At first glance, the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a markedly modest upgrade of what has gone before. It has a 20 megapixel sensor, up from 16 megapixels in the previous model, and double the continuous drive speed of its predecessor, at now 15 frames per second. The imager is a TruePic VIII, just one generation behind the much more expensive flagship camera. For those that like oversampled video, there is 4k at 30p, and there is a flip-down display for selfies.
There have been strong hints that the E-M10 Mark IV sensor indeed has no on-sensor pixels dedicated to phase detect autofocus as the sensor also seems to be the same as that in the PEN-F that lacked that feature.
That being so, it seems the OM-D E-M10 IV remarkably has a “pure pixels” sensor, and is hence suitable for astrophotography where “star eating” due to pixels being remapped for autofocus is undesirable. Granted, this comes at the inconvenience of being relegated to a CDAF mode of focusing, but outside of Canon’s and Panasonic’s offerings, pure pixel sensors have become rather hard to come by – even Pentax, usually slow to adopt new-fangled tech, has half-heartedly implemented support for on-sensor PDAF in the K-70 and KP.
I wouldn’t wish to suggest that the OM-D E-M10 IV is a super astrophotography camera – at an entry price for the body of $699, it is certainly an interesting offering for someone looking to get into (astro)photography, or those looking for a more affordable back-up body.
The astrophotography field is in a weird position where higher level bodies have features more specifically geared towards its requirements, such as such as the OM-D E-M1 Mark III (Starry Sky AF), Pentax K-1 (AstroTracer), or Canon EOS Ra (suitability for infrared capture).
However, many of the procedures automated on such bodies can be performed manually to get very similar results. The reality of astrophotography is that you’ll never compete with the Hubble, but if you just want to have a little bit of fun, then a camera like the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV can be a great way to play.
You can choose between a silver and a black model, and the body-only price is 700 Eurodollars. Shipping will begin on September 25.
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