Olympus OM-D E-M5, E-M1, E-M10 - Mk1, Mk2 & Mk3 Owners Thread

Very nice, what a view, I like that.
Thanks posting the colour version Phil.
 
I am thinking of purchasing a EM5 instead of my Fuji XP1 particularly for the reach and the IBIS, which would help me for my disabilities. I have been looking on HDEW and they have two different line ups of lenses with the body. 12-50 and 14-42 with 40-150. Which would be the best way to go. Is the 12-50 a better lens than the 14-42? Should I go this route and buy the Telezoom seperately?? Also, for clarification the crop is x2 for these cameras???

I will read through the whole thread over the next few days.

The EM5 & 12-50 is £519

The EM5 & 14-42 & 40-150 is £565.00

http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/olympus-cameras-119-c.asp

Any advice greatly appreciated.
 
Depends what you shoot I guess. I believe the 12-50 is a better lens and is also weather sealed iirc from when I was looking into them. A second hand copy of the 40-150 whether it be Panasonic or Olympus are usually pretty cheap so may be the way to go.
 
minnnt said:
But the 12-50 is alot bigger than the 14-42.

Have you considered the em-10?
Click to expand...

In short no, I thought the EM5 was the newer camera with better IBIS with 5 axis. Do you know the main differences?

As I mentioned on your thread for the XE2, as I am home most days, I would like to capture some of the smaller birds in the garden, as we get a lot in the garden due to us backing onto woodland., The longest fuji only goes to 230mm. I have been trying a Tokina (Vivitar) 100-300mm and to be honest the lens is too heavy for me and it's also a little short. Also, I have tried with a x2 teleconvertor and the quality is poor.

I love the Fuji but It 's not reaching the desired length I want for small birds. I have bought an Xf1 to chuck into a pocket but I dont want to go for a bridge camera for the length. Two cameras is enough for me, and I was thinking of getting the Panasonic 100-300 or Oly 75-300.
 
The 12-50 is about the same size as the 40-150 and a little heavier. It's a well-built lens and covers all the bases. With the 2x crop-factor it's a 24-100mm equivalent focal length in 35mm terms, and does macro pretty well, plus it's weather sealed which the 14-42 and 40-150 aren't. Some people don't seem to like it, and I suppose it's not very wide-aperture, but it's a very good start to a system. The 14-42 is the basic kit lens for the lower-range PEN cameras and isn't particularly great.
 
The EM-10 is newer but lower spec than the EM-5. EM-5 was the "original" OM-D, followed by the (current) top-of-the-range EM-1, and the lower-range EM-10. The EM-10 isn't weather sealed and has 3-axis IBIS rather than the better 5-axis IBIS of the EM-5, but is otherwise very similar if slightly better given it's a newer design. If it's small birds in the garden you want to photo, then the 45-150 will give you the equivalent reach of a 300mm lens which may not be long enough, but it is very light and easy to use, and is actually quite a good optical performer...
 
Just going on what I've read...

The IBIS on the em-10 is 'only' 3 axis but hardly any difference in real world apparently. The em-10 is the newer camera and comes with an upgraded processor (from the em-1??) so will produce images that look pretty much like the em-1 give or take. I think it is a smaller body also. Have a look on YouTube, there are plenty of videos on there and there is also a thread running here about it. I'd search for you but I'd end up wanting one again which gives me shooting pains in my brain. :D
 
Also, a heads-up that Olympus are doing a cash-back offer on lenses. I saw on Amazon you can get a 40-150 for £120 (for the silver one - £170 for black), with £15 cash-back.
Absurdly cheap.

I'm half considering switching my large (and largely unused) lens collection (*) for a 12-40 and getting a 40-150 for the few occassions I need the extra reach.

(*) In case anyone cares, it reads; 9-18, 14, 20, 45, 12-50, 14-150. I used to mostly use the 14-150 but since having children I find most of shots are of them so the 25/45 combo is used most. Hence thinking about the switch to a single fast zoom.
 
Thanks for the replies folks.

Assuming I got the body with 12-50 lens I could then look to get the 100-300 or 75-300mm lens, have any of you have experience of the 300mm lenses?? I think the 40 - 150mm lens is going to be too short. I could also probably stretch to a prime lens at the same time of purchase of above, what would be a recomended lens for general photography, I find my 35mm f1.4 fuji lens great for a general lens when i dont want to carry the zooms.

Also, the EM5 is micro four thirds, whats four thirds, whats the difference? Sorry for the noob question, this system is completely new to me.
 
