I was browsing the Olympus website, and noticed a few further bits and pieces which I hadn’t seen mentioned regarding the EM1 II. Obviously most everyone’s attention had been on the mad new AF system and incredible FPS that this new camera is reported to achieve, but I thought these little snippets might be of use.
The Good (in no particular order)
· The new battery (BLH-1) is not only over 37% greater capacity, but now shows the charge levels as a percentage (rather than bars) like the DSLR boys have been doing for a while. So no longer any need to guess how much juice is left.
· The camera has a built in AF limiter (for those lenses that don’t have an AF focus limit switch). Up to three different distances can be programmed, and it’s possible to turn the function on or off via a customised button.
· AF targeting pad. Just like Panasonic (and I believe the new PEN-F), the AF point can be moved by moving your finger across the screen. Furthermore it says if your nose touches the screen, it will not affect touch control of the AF target.
· Shutter release rated to 200,000 shots
· ISO Low 64 equivalent
· High res shot – whilst not quite the hand held high res that was being reported (maybe a firmware update), it can now compensate for item that move (trees, water etc.) using the new Truepic VIII processing engine, something the unit in the EM5 II can’t. Furthermore, shutter speeds in high res mode now run from 1/8000 all the way down to 8 seconds.
· Camera now bundled with the great little Olympus FL-LM3 unit that appeared in the EM5 II, so no more stupid double piece hot shoe covers.
· USB connector now USB3 for high speed transfer of shooting data.
· Low shutter speed limit – This function lets you set the shutter speed at which the ISO setting begins to automatically rise in ISO auto mode (at last)
· All settings and Mysets are now saveable to avoid having to reset them after a firmware upgrade.
· Grid Settings- You can now change the colour of the grid to make shooting easier in dark locations such as stage performances.
· Handheld 4K video now with the full power of the Olympus 5-Axis image stabilizer.
· Dual card slots with their function customizable.
· Shutter mechanism now sits in a floating mechanism so that shutter shock is not transmitted ot the body.
· Silent mode now available in shutter speeds rom 1/32,000 sec to the full 60 seconds.
Perhaps not so good (or not improved)
· Raw still at 12 bit (no 14 bit option)
· Interesting one this – make of it as you will. Auto ISO now runs from low (ISO64) to only 6400, whereas on the EM1, it goes all the way up to ISO25,600. Does this mean that the new sensor isn’t as good from a noise point of view than its predecessor, or just that Olympus are now more realistic in its ISO offerings (12,800 and 25,600 were never really good on the EM1)? I guess only time and reviews will tell.
· Still it seems there’s no way to name Mysets, which is a shame – however this might just not be documented (here’s hoping).
· Still no proper GPS option, instead having to rely on draining your smartphone using the Olympus app.
· Still no auto Panorama mode (like my GX8 has) pity as I use this feature quite often.
· Still no quick 100% push button for image review (unless it hasn’t been detailed)