Those are the very first images of the soon to be announced new Olympus E-M5II! Specs:
Same E-M5 16MP sensor
Update processor (improves slightly the IQ)
No PDAF
New sensor shift shooting that allows to combine 8 pictures in one to create a 40 Megapixel image
Improved 5 axis stabilization
It does have clean hdmi-out
all common frame rates and video optimized af-algorithm.
50Mb/s all 1080p (no 4K recording)
Reminder: The new Olympus camera coming during the first week of February will be called Olympus E-M5II (or E-M5 Mark II). And the big new feature of the camera is “sensor shift” shooting. The camera has a 16 Megapixel sensor that can shoot up to 40 Megapixel by shifting the sensor (in up to 8 frames of single shots).
The sources didn’t explain me in very detail how it works but my guess is that it works in a similar way of the Hasselblad H5D-200c. Hasselblad (Pdf file here) describes the tech in that way:
High precision piezo-electrical actuators control movements of the sensor in ½ and in one pixel increments. By combining six shots, offset by a combination of both ½ pixel increments and one pixel increments, the colors, Red, Green and Blue of each point are obtained with a double resolution in both the X and Y directions. The result is an astonishing 200Mpixel full color image with no artifacts, such as moiré.
The Bayer Mosaic filter pattern covers the pixels of the sensor. Moving the sensor in one pixel increments between shots, allows for the exact R, G, B values to be captured in every pixel. The multiple captures are then assembled to deliver the correct colors and ultimate definition of detail. Adding captures, each offset by a ½ pixel sensor movement, creates space for extending the sensor resolution from 50Mpix to 200Mpix. The outstanding definition of color and detail is maintained
And here is the image of the new 14-150mm F4-5.6II lens:
There is a good chance Olympus will also announce the pricing of the new Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO Lens (here at BHphoto).
Image courtesy via Digicameinfo. Specs by 43rumors.
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503 Responses
Any viewfinder specs?
Nice ! definitely the right direction considering the design: closer to the om-1. Nice to see the articulated scree as well. However I don’t like the on-off button. Why can’t they put it on the right hand side like every one else ?
Not possible to switch camera on with one hand == no buy
Sorry Olympus
I love these absolutist pronouncements over a tiny little preference that wasn’t met, particularly when there is an easy work around.
Set it to not turn off automatically then don’t turn it off. The E-M5 didn’t use any less power when off than in standby.
The switch is now the same as the E-M1 & also now has the same number of function buttons as well as the external flash connector. The grip now looks better too. It should be a nice camera to use.
okay,vari-lcd look good,
want image file sample ha ha ha,
and leaked info about GF7?
Do you have more info about the ‘common’ framerates? Do they include 24 + 25 fps?
And which codec is used?
So it’s a flip out screen, yes?
Finally… clever design!
Really? The on/off switch is still in the awkward position…
Yeah really! Maybe the on/off position is a bit odd but I like the PASM dial on the left and more space for the buttons we actually use. Not to mention the clean design on the back.
ok , it s E-M5 with an upgraded firmware ( since this sensor shift is probably nothing more than a software trick using the existing 5 axis)
I don’t think the existing 5 Axis IBIS can move such precise motions for the sensor shift.
It says “Improved 5 axis stabilization”
It’s an E-M5II. A complete new body what looks like the old one but there are many differences. A new processor, new shift sensor thing. Overall it’s a very nice re-placer of the already legendary E-M5.
That would be my description too.
I’m sure this will be a very nice product, but it seems to be a me-too product from the long in the tooth EM5.
After all this time, the same processor. No reason for me to replace the perfectly good one I have.
But I fear what’s more important than what it is is what it is not. It is not a new sensor. Like it or not, this signifies a high water mark for micro 4/3. It means it will be at least another three years, if that, before the EM5 family gets an upgraded sensor. In the digital camera world, in the competitive digital camera world, this is forever. And it seems like the competition, already ahead in sensor resolution and evolution, will pull even farther ahead in the meantime.
The net result would be the marginalizing of micro 4/3, which has apparently for the near term peaked technologically. Parlor tricks like a fancy HDR to “improve resolution to 40mp” notwithstanding. I mean, if that were so great, why wouldn’t everyone be doing it? And if it does turn out to be great, the competition would turn to it and how much greater to start out with base resolution higher in the first place?.
The processor won’t be the same. The sensor will be. Already on the EM10 the processor is updated like the EM1 (VII gen vs VI gen on the EM5).
Thanks, I meant sensor. Processor is less important, since despite marketing no one can differentiate the output of the EM1 from the EM5 today. Well, some say they do, but those that do seem to prefer the output of the EM5 (for example, see Kirk Tuck et al).
Although the jury is still out on the 40mp thingy, I wouldn’t expect to see any real world output difference between EM1 EM5 EM10 and this one.
You have to compare EM5 to EM10 to see difference. EM1 use another sensor. And many reviews say that the differences, especially in lowlight situation are visible.
Yes, I know what “reviews” say. “Reviews” offered by web sites that make profit off your click through when you buy a product they advertise as a more-better must-have.
But my comment was specifically with regard to real world differences. Use each camera and take a picture of the same subject. Ask your family to point out differences. Ask the newlyweds which camera takes the pictures. Then you will be able to understand what the real world sees without self-delusion.
The fact is the output of the EM5 hit a home run on the first pitch and to date the manufacturer has not really leapfrogged it.
If i ask to my family.. they say “great pictures” when they see pics i toke with my iphone.. so do they count? So i have to sell all my gear and shoot only with my iphone?
Dunno, what’s your goal and audience?
If your goal and audience are happy with what you got, time for some real soul searching on justifying your next purchase.
Me, I came to terms long ago. These are just toys to me, no real rational justification. On the other hand, sufficiency has been reached, and its up to the manufacturers to really really wow me with a new feature or better yet a lower price.
Which is a long way around of saying, this new product wont’ do it for me, and I think for a lot of other people, and so I am concerned for micro 4/3 feature.
Hint to Olympus: Price it real real cheap, try to rope in some net new customers.
future, not feature.
processor not important? My samsung galaxy S5 takes damn good pictures with a microscopic tiny weeny sensor… due to processing.
Hasselblad already do 200mpx with a 50mpx sensor. And Olympus we know is always be the innovator especially in prosumer market.
All camera makers can and do make the same claim that they are always the innovators. And each in their own way, rightfully so.
But “innovation,” by which in this context we really mean minor feature enhancements, is not really relevant to the concern I raised. The real issue is what people will buy. You can write “INNOVATIVE!!” all over your product, but that doesn’t make people buy it, and by the way staying pegged at 16mp forever doesn’t exactly shout innovation.
Do you wanna a m43 with 30mpx sensor???? With diffraction at f4.0? No man. I won’t buy a camera like that. Shift sensor is the only solution until multi layered sensors will be more affordable.
I know, this is what we tell ourselves. We as customers make excuses for those guys, when they should be the ones making excuses to us.
You should sell all your stuff and buy in on the sony A system… full frame right? THE best for your pixel peeping……
Con sumer, not prosumer. Con like cons.
Actually sensor-shift has been around for sometime and used to be quite common in compact point and shoots. For the larger dSLR/CSC sensors there wasn’t any reliable technology to shift the sensor effectively (as it has to be accurate and fast). Now Olympus does so due to their IBIS. Canonikon treat their sensors as “film”, thus the luck of IBIS.Hasseblad is already doing it in medium-frame.
You may call this a parlor trick or whatever you want, but in reality it is quite innovating for a consumer system camera. The advantages over using a 40mpx sensors are quite easy to guess: You increase resolution without having to deal with diffraction nor handshaking (quite common issue with the D800/810 and a7r sensors) and without increasing your pixel density further (for better ISO control). Plus you have the option to shoot at 16mpx without using a “crop” mode.
It may not be for YOU, but it will for other people. I am going to switch my second-body from E-M1 to an E-M5II due to the increased resolution for landscapes and few urban shots.
People are claiming 4/3 is peaked technologically since the 4/3 days. I wouldn’t be surprise to see a new sensor next year from Panasonic, while Panasonic still works on the the organic sensors. They can still harvest more DR and ISO from 16mpx sensor or they can scale those 1″ 20mpx ones. Heck they can even use a multilayer sensor! Multiple solutions eh? 🙂
There isn’t a thing such as “technological peak” in nowadays computing, there is always the next big thing. The question is if the companies will get out of their comfort zones, spent in R&D and go after it or not.
PS: Processors are quite important nowadays; a better processor can extract more information from the sensor, fix dynamic-range, work white-balance better, improve AF, etc etc. That is why each generation with the 16mpx sensor performs better than the previous one or in case of the Sony A7s, why it has so good ISO control even thought we had 12mpxl sensors before. In the case of the E-M5II a fast processor may make sensor-shift viable handheld or not.
Great that the fully articulated screen makes a comeback.
Hard to see if it has a build in flash. I don’t see an accessory port.
Hopefully the handling is as good as the styling.
Hopefully no accessory port means a new external mini flash that is waaaay less fiddly to slide on! I hate the system they have now: take the hotshoe cover off (which I permanently do), take the accessory port cover off, take the flash shoe cover off, slide flash on…and try not to lose all the covers!! On the other hand the wireless control with the mini-flask is useful, so I have to do it every once in a while…annoying!
Me likey! Button layout and dials seem much betterplaced than the original E-M5, which I felt was fairly cramped for my hands. And let’s hope it doesn’t have those sticky buttons anymore!! Looks like a great second body to the E-M1, without a very different UI control-wise.
what is the difference with the old 14-150? only the color?
One thing that kept me away from Olympus m43 was their mish mash of silver lenses and the old style black and silver like the 9-18mm. Now with silver versions of the primes and the look of the pro lenses, they are all coming together at last
Sorry that should read the black versions of the primes
Looking good! Battery grip coming too?…
Is it just me or does this look like a fully rotating, free angle LCD screen ?
Yes, i agree. That would be a welcome change.
In the front low right , is that a button?
probably DOF preview/ fn5 or somethin
Heck, the grip should be more pronounced. Especially now, after the 40-150/2,8.
The E-M5 is a camera less likely to be used with these professional lenses. Also, I assume the battery grip with its two parts will work on the Mark II. Professionals will opt for the the E-M1 instead.
that s debatable, the E-M5II is hopefully weatherproof like the E-M5 and there are not that many lenses (12-50, the macro lens and PRO range?) that also sport this feature
You must have an EM-1 by your pompous and defensive reply. Some people…
Probably a wannabe Pro!
It will most likely also come with the option of a grip as well, like the HLD-6.
I like the return of swivel screen!
A swivel screen is for amateurs… a tilt screen is much more usable, unless you’re into selfies (in other words, an amateur)…
This is an absolute no-go for me!
I have to say that the two options have their points. Although I like the tiltable because it’s fast and discrete, the swivel is nice to have in some PRO applications, like timelapses and odd angles where tilting is not enough.
Disagree with you. A swifel screen is much more versatile. I do a lot of macro in tight spaces, and really miss a swivel screen on my E-M1 and E-M5.
Then you also have video…
“a tilt screen is much more usable”
Not if you need to take pictures from near the ground in portrait mode, as I do.
A fully articulated screen gives many more angles which helps in a huge number of scenarios, including, but by far not limited to, portrait orientation shots.
Why on earth do you think it can’t do that!? you flip it out, rotate it so it faces upwards, presto!
Just for amateurs? With swivel screen u have many opportunities you don’t have with tilt screen. The most important: Use the screen in portrait mode and you will know!!
Unless you’re into video. Swivel screens are generally more useful for that purpose. There’s a reason Panasonic went that way with GH4, is that a camera for amateurs in your mind?
Swivel screen is veru velcome for video shooters! Don’t be so self-centered.. 🙂
you SERIOUSLY need to get over this conviction that it’s for selfies. You’re missing out on a whole axis – how can you not see the advantage? I think you’re suffering from a combination of denial and pride. I bet you’ve never used one?
You obviously have no idea how to use a fully articulated screen then!
Swivel screen has one very important feature….You can turn the LCD to face inwards thus protecting it from scratching.
I hate “screen protector” film!
Thanks man for enlighting us on the subject of amateurs! The truth finally! please keep going! You must be a great PRO photographer, can you please post your awesome pictures please oh please?
40MP or not, the improvements are not enough to justify an upgrade for me as an E-M5 owner. I don’t need more than 16MP, but I do want more DR, 1/8000s shutter speed, and PDAF. Sorry Olympus, not this time.
Have you ever shot the GH4?
I own both the E-M1 and the GH4 and believe me: the GH4’s AF system without on-sensor PDAF is faster and more reliable. So let’s see what kind of improvements the MK II features in this area.
No, I haven’t touched a GH4 yet. But I’m aware of the DFD technology which sounds very promising. However, this is a Panasonic invention and I don’t expect it to be involved in an Olympus body in the near future.
Well, let’s see. With the E-M5, Oly were the first to give us an µFT camera with a C-AF that deserved to be called so and why shouldn’t they be able to once again up the ante.
