Olympus OM-D EM-1 workshop from Johannes Dongstra on Vimeo.
Biofos (Click here) posted a hands-on review from a 4/3 user perspective:
“The sensor has PDAF capabilities on-board which, for the most part, competes very well with the PDAF system employed in the E-5 and certainly out-performs the AF system in consumer grade E-System bodies. However, it does not ‘beat’ the E-5 AF system, but it is mighty close. In all other respects the E-M1 is a cracking camera. Its size and weight are just about perfect (for me). Its ergonomics are first class. Its specification is outstanding. And the resultant images are stunning – by far the best so far.”
Photographyblog (Click here) also tested the camera:
“The combination of great image quality, an abundance of features, excellent auto focus, insane customisability and a robust dust-, drip- and freeze-proof body with a well-thought-out user interface do go a long way in justifying the cost, but with Sony soon releasing its similarly sized, full-frame Alpha A7 for the same price in the UK and a few hundred dollars more in the US, the OM-D E-M1 still seems a bit overpriced to us.”
Tashley (Click here) posted ahe E-M1 review:
“…I have tested this to my own satisfaction, for a 20″ print at low ISO and 24mm FOV I would prefer to use the Oly system than the D800 system (with 24-70mm) for wide shooting because it gives better results on average across the frame with clearly better edges. Honestly.”
P.S.: Jonas Linngard Straight out of the camera pics. User review at Microcosm.
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E-M1 Store 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.
58 Responses
Tashley’s comment seems to me the most important. It is interesting that he finds the smaller sensor more adequate for landscape. This might be even more important in respect to Sony’s mirrorless FF35.
Comparing a prime lens to a zoom lens is not really fair. The excellent Olympus prime lenses are a bigger factor than the camera.
You would be one of the may who would be shattered to discover that pros use zooms more than primes.
That was meant to be many not may.
Admin, wheres the bl00dy edit gone? Its been on holidays for well over a year.
Come on man random ramblings of the rare pro mFT posters that admin so avidly hunts down are mostly fanboy nonsense.Landscape is the one area where the D800 blows away all competition other than the new Sony A7R
As for the 24-70 from F4 { F2 equivalent on mFT} the 24-70 gives corner to corner sharpness.At the same DOF the D800/24-70mm combo will literally wipe the floor with the E-M1 and any lens combo prime or zoom.
The D800/E has 2.5 stops better color depth,1.7 stops better DR ,far better shadow noise & detail, far better highlights and lets not forget 36mp vs 16mp compared to the E-M1.With regards to landscape or any other low ISO high detail subject such as macro, studio product shooting etc the E-M1 is laughable vs the D800.
Marty26, you are CORRECT!
That, and to fuel debate, even though we all know the D800 will mop the floor on the E-M1. It’s not even a question! All it does is spur nonsense from the Olympus radicals.
“The D800/E has 2.5 stops better color depth,1.7 stops better DR ,far better shadow noise & detail, far better highlights and lets not forget 36mp vs 16mp compared to the E-M1.”
There is *some* duplication in there, see if you can spot it…
Actually, the focal range beneath 28mm is the 24-70mm Nikkor’s Achilles’ heel and might be the reason why the EM1 + 12-40mm is raised as a viable option. See Tim Ashley’s scathing review: http://tashley1.zenfolio.com/blog/2013/3/nikon-af-s-28-70mm-f2-8g-ed-oom-on-d800e
Then, is single-shot DR that important when you can bracket exposure all you want with the EM1? You can even do it handheld thanks to the 5-axis IBIS and 10fps of the Olympus. That leaves the 36mp resolution, which is fantastic for huge prints and crops, but if you’re not cropping keep in mind that resolution has strong diminishing returns and it’s essentially wasted past 300dpi.
You seem to know nothing of photography. You would not even pass the entry test to get into the beginners class. So why come here? Did the real guys throw you out of wherever you were before?
It’s not only drip-proof, but also drop-proof. Depends on from how high it is dropped though 🙂
The flickering in the video is due to the lack of 25fps on the cam right?
Yes, the video was shot at 30 frames per second and the light is flickering at 50Hz. Completely ruined the shot. The perfect example why Olympus should speed up that firmware update adding 25 fps.
Pretty amazing that Olympus had no idea this would happen.
