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

Having owned my omd1-mkii since early sept and living within a couple of hundred yards of the estuary ,I have been doing b.i.f since day one .. the Panasonic 100-400 has the reach and given good light the clarity ,it’s f6.3 basically the same as a sigma .. ,I do find it struggles in poor light ,but realistically I should Not be taking shots in that sort of light .. the a.f once locked on rarely misses a beat and any discards are user error on my part the exposure is always spot on to ,and a lot of shots have a clarity and brightness above the actual conditions on the day .. it’s a camera that does need the user to think about there settings before pressing the shutter something I sometimes forget ..

I have tried a Sony A9 with 200-400 and while fast and good it was to heavy for me in the present circumstances .i will post one of yesterday’s shots in a bit .judge for yourself ..

I am also sat on the fence over lenses ,I have a four thirds 50-200 f 2.8 plus 1.4 tc that works via a adaptor with NO loss of functinality I.e lightning fast a.f And sharpness and I am debating which one to use as my main lens ..

As inferred in this everyone’s needs are different and there capabilities to ,my change Over has been Swayed by my heart And age ( 73 )problems if I hadn’t taken this path I would probably have had to give up .. but has it been a good move so far yes it’s not restricted any form of photography at all ,would I do it again most definetly yes
 
as promised above , good light . quiet a distant flock don't think I could have bettered it with another brand

duck shoot by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
 
RedRobin said:
Shot at 1/30s to explore how handheld at 840mm (full-frame equivalent) would perform. Also in my efforts to learn this new (to me) m4/3 Olympus M1X, I shot the whole day at ISO 1000 - I am wanting to discover its ISO noise thresholds so I can select fast shutter speeds as most wildlife does not stand still and also see how smaller aperture settings effect depth-of-field. This image is totally uncropped.

I wonder what other camera would offer this image quality when handheld at 840mm and 1/30s.

Of course the experiment is helped by the fact that Herons can stand perfectly still. The white foam is the result of when leaves, twigs or other organic substances fall into water and begin decaying and consequently release compounds known as surfacants. This interaction breaks the surface tension, which in turn allows air to more easily mix with water and creates bubbles. This location is close downstream to a weir. These bubbles congregate as natural foam - It is not pollution.

HERON STANDING STILL by Robin Procter, on Flickr
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Being a fisherman i appreciate this shot a lot and the very well explained reason for the white foam i've seen so much of over the years. (y)(y)(y)
 
TONY C. said:
Thanks for the speedy reply Robin, yes I agree it takes a while to get your head around a new camera and controls etc so early days yet. There are plenty of videos on the A9 with the autofocus that seems once locked on to be superb but haven’t found anything showing the m1x. It seems to be great all rounder though and I’m sure you wouldn’t have moved over from Canon without good reason! And results so far are excellent! Make your mind up time is coming soon for me!
Thanks Again!
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.... You are very welcome.

Even ignoring the fact that I am 72yo, I didn't reject Canon and I wasn't planning to move. If shooting from either a hide or a settled position it is easy to decide which lens to take but if on walkabout you don't know what wildlife you are going to see and therefore need to carry more than just one big lens. A friend who is a wildlife professional showed me his Olympus M1X and his images and it felt right and natural in my hands. If Canon built a m4/3 version of their 1DX-2 it would be the M1X - They are very similar indeed in layout and ergonomics but in several ways the Olympus operational interface is better.

A full-frame sensor has a lot of advantages (Sony's strength over Olympus) but there are a lot of factors in the choices of camera system which we make.

Whatever choice of camera you make, the trick is to exploit what you have and don't think about what you don't have. It'll be interesting to know what you choose.
 
TONY C. said:
HI Robin, this camera is producing some nice pics for you & Jeff, been watching this thread with interest, I am trying to decide which way to go between the M1x and a Sony A9. As we know the Sony AF is excellent but I am struggling to find a AF comparison on utube etc. BIF is an important factor. Have you had enough time with the camera to form an opinion yet on the tracking Bif and Af? Hope you don’t mind me asking. Regards Tony.
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The A9 is class leading and the EM1x isn’t quite up to the standards of the A9, 1Dx-II and D5 however it’s not far off. The question is whether it’s good enough for BIF and I would say yes, comfortably so.
 
