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

Shameless plug, but if anyone is looking for a pristine E-M1 (and grip) there is a rather nice one going in classified ads (mine) :)

Edit: It's now gone, sad to see it go :(
 
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Greytop said:
Shameless plug, but if anyone is looking for a pristine E-M1 (and grip) there is a rather nice one going in classified ads (mine) :)
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If I hadn't just received my new Oly 40-150mm f2.8 yesterday Huw, I might've been tempted. Unfortunately, this year's camera fund is now well and truly spent up!!

Simon.
 
Simon, you could always sell me the 40-150 that would give you the required funds. Hehe
 
srhmoto said:
If I hadn't just received my new Oly 40-150mm f2.8 yesterday Huw, I might've been tempted. Unfortunately, this year's camera fund is now well and truly spent up!!

Simon.
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Well difficult to argue with that Simon :)
The 40-150 Pro is a fantastic lens, I've taken the tripod mount off mine and replaced it with DR-66 covering the bayonet pins.
 
P20 must be my least favourite lens. Not optically, but the focus speed is dire compared to most other lenses..... I was delighted to see the back of mine....
 
DekHog said:
P20 must be my least favourite lens. Not optically, but the focus speed is dire compared to most other lenses..... I was delighted to see the back of mine....
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I can understand this - in fact I agree it has some issues. Having said that, it is a great focal length, it is sharp, fast, produces some nice oof areas and of course it is S m all.
These somethings I love :love:

Looking forward to comparing with my PL25 1.4 :cool:
 
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Greytop said:
Well difficult to argue with that Simon :)
The 40-150 Pro is a fantastic lens, I've taken the tripod mount off mine and replaced it with DR-66 covering the bayonet pins.
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Hoping to put some frames through it at the weekend :). That's me finally completed the Oly f2.8 zoom 'holy trinity' :)

Simon.
 
Been down to Goodwood this morning for a charity event and got really frustrated with the e-m1 and its ability to track the cars. Tried all modes and it just kept diving off or not focussing ( probably lack of contrast due to it being dull ).

Am wondering if it's time to leave m43
 
Is it ? Great...but I doubt it..I even used caf + H...a billion fps, none of which were in focus.
 
Was that the Original EM1 or the Mk II? It is well known the original EM1 is not good with CAF. The Mk II is much better.
 
Mk1..s-af wasn't any better, initial focus lock then OOF shots. Surely DSLRs are better ?
 
damianmkv said:
Been down to Goodwood this morning for a charity event and got really frustrated with the e-m1 and its ability to track the cars. Tried all modes and it just kept diving off or not focussing ( probably lack of contrast due to it being dull ).

Am wondering if it's time to leave m43
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I seem to remember you mentioning your dissapointment with the focusing a few times since I joined this thread late last year. If you need better focusing and the EM1 isn't cutting it then it is time to move on from that body. You have proved to yourself a few times that it just won't do what you need it to do. No point in keep taking it to locations and driving yourself mad trying to get focus lock - it will just ruin your day.

Time to move on to a camera that will do what you need - whatever make that is.
 
I've persevered because there's so much to like about m43, the size, the instant focus for portrait, the IBIS etc etc.

But I hate the battery life. I think that most of the stuff I shoot now is cars with my kids, and a bit of landscape. My 13 year old got more keepers from his d3100 today - ok, I was going for slightly slower shutter but he was at a longer FL so I should have been ok. Except his stayed in focus where many times mine didn't achieve it.

Frustrating as I came from Nikon and hoped this system would be for keeps
 
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Dave Semmens said:
I seem to remember you mentioning your dissapointment with the focusing a few times since I joined this thread late last year. If you need better focusing and the EM1 isn't cutting it then it is time to move on from that body. You have proved to yourself a few times that it just won't do what you need it to do. No point in keep taking it to locations and driving yourself mad trying to get focus lock - it will just ruin your day.

Time to move on to a camera that will do what you need - whatever make that is.
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Have to agree with that Dave!

Simon.
 
damianmkv said:
I've persevered because there's so much to like about m43, the size, the instant focus for portrait, the IBIS etc etc.

But I hate the battery life. I think that most of the stuff I shoot now is cars with my kids, and a bit of landscape. My 13 year old got more keepers from his d3100 today - ok, I was going for slightly slower shutter but he was at a longer FL so I should have been ok. Except his stayed in focus where many times mine didn't achieve it.

Frustrating as I came from Nikon and hoped this system would be for keeps
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if the 3100 did the job why not get one yourself as a 2nd body to go with the m43 specifically for faster focus subjects. its a cheaper-ish option
 
damianmkv said:
Been down to Goodwood this morning for a charity event and got really frustrated with the e-m1 and its ability to track the cars. Tried all modes and it just kept diving off or not focussing ( probably lack of contrast due to it being dull ).

Am wondering if it's time to leave m43
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That's disappointing to hear, I was contemplating taking mine to the F1 this year as a second body to my D750 to save swapping lenses.

But in response to your other posts the EM1-II, A6xxx, and XT2 are the best mirrorless for AF and they're still not quite as good as higher end DSLRs so if you want the most responsive (quick acquisition) and best ability to track then DSLR is still your weapon of choice. I've realised that each system has benefits so run both. I've not tried the EM1 for sports yet though, but just in terms of general AF and AF-C for wildlife I know it's a long way off the D750. I will still try the EM1 for sport though out of curiosity. Out of interest which lens were you using?
 
I was using the 12-40 and 40-150 pro. Both performed the same.

In good light, they are fine - in fact, the "same" as my old d7000 IIRC. But when the light drops, I see noise at base levels and poor focus acquisition - it's that that drives me nuts. You don't get another opportunity to take a shot of cars on track - it has to be perfect..

