Olympus E-M10 II vs E-M10 III

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in August 2015 and August 2017. Both the E-M10 II and the E-M10 III are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 15.9 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-M10 II		Olympus E-M10 III
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses		Micro Four Thirds lenses
15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor		15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor
1080/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 200-25,600		ISO 200-25,600
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
8 shutter flaps per second		8.6 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		In-body stabilization
320 shots per battery charge		330 shots per battery charge
120 x 83 x 47 mm, 390 g		122 x 84 x 50 mm, 410 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-M10 II and the Olympus E-M10 III. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The E-M10 II can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, brown), while the E-M10 III is available in two color-versions (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-M10 III is somewhat larger (3 percent) than the Olympus E-M10 II. Moreover, the E-M10 III is markedly heavier (5 percent) than the E-M10 II. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-M10 II nor the E-M10 III are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	120 mm	83 mm	47 mm	390 g	320	n	Aug 2015	US$ 649	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	122 mm	84 mm	50 mm	410 g	330	n	Aug 2017	US$ 649	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	124 mm	85 mm	45 mm	469 g	310	Y	Feb 2015	US$ 1 099	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-M10	119 mm	82 mm	46 mm	396 g	320	n	Jan 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M10 IV	122 mm	84 mm	49 mm	383 g	360	n	Aug 2020	US$ 699	amazon.com
6.		Olympus E-P5	122 mm	69 mm	37 mm	420 g	330	n	May 2013	US$ 999	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-PL5	111 mm	64 mm	38 mm	325 g	360	n	Sep 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-PL7	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Aug 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-PL8	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Sep 2016	US$ 549	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-PL9	117 mm	68 mm	39 mm	380 g	350	n	Feb 2018	US$ 599	ebay.com
11.		Olympus PEN-F	125 mm	72 mm	37 mm	427 g	330	n	Jan 2016	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic GX80	122 mm	71 mm	44 mm	426 g	290	n	Apr 2016	US$ 799	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Technology-wise, the E-M10 III uses a more advanced image processing engine (TruePic VIII) than the E-M10 II (TruePic VII), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 15.9 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the E-M10 II and the E-M10 III have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the E-M10 III is much more recent (by 2 years) than the E-M10 II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.1	12.5	842	73
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1120	74
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.0	12.5	842	73
4.		Olympus E-M10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	884	72
5.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.3	13.2	1402	76
6.		Olympus E-P5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.4	895	72
7.		Olympus E-PL5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	889	72
8.		Olympus E-PL7	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.7	12.4	873	72
9.		Olympus E-PL8	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	23.0	12.6	1030	73
10.		Olympus E-PL9	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1162	74
11.		Olympus PEN-F	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	23.1	12.4	894	74
12.		Panasonic GX80	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.9	12.6	662	71
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the E-M10 III provides a better video resolution than the E-M10 II. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the E-M10 II is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The E-M10 II and the E-M10 III are similar in the sense that both feature an electronic viewfinder, which is helpful when framing images in bright sunlight. Moreover, their viewfinders offer an identical resolution of 2360k dots. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-M10 II, the Olympus E-M10 III, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
4.		Olympus E-M10	1440	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Olympus E-M10 IV	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	15.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Olympus E-P5	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Olympus E-PL5	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
8.		Olympus E-PL7	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
9.		Olympus E-PL8	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
10.		Olympus E-PL9	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
11.		Olympus PEN-F	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
12.		Panasonic GX80	2765	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Olympus E-M10 II and the Olympus E-M10 III both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-M10 II and the E-M10 III write their files to SDXC cards. The E-M10 III supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the E-M10 II can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Olympus E-M10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Olympus E-P5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Olympus E-PL5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Olympus E-PL7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Olympus E-PL8	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Olympus E-PL9	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Olympus PEN-F	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Panasonic GX80	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-

Both the E-M10 II and the E-M10 III have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-M10 II was replaced by the Olympus E-M10 III, while the E-M10 III was followed by the Olympus E-M10 IV. Further information on the features and operation of the E-M10 II and E-M10 III can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-M10 II Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-M10 III Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Olympus E-M10 II or the Olympus E-M10 III – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II:

• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in August 2015).

Arguments in favor of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III:

• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (TruePic VIII vs TruePic VII).
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More modern: Reflects 2 years of technical progress since the E-M10 II launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the E-M10 III emerges as the winner of the match-up (4 : 1 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-M10 II and the Olympus E-M10 III place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the E-M10 II and the E-M10 III in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-M10 II	4.5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2015	US$ 649	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-M10 III	..	+	5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2017	US$ 649	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 1 099	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-M10	4/5	..	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M10 IV	4.5/5	..	5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2020	US$ 699	amazon.com
6.		Olympus E-P5	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	US$ 999	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-PL5	3/5	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-PL7	4/5	+	..	..	5/5	4/5	Aug 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-PL8	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	US$ 549	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-PL9	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2018	US$ 599	ebay.com
11.		Olympus PEN-F	..	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic GX80	4.5/5	+ +	..	82/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2016	US$ 799	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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