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

Alright cool stuff. I think if I get the smaller one and a decent pack of 4 x rechargable AA's I'll be good to go. I've got a decent battery charger already so I can just keep a spare set charged for the occasion. Was just curious about IR focusing, not a deal breaker. Completely forgot it was mainly built for DSLR use anyway!

Tempting to get the small one and the trigger as well to use it wirelessly, same expense as the 650o yet I can play around with wireless flash then!

Once you go off cam with flash, it's hard to ever go back to using them on cam :) so much more flexible and you can be a lot more creative.
 
First short session with the 75-300 in decent light

Just had a little bit of sun to try the lens in,its initial lock on focus feels slow but i have been using the 40-150 f2.8 so i am probaly being unfair.

Once it locks on though it stays on well, this car was coming towards me at 30mph and i took 19 shots on C-AF, this is the first and last shot, at iso 6400

First shot

PA040059f.jpg


Photoshop was shwing %200 for this crop (remember iso6400)

PA040059.jpg


Shot 19

PA040077.jpg


Not bad for a cheap lens
 
Last edited:
It’s hard to find any bad MFT lenses mike , even the 12-60 pano kit lens surpasses anything from other brands . And virtually every piece of legacy glass works far better than expected .
 
Nothing wrong with the 75-300, it's just not going to do you any favours in very low light is all. That is the main difference, besides build quality, between pro and consumer level lenses. The pro versions are brighter, faster weather sealed and better built. End IQ on a good day - nothing in it really
 
Last edited:
Good stuff again.

Whats your technique for capturing bif because I'm all over the place with my EM5MKII. I know you have a better camera for that type of shot, but any tips would be helpful.

Thanks, my way of working would not help with the EM5, i have done some BIF with the EM10MK11 which is similar, i used S-AF with focus priority set for the shutter release and just pumped the shutter button but its not easy.

Some EM10 examples.

P4111484 by electric.mike, on Flickr

P4111487 by electric.mike, on Flickr


P3051276 by electric.mike, on Flickr
 
Good stuff again.

Whats your technique for capturing bif because I'm all over the place with my EM5MKII. I know you have a better camera for that type of shot, but any tips would be helpful.
I think it's difficult with the EM5mkii (it's what I have). The lens is also a factor. I'll try and look at my 'successful' ones and see what settings were used but as above S-AF I think works best, and number of focus points used.
 
B&W start with long shadows at Wimbledon Park Junior Parkrun today.

EM1 MkI + 12-40 f/2.8 - still a great camera:

20181007_094029_115 by Maarten D'Haese, on Flickr

I had planned to stop the lens down further to get more of a "sunstar" effect but in my hurry to get in position I forgot to do so...
 
Couple more

S-AF
OI000078 by alligator1975, on Flickr

OI000080 by alligator1975, on Flickr

So I find S-AF generally works best. Against empty sky I've tried using single, multiple and all focus points. I've not had much success with the latter, I find the AF is slower, but this was mostly against very fast moving House Martins. Gulls and some other birds are slightly 'easier' as they tend to fly in straighter lines. I have the 40-150 Oly and the Pana 100-400 an I think some of my missed shots with the 100-400 might be done to bad handholding technique, but the much cheaper lens still gave good results.

All in, I find for static birds focus is achieved quickly, for anything moving keeper rate is low.
 
I'm still feeling my way with sports shots on the Em1ii. I'm finding the C-Af with tracking works well for kite and wind surfers, though not so great when they're amongst the waves. Hand holding the 300mm is much easier than my Canon gear which I usually use on a monopod. With the wind battering the lens, it's often tricky holding it steady and tracking at the same time.

181004145322-BC046777.jpg
 
I’m considering moving to the Fuji X-T3 and a 3 lens setup, To do this I would have to sell my E-M1 MkII and both my 12-40mm and 40-150mm f2.8 Pro Lenses and 1.4 T/C, all in as new condition. The question I’d like answering Is would I be right in looking for £3000?
 
This is probably the wrong place to ask that, and these posts might get moved when the mods wake up!

Kit deals with cashback for new are only just over £3k, without the TC.

How old is the system and how many shutter activations?
 
Good stuff again.

Whats your technique for capturing bif because I'm all over the place with my EM5MKII. I know you have a better camera for that type of shot, but any tips would be helpful.


To add to my settings i use

Shutter priority 1000th +
this gives me shutter control on the back dial exposure compensation on the front
Auto iso i cap mine at 6400
single point focus a lot of the time
 
I’m considering moving to the Fuji X-T3 and a 3 lens setup, To do this I would have to sell my E-M1 MkII and both my 12-40mm and 40-150mm f2.8 Pro Lenses and 1.4 T/C, all in as new condition. The question I’d like answering Is would I be right in looking for £3000?