You have no idea what dynamic range or shutter speed this camera has. You also have no idea what kind of AF system kit uses. Quit jumping to conclusions.
The spec (according to the admin) says “Same E-M5 16MP sensor”, do you expect better DR from the same sensor?
Concerning AF, there’s nothing revolutionary to be expected, either, apart from the DFD, which is a Panasonic invention and highly unlikely to be included in an Olympus body in the near futhre.
Anyway, my conclusion is for me only, you don’t need to agree with me.
E -M1 is there for yah!
While the E-M1 does have 1/8000s and PDAF, the sensor does not provide better DR. In addition, I prefer the form factor of E-M5.
I don’t believe it was designed as an upgrade from the E-M5, just a later & improved model of the same level for those that need an E-M5 camera but with all the latest features too.
I think it is great that Olympus will finally match the 2011 Lumix GH2 for video, well done Olympus. My next camera will shoot 4k though.
A lot of people are likely going to be very peeved when they see high quality, hand-held stabilised 1080p output from this compared to downsampled unstabilised 1080p output from some cameras I won’t mention.
Gets a meh from me because:
– No PDAF
– No E-M1 sized viewfinder
– don’t care about megapixels. 16 is fine, actually 10 was enough for me (maybe even 8).
– another lame kit lens (where’s my 300 f4!?!)
– fully articulating lcd is useless just makes it more expensive (I prefer the e-m1 lcd to my e-3’s)
on the plus side:
– it’s pretty good looking, I like that the grip is black even on the back in the silver version (looks better than e-m1 in silver)
– 24 fps
– no pop-up flash! its useless anyway…
ps. wheels look a bit slippery, I like the notches in e-m5 and e-m1
Actually, it doesn’t say anything about the viewfinder not being the same as the E-M1.
Most of your criteria are ill-considered.
If you are not so much into video I think this does look like a nice upgrade -it will be interesting to see how the sensor shift resolution increase really works especially with subject movement the competition is tough though now -I will wait to see what Sony and Fuji do in Feb
I have high hopes for a good price.
(Using the basically same sensor should help ^^.)
Not really fan of the top-plate… buttons (fn2, fn3) and back dial placement is awkward to me…
The jury is still out on the back dial (maybe the new thumbrest makes it an ideal placement?) but I’m totally with you on the fn buttons. Prodding around the top plate with the tip of your index finger is akward.
so you assign to those buttons functions that you don’t need in immediate shooting, rather those that you need often but don’t want to dig into menus for
Any electronic shutter option? That would make my day.
My favourite change is the position of the strap lugs. What took them so long to put a swivel screen
so they are finally going to give good video codecs,clean Hdmi out, but no mic input ? I hope it does.
Hmmm, I love my old E-M5’s files, and money is tight. I think I am starting to save up to get this one in a year of so. Swivel screen, the brilliant 1-2 switch, on off switch better placed, and most likely settings assignable to the mode dial… The 40 mp trick is interesting, but I need to see how it works out. Good one Oly! I was afraid to lose what I liked about the E-M5, but this looks like a gradual improvement.
On off switch is NOT better placed IMO. I can turn on mk1 with my right thumb while holding the camera in the right hand. Now you need two hands to turn it on = missed shots!
My beef with O-MD lineup is this, it’s hard to turn it on and shooting with one hand quickly.
True, but as I mentioned, the “old” e-m5 with the landscape part of the grip attached lets me do this one handed. The E-M1 not, nor the E-M5 II. A step back IMO.
I considered about using E-M5 with Peak Design Clip, turning on while you unclip seems natural.
I have that and yes, it seem quite natural:-) One fluid motion from the hip and up. Highly recommended!
Only thing is, the landscape part of the grip has the tripod socket moulded into the plastic, so when using Peak clip, it slowly “elevates” itself from the crumbling mould making it impossible to attach the portrait part of the clip because the socket is no longer flush with the base of the grip.
Don’t turn it off then.
They still didn’t get it at Olympus when it comes to placements of buttons. The current firmware with its feature of Myset settings binding to a function button does only work well, when you can comfortably press and hold the function key the settings bind to while at the same time pressing the shutter. Looking at the image of the camera, that won’t work as you cannot reach both the function keys and the shutter at the same time. The problem is that the Myset only stays active while holding the function button it is assigned to. They should change the behaviour in the firmware to make it a toggle function on the button that binds the function so that you can turn it on and off by pressing once instead of holding the button.
On the E-M1, you can hardly reach and hold the Fn1 button comfortably while pressing the shutter at the same time. The only way you can use the Myset feature comfortably is using the Fn buttons present on some of the Olympus zoom lenses.
This feature is one of the best things about usability on the old E-5 where you could bind the Myset settings to the program mode selector wheel. While the Micro Four Thirds cameras have P, A, S, M, video, that ridiculous tile mode, Scene, Art and iAuto, the E-5 would allow you to define what you want on the wheel based on Myset settings, so you could easily and quickly switch between modes with your custom settings. Dropping that concept was one of the biggest mistakes Olympus did in terms of product design. They should drop Art mode and the tile mode on the next E-M1 iteration at least and replace it with a Myset1 and Myset2 mode where you can at least assign two Myset settings with the ability to easily and quickly switch between them (more or less like the Panasonic GF1 did). Art mode was already available through the on screen menu on the E-5 in any of the modes. And I wouldn’t assume tile mode is something that is appealing to someone buying an E-M1 anyway.
Not sure what this rant is about. On the E-M1 and E-M10 you can assign Mysets to positions of the Program Wheel, i.e. if you never use Art or Scene Modes you can assign a Myset to them. The only problem is that you have to remember what is where.
You’re right. I didn’t know about this yet! I take most things back I’ve said about that! 🙂 Coming from the original E-M5 and owning an E-5 before that, those were the main issues I had with the E-M5. Seems like I don’t know my E-M1 enough yet.
I understand you, the learning curve concerning menu and customization is quite steep but worthwhile in the end. Phantastic camera! Its an engineers camera and easily understandable that beginners frustration can be big.
Any Myset can be assigned to any programmable button or dial position.
And you need not hold it to activate! Just touch a Myset button, and the assigned Myset is activated. Touch again, and it toggles back to whatever settings you came from.
You need to read your manual. It works as you suggest it should on the E-M1 and E-M10
Already hating the f*ng swivel-screen. The E-M5 has it right/perfect. Might be a showstopper for me…
Yes, this is probably awkward with lower shooting angles.
Actually, no, it’s better.
Let me remind that the current E-Mx tilting screens have a 140° range of movement (50° down, 80° up), against 270° for the most common swivel screens (90° down, 180° up).
When I focus on my camera or tilted screen, I see camera and screen. When I look at a swiveled screen I see mostly just that. I know there is an amount of getting used to it, but there is also still some awkwardness to it, like driving a car that requires you to stick your head out of the side window to see the road in front of you…
Stop with the nonsense, a Sony swivel can be defended for low angle photography, but tilting ? with part of the screen obscured by the viewfinder ? And once again, useless in portrait orientation…
Besides, what do you need to look at the camera for ? checking or fiddling with your settings ? If you can’t do it by muscle memory you are clearly not yet at the point where you should play with weird angles anyway.
‘Not yet at the point’ 🙂 I could indeed start forcing myself to take only straightforward face level shots, but I guess I will automatically do that (again) when I’m too old to bend my knees. That may even be wheel chair level. But anyway, I have to admit, I don’t know how the sony swiveling is different from others. Maybe you mean they can be put into the same position as where a tilted screen ends up when tilted, then of course there is no issue at all.
Sorry for the snark, you’re entirely entitled to find swivel more awkward, it takes some getting used to, I’ll admit, and you have to be a portrait orientation shooter to really get the most out of it.
That you don’t have a use for a better feature doesn’t mean you should invent reason to denigrate it to prop up the inferior one you’re content with, there’s nothing wrong with admitting that something is superior while preferring something inferior but good enough for you.
After all, that’s a choice we already all made when we chose µ4/3 “over” APS-C or FF.
From a purely mechanical point of view, Sony’s solution is elegant, it’s more or less an E-PL5/7 tilting screen that rotates.
On paper it’s very nice, in practice you either love or hate it.
OK. Thanks. But of course I’m not saying the one you can tilt into the right position in less than a second is the inferior one. And I think at least 99% of my pictures are in landscape orientation, but a low angle portrait shot is definitely challenging with a non swiveling screen – still no reason for me to call it inferior though.
The statement about ‘nothing wrong admitting something is superior’ just shows you decided what is better for you is better for everyone. For me the tilter is better, and the sony style swiveler may be acceptable (to me), but still not preferred (by me), unless trying it out would make me have to change my mind.
Most swivel screens can and do get into position just as fast as tilt screens, so that’s a moot point; We then agree that for regular landscape orientation, swivel offer no sizable advantage over tilt, but isn’t inferior either, good, that’s a draw.
Then we agree that for portrait orientation, especially at low angle, swivels are superior to tilt (or tilt inferior to swivel).
Since we have no case where tilt is superior to swivel if we factor out user familiarity with the system, and have cases we both agree show swivel to be more usable than tilt, where does that leave us ?
With swivel being superior, more usable than tilt.
That you have no use for that superiority is irrelevant, as it is irrelevant that I do happen to need it; Swivel offer more than tilt, whether you benefit from it or not, ergo, it’s superior to it.
Let’s consider a butter knife vs a steak knife, they both are knives.
Some people prefer the smoother experience and result of the butter knife when spreading butter over the coarser, irregular experience provided by the steak knife.
Butter knives are, to some people, better to spread butter, however steak knives are just better knives.
Tilt is a butter knife, it sacrifices in functionality to make the functions it retains a smoother experience.
Swivel is a steak knife, it might offer a rougher experience to some people, but it is more versatile.
From a theoretic point of view, things can be objectively superior.
So for an articulated screen what we must consider is the number of joints and axis around which it can move (2 joints around pitch axis for tilt, 1 joint in yaw and 1 in pitch for swivel), the range of movement for each axis (maximum 230° in pitch for tilt, 180° in yaw and minimum 260° in pitch for swivel), the number of position it can achieve (greater for swivel due to movement in two axis with greater range), the practical nature of these position (all tilt position are usable, about half of swivel positions aren’t) and finally, how easy to use the screen it is for these positions (tilt often leaves the screen partially obscured by the viewfinder or tripod, swivel often offer more access).
From this analysis, it quickly appears that swivels are superior to tilts, but not by the margin suggested only by their movement/position range (tilt is, in a way, more efficient than swivel).
Now, does that mean that the objectively superior solution should be the superior solution for users ?
Of course not, if that were the case, x86 would not have been the dominant CPU architecture, Windows would not be the dominant desktop OS, TN screens would not be the most commonly produced etc…
In this it’s simply because the deciding factor here are ergonomics (some people find swivels as fiddly as I find Sony swivels), usage (like you many people don’t do enough shots in portrait mode, on tripods at weird angle etc… to need anything more than tilt, and that doesn’t make you in any way a lesser photographer) and self-perception (some people don’t like swivels because it makes them look like tourists with cheap DSLR/bridges and not like real photographers), which is entirely subjective and disconnected from the actual superiority of the solution.
It is the rule rather than the exception that the objectively superior solution is not the favored one, because their superiority often comes at the costs of compromises elsewhere, making their inferior competitors actually a better value to users in real life.
“That you don’t have a use for a better feature doesn’t mean you should
invent reason to denigrate it to prop up the inferior one you’re content
with, there’s nothing wrong with admitting that something is superior
while preferring something inferior but good enough for you.”
Right back atcha.
Do point out one of my statement, in context, going against that principle. 🙂
Pulling out the screen and swivel it every time Im going to take a low angle pictures of my kids…a showstopper for me as well i think.
on the e5 i´ve done it million times, and really fast too, its just, pull turn, i dont see the difficulty, specially if the screen is turned backwards to protect it, is as easy as just turn, you take more time to press the live view mode button
And on my E30 too it was so easy.
Hmmm.. I admit it takes about a half second longer, but it’s so easy the difference is neglegable. Breaking my neck every time I have to take a picture at an awkward angle – talk about show-stopper. There’s a whole extra axis of movement a flip-screen cannot cover.
I love it. Had on my older camera’s including the Panasonic G6. Always missed it on my E-M5 and E-M1(where the screen is very hard to open also).
i loved that you could turn it around to protect the screen, seeing that they are touch screen, i thing its a plus to be able to do it
A little bit E-M10, a little bit E-M1 and a huge chunk of the old E-M5. Didn´t some sources tell us the E-M5 II would look “very” different? After three years not much has changed at all.
Except the swivel screen, no? That’s a real difference.
It is still recognisable as an E-M5, but also very different with layout & added buttons etc., including the fully articulating screen. What were expecting? A Canon look-a-like?
How does the 14-150 mm of today compare to the 40-150mm lens, or the 12-50? I own the both the 40 – 150mm and the 12-50 I find the 40-150 to make sharp and fine photos with nice color rendering. The 12-50 I feel is not that good.
You need the 12-40 then. The 14-150 will not be a match for the two pro lenses.
