My stealthed-up OM-D. Note lack of strap D rings; these are the clip points from the Crumpler strap.
I did a double take after seeing the teaser images for the OM-D, way back at the start of the year. Olympus managed to make a 2012 camera look like a 1970 one; not only that, why on earth would you need a prism hump for a camera that doesn’t even have a prism? My first impressions of the spec sheet were ho-hum, yet another over-cramped sensor with too many pixels, inside a tiny body. And it wouldn’t fit my workflow, because there was no ACR support of any kind. And what’s with having two cryptic names? Then, after a long wait, and at a camera shop in Singapore looking for some lighting gear, I made the mistake of playing with one. Not only did it not feel plasticky and toy-like as its appearance would suggest, but the camera was also very responsive – in a connected-to-your-synapses-good way that I’ve only felt with the pro Nikons up to this point. I was intrigued.
Reach out and touch me. Tilt and capacitative-touch LCD; there’s actually another accessory port under the flash hotshoe for things like GPS, macro LED lights (that look like tentacles), or for a completely bizarre twist, another EVF.
A little more research on reaching home in Kuala Lumpur revealed that the OM-D was not only surprisingly expensive for what it was – D7000 money – but perhaps enough camera that you could use one on assignment and be taken seriously. And whilst a nice idea, the two-part vertical grip both managed to look dinky and defeat the point of having a compact system in the first place.
Ladies at lunch. OM-D, 45/1.8 – this has rapidly become my favorite lens for the camera. It’s a little long to use at arms’ length on the Pen Mini, but excellently stealthy on the OM-D.
I admit, following reading a number of excellent reviews on the web, temptation peaked. ACR support was the final straw – one day, it followed me home. (My dealer has a joke about my car washes being very expensive, because while waiting for the car to be ready, I usually drop by; most of the time, I buy something. This was another one of those expensive car washes.) After all, I reasoned that I already had the Pen Mini and excellent 12/2, 20/1.7 and 45/1.8 lenses for Micro Four Thirds, plus there was all of this Leica M glass sitting around and an adaptor. The Pen Mini was surprisingly excellent. How bad could it be?
The Kicker. OM-D, 45/1.8
Actually, a lot better than expected. Turns out there’s a very good reason for that prism hump, just not one you’d expect. Aside from the 1.44 million dot EVF, there’s also a five-axis gyroscope – supposedly a world first – inside the camera that controls the matching five-axis moving-sensor stabilization system. I’m not a fan of sensor based systems, because they don’t generally have as much correction power (from an angle of view basis) as lens-based systems for longer lenses, and they tend to do odd things like ‘snap’ back into position once the limits of travel are reached. The OM-D’s system displays a little bit of the latter, but very, very little. And it’s surprisingly effective, too – it activates with a decisiveness I haven’t seen before on a sensor-IS system – but then again I don’t have any lenses over 90mm EFOV, and if I did, I’d probably buy the Panasonic 100-300 which already has lens-based IS built in, giving me the choice of both systems (but not together, as apparently both manufacturers claim they don’t play nice). You still need to give the stabilizer a moment to lock down though, otherwise you might get that unexpected jump.
A repost of one of my favorite portraits. OM-D, 45/1.8
And that brings me to the next popular point of contention with the OM-D: the fan noise. Turns out it’s the a combination of the gyroscope and the electromagnets that move the sensor, or keep it in place (if the IS system is off). In fact, you can hear a similar noise in Nikon’s VR lenses when VR is engaged if you listen carefully. I don’t think it’s a big deal, personally. You can only hear it in near-silent environments.
A shave and two bits. OM-D, 45/1.8
The OM-D is a tricky body to get a feel for – it’s smaller in person than you’d expect from pictures; it’s a little taller than the E-P3 due to the finder hump, but nowhere near as bulky and unwieldy as the E-P3 with the VF2 viewfinder attached. Ergonomically, this is good and bad news; the camera sits in the hand well, and both exposure adjustment dials fall easily to thumb and forefinger. The arrow keys on the back are still OK, but a little bit of a cramp to reach; the delete button and power switch are both far too low. Moving the power switch to that little empty bit of deck underneath the shutter button would be fantastic – a split second fumble to power the camera on can often cost your the shot. More on this later.
Damn you, Magritte. OM-D, Leica 35/1.4 ASPH FLE via adaptor
For the most part, ergonomics are solid. There are plenty of programmable buttons; the two on the top deck (Fn and record), one next to play (Fn) and the arrow pad. The play and Fn buttons are a bit small – perhaps making them pointier and longer might help – I’d be concerned about being able to hit them reliably with gloves, but then again they seem to be fine for bare-handed use. The arrow pad is set to pick focus point by default, and this is the behavior I prefer. You can assign shortcuts like ISO and WB to it, but why bother when there’s the excellent SCP which shows all settings at a glance? Hit the OK key and use your finger to select the setting, then use the front dial to change it.
Night Tree. OM-D and 45/1.8. ISO 2000, would you believe?
Oh, I forgot to mention the OM-D has also inherited the touch screen from the E-P3; Olympus has done a good job of making its operation unintrusive so you’re not accidentally shooting with your nose (you can do a touch-to-focus-and-shoot operation when in live view). It’s handy to select focus points quickly, as well as scroll and zoom images – though this behavior is just a little counterintuitive, because I don’t do it on any of my other cameras.
In addition to being hugely customizable, there are several neat touches with the operation of the camera – in playback, the FN1 button next to play zooms into the focus point to the last magnification with two presses: first to enable (after which you can also use your finger to drag the enlarged area box) and another to magnify. Amongst all cameras, only the pro Nikons do this. Better yet, you can skip between zoomed-in images to compare areas of the image using the front command dial. On top of all this, you can even select clipping levels for the shadow/ highlight warning display. Nice.
Memorial for a leaf. OM-D, 45/1.8
The OM-D has other functions which I don’t really use, but which might be nice for JPEG shooters like special effects and a form of live curve control using the dials; it isn’t very precise, but it is better than nothing.
Remember I was talking about losing shots to a powered-off camera earlier? There’s a good reason for this: if you leave the battery, it’ll probably be dead after about 300 or so frames because the EVF and LCD appear to be always on, even if the camera is in standby; the LCD might be black but mine at least has a telltale glow. My friends who don’t power off between shots are reporting battery life in this range. I’ve got no problem getting 500 shots out and barely making a dent in the battery (one little segment missing), however. I think I’ve only charged it a handful of times since getting the camera, and never has the battery been fully depleted.
Untitled. OM-D, 45/1.8
I think the EVF saves power over the LCD, but then again I’m not entirely sure; there’s a lot of dots on that little monitor. It’s definitely one of the better ones I’ve seen, with a very high refresh rate, low lag, good usability in low light (though oddly the live preview tonality etc doesn’t accurately match the captured image sometimes) and a fine dot pitch. Do I miss my real viewfinder? Yes, but to be honest, I seem to have adapted to this one. And being able to see a quick review of the image you just shot in the finder is great – you don’t have to take your eye away from it to check your composition. Similarly, if you want to shoot discretely at waist level – the tilting LCD is great. I prefer these to the swivel kind that frankly always feel like they’re going to snap off at the hinge point.
In praise of tilt screens. OM-D, 45/1.8
In use, the OM-D shows that it was designed by photographers – or at least has had heavy photographer input in most of the engineering decisions. Menus are logical, and settings are mostly easy to find – though it could really use a way of saving settings to an SD card to transfer between multiple cameras (this is a ‘pro’ feature for users of multiple bodies), or reload if somebody plays with yours. It’s solid, and surprisingly hefty for its size – the body is made of magnesium alloy a mix of magnesium alloy, plastic, and some stamped metal (brass?) parts; it’s weather sealed to the same level as the E-5. If you look closely, there are gaskets on every compartment. Although I’ve seen videos of people washing their E-5s, note that the only weather sealed M4/3 lens at the moment is the 12-50 kit lens. All in all, I’m pretty confident that the camera could take a decent beating and survive.
Remember this shot from Wesak Day? The camera was already soaked by similar blessings at this point. OM-D, 12/2
The critical thing that makes a good camera, in my mind, is responsiveness. And the OM-D has it in spades. I think it’s the fastest-focusing contrast detect camera out there; it’s noticeably faster than the Pen Mini, which I already thought was pretty speedy. It even shoots at 9fps, in RAW, with no buffer indigestion. Frankly, in good light, with a contrasty subject, it gives my D800E a run for its money. The catch is that you must use the Olympus lenses for this. Despite the supposed openness of the Micro Four Thirds standard, there are definite speed advantages to be had for using a manufacturer’s own lenses on its own bodies.
Bulding blocks. OM-D, 45/1.8
There is a catch with autofocus, however. As good as single AF is – I would say easily class leading, and giving most DSLRs a run for their money (with none of the AF alignment problems, because the imaging sensor does the focusing) – continuous AF is a completely different story. Even though Olympus claims that continuous and tracking AF is greatly improved with the OM-D, frankly, it’s unusable. Continuous autofocus can’t seem to anticipate subject motion; it drops after the first frame, and usually comes close but fails to re-acquire the subject. Tracking AF is a similar story; you can see the camera manages to find the subject in the frame and displays this in the finder, but somehow it just fails to move the lens by the right amount to keep up with it. I would personally avoid these two modes, and instead rely on its extremely fast S-AF, low shutter lag, and the higher DOF of Micro 4/3 (for a given FOV and aperture) to save you. In fact, I don’t think I’d use this camera for moving subjects at all; that’s why I still keep the D700 and battery grip around.
Holy man. OM-D, 45/1.8. Even at the slow, predictable speed of the moving float, getting this shot was a lucky break.
I haven’t seen any AF errors for single AF, except when there are objects at multiple distances inside the focusing box (whose size can’t be changed) and something other than the intended subject is the most contrasty. It’s also worth noting that because the imaging sensor is used, the AF grid covers almost the entire frame. These are two huge advantages of mirrorless systems that frankly I miss with full frame cameras, whose AF grid usually covers the central third of the frame at best.
