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

It's a lens that's not for everyone. By micro four thirds standards. it is a bit of a monster and sort of goes against what a lot of people bought into micro four thirds for (small, light and portable system - however it does still only weigh 560g).

However for me coming from 40 years of FF film lenses, then FF and APS-C digital lenses, I don't object to it at all. It's about the same size as the Nikon 18-200 that I had many years ago, but optically on a different planet. It's also quite a bit lighter than the Nikon 24-120 F4 VR that i had and used as my walkabout lens on my D750 for a few years, which obviously didn't have anything like the same range. As I've extolled before about this lens, optically it's stunning, and I'd put it up optically against any lens of a similar focal range (or shorter) from any brand.
 
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My take on introducing this lens is that want to make a weather sealed lens that is cheaper and lighter for the em5mk3 that as a package, they can pull down the price point for the system. Lighter for the vloggers, and cheaper as an intro lens, as the weathersealing has to match the body.

.... A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and as my personal photographic needs are for maximum possible weathersealing this is one of the reasons I bought a M1X and only Olympus PRO lenses. Hence my current interest in the ED 12-40mm F/2.8 PRO to cover that focal length range rather than the doubtless smaller and lighter rumoured 12-45mm F/4 non-PRO spec.

Each one of us here has either greatly or slightly different photographic needs according to what we like to shoot and whatever we buy, no camera or lens is absolutely perfect!
 
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The 12-40 pro is already tiny, compared here to a Canon 17-40 F4 on APSC it's a fair bit smaller and has better equivalent range

http://j.mp/37Z00IC

And certainly smaller and lighter than the Fuji equivalent I used for a while

http://j.mp/2Wq6KJT
 
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Number 3 is incorrect, my GX9 has a program lens fn button section in the menu with a few options, works with the Olympus 12-40 Pro

.... Hmm, they should have got that right. The Panasonic GX9 has been out since 2018 and the linked article was written in September this year 2019.

I wonder if your GX9 had a firmware update giving the L-Fn button mapping options. Anyway, that's a bit academic now.

The Olympus mappable L-Fn button is very valuable and has a lot of programmable options.
 
.... Hmm, they should have got that right. The Panasonic GX9 has been out since 2018 and the linked article was written in September this year 2019.

I wonder if your GX9 had a firmware update giving the L-Fn button mapping options. Anyway, that's a bit academic now.

The Olympus mappable L-Fn button is very valuable and has a lot of programmable options.

Believe it became available when Panasonic launched the 200mm f/2.8 which also has a fn button.
I know both the G9 and GX9 have the option in the menu, so probably was before that article was written
 
A handheld shot from a walk on the beach last week in the afternoon just before it rained

E-M5ii and Leica DG 8-18mm

Rain on the way by Alf Branch, on Flickr

.... That's very nice and looks well suited to black&white. Personally I am very fussy about motion blur on flowing water but I think you have got the right balance very well and it's not too 'soft and misty'. In fact I think the water motion blur is perfect! There is much to enjoy in its detail.

Tough doo-da if you weren't expecting a critique! :D
 
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.... That's very nice and looks well suited to black&white. Personally I am very fussy about motion blur on flowing water but I think you have got the right balance very well and it's not too 'soft and misty'. In fact I think the water motion blur is perfect! There is much to enjoy in its detail.

Tough doo-da if you weren't expecting a critique! :D
I have no issues with critique.
I am also fussy about water and I am practiced at it.
 
I have no issues with critique.
I am also fussy about water and I am practiced at it.

.... Clearly I can learn from the master - Shutter speed of 0.3s is now for me to try.
 
And I have PM'd him to send me a link to the Classified advert when he has posted it so I can reply publicly and formally.
All is well with the world, not a single kitten died (y)
 
Do you mean to try 0.3s handheld?

.... :D That might be pushing too far the M1X claim to stellar image stabilisation and therefore very slow handheld possibilities. But hang on, am I confused by the maths? I recently handheld a Heron shot at 1/30s. Does "0.3" (as stated on Flickr) = 3 seconds? or 1/3s?

If there isn't a convenient fence or rock to place my camera on (I usually carry a small beanbag which a friend made me) I often have a very easily carried Gitzo Traveller tripod with compact Flexline head if I think the day's mission might merit it.

I don't often shoot a landscape but will do one if a wildlife walkabout presents one to inspire me. When visiting Scotland it's very difficult not to be inspired... very frequently!
 
All is well with the world, not a single kitten died (y)

.... Damn!!! I'm not very fond of domestic cats!

Your all-seeing eye will have undoubtedly spotted that the said Classified ad is now rolling and very happy progress is being made.
 
.... :D That might be pushing too far the M1X claim to stellar image stabilisation and therefore very slow handheld possibilities. But hang on, am I confused by the maths? I recently handheld a Heron shot at 1/30s. Does "0.3" (as stated on Flickr) = 3 seconds? or 1/3s?

If there isn't a convenient fence or rock to place my camera on (I usually carry a small beanbag which a friend made me) I often have a very easily carried Gitzo Traveller tripod with compact Flexline head if I think the day's mission might merit it.

I don't often shoot a landscape but will do one if a wildlife walkabout presents one to inspire me. When visiting Scotland it's very difficult not to be inspired... very frequently!


0.3 = just less than 1/3rd of a second. As in 0.5 = 1/2 of a second. I reckon you could easily shoot handheld at 0.3 sec with an Olymus - example coming up..........
 