Oh dear...I don't usually buy into the scare mongering, but this doesn't look good for our beloved Olympus.

https://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/ol...n-the-table-also-selling-the-camera-business/

Makes we wonder if this is why no further focus was put on developing the EM1X via firmware because the imaging division has stalled ? I sincerely hope this isn't the case as I love Olympus and have invested heavily in bodies and lenses over the years, but this doesn't look good and seriously damages end user faith in the company.

Like I say, I hope they are wrong.
 
Sootchucker said:
Oh dear...I don't usually buy into the scare mongering, but this doesn't look good for our beloved Olympus.

https://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/ol...n-the-table-also-selling-the-camera-business/

Makes we wonder if this is why no further focus was put on developing the EM1X via firmware because the imaging division has stalled ? I sincerely hope this isn't the case as I love Olympus and have invested heavily in bodies and lenses over the years, but this doesn't look good and seriously damages end user faith in the company.

Like I say, I hope they are wrong.
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I could be up the creek well and truly. I own Olly and Nikon and both have rumours about failing camera businesses and going down the pan :(
 
Thing is though, even if they do go belly up (which I sincerely hope neither company does as I'm in the same boat as you Toby), it's not like our gear will suddenly stop working. Even if Olympus goes next year, my bodies and lenses could still go on for years to come, so I for one am going to use them to death and get as much use out of them as I can.
 
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I hope they don't go bust, I try so hard to get dust in my sensor but the technology Olympus have keeps it clean when other manufacturers can't seem to get enough dust, greedy lot.

Being more serious, my camera will still work & I think it would be unlikely that their technology would disappear but would be sold to another manufacturer so we could still benefit from it.

The drive by consumers to spend as little as possible on everything has had many casualties.
 
mikew said:
Well i just sold my Olympus :banana: and bought a Nikon :banghead:
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You and me both. However, even if the companies went under it wouldn't make any difference to the images you, I or anyone else could get from the gear we have and there's already a huge number of high end lenses out their from both brands.

Simon.
 
snerkler said:
The A9 is class leading and the EM1x isn’t quite up to the standards of the A9, 1Dx-II and D5 however it’s not far off. The question is whether it’s good enough for BIF and I would say yes, comfortably so.
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.... The Sony A9 is class leading beyond any doubt when it comes to spec but personally I dislike its ergonomics to the point which I would never buy one.

I have a Canon 1DX-2 (about to be offered for sale in TP Classifieds) and my M1X is technically returnable but guess what.... I'm keeping the M1X (I only shoot wildlife). The M1X is ergonomically superior to the 1DX-2 as far as I am concerned because the physical controls interface is much better designed. Add in extreme weathersealing and a few mirrorless features and it's a clear choice for me.

Regarding comparitive image quality, look at my Flickr photostream without reading any EXIF and tell me which images have been shot on which camera between the M1X, 1DX-2 and EOS-R. Okay, for some kinds of shots the 1DX-2 has an edge but a good photographer can workaround that.

Btw, the Olympus closing down camera division is old news and most likely fake news. What is Olympus' most valuable business financially? < Medical cameras and optics. And where is much of that developed? < Consumer cameras (I am told). My money is on Olympus continuing to develop its consumer cameras for the foreseeable future even if its profits dip downwards from time to time.
 
srhmoto said:
You and me both. However, even if the companies went under it wouldn't make any difference to the images you, I or anyone else could get from the gear we have and there's already a huge number of high end lenses out their from both brands.

Simon.
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.... Crikey Simon! From Canon EOS-R > Olympus > Nikon Z6 all in the space of how many months? - I'm curious why.

I am continuing for now with my EOS-R but the M1X is my main camera.
 
RedRobin said:
.... The Sony A9 is class leading beyond any doubt when it comes to spec but personally I dislike its ergonomics to the point which I would never buy one.

I have a Canon 1DX-2 (about to be offered for sale in TP Classifieds) and my M1X is technically returnable but guess what.... I'm keeping the M1X (I only shoot wildlife). The M1X is ergonomically superior to the 1DX-2 as far as I am concerned because the physical controls interface is much better designed. Add in extreme weathersealing and a few mirrorless features and it's a clear choice for me.

Regarding comparitive image quality, look at my Flickr photostream without reading any EXIF and tell me which images have been shot on which camera between the M1X, 1DX-2 and EOS-R. Okay, for some kinds of shots the 1DX-2 has an edge but a good photographer can workaround that.

