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

If you4 thinking of buying anything new be quick ,the arse has dropped out of the pound yet again and even the likes of einfinity are jumpin* up in price ,I have also noticed its having a knock on affect on e.bay to on s/h sales
 
hi thanks for all the answers i shall try to explain myself a bit better :)
i plan on 2nd hand unless the new variant is a good offer.
my budget originally will be about £500 which i can add to after so if was a PEN F would be maxed then have to wait a couple of weeks for lenses lol.
lens wise i think 12-40 not sure which variant and 40-150 (not pro) will be my choices.
it's for days out etc. when me and the mrs pop places on a weekend etc.
i have my D500 for wildlife etc.
 
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Well the E-M1 and 12-40 was a big disappointment. not impressed at all and the little Panasonic GX85 produces a much nicer result
Back it goes for a refund and that's my experiment with m4/3 over, will stick with what I've got for now
 
hi thanks for all the answers i shall try to explain myself a bit better :)
i plan on 2nd hand unless the new variant is a good offer.
my budget originally will be about £500 which i can add to after so if was a PEN F would be maxed then have to wait a couple of weeks for lenses lol.
lens wise i think 12-40 not sure which variant and 40-150 (not pro) will be my choices.
it's for days out etc. when me and the mrs pop places on a weekend etc.
i have my D500 for wildlife etc.

My set up is d500 and e-m10 mk2 (y)
 
Set both cameras to P mode and used roughly the same focal length
First one is Olympus E-M1 with 12.40mm lens and second is Panasonic GX85 with 12-32mm
Even when viewed normally there is a lack of detail in the first photo, zoomed in its far worse
Not sure what's wrong, but back it goes tomorrow, really hoped I could use m4/3 for most of my stuff, alas no

O.jpg
P.jpg
 
Well the E-M1 and 12-40 was a big disappointment. not impressed at all and the little Panasonic GX85 produces a much nicer result
Back it goes for a refund and that's my experiment with m4/3 over, will stick with what I've got for now
Sorry to hear that. The16mp sensor in Olympus and Panasonic are pretty much the same so end results should be pretty much the same. It would seem that either your Olympus gear was faulty, or you're not familiar with it and some setting was off somewhere.
 
hi thanks for all the answers i shall try to explain myself a bit better :)
i plan on 2nd hand unless the new variant is a good offer.
my budget originally will be about £500 which i can add to after so if was a PEN F would be maxed then have to wait a couple of weeks for lenses lol.
lens wise i think 12-40 not sure which variant and 40-150 (not pro) will be my choices.
it's for days out etc. when me and the mrs pop places on a weekend etc.
i have my D500 for wildlife etc.
There have been some cracking deals on the PEN-F at Curry's PC World and SRS for the E-M10 Mkii but neither is there now.
OIympus summer cashback finished on the 31st of July :(

The E-M1 is around £400 used with the usual dealers. It seems to me that this is the used bargain of the range.
A lot of the top end Olympus customers have traded up to the Mkii which has left quite a glut of well cared for Mki.
The E-M10 Mkii seems to have bounced up a bit since I got mine with them starting around £315 and then upwards.
The best PEN-F I've seen was privately sold for about £550 you're looking at closer to £700 with a dealer :eek:

Lenses - the 12-40 f2.8 PRO is reputedly the best Olympus zoom but the best price I've ever seen one go for was £360 privately, you're looking at another £100 for dealer or a new grey.
The 14-42mm variants are a lot cheaper but also slower f3.5 -5.6.
I have the EZ and the II R - the EZ is really small with a motorised zoom, the II R is light but a bit bigger with manual zoom and a lot cheaper.
I tend to use the EZ because it's so tiny and it came bundled with my E-M10 Mkii.
If I were using a larger body or just feeling skint I'd use the II R I can't tell much in performance.

The 2 lens E-M10 Mkii kit at HDEW at £509 covers a lot of bases for not a lot of money.
I think if you priced that up used at dealers you'd struggle to beat it.
You could do a lot better with a private sale, depends on how much you worry about warranty and getting what you want right now ;)
 
Set both cameras to P mode and used roughly the same focal length
First one is Olympus E-M1 with 12.40mm lens and second is Panasonic GX85 with 12-32mm
Even when viewed normally there is a lack of detail in the first photo, zoomed in its far worse
Not sure what's wrong, but back it goes tomorrow, really hoped I could use m4/3 for most of my stuff, alas no
That does look off to me. Was the camera brand new, sealed box or a customer return?
It could be that they've set it up poorly.

