Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV vs Panasonic Lumix G100 — Which Is Better?

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and the Panasonic Lumix G100 are both 2020 mirrorless cameras built on the Micro Four Thirds format, so any native Micro 4/3 lens fits either body. Lens choice therefore will not decide this pairing. The Lumix G100 is the lighter carry at 352 g against 383 g, and it measures 116 mm wide against 122 mm for the Olympus, a small saving in bag space.

For photographing moving subjects, the E-M10 Mark IV has the useful advantage: it shoots at 15 fps against 10 fps on the G100, and its 121 autofocus points against 49 give you more places to position focus across the frame. That matters for children, pets and sports, where a slightly misplaced focus point costs the shot.

Framing is crisper on the G100, whose electronic viewfinder offers 3,680,000 dots against 2,360,000 on the Olympus. The G100 also has the higher standard ISO ceiling, 25600 against 6400, and both expand to the same 25600 limit. Resolution, stabilisation and top shutter speed are shared specifications, giving you 20 megapixels, steadier handheld work from in-body stabilisation, and a 1/4000 second top shutter speed.

The G100 is the stronger choice for slow motion footage. Its maximum video frame rate is 120 fps, double the 60 fps ceiling of the E-M10 Mark IV, giving you more room to slow fast action on the timeline. Both cameras record 4K as their maximum video resolution, both offer built-in timelapse, and both write MPEG-4 or MOV files for easy editing.

Checking focus and framing on the back of the camera is easier on the Lumix G100. Its rear screen shows 1,840,000 dots against 1,040,000 on the Olympus, 76.9 percent more dots for judging critical focus before you leave a scene.

Each camera gives you a 3-inch touch screen that flips out for selfies and vlogging angles, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for transferring images to a phone. Neither has GPS for geotagging, and neither is weather sealed, so neither offers rain protection.

For longer outings the E-M10 Mark IV has the advantage in battery rating, 360 shots against 270 for the G100. Its card slot also supports UHS-II, against UHS-I on the Panasonic, so a fast UHS-II card moves files more quickly.

The remaining storage and charging specifications are shared. Both have a single SD card slot and USB charging, useful for topping up from a power bank between locations. Their batteries differ in type, the BLS-50 for Olympus and the BLG10 for Panasonic, so charged spares are not interchangeable.