Btw, the Olympus closing down camera division is old news and most likely fake news. What is Olympus' most valuable business financially? < Medical cameras and optics. And where is much of that developed? < Consumer cameras (I am told). My money is on Olympus continuing to develop its consumer cameras for the foreseeable future even if its profits dip downwards from time to time.
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So many people that never even handled an EM1-X dismissed it as a disaster for Olympus and "M4/3 cameras should be small and light". It's only when you handle, or better still (like you and I Robin) own one, you start to understand what the real magic is of the 1X. I've said this before but I've never held such a comfortable camera - ever. Ergonomically it's just about perfect. Is it the perfect camera.. of course not, I would have liked it to have a better EVF, 4K 60FPS, 10 bit internal recording, 12 or 14 bit RAW etc.

But then show me a camera that has absolutely everything and handles and is built as well as this camera. The list will be very short indeed. I love my 1X and even if Olympus went under will never sell it and will continue to use it for years to come. Stick the 300mm F4 (with / without teleconverters), and you still have the smallest, lightest professional wildlife kit i know of.
 
the black fox said:
Having owned my omd1-mkii since early sept and living within a couple of hundred yards of the estuary ,I have been doing b.i.f since day one .. the Panasonic 100-400 has the reach and given good light the clarity ,it’s f6.3 basically the same as a sigma .. ,I do find it struggles in poor light ,but realistically I should Not be taking shots in that sort of light .. the a.f once locked on rarely misses a beat and any discards are user error on my part the exposure is always spot on to ,and a lot of shots have a clarity and brightness above the actual conditions on the day .. it’s a camera that does need the user to think about there settings before pressing the shutter something I sometimes forget ..

I have tried a Sony A9 with 200-400 and while fast and good it was to heavy for me in the present circumstances .i will post one of yesterday’s shots in a bit .judge for yourself ..

I am also sat on the fence over lenses ,I have a four thirds 50-200 f 2.8 plus 1.4 tc that works via a adaptor with NO loss of functinality I.e lightning fast a.f And sharpness and I am debating which one to use as my main lens ..

As inferred in this everyone’s needs are different and there capabilities to ,my change Over has been Swayed by my heart And age ( 73 )problems if I hadn’t taken this path I would probably have had to give up .. but has it been a good move so far yes it’s not restricted any form of photography at all ,would I do it again most definetly yes
Click to expand...

That’s a helpful insight into the camera there Jeff, it’s certainly working well for you! Thanks. T.
 
Personally I can’t see Olympus bending to the will of 5% of there investors , they will save face by saying they will look into it but that’s the Japanese for you .. I think the whole world is in turmoil at the moment and it’s survival of the fittest , one of the reasons that I initially liked Olympus was its customer service base ,Nikon and canon are both let down on this score .. the only thing I would like to improve is the addition of longer reach lenses but that comes with extra weight and costs so a catch 22 situation
 
srhmoto said:
You and me both. However, even if the companies went under it wouldn't make any difference to the images you, I or anyone else could get from the gear we have and there's already a huge number of high end lenses out their from both brands.

Simon.
Click to expand...

I have Panasonic as well images2.jpg
 
I’m giving serious thought to switching from Nikon to Olympus - absolutely love my D500 / 200-400 f4 combo but I’m increasingly finding the weight a problem due ageing and aching joints ☹️ especially on my longer and uphill treks.

I had a client out a couple of weeks ago with the M1X and 300mm f4 and was amazed at the size and how good it felt. He was extremely pleased with it too - and also moved from Nikon. Hopefully getting some Olympus gear on loan soon - so will post back with results.

Has anybody switched systems and had any regrets? I’ve read tons of reviews but until I try it on subjects I shoot regularly I have no idea what to expect.

John
 
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RedRobin said:
.... Crikey Simon! From Canon EOS-R > Olympus > Nikon Z6 all in the space of how many months? - I'm curious why.

I am continuing for now with my EOS-R but the M1X is my main camera.
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Poor decision making Robin, poor decision making.
 
When Olympus announced the E-M5iii they announced the E-PL10 too but only for Asian markets.
Some used this to back up the rumours about the end of their consumer camera division.

I'm pleased to see on Facebook that Olympus have launched the PL10 in the UK.