All of this usability would be utterly, well, useless, if the image quality didn’t match. The OM-D reportedly uses the same sensor as the Panasonic GX1 I’ve been told by a number of sources that it’s a different sensor; 16MP and 3.63 micron pixel pitch. That’s tiny; the 10MP 1/1.7″ compacts run at about 2.3 microns or so. By comparison, the D7000 and D800E have a 4.88 micron pitch, and the D700/D3, an enormous 8.5 microns. (Every time you double the pitch, you quadruple the photo site area.) Even factoring in advances in technology, I’d expect pixel-level performance to be on par with the Pen Mini; going from 12 to 16MP while maintaining the same pixel quality is pretty much what Nikon did with the D3s to D4 move, and in about the same gestation period.
Hot day. OM-D, 45/1.8
Wrong. It seems that either the old sensor was pretty old, or the new sensor has skipped half a generation – pixel level image quality is on par with the D7000, as far as acuity and noise goes; it may even be slightly better on the noise front. Color accuracy is better, too; the OM-D is both accurate and delivers excellent skin tones. The best way to describe its tonal palette is ‘natural’ – very little work is required to get my desired output from the RAW file, which isn’t necessarily the case with other cameras. The only place where it can’t quite keep up (and this is a fact of the laws of physics) is in dynamic range; I don’t know exactly how much it has, but my gut puts it at around 11-12 stops useable at base ISO with careful RAW processing, which is a little less than the D7000, and two stops less than the D800E. The sensor is further limited at higher ISOs, at which point dynamic range falls further. There’s probably no more than 6-7 useable stops at ISO 3200. This is still excellent performance for such a small sensor!
Migrant workers. OM-D, 45/1.8. ISO 3200
On the noise front, I limited my Pen Mini’s auto ISO to 1600; anything beyond was just too grainy and edge-compromised to use. I’m happy to raise that one stop to 3200 for the OM-D; perhaps 6400 if I have no choice, since there are a few more pixels to play with – but by then dynamic range and color are really suffering quite badly. All in all, though, I’d put the noise performance on par with the Leica X2 I recently tested. One more stop of useable high-ISO, the hugely improved stabilizer, and the ability to use an eye-level finder and brace the camera against your face (increasing stability and reducing the minimum shutter speed required to handhold) means that the OM-D is capable of delivering 2-3 stops of additional usability over the Pen Mini (and by extension, E-P3/ E-PL3 cameras of that generation) – which is a huge step forward. In fact, it gives better color and detail than my D700 at base ISO, and keeps up with it noise-wise to about ISO 800. It’s probably about as flexible as the D800E in that sense. In daylight, picking this camera is a no-brainer.
The thinking man’s camera. With beer, too. OM-D, 45/1.8. ISO 2000
This doesn’t of course mean that the OM-D is perfect; there are many things that only reveal themselves with extended use, and one of the reasons why this review has taken so long (other than the X2 and M-Monochrom arrivals) is because I didn’t feel like I’ve had enough time to shoot with it to fully understand this camera; there’s a lot of functionality in here I haven’t even tried, like video mode for instance. What I do want to test more extensively – and haven’t had the chance to, because FL-50Rs aren’t exactly cheap or easy to borrow – is the wireless flash system. If it’s as accurate and flexible as Nikon’s CLS, I may well have found a replacement lightweight system for anything that doesn’t require 36MP. I did briefly play with the two-part grip; it’s very solid, and improves handling and balance dramatically – with or without the vertical portion. It takes another battery and is sealed to the same degree as the rest of the camera. The only problem I have with it is the rather stiff price for what is effectively a few bits of plastic and some buttons; it’s fully 1/3rd of the camera – at least where I live.
Untitled portrait. OM-D, 45/1.8
Things I’d like to see improved:
– Strap lug placement is awful. Using the included D-rings, the strap digs into your palm, or the web between your fingers. It seems like this is an Olympus tradition; every single Olympus I’ve owned has had this problem. I solve it in the usual way: remove the D rings, and either use a thin lanyard hand strap (fortunately, the camera is light) or a Crumpler Urban Disgrace that attaches via a lanyard-style string that threads through the remaining eyelets.
– Continuous AF. It’s not usable now, period.
– The power switch is in a terrible location.
– The buttons could be more tactile, they feel, well, mushy. It’s not always clear if you’ve pressed something.
– Playback and FN1 buttons are too small, and you can quite easily press the wrong one.
– It seems battery life could be improved, perhaps through more intelligent use of sleep modes. The camera could be a bit faster in waking up and powering on, too.
– Some way of saving settings to an SD card and transferring them to another camera – this is meant to be a pro grade camera after all, and pros have more than one camera. With that many custom settings, resetting a second camera is a colossal pain.
Contemplating the upgrade (note watches). OM-D, 45/1.8
Notice that with the exception of continuous AF performance, there are no real big issues here. In all fairness, continuous AF is something that none of the mirrorless cameras do well (with the exception of the Nikon 1, which has phase detect photo sites on the sensor).
With the arrival of the OM-D, it finally feels like Micro Four Thirds has come of age. The original promise of ‘smaller, same quality’ which was made with Four Thirds I felt was never fulfilled with earlier cameras; they weren’t small enough, or able to deliver the same image quality. Although Micro Four Thirds went a long way to fulfilling the smaller part of the equation, image quality, speed and usability were lagging behind until the last generation; only now has the promise been met. I don’t look at the OM-D’s files and think ‘wow, this isn’t bad for such a small sensor!’; instead, I look at the files and am satisfied enough to not think about the sensor size. It’s hugely liberating to be able to carry a pro grade body and three lens fast-prime kit – 24, 40 and 90 equivalents – whose total weight is around 600g, and without feeling like I’m compromising anything (at least not for what I shoot; if it were sport, it’d probably be a different case). That’s the weight of one lens for the D800, or the M9-P body only. That’s hugely appealing for travel. Even two bodies wouldn’t weigh that much.
In conclusion: it’s an exciting time to be a photographer. For the vast majority of my work, this is more than enough camera; I just need a solid macro option (there’s a 60mm 1:1 on the way) and a good wireless flash system, and I’d be seriously tempted to switch over. MT
Waiting for more rebar. OM-D, 45/1.8
More of my work with the OM-D can be found here on flickr. This is a set which will be continuously updated as time goes by…
Update: I’ve been made aware of an excellent thread on DPReview by Archer Sully here documenting some of the ‘hidden’ features of the OM-D that the manual doesn’t cover. It’s good reading for any OM-D shooter.
Get the Olympus OM-D here from B&H or Amazon.
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Ming Thein | Photographer 
Have you used the Panasonic GH3 yet? If so how does the IQ compare with the Olympus OM-D E-M5. I own a GH2 which I bought because it is a hybrid camera and i make lots of short films. However I have missed the still image quality of my old Nikon D80 I use to have. Thinking the GH3 could be a step closer.
I just reviewed it today actually. I prefer the OM-D.
Dear Ming
i’m almost sold on this camera as an upgrade to my current EPL1. However i was just wondering how if it would be OK for fast moving action.. i realise an SLR would be better for this but given its so good in other areas do you think i get a few keepers using this camera in rapid fire mode on those rarer occasions i wish to shoot sports?
Cheers
Short answer: not good for action. None of the current breed of mirrorless cameras are, except the Nikon 1s, but you have other issues with limited high ISO and slow lenses. If you shoot occasional sport you can get away with trap focus or other similar techniques, but if you do a lot of it, AF will frustrate you.
As usual, I have to contradict in this point, Ming. With the right settings, the E-M5 has got what it takes to deliver on a good level, when it comes to shooting fast moving subjects.
Here the link to the pics I shot just the other week: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63427925@N00/sets/72157632620287310/
I hsave been shooting running fogs (even sighthounds) for nearly a year, with the E-M5, and it’s anything but frustrating. It’s just important to use the proper settings, such as picture mode vivid, EVF-IS off (since firmware update 1.5) and the likes – and accept that you have to work differently than with a DSLR. If you do so, even the tracking can deliver series of eight or more consecutive well focused shots of a dog running at about 35kph. (Please take a look at the final eight shots of this album: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63427925@N00/sets/72157630591312236/).
I would never claim that the E-M5 delivers on the same level as the big CaNokon sports cameras but if you are ready to really go for it, the E-M5 can produce 60 to 70 percent of keepers. But – as I said before – you need Zuiko lenses to achieve these results. The Panny lenses have a better video C-AF (on the E-M5, that is) but their C-AF performance for stills is mediocre. (Don’t know if this also applies to the 12-35 and 35-100 as I haven’t tested them)
But with the Zuikos 12-50, 14-150, 40-150, 45, 75 and 75-300, shoorting action with the E-M5 is a pleasing experience.
I still think there must be some magic mix of settings you’re using. I don’t get more than 1/10 with the 45 and 75…even stopped down.
Ming, i went to the store today to play with the Olympus OMD and the Sony a57 also caught my eye.. Apart from better action shooting is there any other benefit the Sony would give me over the OMD? The a57 is a bit bigger but alot cheaper..i imagine the image quality from both cameras would be more or less on par? i mostly shoot jpeg cheers 🙂 p.s DonParrot you have some great shots on your flickr page
Wouldn’t have a clue, haven’t used the Sony!
Ming – I notice you tape up the Olympus branding for ‘stealth’.
Do you feel it makes much difference when shooting people or on the street? Having read many of your reviews I have actually just ordered 2 OM-D’s, one in each color, with a view to returning the one I like least.
So I’d be interested to hear if you feel there is any benefit to black?
PS: great blog, really appreciate the reviews and the time you must put into it.
No, I tape it – and a lot of other cameras – up to avoid reflections in reflective objects I photograph such as watches. Same goes with black. My M9-P was chrome because I thought it looked better, and my Hasselblad is now electric blue. 🙂
I just sold my Canon DSLR rig to purchase the OM-D. For some reason, I’m getting skittish now on ordering it. I don’t shoot sports or anything of that nature, just my 3 year old daughter, and other portraits. Am I doing the right thing???
Only you can answer that. But there’s no reason why you can’t make great images with the OM-D, I only use my Nikons on assignment now.
Its truly the best camera in its class. I’m a pro photographer and have used Canon pro digital cameras for over a decade. The Oly5 is a game changer. I couldn’t be happier with it. I’m considering purchasing the grip but will also be getting the 75mm 1.8. Already own the 12mm 2.0, 45mm 1.8 and Panny 20mm 1.7.
You just need the 60 macro now 🙂
Ming and Marc, thank you kindly for your replies! I have gone ahead and placed my order. If you would like, I will drop back in later to share my thoughts!
No problem, enjoy the camera. And sure, please leave your thoughts – the more the merrier.
