Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, the best BUDGET mirrorless camera? - RED35 Review

I am thinking between this and Sony zv e10
But I believe the sony with a small gimbal would be a better choice
What do you think?
It is mainly for vlogging

Thanks! Wonderful summary.

Went with the E-M10 iv after shooting with the original E-M5 for a decade. While I would have preferred the E-M5 iii, or its updated OM-5 reskin, instead I got the M10 used for 1/4th the price of the M5. I really wanted to love the new OM-5, but it just seems like last-decade technology; no USB-C, no new sensor, and a less than compelling compute/social/ai enhancements.

I do have a GH5S for video, and it's been a blessing the last few years, all the while my OMD has just gathered dust. Olympus has never made much effort with the video side of things, and being locked indoors the last few years, I didn't use it as I just didn't need a travel camera.

I have some big travel plans this summer though, and despite my smartphone being a pretty great primary stills-camera, nothing can yet replace my 75mm Olympus lens. I probably would have jumped on an older E-M5 ii if I could have snagged one for $200 or so, to get focus peaking and a slightly better sensor, but an M10-iv for a bit more seemed worth it. My ancient E-M5 is hard to use with manual primes, and there is very little data to work with when post-processing, but otherwise it's a beautiful little stills camera.

OM Systems needs to excite me, while keeping well away from competing in the price range that Sony FF cameras are in. $500 to $1500 is the price range I'm hoping for. Auto-focus needs to be at least as good as a Sony A6100 camera, ideally even better. Clean HDMI output (mini or full sized port), line/mic in audio, NDI output, USB-C webcam output, USB-rapid charging, NFC connectivity, digital e-stab + IBIS, and a more seamless mobile experience integration. Perhaps even slap Android OS in, using a Qualcomm snapdragon chipset to power the device; how cool would it be if the camera was picked up as the primary system camera so it is compatible with all Android apps? I'd smack on my fish-eye pancake lens and pocket such a camera, or switch to a 25mm to do a live stream from my home studio. If done flawlessly, perhaps in partnership with Samsung, I'd drop even upwards of $2000 for such a beast.

thanks for this video, got one question for you: Does this Olympus EM10 camera become warm after being turned on for a few minutes without shooting videos(just looking through menu or shoot pictures)? I live in a tropical place, previously owned a Fuji xt20, and as soon as I turned it on, within 2 minutes I could feel the warmth in hand, and totally turned off my passion for shooting. So this potential issue is my biggest concern, would like to hear your input, thanks a lot.

I’m really considering this camera and a single prime lens and I’m struggling to decide between the 25mm and 45mm prime.

I’ve changed systems a lot, going from old Nikon d3XXX bodies and Nikon 50mm 1.8g to a canon 70D and 400 prime > Nikon d7100 + 200-500 and tamron 60mm macro > lumix G85 and EM1 mkii with the Olympus 60mm and Panasonic 25mm 1.7 > Nikon D7200 with laowa 100mm and Nikon 300mm f4 > Nikon Z5 and 50mm 1.8S > D7100 with tokina 100mm macro and Nikon 35mm 1.8.
I’m trying to simplify and just want a camera to take pics of my daughter, our pets, and capture some moments on our trips. I loved my Nikon Z5 and 50mm. Sometimes I get bored with the 50mm equivalent and thought a longer lens may be better for portraits but I worry about how much it will limit me. I could always get more lenses later. I think the 45mm would be more “fun” for a while.

I was also considering the Fuji x-s10 and 50mm f2. It’s a bit more money though and I really enjoyed m43 a few years ago.

Great video Jimmy! I am trying to use my E-M10 Mark IV with a Swarovski ATX w/ 115mm lens for digiscoping. I am trying to figure it out, but it is not as easy as some make it seam. I'd love to see you do a video as such!

Do you think the Olympus Mark IV is better than the Sony A6100?

Nice video and nice photos. How is the quality with the kit lens or really i`ll need to adquire better lenses?

The OMD EM-10 IV has no more noise at high iso than the OMD EM-IV. It's the same Truepic sensor and processor. The comparisons have been made.
Moreover, for me it is not a camera to replace a smartphone. It's two very different worlds

Where can we get that lens hood from and what lens is it connected to? Thanks

How do I find and set the self timer?

I’m sure I would love it , it fact for some odd reason I prefer the 10 to the 5 but the massive difference in price from the mk111 to the IV is to big to justify for me maybe in a few years when the price comes down

Is the em10 mk4 best budget? Well probably not. When it came out it was about 650 bucks, u get a gx9 for that, which has a viewfinder that you can tilt and dual IS. The e m10 mk4 has no dual IS because lack of sync IS. Only the expensive Omd's can do that. That's the 2 most simple reasons why the gx9 is a better deal. Both have 20 Megapixel.

