I’ve been thinking about buying a camera.
I had pretty much convinced myself that the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk II was the right camera to buy, until I stumbled on a $670 price for a new OM-D E-M1 body. Now I’m conflicted. The E-M10 Mk II is a brand-new design, while the E-M1 was announced in September of 2013, though it’s still actively receiving firmware updates (here’s a Youtube video explaining the new features). Also, a Mk II version of the E-M1 is expected imminently (though it will be well outside of my price range).
In the < $1000 price range, the OM-D E-M10 Mk II is regarded as the top pick by The Wirecutter, and is the ‘also consider’ choice of DPReview in their 2015 Roundup of $500-800 cameras1. The Wirecutter has picked the E-M1 as its runner-up for overall Best Mirrorless Camera, after the $1,700 (with kit lens) Fujifilm X-T1.
I’ve found it hard to find a direct comparison of the E-M10 Mk II against E-M1, since they’re usually regarded as existing at wildly different price points. This is my attempt to compare the two, but it’s actually tough to find modern data on the E-M1 as so much has been improved via firmware updates. Unless otherwise noted, this data has come from the DPReview reviews of the E-M10 Mk II and the E-M1.
| OM-D E-M10 Mk II | OM-D E-M1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price2 | $750 | $870 ($670 + $199) |
| Sensor | 16.1 MP Live MOS (Four Thirds) | |
| Processor | TruePIC VII | |
| Image Stabilization | 5-axis (4 stops) | 5-axis (???) |
| Electronic Shutter | Yes | Yes (v4 firmware) |
| ISO Range | 100-25600 | |
| Max Burst Rate | 8.5fps | 10fps |
| LCD Type | Tilting | |
| LCD size/resolution | 3” / 1.04M-dot | |
| EVF type/resolution | 2.36M-dot OLED | 2.36M-dot LCD(?) |
| EVF size (35mm equiv.) | 0.62x | 0.74x |
| AF targeting pad | Yes | No |
| Built-in flash | Yes | No |
| Video resolution | 1080/60p/30p/24p | 1080/30p/24p |
| 4K time-lapse | Yes | Yes |
| Weather-sealing | No | Yes |
| Mic Jack | No | Yes |
| Battery life | 320 shots | 350 shots |
| Dimensions | 120 x 83 x 47mm | 130 x 94 x 63 mm |
| Weight (loaded) | 390 g | 497 g |
| Focus | Contrast Detect | Contrast + Phase Detect |
I’m leaning heavily toward the E-M1, though I’m a little worried that the heavier and larger body may not be ideal - but the Phase-Detect Continuous Auto-Focus would be very welcome with our poorly-behaved dogs.
I haven’t settled on anything yet, but I’ll post when I do. These are some other links I’ve found useful:
- Imaging Resource Olympus E-M1 Review
- This DPReview discussion thread compares the E-M1 against the E-M10 and the Mk II variants of the E-M10 and E-M5.