Available now, the Olympus PEN E-PL10 comes in white, brown or black at £649 with the 14-42mm Zoom lens
– and if you buy via our online shop and take up our launch offer,
we'll give you a FREE 45mm F1.8 lens worth £279.99!
Shop now → www.enjoy.photo/10
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https://shop.olympus.eu/en_GB/cameras/pen-cameras/e-pl10-pancake-zoom-kit
 
srhmoto said:
Poor decision making Robin, poor decision making.
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.... You posted some excellent images from your EOS-R and then subsequently your Olympus, so what didn't you like about both of them which caused you to change?

We all already know that there is no such thing as a perfect camera (or indeed a perfect lens).
 
crieffy said:
I’m giving serious thought to switching from Nikon to Olympus - absolutely love my D500 / 200-400 f4 combo but I’m increasingly finding the weight a problem due ageing and aching joints ☹️ especially on my longer and uphill treks.

I had a client out a couple of weeks ago with the M1X and 300mm f4 and was amazed at the size and how good it felt. He was extremely pleased with it too - and also moved from Nikon. Hopefully getting some Olympus gear on loan soon - so will post back with results.

Has anybody switched systems and had any regrets? I’ve read tons of reviews but until I try it on subjects I shoot regularly I have no idea what to expect.

John
Click to expand...

.... I have switched from a Canon 1DX-2 plus EF 500mm F/4L II and other L lenses to an Olympus M1X plus ED 300mm (600mm equivalent) F/4 PRO and ED 40-150mm F/2.8 PRO but I have kept my Canon EOS-R plus EF 100mm L IS Macro and RF 24-105mm L for now. I switched about 3 weeks ago and so it is still early days but so far, so good.

There is always a learning curve even for different camera models of the same brand.

No regrets and any shortcomings I'm seeing are down to me mastering the best setup. I'm about to examine some birds in flight shots from this morning.
 
IIRC, he even posted some super images from the humble Panasonic GX8 before that (unless I've got things mixed up ?)
 
AMcUK said:
When Olympus announced the E-M5iii they announced the E-PL10 too but only for Asian markets.
Some used this to back up the rumours about the end of their consumer camera division.

I'm pleased to see on Facebook that Olympus have launched the PL10 in the UK.



https://shop.olympus.eu/en_GB/cameras/pen-cameras/e-pl10-pancake-zoom-kit
Click to expand...

An aside on this new one....................I am on the Olympus shop mailing list and I have just received the email about this model but it is in Russian ???
 
Sootchucker said:
Thing is though, even if they do go belly up (which I sincerely hope neither company does as I'm in the same boat as you Toby), it's not like our gear will suddenly stop working. Even if Olympus goes next year, my bodies and lenses could still go on for years to come, so I for one am going to use them to death and get as much use out of them as I can.
Click to expand...
No it won’t, and I don’t think Olympus will disappear either, if anything it will be sold and run by another company, but that’s purely guesswork on my behalf. The ‘trouble’ for me if they go under is that I like to chop and change and so my gear won’t be worth much.
RedRobin said:
.... The Sony A9 is class leading beyond any doubt when it comes to spec but personally I dislike its ergonomics to the point which I would never buy one.
Click to expand...
exactly the same for me. Such a shame though as it ticks a lot of boxes for me.
Regarding comparitive image quality, look at my Flickr photostream without reading any EXIF and tell me which images have been shot on which camera between the M1X, 1DX-2 and EOS-R. Okay, for some kinds of shots the 1DX-2 has an edge but a good photographer can workaround that.
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tbh I have already and I have my own thoughts, but that doesn’t matter as it’s your gear and your enjoyment (y)
.[/QUOTE]
crieffy said:
I’m giving serious thought to switching from Nikon to Olympus - absolutely love my D500 / 200-400 f4 combo but I’m increasingly finding the weight a problem due ageing and aching joints ☹️ especially on my longer and uphill treks.

I had a client out a couple of weeks ago with the M1X and 300mm f4 and was amazed at the size and how good it felt. He was extremely pleased with it too - and also moved from Nikon. Hopefully getting some Olympus gear on loan soon - so will post back with results.

Has anybody switched systems and had any regrets? I’ve read tons of reviews but until I try it on subjects I shoot regularly I have no idea what to expect.