If it were me I'd do a full reset and try again and if you have the time/energy then try Robin Wong's settings.
https://robinwong.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-robin-wongs-om-d-camera-cheat-sheet.html
 
Set both cameras to P mode and used roughly the same focal length
First one is Olympus E-M1 with 12.40mm lens and second is Panasonic GX85 with 12-32mm
Even when viewed normally there is a lack of detail in the first photo, zoomed in its far worse
Not sure what's wrong, but back it goes tomorrow, really hoped I could use m4/3 for most of my stuff, alas no

View attachment 131955
View attachment 131956
OK so not easy to assess properly without the full file size, however you can't really compare these two images. The second is much closer so you are of course going to see far more detail. Also, there's no way to assess ISO, aperture or shutter speed on these images, all of which will affect image quality. Also, there's no way of knowing where the focus point is.

When comparing in an example like this it's important to use the exact same exposure settings, same focal length and same framing, with the exact same focus point.
 
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Set both cameras to P mode and used roughly the same focal length
First one is Olympus E-M1 with 12.40mm lens and second is Panasonic GX85 with 12-32mm
Even when viewed normally there is a lack of detail in the first photo, zoomed in its far worse
Not sure what's wrong, but back it goes tomorrow, really hoped I could use m4/3 for most of my stuff, alas no

View attachment 131955
View attachment 131956
Swap lenses between cameras and take them again?
 
OK so not easy to assess properly without the full file size, however you can't really compare these two images. The second is much closer so you are of course going to see far more detail. Also, there's no way to assess ISO, aperture or shutter speed on these images, all of which will affect image quality. Also, there's no way of knowing where the focus point is.

When comparing in an example like this it's important to use the exact same exposure settings, same focal length and same framing, with the exact same focus point.

According to the exif first one is 20mm and second is 21mm, could do loads more comparisons, but trust me the new combo is not right
Got a memory card with loads of samples, pretty sure its the camera because results were pretty poor with a decent prime (Pana Leica 25mm f1.4)
Guessing it could be the ibis not working properly, but to be honest not that bothered to do any more extensive testing and will just get my money back
Did a full factory reset and would expect to get something half decent using P mode and a decent lens
 
Set both cameras to P mode and used roughly the same focal length
First one is Olympus E-M1 with 12.40mm lens and second is Panasonic GX85 with 12-32mm
Even when viewed normally there is a lack of detail in the first photo, zoomed in its far worse
Not sure what's wrong, but back it goes tomorrow, really hoped I could use m4/3 for most of my stuff, alas no

View attachment 131955
View attachment 131956


Something definitely up, many of us use M43 as main atm and produce great results [if I do say so myself :D ]
 
According to the exif first one is 20mm and second is 21mm, could do loads more comparisons, but trust me the new combo is not right
Got a memory card with loads of samples, pretty sure its the camera because results were pretty poor with a decent prime (Pana Leica 25mm f1.4)
Guessing it could be the ibis not working properly, but to be honest not that bothered to do any more extensive testing and will just get my money back
Did a full factory reset and would expect to get something half decent using P mode and a decent lens
Yeah, no point keeping it if you’re not happy. It’s a nice system so it’s a shame a lemon has put you off, but it’s understandable.
 
12-40 should be blowing your mind.

Don't let it put you off the format or the brand

Makes me appreciate my little Panasonic more, might investigate a Pen F one day, but had enough messing about for now.
 
Makes me appreciate my little Panasonic more, might investigate a Pen F one day, but had enough messing about for now.
12-40mm is undeniably better than the 12-32mm, although the 12-32mm is a great lens for the money and the size. I was impressed with mine.
 
Have you used the 12-40 on the Gx80 to make sure it's not the lens? Were these Jpegs or RAW? I never shoot jpeg, ever, so would only go by how well the RAW files process in LR and I'd try more varied scenarios. But, as others say, if you're even slightly unhappy, return while you can get something else you'd prefer

I had the Em5 mk1 before i bought the G80, and found the files a bit washy pre-process, when i got the G80 I much prefered the look and feel overall, so it could be just the older Oly files need more of a boost
 
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Rich... you’re more than welcome to come try my Pen-f with the 12-40 and grip, I’ll post a few photo’s. also got the Gx80 and the G9. We could always arrange to go a wandering somewhere...
 