Four-thirds was the name (originally coined by Olympus I believe) for the sensor size which is half the diagonal dimensions of 35mm film, and hence has a 2x "crop factor" for focal length conversions. Four-thirds cameras were DSLRs in the proper sense in that they had mirrors and optical viewfinders in the same way as normal SLRs. This made them a bit bulky and meant the lens had to be far enough away from the sensor to clear the mirror. Micro-4/3rds is the same sensor size, but the mirror box was done away with, which meant the lens mount could be closer to the sensor, reducing the overall size of the camera.
 
If you like the field of view of the Fuji 35mm, the equivalent on MFT would be a 25mm. There are two lenses covering that; the legendary Panasonic/Leica 25mm f/1.4 and the newer Olympus 25mm f/1.8.
I have the former and it's ace, but I hear the Olympus is very good too (plus smaller lighter and cheaper although not as bright).
You could also look out for the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 - another legendary MFT lens. Focussing is a bit slower than newer lenses but I never had a problem with mine. It's also a pancake so nice and small.

Going wider still, there's also a new Olympus 17mm f/1.8 and the older (but still made) 17mm f/2.8, the latter being another pancake.

There's also a Sigma 30mm (f/2.8 I think) that gets good reviews and is good value.

There's usually plenty of second hand 20/1.7, 17/2.8 and - sometimes - 25/1.4 so if you want one of those save your pennies and buy a second hand one.
 
The Sigma ART glass gets good reviews. There is a 19mm, 30 and 60 all at f2.8. And they're cheeeeeeeeeeeeeep! :D £125!! I'd probably go for all three tbh and if you found you wasn't using one so much then sell it for not much loss. If you're into shallow DOF then maybe 2.8 won't be shallow enough for you on m4/3's and would benefit from 1.8 or less? The 30mm is the smallest lens out of the three. The best prime lens would probably be the 75 f1.8 if you're feeling flush. :D
 
Again thanks for the replies,

Just incase it got lost in my last post, have any of you got experience of using the 300mm zoom lenses, either Olympus or Panasonic, if so any comments?????
 
The panasonic 100-300 is superb for a 200-600 walk around. Try carrying a Tamron 150-600 one handed whilst balancing a 5 year old on your shoulders... Anyway, for serious quality look at the 50-200SWD Four Thirds and an adaptor, or like me wait for the larger and probably expensive-worth-it 300 f/4 which, if Oly make a lens as well regarded as the old OM 300/4.5 with the wide-open quality of the 75/1.8 will be an MTF master and micro four thirds' crowning achievement.....

Here's 210mm [420mm]:
DAN40086 by danbroad1000, on Flickr

here's 100mm [200mm] grain added in PP
DAN70705 by danbroad1000, on Flickr

here's 300mm [600mm]
Why eye by danbroad1000, on Flickr
 
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Swanseajack said:
Again thanks for the replies,

Just incase it got lost in my last post, have any of you got experience of using the 300mm zoom lenses, either Olympus or Panasonic, if so any comments?????
Click to expand...

I've owned both and can confirm that there's little to chose between them, both are surprisingly good considering their budget pricing.
The 75-300 is more compact has a nice zoom action and to me feels just a gnats better built. The Lumix is faster but longer at the short end and comes with a hood and pouch which the Oly doesn't.
On the image quality front I would mark them neck and neck. I eventually stuck with the 75-300 for it's more compact dimensions and slight weight advantage.

Here's a recent shot with the 75-300 Mk2



One one with my old Lumix 100-300



Edit: Having said all that I will be adding the 300 f/4 when it's released. Oly Pro glass is very hard to beat.
 
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danbroad said:
The panasonic 100-300 is superb for a 200-600 walk around. Try carrying a Tamron 150-600 one handed whilst balancing a 5 year old on your shoulders... Anyway, for serious quality look at the 50-200SWD Four Thirds and an adaptor, or like me wait for the larger and probably expensive-worth-it 300 f/4 which, if Oly make a lens as well regarded as the old OM 300/4.5 with the wide-open quality of the 75/1.8 will be an MTF master and micro four thirds' crowning achievement.....

Here's 210mm [420mm]:
DAN40086 by danbroad1000, on Flickr

here's 100mm [200mm] grain added in PP
DAN70705 by danbroad1000, on Flickr

here's 300mm [600mm]
Why eye by danbroad1000, on Flickr
Click to expand...
Greytop said:
I've owned both and can confirm that there's little to chose between them, both are surprisingly good considering their budget pricing.
The 75-300 is more compact has a nice zoom action and to me feels just a gnats better built. The Lumix is faster but longer at the short end and comes with a hood and pouch which the Oly doesn't.
On the image quality front I would mark them neck and neck. I eventually stuck with the 75-300 for it's more compact dimensions and slight weight advantage.