.... :D That might be pushing too far the M1X claim to stellar image stabilisation and therefore very slow handheld possibilities. But hang on, am I confused by the maths? I recently handheld a Heron shot at 1/30s. Does "0.3" (as stated on Flickr) = 3 seconds? or 1/3s?

If there isn't a convenient fence or rock to place my camera on (I usually carry a small beanbag which a friend made me) I often have a very easily carried Gitzo Traveller tripod with compact Flexline head if I think the day's mission might merit it.

I don't often shoot a landscape but will do one if a wildlife walkabout presents one to inspire me. When visiting Scotland it's very difficult not to be inspired... very frequently!
The reason I asked is I assume you know that shutter speed needed to get a specific look with water shots will depend on the speed of flow/movement of said water obviously (y)

As for claims of great IBIS myself and other members on here have managed handheld shots at 1s and even 2s on the EM1-II and EM5-II at shorter focal lengths such as 12mm :eek:

Have you tried the live ND on the EM1x, I'd be very interested to see what that looks like?
 
Well I can't find any at 1s at the mo, but here's two handheld ones at 0.5s (1/2 second Robin ;))

EM1 (Mark I/One)
PC014313 by TDG-77, on Flickr

EM5-II
P3260012 HDR by TDG-77, on Flickr
 
The reason I asked is I assume you know that shutter speed needed to get a specific look with water shots will depend on the speed of flow/movement of said water obviously (y)

As for claims of great IBIS myself and other members on here have managed handheld shots at 1s and even 2s on the EM1-II and EM5-II at shorter focal lengths such as 12mm :eek:

Have you tried the live ND on the EM1x, I'd be very interested to see what that looks like?

.... I have never used ND for any photography and am probably very unlikely to. My 'landscape' work is invariably a spontaneous snap and even with an iPhone.

Yes, I do realise that the speed of a flow will be a major factor. But given the usual speed of flow on coastal seawaters in that kind of weather I think that 0.3 might be a good setting to start with.

Ooh, very nice examples, especially of Venice! I must go out but will reply later.
 
.... Clearly I can learn from the master - Shutter speed of 0.3s is now for me to try.

I prefer a tripod for such things but myself but where I have an opportunity I will have a go and that is 1/3 sec I added my 85mm (P siize) Cokin Nuances 5 stop filter for this shot.

Shutter speeds required vary massively depending on weather and if the water is coming or going out
For water coming in anything from 1/30 sec to a second is a good start point but I experiment and can tell quite quickly nowadays what I need.
For receding waves water 0.5 to 5 seconds is where I would start

I often use two cameras when shooting landscapes and I have been know shoot one camera one handed handheld at 1/5 second while use the cable release on the camera
 
I often use two cameras when shooting landscapes and I have been know shoot one camera one handed handheld at 1/5 second while use the cable release on the camera
Woah, Landscape Ninja ;) (y)
 
Further to my post the other day regarding the Em1X & 300mm pro. i finally got my head around the settings, it will take some time to get going proper but my first two outings are encouraging its great to travel light and yet still have decent image quality. 500f4. 300 2.8 gone now and defo going to enjoy this camera and the comments and photo's on here helped to make my mind up so cheers Gents. Some taken below with EM1X & 300mm pro + 1.4 ext. (y)










119.-MERGANZER-FM by TONY, on Flickr



812. STONECHAT by TONY, on Flickr



290.-STONECHAT by TONY, on Flickr
 
I did read somewhere that 8s was possible Iv not tried that i'm sure most people can do up to 5 s with back resting on a wall quite a remarkable camera to let you do that.
Rob.
 
.... Damn!!! I'm not very fond of domestic cats!

We had 2 kitties die this year so I find that a little sad :( They can be great little companions when treated well. We had one 10 years, the other 6.5. Give me a cat over any dog any day! :)

On slow shutter speeds, I have seen examples up to 20 seconds shot using the EM1mkII - leaning against walls but still impressive. I know that I was able to manage up to a second with the old em5 and the G80 with practice, and they're nowhere close to the mkII or the Pany G9 for IBIS performance.
 
Robin Wong did a great video on handheld long exposure over the summer.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDQK3Yx1Vpg


I've managed 1 second with the E-M10ii and 17mm - the X and M1ii have much better stabilisation.
I would be surprised if most people couldn't hand hold at 1/3rd of a second?

Here I was trying to blur the people in th background when the lady in the foreground wandered up and stopped in front of me :)
Camera was around my neck at waist height with the screen flipped upwards IIRC.

Jarrolds at Christmas by AMc UK, on Flickr
 
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I've also handheld up to 15seconds with the E-M10ii when using my homemade pinhole "lens" it works, but then sharpness isn't really the aim for those.
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmg1Gr1w
To get anything resembling a photo handholding at 15 seconds is crazy :eek::eek::eek:
 
To get anything resembling a photo handholding at 15 seconds is crazy :eek::eek::eek:

I think the thing is with a pinhole there's so little light going in at any moment that as long as you are approximately around the same point for the whole exposure things stay legible.
This was taken propped against the pole in the tube train, but the fact that the writing is legible and the grout of the tiles is visible amuses me.
15 seconds at ISO200


St. Paul's Tube
by AMc UK, on Flickr
 
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ISS This was with the OMD MK II I think the lens was a ef 600f4 mkII with a metabones ultra EF to MFT the exif data is unclear as it says 600 mm f 5.6 so it could have been around 1680 mm fov 1/1600 f 5.6 ISO 640 the hard part is keeping up with it while doing manual focus but it can be done .
Rob.

P1280031.JPG
 
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