• Quick and easy to get shooting
• Can produce some pretty great results when paired with good quality glass
• Perfect for casual shooters

For an entry-level mirrorless camera, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV delivers an impressive performance, making it an excellent camera for those just starting photography. It's quick and easy to get shooting, particularly if you're primarily going to be using the auto modes. Even if you opt for manual, its intuitive controls and responsive interface won't slow you down.

The autofocus is reliable for most everyday subjects, although, during a portrait shoot it unsurprisingly had a lower keep-rate than the same images we took on our own Sony A7R V. Still, its well suited for casual users who don't need the best photos in the world, but it's still capable of producing some impressive images, particularly if you pair it with a good quality lens.

The 20.3MP sensor produces images with excellent color accuracy and good dynamic range, retaining a pleasing amount of detail in both shadows and highlights. The camera felt overall very dependable out in the field and will give the user room to grow if desired.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Functionality

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• Live Composite is excellent for capturing star trails
• 5 FPS with continuous autofocus won't be fast enough for serious wildlife photography
• 4K video to suit video creation

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV offers a versatile range of features that make it well-suited to creative photography as well as casual shooting. One standout tool is Live Composite mode, which is excellent for capturing star trails, light painting and other long-exposure effects without the risk of overexposing the image. This feature lets the user monitor the result in real-time, which is a huge advantage for night sky shooting. Plus, it combines the result into one final image, rather than hundreds of individual frames that require stacking in editing software.

With continuous autofocus, the camera offers a 5 frames-per-second burst rate. This isn't bad for most uses, but if you want to focus on wildlife photography in particular, you'll soon find this very limiting when photographing fast-moving subjects.

On the video front, the inclusion of 4K recording caters to those wanting to explore vlogging and content creation. The footage is crisp, with good color and detail, making it suitable for many types of shooting, from vlogs to travel content, or even social media videos. We'd rather the screen be fully articulating as opposed to tilt-only to open it up for self-recording, but overall, it's a practical hybrid camera for beginners.

Should you buy the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV?

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a great fit for anyone stepping up from a smartphone or compact camera, offering a noticeable boost in image quality without sacrificing portability. Its straightforward controls make it easy for newbies to get confident quickly, while 4K video and Live Composite modes provide room to explore more creative avenues.

It's not the fastest camera around, so if you're focusing heavily on sports or fast wildlife, you'll want a camera more suited to wildlife photography. But for travel, portraits, street photography or everyday life, it delivers consistent and pleasing results.

If you value versatility in a small package, the E-M10 Mark IV is a dependable, stylish option that offers more creative potential than its small size might suggest.

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