Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony RX10 III

Cameras
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Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony RX10 III

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
20.1 megapixels
24.00mm - 600.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Sony RX10 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony RX10 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the RX10 III.
Compare Sony RX10 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony RX10 III conclusion.

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

Succeeded by the Sony RX10 IV
Compare RX10 III vs RX10 IV

Compare OLYMPUS E-M10 III vs SONY RX10 IV

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Differences

Olympus E-M10 II advantages over Sony RX10 III

Larger sensor
4/3 vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Less expensive
$550 vs $1398*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Bigger pixels
~ 3.75 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 2.1 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 RX10 III test data on DxO Mark

842 vs 472 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Thinner
46 mm vs 127 mm
Thinner
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster RAW shooting
8.9 fps vs 8.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Sony RX10 III advantages over Olympus E-M10 II

Slower slow-motion
1000 fps vs 120 fps
Supports slower slow-mo
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
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

420 vs 320 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.62x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
20.1 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
14.2 fps vs 8.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
44 vs 28 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
29 vs 18 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/16000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

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
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
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
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Slow-motion videos
Both provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
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
Integrated ND filter
Neither provide
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility

User reviews

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Buy the Olympus E-M10 II

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Body Only (Black)
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Buy the Sony RX10 III

Sony RX10 III

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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

Versatile all-in-one replacement for a DSLR or mirrorless camera; Great handling and build; Excellent image quality; Spectacular zoom reach; Swift performance with generous buffer depths; Extremely capable video capture; Comprehensive remote control; Quick-and-easy image sharing
Extremely expensive for a fixed-lens camera; Fairly heavy for fixed-lens camera; Somewhat soft in the corners at wide-angle or tele; Noise reduction intrudes at higher sensitivities; No built-in ND filter; Not as fast when shooting raws; Slow buffer clearing
Read our Sony RX10 III Review

The Competition

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

Sony RX10 III

Olympus E-M10

$1398
1 inch

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

$399
4/3

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX10 III 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

Sony RX10 III

Panasonic GX85

$1398
1 inch

NFC
Longer stills battery life

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Panasonic GX85

Compared to Panasonic FZ2500

Olympus E-M10 II

Panasonic FZ2500

$349
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

$931
1 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M10 II vs Panasonic FZ2500

Sony RX10 III

Panasonic FZ2500

$1398
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
Larger lens aperture

$931
1 inch

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Panasonic FZ2500

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

Sony RX10 III

Olympus E-M10 III

$1398
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
In-camera panoramas

$549
4/3

Larger sensor
Less expensive

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Olympus E-M10 III

Compared to Sony RX10 IV

Olympus E-M10 II

Sony RX10 IV

$349
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

$1698
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M10 II vs Sony RX10 IV

Sony RX10 III

Sony RX10 IV

$1398
1 inch

Less expensive

$1698
1 inch

Touchscreen
Built-in Bluetooth

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Sony RX10 IV

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