Olympus OM-D E-M10 II: A mombrain’s review of the best camera for parents 2020

Are you a new parent looking for the best camera to capture your family memories in lens? The Olympus OM-D E-M10 II Camera was introduced to the market in August 2015. That’s roughly five years ago. Come 2020, is the camera still relevant today feature-wise? Let’s find out.

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Capturing family memories through photos is one of the most important jobs of mothers in these modern times. Honestly!

What’s more? We need a camera that can fit with our new lifestyle (cough cough mombrain lifestyle) and also one that is within budget, of course.

Camera options for new parents

So for everyday photos, we simply use our camera phones. Click here and there, and voila, the photos make its way to social media platforms.

We’ve been using our DSLR camera, which is Nikon D90 with Sigma 50mm 1.4 lens for awhile now. We use it to take milestones with our children like their births, birthdays, and holiday trips. And it’s truly a great camera! With the Nikon D7, there’s no question with the quality and beauty of the taken pictures. I love our DSLR camera!

But it comes with a few cons for us, especially when traveling with young kids. The DSLR camera is very bulky and heavy, and very inconvenient to bring when you have kids in tow.

So we searched for a camera that can take high quality photos like DSLR cameras can, but one that is very lightweight and compact-size.

So came the option of a mirrorless camera, specifically Olympus OM-D E-M10 II.

My review/ thoughts on the Olympus OM-D E-M10 II

So as an avid photography lover but not really a camera connoisseur and expert, I will give my honest review on Olympus OM-D E-M10 II and how it helps me achieve:

• taking photos of children who can’t be still for long period of time
• transferring and sharing photos quickly in uncomplicated ways
• getting high-quality photos with minimal effort
• justifying its cost so as not to add to this existing mom guilt. haha!

Specifications

First, let’s look at its specifications and functionalities.

Ours comes with the 14-42 mm lens. One of the things I like about mirrorless cameras is its flexibility to change lens. Something that point-and-shoot cameras can’t provide.

Its weight is 342 gm and it has the dimensions of 119.5 x 83.1 x 46.7mm. Very lightweight and compact-sized. Doesn’t add weight and take too much space from the diaper bag!

Feature	Specification	What this means to me
Sensor	16 million effective pixel Four Thirds type (17.3 x 13mm) CMOS	High-quality images. Doesn’t get pixelized on the usual platforms.
Lens mount	Micro Four Thirds (MFT)	Size of the mount for the lens. Something to know when buying another lens for this camera.
Focal length conversion	2x
Memory	SD/SDHC/SDXC	We use SD card. Ok.
Viewfinder	2,360,000-dot OLED	So since it’s mirrorless camera, it doesn’t have a mirror to capture your view. Thus it is digitalized and what you have is a TV-like experience looking through the viewfinder. My kids agree by saying, ‘Mom, there’s a TV inside!’
Max video resolution	Full-HD at 60fps	Acceptable for Youtube, if you have a channel.
ISO range	100-25,600
Autofocus points	81
Max burst rate	8.5fps in S-AF at full resolution
Screen	Tilting touch-sensitive 3-inch LCD with 1,037,000 dots	Touchscreen. Perfect!
Shutter speeds	60-1/4,000 sec with mechanical shutter; up to 1/16,000 sec with electronic shutter; plus Bulb
Weight	342g (body only)	Very lightweight!
Dimensions	119.5 x 83.1 x 46.7mm	Very compact-size. Doesn’t take too much space from the diaper bag.
Power supply	Lithium-ion battery (supplied)	Very easy to charge.

Let’s compare a few sample shots.

Transferring and sharing photos quickly and easily

Using the Olympus Image Share app, you can easily transfer photos from the camera to your phone via wifi. No need for cables!

With the help of QR codes, you no longer need to remember login details as well.

Getting high-quality photos with minimal effort

So you have at least seven settings to choose from: A, S, M, SCN, and Auto.

Well, to make a long story short. I choose Auto anytime. And the results are of high quality.

If I want to capture a portrait-like photo that is closely similar to our DSLR camera’s output, I’d chose the A setting and adjust the aperture. Works pretty well!

Value price for all its amazing functionalities

The camera was a surprise gift from the husband. Being an avid camera techie, I know his choice was the best choice!

Thinking likewise, I think Olympus OM-D E-M10 II is the best deal for us.

Choosing between its closest competitor Sony A6000 and Olympus OM-D E-M10 II was easy in terms of price. In terms of functionalities, they are very similar though Olympus scores low on some points. But those points can be outweighed by how you take photos and certain factors like lighting and angle.

Final thoughts

So far, I’m liking all the things that the camera offers. It’s still a month in since we’ve had the camera, so it’s still fairly new.

But we’ve used in different occasions and in different weather conditions, and we are always satisfied with its output and its convenience.

If there’s one thing that most online reviews considered as a negative aspect of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 II Camera is that the function controls are sensitive and moves easily. And I agree with that, it’s true.

But it is manageable for us and doesn’t affect much of our positive experience with the camera.

We bring it anywhere we go. Taking pictures when go to the park or just taking random photos on a daily basis.

I highly recommend it to you moms and dads!