Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV vs Sony ILCE-QX1

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and the Sony ILCE-QX1, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV was introduced in August 2020 and Sony ILCE-QX1 was introduced in September 2014. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Highlights

      • 20.3 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 200 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 121 Focus Points
      • 5-Axis Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 1,040k dot Tilting Screen
      • 2,360k dot Electronic (OLED) Viewfinder
      • 8.7 fps Mechanical and 15.0 fps Electronic Continuous Shooting
      • 3840 x 2160 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-In Wi-Fi

      Sony ILCE-QX1 Highlights

      • 20.1 MP APS-C Sensor
      • 100 - 16,000 Native ISO
      • 25 Focus Points
      • [] 0k dot Fixed Screen
      • 4.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-In Wi-Fi

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and Sony ILCE-QX1.

      PROS

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Live Composition
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Light - 383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz)
      •   USB Charging
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Light - 216 g (0.48 lb / 7.62 oz)

      CONS

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      •   Small Sensor
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 0k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.3 Megapixel
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 15.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps

      Advantage of Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV over Sony ILCE-QX1.

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV vs Sony ILCE-QX1
      Higher Sensor Resolution 20.3 Megapixel vs 20.1 Megapixel
      Timelapse Recording vs
      More Focus Points 121 vs 25
      Center Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Continuous Autofocus vs
      Image Stabilization 5-Axis Sensor Shift vs
      Screen Type Tilting vs Fixed
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,040k dot vs 0k dot
      Viewfinder Electronic (OLED) vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 60 sec vs 30 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 15.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
      External Flash Connectivity vs
      Manual Exposure Mode vs
      Center Weighted Metering vs
      Average Metering vs
      Spot Metering vs
      Higher Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080
      Built-in Microphone Stereo vs Mono
      Built-In Bluetooth vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV.

      Advantage of Sony ILCE-QX1

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony ILCE-QX1 over Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV.

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV vs Sony ILCE-QX1
      Larger Sensor Micro Four Thirds vs APS-C
      Lower Native ISO 200 vs 100
      Higher Native ISO 25,600 vs 16,000
      Max Image Resolution 5184 x 3888 vs 5456 x 3632
      Lighter 383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz) vs 216 g (0.48 lb / 7.62 oz)
      Longer Battery Life 360 shots vs 440 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony ILCE-QX1.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Sony ILCE-QX1
        Video Capture
        Touch-to-Focus
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Touch Screen
        Built-in Flash
        Built-In Wi-Fi
        Light383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz)216 g (0.48 lb / 7.62 oz)
      WEAKNESSES Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Sony ILCE-QX1
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Environmental Sealing
        Short Battery Life360 shots440 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has a 3.0" Tilting screen with 1,040k dot resolution and Sony ILCE-QX1 has a [] Fixed screen with 0k dot resolution. Tilting screen makes Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Both models feature touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

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      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV with Tilting screen


      Electronic (OLED) Viewfinder on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has a built-in Electronic (OLED) viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 1.23x (0.62x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Sony ILCE-QX1.

      Sensor

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV features a 20.3 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.4 x 13 mm and a total area of 226.2 mm2. Its native ISO range is 200 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Sony ILCE-QX1 features a 20.1 megapixel APS-C [] sensor with dimensions of 23.2 x 15.4 mm and a total area of 237.2 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 16,000.

      Photography Features

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is equipped with TruePic VIII processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3888 resolution. Sony ILCE-QX1 is equipped with Bionz X processor and can take pictures up to 5456 x 3632 resolution.


      Lens Mount

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has Micro Four Thirds lens mount and Sony ILCE-QX1 has Sony E (NEX) lens mount. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2. Due to APS-C sensor in Sony ILCE-QX1 its crop factor is equal to [], this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times [].


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has a built-in 5-Axis Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS) with 4.5 stops of compensation. This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi

      Cameras have built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.


      Bluetooth on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.


      NFC on Sony ILCE-QX1

      Sony ILCE-QX1 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV comes with BLS-50 battery pack with battery life of 360 shots and Sony ILCE-QX1 comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 440 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) card slot. Sony ILCE-QX1 has a single microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC/Memory Stick Micro card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/4000 sec with mechanical shutter on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, and up to 1/4000 sec on Sony ILCE-QX1. Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV can shoot continuously up to 15.0 fps with electronic shutter and up to 8.7 fps with mechanical shutter. Sony ILCE-QX1 can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV ranges from -2 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and ±2 range on Sony ILCE-QX1. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and exposure bracketing on Sony ILCE-QX1.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 7.20 m at ISO 200 on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV. Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV.

      Physical Parameters

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV body has dimensions of 122 x 84 x 49 mm (4.8 x 3.31 x 1.93") and Sony ILCE-QX1 body has dimensions of 74 x 70 x 53 mm (2.91 x 2.76 x 2.09"). Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV weighs 383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz) and Sony ILCE-QX1 weighs 216 g (0.48 lb / 7.62 oz).

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      122 mm

      84 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      74 mm

      70 mm

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      84 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      70 mm

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      Size comparisons of Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and Sony ILCE-QX1

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and Sony ILCE-QX1 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      71
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 0k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      GOOD
      79
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 15.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 0k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots

      Wildlife Photography

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      GOOD
      72
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 15.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      59
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 0k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots

      Portrait Photography

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Small Sensor
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      78
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 0k dot
      •   No External Flash Connectivity

      Street Photography

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   Small Sensor
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 0k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 216 g (0.48 lb / 7.62 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 0k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 216 g (0.48 lb / 7.62 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and Sony ILCE-QX1 and give them scores of 71 and 61 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      OVERALL
      71
      OVERALL
      61

      Sensor

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      AVERAGE
      57
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.3 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      GOOD
      78
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 15.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      AVERAGE
      55
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   No External Flash Connectivity

      Video

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      14
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080

      Focusing

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      GOOD
      80
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      77
      •   25 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      GOOD
      83
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 0k dot
      •   No Viewfinder

      Connectivity

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      GOOD
      84
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      GOOD
      73
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

      Sony ILCE-QX1

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      POOR
      47
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 216 g (0.48 lb / 7.62 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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