Hi Ming, just wanted you to know that I gave you some link love at the bottom of the blog post on the Olympus OMD EM5. Thanks so much for being an early adapter and such a great review!
Thanks for your support!
GREAT review!! I have had the camera for 4 months and you are spot on with the review! (BTW the 60 micro is available now!) I own the D3s/D800 and during daylight or at least good lighting, the E-M5 camera output is superb – almost equal to the other two – sometimes color is better! Jpegs seem to have a little more life than the raw images (I usually end up using them as processing time is quicker). Love your review – you seem to have the right words for describing photography clearly, concisely, and meaningfully. Bless you!
Thanks Carl. The review was written in June, actually. And I reviewed the 60 here.
thank you Ming…..I’ve just discovered your site….and I am saving to buy this camera….For me your review has been
one of the most enjoyable and visually compelling reasons to help confirm my decision to buy the OM-D.
Thanks – please use my Amazon link if you can!
Interesting review Ming, thanks. I’m a satisfied user of the leica x1 planning to add the om-d with the 45/1,8 beside it.
35mm equivalent is my choice for 70% of times, but I need something longer for the other 30%, portraits or details. My only concerns is due to the different image size ratio (2/3 and 4/3) but it’s possible I can live with it!
robert
I think it will work just fine for you.
Hi Ming, Been following your blog now for a couple of months. Even followed you on my recent 2 week trip {exclusive using my OMD5} in Paris. I took with me the 45mm 1.8, 12mm 1.2 and the Panasonic 20mm 1.7 The 45mm is hands down my favorite lens, super sharp wide open. The 12mm is great too but the 20mm IMO is lack luster and just doesn’t have enough contrast and sharpness. I may opt to upgrade to the Leica version in the future. I hope this is the right place to ask this…..The one area I miss the most that I do have with my DSLR system is my 70-200mm 2.8 IS L, Canon lens. I saw a recent post that you did on concert photography where you used, i think a Panasonic 100-300? Is there a top quality telephoto zoom lens that you’d recommend for the OMD EM5 system? I value your opinion and like to hear your thoughts on this. Hope all is well in your world and congratulations on your recent teach partnership!
Haha, thank you. I carried the same to Tokyo, but didn’t use the 20 at all – it just sat in my bag. Then again, I am not really a 50mm person.
I do like the 100-300 but it obviously isn’t an f2.8 – and it starts at 200mm equivalent. You might be better off with the upcoming 35-100/2.8. Personally, if I wanted something in that range I’d pick the 75/1.8.
Ming, thank you so much for the quick update. The 75/1.8 is of course a fabulous choice. I’m sure it is along the lines of the 45/1.8 whihc is my favorite lens on the OMD set up. It would be nice to have a zoom and not change lenses quite as much and that extra 50mm of reach is needed for me in the field when shooting landscapes a 1/4 to 1/2 a mile away. Is this the lens you are talking about? http://www.cameradebate.com/2012/panasonic-lumix-g-x-vario-35-100mm-f2-8-lens/
It’s better than the 45 – there’s an extra notch of crispness and microcontrast that takes it to the next level. Yes, that’s the lens…
p.s. Great review on the Pany 100-300.
Thanks for such a detailed review! I was wondering if I could get your opinion on something: I’m shopping for my first “real” camera and actually already ordered a Canon 60d. I am seriously tempted to return it and get this Olympus OM-D instead. I’m mostly looking to capture everyday family memories (photo and video), but I also want some room to grow as a photographer. How do you feel about the OM-D as a learning camera, and do you think it will offer as many opportunities for growth as a real dSLR?
I read all over the place that practice (not necessarily good equipment) is the key to developing a good eye, and I do worry that the Canon will be so cumbersome, it will become a “special-occasion only” camera. On the other hand, I would like to be able to keep this camera for several years without needing to upgrade, and the OM-D seems like it has some big drawbacks — people love it as a second camera, but as the only one? What do you think?
No problem. I don’t think there are any issues with the OM-D – I use it when I’m not ‘on duty’, and yes, it’s definitely a real camera. In some ways, it’s actually better featured than the 60D (9fps, weather sealing, touch screen, highly customizable etc) but lags only in continuous AF capability – if you’re going to shoot a lot of action or running kids, the DSLR might well serve you better.
After a crazy amount of agonizing and indecision (I even resorted to rolling the dice a couple of times), I decided to keep the Canon 60d and plan on getting a smaller m4/3 at some point in the future for traveling. I guess I wasn’t ready to put down that kind of money on a mirrorless yet — if it had been just a couple hundred dollars cheaper, things might have turned out differently. 🙂 I’m not entirely positive that I made the best decision — the Canon is pretty darn huge — but I think it’ll be a good place to start. Thanks again for your input!
No problem. Have a look at the RX100 for something light and small…
Alas, the RX100 is out of my price range (trying to keep it under $500). But I’m glad you mentioned it — I had no idea they made such nice point-and-shoot cameras. I may have to consider one. 🙂
I’ve been looking at a Panasonic GX1 — how do you like that one? I didn’t find a review of it on this site. It seems to have its share of ardent admirers, and the price feels right ($470). I’m also reading your review of the E-PM1 ($350) and considering the similar E-PL3 ($500). Any thoughts?
I don’t review what I don’t use – I’m a commercial photographer first and a blogger a distant second. I don’t get paid for the reviews, and most of the stuff I have to buy (!) – spending money purely for sake of a review that doesn’t generate income is bad business.
That said, I’d pick the E-PM1 out of that bunch – it’s the smallest, has the fastest AF along with the E-PL3, and the cheapest as a bonus.
Wow, you must have a lot of cameras! 🙂 I hope people start sending you freebies — the reviews are very very helpful! 🙂 I think I’ve decided on the Pen Mini, although I’m going to sleep on it first. Thanks again for your replies!!
I cleared out some. Down to seven at the moment – Nikon D600, D700, D800E and F2 Titan; Leica M9-P, Olympus OM-D and Sony RX100. I’m thinking about an old Hasselblad 503CM too.
I am surprised that there isn’t an X100 or X-Pro1 in that list. I know they frustrated a lot of guys at first, but the firmware seems to have brought them back to normal functionality. Did you just not like the images or mechanics?
Images were great from the X100, but even with the new FW I didn’t feel it was fast enough. The menus were also quite idiotically laid out. I haven’t shot with the X-Pro, so I’m not commenting – it seemed like too much money to spend on an uncertain system.
Funny reading your comment regarding the X100 menus. I have the OM-D and X100, initially gave up on the X100 but came back to try it again recently. I’m amazed how easy the menus are to use compared to the OM-D (and the EP-2). Olympus must have he worst menu system I have ever used as now the X100 seems like a breeze. I like both cameras very much.
I actually didn’t have any issues with the OM-D menus. There are a lot of options, but it’s pretty similar to my Nikons – perhaps that’s why I don’t mind it. What really bothered me about the RX100 was the illogical grouping of related functions.
Well, we ended up with a GX1 after all. I very nearly bought the Pen Mini, but an honest review of our photography habits revealed that we use (abuse? heh) burst mode shooting rather a lot, and the GX1 had a much nicer buffer. Also got a discount on the 20mm pancake lens. 🙂 I hope it treats us well.
Can’t go wrong with either. Hope you were able to use my amazon link! 🙂
I didn’t realize you had one! 😦 I’ll look out for those in the future!
Ming, I think you have some of the best photos on the net, and the best OM-D photos period. So much so that you have inspired me to buy an OM-D which arrives this week (plus a few primes). Finally I get away from the DSLR.
I have researched a lot and one thing that comes up is ‘settings’ with comments saying the default settings are quite unpleasing to teh eye.
I wondered if you would be so kind as to share your personal OM-D E-M5 settings? I am sure other Olympus users would be as interested as I would be.
Thank you. I presume you’re referring to the JPEG settings rather than the custom functions – sorry to disappoint you, but I shoot RAW on all of my cameras and run each image through my regular Photoshop workflow.
Hello Ming – thanks for the reply. I plan on shooting RAW almost exclusively, though I tend to use lightroom predominantly with perhaps a little finalizing in PS.
I guess I didn’t look into the settings too well – I see a lot are pertaining to jpeg output which is of no use and you are correct.
I have since found some suggested settings online in terms of functions so that will give me a good start. http://www.ayton.id.au/wiki/doku.php?id=photo:olympusem5_settings
Thanks
Unless you’re using the Oly software, the RAW settings don’t do anything but affect the preview image, and the AF speed (higher contrast = easier focusing = faster). That’s a good resource btw.
Thanks for your review. You do a tremendous job–really. It’s like a breath of fresh air, compared to many (most?) other reviews on mirrorless cameras these days. They all seem to be written by reviewers who work for the company whose product they are reviewing.
I’m trying to decide between the NEX-6 and the OM-D. Lenses exist in both systems that I like, so that’s not a concern. I far prefer the body of the NEX as I feel it won’t slip out of my hands, but the OM-D’s comparable lenses are slightly more appealing, except for the more limited DOF. What it comes down to is enjoyable to use (NEX) versus easier to get good images out of (OM-D)? That’s what I’m really wondering. Do you find the OM-D takes pictures that are fairly pleasing and easy to work with? It seems that’s the Olympus advantage, and could make shooting more immediately gratifying if the pictures are more beautiful right away, but the limited dynamic range is slightly concerning.
Thanks Adam. I actually find the OM-D more enjoyable to use, and prefer the images out of it because of the weaker AA filter and more pleasing color. (I used to own a NEX-5, but sold it after about 1500 shots – 2000 seems to be my make or break point; my OM-D is at about 15,000 now which means I’ll probably keep it til it dies.) There’s not that much difference in available DOF control – even less so since there are so many good fast primes for the M43 system. I don’t find dynamic range that limited either; and of course you can always meter around it.
Hi Ming,
I have 45mm 1.8 and 75mm 1.8 but thinking about getting 12mm 2.0 for wide angle. What do you think about the 12mm lens? Any reviews? Just got mine 60mm 2.8 for macro today as well. Once again, thank you for your input.
I wrote the Camerapedia precisely for questions like this…no, I haven’t done a full review yet.
