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

akr said:
The problem with photography nowdays - too many choices! Good luck!
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This is the first time in my life it has happened to me.
Thanks and i shall report back what the end result is
 
stupar said:
This is the first time in my life it has happened to me.
Thanks and i shall report back what the end result is
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I've had the E-M5 and sold it to get an E-M10II and an E-M1. The E-M5 is a great camera but if you buy it for the pro features (weather sealing, high fps) you might as well get an E-M1 MkI, which has better CAF. On the other hand if you want as small and light as possible the E-M10 is a better option IMO.
 
akr said:
The problem with photography nowdays - too many choices! Good luck!
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You are not fussy enough!
I like the price of the mk1 cameras, the ergonomics of the mk2, the AF of the EM1 mk2, but the size of the EM5 mk2.
So it's either too big or too expensive or too horrible to use. <sad face>
 
On a side note there is someone on my local gumtree pages selling an E-M1 mk1 with grip plus 12-50mm f2.8 lens for £550

Sadly outwith my budget but it sounds like a steal to me.
 
far too cheap - i'd avoid as the lens goes for £375-ish and the body around the same.


Edit - clarity now the link is placed
 
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Ah, it's the 12-50 lens ( not 2.8 ) not the 12-40 f2.8 that I thought which explains it. You could get the grip foc a while back
 
stupar said:
On a side note there is someone on my local gumtree pages selling an E-M1 mk1 with grip plus 12-50mm f2.8 lens for £550

Sadly outwith my budget but it sounds like a steal to me.
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Looks good. I' m up that way in 10 days time...I might be tempted myself if it's still for sale.
 
Former Nikon 'ambassador ' review after moving to Olympus
http://www.intufisuri.ro/2017/07/olympus-om-d-e-m-1-mk-ii-review-or-how.html?m=1

Edit - I meant to add there are some really interesting points in this review. There are no charts, just how he has taken the camera and how he uses the tools available to capture the images, how he has used things perceived as a disadvantage to an advantage - and there are some great images there. It's not a fanboy interview per se, but the practical review in this way I thought was great.
 
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Evening. Been drag racing again today - F me is the mk1 frustrating to use...in focus, in focus OOF, OOF, in, OOF OOF, in ...
Grrrr. I know the mk2 is "better" but it's still going to cost me £1450+ to upgrade.

Is it better spent elsewhere ?
 
damianmkv said:
Evening. Been drag racing again today - F me is the mk1 frustrating to use...in focus, in focus OOF, OOF, in, OOF OOF, in ...
Grrrr. I know the mk2 is "better" but it's still going to cost me £1450+ to upgrade.

Is it better spent elsewhere ?
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What focal length lens are you using? You could get a used Nikon D7200 and 70-300mm G VR for around £900, a significant saving over an EM1-II
 
I think m43 is a bit like Apple Macs, is it the best at any specific thing at a particular price point? No, you put up with the lesser performance as the whole package makes sense to you. If you really need to do heavy 3D work or 4K editing then you build your own PC which will be cheaper and more powerful.
 
@snerkler its varies depending on where I'm standing. If I manage to get to the grandstand then 40mm ( on the 40-150 ) is required but if I'm on the banking, then 105-140 usually. If I'm on the banking, I'll usually have the TC on too

@Nawty very cryptic for 8am :D My 10 year old took his brother's d3100 and 18-105 and has come away with some pretty good shots, especially bearing in mind he's never used a dslr before.

I am tempted to dump m43 but I'm all too aware of its advtanges too. I really don't want to add Nikon to m43 and Fuji - 3 systems is overkill surely ?
 
I have Canon, an Old and. Fuji X100T. I am seeing which ones win. At the moment, it seems like they all have a job. :)
 
damianmkv said:
@snerkler its varies depending on where I'm standing. If I manage to get to the grandstand then 40mm ( on the 40-150 ) is required but if I'm on the banking, then 105-140 usually. If I'm on the banking, I'll usually have the TC on too

@Nawty very cryptic for 8am :D My 10 year old took his brother's d3100 and 18-105 and has come away with some pretty good shots, especially bearing in mind he's never used a dslr before.

I am tempted to dump m43 but I'm all too aware of its advtanges too. I really don't want to add Nikon to m43 and Fuji - 3 systems is overkill surely ?
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I have manflu, it's messing with my mind :D

Didn't realise you had Fuji too and yes, 3 systems is overkill. Considering your needs I don't see that one mirrorless and a DSLR for bmx and motorsport is overkill though.
 
@damianmkv your problem is that to get truly fast AF on a mirrorless camera is not a cheap option at the moment, you're looking at X-T2 or OMD EM1 MK2 or if you have deep pockets Sony A9, then you have to factor in suitable lenses (again not cheap from the likes of Fuji or Sony), so somewhere you have to compromise. M43 obviously has weight advantages, but its also nosier in lower light.

