Desert Ireland [OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1] from emeric on Vimeo.
Here are a couple of new E-M1 tests:
The video on tp is part of the full E-M1 review at Hybridcams (google tranlsated). Pcmag posted the 12-40mm lens test (Click here) and E-M1 review (Click here). E-m1 review at Atmtxphoto. Hands-on at Forumsee. And below you can watch the fist impression and thoughts (with FourThirds and microFourThirds lenses) by Knut Ivar Skogland
Preorder Links:
Olympus E-M1 body at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto, Amazon DE (via DL), Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL), WexUK, Topshot FI, CameraWorldUK.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, AmazonDE (viaDL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-40mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK and CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-50mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK, CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus EP-13 Eyecup for E-M1 at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus HLD-7 Battery Grip for E-M1 at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LC-62D Metal Front Lens Cap for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LH-66 Lens Hood for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
32 Responses
Knut’s video put me less than three minutes into the video to sleep as soon as he started talking about Norwegian soccer.
Norwegian soccer (and possibly myself) may have that effect – some of the pictures are located here though; https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151903675915295.1073741830.671550294&type=1&l=8fcc8cc895
Knuts alcohol collection looks as impressive as his lens collection 🙂
Thanx! 🙂 … my OM collection is in the cabinet above the one you see in the video; http://knutivars.tumblr.com/post/43170576789/some-of-my-legacy-olympus-om-zuiko-glass-love-to
OM1. I still have the one I bought in 1974 or was it 1975. The only one of several that remains in my “collection”. OTOH a number of OM lenses have been useful with mFT, so I feel they are worth keeping even if nearly 40 years old.
I really wanted to see a test of the 14-54mm FT lens. I had the idea to use it with the E-M1, especially since the 12-40mm looks to be in short supply for some months to come. The 14-54mm works fine with the E-M5, except for slug-slow AF performance. If AF speed is up to par with the E-M1, I’d be a happy camper.
I’m thinking of doing a video where I talk about. Thing is – after beeing spoiled by the sharpness and goodness of the m.Zuiko primes…. is the 14-54 still up for the job of pleasing us? …. 😉
> Thing is – after beeing spoiled by the sharpness and goodness of the m.Zuiko primes….
> is the 14-54 still up for the job of pleasing us? ….
Comparing excellent primes with even the best zooms, primes will nearly always win. A prime will be brighter, sharper, give less distortion, etc., vs. zoom at the same focal length and f-stop.
The 14-54mm is a pretty good zoom. Probably can’t beat the 12-40mm, but outperforms a lot of mFT zooms. The zoom range is quite good for a relatively wide aperture (f/2.8-3.5) lens. Its range ratio is nearly 4:1, beating the multitide of 14-42/45mm models, which are only ~3:1. It’s sharper than most kit lenses, and focuses as close as ~11 to 13 cm to the subject. Not quite macro, but very handy.
I should remark that the 54mm long end focal length makes the 14-54mm better suited to some tasks vs. the 12-35/40mm which may not have long enough “reach”.
And don’t forget, the 14-54mm is nicely “weather-resistant”. I’ll attest the lens has proven worthy, serving without a glitch through drenching rain, dust and other abuses. How many mFT primes are there that we’d trust to do the same?
Will the 14-54mm still please? Since I already own it, there’s one item I don’t have to spend money on. That’s very, very pleasing.
But the major stumbling block is AF speed. If it auto-focuses well enough on the E-M1, I think it will be pleasing to more than a few of us for all the above reasons.
I agree – … and the price for buying a used nice sample is actually not bad. 🙂
I have tested it a bit, and my first thougts is; AF speed is very quick. I may do a video on it if I get the time to do it in between work and family etc.
Thanks for the video. I too am interested in using the 14-54 II lens on the E-M1 (along with other lenses), but on the E-M5, aside from the slower contrast detect AF with that lens, it also slows the frame rate down at the wide end (14mm). Can you please test that feature on the E-M1 & tell me if the frame rate can be as high as the tele end at 54mm or not. It appears to be due to how it operates the aperture.
A video of 14-54mm AF on E-M1 would be splendid. Judging from responses here, it would interest people.
But I know what you mean about finding time. Sorting/editing recent photos is already a big enough project, let alone the 502 other things to do.
A “quick and dirty” 14-54mm AF demo video will suffice, nothing fancy required. We’d appreciate it.