Hello Ming, just an observation…
I have found the Panasonic Lumix 14/2.5 G for 280€ brand new ( I think it is a very very good price) while the Olympus ZD 12/2 ED cost 745€ (over 2 ½ times the cost here in Greece), and I’m thinking seriously to make the purchase. For a WA lens I prefer (for the kind of shouting that I do) the FOV of the 28 vs 24mm. I have read also quite a lot reviews that they said the overall performance of the 2 lenses (in the OM-D 16MP body) is almost equal with a little advantage of the 12/2 in the extreme corners. The test of the lensrentals.com by Roger Cicala (http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/05/wide-angle-micro-43-imatest-results) indicates that the 2 lenses perform equally in the OM-D (the 14/2.5 if you look only the numbers is actually Better!). Should I make the purchase of the 14/2.5, what is your opinion Ming? The 12/2 is really out of my budget right now…
I prefer the 28mm FOV too, but I didn’t find any of the 14/2.5 samples I tried to be satisfactory. You (or he) might get lucky. I don’t particularly like the corners of my 12/2 either though…I suppose I will have no choice but to buy the Schneider!
Ming it is rumored that the Schneider-Kruzenach 14/2 it will be priced at around €1.500. That is a LOT of money for a lens (for my anyway!)! I think I will try the 14/2.5 and I might get lucky with a really good sample! At 280€ is a bargain!!! Thank you for your thoughts!
Ouch! A lot for M43 but not so much in the grand scheme of lenses, but yes, this seems to somewhat defeat the point of M43 altogether. Good luck!
Hello Ming,
As you said, Sharpness & Contrast settings don’t apply to raw files but only to jpeg. What about the Noise Reduction? You propose to leave Noise Reduct. & Noise Filter in-camera settings to Off and do the reduction to Photoshop?
Thanks again for your time to response!
That one is a much trickier answer – I don’t know for sure, but I think NR off is most probably really NR off. This isn’t the case with some cameras, which do pre-RAW noise reduction at the sensor level circuitry.
Thanks Ming! I think I will go with the “Off” settings. I use PictureCode Noise Ninja Photoshop Plug-in which I believe does an excellent job in NR and finally I do your sharpening workflow (from your Photoshop Workflow DVD)!
Also give the NR panel in ACR a try – you don’t need more than about 25 points for luminance NR even for high ISOs with the OM-D. It’s easy to find a good balance between detail and low noise with a bit of experimentation.
I have some problem with the focus when I took photos in backlight do you have the same problem
Yes, if the backlight is very strong; the overexposure/ internal flare fools the contrast detect system into thinking your subject has much lower contrast than it actually does. Believe it or not, the solution is to focus on something at the same distance which doesn’t have the same overexposed edge – even though it might be much lower contrast.
Hi Ming, just an info. New firmware version 1.5 for the E-M5 has just been released!
Ver.1.5 (Oct. 2, 2012)
– Operating sounds in the photo ready mode were decreased.
– Use of the Image stabilizer function by setting the Focal length of an OM lens attached with an adapter was enabled even in Movie mode.
– All updates up to version 1.2 are included.
Thanks for the heads up. Doesn’t look as though it solves the odd lockup problem involving use of the protect and spot zoom keys, so I’ll probably not bother with the update. Annoyingly, these updates tend to cause your camera to reset the numbering sequence quite often…
One major benefit of the update,i f it bothered you in the first place that is, is that the humming of the stabilizer is now virtually gone. Only when you set the IS to engage with a half press of the button you hear the noise like before. And I haven’t set that option myself so the camera is just about silent now.
Ah. No big deal for me, most of the time the environment I’m shooting in is far more noisy than the camera – it’s no more noisy than the lens-based VR in some of the larger Nikon superteles.
Ming what an amazing camera the E-M5 is!!! All my shots up to now have being made with the 20/1.7 and the crispiness, the contrast, the colors I get out of the raw files are beautiful! I believe the most pioneering feature of this little gem is the 5-Axis IS system! I manage to take impressively sharp images at 1/5s, f/1.7, ISO 200! OMG!
Thanks again!
No problem. Glad you’re enjoying it
Ming what a great review! I’m actually planing to buy an OM-D body with a compo of 20/1.7 & 45/1.8 for street & enviromental portrait photography, as a 2nd system. I’m not a huge fun of wide angles so I leave the 12/2 for now. What is your opinion Ming for the Panasonic Leica 25/1.4? Except for the field of view, compare it to the 20/1.7 is it worth the extra money (about +200€ in Greece)?
the 20/1.7 is a small, superb lens. I had the 25/1.4 and ran them side by side on the OM-D and sold the PannaLeica—too big for the camera (for me) and the slighter wider FOV combined with the superb IQ of the 20/1.7 (wide open, too) made it a simple decision for me. I know there are many who prize the optical qualities of the 25/1.4, but it was not for me.
KIT_L thank you for your opinion about the 25/1.4
Thanks Dimitris. I’ve got the 20/1.7, because I think the larger lenses somewhat defeat the point of a compact body. I’m not that happy with the WA options either – more for lack of a decent fast 28 than anything else – if the Schneider lands up being somewhat affordable, I might succumb…
Ming thank you for your response! I have read in some forums that the 20/1.7 has some compatibility issues paired with the OM-D body. Did you happen to find any?
Haven’t seen any issues on mine, and I use it quite often.
Well, I had both the 20 1.7 and the panaleica – and returned the 20 1.7 asap. The 25 1.4 just plays in a completely different league. Colour rendition, bokeh, AF speed. Compactness is nice – but in this case, the difference ist that big that it’s worth every penny and gram.
I would like to thank you all for your comments!
Awesome review Ming, great pics too…
I like your sharpening balance for the photos… Crisp, but not overboard 🙂
Is the 45 your fave lens on the OM-D?
Dave from http://www.iphotocourse.com
Thanks – hard to say, I like the 45/1.8 a lot, but the other lenses have their uses too.
Great review, first time that I have read anywhere online that the continuous autofocus is horrendous, everywhere people are praising its very fast autofocus.
I was interested in this camera, but between this and the Fuji X100, I ultimately choose the X100.
Thanks. S-AF is very fast and accurate. C-AF is not. Contrast detect systems simply lack the information required to accurately track moving objects.
Hello Ming – thanks so much for your very informative review of this amazing camera – also many thanks to the various subscribers to this site who help fill in gaps in my knowledge too. I still cannot find out how to use the developing live view (for want of a better term for this function) – this would be ideal for low light work and for blurring the movement of water – it doesn’t seem to be covered in the on line instruction manual for the OM D. Also, the macro function seems to be able to actually magnify by several factors – I cannot find out how to do this. Can anyone on this site help me out here? Many thanks
Try custom setting section E, ‘live time’ and ‘live bulb’.
Hi ming how would you compare this camera head to head with the Sony nex 7
Don’t know, I haven’t used the NEX7 enough to make a comment. The AF of the OM-D is definitely faster, though, and I prefer the control layout. Can’t speak for image quality.
I don’t know if others have discovered this, but when the OM-D is turned off and you shake it a little or put the camera down, you can hear the sensor unit rattle. It seems as if it hits something inside the camera. I find this slightly discomforting and it gives me the impression that the camera’s internals a very delicate and damage easy.
Mine does it too. VR lenses also do this. Any stabilization system has to have a moving element to it – a bit surprised they don’t lock it down with the magnets, though.
A mildly dissenting opinion on many reviewers view of the new power switch. Personally I like it. When the camera is powered on there is no telltale LED to say it is and I find that a bit more “stealthy”. I think the location is arguably BAD. But I like the idea of toggle I can feel to know if the camera is on without that horrendous bright blue LED on my E-P3, lol.
Also, I really like your approach to using and reporting on the camera and your photography is beautiful. I have had my OM-D E-M5 only a short time but already I’ve made it my “system” camera and am selling off my Nikon gear. I do only a little commercial work, and the E-M5 is an excellent fit for my art photography. As the lenses mature I would have no problem using the E-M5 to shoot an event like a wedding.
Thanks – I still think the best solution to the power switch problem is by Nikon and Leica – make it tactile and concentric with the shutter button so it’s easy to turn on and check before you shoot.
Thanks for the great review. I was looking for a small travel camera that still has great IQ and fast (portrait) lenses. The OM-D and the 45 f/1.8 both get great reviews but most of the images I saw that were made with that combination weren’t exactly good. Then I stumbled upon your site. Terrific images and exactly what I was looking for (I’m mostly a portrait shooter so shallow DOF is a must for me). So I finally sold a few of my nikon lenses which I barely used anymore and got the OM-D/45mm/grip. I’ll probably get the 75mm f1.8 as well later on. It’s a great little camera. Enough heft to not feel like a toy, great IQ and fast. I hardly use continuous AF so I’m not really bothered by the fact it’s terrible. The extra grip is a HUGE help indeed. So glad I got it.
Would I give up my D3s or other FF camera and shoot only with a small camera like the OM-D? I doubt I ever will, even if the IQ would be the same. For a shoot I’d always pick the D3s. Why? Ergonomics. It just fits my hand like a glove. Yes it’s heavy, which I don’t mind though, but everything just feels right. With the huge viewfinder and the zeiss 100/2 everything just snaps into focus. It just works/feels the way I want to. To me that’s just as important as IQ. That’s something that a small camera will probably never be able to give me (I even avoid the small dslr’s). I’m just glad that the small camera’s finally have such an IQ that you aren’t bothered by it anymore. It doesn’t feel like a compromise any longer. That says a lot. I’m very very happy to own both a dslr and an OM-D, both of them have their strengths.
No problem. I do feel slightly ripped off by the price of the grip though, at nearly 1/3rd of the body cost – it’s daylight robbery for something that should have been engineered into the body design in the first place, not an aftermarket two-piece part at the expense of ‘retro’ design. Using the grip extension only without the vertical portion/ battery carrier is also not very convenient, one has to unscrew and remove the whole thing to change the battery. I’ve taken to either using it with the whole caboodle or nothing at all.
Could it just be that the OM-D is solid and tactile enough that it doesn’t feel like a toy? I know a lot of the consumer DSLRs definitely lack that density or solidity.
I agree, the grip is very expensive for what it is. It’s about a 1/5th of the cost over here. And I only use it without the extra battery carrier. Somehow I never use the vertical grip, even on the D3s. Hate to change my grip all the time. Having to unscrew the first part to change the battery is definitely annoying though so I understand where you’re coming from. The first part of the grip feels like it should have been part of the design indeed. It makes it much easier to handle the camera. And I do wish they had put the scroll wheel on the front of the grip lower and inside the grip, just like the nikons.