Looks fantastic with all the dials and buttons. Swivel screens are incredibly useful, fingers crossed for mic input. This will be my first Olympus camera if the video is good. Excited!
Olympus users, what does the 1-2 switch do?
You can set two different functions at the same button. One to set 1 and another one when you switch to set 2
Nice. Thanks, Luca.
It changes the function of the front & rear dials, adjusting other parameters.
Well, I’m really unhappy with the swivel screen as I won’t be able to use the camera for waist-level shooting. That’s really annoying.
The rest of the cam seems to be really impressive, including the switch that will allow us to use the control wheels for different things.
Bbut at the end if the day, it will be the answer to one question that will be the deal braker or maker: Does the E-M5 C-AF my µFT lenses at least as fast and reliably as the GH4. If yes, I pre-order right away, if no, I’m happy with what I’ve got. But in consideration of the fact that Toshi Terada said half a year before the launch of the E-M1 that Oly were working on differtent C-AF solutions and weren’t particularly keen on using the on-sensor-PDAF I still hope that the cam will surprise me, in this area. If Panny can do it, Oly should be able to also deliver.
why wouldn’t you be able to use the camera for waist-level shooting? you swivel the screen out and turn it the way you need for waist-level shooting, only difference is that it won’t be hidden behind the camera but visible to the side of the camera
Less stealthy and the screen is more in the way. And it takes more time to tilt it upwards.
Well, I haven’t got a rubber wrist. Please tell me how to comfortably hold the camera at waist level with the screen flipped out to the left. Tried it with G1, E-30 and E-5. Just impossible.
Why can’t you shoot from waist level with a swivel screen?
And why shoot from waist level to begin with?
It’s a rather peculiar shooting style anyway, on line with one hand shooting w/ straight arms.
Doesn’t benefit anything (apart maybe from stealthy street shooting), as you lose out on camera
handling, control and steadiness.
A swivel screen has lots of advantages; on tripod, portrait orientation, selfies etc.
With a proper grip it (waist level shooting) is in fact steadier than shooting at eye level.
Say no more…
It gives your pictures a completely different perspective – that’s why shooting at waist level is extremely attractive. And with a flip-out screen and a proper grip, you hold the camera – as anon said – more stable than at eye level.
Yes, i’s not so good for action but great for portaits, street and the likes.
Say no more…
By the way, it would be nice if the HLD6 would fit the MK II
Somehow, I don’t think it will. The body grip shape around the shutter button looks like it won’t match.
Come on now, it needs a better, smaller and sharper 12-50mm mark II !
Wow! Talk about contradiction. A swivel screen on a camera that is compact and great for hand held capture.
loooks big …
I sold my epl3 i am just looking to gm1/5 as a companion to E-M10
nice small bodies and as they are Pana …video is bonus 🙂
That camera looks cute but a mess to clean…
Admin please update your list, there is a new swivel screen.
Looking in to the VF on the E-M1,5 and 10 at camerasize.com, the VF looks more like the E-M1..
If thats the case and it has focus peaking while shooting video, I might look past the stupid swivel screen.
Focus peaking while shooting video is one of the things that might make me look past the swivel as well… Really bummed out about the screen at the moment though. 🙁
And the best EVF on the market!
Is that a button in the middle of the rear dial like the shutter button is on the front? Looks nice, if the video doesn’t suck I might just buy one.
I would not think so as it is similar to the E-M1 dials in that respect.
Look idd nice but Why oh Why… a swivel screen..?
To use a tilt screen in portrait mode too.. Impossible to do right now.
The old screen is better suited for street photography.
Actually it looks quite good with some interesting attention to detail. I hope the pricing is reasonable. The E-M1 is already as cheap, if not cheaper than the E-M5 was when it was introduced.
The interesting things to me are the shutter. Will Olympus have gone for a true EFC shutter, with no pre-cocking necessary, and so no need for 0s anti-shock. Also the synch speed will be interesting.
Other features I’m interested in are the viewfinder, and focus peaking. The swing out swivel screen is useful to me to.
It will be interesting to see how high resolution feature works in practice.
It not much of a change aesthetically, but I do prefer it to the EM5 (and the EM1 to be honest). If the sensor shift tech proves useful, video improved and also the same EVF as the EM1, I’d be tempted. I guess hoping it uses the same battery grip as the EM5 is wishful thinking though…?
Looks great.
Design : The squarer body, narrower “prism” and front button design and placement are a throwback to the OM-1/2, mixed with OM-3/4 inspirations for the top plate; that makes even the E-M1 seem elegant but hey, that’s not what will prevent me from buying it.
Swivel screen : Good, but would have been better on an E-M1 Mk II, not a selling point on an E-M5 class body.
Ergonomics : Top plate seems even more awkward than the E-M5, on/off switch a la E-M1 is a horrible idea, the 2×2 switch is nice to have but seems too small and high placed, the E-M1 inspired cross pad is a good thing, the relative position of the front and back dials seems weird, I can’t figure having the back dial further right than the front being comfortable.
Accessory incompatibilities : No word on the battery, however it’s a given that all AP2 accessories are incompatible and it will require another battery grip.
IQ, EVF, AF, Video : The E-M5 still is more than enough for me, the improvements and gimmicks are not selling point for me at that point in time, and when/if I need something better, I have/need something much better anyway.
Oh well, E-M5 are on sales at €499 and second-hand E-M1 are reaching interesting prices, that’ll be a spare while waiting for an E-M1 II with swivel screen to replace both E-M5 and GH3.
What’s with the love for the swivel screen? More expensive and worse in every way than the e-m1 style tilt screen, except maybe taking selfies 😛
1) It’s usable in portrait orientation
2) It’s usable over a much wider range of angles than a tilt screen
3) It’s much easier to use with a tripod
Yeah, right, worse in every way…
Granted, if you’re not that creative in your shooting angles, you never use a tripod and never shoot in portrait orientation, tilt screens are much better… some people have other requirements.
Not being able to tilt fast and easy for a hip shot = worse in every way and then some!
Three suggestions :
1) Do it blind, as generations of photographers have done before.
2) Do it with the screen flat, it’s good enough for composition (not focus though I’ll agree).
3) Have the screen already in position, I don’t know for that one, but the fragility of swivel screens are usually greatly exaggerated.
A screen which swiveled like the Sony A99 would satisfy both sets of requirements….
Nope, the A99 style is actually the worse I’ve seen, it doesn’t work well in portrait mode, requires weird calisthenics to get into some positions, is awkward on tripods and doesn’t really deploy smoothly as a tilt screen, all the while being overly fragile.
I hate that swivel solution with a passion, but I can understand that some view it as an acceptable compromise.
And having to widen your camera by some 70% just to be able to use a different angle (any angle at all) is a more elegant solution? The A77/A99 articulation is the best of everything, your incompetence in being able to manipulate non withstanding.
Explain ‘awkward on tripods’? Erm, no.
Explain ‘doesn’t work well in portrait’? Erm, no.
Explain ‘weird calisthenics to get into some positions?’? What positions?
Awkward on tripods and portrait mode both stem from the fact that you must extend the screen to use it in some positions and in doing so usually block the viewfinder or get stuck against the tripod head. Likewise many positions require more and weirder manipulation that may put the screen in awkward positions.
That is the price of the compromise of that solution, it has great degrees of liberty, using 3 joints whereas regular swivels and tilt only use 2.
Let’s get it clear, I do agree with you, from a purely technical point of view, the Sony solution is utterly superior.
However, for practical purposes, I find it flimsy and counter-productive, more often getting in your way than helping you get great shots.
I should not spend more time trying to figure out how and where to put the screen so it’s both useful and unobtrusive than I spend on the actual image composition (and yes, I’m sure that had I spent more time with it, I’d have gotten used to it, in reality, I ended up using it as a regular tilt screen pretty quick).
While I agree to some extent that it requires extra movements that feel a little clumsy at times and that is the price to pay for that flexibility, I also agree wholeheartedly that you do mostly use it as a type of tilt screen (because in essence that’s mostly what it is) it does have a few bonuses that a typical tilt screen does not:
It ‘can’ be used in portrait orientation. Personally I don’t have a huge amount of need for it but occasionally it is useful. I expressed above how this, while great on the MkII’s type of articulation is used less regularly than a typical tilt scenario but by design they have to be extended to use them in this more common (I suspect) way.
Secondly (and this is my favourite) is that due to the extension and additional articulation the screen can essentially be set atop the camera for low level shooting, rather than behind and partly obscured. I find this actually makes low level shooting much more enjoyable and engaging using a tilt screen.
Lastly by the extra articulation it can face down in a more full manner (again compared to a tilt type screen that normally gets obstructed by the body in some way.
So it has the benefits of both a tilt screen and a side articulated screen (plus a few others) with the downside being that it can be an extra step in transitioning between various positions. I find a tilt screen often too limiting and a side articulated screen often too cumbersome. There is no perfect solution though unfortunately (though having the A77 type with displays on both sides would mitigate some of the clunkiness).
As for flimsiness, I have not heard of any particular design issues with it.
Considering flimsiness, it’s only a personal appreciation, despite my misgivings I neither had any problem with it nor know of any.
On the other hand, that perceived flimsiness also made me treat it more carefully than I would have otherwise.
Agreed then, Sony swivels are basically enhanced tilting screens, which are very good for people mostly interesting in tilting/landscape and only occasionally needing the advantages of a swivel.
Trouble is, I and quite a few others need exactly the reverse. My priority is portrait orientation because that’s the one from which I do 95% of my “shoot from the hip” shots (and a lot of my tripod/macro) and still, I might need to use the VF and not have the luxury to first refold the screen along 3 different axis.
The traditional swivel is never in the way and if it were, it’d be faster to reconfigure than a Sony swivel.
I’d even posit that articulation favoring the portrait orientation is more important because while the view in landscape orientation of a “fixed” screen is mostly unencumbered except in border cases, while in portrait orientation you have almost no view of the screen pretty fast.
To recap, to people doing little portrait orientation photography, Swivel > Sony Swivel > Tilt, however, to people doing little of that, Sony Swivel > Swivel > Tilt, while to people doing none, Sony Swivel > Tilt > Swivel.
We may have to agree to disagree on this one.
Taking the scenario you describe with both options from a starting position where the screen in flush with the body facing outwards:
Sony solution (A99 / A77 only): Pull the screen outwards up upwards in a single motion (two of the articulation points are moved) then tilt to desired angle (and screen is fairly central to optical axis).
Side articulated: Flip screen all the way out to the side, rotate 180 degrees to face backwards again, tilt back in to desired angle (and screen is lower and further back from centre of cameras).
So the second solution requires more steps and is less ideally situated.
Take it from the same position mounted on a tripod:
Sony: Pull up and over body
Side articulation: Rotate out fully then flip around until desired angle is reached around 90-120 degrees.
Again more steps / movements and less ideally located.
From experience, classic swivels can move both axis at the same time fluidly, it’s one movement on two axis, not three movements (besides, you don’t need to rotate 180°then tilt, it’s the same movement).
From my experience though Sony swivels can’t fluidly tilt and rotate (well, you could, but the liberty is limited and you induce torsion and the perceived flimsiness tend to make me avoid it), you have to either move in either/both the tilt axis or the rotation axis, it theoretically requires less steps but in practice actually requires more.
As for location, it’s a question of habit and need, I don’t give a damn about centrally situated, in the optical axis, especially if it blocks access to the viewfinder, which all your propositions with a Sony swivel do.
You are correct, you only need to Swivel it out around 90 degrees in most cases to twist the screen, less than that and the body obstructs the twist movement. As such you cannot move both at the same time, it is a distinct 2-step process, the same as the Sony (in either case the screen needs to be move from the body sufficiently to rotate around.
As for obstructing th VF and not caring where the screen is so long as not in the way, well the Sony screen can be moved below the body and in no way impede the screen.
It has a greater range of flexibility and no more difficult to articulate.
Ill have to learn how to live with it, just very annoying when you love the easy tilt for shooting my children.
if its your kids why not simply dropping on your knees, and take the shot, far easier, and you can still use viewfinder
I do that as well, but I very often go lower than that. Have you tried following kids around lying down? 🙂
kids no, but cats, yeahh, i look like solid snake, doing all kind of trick in the floor, hehe, but back on track, the swivel lets you do that easily, and on portrait orientation if you so desire
Dude/dudette, I know what I’m talking about 😀 , I own the e-5 with a swivel screen and regularly use a relative’s e-m1 with a tilt screen. The e-m1’s lcd is a joy to use and I almost never fold the e-5’s lcd out because it’s such pain to use especially ergonmically.
1) ok, fair point
2) it makes taking holding the camera in portrait orientation above eyelevel possible but makes holding the camera horizontal harder by blocking my left hand (and 90% of my shots are horizontal)
3. tilt screen is vastly easier for tripod, for tripod work I usually use MF and focusing with the left hand sucks with a swiveling screen in the way.
But it’s not that huge of a problem for me in this camera. Not having the e-m1’s sensor with PDAF and the inferior EVF are the things that mean I’m not getting this camera. The e-m1’s viewfinder was the first evf that I would gladly have over the e-5’s ovf.
