The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II is the update to the OM-D E-M10 (Mark I), and sees the camera get a refreshed design, along with a number of other updates, including a larger 2.36million dot EVF, 5-axis image stabilisation, increased continuous shooting speed of 8.5fps, improved video and more. 

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II Features

The E-M10 Mark II features a 16 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor, with an ISO range of ISO100 (extended) to ISO25600, and the camera uses the Micro Four Thirds lens mount, making it compatible with all Micro Four Thirds lenses.

One image can change us.

A picture, a moment can change the way we feel. Change how we see ourselves. Change our understanding and change the rules. Provoke and change history.

MPB puts photo and video kit into more hands, more sustainably. Every month, visual storytellers sell more than 20,000 cameras and lenses to MPB. Choose used and get affordable access to kit that doesn’t cost the earth. Sell the kit you’re not using to MPB. Trade in for the kit you need to create. Buy used, spend less and get more. Buy. Sell. Trade. Create.

The E-M10 Mark II shoots at 8.5fps which is a slight improvement over the 8fps that the E-M10 (Mark I) shoots in continuous shooting mode. The Mark II now features an electronic shutter that lets the camera shoot at 1/16,000s compared to the quickest shutter speed of 1/4000s on the Mark I.

Other new features introduced include:

• AF Targeting Pad - using the touchscreen
• Focus bracketing - useful for macro photography (with electronic shutter)
• Silent shutter mode (electronic shutter)
• High speed video - 120fps at VGA resolution
• 4K time-lapse video creation

The sensor is the same resolution at 16 megapixels, and the Mark II now has 5-axis image stabilisation with up to 4 EV steps of compensation*, whereas the Mark I has 3-axis image stabilisation (giving 3.5EV steps compensation*). This works with any lens attached to the camera, and works in the video mode to allow steady handheld video recording. * According to CIPA standards.

The electronic viewfinder has been updated to a higher resolution of 2.36million dots, as well as being enlarged compared to the E-M5 and E-M10, and we've highlighted some of the differences between the OM-D models below:

**The Olympus OM-D E-M1 features 5-axis image stabilisation, which Olympus state offers 5 EV steps of compensation, or alternatively 4 EV steps when tested to CIPA standards, so we can assume that the E-M5 would also have 4 EV steps of compensation if tested to CIPA standards.

The E-M10 Mark II is one of the more compact Olympus OM-D cameras, being slightly smaller than the E-M5 Mark II, and smaller than the DSLR styled E-M1. The E-M10 Mark II weighs 390g with battery and memory card, making it the lightest OM-D camera yet. 

Built in Wi-Fi can be used for remote shooting and image transfer to a compatible iOS or Android device, and the O.I. Share app lets you add Geotag information to photos, as well as edit and share photos. 

Video is recorded as FullHD video, with stereo microphones built in, and frame rates available including 60, 50, 30, 25, 24fps, with the camera also offering a high speed video mode that records 120fps at a reduced resolution of 640x480 (VGA). 

A time-lapse mode will let you shoot a number of photos (up to 999 frames) and then combine them into a movie in camera - this can be recorded as a 4K video (3840x2160, 5fps), HD (5, 10, 15, 30fps) or FullHD (5, 15, 15fps) video, with optional frame rates. 

Intelligent Auto and Scene modes are built in to make the camera easy to use for beginners, along with full manual control, Art filters, and Photo-story modes for those wishing to be more creative and expand their photography. Live Bulb, Live Time, and Live Composite modes are built in that allow you to take long exposure photography, whilst also viewing the photo as it exposes on the rear screen, which is great for taking the guess work out of exposure length. 

There is a built in pop-up flash, which is great for adding a little fill light, and the camera is compatible with Olympus' wireless flash system. The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II is available body only, or with the 14-42mm Pancake Power Zoom lens, as shown.