That could be it. It feels very solid and well built. Agree with you about the consumer DSLRs. To me they feel too plastic and light, especially when used with heavier lenses. The OM-D has more of a “pro” feel to it.
I do hope the prices come down. If they can manage to cut the prices I see very little reason anymore to get a consumer DSLR.
As sensor technology moves ahead with the smaller formats, the same advances are made with the larger ones – the D3200 sensor, for instance, is particularly impressive. It’s definitely a cut above the OM-D, and quite a bit cheaper, too…
Very true. The consumer DSLRs are amazing these days. It’s just that if camera’s like the OM-D get cheaper I figure the market for consumer DSLRs gets much smaller. I can see someone wanting one as a backup or as a travel camera if you want to use existing glass but other than that I don’t know. To be able to get the most out of the new camera’s you’ll need better technique, better lenses, like with the D800. Most people I know who own an entry level DSLR shoot with a kit lens and leave it on automatic all the time. It’s just that I can’t see the majority of entry level DSLR users making use of the new sensors/technology. For people who know what they want and have specific requirements those DSLRs could be perfect. I think most users would rather have a body/lens combination that is 75% or half the size of a DSLR if the IQ is already more than good enough.
I could be totally wrong though. Luckily I’m not really into marketing :). But it’s great that things stay competitive and it’s amazing how much better things are still getting. Am really looking forward to see what everyone has up their sleeves for the coming years.
The funny thing is, I was told by several industry sources that the mirrorless cameras are a LOT cheaper to produce than DSLRs; they simply have a lot fewer components, especially those need precision alignment other than the sensor and the mount – none of this viewfinder and mirror business. Right now, we’re paying a huge premium over manufacturing costs for size.
I definitely believe that. Sometimes I wonder what we’re paying the premium for. R&D, starting costs? Look at the D4 for instance. It’s not that different from a D3s but look at the price. I guess early adopters always pay a huge premium in almost any market. And somehow we still spend the money even though we know the prices are way too high.
Easy – they did it because they could. Buried under a layer of ‘look at the 1Dx’ and ‘currency exchange’ issues. The technology should be getting cheaper, not more expensive.
Ming,
The size of the focus boxes can be changes…though i don’t know how.
Yes it can, but the camera doesn’t remember it (nor can you change it when using the normal grid array and EVF.)
Hi Mimg,
that’s not completely correct. If you use Fn2 for the multi-function menue it is used fpr by default, you have to press Fn2 while turning one of the control wheels at the same time. Select the magnifier menue, press Fn2 again (shortly) and you are in the magnified mode. Choose x14, press Fn2 again (shortly) and you get the minimised AF field. To get back to the normal AF field just press OK (shortly) or the Fn2 button longer.
The camera will remember this setting even after having been switched off. You just have to press Fn2 shortly once to get back to the small AF field.
Cheers
Nicolaus
But if you don’t have your fn2 set for that, then it won’t remember the setting. Mine is toggle Home AF/ current AF point.
Well – as far as I know, you also can access the magnifier menue via the coggle menues – but I haven’t tried this as I left Fn2 on the default setting. Have to cjeck this the other day.
The 12-50mm was highlighted in this review as the weather-sealed lens that compliments EM5’s weather-sealed body. But I wonder if I’m insane to still get this lens as part of the camera kit (to save ~$200 instead of buying it separately) despite all the negative reviews and reports on its off-center softness at almost all apertures except 5.6, especially that my shooting style is mainly primes.
The only reason I’m even considering this lens is the occasional possibility of using EM5 as a portable or fun camera with a decent zoom range. Will this lens produce such unsatisfactory qualities that others have claimed? Maybe the RX100 would serve the “leisure/vacation/beach” purposes better than the mediocre 12-50mm zoom? But RX100 is not weather sealed?!
I have the lens but do not use instead I bought a 14-150mm 1:4 incredible lens I used in my trip to Moscu to St. Petesburg in all situation with good and bad light, sunrise,sunset, flash and macro
Being on the backorder waiting list for that camera I was thinking to ask you for a minimal best lens suggestion.
BTW, do you know more about the new Panasonic 12-35/2.8?
Thanks.
12/2 and 45/1.8, or if you want to be very minimal, 20/1.7. The 12-35 looks good but I don’t mind carrying the primes for an extra stop, so I’ll probably pass.
At that size I think this becomes an almost obvious choice. Thanks.
No problem.
Thanks for the informative review and great photos! What do you think about the idea of using the Olympus SWD series lenses on the OM-D via an adapter, especially the 7-14/4.0 and the 14-35/2.0?
Thank you. The optics are great, but the size of the combination makes the whole package unwieldy – defeats the point of M43. Slower focusing too.
Thanks Ming, I was thinking this might be the case. I’ve been considering a light and compact alternative to my Nikon system, and the OM-D seems like a really great camera but there’s no point in compromising small body size with a bulky lens. I shoot a lot of architecture and cityscapes and even though I absolutely like the results from my 14-24/2.8, it can get a bit heavy and intrusive sometimes. Oh well, probably gotta keep on saving for that D800 and get some pain killers.
Try the Panasonic 7-14, I hear many good things about it…
Thanks for the review of the Olympus OM-D, Ming. I suggest you use some of yours Leica lens and VoigtländerI have the 75mm an 21mm you are going to see the difference of the quality and contrast , I use to be a fan of the Olympus OM1 and cotninue to buy the digital OM, but this one is the best, I use a lot the filters dramatic, BW remember the kodak tri’x 400 asa, and the toon filter num(10)
M mount wides don’t work well on the OM-D, and I don’t have any teles because they’re not so easy to use on the M9…so each to its own glass.
Actually I’d like to hear your POV about the Sony NEX 5N. I know about Sony few lens, but the camera low-light performance isn’t an attraction point? Your photos are amazing, but the photographer takes most of the merits. I’d like to get a second camera when I travel with a good record of flexibility and performance. My main cameras are D4 and S2.
BTW, your website is one of the most interesting ones. Thanks.
Thanks Andrew. I used the NEX5 but didn’t like the colors that came out of it; just too hard to correct. If the 5N has the same sensor as the D7000, it should be pretty good…I must have been one of those few people who didn’t have an issue with the controls.
I think with those primary cameras, you should probably look at the OM-D instead. I feel that has image quality on par with the best of the APS-C cameras, and definitely a lot more flexibility than the NEX system.
Thanks Ming. Your prompt response is highly appreciated. I think that I’ll give it a try and I’ll keep you updated.
Hi, this post has pretty well sold me on the OM-D over the NEX-7 (this, and the small number of dedicated lenses for the NEX). Do you think the AF-C problem is in the hardware, or might a firmware update solve it?
It’s an inherent limitation of the CDAF systems, because the camera has no way to know which direction to turn the lens’ focusing motor in without giving it a tweak first – it’s got a 50% chance of getting it wrong. Similarly, there isn’t enough historical focusing information (change of phase, for PDAF systems in DSLRs) to do any meaningful predictions.
I stopped buying new cameras six years ago because I didn’t feel digital was up to the job. Viewfinders ( or lack of), ergonomics, battery charging and the expense of having to keep updating products with a short shelf life were all issues for me, and so…I kept using my film cameras. But I couldn’t ignore the quality of results ( like those on this site) that I’ve been seeing. I live in Japan. and to tell the truth, knowing how the company has been operating and the ongoing scandal I was even reluctant to buy into Olympus products.
But again, the photographer in me couldn’t ignore that the OMD is a camera done right in so many ways.. I caved in and bought the OMD kit and 45 1.8 yesterday, and traded in ( at a huge loss) some of my old gear Was it worth it? Can’t say yet. but my feeling this morning after taking it out in the rain is….Wow! This REALLY makes me want to get out there and shoot more. Pity I have to work for the next five days!
Looking forward to seeing more of your quality work with the OM-D Ming.
Thanks Steve. I think it’ll grow on you as you use it more.
By the way, I’ve got one spot left for my Tokyo workshop in October this year, if you might be interested (or know somebody else who might be interested)?
Hi Ming,
what lens 35 mm equiv (or nearest) would you recommend for the EM-5? Was thinking the Panasonic 20mm/f1.7.
Seems the Olympus 17 mm/2.8 does not get good reviews.
Thanks
I’d go with the Panasonic (I have one, actually).
Ming, your talents are unbelievably great! How should I try to judge how good this camera is? Let me explain why. Your black and whites have black blacks and white whites. When I do it, I get fifty shades of grey. Your focus is right on the money. When I do it, it’s hit or miss. I guess I’m trying to say that your photos look so good that it makes me feel that you’d have exactly the same photos with a Kodak Brownie camera. How do you recommend that I parse out the camera from your outstanding technique? I am sure that others of your devoted readers are thinking the same thing. ps:you mentioned in another article about insurance policies for camera stuff on trips. How do you get this and what percentage of the worth is the insurance policy? Thanks!
Thanks Mike. Black and whites should have a bit of black, a bit of white, and nice shades of gray in between – so it sounds like what you need to do is use the levels tool and pull the ends until they just touch the histogram edges. Focus is a matter of practice…
As for parsing out the camera: garbage in, garbage out. If the raw file I get is crap, then I can’t do anything with it. If it’s great, then I can do more. The biggest hint, however, is that I won’t bother using and reviewing something that I can’t get a decent image out of 🙂
I’m going to pick up am OMD for use as a travel camera along with my M6TTL and Leica lenses. Would be great if you could share some thoughts about using M glass on the OMD.I plan to use it with the Apo telyt 135 , 35 summicron asph. and 90 2.8 Elmarit and use the Olympus lenses for wide and Macro.. Wondering how well the manual focus works.
Thanks.
The wider lenses don’t work so well. 35 is about as short as I’d go, and use it stopped down to 2.8 or greater for optimal sharpness. However, the longer lenses shine because there isn’t anything like this native to M4/3, and they’re all tele centric designs…
Manual focus is pretty easy. Set your sharpening to the highest level, it creates a bit of a halo/shimmer when something is in focus (sharpening affects the live preview but NOT the raw file, so shoot raw)/
best camera Olympus ever made !!!
I think that skin tone is too warm en WB is not always correct even at day light!???
Are you referring to my images, or the WB in general? Are you using a calibrate monitor? Have you read my post on the psychology of color? 🙂
Great camera in a small package. Love it. !!!