John
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I’ve not switched systems but run Nikon FF alongside Olympus. Motorsport and wildlife are now shot with Olympus (and Panasonic) as I’m not seeing much in the way of IQ drop and the weight saving is a godsend. However, I was ‘only’ using the Nikon 70-300mm and Tamron 150-600mm and ‘substituted’ them with the Olympus 40-150mm f2.8 Pro and Panasonic Leica 100-400mm which are better lenses. If I compare say the 70-200mm f2.8 Nikon to the 40-150mm f2.8 Olympus the Nikon wins hands down imo. As you have the excellent 200-400mm f4 you might find similar.
Box Brownie said:
An aside on this new one....................I am on the Olympus shop mailing list and I have just received the email about this model but it is in Russian ???
Click to expand...
Glad you posted this, I thought I’d been hacked :eek:
 
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Rumors are like

Send reinforcements we are going to advance ----------------------------------------------- Send three and fourpence we are going to a dance ;)
 
mikew said:
Rumors are like

Send reinforcements we are going to advance ----------------------------------------------- Send three and fourpence we are going to a dance ;)
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Or more significantly ~ an urgent request of "send Entonox".........................................and what gets delivered is 'an empty box'. This was a true event from 1975 at Moorgate Station when all requests for kit required were sent via a chain of verbal commands. Talk about the effect of Chinese whispers :(
 
My thoughts are and this is based on what I read around the net and what I see happening at various nature reserves I visit from people I have shot alongside for at least ten years ,they are all ditching the heavy gear and switching to Olympus and I’m not talking a odd couple but a lot of peeps .
Which brings me to the conclusion that either we are all getting old and weak or it’s fake news spread by companies with vested interests in not losing there market share in the run up to Xmas
 
the black fox said:
My thoughts are and this is based on what I read around the net and what I see happening at various nature reserves I visit from people I have shot alongside for at least ten years ,they are all ditching the heavy gear and switching to Olympus and I’m not talking a odd couple but a lot of peeps .
Which brings me to the conclusion that either we are all getting old and weak or it’s fake news spread by companies with vested interests in not losing there market share in the run up to Xmas
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Have you tried finding a second-hand E-M1ii lately they are not easy to find. Even the mki is moving it appears
 
the black fox said:
My thoughts are and this is based on what I read around the net and what I see happening at various nature reserves I visit from people I have shot alongside for at least ten years, they are all ditching the heavy gear and switching to Olympus and I’m not talking a odd couple but a lot of peeps .
Click to expand...

In contrast to this, I've seen little "personal" evidence of M43 being all that popular for birding (even though I've posted several links in this thread to people who have switched)

My experience is from going to RSPB Ham Wall two to five times a month since Spring 2018, and I very rarely see anything other than Canon/Nikon DSLRs.

I think I've seen Olympus half a dozen times (with 300mm f4), Panasonic G9 (with 100-300) twice and a Panasonic a7/a9 with a "long lens" twice. I've been "looking out" for people using Olympus as I have an interest in switching. Or expanding, as I already have an EM5-II.

I see at least two Nikon/Canon DSLRs, with the usual Tamron/Sigma 150-600 zooms, Nikon 200-500, canon 100-400 or a "big" prime every time I go. There are sometimes up to a dozen people wandering around with long lenses

I was out looking for Crossbills on Monday afternoon this week (not at Ham Wall) and there were four of us in the wood (not as a group, just by coincidence) and everyone was using a DSLR.

I'm not disputing your experiences of course, just adding some experiences from a different place.
 
myotis said:
In contrast to this, I've seen little "personal" evidence of M43 being all that popular for birding (even though I've posted several links in this thread to people who have switched)

My experience is from going to RSPB Ham Wall two to five times a month since Spring 2018, and I very rarely see anything other than Canon/Nikon DSLRs.

I think I've seen Olympus half a dozen times (with 300mm f4), Panasonic G9 (with 100-300) twice and a Panasonic a7/a9 with a "long lens" twice. I've been "looking out" for people using Olympus as I have an interest in switching. Or expanding, as I already have an EM5-II.

I see at least two Nikon/Canon DSLRs, with the usual Tamron/Sigma 150-600 zooms, Nikon 200-500, canon 100-400 or a "big" prime every time I go. There are sometimes up to a dozen people wandering around with long lenses

I was out looking for Crossbills on Monday afternoon this week (not at Ham Wall) and there were four of us in the wood (not as a group, just by coincidence) and everyone was using a DSLR.

I'm not disputing your experiences of course, just adding some experiences from a different place.
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Definitely Canon and Nikon are by far the most popular I see for nature and sports, and DSLRs at that yet some would have you believe DSLRs are dead ;)
 
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