The 14-54mm is one of the best I have. The 12-60 is better but it has died on me twice. I am still struggling with the thought of getting the E-M1 with or without the 12-40mm. Having the extra 2mm on the wide end is definitely a plus but 40 is no 54. Urgh…
Yes, 12 vs. 14 and 40 vs. 54? What to do. My idea is that since the 12-40mm won’t arrive for a few months, I’ll use the 14-54mm for now. Later on, get the 12-40mm. Probably will wind up with both, since they really serve somewhat different purposes.
Darn. For what has been discussed as such a “lousy” video camera, it appears to do pretty OK. Surely the videographer of “Desert Ireland” must be from the US or Japan. One of those 60Hz/30fps countries. If not, someone should tell them that this camera is just not capable of being used for good video… 😉
I’ve been at this long enough to see a lot of people argue over gear. Several decades and several new standards of it. But what it has always come down to is that compelling content is compelling content, even if it is shot with an Android or iPhone. While broadcast standards are still important if you distribute in those formats, the majority of people making video content for direct net consumption don’t give a damn. Olympus knows that. Everyone who creates content knows that. If you can tell a good story or at least capture the imagination, the rest won’t matter as much. And if it’s viral, someone will slam it into the right standard so that they can show a clip on the evening news.
To quote Edgar Froese, “If you can’t make your music blowing through a comb, give it up.”
U convinced me. I will now sell my gear. Thank U.
How true. Especially with video.
I don’t pretend to know cinematography skills as I am a stills photographer first and I live in a PAL format country. But when I see things like this, I don’t understand why framerate is a, “no-options” limitation? http://www.videomaker.com/video/watch/tutorials/702-how-to-convert-frame-rates
Sure, if you can just use the one you need from a menu of choices, then life is much easier, but for the average user, if you need to produce something for regional needs, it seems that any digital source can be adjusted to specific results. Most of us are going to, at best publish to the net, where the PAL/NTSC debate seems moot?
So I understand the complaints, Olympus should offer more video support. But does that really stop us for producing viable motion images?
Conversion in post never works as well. You either have jerky motion, or blurred frames. How can you evenly divide 30 by 24? You can’t. Frames are distributed with different gaps of time between them.
It’s like cutting a pie into 30 pieces, then taking those 30, mushing some together, and making new cuts to make 24 pieces. It’s a mess.
24p is necessary for a cinematic look, as opposed to a home-video style look which is noticeable in this 30p video at first glance.
It also doesn’t help that Oly puts the “edge-enhancement” on the picture, and gives the over-contrast edge look, like an unsharp mask. It’s a very poor look in my opinion. This would probably not be a problem for DVD output, as the sizing down in resolution would hide the ugliness of an unsharp mask, just as it does with a still photo. Totally ruins it for HD footage though.
You are wrong, simple as that. Olympus havent put a crappy codec that breaks as soon as you move the camera because “they know” that compeling content is everything. You made that up, show me a source or stop lying.
The framerate is only half the problem. If you film for instance a bush and then slowly pan to the sky, the whole picture breakes in blocky ugly squares. The codec is to weak, especally for the price.
A t3i beats the EM-1 any time and it costs, what, a third of the price?
Olympus have failed, if they would have had a better codec 50% of all videographers would have loved it. If it would have had better codec and proper framerates it would kill the GH3, BMPCC and 5dmkii. And I mean kill!
I sold my E-M5 because of the codec, it was not up to standard. And its such a shame. The collors where great, loved the form factor, stabilisation was awesome. The framerate sucked but I could get by.
The codec killed the camera.
Sorry but I se now reason to buy a camera for that price if the video sucks. For stills I would buy a x100 instead. Its video also suck to but its much cheaper.
I sold my GH3 as well, it was really good but Im tired of big cameras that deliver as a small camera.
I want small and good or big and awesome. And when first Panasonic and then Olympus droped the ball on both the GX7 and E-M1 I decided to sell all my m4/3 stuff and buy a real cinema camera.
For stills I will simply get a x20 or something, I almost never take stills if I dont get paid for it and my employer suplies a d800 for that.
Buy for now 43rumors.com, it was a fun blogg but the E-M1 was the last breath of the m4/3. The only reason its gonna be able to survive for a while is the bmpcc that will boost sales a little bit but it will be temporary.
I loved the prices and sizes, the evfs and great design of the cameras. But at the end of the day IQ is the only thing that matters.
As a pro Im totaly illoyal to brands and if the system makes a comeback I will simply lift my sholders and go mack to m4/3 without any regrets and then leave it again if something els comes along.
Thats the bitter lesson that Olympus is going to learn when they put the word “pro” on their product. Pros are not fanboys and they will leave you instantly when you dont deliver.
