EM1 lens comparison made by our reader Ziv (Thanks!).
I got these two news via 43rumors mail:
Anonymous: “I had a talk with Olympus representative at XXXXX today where they were showcasing the em1. I asked about video framerate issue. He said that they are working on it and if possible, other framerates are being made available via firmware update. If not possible, it will be handled by introducing a new product version. I dont know if that means em6 or em1 mark II or what.”
Let’s hope it’s…possible!
Anonymous_2: I just received an email (from Amazon) with my expected delivery dates:
“Olympus OM-D E-M1 Compact System Camera with 16MP and 3-Inch LCD – Body Only”
Estimated arrival date: October 18, 2013 – October 22, 2013
“Olympus HLD-7 Camera Grip for Olympus E-M1 Compact System Cameras”
Estimated arrival date: November 21, 2013 – November 25, 2013
“Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro Interchangeable Lens”
Estimated arrival date: December 12, 2013 – December 16, 2013
Preorder Links:
Olympus E-M1 body at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto, Amazon DE (via DL), Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL), WexUK, Topshot FI, CameraWorldUK.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, AmazonDE (viaDL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-40mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK and CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-50mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK, CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus EP-13 Eyecup for E-M1 at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus HLD-7 Battery Grip for E-M1 at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LC-62D Metal Front Lens Cap for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LH-66 Lens Hood for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
105 Responses
You may see 24/25p through a firmware update but any other improvments will need to wait 2 years for the E-M2.
what other improvements would need hardware upgrades?
Frame-rates, bit-rates, even sound quality can all improved with firmware updates. Just look at the GH2 hacks to see what is possible. All of those improvements were from a third party. The manufacturer would be able to do so much more. Olympus (and Panasonic for that matter) would be wise to hire on some of those smart folks over at personal-view who actually KNOW what videographers need.
exactly
The GH2 had a 3-core processor with much more potential than what Panasonic used it for. The underutilized the chip to keep temperatures down and battery life up. The E-M1 has a dual-core processor. The number of cores does not always determine how well a processor performs, but if Olympus has not given video too much emphasis, most likely the dual-core processor is not as capable. Firmware can only take advantage of existing hardware.
You can do a lot with software/firmware, but you are still only limited by hardware.
There is a big difference between being bale to do something and it being sensible. Much like the overclockers who wind up CPU speeds, you can wring extra performance out of any camera, however you will be pushing the manufacturing tolerances of the hardware likely leading to a hardware failure. Manufacturers ship with their configurations because they are tested and reliable, which is what customers expect.
And it is not terribly important. Except for a small number of very loud protesters, people do not care about video when they buy an OMD camera. 95% probably do not care. Spend the money and effort making sure still photo quality is the best, and that is more important than any improvement in video for most people and for the survival of Olympus. Too hard to fight GH3 and Blackmagic..
That’s right. Don’t make the same mistake as Panasonic did in the GH3. Video is not going to be a big enough selling point for the vast majority of people considering Olympus cameras.
So U made some sort of statistical research on this? I find the people who think video is not important, are at least just as “loud”. Here we have a series of great Oly cameras with the best IBIS. I seldom shoot video, but of course, a lot of the costumers who choose Panasonic do that because video is much better – event though Panasonics IBIS is not as good as OLYs….. Yet, that is.
It’s better if Olympus is there with Panasonic and Black Magic in video for the greater micro four thirds good…
Really? Impose your opinion as fact, often?
Ask Nikon what they think of losing the DSLR video war to Canon, before it even began.
There are probably a lot of people not buying the E-M1 because of it not having a PAL framerate. If Olympus can add the framerate via firmware they will sell a lot more cameras than if they don’t.
For every person who comments on the issue as being disincentive for them there are probably 50 others who are silent but of the same opinion.
I know at least 5 persons who would have ordered the em-1 if videospec. would have been better…50fps and higer bitrates now we will stick to our hacked gh2:s and wait for the next gh camera
+1
At least they seem to be very responsive to criticism of the EM-1 and it’s lack of video capabilities.
Kinda crazy they are just now figuring out that high video quality is important to a lot of people and kind of expected on higher end cameras.
don’t put any hope in firmware promises.
never did get focus peaking in gh3.
Different brand.
Different company.
Historically, Panasonic has been much better than Olympus in providing firmware updates.