The EM1 Mk2 is a great camera but it is really expensive.

In your shoes I think that @Nawty and @snerkler are right, a mid range DSLR and 70-300 type lens for most of your action shots, and I'd keep the X100T + WCL for everything else. (given that your son is shooting Nikon DSLR, then there is a certain amount of lens sharing that can go on)

Whether you want to keep the M43 kit is then another decision!
 
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damianmkv said:
Evening. Been drag racing again today - F me is the mk1 frustrating to use...in focus, in focus OOF, OOF, in, OOF OOF, in ...
Grrrr. I know the mk2 is "better" but it's still going to cost me £1450+ to upgrade.

Is it better spent elsewhere ?
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It does sound like you want Micro 4/3rds to work, but it just is not (or consistently enough) for this. You've certainly tried it a lot (and got some great shots), but if you keep getting frustrated it's probably not worth it.

Could you hire an EM1 MK2 to see how that compares? If that would actually give you what you want, and you wanted the small easy to carry options vs the DSLR, then maybe that's what to do once you have the budget, otherwise as others have said you might be happier for the BMX \ Moving car type stuff with a DSLR which are fairly proven in this regard.

Good luck!
 
Seems a pretty simple remedy to me. You either keep or get rid of the m43 and purchase an in budget Nikon/Canon body with a suitable fast lens eg Sigma 120-300 mm 2.8. Unless you have serious health issues, weight shouldn't be an problem as your not walking miles.
 
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Hi everyone,

I'm sorry to be that person and ask the same old question that everyone asks no doubt.

I have a D7000 and 5 lenses, I haven't been out with it properly in about 8 or 9 months, it came with me on holiday but I found myself wishing that I'd left it at home, it's just too big and unwieldy. I'm thinking of part xing all my kit or selling it on ebay and looking to replace with a smaller m43 device. I've heard amazing things about the OM-D's on various podcasts I listen to and have had a quick play with a E10 at Jessops and loved the quick demo I had

I'm struggling to work out which one to go for though, the E10 mk2 or the E5 mk2, I know the E5 has the full articulating screen and better stabilisation, but what else would I notice the difference with?

I shoot mainly landscapes and motorsport, The main lenses I use currently are a Sigma 10-20, Sigma 70-200 and sigma 18-70, what lenses would i be looking at to get equivalent shots with the m43

Sorry again if these are the same questions that everyone asks
 
You are looking at doing the same as i did as i came from a d7000 nearly 3 years ago via the E-M10 mk1. If you're a keen motorsport enthusiast, i would aim for the E-m1 - its AF is much better.

That said, its no DSLR in terms of tracking - and can be frustrating for motorsport. However, in many circumstances, you will not have an issue - i shot at Goodwood FoS through people at low SS with pretty good results ( have a look on my Flickr for examples - https://www.flickr.com/photos/59954848@N07/ )

In terms of lenses, I have the 9-18 Olympus for landscapes ( i haven't used it for 10 months though so it might be being sold shortly ), the 12-40 and the 40-150 pro + TC

You will also require more spare batteries but Ex-Pro are good and cheap
 
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Slothmeister said:
Hi everyone,

I'm sorry to be that person and ask the same old question that everyone asks no doubt.

I have a D7000 and 5 lenses, I haven't been out with it properly in about 8 or 9 months, it came with me on holiday but I found myself wishing that I'd left it at home, it's just too big and unwieldy. I'm thinking of part xing all my kit or selling it on ebay and looking to replace with a smaller m43 device. I've heard amazing things about the OM-D's on various podcasts I listen to and have had a quick play with a E10 at Jessops and loved the quick demo I had

I'm struggling to work out which one to go for though, the E10 mk2 or the E5 mk2, I know the E5 has the full articulating screen and better stabilisation, but what else would I notice the difference with?

I shoot mainly landscapes and motorsport, The main lenses I use currently are a Sigma 10-20, Sigma 70-200 and sigma 18-70, what lenses would i be looking at to get equivalent shots with the m43

Sorry again if these are the same questions that everyone asks
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With landscapes all Ollies are pretty much the same, although the EM1 is prone to hotspots on long exposures, although Olly have added some inbuilt software to negate this.

For motorsport, all barring the EM1-II pretty much suck compared to a decent DSLR. The EM1 is the best of the rest, although still frustrating if you're used to a DSLR.

I'm lucky to have both, DSLR for main shooting, Olympus for travel etc. Is this not something you could look at doing?
 
Slothmeister said:
Hi everyone,

I'm sorry to be that person and ask the same old question that everyone asks no doubt.

