This has long been one of my favorite entry level cameras. It’s the last OM-D camera from Olympus days before the brand name changed to OM System, but its combination of a 20MP MFT sensor, 4K video and compact retro styling has left it feeling as fresh today as when it was launched back in 2020.
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV is very competitively priced for a camera that actually offers a good deal of sophistication. It’s the fourth iteration of a line of beginner-friendly mini-DSLR style cameras from Olympus and the first to introduce the 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor.
Thanks to its price, features and performance, we rate the OM-D E-M10 IV as one of the best cameras for beginners since its launch in 2020, and, thanks to its size, it's also one of the best cameras for travel, too.
Of course, it’s also compatible with all of the best Micro Four Thirds lenses from Olympus/OM System, Panasonic and others – the question is, which are the best lenses for this camera?
I’ve tried to take all kinds of uses into account, from cost-conscious budget buyers to more advanced photographers learning new skills. That means covering a wide range of focal lengths and prices. Some of the best Olympus/OM System lenses are on the pricey side, but you may well upgrade to a better camera later on, so these lenses will stand you in good stead in the future.
Best lenses for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Best everyday lens for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
This has to be considered one of the all time great kit lenses for any format. The M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ is a pancake zoom less than 23mm thick, which is smaller than most pancake primes, and yet it offers a 28-84mm equivalent focal range – and there’s no compromise in its optical performance at all, which is above average for a kit lens. It does have a couple of downsides – the zoom is electric not mechanical and has a somewhat springy, woolly feel, and the minimum focal length of 28mm (equivalent) may not be wide enough for some. But what other lens is so slim it lets you slip your camera into a jacket pocket? It’s practically a must-have for any E-M10 IV owner.
See our M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ review
Best standard zoom for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
The E-M10 IV is quite a small camera, so it makes sense to try to keep down the size of the lenses you choose for it to maintain a nice balance. That’s why we recommend the M.Zuiko 12-45mm f/4 Pro rather than the larger (and more expensive) M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8. You do lose one f-stop of maximum aperture with this lens, but you do not lose one ounce of optical performance. This lens is a stellar performer on a par with its more expensive stablemate, and you can use it at any focal length and any aperture without worrying about finding its ‘sweet spot’. With this lens, every spot is sweet. It costs almost as much to buy as the E-M10 IV itself, but it’s worth it.
See our Olympus M.Zuiko 12-45mm f/4 Pro review
Best wide-angle zoom for Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Choosing the best wide-angle zoom for the E-M10 IV is actually quite difficult, as there is definitely a hole in the current OM System lens line-up. There is the older M.Zuiko 9-18mm retracting lens which is quite small and the cheapest option, but showing its age optically and pretty expensive for what you get. That’s why we’re suggesting the M.Zuiko 8‑25mm F4.0 Pro, which is both big and quite expensive compared to the price of the camera – but it does cover a unique focal range equivalent to 16-50mm in full frame terms, so you get an ultra-wide and standard angle of view in a single lens. Size and weight are a factor, but given what it can do, this is perhaps the perfect city travel lens.
See our OM System ED 8‑25mm f/4 Pro review
Best travel zoom for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
If travel is your thing then you may be looking for a ‘superzoom’ lens that covers a huge range of focal lengths all on its own – and they don’t come much more ‘super’ than the M.Zuiko 12-200mm F3.5-6.3. Thanks to the Micro Four Thirds format’s 2x crop factor, this is equivalent to a 24-400mm zoom range, which is very impressive. There are a couple of downsides. One is that like almost all superzooms, this one does lose sharpness at the longest focal lengths. Another is that this is actually a fairly pricey lens, so it’s not a purchase to be undertaken lightly. But if none of this bothers you and all you want is the longest possible focal length range in a single lens, then this is it!
See our full Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 review
Best budget telephoto zoom for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
If you want a cheap, portable telephoto zoom for occasional use that you can just tuck away in a corner of your camera bag, the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R is it. It’s incredibly cheap to buy and yet packs in an 80-300mm equivalent focal range into its compact and lightweight body. It does have a variable maximum aperture, but f/5.6 at 300mm equivalent is still pretty good! It doesn’t quite have the optical quality of OM System Pro lenses, though, and if that’s important look at the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4 Pro lens instead. It does cost more and it is a little larger and heavier, but the quality is superb.
See our full OM System M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 review
Best street prime for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
The compact size and weight of this lens makes it a perfect match for the E-M10 IV. It’s the ideal focal length for street photography and the f/1.8 maximum aperture does deliver some nice background blur with closer subjects. The detail rendition and overall optical performance is first rate, although the focus ring lacks the pull-back clutch of the original, for manual focus with a distance scale. On the plus side, the new Mark II adds weather-seals and comes complete with a hood.
See our full OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II review
Best standard prime for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
The 25mm focal length on the Micro Four Thirds format equates to 50mm in full frame camera terms, a lens that was a standard kit lens on old-school film SLRs and is still a camera bag essential for many photographers today. The M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II is very small and light and a perfect match for the E-M10 IV, taking over from the original, now discontinued version of the lens. Like the new version of the 17mm, it has no pull-back focus clutch mechanism but does add weather-seals and a hood, which were missing last time around. Best of all, it’s a really nice lens to shoot with.
See our full OM System M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II review
Best portrait prime for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
This is one of the favorite lenses of Digital Camera World Editor James Artaius and it’s easy to see why. For a 90mm equivalent f/1.8 ‘portrait’ lens it’s impossibly small – barely bigger than the 17mmm and 25mm primes – and while it doesn’t quite have the all-metal feel of the 17mm f/1.8, it’s well made and operates smoothly. It also delivers results of a quality you would never expect from its modest price tag. If you want to experiment with portraits with your OM-D E-M10 IV or you fancy a fast short telephoto lens, then this is absolutely the one to get.
See our full OM System M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 review
Lab data and comparisons
The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion.
Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel and pincushion distortion at its shortest and longest focal lengths respectively, which tends to average out when looking at the data overall. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, which give the full picture, check out the graphs in our full standalone lens reviews.