Think you would be looking in vain, with the current cashback you could get it for that new from UK sources
Grey price is probably about two grand give or take and that is basically the same as buying secondhand regarding manufacturers warranty
 
@poundcoin... I wasn’t advertising it in here, I will put in classified to do that. I just was asking if that’s what I should be looking for. New according to WEX was higher for the bundle so I deducted for almost new and was making an enquiry.
 
I think there is a section in the classifieds where price queries can be posted.
 
@jakeblu I've left the full exif in for these. I've noticed I sometimes have AFSearch ready and sometimes not (I'm not sure why)

S-AF
OI000346 by alligator1975, on Flickr

C-AF
OI000191 by alligator1975, on Flickr

S-AF
HouseMartinFlightSky by alligator1975, on Flickr

S-AF
RaptorSpain2 by alligator1975, on Flickr

S-AF
RaptorSpain by alligator1975, on Flickr

S-AF
HummingbirdHawkMoth by alligator1975, on Flickr

Couple more

S-AF
OI000078 by alligator1975, on Flickr

OI000080 by alligator1975, on Flickr

So I find S-AF generally works best. Against empty sky I've tried using single, multiple and all focus points. I've not had much success with the latter, I find the AF is slower, but this was mostly against very fast moving House Martins. Gulls and some other birds are slightly 'easier' as they tend to fly in straighter lines. I have the 40-150 Oly and the Pana 100-400 an I think some of my missed shots with the 100-400 might be done to bad handholding technique, but the much cheaper lens still gave good results.

All in, I find for static birds focus is achieved quickly, for anything moving keeper rate is low.

To add to my settings i use

Shutter priority 1000th +
this gives me shutter control on the back dial exposure compensation on the front
Auto iso i cap mine at 6400
single point focus a lot of the time

Thanks for that Mike and Al, it's really useful.

Do you both use high speed shooting and just fire off and hope some are in focus, or is it a little more refined than that?
 
Thanks for that Mike and Al, it's really useful.

Do you both use high speed shooting and just fire off and hope some are in focus, or is it a little more refined than that?

With your camera it would need to be single frame (S-AF)
 
I’m considering moving to the Fuji X-T3 and a 3 lens setup, To do this I would have to sell my E-M1 MkII and both my 12-40mm and 40-150mm f2.8 Pro Lenses and 1.4 T/C, all in as new condition. The question I’d like answering Is would I be right in looking for £3000?
Do they sell xt3's in the Gardens of Lórien ?:D
 
test shot in the garden today with the latest edition to my legacy glass collection , a sigma 39-80mm with built in macro mode . quiet a difficult one to get right as you need to adjust aperture , zoom, focus , then another focus ring for macro it makes you think about what your doing . but for sub £20 its worth a play . bloody heavy though . .
sigma 39-80 oly by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
 
test shot in the garden today with the latest edition to my legacy glass collection , a sigma 39-80mm with built in macro mode . quiet a difficult one to get right as you need to adjust aperture , zoom, focus , then another focus ring for macro it makes you think about what your doing . but for sub £20 its worth a play . bloody heavy though . .
sigma 39-80 oly by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
Gardens of Lórien?
 
Thanks for that Mike and Al, it's really useful.

Do you both use high speed shooting and just fire off and hope some are in focus, or is it a little more refined than that?

Hi Steve.

I'm still experimenting to be honest. I'm not sure bursts work much better than 1 shot, just more pictures to delete :confused:, but worth trying.

So for birds that fly in more of a straight line I tend to try and get them in sight when they are far out, you can normally get an idea \ hope where they are going and then refocus when closer. I find the tracking does not work so after the first focus the next ones are unlikely to be good. I am wondering whether my cheaper Oly 40-150mm, in good light, focuses as well or better than the Panny 100-400mm, or if I just find it easier as its so light and therefore so easy to hold, resulting in better images. Nothing conclusive, just a gut feeling - the last 2 photos are with it and arguably the best. Am wondering whether to move my 100-400 on and go with Canon for BIF or swap it for a 100-300 which would probably do me, or what Mike uses a 40-150+TC.

I spent nearly 2 weeks trying to get house martins in focus (I was on a family holiday so it was not full-time!). I found the 100-400 seemed to lock on better sub 200mm, post that it seemed harder, so then had to crop = worse images. Might have been me, not sure. I suspect the background also have an affect. I did try all focus points active against a clear sky, but that did not really work well for me unless there were multiple birds in the sky, so single points or the smaller multi point selections worked best for me. I think they were just too fast.

Anyway, I would echo Mike, go with fast shutter speed, S-AF, single point or multi point AF (not everything), be prepared for disappointment and occasional delight!

