Olympus E-M10 II vs Canon G9X

Cameras
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Olympus E-M10 II vs Canon G9X

4/3 224.9mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M10 II Review.
How does it shoot? Olympus E-M10 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M10 II.
Compare Olympus E-M10 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Olympus E-M10 II conclusion.

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.2 megapixels
28.00mm - 84.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Canon G9X Review.
How does it shoot? Canon G9X in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the G9X.
Compare Canon G9X image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon G9X conclusion.

Succeeded by the Olympus E-M10 III
Compare E-M10 II vs E-M10 III

Succeeded by the Canon G9X Mark II
Compare G9X vs G9X Mark II

Compare OLYMPUS E-M10 III vs CANON G9X MARK II

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Differences

Olympus E-M10 II advantages over Canon G9X

Larger sensor
4/3 vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Bigger pixels
~ 3.75 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 2.3 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
E-M10 II test data on DxO Mark G9X test data on DxO Mark

842 vs 495 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

320 vs 220 shots
Capture more photos
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
Hot shoe
Hot shoe vs None
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Less shutter lag
0.16 vs 0.29 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
8.9 fps vs 6.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
28 vs 10 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
8.9 fps vs 0.8 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/2000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 12800 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Canon G9X advantages over Olympus E-M10 II

Less expensive
$369* vs $550
Save money for lenses or accessories
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Thinner
30 mm vs 46 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/2000 vs 1/250 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
More pixels
20.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Bigger RAW buffer
Unlimited vs 18 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Neither provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read G9X User Reviews

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Buy the Olympus E-M10 II

Body Only (Black)

Body Only (Black)
Body Only (Silver)
Kit with 14-42mm EZ lens (Black)
Kit with 14-42mm EZ lens (Brown)
Kit with 14-42mm EZ lens (Silver)
Kit with 14-42mm II R lens

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Buy the Canon G9X

Canon G9X (Silver)

Canon G9X (Silver)
Canon G9X (Black)

Review Excerpt

Excellent value for the money; Professional-grade ergonomics; Incredibly good image quality for its class; Solid performance specs across the board; Loaded with features.
Kit lens may not be quite as sharp as previous kit lens from this line; Below average battery life; Somewhat confusing menu systems.
Read our Olympus E-M10 II Review

Smallest 1-inch sensor camera available; Slips in a pants pocket almost unnoticed; Bright lens at wide-angle; Great image quality; Swift 6.5 fps JPEG burst shooting; Intuitive touch-screen control; In-camera Wi-Fi gets images onto your phone easily
Limited 3x zoom range; Tighter wide-angle than competitors; JPEG buffer limited to 10 frames; very slow bracketing / raw burst shooting; Touch-screen menus take lots of tapping; Poor battery life
Read our Canon G9X Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon S110

Olympus E-M10 II

Canon S110

$349
4/3

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$249
1/1.7 inch

Slower slow-motion
Integrated ND filter

Compare Olympus E-M10 II vs Canon S110

Canon G9X

Canon S110

$369
1 inch

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$249
1/1.7 inch

More telephoto lens reach
Shoots 24p video

Compare Canon G9X vs Canon S110

Compared to Olympus E-M10

Olympus E-M10 II

Olympus E-M10

$349
4/3

Fast startup
Shoots 24p video

$399
4/3

Compare Olympus E-M10 II vs Olympus E-M10

Canon G9X

Olympus E-M10

$369
1 inch

NFC
Integrated ND filter

$399
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G9X vs Olympus E-M10

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Olympus E-M10 II

Panasonic GX85

$349
4/3

Higher effective ISO
More telephoto lens reach

$598
4/3

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M10 II vs Panasonic GX85

Canon G9X

Panasonic GX85

$369
1 inch

Less expensive
NFC

$598
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G9X vs Panasonic GX85

Compared to Canon G9X Mark II

Olympus E-M10 II

Canon G9X Mark II

$349
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$449
1 inch

Less expensive
NFC

Compare Olympus E-M10 II vs Canon G9X Mark II

Canon G9X

Canon G9X Mark II

$369
1 inch

Less expensive
Bigger RAW buffer

$449
1 inch

Fast startup
Built-in Bluetooth

Compare Canon G9X vs Canon G9X Mark II

Compared to Olympus E-M10 III

Olympus E-M10 II

Olympus E-M10 III

$349
4/3

Less expensive

$549
4/3

Shoot 4K video
Bigger JPEG buffer

Compare Olympus E-M10 II vs Olympus E-M10 III

Canon G9X

Olympus E-M10 III

$369
1 inch

Less expensive
NFC

$549
4/3

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G9X vs Olympus E-M10 III

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