But alas, some people prefer the daughter and others the ugly swiveling mother.
1) Good.
2) I never used an E-5, but I’ve used various Lumix G/GH cameras, Canon G series, even a Pro90IS (my first encounter with swivel screens), none of these ever blocked my left hand from operating the camera or holding it, maybe it was an ergonomic fault of the E-5, let me reassure you, it’s not a feature of the technical solution, only of the implementation.
3) It’s only “vastly easier” provided that a) you’re in landscape orientation, b) you’re not upside down and c) you’re not at extreme angles.
Once you fall into any of these categories, your tilting screen is a useless piece of crap, let’s also consider that a swivel will never get in the same situation as the A7 tilt screen*.
* If you mount an A7 directly on a C type Gitzo adapter plate (and some others), you can’t tilt the screen down and have to force to tilt it up.
2) oops, I wrote e-5 – ment e-3. The e-3 actually has a relatively small screen and it still forces me to have my left hand support the lens in an akward way. No matter what the geometry, a swiveling screen will always be on the way of the left hand.
3) a) yes, probably over that 90% when on tripod b) ? c) well that A7 has clearly a poorly designed tilt mechanism, no problems with the e-m1 + arca-swiss plates in any orientation.
2) You’ve used one camera and make an absolute ruling about every other camera sharing one feature with it.
I’m opposing 14 years of experience using a dozen different designs sharing that feature…
I’ll let you think about it…
3) b) most serious tripods allow you to reverse the column, so your camera is upside down, for very close to the ground shots (usually macro), however tilting screens are not thought at all for that usage, swivels don’t care.
Once again, if you don’t do that kind of photography, you won’t care; I do, and thus I care.
Got you !
Yes, indeed, that’s a flaw of the A7 and not tilting screens, just like blocking your left hand is a flaw of the E-3 and not swivel screens… Thanks for playing.
2) On the one hand we have you with experience with 1 camera, on the other, me with 14 years of experience with a dozen different cameras, yet you keep insisting you know better, interesting…
3) most serious tripods allow to mount the column reversed allowing to mount the camera upside down between the tripod legs, for very low level shots (usually macro), if you have a use for it, a tilting screen is utterly useless and…
Got you !
Yes indeed, this is a flaw of the A7, not tilting screens, just like your handling problems with the E-3 are flaws of the E-3, not swivel screens in general.
Thanks for playing.
2) I’m just saying that the cumbersome ergonomy caused by the swiveling screen in most live view shooting outweighs it’s strengths in rare posions while playing twister or practising kamasutra. I have been shooting digital for roughly ten years with several cameras too, one of which was the e-10 wich also had a tilting screen. How many tilting screen cameras have you had?
3) got it, I’ve reversed my column a few times but I used a lens with a collar so the camera was the right side up. To be fair even if you have the camera upsidedown you can tilt the lcd to point down (up in this case) to some degree, depend on the mechanism.
Yes the flaw was with the particular tilting mechanism, but all swivels block the left side of the camera (except the flimsy looking Sony that swivels down) because that’s how they work. Gh4, e-5 and e-3. Not really related to the geometry or design (except if the pivot was in the upper part of the screen to raise the screen somewhat while rotating). Doesn’t ruin the camera but I think a tilting is a better solution.
Yes, once again, tilting is apparently a better solution… for you, just as swivels are a better solution for me, for reasons I’ve detailed.
Let’s use a simple rating system and consider your ergonomic considerations valid :
The better solution for a particular orientation gains a point, an “unusable” solution loses a point, an adequate but not perfect solution gains/loses nothing.
For you :
Landscape : Tilt +1, Swivel -1
Portrait : Tilt 0, Swivel 0
Sub-Total : Tilt +1, Swivel -1, Delta 2
For me :
Landscape : Tilt 0, Swivel +1
Portrait : Tilt -1, Swivel +1
Sub-Total : Tilt -1, Swivel +2, Delta 3
Grand Total : Tilt 0, Swivel +1
Conclusion, a swiveling screen offers a greater gain over tilt to me than a tilting screen offers over swivel to you.
When taking into account both our needs, even including a bias toward your position, swivel still offers better overall value.
No one cares about your experience with your 14 cameras. … who do you think you are?
Someone with a little more on-hand experience than the person with whom I was communicating.
The point is not to brag about the number of cameras I’ve worked with, but to point out that my opinion on whether or not a swivel hampers the operation of a camera is borne out of experience and not my backside.
I’m perfectly happy to admit that the particular camera my interlocutor used and the particulars of his practice made it hard for him, I however, from a more extensive experience, doubt that he can use that limited experience to make a general, absolute statement about all cameras using a swivel.
Does that enter your thick troll skull ?
Damn, eaten comment…
1) Good.
2) I’ve been using swivels since 2001 (Pro90 IS, then various Canon G, then Panasonic G/GH series), I’ve never used an E-5, but let me reassure you, if the E-5 blocks you left hand, it’s an implementation problem, not one directly linked to the swivel, it has never hampered my ability to hold, use or configure my cameras.
3) It’s only “vastly easier” provided a) you’re in landscape mode, b) your camera isn’t upside down or c) you are not at an extreme angle/height.
Fall into any of these three conditions and your tilting screen isn’t much use.
Believe me, there’s a reason I keep a GH3 in addition to my other (better) cameras, and it’s not because of it’s EVF.
you can shoot from any angle with it, the tilt screen is nice, but coming from an e5 it was limiting to me, the swivel is much better, specially if you are on a tripod, wich i see this camera being on one alot, since i supose its how the sensor shift will work.
Since rear wheel of the E-M5 was far too close to the view finder prism, I can assure you that the new position – similar to the E-M1 – is the main ergonomic benefit of the new E-M5.
It’s not similar at all to the E-M1, on the E-M1 the back dial still is left of the front dial.
Please consider that the new dial placement has nothing to do with better ergonomics, and everything to do with finding a place to put the 2×2 switch.
Unless you are not holding it right, the dial’s position relative to the VF is irrelevant.
I think the dial is positioned relative to the thumb grip, which funnily enough is where your thumb should be.
On the E-M5, when your thumb is on the thumb rest, it’s positioned to press Fn1, and must extend to use the rear dial, depending on the function you attributed to Fn1 and the rear dial, that might make ergonomical sense or not, to me it does.
On the E-M1, when your thumb is on the thumb rest, it’s positioned to use the rear dial, and must retract awkwardly to push Fn1 or extend to push the AEL/AFL button or use the 2×2 switch, once again, depending on your button configuration that might make sense.
In both cases, it’s set up so that your thumb is further left that your index, creating a posture ensuring that the back, bottom of the body rest on your palm, with the E-M5 II setup, while superficially similar to the E-M1, it extends the back support further right, and I posit that it put more of the support on your thumb and less on your palm, making it less secure and more awkward to use buttons in positions not immediately reachable, It also has another side effect, by making the camera less secure on the back and moving your thumb to the right of your index, they make your thumb a pivot, possibly creating a potential for yaw toward the left when handled with one hand only, and all of this why ?
Because to accommodate the 2×2 switch while retaining a compact body, they had to move the back dial to the right of the front dial.
You make a good point. Personally I always hated the E-M5 as it was a slippy piece of soap with no grip that required a pincer grip to hold the thing. The only way to hold it in any comfortable fashion without the added grip was to have your rear thumb in a near vertical orientation up toward the dial and like you say moving your thumb out of this position even slightly loses all grip of the camera, forget going for those buttons on the lower back you must must must grab the camera with your left hand for support before doing so. This looks to me to be similar but slightly more comfortable with the rear dial for this positioning.
They ‘could’ have taken a leaf out of their own book with the E-P3/E-P5 design and actually had a wider area next to the screen on the right to give a more natural rotational ‘path’ for your thumb to follow while your palm still maintains grip, as it is though you have to fold your thumb and lose all palm grip on the camera. The E-M1 doesn’t have such issues as you have a nice monkey grip on the front. But to me this does look like a SLIGHT improvement and certainly so with many more top mounted and high mounted controls negating the need to use those rear buttons so much.
Yep, the “natural” way to hold the E-M5 without grip is ring finger front, holding the bottom, middle finger on the grip, index on the shutter/front dial/top buttons, thumb vertical on the thumb rest and Fn1, extend for back dial, retracts for back buttons, and the palm of your thumb on the back bottom, holding it and partially covering the buttons.
I never had a problem with it but can conceive that people with larger hands or used to some specific ergonomics might have trouble adjusting to it and find the E-M5 II more appealing, from my perspective though, it seems not that well adapted to my habits.
Hey, since I won’t be buying it and you apparently will, it’s a good thing it’s a better match for you than for me.
Well my thumb is not as long as my index finger so having the rear dial further to the right makes sense to me.
The top plate on/off switch is also perfect for me but that’s probably because I spent 30 years with OM cameras that have the switch in the same position.
Agree about the 2×2 switch which looks cramped.
They should still be putting more controls available for the left hand as modern cameras overload the right hand that is also supporting much of the weight of the camera via the grip.
A dial around the lens throat which could replicate the top dial controls would be a perfect solution here. Left hand adjusts aperture or shutter speed, right adjusts EC or shutter speeds or aperture.
I suppose I really shouldn’t be surprised at all the absolute conclusions people are somehow able to arrive at concerning the new matrix shift trick, without seeing any test shots that result from it or any knowledge of how it is implemented – as in, does it require a tripod or not?
Olympus don’t make tripods so my guess is it won’t require one. 😉
Olympus wouldn’t be bothering with it if there wasn’t a compelling benefit. Bet it’s great for astrphotography. Interesting times await.
I am not so sure about astrophotography if it is basically taking multiple shots and stitching them in camera would 8x 30sec exposures plus processing time not be a bit of an issue plus stars move
Astrophography stitching often uses low-MP low-noise sensors with the emphasis on low-noise and that requires cooling, a heat sink or even a Peltier pump, and a wobbly sensor introduces noise.
Maybe I was referring to astrophotography that involved using cameras, not the sort of stuff professional and amateur astronomers do with dedicated sensors and telescopes.
Using multiple physical pixels to sample each virtual pixel could reduce noise.
ahhhh, no swivel screen please
sorry, but that kill the way I prefer to shoot completely! screen 90 deg up and camera at waist level. with the previous screen, you can set it up this way with 1 finger, and the screen is in the camera axis, no oddly off centred
FINALLY a swivel screen on an Oly camera. About freakin’ time. Now we can use it in portrait mode too.
Finally on m4/3. They had it on E-3 and E-5.
As well as the E30 & E620.
That was about what I thought when I bought the tilt-swivel E-30, after having been used to the tilt-only E-330. After having gotten used to the E-30, though, I didn’t want to ever go back to a tilt-only monitor, because the tilt-swivel design turned out to be not significantly slower at all to operate, while giving me much more freedom regarding the positions out of which I could shoot, e.g. shooting from corners in rooms with the camera against the wall and the display turned to face sideways or to the front. Now a tilt-only display was forced upon me in the shape of the E-M1. I get along with it, but if there will be an E-M1 II and even if the only difference was a tilt-swivel-display, it’ll be mine!
off-center makes no relevant difference at all. You get used to it in a few minutes. The advantages far, far outweigh any personally perceived disadvantage.
The personally perceived advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages. Sorry but I don’t want a camera the width of some large format cameras just to be able to look down at the screen.
Why doesn’t anyone else make a screen that articulates like the A77 or A99?
The advantages are physical facts dude, not just opinion. Do you seriously often take upward-facing images in a space so tight, that you can’t have a screen sticking out on the left hand side? really?
It’s not about space, do you seriously want a small camera to make it twice as wide whenever you want to shoot with an even slightly tilted screen? Look at how the A77 / A99 screens work, they enable the same thing without making a camera ludicrously wide. Also the viewing device remains pretty in line with the lens. Side flip out screens have SOME advantages, but they aren’t an elegant solution by a long shot. ‘Facts’ as you claim them are non existent, I could bend my knees and your ‘facts’ go out the window. It’s about being convenient, which I disagree is the case with these kinds of articulation of displays.
That makes *absolutely* no difference to me. I use the EVF 90% of the time, and when I need an angle that would otherwise require me to lie down in a muddy puddle, crane my neck enough to get a cramp, or punch a hole in a wall, I’m very happy to have a swivel-screen instead. There is a whole extra axis of tilt and rotation, end of discussion. There’s your fact right there. That’s physical truth.
Here is the physical truth, if you want to tilt the screen at all, your camera becomes nearly twice as wide. If you want a simple from the hip shot (far more common than laying down in the dirt while shooting only in portrait orientation) then you have this enormous and non ergonomic abomination. That is the physical truth. The ‘scenario’ where you describe as having a MAJOR advantage (enough to buy a GH4 over anything else for) would actually account for less than 0.5% of my total shots. Shots where I use a small amount of up or down tilt… much higher, maybe 15%. I don’t want an ugly ungainly camera that will be slightly better in 0.5% of my shooting situations that is going to impede 15% the rest of the time.