IMHO, and purely from a photography point of view (excluding video), Olympus had the formula nailed with the E-M10 mk II, and subsequent models have since been somewhat compromised. While a 20 Mpix sensor is certainly appealing, it also produces larger files for a limited quality increase. And it doesn't offset the disappearance of a lot of customisation possibilities that are embedded in the mk II and sorely lacking on newer models. I'm glad some of the most egregious omissions (such as silent shutter in all PASM modes) have finally been backported from the mk II to the mk IV, but there are a lot more areas where the mk II still has the edge.
A beginner will certainly be more at ease to transition to real photography with a mk IV. But the more advanced photographers are still better served with the straightforwardness of the mk II. "An elegant weapon for a more civilized age"...

The Mark IV have more noise at high ISO than de Mark III ?

I'm a beginner and will be traveling through the U.S. I'm definitely more interested in taking pictures, not videos. However, I would like to be able to photograph people and things in that are in motion because I like the feel and look that those pictures give. With all this in mind, would you recommend to me the III or IV? Thank you :)

Nice but does it have microphone input and headphones?

Oh yaa! I have bougth ons. M1 markIV!

Great camera, I have the Mark iii. The only downside for me is that there’s no way of using a wired remote release.

Better for still photography then lets say a 450 dollar Canon T7?

I still have an EM-10 MkII and haven't found any reason to upgrade to a newer version or an EM-5. I also have an EM-1 Mk1, but the EM-10 II seems to still be my go-to because of the more compact size and traveling for work.

Great review, thanks! I was very confused by the comment near the end that it lacks face-detection AF, but then realised you said PHASE-detection AF! So I learned something too :)

Just bought it. Love it. A great complement to my EM1 Mark ii and EM5 mark iii. Stealthy, very nice.

I'm still using an Olympus pen mini! It's time for a new camera. Deciding between this one and the Cannon eos

Still not sure if I should get this or the Gx9.
I like my panasonic cameras but this looks nice. I really like the look of it and gives me that old style feeling.
Sure there's not much in them but as much as I want this one moving to another brand isn't easy.

Which lens would you recommend for traveling with this camera?

Thanks for the review, Jimmy. I've been using quite an old DSLR for some time and have decided to go for something much more modern when I change later this year. The EM-10 iv is definitely the top contender.

Tempting to move from the mark 2 but i hate the way theyve gone all plastic on the bodies. Ive never been sold on the ' its to save weight ' argument. Undoubtedly its for cost cutting.

Thank you for the nice review. How would you compare AF on mk4 with that one on panasonic gx9? Which camera has a better viewfinder? Thanks.

Hi Jimmy, was thinking about buying this to replace my Mk1. It would be mainly for the enhanced AF and OLED EVF. I would lose the all-metal body of M10 mk 1 and the use of the BCG1 (separate grip) - I have the 12-40mm, 40-150 f2.8 Pro and the Lumix Leica 25mm F1.4. My question is how good is the Eye/Face detect with CAF+tracking. I have seen online demos of the Sony A6400 real-Sony class performance but on previous Olys it was pretty crap...

Does this have a mic jack?

Nice review. What lens and hood have you installed here? Is it affixed to an adapter?

I use an OM1 and basically wanted a digital version of that. I just shoot in manual usually so thats mostly All I would do on this. I would still be interested in exploring features but I like shooting manual. Better than nikon d5600?

But they could have given a metal body for Mk4 as in Mk2? What about wildlife photography with Olympus? Is Em 10 series a good pick?

Do all Olympus lens features: aperture ring, image stabilization, autofocus work when using on a Panasonic camera body?

Great review jimmy, just ordered my new o-md10 mkiv from Amazon £421 for black body version lock down bargain, price just dropped while placing my order to £405 👀👍

Can you recommend a similar price but good 4K video with auto focus? Thanks.

The E-M10 is one of the best values in the market- the new grip looks perfect! I hope that they put a grip like that on all their new cameras. The image quality and performance is right up there with the more expensive models.

Thanks Jimmy, my question is You can get a E-M10 III with 14-40MM and 40-150MM lenses over £150 cheaper than Mark IV with 14-40MM lens. Which one is the better option for photography not vlogging?

this camera or nikon d3500 ?

thoughts ?

I have em10 mark 2 almost 2 years, and i doing many professional work from this camera

Can I blog with this

I loved the LEGO camera! This (the EM10) is a great “pocket-able” alternative to my OMD EM1 Mk II. Now I just have to find a camera shop that will sell me one. Where I live, they won’t stock it, and in some cases, won’t even order it for in store pick up.

Good video!
I am looking to upgrade from cellphone photography mostly for wildlife, birds, macro, landscape and models in lovely landscapes. Do you think this camera would handle all this? I know it's allot 🤷

Hi! Great review! Where can I get that housing around the lens that you have on your camera?

What would say is the best competitor to this camera that has a flip out screen that isn’t obscured by a tripod?

Hi, thanks for the great review. I have an Olympus EM1 MK1 would you say this camera would be a decent upgrade?

I have seriously considering the IV over the III. But I am wondering about handling. I noticed you used the 12-100. How did that balance for you? I have the 12-40 and worried it is not as balanced. My other cameras are the E-M1 Mk1 with a grip. I am attracted to the new grip of the IV. Thanks!

Thanks for the review. Does the video recording still has that 30 min limit?