Here's a recent shot with the 75-300 Mk2



One one with my old Lumix 100-300



Edit: Having said all that I will be adding the 300 f/4 when it's released. Oly Pro glass is very hard to beat.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies Dan & Huw. Some nice captures there.

The smaller birds that Huw has taken photos off are what I was looking for. Due to my disabilities I need to keep the weight down as much as possible, it's the reason why I switched from Nikon to Fuji. I wouldn't be able to handle pro glass and the weight of them so I will need to stick to the Kit/Consumer lenses. Fuji have a superzoom coming out soon, looking at what they are charging now for there lenses, I would expect it will be out of budget and too heavy, otherwise I would look to stick with them. Also, the way we have the furniture arranged and the way the windows open it would be awkward to even set up a tripod in our downstairs rooms. I currently sit by the back door and rest against wall to keep me steady for handheld photos.

In the garden area we are getting: Blackbirds, (which have started nesting in a gorse bush we have), Sparrows, Robins, Blue Tits, Chaffinch ?, Pigeons, Doves, Magpies, Seagulls, Crows & Grey Squirrels. Also, I think we have Kites circleing(spl) above our properties as we are not to far from the Black Mountains. They are too far away for me to confirm identity with my current kit.

Time for me to find my local Olympus dealer and go and try the camera out.

Again thanks for the advice and replies.
 
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Picked up a 12-40 a while back but not had a real chance to get much of recent, until today.

Took a trip to the Dyfi Osprey project, this is only up the road from me but I have never been there till today.
The weather a lot would say from horrid, however I did get a chance to give it a quick test.

Here are a few from today.

Over the bridge by Mark Illsley, on Flickr

Down the boardwalk by Mark Illsley, on Flickr

Observatory by Mark Illsley, on Flickr

Its pretty good at macro too

Caterpillar by Mark Illsley, on Flickr

Thanks everyone
 
Has anyone here used the Sigma 19mm f2.8? Im considering it but no idea if its better than say the Panasonic 14mm f2.5 or if I should hold out for some extra cash and go for the 20mm f1.7?
 
Thrash said:
Has anyone here used the Sigma 19mm f2.8? Im considering it but no idea if its better than say the Panasonic 14mm f2.5 or if I should hold out for some extra cash and go for the 20mm f1.7?
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I use the Sigma 19mm on a G6 and GX7, and am very pleased with it. Thanks to the current GX7 promotion, I also have a Panny 20mm f1.7 on the way, so should be able to do some sort of back to back comparison in the next few weeks :)

Cheers,

Simon.
 
srhmoto said:
I use the Sigma 19mm on a G6 and GX7, and am very pleased with it. Thanks to the current GX7 promotion, I also have a Panny 20mm f1.7 on the way, so should be able to do some sort of back to back comparison in the next few weeks :)

Cheers,

Simon.
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Ah excellent, would you mind posting up some shots from the Sigma?
 
Just been catching up on the stunning contributions to this thread :)

Having bought an E-M5 when they 1st came out, selling it, buying another one 6 months later, selling it and more recently using my trusty GX1 for a while.....

...I've just bought another one today (y)

Amazon selling black body only for £527 with free grip. So brand new uk body for approx £350 :)

Considered an E-M1 but couldn't justify it right now.

Will be picking up a 12-40 soon too though.
 
Bloater I'm surprised you haven't dived upon a new-fangled E-M10 yet ...

"Meet your Mentor" sounds a bit scary in that there Olympus blurb Lindsay!
 
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Welcome back Alan, lets see what you can do with it this time :)
I've still got my my original E-M5, currently sporting a little 12-32....
 
Does the e-m5 have focus peaking? Is it likely to in a firmware upgrade? How does it shoot/focus with MF lenses? I've got a G6 at the moment but I fancy a new toy and so have been looking at an E-M5.

Thanks
 
rugeyes said:
Does the e-m5 have focus peaking? Is it likely to in a firmware upgrade? How does it shoot/focus with MF lenses? I've got a G6 at the moment but I fancy a new toy and so have been looking at an E-M5.

Thanks
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no focus peaking as such on the EM5 but there is a workaround with one of the ART filters which apparently works well, then you shoot in RAW+JPG and just discard the JPG
 
In my experience focus peaking is more useful on the non-Olympus-VF-2 type EVF units, especially SONY & Fuji
there is a harsh sharpness in the VF-2/E-M5 EVF which is ideal for manual focus without peaking.
It suits my eyes anyway ... but everyone's different.
 
Thanks. I have it on the G6 and it is really handy. I was hoping that it would so I could use my takumars with IBIS
 
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strumstrum said:
3rd party batteries

anyone with defo 3rd party brands that charge in proper Oly BCN-1 charger can you list them please?

ta muchly
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I can confirm that Hähnel batteries work fine with Oly chargers.
 
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