“enormous and non ergonomic abomination” OK – you obviously have issues with this and I’m not going to push any further. You’re entitled to your opinion, of course. But it does seem to me that you’re looking in the wrong direction.
I get that people like them, but I (and others) find them irksome. But it IS good that they finally have a camera in their range that does I suppose and acts as another differentiating feature of the MkII.
I know what you mean and I do that with the E-PL7 but a fully articulated swivel screen can do that: hand under camera and screen resting on wrist, very natural position.
But the fully articulated can do so much more.
And the non-articulated screens do get greased up raising the camera EVF to eye.
Unfortunately the exposed monitors get scratched up too
It looks like the m4/3 sensors has reached the top?, is a nice refresh but nothing else.
They are FAR from the top. The pixels on the 16mpix 4/3 sensors are still much bigger than Airy disk even at f/2.8, and “an airy disk can have a diameter of about 2-3 pixels before diffraction limits resolution”.
Admin: No rumors about an updated E-M10? It’s already one year old. Well, updates to the E-M5 and the E-M10 might not give much improved image quality as they will use the same (very) old (but still pretty good) sensor …
The only update I really need for my E-M10 is… to buy more lenses (but my budget is a bit low now 😉 )!
Cool thing that new olympus lens. One get’s 3-6 mpix resolution from 16 mpix sensor Amazing. Who buy those lenses.
Huh?
What are you talking about?
He is talking out of his backside, as my father would say. I am an experienced, award winning photographer; A3 prints from my 14-150 are brilliant. Other photographers can’t believe that such a small sensor, with an all purpose consumer lens, can produce such detail, gradation and tone.
Are they always really “brilliant”, including finest detail rendition and sharpness, even when shot at 150mm?
Yes
I’m asking because I’ve seen results of the M.Zuiko 14-150 and results of the Panasonic/Leica Vario-Elmar 14-150 for Four Thirds, which I own, and while I would really like to switch to the more compact M.Zuiko, my impression so far was that to do that would not be a good idea.
Hubertus,
If you live near Oxford UK, you are welcome to see my prints!
I’m afraid I don’t, I’m resident in continental Europe… where I do enjoy watching “Lewis” these days, though 🙂 But I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more reports on the M.Zuiko, as well as on the Panasonic 14-140.
Why not the Panasonic 14-140 3.5-5.6 which is compact, faster (both in absolute terms and across the focal range), and optically very good as well?
Mostly, I’ve been reluctant because of inconsistent and mostly dubious image quality reports (compared to what I know from the Vario Elmar). Some people have reported that they had evaluated five or six of specimens which all had different faults.
Gibson fan eh? 🙂
🙂
even my 12-35 panasonic is SO SO. ony my Nikon D7100 i get plenty more resolution with allmost any lens. The realistic per pixel resolution even with the best MFT lenses like 75mm 1.8 is quite low.
75mm acchieves 11 mpix resolution.
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Olympus/Olympus-MZUIKO-DIGITAL-ED-75mm-F18
12-35 2.8 is only 9 mpix. Since the oly is not tested .. one cannot say for certain but I expect it to have less resolution than the 12-35
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Panasonic/Panasonic-LUMIX-G-X-VARIO-12-35mm-F28-ASPH-POWER-OIS
Naturally we are speaking about pixel peeping here. Resolution what one can acchieve is reality per lens.
Best case with a camera like Nikon D7100 is 17 mpix with a zoom lens
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Sigma/Sigma-18-35mm-F18-DC-HSM-A-Nikon-mounted-on-Nikon-D7100__865
And a cheaper zoom lens gets quite high score as well.
14 mpix
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Sigma/17-50mm-f-2.8-EX-DC-OS-HSM-Nikon-mounted-on-Nikon-D7100__865
Then again 16 mpix sensor can never acchieve 17 mpix resolution unless it uses some clever tricks. The gap is quite similiar from 24 down to 17 mpix .. Olys case from 16 mpix to 11
Fact is there are no poor M43 lenses entry-level consumer of otherwise, same cannot be said for Canonikon entry level types (like the £55 18-55)
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/831-canon_1855_3556stmis?start=1
Don’t be such a fanboy.
He’s referring to this lens, not the IS version which costs more and is generally better. The other 18-55 is one of the worst lenses made in the last decade.
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/180-canon-ef-s-18-55mm-f35-56-ii-test-report–review?start=1
“same cannot be said for Canonikon entry types” and I am supposed to believe they are speaking about one particular lens? m43’s lenses aren’t so special, just newer than many lenses. Most ‘modern’ lenses perform pretty highly. Canon also make an excellent ‘kit’ lens for EOS-M (note I don’t shoot Canon, but I know what is out there and don’t like to make overhyped claims based on zero facts, just regurgitating what someone read once on a forum of fanatics once as gospel).
He is trolling
I think he is basing his statement on the results of other consumer lenses on mFT
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare/Side-by-side/Panasonic-LUMIX-G-Vario-HD-14-140mm-F40-58-ASPH-on-Olympus-OM-D-E-M5-versus-Olympus-MZUIKO-DIGITAL-ED-12-50mm-F35-63-EZ-on-Olympus-OM-D-E-M5___484_793_810_793
Naturally I’m talking about the 14-150 lens
Gonna buy that one! Perfect (not only) backup body for my EM1! Great to see, that there’s a fully articulated screen now!
Now I’m curious to see how good that 40mp stuff works for landscape photography.
This photo-stacking lark has been done in astrophotography for donkey’s years, it’s a bit of a one trick pony: it’s a bit like HDR, the camera must be held stationary for the entire sequence time and that means tripod.
The camera already takes great 16Mp pics so, like HDR, I don’t see the 40Mp getting much use
Depends how it is done and how rapidly… We don’t know much of anything about it (or whether RAW is an option). It might be a gimmick and it might be extremely useful. People said similar things about livebulb modes etc.
might actually be great for still shots, like product photos and so on… IF it works in raw (whitch it probably won’t do)…
Tilt AND swivel LCD, welcome back.
No OSPDAF, no buy – take it from the existing E-M5 owner who bought it the first day of sales.
Swivel screen! All it needs are illuminated buttons and this would be the true successor to the Olympus E620.
yeahh iluminated buttons would be very handy, cant see a thing in the dark
I’m still using the E620. Swivel screen and illuminated buttons are very useful for astrophotography. And I also want PDAF to support my 43 lenses. So, still waiting for E620 successor… for long time?
Amazed the swivel-screen hasn’t received more attention. Seriously, If they had added that to previous models I wouldn’t be shooting stills with a Lumix GH4, I’d have saved a lot of money and switched to Olympus.
Having seriously compared what they can do in the hand with stills, no you wouldn’t.
You’ve got the best M43 already, get some schadenfreude
Most handsome Oly camera as it’s predecessor , unfortunately not new sensor equip to it .
Can’t see the point worth people to do the upgrade .
You will envy the 40MP capture AND it’s retro coolness….you will succumb eventually…… 🙂
I don’t see what is excitement all about .
40 MP capture ?
Is a digital trick .
For me , only a new sensor that can guarantee significant improvement in image quality .
hmm physically moving the sensor is not digital… its analog actually.
No, its mechanical and stitching the image automatically is a digital process.
Yeah, they’re tied to their Sony masters now and have to use whatever CMOS they’re given, no more low-noise Panasonic NMOS.
What sensor is in the E-M1 again?
That’s why the E-M1 has a Panasonic sensor ?
There’s no relationship between the Sony Imaging business and Olympus imaging business. Olympus will buy sensors from whatever is available.
Unfortunately as m43 is only used by Panasonic they will have to commission a sensor to their specs from another supplier (like Sony) and as Olympus sales volumes are low (compared to APSC) it is likely that they have to order a large amount to make it economically viable. Which is why they are re-using the sensor in many cameras.
Sony owns approximately 10% of Olympus and like many other companies, were interested because of the medical business. They couldn’t care less about Olympus Imaging which is a small part of Olympus.
Both Sony’s and Panasonic’s Imaging businesses are a small part of their respective companies as well and not particularly important to either of them.
As is Pentax/Ricoh and Fuji and even Canon’s photography business is not their primary business.
Photography enthusiasts place far to much importance on what in many cases is a small subsidiary of these large corporations.
I remember some readers here argue the NMOS from Pana is better .
I don’t know , better leave it to reviewers to find out .
Feeling at home 🙂
So they finally ditched the accessory port! The hump is much more streamlined now, and can hopefully fit a larger viewfinder.
I am disappointed that they made it incompatible with the E-M5 battery grip.
Swivel screen is good for making camera more robust in rugged environment if screen can be flipped inward against the body. I’m assuming they have kept it weatherproofed.
Kind of wish it had the big square lens release button instead of the small one with leather texture like the new pen. I like how the knobs are all perfectly horizontal instead of tilted. Also like the addition of mode lock dial. Mic in would be awesome and I hope the 43rumors of new video frame rates is true. Only wish I could compare it to GX7 successor.
Amazed the swivel-screen hasn’t received more attention!! Any Olympus shooter who gets this new model will fall in love with it, you’ll finally understand why us Lumix G and GH shooters have been so dismissive of switching to the Olympus series.
I was shooting with a Lumix G2 until November last year, when I needed to upgrade I bought a GH4, because the G7 never came out and the G6 had too few major improvements over the G2. None of the Olympus cameras had swivel-screens, making it an absolute no go for me. If this had been out at the time, I would have switched brands, I have little need for 4K video.
GOOD MOVE OLYMPUS!
+1 a monitor for grown-ups at last.
but imo you still got the better stills camera with the GH4.
However even the G5 was a serious upgrade to the G2 and G3 and the current G-series do match OM-D capability; better build quality too, I had a switch knob fall off an E-M1 and the E-PL7’s shoddy plastic hot shoe cover self-destructed..
Great to be able to see the camera body. It looks good enough. It looks like the AEP port is gone and there is no built-in flash. At least no flash up button in the photos. So is Olympus going to include a new add-on flash. Maybe a updated FL300 that is weather-sealed and can be used as a remote controller.
Nice….the grip looks more pronounced than the EM5. No? I wonder if it will require a new battery grip than the HDL-6?
40MP YES!
Hopefully no squishy buttons.
Even without a new sensor this would be a nice complement to an EM1 that offers its own unique attributes with the improved video, swivel screen and 40MP capture. I would like to see a new sensor but perhaps Oly is keeping that for the EM1 predecessor (with 40MP Capture, too!). They have to save something for the top gun.
Cost?
No .
The new sensor is not ready yet .
Bad timing .
They are saving that for the EM1 mark II.
You still don’t get it right .
Due to Fuji-Pana organic project delay , all the manufacturers involved have to look for other sensor options to back their new products .
This explain why Fuji keep holding the release of X Pro 2 & now work out with an X Trans 3rd generation sensor instead of the Organic Sensor to back it’s premier camera .
LUMIX should do the same for GX7 successor means
The EM1 successor still got pretty of time behind or chance to feature a new sensor that likely come from Pana again but for EM5 successor , no way .
Yun…you have it wrong. I am not saying at any time here that the EM5 II is getting a new sensor????????????? That’s ALL you????????
Also…PLEASE GIVE UP YOUR FANTASY OF THE ORGANIC SENSOR….It has become tiresome.
Have you see Sony’s APCS sensor in the market ?
Or what about Canon’s favoen sensor dream that almost 2 years old in rumor ?
Be fair & reasonable to Fuji-Pana Organic project .
Hahahaha! The new Fuji X-A2 is a real powerhouse compared to this crappy camera. What’s going on at Olympus? This is a downgrade compared to even the E-M10! Wow! I’m dumbfounded and flabbergasted.
It’s lame-brain half-wit half-frame – again 🙁
Foxtrot Oscar.
You know nothing, Bobby Brains.
Olympus should really be calling this camera EM6 or EM7 – “Mk2” does it no justice (and it’s a mouthful !). Like others, I’m surprised there’s no trumpeting about a return to a fully-articulated screen (Olympus had those on its E series cameras). That is a MAJOR feature, which I miss on my EM1 after having had Lumixes. (The flip-screens may be more robust but they’re far more awkward in practice, unless you just want “Selfies” !!- most photographers couldn’t care less.) So yes, this camera, with a definitely better body that promises better handling, should be a big success: I can see existing EM5 owners wanting to upgrade, and the obvious 2nd body choice for EM1 types. Just a pity it’s not “EM7”.
Since Olympus have established a naming scheme for the OM-D series, in which a higher number means a lower model (E-M1 – E-M5 – E-M10), your suggestion wouldn’t work. It’s the same problem Canon has with their pro DSLRs (1D – 5D – 6D – 7D), forcing them to use the awkward ‘Mark’ designations.
Not awkward. Actually think it makes a lot of sense especially with popular and well regarded models.
Though Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mk II is a bit disastrous 😛
I don’t get why they didn’t just name them omd-1, omd-5 instead of having the em part. What does it mean. Not much of a real problem though…
Any mention of wi-fi? It would be nice both for getting images on my ipad and for shooting using my iphone (like with e-m1)…
Hi.
Previous rumors were showing a WiFi registration form.