Hi Ming,
Your photos depicted look really beautiful and at times inspiring. Did you shoot them in jpeg or raw? Any further post processing worked on the photos you posted here … if no pp was done on the photos … I am superbly impressed with Olympus OM-D EM5!
Hi Robin, I always shoot RAW and run each one individually through ACR6 and PSCS5.5. However, if the potential isn’t there in the raw file, then there’s no way I can make the image work no matter how much photoshop I do…
Thanks for clarifying that. I too am impressed with your post processing. I gave the OM-5 to my partner as a gift but was not too happy with the files out of the camera. With some work they look a lot better but I have some way to go before mine look as rich as your images. Any post processing tips you want to give would be much appreciated.
Also, thanks for a very good review.
No problem.
As for postprocessing – there is plenty you can do, but it’s a complex art, not a series of steps. May I recommend my Photoshop Workflow DVD?
Really great work.
This is the first review I’ve seen with great photos to show what the camera is capable of.
Thanks for the information.
Thank you! More to come soon.
Thanks for a great review. Really nice pictures too. I just wish they are not so sharp, or if I may say, over-sharpened to the point of distracting. I mean I was just saying Wow! so sharp, so sharp, and could not really concentrate and look at what are really wonderful “pictures” in the sharper than real images.
Thanks Dan! I’ve sorted out the image sharpening – turns out Flickr was using a new algorithm to do the resizing to intermediate sizes (which is what I use for hosting) – there will still be some images which appear a little over sharpened (but the full size images, if you click through, look okay) because there are things in the pipeline as yet unposted, but everything uploaded from around last week should be fine.
Thanks, Ming, I understand now.
Ming. How do you think about Lecia X2 Vs Nex 7 + Zeiss 24/1.8 ?
Haven’t used the latter, so I can’t say. On compactness alone I’d probably go for the X2, but I suppose the NEX7 makes a far more flexible system (even though there aren’t many lenses available for it). Can’t say I was a fan of the menus on my NEX5 – I hear the NEX7 is much better, though.
I C. The only aspect I complain about X2 is the aperture of the lens. F1.4 will be much better, even F2.0 I accept…
True, but then it’d also be much larger. The sensor is pretty good at high ISO, though.
Great Review with great samples…. Sent you a message
Thanks, I’ll reply shortly.
Hi, love your photos. There’s a certain sharpness to your PP which I’d love to learn to do.
How did you find Acme, Bar, and Coffee? Great restaurant, even greater building it’s in.
Thanks! A lot of it’s in the sharpening after resizing to web size – these are actually a bit over sharpened because flickr down samples them further to smaller sizes for hosting.
ABC has an interesting location and decor, but the food is okay – nothing fantastic.
Would love to do decent wildlife shots with OMD.
Any chance the C AF deficiency will be fixed with firmware update??
Thanks
Bob
I think it’s a fundamental limitation of CDAF. We’ll just have to hope future sensors incorporate phase detect photo sites.
Hello Ming,
what do you think about the colours I have reached in the 5 pics I just posted 3 minutes ago in my weblog (using adobe RGB in my sweet little Olympus E-PL 1)? I was inspired by your pics you have made with the OM-D EM-5 to do some postproduction tonight. But as a beginner I needed 4 hours for just 5 pics to achieve this!
It is a kind of answer in my discussions with Wolfgang Lonien about colours!
I just tried to reach (imitate) your incredible colours!
Thorsten Wieszniewski
Thanks for the compliments on your blog – I’m flattered! The colors look pretty good to me – natural, saturated, and not shifted with any obvious casts. Well done!
Ming, thank you for your excellent reviews! I am visiting your blog every day and I wish I had only one percent of your talent.
I just decided to order an OM-D E-M5 after studying your article. Loving to shoot with my M8, I originally intended to buy a Leica X2 and was very enthusiastic after reading the first full review here. Set aside the price difference – you get the Oly and two good primes for the price of the Leica – the E-M5 is more versatile and there are good enough lenses out there that the final image quality is on eye level with the X2. Isn’t that the ultimate measure? Just sad that the Leica is so much more sexy than the Oly. Well, let’s wait if Leica issues something seductive on the mirrorless front later this year or early next year.
Best, Marcus
Thanks Marcus! I think a lot of it is practice and experimentation…have you considered signing up for my Email School of Photography? 🙂
Can’t argue – the OM-D is definitely more flexible because you’re not restricted to 35mm. Of course, the kicker is that there is no good 35mm prime for the M43 system yet (jury’s out on the Voigt 17/0.95, and it’s manual focus only, too). So there’s a reason to have both if one has the $$, I suppose.
Hello Ming,
Nice review and very nice pictures.
Could you share your image settings of the E-M5?
(Saturation, contrast, etc…)
Ruud
I can, but they’d be meaningless because I shoot raw and process each image individually in ACR, which completely ignores the raw file tags.
Ming, the camera is great (I own one, the silver version), but, honestly, you’re such a great photographer you’d produce great pictures no matter which camera you use. Well, apart from the compliments, I’m puzzled about the settings on the 2nd pic: Sharpness +2, Contrast -1. Is it just for illustration purposes (random settings) or do you really use Sharpness +2 (I read everywhere sharpness needs to be lowered a point or two to prevent artefacts). Well, I suppose the incredible sharpness and microcontrast in your images are due to PP, but still… Just wondering…
Thanks for the great review!
Nope, those are my JPEG settings – they don’t apply to raw files, but they do apply to the preview JPEGs. Easier to check critical focus with a bit of sharpening!
Thanks, Ming! Another thing that occurs to me when I’m looking at your JPG preview settings – what does Custom color mode exactly mean? Why not leave it at Natural or Vivid? Thanks once again, your article (and the entire website, for sure) is really helpful!
I’m not sure, actually – I don’t recall ever changing that setting. I think it defaulted to that when I changed sharpening and contrast.
fab review, well written. i agree with everything you have written. the OMD is the new beginning for M43. this system will dominate.
Thanks – once they fix C-AF, I agree…
This is an excellent review of the OMD written from the perspective of a real, live photographer (and a very good one at that) rather than an electronics engineer who never actually uses a camera. I’ve been trying to decide whether to get the OMD, a GH2, or a Nikon 3200 for travel. Ming’s observations have made an OMD purchase more likely for me.
Thanks Jim. The GH2 I found not very user-friendly – to be honest I’ve never gotten along with the Panasonic M4/3 UI – but it’s great for video. That said, my early experiments with the OM-D suggest that it too is capable of some excellent video footage. The Nikon D3200 I think has too many pixels on that sensor, and not as many features as either GH2 or OM-D.
Thanks for this great report and the lovely pics. I once again confirrms that I’ve made the right decision when purchasing the E-m5.
In one point, however, I have to contratict. The C-AF is far from being useless. Okay, it might be too slow for using lenses such as the M.Zuiko 45 1.8 wide open. But when stoppping it down to 2.5 or using slower lenses, the not so shallow DOF helps and the results can be rather pleasing:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63427925@N00/sets/72157629907856270/with/7274842134/
If you’re going to shoot stopped down and let the DOF cover any errors, I find that just using SAF and trusting the focusing system works far better. I’m used to being able to track moving subjects at f1.4 on my D700 and D7000, so the rather hit and miss nature of the OM-D isn’t so appealing. But no matter, I just won’t use it for those kinds of subjects. I did recall a patent some time back where Oly put phase detect photo sites on the sensor too, which should solve this problem nicely a la Nikon 1…cue the wait.
Well…
Stopping down the Nikons isn’t necessary as the lenses avaialble at this point in time for the 1 aren’t able to produce a shallow DOF with the crop 2.7 sensor, anyway. Nonetheless, I haven’t found a single truly sharp and perfectly focused pic of an at least slightly isolated subject approaching the photographer at some speed. And I looked for those pics in the World Wide WEB for months as I was looking for a replacenment for my E-5 due to massive back problems, last year. All what I can find are nearly shar and nearly perfectly focused pictures – but ‘nearly’ is even more annoying’ than a complete miss. While stopping a fast lens such as thee 45 1.8 down to 2.5, 2.8, or even 3.5 still will produce a certain dose of isolation.
So, I agree: Xes, the E-M5 isn’t a perefect tool for shooting sports and action – mainly due to the fact that the visible AF field disappears in the EVF / on the display as soon as you start shooting in the burst mode. But in consideration of the fact that I am able to use it for shooting sighthounds at work and tha this guy…
…uses it for shooting helicopter models in flight and we both are able to produce a 50-perecent rate of well focused and sharp keepers, I would claim that the E-M45 is the only mirrorless camera on the market – at this point in time – that features a usable C-AF.
Did you take a look at the pics in links my at all?
Cheers
Nicolaus
I agree that it’s by far the best so far (except the Nikon 1s, which have advantages due to phase detect AF photo sites built in on the sensor AND more DOF for a given aperture due to the smaller sensor) – but it still doesn’t match what a DSLR can do, let alone a good one. Your shots demonstrate that – but I’d also love to know what the keeper rate is for critically focused images; I suspect it isn’t that high. Until we get Nikon 1 performance and OM-D everything else, I’m keeping my D700 for that kind of work.
Hi Ming,
have been at the dog-race circuit this weekrend, once again – and achvieved a keeper rate of more than 50 percent. And I’m sure that i could even increase this rate if they’d give the camera an AF field that doesn’t disappear in the burst mode. Nonetheless, I’m absolurely happy with the performance of the little gem’s C-Af performance. You just have to make some adjustments and use M.Zuiko lenses.
Not bad at all. Which AF-C setting were you using – AF-C single point, multi point, or tracking? I recently acquired a second hand 100-300 which I haven’t had a chance to use yet, but am itching to do so…
Well – please allow me to just copy and paste a little recommendation collection I posted in the µFT forum:
First of all: use the minimised single-point AF field. If your subject is further away and the AF field also is filled by other stuff, it can happen that the camera focuses on something that features more and clearer contrast lines.
Next: Due to what I’ve explained above, forget C-AF tracking as the AF field can’t be minimised in this mode. It possibly can be helpful for shooting big moving objects like cars (haven’t tested it but it could be) but it’s useless for smaller subjects. In C-AF without tracking, it’s up to you to keep the SF field on your chosen subject (something that’s quite a challenge as the visible AF field disappears in the burst mode as soon as you have pressed the shutter button, so quite a lot of practicing is needed). But it pays off, as you can see. If you succeed in keeping the AF field on the moving subject, the C-AF works rather well.