While one thing is to not to bother with high-quality codecs and compression, but completely ignoring different frame rates for different regions of the world is showing tremendous incompetency
while it is true what you are saying, the video is also an example that the person does not know how to use the camera when in video mode.
Tim Ashley also says: “Honestly, if I am going to a particular place on purpose to take the best quality images of it I can, I will much more likely take a D800 or IQ180 system, depending on how far it is from the nearest car park…”
The quote at the top of the page in the blogpost (comparing the M1/D800) is sort-of out of context. Read the whole paragraph in the article, first.
I have an E-P5 (which for all intents and purposes has the same Image quality as the M1) and a Canon 5dIII. The files coming from the Canon are much better than the EP5…on all levels.. Period….but I agree with a lot of what Tim says. I am picking up my EP5 with a prime more and more..the resulting images are good enough…and the whole form factor thing makes shooting so much more fun and enjoyable and also less invasive when I an shooting people or on the street. I have sold prints out of galleries shot with the newer MFT sensors…they have come a long way since the GF1 (which was a great camera in its own right.)
Well it might also be that the camera use of m4/3 and a FF35 one is v. different, and one does not adapt easily to the differences, notably in DOF.
Really the two uses I could see in the A7, not being interested in lugging a mirrored juggernaut, were Landscape and Portrait. For portrait Lindsay Dobson, showed how the OM-D are perfectly capable.
For Landscape we have the problem of telecentricity, so all lenses below 35mm have bad edges.
So you certainly cannot shoot Landscape with such limitations.
Mirrored FF35 is another matter, but there again it’s bulky, heavy, needs a tripod. while m4/3 per pixel sharpness is excellent*across the frame* and it has IBIS.
It struck me that this preference comes from two landscapers like Tashley and Sounimage, who both have a NikonD800.
About the FF trolls here I could care less, they have neither art nor trade.
“For Landscape we have the problem of telecentricity, so all lenses below 35mm have bad edges. So you certainly cannot shoot Landscape with such limitations.”
Make a retrofocal lens and put it further away from the sensor, issue solved (through you do get a size penalty)
Well, exactly. I began researching legacy superwides, but then they are massive. I am sure that Zeiss will come with a new ultrawide but can you imagine the price and size?
Soundimage opened my eyes: since m4/3 is so sharp it is no problem for him to uprez, if need be. And he works for stock agencies. Why should I care then?
I checked my 4/3 9-18 against some 35mm FF Flektogon and I couldn’t see the difference except that the FF edges were worse resolution, had colour shifts and black corners.
FF35, was never designed for digital, but for film and is especially not kind to short distance to flange.
OTH I am not averse to Oly (or Panny) having a hand at FF35. But they could also increase sensor size with no need to reach 24×36, if this spoils edges. A super 4/3 would be wonderful. But I certainly don’t complain with what I can do with m4/3 and good lenses we are really where it’s at, but headless chickens need to run away nevertheless. 🙂
Large… this is merely a 21/3.5 🙂
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrobjective/8276682579/
There are some advantages to both larger and smaller formats for landscapes. Resolution obviously puts an advantage to larger formats, but DOF distribution favors smaller formats (not talking about amount of DOF, but how it is distributed in front and behind the plane of sharpest focus).
Why does the general public read strangers blogs and then deem them so important. Who are these people? I don’t know them. you don’t know them. Yet, now we have an article that gives us comfort about our choice of camera brand. It’s as if we are searching for others reassurance. Who really cares what others think. Also, why are micro 4/3 sites/forums filled with so many full frame comparisons and topics. This isn’t the case on other forums. I use both systems and I can honestly say that 4/3 users seem like they are on some sort of full framer witch hunt. Who cares.
You’d be very surprised how many people think that APS-C sensors are “full frame”. I’ve even heard salespeople telling customers that. After all, if you’re buying a “REAL” camera, festooned with Nikon or Canon graphics, you can rest assured it’s “full frame”. One day a NEX user actually told me that. Really.
So, there’s plenty of misinformation flying around.