+1
Yes, unfortunately, this is true. Olympus has a poor record of upgrading cameras via firmware. One of the worst brand sin this regard. Fujifilm, Canon, Ricoh/Pentax, Panasonic all do a lot better.
Historycally, what was the video spec on the GH-2 before the hack? Wasn’t it 24p and 23Mbps. The E-M1 has 30p and 24Mbps, so with a firmware upgrade it would probably be possible to get video perfomance on the E-M1 on par with a hacked GH-2. Btw it wasn’t Panasonic who upgraded the video performace on the GH-2.
it was GH2 hackability due to understandable firmware that made it the performer it is
Olympus *.bin firmware is a lot less understood, and not available to mere mortals by the way Oly chooses to update camera firmware.
although I have a few copies 🙂
Tell us your working on a hack as we speak….
I have a wishlist 🙂 – lol Don’t we all
From what I understand, the real-time DSP algorithms needed for peaking is outside the compute power of the programmable DSP on the ASICs. There needs to be a specialized ASIC pipeline to support it.
Oct 18th, that means I get to see what fuji is offering with the X-E2 😛
fotohanskeuzekamp has one in stock but not yet updated their site.
This would be a very welcoming move from Olympus. Let’s hope that it is true.
Although I still think that it is highly unlikely, after reading what Mr. Terada thought about this issue:
http://www.43rumors.com/mr-terada-talks-at-mirrorlessleassons/
I think if they update some video specs, then mostlikly just the Pal/Ntsc framerates. When i talked with Mr. Terada on some German promotional event, that was the only video topic, that he discribed as “known problem”-so maybe they will fix this via firmware update.
Olympus maybe dosnt put in new features via firmware, but they normaly try to fix problems- like the sound of the IBIS in the E-m5.
I hope they do the same with the firmware for the e-p5 and also add 1080p60 to compete with Panasonic and Sony.
Seems a bit unlikely that the great Terada would be giving his stills are what its all about meantime an unnamed “rep” talking to an Anonymous source spilled the beans lol
Yes, except that someone else said the same around 7-10 days ago. I just hope the rep has heard the same thing, and not repeating what was already on the internet
I can never understand this bullshit. They knew damn well the video would be less capable than the competition. Why are complaints of obvious insufficiencies alway dealt with after the fact with firmware ?
They thought it would not matter…. thing is so few these days are that specilist… we need it all in 1 machine!
It probably takes time to add those features and they couldn t postpone release date of the camera…
That would be my guess to
Spot on.
Amazon Germany wrote they still cannot say when the kit with the new zoom lens will be available. A local shop said end of October.
Oh dear, if Sony FF mirrorless arrives before the E-M1, I don’t know what I’ll do. Eventually I will want to have both, or maybe way for E-M6? Is there any chance that the E-M6 might be better than E-M1 in any detail? Such as even newer sensor tech? Probably not … I guess/hope?
I think camera manufacturers don’t rush supplies to Amazon because they demand longer payment terms and more margin….
Kinda like how you did when you were caught out there, saying Olympus was making a profit, and the Pen series was selling, when it was the OPPOSITE of the Truth???
Just stop with the spin already!
He did say I think, not, its a fact, no need to shout 🙂
Huh?
YDDY….Perhaps you could just keep your spin out of the margin and your avatar, too.
What’s your theory as to why Amazon is always late in receiving camera stock then?
The E-M1 kit with the new zoom lens is not available almost anywhere. (If anywhere?). it has nothing to do with Amazon. (There you go with your psycho spin, AGAIN). Olympus is simply having production delays with the kit and the new zoom lens. That is why they are offering a rebate on an M1 camera body and 12-40mm lenses bought separately…to give buyers the incentive to buy the body now, (or soon)…purchase the lens later and still be eligible for the kit price. They have no 12-40mm lenses to sell, kit or stand-alone. …and impatient people, with no understanding will always sit around and whinge.
@dearest anonymous
Like I said the multi billion company called Amazon always seems to receive their camera stock later than everyone else, strange eh?
YDDY…playing dumb are you????
To refresh your devieant criminal mind, I kept the conversation in our Fantard police records here:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_jvCOSOK3jE/UldFIdOfWHI/AAAAAAAAAlo/vPes3lm6Zcs/w900-h536-no/Fantard.jpg
I also had the conversation framed and hung it on the wall in Fantard Headquarters! For all to see!