Look there: http://www.43rumors.com/ft5-olympus-e-m5ii-name-gets-officially-registered-in-taiwan/
Since the cheaper E-M10 has wi-fi I’m sure this will.
I am excited about this camera. I have the E-M5 and that sensor is more than enough for the type of shooting I do so the sensor is no issue for me. I love the redesigned top panel. The thicker dials are welcome and moving the rear dial to the right is a much needed improvement. When using the EVF on my E-M5 I find that the rear dial is a bit too close. I also like the articulating screen and the button placement. Looking forward to upgrading to this camera.
yes for me is the best sensor of m43 ! I have two em5, and still in this mark II (happy)
If this camera produces reasonable video image quality, it could be huge. have 5 axis IBIS with legacy lenses? Yeah, that will be just fine.
What about a audio in? Nothing about that? That’s one huge thing I was really looking forward to
You would hope so, especially with the removal of the AP2 port.
Hate the swivel screen. The only LCD I’ve ever had malfunction on a camera was a swivel type. For selfies I have an E-PL7 as a second cam, or I’ll use my phone. Also, usability is terrible for waist-level or overhead, which I do all the time. The only other use I can see for the swivel would be waist-level verticals, something hardly anyone ever does. This is a bad turn for Olympus’ enthusiast cameras, hopefully they won’t include this amateur feature on the E-M2.
Did I miss info about the E-M52 shutter? 1/4000 or 1/8000? Given the swivel screen, I’m going to assume it stays with the consumer-grade 1/4000.
Amateur feature? You mean like on the GH4, the most professionally targeted M4/3 camera there is?
You can still use it for waist level, just flip it out and spin it up 90 degrees. Done.
The problem with that is now you have a screen sticking out to the left side which looks ridiculous and when you’re trying to get candid street shots, people are going to see exactly what’s going on. The flip out screen on the E-M5 (mk1?) was a great feature as it was very subtle
Maybe Turbofrog is a pro videographer. The swivel screen makes more sense in that use case, which is likely why Panasonic included it for the GH4. For street and vacation photography – yes, horrible.
Well don’t use it. Keep it flipped back, like I always do. Problem solved.
I do waist-level shooting constantly. Problem not solved.
Try to assume you’re a photographer, then. Candid shots, please…
You can’t a swivel when it’s flipped back.
I thought swivel was the only way to go until I bought a PL5.
I much prefer tilt for street photography. Unless you’re shooting from ground level or holding the camera way overhead it’s a lot faster and more convenient.
Swivel is the most flexible, tilt is quicker and less obtrusive for most applications.
Can we agree that neither is ‘better’? It depends on personal preference and how you shoot.
Of course, it’s always case by case.
When I started with the G1, I would use the LCD 99% of the time. I can imagine why it could important.
Check Sony SLT-77 swivel and you see how Olympus should have done it. It takes more space (Boohoo) but offers rotating for vertical and horizontal positions. And allows screen come far from body and up for good Macro.
@Mk.82 – I used to own a Sony R1 and agree that the A77 solution would be more interesting than this side-swiveling junk (though probably just as fragile). Having a waist-level finder while being able to rest the camera against your stomach, like a Rolleiflex, is a fantastic way to do street and candid photography. Somebody just a did a DIY thing with a Canon N compact to simulate a Rolleiflex, check it out:
http://petapixel.com/2015/01/12/canon-powershot-n-transformed-waist-level-rolleiflex-style-camera/
I just looked. Clever.
How does it work in real life?
Candid Street Shots? Unless you’re using your phone, there’s really no such thing. Any camera is obvious and should be. Why are you super creepy style stealing pictures from people anyway? A 3″ black screen to the side of your camera doesn’t all of a sudden make you stand out in the crowd and make your subjects shy.
Yes, amateur feature for a stills camera intended for use in rugged environments. The least durable design for a screen, whether or not Panasonic thinks so. Top cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sony don’t include it. The very top tier like the D4 have fixed screens, as they should.
Waist level use is awkward and inconvenient (as I mentioned), especially if the screen doesn’t fold out to exactly 180 degrees.
Yeah right, now we ‘ve got ppl hating the swivel screen. To be honest, some ppl just hate Olympus. I still remember how SO many ppl cried when there’s NO SWIVEL screen and how GH4 did it right!
Yeah, because I don’t care for swivel screens I hate Olympus. I guess that’s why I currently have only Olympus gear – three bodies, most of their top lenses and an XZ-2, about $5K worth in all. Your reasoning makes so much sense.
Btw, the only people crying for swivel screens from Olympus were hobbyists wanting to upgrade from their superzooms.
“Btw, the only people crying for swivel screens from Olympus were hobbyists wanting to upgrade from their superzooms.”
It’s clear, o’ mighty one, that you know everything about photography, and that no one else’s use cases or opinions matter. Forget we said anything.
Pfff i upgraded from my E3 to an em1 and from time to time i do miss the swivel screen for awkward angled shots especialy the macro ones in portrait or low near the ground and pointing upward. Also a nice protector reversed. And i would not mind to have the build in flash either, nice as a trigger for remotes. what do i mis from my old konica minolta a2, wel the tilting evf was handy for the same reasons! Why handy, because somehow people notice you less if you shoot with your head looking down and not straight at them.
In your first paragraph you point out that making blind all-encompassing assumptions is stupid. And then in your second paragraph you make your own blind all-encompassing assumption. Nice job!
Looks good, I like that they moved the power switch and increased the number of Fn buttons. The newly shaped grip looks promising. Interesting to see how the 40MP stitching works.
It looks… nearly identical to the EM-5. Which is why it’s a mark ii I guess, and not really a criticism, the EM-5 is a great camera.
A same-sensor refresh is going to be a tough sell to current EM-5 owners who have anything less than the most severe case of G.A.S. though.
I was thinking more because the sensor is the same.
That top deck and controls in general look to be way better situated.
The E-M5ii looks to be a very interesting new camera but its 14-150 has to be compared to the faster Panny 14-140 walkabout.
Do we get faster C-AF and tracking capability? Faster flash sync, shutter speed at 1/8000th, longer battery life?
I hope 24p or 25p video, and 1/8000 shutter … I love the design !!
There are two gaps on the edge of the screen where the swivel is. I cant see that on any other swivel screen, could it be that that the screen also tilts upwards?
It rather looks like its fully articulating.
Compare the screen edges:
http://camerasize.com/compact/#525,455,377,364,100,497,ha,b
If it does also tilt upwards that would be great.
Not digging where the ON/OFF switch is..
Olympus can’t win on this one. Many people complained about this switch’s location on the E-M5, now a different batch are complaining now they have shifted it.
well, they could win by putting it up by the shutter release like most every other manufacturer. All we want is simple one ergonomics.
That place would be terrible. You don’t even anymore focus to power switch as you just raise camera, take the shot and lower camera and your hand automatically switches camera on/off.
I don’t understand your comment, I’m sorry, but in terms of that place being terrible, Sony, Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm, and Panasonic all disagree, and having used cameras from all of those brands, and Olympus as well, no one else seems to think it’s a terrible position.
I bet you don’t own the e-m1 with a similarly placed switch, it feels very easy and natural. No sense having it by the shutter release, that area should be reserved for controls that are used while shooting with the camera at the eye. Maybe makes a little sense having it there in a camera with ovf, since it can be used to some degree with the power off.
I don’t own the e-M1, which I won’t purchase for other reasons. The power switch just isn’t important enough to me to be a deciding factor, but I fail to see how it could be easier than having it by the shutter release. One hand, grab camera, power on, shoot. One fluid motion.
It is great place. After one week taking E-M1 in use, I don’t even knowledge the power switch as I flip it naturally without thinking on and off when I raise the camera. Sometimes I need to check camera as I don’t remember turning it off.
It’s like the old film Olumpys OM serie, same position. And the mode dial is where the rewind crank where. But yes, there is a risk to turn off the camera when switching mode.
This second version look nice but i don’t like:
-All Fn buttons. it must be weird to use them while shooting.
-The On/Off position. Not easy to turn on it after take out from the bag.
-The swivel screen. I am somewhat divided over the choice about this.
Now i can’t wait for the firsts samples with the 40mp method. I hope it does improve the dynamic range.
The 40 MP method isn’t an HDR technique and isn’t meant to improve DR. It’s used to increase linear resolution (larger images) and/or to record full color information for each pixel, thereby avoiding the need for Bayer interpolation and resulting in less color artifacts.
Seeing how the grip is remodelled, I wonder if the E-M5 grip accessory is gonna be compatible with this one.
Otherwise, a lot of improvements to ergonomics (at least it looks like improvements). The d-pad at the back looks weird, though.
Eh. Looks like an E-M5 with a better LCD.
If the 40 mpx mode dramatically improves landscape shots I may think about it. But at first look, I’ll pass.
Edit – No on board flash.
Yes, it’s not that exciting unless the 40MP mode is superb. Which is might be. That could be a gamechanger for M4/3. Most people taking high-speed C-AF action shots aren’t the same people printing 4-foot wall prints, so the criticisms for mirrorless and 4/3 sensors can be addressed separately in that case…
Doing an overlay based on the size of the hotshoe, the E-M5 II actually looks like a pretty substantial redo.
It’s noticeably wider, and blockier towards the left side, so it’s overall volume will definitely be greater.
On the plus side, ergonomics look substantially improved with the position of the rear dial being in a better place for thumb access.
On the downside, for those with accessory grips, it looks like there is almost no chance that it will fit.
E-M5 is green, E-M5 II is red.
http://i.imgur.com/W75W7qp.jpg
OK so ergonomics wise it’s an E-M5 with E-M1 controls (FNs, d-pad, dial mode switch, power switch) and possibly no two-part grip. Functionality wise it’s an improved E-M5. Kind of an E-M1 with no PDAF but better video. Articulating screen is interesting, but may be less sturdy than the E-M5/1 flip-out. Also note no Accessory Port: either they’re dumping it completely and a new mini flash is coming, or – I don’t know what 🙂
I think I’ll wait for the next E-M1 – but I do hope that the next E-M1 (next year?) will be more than just the current E-M1 with better video. Hopefully a sensor bump is on its way!
Too many function buttons
– Said no one ever
Said me frequently. I understand that I am probably in a small minority here, but I wish they had only put two function buttons on top. When I have that many buttons I find it too cluttered, and I’m not constantly changing that many functions on the fly (and I doubt many people are).
http://www.43rumors.com/ft3-new-olympus-mechanical-shutter-will-do-116000-and-electronic-for-132000/
So is this coming or not?
If this (what you linked to) is also coming and it’s paired with the 8 shot sensor/40mpix, Olympus will be selling shiploads of these bodies. Flocks will abandon their current systems for m43, and I am not joking! This “solves” the assumed problem of low shutter speeds over eight exposures. I am surprised your comment hasn’t garnered more discussion.
Somehow, I think it may not happen in this tier model but maybe (if it is doable) in a future E-M1 Mk II model.
Doesn’t the EVF look bigger? Really hope we’ll get a better resolution and magnification.
The actual eyecup is smaller than the previous model, not that that is necessarily indicative one way or the other.
body looks wider right from the mount = prettier 🙂
Looks like uglyfied EM5. Maybe black version will look better. But, frankly, I never liked Oly retro style in general. Articulating screen is good, however.
Looks good !
I’m happy with the position of the wheels and happy that it didn’t become as big as the EM1 and hopefully won’t have PDAF on sensor (the DXO results of the EM1 are slightly worse than those of the EM5). Hopefully the EVF will be the same as the VF4 or EM1. Not sure about 40MP : may be a little too much.. Remain to be seen how that will be translated in IQ.
Seems that I have now a useless flash and a useless two parts grip. But ergonomic looks good. So I may update..
Olympus also claims a better color rendering by capturing exact RGB for every pixels. Something like a simulated foveon sensor.
Interesting if true, I hadn’t heard this. Good color science is one of the main reasons I use Olympus. Now I’m looking forward to getting my hands on raw files from this camera.
No thank you.
Why? Because the articulated screen. Makea very bad to shoot below or over when screen is a side, it makes camera movements difficulty and absurd.
Olympus should have followed Sony A77 style screen if wanted to improve it.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6015/6190929106_a93412c2e7_z.jpg
Now I expect E-M2 to stay as E-M1 is as it’s perfect.
I agree, I have an articulated G5 and although it’s great for some macro work, I’d much prefer simple tilt up/down directly in front of me for most shooting. Looking at E-M1 or maybe GX8.
That seems bulky, complicated, and less robust for an exceedingly minor advantage. But different people have different priorities.
Really like the look of it, and may buy it, but there is one place the ON-OFF switch makes sense, around the shutter release… you can be turning the camera on while pulling it out of a bag, and be taking a photo much quicker than needing two hands and having to look at what you are doing..
Great. The lack of a swivel screen is the sole reason that’s kept me away from Olympus. However I do understand the tilt screen fans’ arguments. Since the type of screen seems to make such a difference to many of us, wouldn’t it be smart to make it interchangeable so you could order your camera with whichever kind you like?