And who the fuck knows WHY all these FF weenies have the need to trumpet their sensors of choice everywhere. It reminds me of PeeSea users who used to lurk Mac forums posting similar rubbish, of course having never even used a Mac…
Whatev, right? 😉
iMac = rebadged Foxconn Taiwanese PC parts
iPhone = rebadged Samsung, Toshiba, Sharp etc. parts
iPod = Creative audio player ripoff with worse audio quality
OS X = Unix for dummies
iOS = 5 years behind Fandroid
Mr Reeee’s first paragraph hits it on the head. Most non m43 4/3 users who pop in think that their canon APSc is a full 135 sensor and give their images the same qualities and quote 135 stats.
However his third paragraph is clearly a fan boy statement.
Jobs gone, Apple is falling to bits just like last time. Once upon a time apple used a motorola processor with integrated graphics, and IBM used an Intel 8086 that needed a graphics board. Apple’s images were vastly superior. But that stopped very quickly in the early 1980s. How much longer will this once off, once upon a time Apple “advantage” defy the facts of time past and present. (Dig Dig Dig)
Still, if its what you want and can afford then go for it.
My e-m1 review:
+ Nice looking
+ iq ok, but not great (pictures sharp but flat looking)
– tiny sensor
– body too big
– price too high, better options can be found at the same price
– stupid fanboys
@FF
“My e-m1 review:”
Does a review not require a certain degree of usage and systematic testing of a camera or is this “review” in the Ken Rockwell school of reviews.:-)
+ Nice looking
Matter of opinion but I agree 🙂
“”+ iq ok, but not great (pictures sharp but flat looking)””
I am a little disappointed that image quality has not advanced since the E-M5
“”- tiny sensor””
That is a matter of opinion, it is large compared to the Sony& Nikon 1 inch sensors and enormous compared to most P&S cameras
“”- body too big””
Nope it allows for far better handling than the smaller E-M5
“”- price too high, better options can be found at the same price””
With regard to basic image quality this is correct however the body build quality and feature set is harder to match for less in other systems
“- stupid fanboys””
On this we agree 100% assuming you mean fanboys from all systems
My review of you:
– complete moron, who does not own the camera, spouts lies, and is totally clueless
I was about to add ASSHAT, but you covered that one more specifically.
CCCP and Ms Ree.. proves “stupid fanboys” correct.
In one of his comments, mr. Ashley linked a (beautiful) image he took, saying that “it’s better DON’T look at that nice picture because I took it with a 40.000£ gear, luckily mostly loaned :-)”
http://tashley1.zenfolio.com/img/s8/v77/p1623908792-6.jpg
I took this with my tiny equipment for a lot lesser.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcosartoriphoto/8922183439/sizes/k/in/photostream/
What we usually forget is that the guy behind the camera is more important that the camera or the lens he’s using.
I’d have to agree (if it is your point) that the 40K-priced gear did not produce an image unique enough to justify such high cost. Making an equally “good” (or “bad”) photo does not require exotic equipment, as your image shows. And I’m not referring to esthetic judgements, but merely the end result “on the ground”, the image attributes that are readily and objectively measured.
Anyone know of a good support forum for the OM-D E-M1? I just got mine last night and I’m having a few issues. After a 1/2 hour of use, the thing froze 3 times. Also, the right side of the image is blurry and appears smudged. Not every time, but enough to make me wonder. The time and date has to be reset every time the battery comes out and almost every time the camera is turned off. Finally, but I seem to have fixed this issue, in dark areas of a picture, there were a lot of red dots. Remapping fix the dead, stuck, or hot pixels.
In all honsty, I would take it back and get a new one. Hopefully you have the recipt and in the time frame to do so. Good luck.
I have the receipt. The camera just arrived from amazon yesterday. I was just wondering if any of these problems are common or unique to me.
I do have the 600 flash connected. I haven’t played enough with it to know if any of the problems happen without the flash connected. I’m also using the 45mm 1.8(I’m pretty sure)
Thanks
I’ve yet to see it freeze once, this doesn’t sound ok.
Images blurry on one side doesn’t sound ok either.
Setting time/date after battery change or even power cycle? No, that definitely shouldn’t be.
I do suggest trying without the FL600R and with a different lens, but I’m afraid your camera is faulty. It should be accepted as DOA and replaced, either by the reseller or by Olympus, and if the issue remains without the FL600R and with a different lens, I’d contact them in that order.