I'm not prepared to chuck £1800 at the mk2 - for me, that's money for another system and some.
 
damianmkv said:
I was using the 12-40 and 40-150 pro. Both performed the same.

In good light, they are fine - in fact, the "same" as my old d7000 IIRC. But when the light drops, I see noise at base levels and poor focus acquisition - it's that that drives me nuts. You don't get another opportunity to take a shot of cars on track - it has to be perfect..

I'm not prepared to chuck £1800 at the mk2 - for me, that's money for another system and some.
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I was going to try the 40-150mm f2.8 too. Might give it a miss then.
 
Don't get me wrong, these lenses are stunning. But if f1 has poor light, you'll be peed off big time.

That's my quandary. I love this system as I can chuck everything in a lowepro102 and have 9-210mm ( 18-420) with me. I don't think I could do that with Nikon in the same bag..

FFS :(
 
damianmkv said:
Don't get me wrong, these lenses are stunning. But if f1 has poor light, you'll be peed off big time.

That's my quandary. I love this system as I can chuck everything in a lowepro102 and have 9-210mm ( 18-420) with me. I don't think I could do that with Nikon in the same bag..

FFS :(
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When I went to Donnington I took my D750, 70-200mm f2.8, 150-600mm and 24-120mm, that's over 6kg if you include the backpack :eek: Didn't want to be doing the same st Silverstone but looks like I could well be doing.
 
Has no one ever heard of MANUAL focus? Seem'd to work quite well for generations. :)
I understand that modern stuff isn't meant for manual, but predict? Select a spot and lock on it then wait for the car to cross it?
The technology is there to help us, we don't have to use it.
 
Stumpy said:
Has no one ever heard of MANUAL focus? Seem'd to work quite well for generations. :)
I understand that modern stuff isn't meant for manual, but predict? Select a spot and lock on it then wait for the car to cross it?
The technology is there to help us, we don't have to use it.
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TBH this isn't a bad option, especially as DOF is relatively large on MFT (y)
 
Knew it. Despite what the Wife thinks, an old codger like me can't be wrong ALL the time! :banana:
 
At goodwood today, we were 20ft from the track with cars doing 100+mph. It's not easy to MF like this. The window is exceptionally narrow.

When I go drag racing, cars are doing 150-300mph in the quarter / 1000ft. Here, for me, MF is impossible. I also appreciate that sometimes I'm at fault - I could easily go 1/500s, freeze the motion and get "a shot"...but that's not me. I want to see some motion so lower SS - perhaps this is the issue or atleast some of it ?

I appreciate what is being said but I also think that if you've lumped £2k on a system, you shouldn't have to resort to MF to achieve a shot. Technology has moved on and should be able to achieve focus on a 1.5tonne lump going passed
 
damianmkv said:
At goodwood today, we were 20ft from the track with cars doing 100+mph. It's not easy to MF like this. The window is exceptionally narrow.

When I go drag racing, cars are doing 150-300mph in the quarter / 1000ft. Here, for me, MF is impossible. I also appreciate that sometimes I'm at fault - I could easily go 1/500s, freeze the motion and get "a shot"...but that's not me. I want to see some motion so lower SS - perhaps this is the issue or atleast some of it ?

I appreciate what is being said but I also think that if you've lumped £2k on a system, you shouldn't have to resort to MF to achieve a shot. Technology has moved on and should be able to achieve focus on a 1.5tonne lump going passed
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But if you're doing slow shutter stuff you'll be panning so subject distance won't vary much allowing for use of MF.

But I agree, times have moved on and you can get AF systems that are more than capable. However you have to choose the right tool for the job and as yet there is no perfect camera. If there was a camera the size and weight of MFT but with the AF system and IQ of a high end DSLR there'd be no need for any other camera ;)
 
I tend to prefocus my GX8 when at the track, and then switch to MF with peaking enabled. I then use the peaking to let me know when the car or bike has entered the plane of focus and take my shot. For things with very predictable movement like cars on a track, I find this approach works just fine. I also finds it helps a lot with composition.

Simon.
 
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snerkler said:
But if you're doing slow shutter stuff you'll be panning so subject distance won't vary much allowing for use of MF.
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I'm a regualr at Silverstone and usually concentrate on panning shots from the various grandstands. At last year's Historic Festival I decided to try something a little different and switched from AF Servo to manual focussing part way through the day. 500 shots from Becketts (historic F1 cars) and a similar number from the F1 Paddock grandstand (Group Cs). Results were generally OK. My main issue was not with focus but caused by shutter speeds of 1/30 and below! I do agree though that for most "head on" shots I wouldn't bother with MF.
 
Having tried the em1 at the TT last year have to agree with those saying either mf and predict as best as you can or (as I am) await any better offers on the mkii.
Historically Olympus have bundled grips, hoping this may reoccur in the not too distant future but the recent price scaring may mean not.

Pay your money and take your choice, the benefits of m43 have always had the downside of non decent caf but as others have said it is getting better each generation and if you are heavily invested in the glass it does make it a difficult decision and your point of carrying such a wide range of focal lengths in the one bag to me would make the mkii the way to go in your shoes, the cost of running two systems would likely expand aside from the then "which one to take" scenario, I have kept a 7dii for the same reasoning as you have for buying a dslr and find the taking decision so annoying I am seriously thinking of just selling it and just going for the em1 mkii regardless of price lol.
 
I can't remember if I've asked this before but is there a way to use exposure compensation when using manual mode with auto ISO? I was really needing this feature today as needed to control aperture and shutter but was panning in and out of shade.
 
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