Have you used the 12-40 on the Gx80 to make sure it's not the lens? Were these Jpegs or RAW? I never shoot jpeg, ever, so would only go by how well the RAW files process in LR and I'd try more varied scenarios. But, as others say, if you're even slightly unhappy, return while you can get something else you'd prefer

I had the Em5 mk1 before i bought the G80, and found the files a bit washy pre-process, when i got the G80 I much prefered the look and feel overall, so it could be just the older Oly files need more of a boost

Jpegs straight from the camera, I have certain things I use to check cameras and lenses, this one is definitely off and its not a processing issue
It came as a kit so it has to go back like that for a refund, hence my lack of further testing, but good money on it being the camera.

Rich... you’re more than welcome to come try my Pen-f with the 12-40 and grip, I’ll post a few photo’s. also got the Gx80 and the G9. We could always arrange to go a wandering somewhere...

Thanks Andy, may very well take you up on that, perhaps a wander around Cambridge and coffee/ tea is on me.
Noticed from your posts that you don't seem that keen on the Pen F, anything in particular?
 
Should also add my daughter has an Em5 Mkii and 12-40, results are considerably better than I obtained.
Knew roughly what to expect and it wasn't what I got, I'm fairly experienced and know a wrong'un when I see it.
 
Rich... you’re more than welcome to come try my Pen-f with the 12-40 and grip, I’ll post a few photo’s. also got the Gx80 and the G9. We could always arrange to go a wandering somewhere...


You were swapping me the 12-40 for my 15mm last week, cheers for getting back on that one ..... not :LOL:
 
Should also add my daughter has an Em5 Mkii and 12-40, results are considerably better than I obtained.
Knew roughly what to expect and it wasn't what I got, I'm fairly experienced and know a wrong'un when I see it.

Yup, sometimes you just know. With so many options out there best send it back without hesitation anyway
 
It’s not that, I love the Pen-F, I usually keep it in the monochrome L setting as I love B&W. I.m using the G9 a lot more is all. I’m toying with adding the em1 to use with the 12-40 & 40-150 to give a better balance or buying a Sony full frame and a dedicated macro lens.
 
It’s not that, I love the Pen-F, I usually keep it in the monochrome L setting as I love B&W. I.m using the G9 a lot more is all. I’m toying with adding the em1 to use with the 12-40 & 40-150 to give a better balance or buying a Sony full frame and a dedicated macro lens.

From my very brief time with the EM1 it felt a very nice camera to use, can imagine one that works properly would be very good.
Would like to try a Pen F, do prefer the rangefinder style although pleasantly surprised with the EM1.
 
I've been through all possible switches in my head recently, even looked at Sony - who I still haven't really forgiven for my first ever dslr disaster! The A200 - which had IBIS, which was great for it's time, when it worked .... I ended up having to sell that as a non IBIS camera with numerous other issues though.

I thought about an A7 or A7II ... but Sony lenses seem so expensive, unless I'm looking in the wrong places? Also I hate their menu system, I know, I know ... I hated Olympus's too but got used to it pretty fast. Can't afford an A7III or I'd have one by now I think. So also looking at Canon with interest as the gear hunters are all staring at Sony and Nikon. It's the one brand I've yet to try. The big issues with M43 for me right now, are the gaps between the mid-range and 'flagship' - as in, there's nothing to fill it. I wish there was something between the G80 and G9, or em5 mkII and em1 mkII for example, for more budget shooters like me, but what could they sacrifice? price maybe?? As I don't think there's enough improvements between the mid to high to justify triple the money as things are
 
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Keith.... said we could look into it, not changed my mind just exploring all ideas.
 
I thought you were after my 12-40 :LOL:


That was after Gandalf dropped off. I'm after anyone's, because it'll be mine once I get my way! :D

Is it more trickier than and aps-c I've heard it is because of the ibis?

Nah, I've cleaned mine a few times, it does move so you have to be a tad more careful, but otherwise it's the same job
 
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That was after Gandalf dropped off. I'm after anyone's, because it'll be mine once I get my way! :D
If your within the 2 weeks why not just send the lens back?
 
If your within the 2 weeks why not just send the lens back?

It's a bit of a case of, happy enough to keep it, it's the only decent lens I have atm - I just would prefer a more 'all-rounder' but it's not a major thing. It will sell easily enough if I really want to locally, I tend to get better value there as irish prices are disgustingly high, and you'd be surprised how many don't buy from abroad.