You are an edge case user. For 98% to 99% of users the EM-1 will be more than sufficient. You want dedicated video and you looking in the wrong place. You use inflammatory words like “kill” for no reason. If you need a dedicated video setup, then get a dedicated video setup. There is more to video than frame rate and that is not Olympus strength. If you took 5min to look at the history of Olympus and their work in life sciences, you would know they have no real video expertise and it will take several years to develop by their very own admission. Panasonic has a much different legacy and it makes sense that their strength IS in video and the next GH(n) camera will do even better. Regardless, in a small format there will always be some type of compromise EVEN IF you get all your features, not all of them will do what you want.
All you know it all internet engineers should go out start their own company because from your own self opinion you should be making millions and every company that exists is to stupid to know what they are doing. There needs to be a modular programmable camera for you guys where you can have software engineers develop software to tweak it to your liking. The issue is such a system would cost too much to make and nobody would buy it.
You add nothing to the discussion but project your own wants and irrational emotions to tramp on what is a good product for most of us. Yippy! it does not do what you want, that does not mean it does not meet the needs of the rest of us. Please, move on (but you will not, because this is a place for you to spit vitriol)
You even state that you do not care about stills and you have a D800 at your disposal so why on earth would you expect the E-M1 to meet your still and video needs? FF vs APS-C size sensor?
Go lug around your 10lb lenses and go get yourself a dedicated cine setup if that is what you want instead of trying to fit something into where it does not fit. In the meantime, there are real artists and pro’s making real content watched by millions using nothing more than a Nokia Lumia 1020. There are people making fashion shoots and publishing them using a Nokia Lumia 1020 but somehow E-M1 has, in your words, “killed” Olympus and m43. Really?
The E-M1 is prosumer level camera. It has pro level features that will make it a second or first camera to many pro’s. See the blog post by atmtx at his blog. Apparently, he is nuts and wants to ruin his reputation. Same for many Canikon pro’s using it for pro work.
Perhaps you standards are too high, or you just like to complain and are never happy, I have no way to tell but your arguments are off base in terms of the future of the format and does not consider its evolution to its present day.
These are tools. The E-M1 is the next step in the evolution. The E-M1 has shown that m43 can rival the 7D and 70D in IQ and lens offerings. Ditto for the same Nikon offerings. This is a pivot point for the entire industry. ILC’s are marching forward. Those who will be rewarded will be those who will learn how to maximize these tools, current limitation and all. As the format runs forward those who adopted it early on will be the best to take advantage of future developments.
TV did not end radio, m43 will not end FF but demographics and economics and lifestyle changes mean small, lighter more mobile which plays to strength of the m43s. The biggest barrier to Olympus is nobody knows who they are and Panasonic makes televisions. If m43 group can change to message and get some brand power over Nikon and Canon, then they will be a force.
Go find the tools that best meet your needs but don’t make nonsense arguments.
Or possibly it was made by a knowledgeable videographer who knows/understands how to work around the 50hz issue?
Its quite telling that you don’t seem to understand a well known and documented issue, one that has existed since the early days of tv, and still exists.
Beautiful ! But It looks more like a slide show than a film.
Curiously, I had nearly the same thought. But it was a gorgeously produced slide show. Sort of reminded me of advertising for very expensive luxury goods. Come to think of it, that possibly describes the E-M1 itself, wouldn’t it…
Looks mushy and totally lacking in contrast, not just low contrast, but lacking in contrast 🙁
I agree. From the technical point of view, the clip was not excellent. Else, it was nice. I am wondering what lens was used here. I am sure that the E-M1 can do much better than this.
That was my thoughts on the video shadows especially looked very mushy
I cant believe the location of ON/OFF switch on that cam
Pffff “DESERT Ireland” is superb! Very nice video.
“Pffff “DESERT Ireland” is superb! Very nice video.”
The video is mushy with poor detail blocked shadows and blown highlights
The images looks good. Thanks…. but the EM1 is a little too rich now though I’ll definitely look out for the 12-40 once it becomes available.
The video was put together nicely but the quality of the video was terrible! No better than a point and shoot camera video. No detail at all and this was taken with the 75mm 1.8 and 12-40 2.8!
For me it is much more interesting than those RAW test footage that been on the wild, I mean what so interesting about socks hanging on the backyard?
The quality of the video is probably degraded by the various exports done in Premiere and AE by Emeric.
I’d like to get my hands on some RAW/Unedited out of camera footage. Without it we can’t possibly make judgement on how the E-M1 will perform.