And here is the link that proved your assertion that “Pen Sales had not dropped 12%” while you insulted a guy that told the truth with no prejudice.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/08/09/olympus-stems-loses-but-pen-sales-disappoint
FUNNY….we remember!!!!!
….
@sad life you lead
Nothing proved in your links 🙂
The fact is Olympus is turning a profit once you take the one-off extraordinary payments required to settle court cases around the accounting scandal. The funny thing is, compare Olympus stock with Canon, Nikon, Panasonic et al over a five year period and its stock has outperformed them. But hey, don’t let the facts get in the way, just keep on spewing bs.
Gee…I wonder who the “anonymous” poster is above me???….hmmmmmmm
You never did face up to your gaff about the 12% decline in Pen sales statement by Oly; is this going to be similar?
Citing sources, providing references are required of high school students and expected whenever these kinds of statements are made…don’t know about GED holders…
Atta Boy Cork! You tell him!….Here he is again answering a confused,greedy whinging Tobias with an Amazon-damning rant and again he is just using invented facts forced out with hot air!
YDDY we are all still waiting for that apology!
@CorkCampbell
There is was no gaff on my part I interpreted what Reuters reported what was said accurately.
It was reported that “PEN sales were 12% below expectations” now that could mean actual sales are up or down 50% now seeing as we don’t have figures for “Olympus expectations” then we just don’t know!!!
Olympus has a bad reputation regarding firmware updates…
Still waiting for the smaller Focus-Points in the E-M5 (which the PL5 has)
and the possibility to name the mysets (there is an implemented keyboard for typing your copyright name god damn it…).
Both are complains that can be found through the web since the E-M5 launch…
Further:
– Focus peaking
– Make all of the 4way Buttons customizable (the top one is fixed with EV-compensation, which is never needed because you have a beautiful dial for it)
I think you are more likely to get firmware upgrades in Pro cameras (E-M1) than those aimed at enthuasists (E-M5)
…like the Nikon D800E.
Each to their own.
Didn’t they do the smaller focus points?
Unfortunately no. It was a bit of sore point since it came on the E-PL5 & wasn’t added in an update firmware for the E-M5.
You can get a smaller focus point on an E-M5 by engaging the magnified view option via the Fn2 button, press it again to magnify the view then change the magnification to 14x with dial 2 press the fn2 button to get out of magnified view and you will now have a tiny focus box. Once this is done, the small focus point can always be engaged by a single press of the Fn2 button. so long as magnified view is enabled on Fn2.
Focus peaking of a sort is there too. Engage the Art 11 filter Key Line and shoot RAW + Jpeg and then use the RAW.
Fauxcus peaking vua keyline
I assign keyline and magnification to the record button for a temporary manualfocus aid that disappears after button is released. That way I can use my OOC JPEGs.
I want a mirrorless camera that has very usable ISO 3200 and good video…this E-M-1 has neither from the reviews I have seen…i’ll stick with my E-PM2 and hope the GH3 will drop even lower in price…or like Chris wait til see what Fuji offers with the x-E2
I think you could call iso 3200 from the em1 usable, as for the video mmm well lets see if a FW update will do anything big!
ISO 3200 sucks for low light shooting just where you need it most. I shoot mainly landscapes so it is not a deal breaker for me but I am sorry I would not find ISO 3200 at all useful.
You are shooting ‘Landscape’ video at 3200? Really?
I tried a brief video with my E-M5 indoors at 3200 and I found the result acceptable.
“I shoot mainly landscapes so it is not a deal breaker for me”
I very clearly pointed out that 3200 in fact all high ISO are not very important to me. 3200 is absolutely not suitable “for me”in murky low light exactly where it is most needed
. This is very much a matter of personal tolerances, the E-M1 is perfect for me in almost every way I would have loved a higher mp count combined with a genuine 50ISO. It angers me why so much concentration is put into high ISO.When one need only look through Flickr or smugmug or Pbase etc to see just how much low ISO dominates the vast majority of peoples shooting
You’re not suppose to quote flickr on here :p
You don’t get base ISO. Base ISO is determined by physics at the chip level – it’s not something you can ‘design in’.
