Olympus OM-D E-M10 E-M10 Mark IV Silver 2020 Review

The Olympus E-M10 Mark IV is a compact, beginner-friendly mirrorless camera that punches above its weight with excellent in-body stabilization and a selfie-friendly flip screen. Its contrast-detect autofocus and lack of weather sealing are the main trade-offs. If you prioritize small size and steady handheld shooting over action tracking and tank-like build, it's a delightful choice.

If you're hunting for a mirrorless camera under $600 that won't weigh you down, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV keeps showing up on shortlists, and for good reason. It crams a 20.3MP Micro Four Thirds sensor, 5-axis in-body stabilization, and 4K video into a body that weighs just 335 grams. The fully articulating 3-inch touchscreen flips all the way down for selfies, which is a rare treat at this price, and the 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder is sharper than what you'd expect on an entry-level body. For anyone stepping up from a smartphone or an old DSLR, the E-M10 IV feels like a friendly, capable companion that doesn't get in the way.

The spec sheet has a few older-school charms. You get a mechanical burst of 8.7 fps, a 121-point contrast-detect AF system with eye and animal detection borrowed from Olympus's pricier E-M1 line, and sensor-shift stabilization good for about 4.5 stops. That IBIS is the real differentiator here. If you're vlogging handheld or shooting in dim cafes, the stabilization lets you drop the shutter speed and keep stills sharp without a tripod. Battery life is a highlight, too, easily lasting through a full day of casual shooting, and the camera supports USB charging, so topping up on the go is painless.

The catch? The body is all plastic and has zero weather sealing. In our database, that puts its build quality right near the bottom of the mirrorless barrel, so you'll need to be mindful around rain or dust. The Micro Four Thirds sensor is also a step behind larger APS-C and full-frame options when the lights go down, but in decent light the images pop with pleasing color and plenty of detail for social media or prints up to a decent size. For beginners, streamers, and anyone who likes the idea of a tiny camera with big stabilization, the E-M10 IV still makes a whole lot of sense.

In our lab, the E-M10 IV's battery performance sits at the 90th percentile among mirrorless cameras. You can reliably squeeze out 360 shots on a charge, which is top-notch for a body this small and keeps it ahead of many pricier rivals. The electronic viewfinder is a standout, too. With 2.36M dots and 0.67x magnification, it's sharp and easy on the eyes, ranking in the 89th percentile and making manual focusing much more pleasant than on some competitors' low-res finders.

Autofocus is a mixed story. Olympus tuned the contrast-detect system well for general stills, and the eye/animal detection is a nice touch for portraits and pets. In our testing, it locked onto faces reliably and kept up with casual movement, but it doesn't have the sticky, predictive tracking you get from hybrid PDAF systems. The AF performance ranks around the 79th percentile, which is above average, but if your main thing is sports or chasing kids at full sprint, you'll notice some hesitation. Video sits squarely in the middle of the pack. The 4K30p footage looks clean with good stabilization, but you don't get 4K60, 10-bit internal recording, or a flat log profile, so graded work is limited. The sensor, too, is middle-of-the-road; detail is respectable under ISO 1600, but noise climbs quickly past 3200, and dynamic range can't match what a modern APS-C chip delivers. In practice, you'll get crisp, colorful images in good light, but low-light scenes need a fast lens and a steady hand.

Price is a weird one here. In our checks, the E-M10 IV body-only pops up at around $599 from major retailers, and some bundle listings go well into four figures, with one outlier we spotted inexplicably north of $129,000. Stick to that $599-ish ballpark and you're getting a lot of camera for the money. The IBIS alone is worth the entry fee if you do handheld video or low-light stills, and you won't find a stabilized beginner body this small from Sony or Canon without spending significantly more or moving up a sensor size. If you see a price that looks too good to be true or ridiculously high, skip it. The real sweet spot is with authorized sellers listing the silver body and 14-42mm EZ kit lens for a reasonable premium over the body-only price.

When you stack it against the Sony a6100, the differences are crystal clear. The Sony's hybrid autofocus is faster and more reliable for tracking, and its APS-C sensor delivers better high-ISO noise control and dynamic range. But the a6100 has no in-body stabilization, its viewfinder is lower resolution, and the fully articulating screen is not flip-down selfie-friendly. If you're half vlogger and half stills shooter, the Olympus pulls ahead with that IBIS and screen combo. The Canon EOS R50 is another competitor at a similar price, offering excellent Dual Pixel AF and a more modern interface, but again, you lose the sensor-shift stabilization and the Olympus's superior EVF. For photographers who don't need weather sealing and prioritize a small, stabilized package, the E-M10 IV still holds its own against these newer entries. It's a different flavor, not a worse one, unless you shoot fast motion in dim conditions, where the competition clearly wins.

Skip the E-M10 IV if you shoot weddings, sports, or wildlife. The lack of weather sealing and the contrast-detect AF system will leave you frustrated in fast-paced or unpredictable conditions, and the Micro Four Thirds sensor can't deliver the clean high-ISO files you need in dim reception halls or at dawn. In those cases, look at something like the Olympus E-M5 Mark III for weather resistance and phase-detect AF, or a Sony a6400 if low-light performance and sticky autofocus are top priorities. This camera is a fantastic second body or travel companion, but it's not built to be a primary pro workhorse.

Should you buy the Olympus E-M10 Mark IV? If you're a beginner, a travel photographer, or someone who wants to dip into vlogging without breaking the bank, it's an easy yes. That in-body stabilization changes how you shoot, letting you leave the tripod at home and still get sharp video and low-light stills. The flip-down screen and featherweight body make it a joy to carry, and the viewfinder is a genuine treat. You'll get a camera that encourages you to take it everywhere.

But it's not a one-size-fits-all answer. Anyone who regularly shoots fast action, plans to work in harsh weather, or demands the cleanest possible low-light files should look elsewhere. The plastic, unsealed build and contrast-detect AF are reminders that this is a budget-friendly body, not a rugged workhorse. For the right person, though, it's one of the most charming and practical mirrorless cameras you can buy for under $600.