Olympus OM-D E-M10 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 — Which Is Better?

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 are both Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras, so the whole native lens catalogue is open to either body. The E-M10 arrived in 2014, a year after the G6. Depth is the useful body difference: the E-M10 measures 46 mm deep against 71 mm for the G6, making it the slimmer camera to slip into a small bag. Weight is closely matched at 396 g and 390 g.

Handheld shooting in dim rooms favours the E-M10, because it offers in-body stabilisation while the G6 does not. That stabilisation lets you use slower shutter speeds for indoor or evening stills without raising ISO as far. Off-centre compositions also favour the E-M10, whose 81 autofocus points against 23 give far more freedom over where you place a subject. It additionally shoots at 8 fps versus 7 fps, useful for fleeting expressions with children or pets.

Resolution is effectively shared at 16.1 versus 16.05 megapixels, so neither gives extra room to crop. The two also share a 1.44-million-dot electronic viewfinder and a 1/4000-second top shutter speed, which covers wide apertures in daylight equally well.

The G6 is the better pick for video motion, with a maximum frame rate of 60 fps against 30 fps on the E-M10. Those doubled frames give editors smoother playback and easy half-speed slow motion for dancing, sport or fast-moving kids. Maximum video resolution is a separate shared limit at Full HD on both cameras. The E-M10 counters with a built-in timelapse function for sunsets or passing clouds, no external intervalometer needed.

Day-to-day framing and sharing work the same way on both, which simplifies the choice. Each offers a 3-inch tilting touchscreen, so waist-level and overhead shots are equally easy, and Wi-Fi for sending images straight to a phone. Both include a built-in flash plus a hot shoe for a bigger unit. Neither offers GPS or weather sealing, so geotagging means pairing a phone and neither body is built for heavy rain.

Storage is identical on both: a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card slot, and neither camera charges over USB. The battery ratings differ modestly, with the G6 rated for 340 shots per charge against 320 for the E-M10. Each uses its own battery, the DMW-BLC12 and the BLS-5, so spare batteries are not interchangeable between the two.