Yeah such option would be great if strong on the implementation side.
i need the jump-FLASH-> Remote & light up
That definitely looks like a flippable screen on the back. Thats a game changer feature. If Panasonic doesnt release a GX8 with the same thing then Olympus is going to be running things. Olympus already has the better image stabilization, they appear to be pulling ahead of Panasonic now.
Is this sarcasm? A flipping screen in a game changer? This is pretty sad for a 3 year refresh. And most of the processing capabilities (time lapse etc) have been available on the gx7 since 2013.
It will flip AND have a side swivel, dont think anybody has done that before, the A77 has the swivel at the bottom.
Olympus E-3 and E-5 had this same design, about 7 years ago. Frame for the LCD on the E-3 was infamously flimsy as the screws stripped in the mount. One warranty repair followed a year later by one self repair. Hope the new one here is stronger.
Well, the terrific new control layout is pretty sad for a refresh? I would say the E-M5 II is a completely different camera than the Original camera. Much more than the step between GH3 and GH4 for example (unless one belongs to the few, who shoot 4K video).
In a new model, a manufacturer can change two major things: handling/ergonomics and image quality. Both things have been done. Much improved ergonomics and the ability to shoot 40 mpx images, the first time from such a small sensor. Even if this is with some caveats (like the first an current electronic shutters) it is still a very interesting feature. especilally because it is an option an not the default, for those whose don’t need always that amount of resolution.
“Completely different camera” – now we’re just being silly.
This is a good improvement over the old one. But “game changer” and all the hyperbolic accolades coming from G.A.S afflicted fanboys today is embarrassing.
ps 40 mpx is a gimick unless your shooting stationary subjects in a studio
How is 40 Mp a gimmick? If it is anything like the hasselblad, it works even with subjects in motion. Of course if you set your shutter speed so low that the photo would have been blurry even using single 16Mp shots, then of course the 40Mp version won’t be any better.
So you’re saying you can use the same shutter speed at 40mp that it takes to stop motion at 16mp?
Of course since they take seperate exposures @ 16mp (not 40mp), shutterspeed must stay the same across the multiple shots to be merged to maintain equivalent exposure.
However I am guessing you may need to take 8 shots at 1/4000 rather than 1 shot at 1/500 if you want to minimise subject movement differences, since the total shutter speed will be equal to the shutter speed multiplied by the number of exposures.
I never said, that it is a game changer. However, with regards to the body layout, almost nothing is the same and really everything is improved. To call this “sad for a three year refresh” isn’t appropriate. What else could Olympus have done? It is a major overhaul of the E-M5 and how it looks a pretty good one.
Sony makes these topical improvements every 8-12 months for their RX and A7 lines. And they always come with a better sensor.
It took Oly 3 years to rearrange the controls, update the LCD to 2013 standards. Embarrassing.
What could they have done – make it take better pictures. New sensor.
To me the Sonys are still the compact camera alike bricks, no real changes there. If I compare that to the huge improvement over already not so bad E-M5 I (at least compared to the Sonys).
To me, to change an already very good sensor, isn’t that big a priority. Image quality is and was excellent.
Like shooting paintings. A huge chunk of my use.
Not bad looking (I’d take it in black tho) Seems like they listened to the folks who complained the hump was too high. I see a 1/2 button function selector switch. (+) not sure about the new button layout. My main reason for upgrade would be to get time lapse and PD-AF, so guess I will wait on this one, at least until my MkI dies 🙂
Finally an useful Olympus m43rd camera! That swivel LCD took them only a few years since the G1! 🙂
I am sold!
My Olympus E-3 already had a swivel screen. So, it’s not the G1 they had to copy 😉
Why bring a DEAD system into the discussion?
Because that so-called “DEAD” system (which you were too cheap to purchase when it was first launched) still takes great photos. But you wouldn’t know that because you never owned one, Moron.
Niceguy, What makes you so sure that I never used the 43rds? It died because of the thieves who were managing Olympus. Do not forget! 🙂
Actually had an E-3 and E-5. E-3 takes good jpegs. Raw? Forget shadow or highlight recovery on the E-3. And I hope you liked your narrow DR and blown highlights.
And if you bothered to look back through all the digital Olympus SLR cameras, you would see that Olympus had already provided such innovation in many ways.
Pretty apparent Sony and Panasonic aren’t giving olympus much in way of sensor tech. I’d expect the GX8 to be the the first MFT camera with an actual sensor upgrade.
Not sure, why there is so much fuzz about the sensor tech. The OM-D sensors are still very competitive. The image quality is the least thing I worry about. It is very very good.
I have a gx7. iQ is very good, but could be better. Especially >3200 ISO.
I think there’s some fuss because once all is said and done this camera will not take measurably better pictures than the model they designed over three years ago. That’s a problem IMO.
The biggest let down is the bitrate for 1080p video.
50Mb/s all 1080p (no 4K recording) – that’s quite consumer like bitrate. IT should be at least 100.. IS it so that Olympus does not view it self as a company that caters for professionals?
Olympus has never valued pro users. They only use “pro” as a marketing thing. They are simply third rate, but their prices match Canon and Nikon FF.
Really?? Ha ha ha…
Match? They overtake them. It’s a shame, really.
Yawn …
so you were waiting for a pro video (capable) camera? really?
You will not see much diff. between 50 mbps and 100 mbps with h.264/older codec(s). H.265 would be a different story…
my understanding is that for the ALL-I to work one needs to have bit more bitrate for same quality as non ALL-I. So in essence you gotta have higher base bitrate.
There is nothing wrong for asking pro quality in 500 price range.
that’s a smart guy… or just a clown?… lol
Exactly. With no frames computed from the differences between frames (B-frames and P-frames), the bit-rate has to go up. Its essentially motion JPEG, which is great for editing, not so great for storage or transmission.
You do know that the $5500 Canon C100 Mark 2 only films 28Mb/s don’t you? And the Canon doesn’t take photos either.
50mpx and swivel creen = the ultimate selfie cam 🙂
Thanks, I can already take selfies with my phone, and the photos come out just the same.
If that is the case you would definitely benefit from a photography class because you are not doing something right.
Selfies….the disease of your generation. Please, by all means, keep using your cellular telephone to take photos of yourself to share with other people taking cellular telephone photos of themselves. And make sure you put your phone really close to your reproductive organs. I don’t think you need any camera, if this is your need.
The swivel is strong with this one.
Just a heads up, you can buy a new Nikon D3200 with kit lens for 350 EUR.
Not a good advice at all. Were are here talking about future, about 20mm flange distance, not 40. Lenses with 40mm FD are in imminent obsolescence. Ok, they will stay working, but it’s your choice: old vs new. If you want new, you’ll have to pay more.
It’s about buying what works, and what has bang for the buck. The value gap between a 3200D and this thing here is wide, so this should be cheaper; instead, it costs a multiple. I don’t like being tampered with, so I will stay out.
“If you want new, you’ll have to pay more”. But keep checking 43rumors… just in case… hehe
Sorry, mirrorless offers features that make photography more fun. I said goodbye to my D7000 for my em-10 and don’t regret it one bit.
Same here. 🙂 Mirror now just to comb my hair…
Nothing says the future like a 3 year old sensor.
@CN – Sony is invested in Olympus, so expect a new sensor by this fall.
Unless… Olympus is introducing minimal changes this year because most of their resources are busy preparing a whole new system based around a 5:4 sensor, slightly taller than FF but less wide, that Sony has been secretly working on for the past two years…
Nah… not a chance.
You’ve been crowing about that future and imminent obsolescence for 7 years. That’s some imminence.
D3200 has most of the disadvantages that go with a DSLR (AF calibration issues, no WYSWIG, bulky lenses) with few of the advantages (large OVF, high frame rate C-AF). These aren’t comparable photography tools at all.
While there’s a real question about high-end EVIL vs mid-high-end DSLR, there’s no question that OMD’s are better tools than low end DSLR’s.
D3200 has most of the advantages that go with a DSLR (fast AF, dark room AF, an infinite resolution finder with infinite dynamic range seeing the action in real time, not rendered via a tv screen, for actual non-lag non-tearing, true-life colors, realtiime viewing of a subject, not the non-WYSIWYG viewing of an EVF that shows only a small subset of the actual raw capture; lenses that are optically corrected not software corrected, long lasting batteries) with few of the disadvantages (it is smaller than some Nikon at least).
Given the Nikon is 1/3 the price but has a larger format resulting in better quality output, agreed that these are not comparable at all.
Buy yours and be happy. I’ll get an E-M5II for sure… 😀
The D3200 VF is a tiny, dark tunnel, more than compensating for the advantages of an optical view. Yeah, with an E-Mx you are looking at a screen, but its a damn good one, and gives you a lot more information than any OVF.
Oh, and Nikon’s silence on good lenses for DX is deafening.
Now, a D800 OVF, that kicks the OMD EVF’s hiney up one side and down the other. I’ll give up the advantages of a good EVF (not consumer digicam style) for one of those. But I’d hate carrying the darned thing, so I’ll stick with a good EVF.
To my experiences, the view finders of the entry level DSLRs are rather mediocre. Dark, difficult to manual focus, not seldom tunnel vision. Certainly not “color true”. And given the lens quality, the DSLR lenses would fare much better, if they would have at least some software correction.
lol. You must be a comedian. You are obviously very ignorant about viewfinders. Perhaps you have never used a real one? The viewfinder you so spew on about is a dark tunnel with very poor magnification. I keep shaking my head as I write this. I really hope you are a troll and not this stupid. Having come from outstanding and large bright optical viewfinders, I enjoy the EM-5 and VF-4. EVFs are very very good, and ones like the VF-4 and EM-1 are as magnified and bright as very expensive full frame optical beasts, without the mirror and limitations of a prism. I love having instant playback in my viewfinder, live guides and highlight/shadows, live histogram, magnified manual focus, focus peaking and the list continues. Try that with your crappy viewfinder and take your BS elsewhere troll.
I am hesitant to say this but I one of my children uses a D3200 and I think a kit lens and fairly consistently gets better quality than I get from my M4/3 cameras. Often we stand next to one another taking the same exact photo. Later when we swap copies of photos it’s uncanny yet undeniable. The Nikon D3200 is no slouch. Bang for the buck, I am embarrassed.
We were talking about the viewfinder.
Just a heads up, you can buy a lot of beer for 350 EUR.
Interesting to note that there is no accessory port at the hot shoe, much like the E-M10.
So perhaps built in flash finally ?
Hmm does not seem to be any popup flash. Perhaps that black round thingie next to the af illuminator is for ir control of the r-flashes ?
Will it be compatible with HLD-6 grip?
If you look at the shape, probably not.
Too bad. Looked it little bit like it would be. But manufacturers would’nt do that, would they? But anyway, this camera does not bear too many reasons to upgrade from E-M5. Same sensor as three years ago? Come on…
Hey, at least there’s a huge probability it will still use the same batteries.
Nikon shares grips. so who knows?
GH3 and GH4 share the same grip.
I think it may only need to be the grip bit that needs to change.
No, but it will give them the opportunity to improve on the HLD-6 though.
How much?
Look at all those fn buttons and the ep5 switch. Customisation galore!
Any word on if the AF will be improved even though it didn’t add PDAF?
ooooh… fully articulated screen ftw.
I don’t like them they are too obvious for street. Tilt is more discrete
Wasted opportunity.
we always hear that too…
Another 3:2 screen on a 4:3 sensor camera. . . . . I’d love another 4:3 screen like my E-p1 had. (I’m not bashing, just saying)
Has the EM1ii been announced yet?
Of course not. The E-M5 II hasn’t even been announced yet…
You obviously missed my sarcasm. People are already trying to make improvements to something that hasn’t even been released.
I am curious how sensor shift wil function shooting moving objects….
not well.
That would entirely depend on the amount of light, no? If you are shooting a moving object in daylight at f1.8, instead of requiring 1/8000s, you could take 8 such exposures and still have a shot that is functionally 1/1000s, no?
No! The E-M5 has a top shutter speed of 1/4000, Not 1/8000, and I’ve seen nothing in the rumors about increasing shutter speed. Add the time needed to shift the sensor Eight (8) time times during the shot. I doubt that 1/250th will be possible.
But you may be right, we’ll see in about 30 days.
“An anonymous source told us Olympus next MFT camera will have a mechanical shutter that will do 1/16000. And there is also an Electronic shutter for 1/32000. Sounds like this could find his way in the new E-M5!”
It was FT3, so it must be true…
http://www.43rumors.com/ft3-new-olympus-mechanical-shutter-will-do-116000-and-electronic-for-132000/
Quite nice, but at 1/16000 you won’t take in a lot of light…
Sunny 16 rule says f16 and 1/250s with ISO200 = with my 25mm at f1.4, I need 1/32000s on a sunny day.
Yes, but to be able to use the 8 frame sensor shift 40mp only at wide apertures…. that would be a bit limiting.
If you’re able to share some luminance data between pixels, you won’t necessarily need each “shift” to be fully exposed.
But I have no idea how the processing works in the background. We’ll find out soon enough.