Admin, I also mailed a link to you a while ago about a videoclip I did in Jakarta(23rd of october 2013): I had this long time wish to do a photoshoot again with my fav model Aneu, but it only happened 7 years after 1st time meeting her since 2006, me booking a ticket just for a 5 day visit, lots of things went wrong regarding to appointments and other unpredictable factors. The clip was made from both Nikon J1(10mm) & Olympus E-M5(45mm) footage. The J1 was disappointing but I used some shots of it anyway.
see the clip here at Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/78434849
Comments like “the best image quality by far” are nothing but hype. Objective comparisons of raw images so little difference between the EM-5, EM-1, GH3 and GX7. And the differences in jpegs between these bodies has more to do with default settings than any intrinsic capabilities of the bodies.
All produce excellent images, but when someone says “the best…by far” they’re either incompetent or a fantard.
You should read the qualifiers, I am not referring to yankees in general, but to Neanderthals too, God have their souls, if they have one.
The two things don’t tend to overlap in the Anglosphere, difficult to find such an appalling behaviour in a NZ or an OZ. I also appreciate the courtesy TrapperJohn, one of the most knowledgeable American fourthirders, but frankly I am under no obligation towards juveniles who go to school with their guns and use jailhouse attitudes, even in forums.
No obligation at all to bend to gangsta. Better throw away your guns an learn to use a camera, then we can talk.
I see you have been up to your usual hypocritical tricks , post racist hate comments then complain to admin whenever the favor is returned shame on you.
See the flickering in the vid? beautiful, isnt it?
Totally unusable for video indoors, anywhere in europe – due to 30p and 50hz power frequency of the lights.
it is not a problem at all, if you set the shutterspeeds low enough…there is no flickering at all. The videographer did not do this, so thats why. He should have set the af to single action only, and then it would be alot better.
Setting the shutter speed low enough…..
As I said above …
Pretty amazing that Olympus had no idea this would happen.
While one thing is to not to bother with high-quality codecs and compression, but completely ignoring different frame rates for different regions of the world is showing tremendous incompetency.
You can’t blame Olympus for operator error.
Well, not supporting 25/50p isn’t the fault of the operator beyond picking the wrong camera.
Setting shutter speed low enough, well, you have to set it to a fraction or multiple of 50, which leaves you with a somewhat odd shutter angle. That isn’t a major issue, but it means less control over motion, and being forced to use manual or shutter priority mode for video, and hence less control over sensitivity or aperture.
Picking the ‘right’ shutter speed to prevent this kind of flicker is a workaround of sorts.
the point is, if you decided to have a camera which does not support 25fps, should use these “workarounds” as i see nee other solution(ok pray to god that 25fps will be gifted by firmware update), otherwise just buy one of the great panasonic options(which , in my case, gives the penalty of no ibis for video, which i find more important, as you can notice in my videoclip with the Nikon J1 vs the E-M5 issue)
Well yes, if the solution isn’t available but a workaround is, you should use the workaround.
My point was about the difference between solution and workaround, including the notion that the workaround imposes limits.
Sure I can…
It reminds me during the mid-80s when US carmakers were complaining that they had no access to Japanese markets.
At that time they were boosting that their engines were bigger, cars are bigger and cheaper yet could still not sell any cars in Japan.
After a expensive market research they realized that the steering wheel was on the wrong side.
Japan still have left side traffic. Once that was changed sales improved.
Japan and the US still have 30P while the rest of the world use 25P.
If you can provide compatible frame rate you’re going to loose sales.
I meant to say…if you can not….
Admin
We need to be able to edit the posts.
well some people prefer to blame, while others just find a working solution…I mean not just in written text but bringing it into practise. There is an OMD FB page which shows alot of useful info how to be able to comeup with good quality footage.You can demand for the ideal way, because competitors offer it, but if you need to come with useful footage now with such limitation in your gear, you need to improvise, to say it in a gentle way.
Ulli, sorry, but its not really a ‘working solution’. Its in many ways a ‘solution’ similar to saying you should simply lower the shutter speed if you can’t get a fast enough aperture + high enough ISO for still imaging. Yes, it *MAY* work for your situation, but it imposes restrictions, and forces you to change the ‘look’ from what you’d want it to be. Sure, its better then nothing, but calling it a solution is just not right.