Next: Use picture mode vivid. It increases the reliability of the C-AF significantly. When I used the camera with the adjustments I was accustomed to from my E-5 and my E-PL3 (natural, sharpness -2, contrast -1, saturation default, noise filter off), the C-AF more often than not didn’t even start to ‘bite’ (don’t know the appropriate English word) and so, a series weren’t sharp from pic one. In vivid however, ( with the settings saturation and sharpness default, contrast +1), the C-AF proves to work just as reliably as the one of my E-5 (please note: as reliably doesn’t mean as fast as. I still doubt if the E-M5’s C-AF could cope with the shallow DOF of lenses such as the ZD 50-200 SWD 2.8-3.5, even if it would C-AF at full speed, on the E-M5. But that’s another story.).
Next: Enable IS1 and the EVF IS. I know – we all have learned that you mustn’t use the IS when shooting action – but that’s a lesson of the DSLR days that arguably doesn’t apply to the E-M5. Don’t ask me why – I could only guess – but the IS and the EVF IS also increase the C-AF performance.
Next: You should switch the EVF picture rate to high. Makes following you subject easier.
You are aware of the fact that the C-AF only works in burst mode L (up to four pics), aren’t you?
Next: Use shutter priority with the 75-300. With the 40-150 or 14-150, however, shutter priority off also seems to work fine without reducing the FPS rate significantly.
And finally: forget the DSLR lesson that told you to allow your camera half a second for pre-calculating the speed and direction of the movement of your chosen subject. Well, that proves to be counter productive when it comes to the E-M5. Just aim at your subject, wait for the confirmation beep and shoot immediately.
Good luck!
By the way: the practicing could turn out to be rather frustrating at the beginning as the lack of orientation due to the invisible AF field really tends to make the task of keeping the AF field on your subject really difficult. But don’t give up to early. You will be rewarded with great pics.
But for the moments of frustration I’d like to mention that the S-AF of the E-M5 – and the latest PENs too – also is fast enough for action shots. Just aim at your subject and press the shutter button in one go without waiting for the AF confirmation. You will be amazed about the results. You can’t shoot series this way (although you will be able to shoot three FPS – but keeping the camera steady is really difficult if you are pressing the shutter button again and again) but at least you will have something to be happy about on your memory card.
Once again: good luck!
And – I nearly forgot: It seems as if the Panny zooms are much better suited for video C-AF – I was told that in this area (I don’t shoot videos), they focus more smoothly, with the M.Zuikos tending to pump. But for action stills, the M.Zuikos apparently are better suited. I have tested the E-M5’s C-AF with the following tele zooms: M.Zuiko 14-150, 40-150 and 75-300 on the one hand and Lumix 45-200 and 40-175 on the other – and another user in a German forum made a direct comparison with the M.Zuiko 75-300 and the Lumix 100-300. The result: All the M.Zuikos are cooperating clearly better with the C-AF of the E-M5. Even the Lumix 40-175 – that seems to be the µFT AF-speed king in S-AF, to me – is not up to the task of C-AF-ing on the E-M5.
It’s rather annoying as it seems to mean that those who do video and action-stills and tend to use the C-AF while shooting video will either have to decide for a priority or have to purchase the respective lenses twice – but that’s how it seems to be at this point in time. A video optimised lens isn’t ideal for shooting action stills and vice versa.
Seems like picture mode vivid is what I’m missing – it makes sense, since it’s a CDAF system…I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the tips!
It was a pleasure. It would be great to hear about the results, afterwards.
When I get a chance – too bad the polo tournaments and Super Japan GT races are all finished!
Well – what goes around comes around. 😉
No need to hurry!
Thanks for a great review. Also love your photography.
Thanks Zaptrax!
Excelent camera, and… superlative images. I am sure you would get good pictures with any camera. You are not only an user and a reviewer, but a photographer. A real one. Valentin Sama. DSLR Magazine/CSC Magazine
http://www.dslrmagazine.com
http://www.cscmagazine.com
Thank you – I would hope so though, commercial photography is how I make my living!
Aja! I thought so…. great product images. I made my living from comercial photography too! So I know the feeling and the passion of images well done, even the ones of cameras. The “silver” ones are not easy. Best. Valentin
The trick is how you control reflections with your lighting…thanks!
Hi Ming,
I got lucky with a small window of availability a few months ago and got delivery of the OM-D. I have been invested to the m4/3 ever since it was announced. Your review is accurate of my own experience. It is a mature camera and I have no worries about the image quality anymore. I like the Contax-G lenses and my only gripe is that the adapters scrape the EVF hump!! So no joy yet shooting with the lovely Zeiss lenses on the OM-D.
Thanks for the review. Great photographs as usual. You set the bar very high. I like all the images, particularly ‘Night Tree’. I like it because if I have seen it I would have passed the tree as a mundane subject. The way you have framed it against the building with the white bars concealed is nice. Thanks for the images.
Mo
How do you find the legacy RF WA lenses on M4/3? I’ve not had much luck with Leica glass with several adaptors (so I don’t think it’s an adaptor quality issue) – it just seems that the sensors really require tele centric designs to shine. 35mm and up is fine, but anything less is pretty horrible in the corners.
Hi Ming,
I only use the Contax G 45/2 and 90/2.8 lenses with adapter. No complaints about the quality. The lenses produce a certain feel to the images that require very little post-processing. The Olympus bodies are great because of the IS. I tried some Minolta lenses. They appear too soft after seeing the Zeiss images.
Mo
Might be worth investigating – thanks for the tip. Looks like you’re only going to have teles though due to the crop factor.
Ming, I loved this review. This is one of the best sets of pictures I’ve seen from the E-M5. The migrant workers picture is absolutely stunning. I disagree with you about a couple of things. The sensor and the dynamic range. The dynamic range has been tested to be one of the best among cameras right now, outside of the D800. Better than the Canon Mark II and III. And on PAR with the nice Sony sensors. Your review made it sound like a negative when I think it’s a real positive and a huge improvement over the previous models.
Also I wouldn’t give Panasonic credit for this sensor. It’s a new design, different than the GX1.
Great job again with the review. Thanks for posting it.
Thanks Tim. Wasn’t sure about the sensor – and Olympus here doesn’t know for sure either whether it’s completely different or a derivative thereof – but I’ve updated the review text anyway.
As for dynamic range, the overall tonal response range is there, but shadow noise is what I find lowers the useable range to below that of say the D7000. It’s especially noticeable in the blue channel – or it might be my processing workflow that’s enhancing it.
Excellent review – how would you compare to the Leica X2 – which do you prefer?
Thanks. The X2’s IQ is slightly better – probably because of the lens – but for usability, I prefer the OM-D – it’s just faster and more flexible. Plus smaller with EVF.
How about compare the OM-D with leica X2?
I don’t have the X2 with me anymore, but subjectively – I think they’re very close, with a slight edge to the X2 for dynamic range. But everything else – microcontrast, tonality, sharpness – depends on the lens attached. The sensors are very, very close. I can’t think of a match for the X2’s lens except perhaps that new Voitglander 17.5/0.95, whose early reports seem good…but I haven’t tried one in person yet.
The sensor size of X2 is larger than OMD. So if the sensor performances are the same, can I say X2 loses.
It’s pretty close at the pixel level. The OM-D has a newer sensor than the X2, though – that might have something to do with it.
Excellent review and photos!
I was slightly puzzled by your comment regarding lens compatibility though (advantages of sticking to Olympus lenses). Could you elaborate on what those advantages are?
For some inexplicable reason, Oly lenses focus faster on Oly cameras than on Pana cameras; same for Pana lenses on Pana bodies. So the advantage is faster AF, basically.
I dunno, I use the Pana 14, 20 and 25, and the Pana 14-45 kit lens (my copy is surprisingly good) and don’t notice any consistent difference at all from my Oly lenses. Except for the amazing Oly 45mm.
I don’t own the 12mm; maybe the big difference is between Pana lenses and the latest generation of Oly ones.
The new Oly MSC lenses focus as fast or faster than the 45/1.8…that’s the difference.
Great review. Still waiting for B&H to have both this and the X2 in stock so I can try both before choosing, but your coverage of both cameras has helped tremendously in eliminating all other cameras I was considering. This has everything; however, there’s some je ne sais quoi about Leica IQ that the OM-D might come close to but can’t quite grasp (98 percent may be good enough for me, though). Thanks for being so thorough with both cameras.
I’m evaluating the Panasonic Leicas on the OM-D at the moment – that je ne sais quoi is there…
Really like your articles, I do always send the links to our local photo-community, thank You for! 😉
Thanks!
The camera is great but you have given me one more reason to buy the 45 1.8.
Ah, then I guess you haven’t seen my review of that lens yet? 🙂 But yes, it’s one of the gems of the M4/3 system. I’m increasingly finding that the Panasonic Leica 45/2.8 Macro is another one.
Sorry put one h to many.
You are a wonderful photographer with a great eye. I so enjoy your work…
Bill
Thanks Bill!
Holy Man is my favorite. Great shot.
Kit laughlin .thanks for the notice of the focussing rectangle…
I couldn’t find it at first…..but now o.k.
And Ming … nice work …all of it.
Some great photos, thank you for sharing.
Not sure what happened to my first attempt to post here.
Ming, you can change the size of the focussing rectangle (tho’ it’s anything but obvious). Press the button on the side of the prism; this makes the LCD live view. Tap the icon just below middle LHS; one of them looks like a focus rectangle with a hand. As soon as you touch the actual focus rectangle on this screen, a magnification bar appears on the RHS of the screen. Pull the green bar up to the “14” mark, and the rectangle will be very small.
When you look through the EVF, that much smaller rectangle will display, and can be moved with the 4-way controller. Perfect.
Re. mushy buttons: weathersealing, and probably nothing we can do about that.
Great review
Regards, KL
Ming, you can change the size of the focussing rectangle (tho’ it’s anything but obvious). Press the button on the side of the prism; this makes the LCD live view. Tap the icon just below middle LHS; one of them looks like a focus rectangle with a hand. As soon as you touch the actual focus rectangle on this screen, a magnification bar appears on the RHS of the screen. Pull the green bar up to the “14” mark, and the rectangle will be very small.
When you look through the EVF, that much smaller rectangle will display, and can be moved with the 4-way controller. Perfect.
Re. mushy buttons: weathersealing, and probably nothing we can do about that.