I have a D7000 and 5 lenses, I haven't been out with it properly in about 8 or 9 months, it came with me on holiday but I found myself wishing that I'd left it at home, it's just too big and unwieldy. I'm thinking of part xing all my kit or selling it on ebay and looking to replace with a smaller m43 device. I've heard amazing things about the OM-D's on various podcasts I listen to and have had a quick play with a E10 at Jessops and loved the quick demo I had

I'm struggling to work out which one to go for though, the E10 mk2 or the E5 mk2, I know the E5 has the full articulating screen and better stabilisation, but what else would I notice the difference with?

I shoot mainly landscapes and motorsport, The main lenses I use currently are a Sigma 10-20, Sigma 70-200 and sigma 18-70, what lenses would i be looking at to get equivalent shots with the m43

Sorry again if these are the same questions that everyone asks
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If motorsport is really your thing then the only way you won't end up frustrated is with an EM1ii (unless you are keen on MF), just search back through some of Damian's posts to see. The EM1 can be OK but many peoples milage varies.

For landscape they are all good except the EM1 which is good except with long exposures.

For lenses, a 12-40 and 40-150 pro could be all you ever need but the beauty is that even the cheap lenses are actually very good. BTW crop factor is x2 to Full Frame so a 25mm m43 lens is equivalent to 50mm on FF (although the conversion isn't exact due to the different format of 4:3).
 
Thanks for your replies, the more I think about it and look back, there's not actually that much motorsport that i'm going to be shooting at all, it'll be once or twice every couple of years, so will be primarily a landscape camera.

Unfortunately I think the E1 is outside of my budget, so will be looking at the 5 or 10.

Is the quality of shots going to be the same on both the E5 & E10?
 
IQ is the same across all the 16mp cameras which is nice as you can choose on features only.

The newer 20mp sensors (Pen and EM1ii) are a bit better but not massively so.
 
Slothmeister said:
Thanks for your replies, the more I think about it and look back, there's not actually that much motorsport that i'm going to be shooting at all, it'll be once or twice every couple of years, so will be primarily a landscape camera.

Unfortunately I think the E1 is outside of my budget, so will be looking at the 5 or 10.

Is the quality of shots going to be the same on both the E5 & E10?
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EM1's can be found under £400 used, quite a bargain really. But if you're wanting to do landscapes then any of the 16mp OMD's will be pretty much the same. I've had the EM10, EM5-II and now the EM1. All been great, but I wouldn't go back to the EM10 now as the larger viewfinder in the EM5-II and EM1 is very welcome, also I like my systems to be weather sealed (which the EM5-II and EM1 are when used with weather sealed lenses) as I do sometimes get caught out in the rain when on holiday etc. As my main lens on the m4/3 system is the 12-40mm the ergonomics of the EM1 are much better imo, the grip really makes a difference. Of course, you can get an add on grip for the EM5-II. It's a really touch call between the EM5-II and EM1 imo if you don't need the phase detect of the EM1. Both are great cameras. I personally prefer the flip screen over the fully articulating, but some prefer the fully articulating. The only frustration I found with the EM5-II is that the front control dial can be knocked far too easily meaning that you could find yourself with an aperture, exp comp etc that you weren't expecting.
 
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Slothmeister said:
Thanks for your replies, the more I think about it and look back, there's not actually that much motorsport that i'm going to be shooting at all, it'll be once or twice every couple of years, so will be primarily a landscape camera.

Unfortunately I think the E-M1 is outside of my budget, so will be looking at the M5 or M10.

Is the quality of shots going to be the same on both the E-M5 & E-M10?
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Used E-M1 Mki bodies have tumbled in price since he Mkii was released. Take a look at Wex - they have a 12m warranty on used and the E-M1 is very well built so I wouldn't have any worries about buying a good used one.

Personally - I went from compacts to a Pentax DSLR, then down to the Olympus E- PL5 and then up a step to the E-M10 Mki.
I've since been spending money on lenses.
I went from the DSLR for the reasons you mention - heavy, conspicuous - it got left at home and I used my phone or compact and missed the quality.

The E-M10 suits me perfectly because it's small enough to go in a bag with two zooms and a couple of primes and still be fine to carry all day long.
It beats the E-PL5 for handling as it has proper dials and an EVF.
The E-M5 and E-M1 both felt a bit bigger than I was happy to carry.

I do motorsport once or perhaps twice a year. The E-M10 Mki and cheap 40-150mm Olympus zoom do a decent job. I get a lot of misses but that's par for the course as I don't have great technique and MS is necessarily hard to capture.
A few from my most recent go.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/amcuk/albums/72157682838113443

If you're within range of a participating dealer you can try Olympus kit for 24hrs for free.
https://wow.olympus.eu/en_GB/choose
 
Slothmeister said:
Thanks for your replies, the more I think about it and look back, there's not actually that much motorsport that i'm going to be shooting at all, it'll be once or twice every couple of years, so will be primarily a landscape camera.