Please investigate the 180 degrees ‘rule’ that others mentioned before, its not an absolute and strict rule, but understanding why it exists and why you should or shouldn’t care is absolutely key to understanding why changing shutter speed to prevent flicker is a workaround, or at best half of the solution, and how it will affect the footage. You can then decide that the restrictions and effect on motion is irrelevant to you, that can be totally valid, but you should realize that is a consequence of both conditions and your requirements that is making such a workaround a totally valid option.
No, I’m not a videographer, there is a huge difference between recording some short video clips and creating ‘serious’ footage, just like there is a huge difference between a snapshot and a serious (by intention) photograph. Sure, both are video or both are a picture, thats not the point.
So you think its better to breake the 180degree shutter rule and mess up the motionblur just because Olympus doesnt know how to build a camera.
Stop calling it a workaround, its not.
in general, since you dont watch each frame seperately, motion blur in a fast paced shot is not a disdavantage, but actuallly smooths the impression of the motion. Only in more modern moviemaking its more common to undercrank the speed during filming and speed up during playback to give either the effect of more speed or more detail in heavy paced action. I do mostly slowpaced footage, so a slowshutterspeed is no problem…As a pro you should know all this.
Who cares about video, I reckon the majority of EM users shoot almost uniquely stills. You want video get a video cam.
there are enough people who use both, for them its a blessing to have it one camera. Prob you are right that most shoot stills only, for them it should be easy to ignore the video..its that simple.
I have come to the point where I would really love to see some negative reviews of E-M1 from serious photographers (not the armchair commentators who pore over pages and pages of technical specs and give their verdict without actually touching or using the camera).
I am a m4/3 convert. I have now been shooting with the E-M1 for the last 2 weeks paired with the Olympus 45mm f1.8 and the Panasonic 12-35 f2.8. I have no idea what secret sauce Oly uses for their JPEG conversion, but I am loving it. Almost zero post-processing required.
This camera is simply a marvel of modern technology.
This from someone who has used the D800 for more than 1 year with the holy trinity lenses.
Well, thank you for this. In fact the ‘Jpeg sauce’ and no requirement fpr PP, or a minimal one, is the very reason for me to have a m4/3.
I can enjoy a pure hunter’s pleasure, without losing time in the kitchen 🙂
+10,.
wait until you use the 1.8/75mm,.
I had D300 ,D700 and D600 in the past, with 24-70, 70-200.,and zeiss50mm and 85/1.4,.its a very nice set up was then,.but also heavy and bulky,. but,.when i paired the 1.8/75mm with my E-M5/E-p5 and now E-M1,.it blown away my nikon system,.
The sharpness, color, on the Oly camera,.it is really make me almost no need for PP,.
lol the dirt cheap 85mm F1.8g on current gen Nikon APS will be better than the 75mm f1.8 on the e-m1
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare-Camera-Lenses/Compare-lenses/%28lens1%29/823/%28brand%29/Nikkor/%28camera1%29/865/%28lens2%29/898/%28brand2%29/Olympus/%28camera2%29/883
The D7100 +85mm F1.8g costs £1175 the E-M + 75mm which is not even weather sealed and does not even come with a hood lol costs £2000 . Then there is the 1.2 stop advantage in colour depth, the full stop difference in DR with .8 of a stop advantage at high ISO.
On a Nikon APS body the 85mm F1.8g gives the same AOV as roughly a 128mm lens on FF a little closer to the classic 135mm portrait lens the 150mm equiv of the 75mm is a little long in many indoor situations.Shooting at F1.8 on Nikon APS gives you the same DOF as shooting at F1.2 on mFT.
http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare-Camera-Sensors/Compare-cameras-side-by-side/%28appareil1%29/909|0/%28brand%29/Olympus/%28appareil2%29/865|0/%28brand2%29/Nikon
I am afraid as with most posters who put their beloved brand name in their Nick your opinion is nonsense.I have serious doubts you have ever owned any of the Nikon cameras you mention, but don’t worry about it all BS is allowed here as long as the BS favors mFT and especially Olympus
I’m sure you don’t own both the 85/1.8G and the 75/1.8 (with cameras that can use them natively), as most who do will disagree with your measured opinion. But its based on measurement! Come back when you know how to look at those and what relevant things won’t show on such measurements.