Great review
Regards, KL
Ah! I couldn’t find it in the manual anywhere. Thanks for the tip!
Welcome to Olympus “documentation.” There are a lot of poorly- and undocumented features. There are some threads at dpreview’s Micro Four Thirds forum where people are attempting to collect some of these features.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1041&message=41411509
Very useful link – thanks! I’ve added it to the bottom of the review.
Great tip on the AF size, though it seems to affect AF ability too. Good to know, thanks!
Slower? But presumably a bit more precise. Makes sense as there’s less information for the camera to make a decision with.
Thanks for the review, Ming. Your reviews are always at just the right level – technical enough to give the details, but always with a shooters perspective.
I’ve always admired your post-processing as well. If you ever wrote an ebook on your process, you’d sell a ton of them. (hint)
Mark
Thanks Mark. PP isn’t easy to write articles on because there are so many subtle variations and tweaks you need to make depending on the specific image. I’ve got a workshop coming up in Tokyo this October which will incorporate a day of PP work, if you’re interested. I’ve also got a video article coming up that might be useful…
Thank you Ming. I’d love to attend your October workshop, but I live in Seattle and it’s a bit out of my budget.
Question: I handled an E-M5 briefly and felt the same way about the side strap lugs. Do you know if the lugs themselves are removeable?
No problem. Perhaps an email course might work better?
The little D rings are removable (as you’ve seen I did with my camera) but the lugs themselves are not and appear to be solidly bolted to the body internally.
Hello Ming,
I’m now the proud owner of the OM-D E-M5. Like you I’m not comfortable with the side strap lugs. Your solution looked perfect to me. So I’ve been digging around for the Crumpler Urban Disgrace replacement strap. To no avail however… There are some other Crumpler […] Disgrace strap models (Industry, Covenience, …) to be found, but not the Urban version. Any idea where I can get it? Or might it be discontinued? I especially like the threaded end loops and the buckle design. Maybe you’re aware of a likewise design from a differemt brand? Your thoughts?
I might have the name wrong – try popular disgrace.
Thanks for the quick reply Ming, but sorry, that’s not it either. Here are the current Crumpler offerings: http://www.crumpler.com/us/Camera-Bags/Camera-Straps-Accessories.html?LanguageCode=EN
Nothing with the threaded loop and buckle design. Bummer!
It’s this one:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=crumpler+popular+disgrace&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=BB_cULqDN9GJrAfNpIDgCA&ved=0CDIQsAQ&biw=320&bih=504#p=0
Thank you for your perseverance Ming. I’m currently on a short business trip in the US, and was able to speed order the Crumpler Popular Disgrace strap through Amazon. It’s indeed the one with the buckle and threaded loop design, great! Strangely enough (and hence my initial confusion), Crumpler doesn’t show this detail in their product shots on their website. Please also note that Crumpler has different product offerings in different markets. E.g., I couldn’t find the Popular Disgrace in Europe (where Crumpler currently offers the dissimilar Singapore Sling). Long story short: thank you very much for your advice!
No problem! Just watch the weight of your rig as I don’t know how much those thin cords can hold. They’ve been okay with an M9 and noctilux, but I was very, very careful not to swing it around and put any undue strain on the combination or leave it unsupported for too long…
Hello Ming,
Thanks for a Great rewiev.
Do you think it’s ok to change from Nikon d200 to olympus?
I Wonder if the picture quality is better than d200?
Up to you whether it’s ok or not. Yes, the picture quality is better, I’ve used the D200s extensively a while ago. You will lose out on AF-C performance and DOF control though.
Well, if you tell me which firmware version your E-M5 is on I will try to exactly tell you what settings you need for the best possible C-AF performance.
1.0 on both lens and body.
That’s a pity as 1.2 (that is no longer available due to download-problems) improved the tracking massively – and 1.5 that eliminated the IS noise unfortunately reduced the performance again.
So, if you are planning to stay with FW 1.0, forget about the tracking – it doesn’t work at all. On the other hand, you might try to test it with IS on but EVF-IS off – never tried that with FW 1.0.
First of all, I will try to explain why I did what I did to improve the C-AF performance. When I was still shooting with my E-PL3 I used to use the picture mode ‘natural’. (I’m a 90-percent JPEG shooter). One day, when the sky was overcast and everything was really grey I opted for switching to ‘vivid’ and quickly realised that the S-AF (the PL3’s C-AF is absolutely useless) was even snappier than it is anyway. After having realised this, I asked several people who know a lot about camera technology if I was mistaken or if my findings could be true. They all came to the conclusion that increasing contrast, sharpness and saturation might be helpful for the AF performance of a CDAF camera indeed if the AF doesn’t work directly on the sensor but used the display information or the likes. But in thre end, this wasn’t of major significance as the S-AF of the PL3 was blinding fast anyway.
The, some months later, I purchased the E-M5 – and to my massive amazement, it featured a working C-AF – if shooting with the single AF field. But – just as you said – most of the time it didn’t deliver. But I quickly found out that the problem wans’t the AF speed but the fact, that the AF system didn’t ‘bite’ at all. When it bit, it reliably followed the subject but most of the time, it didn’t bite and so, it couldn’t follow. So, I opted for using the smallest AF field available (14x). An first improvement, but just slightly. At this point in time I remembered what I had found out with the E-PL3 and decided to do the same with my E-M5. I switched it to vivid – and the C-AF reliability turned out to be massively improved right away. Over the months, I increased sharpness from -2 to 0 and contrast from -1 to +1 and these settings improved the reliability once again. Then, I switched the IS on – something that is wrong, wrong wrong on any DSLR if you want to shoot action – but not so on the E-M5. It once again improved thje C-AF reliability. And the EVF-IS upped the ante once again. And for some weird reasons, you even can shoot panning shots with IS 1 on. From my technical understanding, this should be impossible – but it isn’t: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63427925@N00/sets/72157631497667064/
(Please note: Not all these pics were shot with IS1 and they were shot with Firmware 1.2. Haven’t tested panning again, since then, so I don’t know if it’s still the same with Firmware 1.5).
Then, Oly introduced Firmware 1.2 and all of a sudden, even the tracking with its far to big AF field worked – if combined with the small 14x AF field. Before, it just refused to stay on your chosen subject but moved to anything that provided better contrast edges – even if the subject didn’t move. Absolutely useless! But with 1.2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63427925@N00/sets/72157630591312236/
What a difference! Far from perfect, but amazing, nevertheless. (please note that the blurred pics at the end of some of the series were added deliberately to demonstrate at which distance the tracking stops working.)
Then, last autumn, all my findings suddenly seemed to not work any longer. Tracking: useless. C-AF forget it. Really frustrating but as my dad fell fatally ill, at this pint in time, I just hadn’t the motivation to take pictures and do the necessary research to find out what had gone wrong.
Only in mid-January I felr like taking pictures and opted for doing a multi-hour test to find out what the hell was going wrong.
And in the end (it took me four hours), I realised that the frustrating changes must have been caused by FW 1.5 and that I just had to switch the EVF IS off to get back the pleasing C-AF performance. I still believe that it’s not quite on the same level as it was before but I’m back to a satisfying keeper rate. And when it comes to the tracking… Well, it still tends to move to something else, every now and then, but it’s usable again.
To cut a long story short: If you stay with firmware 1.0, choose vivid, sharpness 0, contrast +1 and IS1 on. And you should test if the EVF IS is helpful or not. I don’t exactly remember if I tested it for the first time with 1.0 or 1.2. And I forgot: switch the EVF frequency to high. By the way: If I’m not mistaken, you are a 100-percent RAW shooter, aren’t you? In this case, you could even increase sharpness, contrast and saturation for an even better C-AF reliability.
If you switch to FW 1.5, use the same settings but forget the EVF IS – it must be switched off, with this firmware.
And – depending on your subject – it can be helpful to not allow the camera the half-second or so for calculating speed and direction as you will be accustomed to from your DSLRs. Instead, try to start shooting just after the first AF confirmation.
Looking forward to seeing some nice action pics shot by you with the E-M5, in the near future.
Cheers
Nicolaus
Thanks for the very, very comprehensive info. Let’s see – I’m on vivid plus high EVF refresh and IS on. Perhaps it is the firmware version. Doesn’t sound like it’s practical to have EVF IS off since most of the times I’d need AF-C I’d also be using a longer lens; I suppose I could use the in-lens IS of the Panasonic lenses to compensate – this would be okay, right?
Yes, I shoot raw all the time, but the jpeg preview affects my exposure choices because that’s what generates the histogram and highlight warnings – can’t go too extreme here else image quality will suffer because of exposure.
I’ll give it a try with 1.0, if not, bite the bullet for 1.5 – been a little hesitant to do the upgrades because I believe it completely resets all of your custom settings (of which there are many) as well as your file numbers…correct me if I’m wrong.
Sorry to hear about your dad.
The problem is, that all the Panny lenses I tested – 45-200, 14-45, 45-175 and 100-300 – don’t C-AF properly for stills. Even the 45-175 – in my eyes the mFT telezoom with the fastest S-AF performance – is useless when it comes to the C-AF.
And yes, you are right – I also would prefer using the EVF-IS – but currently, it’s a decision between a stabilised EVF and properly focused pictures and it goes without saying that I go for the pics. Although it’s a pain in the A*** when it comes – for instance – to birding. You need the EFV-IS when the bird is sitting on a tree – but as soon as it lifts off, the EVF-IS is counterproductive. I’m going to contact Olympus and ask them if there is a possibility to reset my camera to W 1.2 but before doing so, I’ll do a comparison – thanks to my camera dealer who still has got an E-M5 with FW 1.2.
But it should work with 1.0. I achieved my findings with 1.0 and now, I really wonder if I have changed anything else as you definitely know what you are doing. It just should work – I don’t understand it. You use the single AF field and the smallest (14x) field, do you?
And – I’m convinced that you are aware of these things, I just want to double-check: Did you switch ‘Burst mode + IS OFF’ to off? (How can somebody use a double negative in their menues? it’s incredible) Anyway, this point must be switched to off to allow the IS to work in combination with the burst mode. And you must use burst mode ‘L’ as the C-AF doesn’t work in ‘H’.
Thanks – these are hard days for the entire family. He’s still alive but he’s suffering to the max and his heart just won’t stop beating.
Yes and yes to the AF filed and smallest question.
Yes again to burst mode + IS OFF (i.e. IS is on with burst mode, using CL).