Ultimately I think this is a great little camera but it's not designed for BIFs, you can get them but keeper rate is low (for me anyway) - an EM1mkII or G9 is what we need, or possibly an EM1, maybe G80.

Please note I'm still very much the amateur and there are far better photographers on here who can provide some better guidance - if I find something that works better for me I'll let you know!

Good luck!
 
Having used long lenses for far to many years and across the brands and various sensor sizes , I think you will find the problem with b.i.f with the 100-400 is down purely to sensor size , and the fact that your more than likely using it handheld .. ... let’s pull apart those statements , the sensor size equates the lens to a 800mm lens at full reach and your also going to be using that handheld with a very narrow angle of view. , yes it can be done but it’s not easy , ...

Once the bird of prey season starts up here I shall be resorting to tripod and gimble myself , much easier to lock onto a bird and follow its weaving then just shoot when you get a lock on . There is only one way to overcome it handheld and that’s zoom out get target and zoom back in but it’s not easy even then .

A 300mm is slightly better but it might not have the length required it actually equates to the same focal length as a 400mm lens on a aps.c camera the 100-400 gives around the same reach as a 150-600 on a APS.c
 
  • Like
Reactions: akr
Hello!

Sorry for the lack of content. Been a busy bee over here!

JLE51130-3.jpg


Picking up a Reverse ND Grad filter tomorrow which should make things really interesting. I'll head down to the beach Weds after work and share what I shoot!
 
Gorgeous light at the top of the frame; not sure it needs the stairs and rail.
 
Gorgeous light at the top of the frame; not sure it needs the stairs and rail.

I found it a nice leading line. it does cause some controversy though as it creates a little imbalance. But I do prefer it with :)
 
Sorry for the lack of content.
I think one thing you can rely on is that there's always plenty of content on here. I love that this is such an active thread. Lots of interesting and useful contributions. Apart from mine ha ha!

I find the Olympus online magazine a bit tricky to navigate, but I was chuffed to get my picture in their reader gallery this month :) http://en.olympusmag.co.uk/issue59/
 
Congrats Bebop! :D

Also, I picked this up today...

JLE91153.jpg


Oops...

Beach tomorrow after work then!
 
Not sure if this has been commented on before but the firmware has been updated:-

Firmware update Version 2.2
Stability of operation when shooting still images has been improved.

Corrected issue of C-AF not operating correctly when using the "LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH.(H-X025)" interchangeable lens produced by Panasonic.

The first line about "stability of still images" I have seen listed for prior firmware version(s).....................just wish I knew what that meant???

However, not update myself yet, still on v2.0

PS I was reading up about the phone app to control the Olympus bodies..................but yet to find if the EM1.2 can be tethered to the app??? Anyone using it and if so with which phone???
 
Last edited:
Not sure if this has been commented on before but the firmware has been updated:-

Firmware update Version 2.2
Stability of operation when shooting still images has been improved.

Corrected issue of C-AF not operating correctly when using the "LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH.(H-X025)" interchangeable lens produced by Panasonic.

The first line about "stability of still images" I have seen listed for prior firmware version(s).....................just wish I knew what that meant???

However, not update myself yet, still on v2.0


It means the stabilization, the IBIS, has been improved for hand held stills/photos. It was already insanely good, the EM1 mkII and the Panasonic G9 have the best IBIS available on the market.
 
Having used long lenses for far to many years and across the brands and various sensor sizes , I think you will find the problem with b.i.f with the 100-400 is down purely to sensor size , and the fact that your more than likely using it handheld .. ... let’s pull apart those statements , the sensor size equates the lens to a 800mm lens at full reach and your also going to be using that handheld with a very narrow angle of view. , yes it can be done but it’s not easy , ...

Once the bird of prey season starts up here I shall be resorting to tripod and gimble myself , much easier to lock onto a bird and follow its weaving then just shoot when you get a lock on . There is only one way to overcome it handheld and that’s zoom out get target and zoom back in but it’s not easy even then .

A 300mm is slightly better but it might not have the length required it actually equates to the same focal length as a 400mm lens on a aps.c camera the 100-400 gives around the same reach as a 150-600 on a APS.c

I wonder when(if?) they will introduce the as yet mythical 140-400mm Pro zoom, likely to be a bit of a game changer but at what price point???
 
It means the stabilization, the IBIS, has been improved for hand held stills/photos. It was already insanely good, the EM1 mkII and the Panasonic G9 have the best IBIS available on the market.
Makes sense..................time to update as any such improvements can only be a benefit :) Just hope the process does what it says on the tin and re-loads my Custom settings etc!
 
Back
Top