If I'm honest, the only real niggle I have with the lens is that it's a bit smaller than I'm used to. I like a bit of grip on both camera and lens, it'll just take a bit more getting used to. I think it is better suited to the smaller bodies though.
 
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Hopefully tomorrow after work, the light will hold, set up the C1 slot for birds in flight settings, and heading down the local park to catch some ducks.
Was watching
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0hBOO3udIA
and realised that I'm attempting it slightly wrong.

Note, those settings don't apply to insects in flight ;)

I think for flying birds I need a wide angle viewfinder with a target marker in the center, showing me where the zoom is pointed.

[edit] Hot News:
And, I just scored a vintage one, with parallax adjustment off the bay for a tenner.
 
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I dont want to post pics in this thread as there from the panasonic g80 and leica 100-400 ,but I have little trouble with b.i.f with that rig ,there are lots in the Panasonic thread and even more on my flickr stream ,and thats from gannet sized birds right the way down to fast moving house martins and swallows . yes its been a massive culture shock switching from canon crop sensor and full frame 1D cameras plus a sigma 150-600 sport ,but the problems are not insurmountable and the benefits once achieved very worthwhile ,stick with it its often a small change in the menu system that does the trick , just wish we had a micro four thirds pictures section rather than the present two intertwining threads . i.e I use both panasonic and olympus bodies and soon probably lenses

Sorry for the late reply, back from holiday this week. Pretty sure no-one would object to you posting photos in here!

Re the EM5mkII I'm not convinced it will get to 40D standards. House Martins was probably too hard a test but I've tried a few other birds and it's a bit frustrating but will give it some more time and try a few different lenses and see.

As a complete aside, the main reason I got the Oly was for the weight and size. We went to see some 'semi-wild' Iberian wolves in Spain and I just took the 40-150mm - the only weight I could feel was my 4 year old on my shoulders. What's below and other similar ones won't win any competitions, but good enough for me and there would have been no image had I been using my phone, or my 40D which I'd not have with me. For a sub £100 light as anything lens it works for me.

P8034951 by alligator1975, on Flickr
 
Sorry for the late reply, back from holiday this week. Pretty sure no-one would object to you posting photos in here!

Re the EM5mkII I'm not convinced it will get to 40D standards. House Martins was probably too hard a test but I've tried a few other birds and it's a bit frustrating but will give it some more time and try a few different lenses and see.

As a complete aside, the main reason I got the Oly was for the weight and size. We went to see some 'semi-wild' Iberian wolves in Spain and I just took the 40-150mm - the only weight I could feel was my 4 year old on my shoulders. What's below and other similar ones won't win any competitions, but good enough for me and there would have been no image had I been using my phone, or my 40D which I'd not have with me. For a sub £100 light as anything lens it works for me.

P8034951 by alligator1975, on Flickr
It looks pretty good to me. I've been using mine this week and been impressed by the size and weight.
Would I have got better shots on the pro lens? Yes. Would I carry the pro lens in my pocket? No therefore wouldn't have taken the shots.
 
Is it more trickier than and aps-c I've heard it is because of the ibis?

Nah, I've cleaned mine a few times, it does move so you have to be a tad more careful, but otherwise it's the same job

As Cagey says. I proceeded with more caution...it's something I have never been fully confident doing anyway. I was expecting the sensor to move a smidge due to IBIS but it felt like a full 5mm in each direction, was NOT expecting that! Was definitely a *gulp* moment :D

I, quite frankly haven't got the balls to exert the force required to remove 100% of the dust/crud from the sensor. The professionals can do that. I was able to successfully clean about 90% of it...certainly, and which would appear with a long exposure, that's for sure :) - and that was the goal.

I'll post up before & after pics later. FWIW I used Rollei sensor cleaning swabs and fluid.
 
hi thanks for all the answers i shall try to explain myself a bit better :)
i plan on 2nd hand unless the new variant is a good offer.
my budget originally will be about £500 which i can add to after so if was a PEN F would be maxed then have to wait a couple of weeks for lenses lol.
lens wise i think 12-40 not sure which variant and 40-150 (not pro) will be my choices.
it's for days out etc. when me and the mrs pop places on a weekend etc.
i have my D500 for wildlife etc.

Panasonic GX80 and 12-32 lens, bargain and ideal for your purposes, got one for exactly the same sort of thing.
 
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