Key Features

• 16mp Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor
• 5-axis IS (sensor shift), 4-stops according to CIPA standard
• 3inch tilting touch screen (1037k dots)
• 2.36 million dot High-Resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF) 
• FullHD Video, 1080p, 60/50/30/25/24p
• 81-point FAST AF
• 1/4000s mechanical shutter speed, 1/16000s electronic available
• 8.5fps continuous shooting
• Wi-Fi built in – works with O.I. Share
• SSWF dust reduction system
• Built-in pop-up flash
• 750 shot battery life, with "Quick Sleep Mode ON"

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II Handling

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II feels well built with a solid metal body, and the mode dial and control dials on the camera are made of metal, with a stylish finish applied to the dials, as well as the top plate which has a brushed aluminium look to it. Underneath is where you'll find the battery and memory card compartment, which has a plastic cover that is designed to pop-off. There is an optional grip available, the Olympus ECG-3, which adds a larger handgrip, however we found the grip on the E-M10 Mark II quite good for the size of the camera, and improved over the E-M10 Mark I (and E-M5). 

The E-M10 Mark II looks excellent in two-tone silver and black, with design touches that pay homage to the original Olympus OM-1 film SLR. The on / off switch has the same look and feel as the original on / off switch, and the mode dial has the same textured pattern as the shutter speed dial on the OM-1.

Olympus OM-1 Next To Olympus OM-D E-M10 II

The power switch is now in the same location as found on the other current OM-D cameras in the range, the E-M1, and E-M5 Mark II, and the controls on the back of the camera are also found in the same position with the same button layout as the E-M5 Mark II, which means you can switch from one camera to another and all the controls will be easy to use.

There is now an additional Fn3 button on the top lefts next to the on / off switch, and the on / off switch also acts as the flash release to make the flash pop-up when it is turned beyond the on position. In addition to the customisable Fn buttons, you can customise the video record button, as well as the 4-way controller on the back. 

There are 81 focus points available, and these cover a wide area of the screen, you can also adjust the size of the focus points, as well as set the focus point by using the touch screen. When the camera is held up to your eye, you can use the screen to move the focus position without having to bring the camera away from your eye, using the new Touchpad AF option. There are continuous AF and tracking AF options, as well as manual focus aids including a magnified view, along with focus peaking. Face detection is included and can be set to give priority to the closest eye, or the left or right eye, depending on your preference. 

The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is a higher resolution than the E-M10 (and E-M5), and larger than both, with 1.23x magnification (compared to 1.15x), although not as large as the E-M5 Mark II and E-M1 (with 1.48x magnification). The EVF looks good with a quick refresh rate, and good colour reproduction. S-OVF is a new feature that stands for "Simulated Optical Viewfinder" - this mode does not show you the changes made to shooting settings prior to shooting, and is designed to show you the scene as your eye would see it. The screen is a high resolution 3inch touch-screen, with good viewing angles and excellent colour and detail.

The shutter sound is reasonably quiet, but not as quiet as the E-M5 or E-M5 Mark II. 

The menus have not changed since the last Olympus camera, and can take a little while to get used to. This is one area where Olympus could definitely improve. There is built in help available, that can be switched on and off with the Info button. The more basic settings are found within the first few menus, with the more advanced settings found within the colour coded custom menus. To quickly change settings on the camera, you simply press the OK button and the super control panel comes up letting you quickly change settings on the rear screen. Once you become familiar with the controls it becomes fairly easy to change settings quickly.

Wi-Fi features - Built-in Wi-Fi gives the ability to use a smartphone for remote shutter release, and setting up the connection is very easy as you simply need to scan a QR code on the camera screen using the O.I.Share app (available for iOS and Android devices). You can download and share images, apply art filters and other effects, as well as use the app to geo-tag images. You can use the touch-screen of the phone to set the focus point, as well as take photos, as there are a number of time-lapse options available as well.

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 320 shots according to Olympus / CIPA test results, which is average for this class of camera, however this can be extended to 750 shots with "Quick Sleep Mode" switched on.