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

Hi Alf, its difficult to assess the quality of the image from a small lo-res jpeg, so subjectively, would you say it was worth using? Do you use it for all your landscapes?

Your pic of the fly on the leaf is really great, btw!
Jerry
I use Hi res sometimes. I shoot a lot of movement in water so it doesn't get used for that. I use it when I remember and conditions suit but I have experimented and it can smooth some water but it can also produce some horrid very digital artefacts too.
I am also tend to shoot one camera on the tripod and another handheld flitting about a lot when conditions are great
You may say I am unconventional but I enjoy it.

It produces very detailed shots and can work really well.

I would say try it out even when you think it may not work but back it up with normal res shots when you use it to start with at least.
 
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Interestingly I tried it yesterday for the first time and it was really too windy - even branches on distant trees looked awful when viewed at 100%. However I much preferred the look of the jpeg that it produced to the ORF RAW files I also shot. I find the latter very drab compared to the Canon RAWs I'm used to and they seem to need a hell of a lot of processing to get a file I'm happy with. That was certainly the case yesterday after I did a direct comparison. I suppose its all part of the Olympus learning curve.....:LOL:
 
Nice photo. How do you focus stack something like this as surely everything‘s at infinity focus?
Actually the moon requires accurate focusing it is not easy at all
 
Actually the moon requires accurate focusing it is not easy at all
TBH I've never had an issue focussing on it, but I'm not sure it would stay in focus with any small increment of focus change that I could do, as soon as I start to move the focus ring it will go OOF? o_O
 
I have purchased an EM1 mkii and 12-40 pro lens.
The firmware on the camera is 3.0 and on the lens is 1.1
i would like to upgrade these to the latest firmware which I understand is 3.2 and 1.3.
I have downloaded Olympus Workspace. and read the instructions on the Olympus site.

Having not done anything like this before, I am a little nervous, particularly when there are warnings about the camera becoming inoperable if I do it wrong.
I wondered whether any of you could reassure me how easy it is - or not!

How long does the download take? I have 88% on the battery so shoud that be enough?

I understand that if I connect just the camera, it will update just the camera. But, If I keep the lens connected to the camera and then connect to the PC, will the uploads to the camera and the lens be carried out by the software at the same time?

And if I get any other lenses that require updating (but by that time the camera has been updated to 3.2) do I just go throught the same process and the software will update the new lens and leave the camera as it is?
 
I have purchased an EM1 mkii and 12-40 pro lens.
The firmware on the camera is 3.0 and on the lens is 1.1
i would like to upgrade these to the latest firmware which I understand is 3.2 and 1.3.
I have downloaded Olympus Workspace. and read the instructions on the Olympus site.

Having not done anything like this before, I am a little nervous, particularly when there are warnings about the camera becoming inoperable if I do it wrong.
I wondered whether any of you could reassure me how easy it is - or not!

How long does the download take? I have 88% on the battery so shoud that be enough?

I understand that if I connect just the camera, it will update just the camera. But, If I keep the lens connected to the camera and then connect to the PC, will the uploads to the camera and the lens be carried out by the software at the same time?

And if I get any other lenses that require updating (but by that time the camera has been updated to 3.2) do I just go throught the same process and the software will update the new lens and leave the camera as it is?
Don't worry about it . It is that simple and it works.
 
Thanks Alf.
Just re the lens - am I right that the lens and camera are updated at the same time and that another lens can be updated via the camera and software later?
Yeah attach a lens and the software will check for updates and offer to update as required.
 
Doing some clearing in the garden today and came accross a large chrysalis which then started to hatch. Sat and watched the moth appear and then fill its wings with blood. What a beautiful insect that then appeared. I put it on the silver birch tree and it almost disappeared with its fantastic camouflage.
E-M1 ii with 12-100mm f4
Lime Hawk Moth by Chris Wright, on Flickr
 
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Anyone had any experience of using the old manual focus 300mm f4.5 , even more helpful if on a up to date MFT body .. mulling it round at the moment
 
Pale Tussock Moth taken with the E-M1 MK I, Laowa 60mm F2.8 and lit by the Olympus STF-8 Twin Lite.

.... Please tell me more about the Laowa 60mm F/2.8 Macro. I didn't think that Laowa made any Olympus mount lenses and so the STF-8 mounts on it okay?

I am exasperated with my Olympus 60mm Macro! Its excellent image quality is beyond question but I am not getting on at all well with the focussing whichever way I try, including manual focussing. I am even considering not selling my Canon EOS-R + EF 100mm F/2.8 IS Macro but I don't have a flash for it.

I am finding that I get on better shooting macro with my Olympus TG-6 and even with my Olympus 12-40mm Pro. It's all down to ease of focussing.
 
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.... Please tell me more about the Laowa 60mm F/2.8 Macro. I didn't think that Laowa made any Olympus mount lenses and so the STF-8 mounts on it okay?

I am exasperated with my Olympus 60mm Macro! Its excellent image quality is beyond question but I am not getting on at all well with the focussing whichever way I try, including manual focussing. I am even considering not selling my Canon EOS-R + EF 100mm F/2.8 IS Macro but I don't have a flash for it.

I am finding that I get on better shooting macro with my Olympus TG-6 and even with my Olympus 12-40mm Pro. It's all down to ease of focussing.
You could always use your Canon macro lens with an adaptor. I haven't noticed any difficulty using the 60mm macro for manually focusing, but perhaps it's because I'm focusing on flowers rather than bugs?
 