The E-M5II will have a shutter speed over 1/8000th. Heck, my E-P5 has it, so why wouldn’t Oly’s latest (non-pricepoint) camera not have it?
The real issue is getting the data from the individual exposures off of the sensor quickly enough. A really clever CCD could do it (as long as its really clever), but CMOS sensors don’t have a place to store the charge.
That’s a very good point. I guess it’s effectively trying to do a 8-shot burst as quickly as possible, albeit without necessarily needing to use the focal plane shutter (though I guess using an electronic shutter would result in rolling shutter issues with fast movement, anyway).
Not an easy problem!
It doesn’t! At least not in Medium Format Digital. Maybe Olympus has figured out how to shoot 8 frames in 1/500th of a second total, but I doubt it.
When Hasselblad announced the H5D200, it was accompanied with a photo of a watch (maybe a necklace) sitting in the sand. You could blow the photo up and see every grain of sand — amazing!! I’m hoping that the E-M5-2 will capture detail as well as a Nikon D810.
This is an example the kind of product shots I do.
If your wanting super detailed images why not grab a dp3m for your products?
Fixed lens 50mm f2.8 macro with a leaf shutter that captures crazy detail.
here’s a 100% crop wide open without any post sharping.
That sigma has a lot of issues with colour shift in the shadows. Not ideal for product work..
I bought one and tried it out.
True it can get colour blotching mostly Green/purple in the shadow but I find over exposing and bringing the image down in raw deals with most of that as the camera really holds a lot of details in the highlights.
The newer Quattro seems to deal with shadows and color better but has more noise at 100% although it dose resolve more detail. (The dp2q I tried anyway).
Hey Paul. You know I tried it on a cosmetic bottle and there was that blotching visible even in the silver area. I didnt shoot ettr and that may have solved it, bit to be honest the other issue was the sigma software.
Ettl helps a lot with the Merrill, it has almost 2 stops of information in the highlights.
The software is a pain in that it’s another step but if you have your setup/work flow down you can now save a preset (I generate a flat looking tiff for editing in lr/ps much like a cinematographer would) and batch process to tiffs and use the tiffs as a raw.
The software has had quite a few updates and it seems to be something Sigma are working on and tbh it’s not as bad as some other manufactures dedicated raw software but it is still another step.
You mean ETTR, yes?
Yes 🙂
https://flickr.com/photos/usuqa/15475131007/
This was shot with a dp3m.
Because the workflow is garbage. I’m a DP1m owner who never shoots it because SPP crashes constantly and other solutions result in poor conversions.
The work flow is slower than my pentax that’s for sure but spp seems fine on both my systems through various versions with the dp1m, dp3m, dp2q and sd1.
While spp is still basic you can batch edit /convert to tiff to import into lightroom.
I used a dp3m the other day to document old books and took over 1700 images and I use my merrils more than my dslrs because of the iq and leaf shutter for strobe work.
I think I’d rather get a 645Z.
Well yes I would love a 645z too but at around £9000 with the 90 mm macro vs £330 for the dp3m there’s more than a little difference in price.
While the dp3m has some limitations it also has advantages like it’s small size and the leaf shutter giving upto 1/2000 flash sync with any flash which isn’t just good for controlling ambient light but cutting the tail from long flash durations when shooting moving stuff in a studio.
That’s some crazy apples to oranges comparison – price-wise.
Just pushing the absurdity envelope. That’s what I got my degree in.
The problem with the Sigma is that No Professional Retouchers have the software to deal with the Foveon files.
I’m a photographer, not a retoucher, The above water pump photo was Shopped (minor dodge&burn and clipping path) by a retoucher I use, not me.
Nice, I would love a ts lens.
As for retouching, I do my own image editing as I feel its part of the process of creating my images but you could easily export a flat 16bit double size tiff (double size because some ps tools struggle with the detail density of the Merrill files at times) to be retouched and graded.
You do end up with much larger files though and it would be an extra set instead of just sending off a raw.
And if you believe a such pump needs more than 500*500 resolution, you are at wrong business.
Product photography in most cases doesn’t require high resolutions or even good lighting. Jewelries, cars, watches and other luxus items does. You have a 100000-300000€ budget for a day and with such clients you get to buy ANYTHING you need to deliver wanted photo.
Please, please, please have body ONLY as an option in the first shipments. I Do Not need a Kit ZoomZ.
HOW MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!
I gotta have this!
People keep referring to the 40 MP technique as HDR or ‘digital trickery’ and so on. But if it works anything like it does in the Hasselblad, then it actually involves less digital trickery than regular shooting, since the image doesn’t require any Bayer interpolation to ‘guess’ the RGB values for each pixel. The camera records full color information for each pixel, which results in less color artifacts and a cleaner image.
The technique is also used to make larger images, of course, but that’s not quite as interesting to me. 16 MP is enough for me.
Anyway, it has nothing to do with HDR or multi-shot noise reduction, both of which have a different purpose altogether. And those techniques don’t require the sensor to be shifted.
I suspect most people can’t grasp this concept, until they see the result of it in action, as in sample photos, etc. Just as most of us don’t really understand how IS works, but we do know what it looks like when it’s working. The theory of sensor-shift resolution tech, sounds at this point like a gimmick, I get the feeling it may be a very big game changer over marketing hype. Especially as it evolves, this after all is the introduction …
The Hasselblad takes a few minutes and produces ~200 megapixel images. That is an unprecedented resolution.
The EM-5 II will apply a similarly slow procedure to produce ~40 megapixel images, something that you can achieve with a single shot with a D800 or A7R. Therefore it is a gimmick at best (just like HDR). Why would you sit around waiting for your camera to produce 8 bracketed shots, when you can get the same or more resolution with a single shot on other cameras?
I will bet it’s not slow. You will be able to do it hand-held I suspect.
Because those other cameras are more expensive, perhaps? And if you’ve already settled for the m4/3 system and invested in lenses and other accessories, then those other cameras aren’t really an option. Most people don’t switch systems like they change their underwear.
I agree. Strangely enough, people in camera forums (the equivalence crowd, in particular) often compare bodies and lenses across completely different systems, as if every choice is a choice between systems. Most buying choices are in fact choices *within* systems.
I wonder if the existing hand group will work with this or if there will be a new version?
Now I’m fantasising of a $999 body only price…….c’mon Oly! 🙂
1K for the same camera that just shifts the sensor. Helll NO!!!
$1300? $1400?
Most Olympus bodies shift the sensor, that’s how IBIS works. The only difference is that this camera has some software to do super-resolution on some consecutive shots. It’s like adding HDR.
My first reaction is yikes! No chance, but I bet $999 is the price.
This might be my first Olympus.
You will always remember your first.
I just emailed my camera store and asked them to preorder.
We weren’t sure whether you would, thanks for letting us know.
anyone else noticed the articulating screen?
in general not too impress with the E-M5II, I’m happy enough to shoot multiple shots and photoshop it together. with the em10 and em1, oly better get the pricing right else it’ll be a major flop.
I hope the 14-150 turns out good as it would make a really awesome all in 1 travel lens.
If the 14-150 turns out to be as bad as the original one you can always opt for the nice little Panasonic 14-140 MKII. Aperture starts at F3.5 on that one and it’s much more compact too.
Splash proof.
The 14-150 has never been splash proof.
O is kindly giving us a further detail that the new one will be weather sealed.
No, no one noticed the articulating screen. Well spotted. I expect there will be lots of comments about that now.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my EM5, but if this new EM5II has focus peaking on the same sensor I’m going to be pissed. They gave us the excuse that agreements with Sony prevented them from allowing FP on the EM5. If the new EM5II has FP and on the same sensor, is it safe to assume the original EM5 will get a firmware update soon? If not, an old wound continues to fester.
No need to be pissed. Focus peaking is rubbish even on the EM-1. It’s so bad it’s a waste of your time as you’ll struggle trying to see the peaking most of the time. So far, only Sony and Panasonic does decent focus peaking. You’re not missing anything.
Agreed. I was excited about the E-M10 for a cheap camera with IBIS and focus peaking with manual lenses. Couldn’t stand it.
Got a GX7 at the end of December on close-out, haven’t looked back…
So us poor E-M1 folks need to upgrade to the E-M5II :0( Hoping E-M1 will get a firmware bump to improve video and other functions, let alone my EM5. Seems like old wounds will continue.
Yes if there is no improved video for E-M1…….aarrrrrrghhh.
The E-M5 II has a different, more powerful processor. That should be the reason the E-M5 I doesn’t FP, while the new camera probably will include it. It has nothing to do with the sensor.
I have always heard that it was an agreement with Sony not to use Focus Peaking on this Sony sensor in the EM5. I could also understand if it’s simply a sensor limitation, but the processor should have no trouble with it. There is a hack of sorts with one of the art modes that proves the camera should do just fine, I just wish it was a bit more contrasted to see areas of focus even better. From the sounds of it, full blown Oly focus peaking isn’t all that much better anyway. The camera still rocks… not sure I’m ready to give up the EM5 just yet.
Olympus focus peaking is garbage anyway. Too slow. Buy a Panasonic instead if you need peaking.
E-M1 focus speaking is lag free without frame dropping.
The problem is that peaking has black and white colors and they are used with a dark or light layer above real image. So in low light or ultra bright conditions the effect can be hard to see.
Sony A6000 has well made focus peaking in RED that you really see it.
I guess people who use their Canon and Nikon Top of the line Pro models with fixed screens are not “grown ups”. If anything, inferring that people who dont prefer articulating screens are immature like children, is counter-intuitive to the point you are trying to make.
sensor shift has interesting implications compared to larger native sensor resolution: not limited by optic resolution, better dynamic range
For non-moving subjects this might be actually a better thing than having high native resolution.
Bunk. Considering that you are only moving the sensor and not the lens, your statement is utterly and completely false. You cannot create resolution that isn’t there: as the lens is static, the lens is a limiting factor. The image projected by the lens does not change by moving only the sensor.
And the dynamic range vs. resolution myth has already been debunked by DxO.
So you think Olympus are introducing a feature that has no discernible benefits whatsoever – like 5-axis IBIS, Live-Bulb, Ultrasonic wave dust removal, weather sealing that works, etc?
No, don’t put words in other people’s mouthes. It is a ridiculous form of discussion.
I am just debunking the myth that shifting the sensor would override the resolving limitations of the lens.
I didn’t put any words in your mouth, I asked a question. Nice that we both agree that this will have noticeable benefits when using high resolving lenses.
You are wrong. The optics cant resolve more if it can’t direct lights to small pixels. But keeping big pixels and moving them a littlebit allows to override the optics sharpness limitation for sensors that has high pixel pitch.
That’s why Olympus didn’t add a new higher MPix sensor because the functionality would be dramatically less effecrive as smaller pixel pitch would not give benefits.
And DXO has debunked by themself already. How any logical person can even read their stuff anymore?
EM5s side-by-side.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcram/15668492514/
Interestingly enough, only a few camera makers can develop this MP expansion, those with in camera sensor shift.
This has to be the most compelling feature for me. I do a lot of product work and as long as we can set the interval (to allow for flash recycling) this will be super. Some other things that will help with product work is the wifi remote. Getting to see the effect as you move lights from your position and not having to return to the camera is incredibly useful, and quite time saving.
Other items such as the flash sync port is a good bonus as I dont have to remember my little hot shoe pc ports when going to a shoot.
It looks as if it has a new grip, so my old one wont work,… pretty peeved about that!! I probably wont buy the grip for this one… how many do i need??
The swivel screen will be relatively useful, but a smuch as you gain you lose as operating the touch screen shutter while shooting my kids from the waist is far easier than a swivel on the side… BUT shooting portrait shots of my kids from my hip is less of a guessing game, plus when working off a tripod I can see the screen while standing. I also hope it has tethering.
Looks like there is a lot of customization available, which is good.
Losing the accessory port is a shame, but I only had the mic in port, so I hope they have both a mic in and a headphone out (fingers crossed).
I mean this thing is really targeting a lot of shooters. 16mp for general shooting, events etc. and 40mp for studio work for products, landscape, architecture, art etc. Will you need a tripod? Most likely. This is more like a Live Composite… if the camera can do 10fps and it needs 8 images we are still talking about most of one second to hand hold the image… But we will see.
I held off on the EM1 as I didnt feel it was enough of a change… but the 40mp option on this is a superb feature for many many high res applications. Would it work for portraits? Most likely not, nor your kids sports… But will it work when you are in morocco shooting the saharan atlas mountains? probably. 🙂
Looking at the edge of the screen where the swivel is, I think it will tilt like you are used to.
And the deeper and curved grip look ten times as good as the old one.
I think if you try & look for things that aren’t there then you will be disappointed. I believe it will be a standard articulating (swivel, if you like) screen.
I looked for a tilt screen and already became extremely disappointed. Now I have hope! Why would they split the screen frame when no other standard articulating camera needs to?
If Olympus was able to do this, it’s an amazing feat!
I primarily do landscapes, this looks great, my beloved E-M5 is being sold as I type this, making room for the Mkii.
retro illuminated button