According to German ColorFoto, the E-M1 has slightly better performance than the Canon 70D up to ISO 800, and only slightly inferior performance from ISO 1600-6400.
If we get 25p It will make me wish i got it for a long long time…
If we get 25p, 50p, 60p, I will be getting it…
If we get better bitrate I will not be wanting for another camera for a long long time!
If Oly sort the video the EM-1 will be a common camera!
Only my conjecture, as I know nothing of the technical specs and architecture of the E-M1 — if Oly can add 24p and 25p with an inversely-proportional higher bit rate with a firmware update (may be possible), then I would expect that by the E-M1 Mk II (or perhaps even the E-M5 and E-P5 successors) we will see 60p and 50p as well. Just like #Mpixels races, however, these must be of competitive (e.g. high) video quality, minimizing digital/ compression/ shutter artifacts, etc. in order to get worthwhile attention in the higher-end marketplace. I think that coupled with the outstanding IBIS would be a wonderful capability which will be sought after (and mimicked).
that may be the entire reason to do it. Because even a few firmware tweaks would be a marketing boon. Certainly more and wider interest in the new model is a positive result? And so worth the effort of providing …
I am not a fulltime video user, so wether 24/25 fps is added would add no benefir for me. For slowmo effect I could dig the 50or 60p. From a quality point of view I wonder which would be more useful; better codec, higher bit rate. Other wise both would be nice too. I find the E-M5 ok in the video it delivers but more would be welcome. Especially since i will do a 2 day video pictorials and bts in 10 days at Jakarta with Aneu & Chacy.
I think an important aspect here is future proofing a $1500 camera. E-M1 video specs are already years behind competition. If you’re hoping it would serve you well for more than two years, people will start to wonder when you bought that brick.
depends on the kind of people i guess, and I am already happy if it serves me well end this month for the project i mentioned, I normally never look further then one month, but the Aneu shooting was already 7 years in my head.
Look how big those 4/3 lenses are!
When the Europran Olympus manager said the E-M 1 needed better video, he wasn’t talking to us. He was talking to Japan.
I noticed something kind of weird- the EM5 and EP5 are the same price at Adorama- both $949. That tells me two things. Unlike previous Olympus cameras, the EM5 has done a remarkable job of maintaining it’s value and the EP5 is probably not selling well.
People love DLSR-like bodies!
It is strange how pricing works the E-P5 has dropped from £889 to £779 body only it was overpriced without the EVF the E-M5 is no £740 which is down £259 from launch that’s pretty good considering. I will be sticking with the E-M5 image quality wise the E-M1 doesnt have much on it.Sweet machine though
Very bulky …
I think Trupic vii should be much more capable than Trupic vi, look at smartphones, its been going from ARM 11 to A15 architecture from 2009 to now, the performance increase is a lot!
Considering that these processing engines appear in low grade cameras eventually is there any actual hardware involved or is it just software ?.The e-pl5 has the same trupic version as the E-M5.Does anyone know what hardware is involved ?
The key word there being “eventually.” Price of technology goes down over time. I remember when an Intel Pentium 200 MHz CPU was the shizz. Over $1,000. 200 friggin Mhz. Now my desktop is .. 2.53Ghz with 8 cores.
I spent a day in Sydney with about 1.7 million others at the Fleet review.
I saw a lot of people with cameras. Many had Nikon and a few less had Canon. Some even had Olys and Panys. A number were also using full size ipad/Galaxy tablets and lots with “the phone”. There were also a considerable number of dedicated movie cameras.
However I was not conscious of seeing any one videoing with a still camera. If they were they had very very short clips, not long enough for a viewer to get an understanding of what was recorded.
I wonder if the video in a still camera is, as thought by Oly, just used for videoing the kids and casual use. The number of “want this, want that” users maybe as they suspect, very low. Not high enough to justify cost.
However having said that I think 25 and 50fps should be included. I have little need for video, but I want it there. I also do not think I should have to pay for the hardware and software development to satisfy the few “want this, want that” additions in my still camera. On the other hand if it keeps the OMD line from extinction… well… But that is not the case. Is it?
Be serious. How many here have seen the masses of people making movies on their still camera when the camera user is out and about without their children.
? What rock are you living under? Have you heard of sites like VImeo and Youtube? What do you think these people use?