.... Please tell me more about the Laowa 60mm F/2.8 Macro. I didn't think that Laowa made any Olympus mount lenses and so the STF-8 mounts on it okay?

I am exasperated with my Olympus 60mm Macro! Its excellent image quality is beyond question but I am not getting on at all well with the focussing whichever way I try, including manual focussing. I am even considering not selling my Canon EOS-R + EF 100mm F/2.8 IS Macro but I don't have a flash for it.

I am finding that I get on better shooting macro with my Olympus TG-6 and even with my Olympus 12-40mm Pro. It's all down to ease of focussing.

Robin
I fancy the smaller APSC 65mm f2.8 myself it is not that important about the mount as they fully manual including aperture
They are supposed t be working m4/3 lenses so there may be something in future from them.

Due to the same frustrations I have currently gone back to my Sigma 105 f2.8

https://www.laowalens.co.uk/laowa-65mm-2x-ultra-macro-fujifilm.html
 
You could always use your Canon macro lens with an adaptor. I haven't noticed any difficulty using the 60mm macro for manually focusing, but perhaps it's because I'm focusing on flowers rather than bugs?

.... Yep, focussing on bugs inclined to either turn their back on you, clamber out of sight under a leaf, or fly away, and which spook the closer you get no matter how slowly, are the problem. Flowers don't uproot themselves and fly off, unless in a hurricane.
 
Robin
I fancy the smaller APSC 65mm f2.8 myself it is not that important about the mount as they fully manual including aperture
They are supposed t be working m4/3 lenses so there may be something in future from them.

Due to the same frustrations I have currently gone back to my Sigma 105 f2.8

https://www.laowalens.co.uk/laowa-65mm-2x-ultra-macro-fujifilm.html

.... I shoot Manual-mode anyway and so that's not an issue unless the setting can't be seen in the viewfinder* < Edit : No problem setting aperture physically on the lens old-school style.

The excellent Olympus IBIS would theoretically take care of image stabilisation.
 
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You could always use your Canon macro lens with an adaptor. I haven't noticed any difficulty using the 60mm macro for manually focusing, but perhaps it's because I'm focusing on flowers rather than bugs?
Robin I use a Sony fit Laowa 60mm with an adaptor, like Alf says it is fully manual so has an aperture ring to set the aperture on the lens. The 60mm Olympus was a pain as I have only really ever use manual focussing with macro. The STF-8 screws on the front filter threads as it is 62mm. I did use a Canon Mp-e 65 for a while with a commlite adaptor so you could get one and use your Canon 100mm macro lens. The laowa 65mm 2x macro lens has good reviews, they also do a 2x -5x macro lens for getting really close that is a lot cheaper than the Mp-e65 which I might get one day to have a play with.
 
I can’t really fault the 60mm macro myself . Perhaps robins problem is using it on the oversized m.1x body ... saying that though I only dabble around the fringes with macro often preferring the close focus ability of 100-400 which means you can still get your close ups without getting to close
 
I can’t really fault the 60mm macro myself . Perhaps robins problem is using it on the oversized m.1x body ... saying that though I only dabble around the fringes with macro often preferring the close focus ability of 100-400 which means you can still get your close ups without getting to close

.... Lots of photographers get on extremely well with the Olympus 60mm Macro for live minibeasts but so far I do not. If anything, the heavier M1X body helps, particularly regarding handheld grip. The M1X is exactly the same size and weight (give or take 4mm and 50g) as my Canon EOS-R with grip fitted.

I have got telephoto close-ups with Olympus well covered (as my attached 840mm equivalent images illustrate) but it's the 'macro' shots which I also want < I don't care whether what the ratios are such as 1:1 etc - That's academic as far as I am concerned, I just want to be able to fill the frame with a fly's head and occasionally use in-camera focus stacking/bracketing.

Lens reach is what I'm after for 'macro'.

The other evening I tried out my Olympus 12-40mm (24-80mm) on a roosting butterfly and no time was wasted faffing around with focus. I shot it at 40mm (80mm) and it filled the frame and even included great habitat surroundings showing its shelter from the elements. My best shots of just its head were done on my compact TG-6.

Btw Jeff, you recently asked me whether I thought focus stacking with focus bracketed files was better done in post-processing rather than in-camera. So far, I favour the post-processing workflow if the shots are handheld. I use Affinity and it handles my RAW files and merges them in a wide choice of combined image formats. I usually Export the merged file as a 16bit TIFF back into Capture One (where all the component RAW files originated) ready for any adjustments < That's gotta be better for post-p than a JPEG in-camera. It is wise not to do any adjustments on the component files before any merging/stacking.

The following are only slightly cropped to aid composition, so no significant enlargements done :

THE APTLY NAMED FEMALE BROAD-BODIED CHASER by Robin Procter, on Flickr

THE REWARD FOR PATIENCE .... by Robin Procter, on Flickr

THERE ARE TIGERS AT THE BOTTOM OF MY GARDEN! by Robin Procter, on Flickr
 
.... He (or she!) looks like they are more than just watching you Steve! That stepping forward body language is more of a "Yeah!? Whaddya want punk!!?" :D
Jeff
I have the same issues with the 60mm as Robin and have gone back to my Sigma 105 f2.8.
I have use a 5mkii 1mki and I am now using a 1mkii and still feel the same.
 
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