Unfortunately I think the E1 is outside of my budget, so will be looking at the 5 or 10.

Is the quality of shots going to be the same on both the E5 & E10?
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The E-M5ii also has the hi-res mode which *might* be worth thinking about. Some people have mixed feelings about it. I find it quite useful. I can get a 40megapixel photo, generally with less noise than a normal shot. However it is extremely limit as to when it can be used as any movement in the scene can be problematic since it's kind of like a weird long exposure. Movement in the scene can either look funny or sometimes end up with a weird cross-hatching effect. However I've found that down-scaling the image (e.g. down to 16mp) gets me a more detailed image (than a standard shot) and cleans up any cross-hatching caused by the hi-res mode.


Also the IBIS in the EM-5ii is incredible.

As the others have said though - for 95% of the time, all of the sensors will give you pretty much the same IQ.
 
Adam I wouldn't bother with the EM10ii as you might be purchasing a smaller body, but when you start bolting on the larger zooms eg. Olympus 12-40 2.8, you will find the weight increases significantly and handling is rubbish.
I'd think about the EM5ii Olympus 9-18, Panasonic 12-35 Olympus 40-150 R to keep the weight to a minimum if you cant manage with a prime or two.
The EM5ii 40 mp isn't much good for general landscapes as the camera moves the image sensor and takes eight shots to produce one image, its not a long exposure.
 
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if its the mk1 5 or ten you are looking at then get the ten its a better more modern camera, the mk2 5 is better again. I use the mk1 10 with a 12-40 pro and its a great combo
 
dclutter said:
However I've found that down-scaling the image (e.g. down to 16mp) gets me a more detailed image (than a standard shot) and cleans up any cross-hatching caused by the hi-res mode.

.
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I've heard this before but I've tried with various hi-res files (such as those from a Canon 5DSR) exporting them in full res and then downsampled to say 3000 x 2000, and I tried the same with the EM5-II hi res file, plus vs an EM5-II standard image and could not see any difference when viewing without zooming. Is it certain scenes that you see more detail or all the time?
 
snerkler said:
I've heard this before but I've tried with various hi-res files (such as those from a Canon 5DSR) exporting them in full res and then downsampled to say 3000 x 2000, and I tried the same with the EM5-II hi res file, plus vs an EM5-II standard image and could not see any difference when viewing without zooming. Is it certain scenes that you see more detail or all the time?
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It might be certain conditions/scenes. Hi-Res seems to be pretty fussy. I just really quickly tried to find an example for you. I just grabbed 2 SoC JPGs for this test. The one on the right is hi-res downsampled.... literally using MS Paint (on my computer that doesn't have Adobe products on it).

Now in all fairness - it's possibly not a fair comparison (hey I just found images quickly) as the left (16MP) was shot at F8 (possibly some diffraction) and the right (40MP, downsampled) was shot at F4.

Rest of the settings (except SS) were identical, both using the Panasonic 20mm.


compare.jpg
 
dclutter said:
It might be certain conditions/scenes. Hi-Res seems to be pretty fussy. I just really quickly tried to find an example for you. I just grabbed 2 SoC JPGs for this test. The one on the right is hi-res downsampled.... literally using MS Paint (on my computer that doesn't have Adobe products on it).

Now in all fairness - it's possibly not a fair comparison (hey I just found images quickly) as the left (16MP) was shot at F8 (possibly some diffraction) and the right (40MP, downsampled) was shot at F4.

Rest of the settings (except SS) were identical, both using the Panasonic 20mm.


View attachment 107520
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Interesting, quite a difference in sharpness. As you say, would be interesting to know if aperture's had any effect, but if not this certainly is a plus point for using hi-res for landscapes. I wish my EM1 had a hi-res mode now for me to try it again ;)
 
snerkler said:
Interesting, quite a difference in sharpness. As you say, would be interesting to know if aperture's had any effect, but if not this certainly is a plus point for using hi-res for landscapes. I wish my EM1 had a hi-res mode now for me to try it again ;)
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Yea - I will try to remember to try it out again but with same aperture. Will post them when I test it properly!

I also think it really helps to have a sharp lens - like the 20mm Panasonic.
 
I've taken the plunge and got a 12-40 Oly as everyone on here told me to do when I got my EM5 - what can I say it takes a while to sink in sometimes!
 
posiview said:
Soooo, question 1.

L brackets. I have to have an L bracket. Doesn't seem right putting a £20 bracket on a M1. Any recommendations?

Regards.
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Still no luck finding an L bracket that will fit correctly. 90% of the time I take a photograph in both landscape and portrait orientation :(

Cheers.
 
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