Which is precisely the point – the 24/25p considerations are only relevant when using the footage for broadcast television. Youtube and Vimeo are not broadcast television.
Not so. I am getting tired of dragging my camcorder around with my Oly E-M5 (and now my E-M1) for shooting 24p video, which I edit for both Blu-ray and DVD distribution. These are mostly for my personal use, including for family/ friends. When you can buy $600 HDTVs and $100 Blu-ray players which can play back a native 24p disc (like 99% of movie discs) without frame rate conversion, why wouldn’t I do this?
And another thing – in the USA 24p will more likely used for series, mini-series, and movies, but for news, live events, and many other programs, depending the network it will be either 1080 60i or 720 60p.
I might be under a rock, actually down under. But I have not been hit on the head by one as you seemingly have.
@JimD
I may have been one of the Oly users you saw 🙂
Same observations from me, didn’t see anyone shooting video the whole time – lot’s of iphone photographers and some folk who were dragging their DSLR’s.
I was slack & just watched the highlights on TV (& recorded the fireworks). 😉
I jumped from DLSR to mirrorless because I hate DLSR shape and its size. Now this nightmare re-visits me? Look at those combination! It’s DSLR cameras indeed!!!
E-M1 is a great camera and much smaller than a DSLR (no mirror box, waaaaaay smaller lenses) ….and the are many other mirrorless models that YOU can choose from, too.
??? You don’t know what a nightmare is. Buy the GX7, for crying out load. If you hate the shape of the OM-D and the GHn, there are lots of m43 alternatives 🙂
Then don’t buy it. I see several other models with similar features (even from the same manufacturer) which have different form factors. Want something similar with no grip? Get an E-M5. Want to go even smaller? Check out the PEN line. Choice, man! Choices!
But really, go grab an E-M1, slap a kit zoom on there, and then compare it to any canikon setup. I think you’ll notice a pretty decent difference in size, weight, and volume.
yay! (RAW is coming to the BMPCC)
https://twitter.com/brawlster/status/388471142123442178
Camera is a dead in the water lame duck with video as is. I wouldn’t dare reward Olympus for mediocrity by buying it!
It isn’t dead in the water if you are a still shooter. Its a GREAT camera. It’s all relevant.
I am also sure that most of the people complaining about the video in the M1 are just knuckleheads that want to post something on uTube.
IMHO 90% of serious pro video shooters are not buying any MFT camera for that purpose.
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seeing the size difference m43/43 lenses, never considered the 12-60 big, but d… thats a big honk of glass now out of a sudden. Ok that 43/m43 adapter helps quite a bit too.
I briefly tested the E-M1 with the 14-54. It felt light and small, much more so than a similar APS-C set-up.
For those that say absence of PAL rate is not relevant consider the following situation.
If you need to montage from different cameras with framerates ranging from 24-25-30 and also have to sync sound, well good luck. Besides the flickering issues.
Yes it does not matter much if you stick to one setup and distribute through internet or watch your material on multisystem DVD/TV combo.
But if you want to throw in Oly footage into a PAL mix from other cameras or dedicated PAL videocams get ready for some hairpulling or be scalled at by your editor.
Sony NEX files offer PAL rate but the AVCHD codec is difficult to digest with most popular editing software on Apple OS or PC for that matter.
So yes, PAL rates on any Oly is very much appreciated.
43R writes some good stuff. So there’s hope for 25p.
Admin can ask if they upped bitrate to at least 28 mbps
Thanks.
Frame rates can be totally software controlled. Increased bitrates requires bandwidth. CPU bandwidth and memory bandwidth. Unless they planned for it at the onset of this project and they padded the specs with excess, you may be SOL.
Frame rates are restricted by sensor read-out and hence hardware does also constrain how much control software can have over frame rates
Would be very grateful for 24 and 25p options, pretty simple stuff should never have been missing.
I have money down for an Em1 12-40 combo. Race is on for Olympus to deliver mine before Sony or someone else announce something better and ship without delays. You play a dangerous game these days announcing a Camera that is not ready to ship when there are so many competitors out there and new camera’s being announced every couple of weeks. Get it right the first time and ship on time.
Sony A7r looking like an awful lot of camera for not much more money compared to my postponed till December or ? 12-40 kit. Might be jumping off this ship. And of course the Sony does actual proper video too