E-M1, E-M5, E-M5.2, etc. ... Peculiarities

[k-hawinkler]

Thank you Peter and Jorgen got your comments.

Looking at the posts above, I realize that I had not posted nor shot a wild life image with an MFT system for over a year until now. Indeed, I had been using for those continuous, high speed, high frame rate shots exclusively my blackout free Sony FF cameras, either the A9 or the A1. So I had forgotten what a non-blackout free EVF feels like. I don’t think I ever noticed this effect that strong before. Interesting, to say the least.

However, for these kinds of shots my trusty old Olympus systems still deliver impressive IQ. I also found the displayed characters in the EVF quite readable. Nevertheless OM Solutions should release a blackout free EVF and camera with competitive sensor readout speeds soon to get me more interested again in MFT wild life photography.

Thanks again for your comments.

 

[ptomsu]

The Nikon equivalent lens, the 180-400mm f/4 will with the built-in TC activated will on a Z7 II in crop mode (19.5MP) give a reach of 840mm (f/5.6 on what is now an APS-C sensor), more or less as much as the Zuiko lens without the TC activated. Still, the Zuiko can be extended to 1,000mm eqv. when needed. The Nikkor is near twice as expensive and twice as heavy as the Zuiko. Since I can buy two Olympus E-M1 III bodies for the price of one Nikon Z7 II, I don't really see the disadvantage with the lens only being able to mount on an Olympus body. They are cheap, reliable, and render excellent image quality.

This is of course all a bit irrelevant. The Nikkor is out of stock (and out of production?) and there's a waiting list for the Zuiko. But I'm sure Nikon will come up with an even more expensive Z-mount alternative within a year or two

I have to agree, but while principally you are right I never would invest in such exotic combination - did I say never? Well I don't know, actually that Oly 150-500 would be a really tempting lens....

Having said that -what I learnt from my use of the Z7II is that its sensor is much, Much, MUCH better than that sensor of the EM1.3. Much better IQ, better DR, less noise etc. - it simply is FF with all the advantages and disadvantages. If money would not be an obstacle would I go for (add) this Olympus combo? Probably not. Maybe in combination with that new Olympus WOW camera? I don't know either.

Anyway that question has no meaning because I simply would not have the funds to do such an investment

 

[k-hawinkler]

Weight and $$$$ considerations:

Sony FE 100-400 GM … 1395 g $2.5k
Olympus 150-400/500. 1875 g $7.5k
Sony FE 200-600 G ….. 211 5 g. $1.9k

Sony FE 400 GM ………. 2895 g . $12k
Sony FE 600 GM ………. 3040 g . $13k

IIRC the price for the new Olympus lens is in line with the one for the FT Zuiko 300/2.8 SHG lens before they dumped their remaining stock of SHG lenses at half price several years ago. At that time I had already acquired some used SHG lenses and then got the remaining ones. Those are without doubt optically outstanding lenses, but they require focus calibration and exhibit a bit of variability when focusing on OM-D E-M1 Mark I, II, and III cameras. One way to deal with that is picking the best of several similar shots.

Those lenses are also quite heavy.

Zuiko 300/2.8 SHG ..… 3280 g
Zuiko 90-250/2.8 SHG 3270 g <- with 2x TC one gets 180-500/5.6 zoom lens.
Zuiko 150/2 SHG ……… 1610 g

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Weight and $$$$ considerations:

Sony FE 100-400 GM … 1395 g $2.5k
Olympus 150-400/500. 1875 g $7.5k
Sony FE 200-600 G ….. 211 5 g. $1.9k

Sony FE 400 GM ………. 2895 g . $12k
Sony FE 600 GM ………. 3040 g . $13k

IIRC the price for the new Olympus lens is in line with the one for the FT Zuiko 300/2.8 SHG lens before they dumped their remaining stock of SHG lenses at half price several years ago. At that time I had already acquired some used SHG lenses and then got the remaining ones. Those are without doubt optically outstanding lenses, but they require focus calibration and exhibit a bit of variability when focusing on OM-D E-M1 Mark I, II, and III cameras. One way to deal with that is picking the best of several similar shots.

Those lenses are also quite heavy.

Zuiko 300/2.8 SHG ..… 3280 g
Zuiko 90-250/2.8 SHG 3270 g <- with 2x TC one gets 180-500/5.6 zoom lens.
Zuiko 150/2 SHG ……… 1610 g

My post was a bit tongue in cheek, and I agree that there are sides of the Olympus camera bodies that need improvements:

- The sensor is clearly at least a couple of generations behind when it comes to image quality. Even the oldish Nikon D810 offers vastly better image quality.
- Sensor readout speed needs to be improved, but that would come with any new generation of sensors.
- A better viewfinder is needed. They should look at what Nikon did with the Z9 rather than going for the highest resolution.
- Much more processing capacity is needed for all this.

However:
- Comparing the lens to the Sony or Nikon 100-400mm doesn't hold water. The 150-400mm is a constant aperture, non-extending lens, a totally different beast. There's the 1120g Zuiko 100-400mm for that, and even that lens offers a much longer reach than the full-frame competitors.
- In areas like build quality, compactness and IBIS, the E-M1 family is very difficult to beat.

MFT offers some great lenses, and the camera bodies have big potential if brought up to the current state-of-the-art when it comes to electronics. I'm optimistic.

 

[k-hawinkler]

Shot today, through a glass door.

Olympus E-M1MarkIII + ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 90-250mm F2.8 SHG + EC-20 @ 500 mm (1,000 mm in 35mm), f/5.6, 1/640 s, ISO 3,200.

The image showed quite a bit of purple fringing that was corrected in Capture One.
Noise reduction eas fone in DxO PR.

 

[k-hawinkler]

Shot today, through a glass door.

Olympus E-M1MarkIII + ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 90-250mm F2.8 SHG + EC-20 @ 500 mm (1,000 mm in 35mm), f/5.6, 1/640 s, ISO 3,200.

The image showed quite a bit of purple fringing that was corrected in Capture One.
Noise reduction eas fone in DxO PR.

I don't think the above image reflects correctly the great IQ that lens can deliver.
Here is another attempt to do better.
I switched off IBIS, continuous high speed focusing,and used instead single image shooting.
This is what I got. Drum roll!

Olympus E-M1MarkIII + ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 90-250mm F2.8 SHG + EC-20 @ 500 mm (1,000 mm in 35mm), f/5.6, 1/640 s, ISO 6,400.

 

[k-hawinkler]

Simply gathering some info….

The OM-1

All versions of the Olympus E-M1 have been impressive cameras, but at least in my view, there have always been some key features missing. With the new OM-1, most or all of this seems to be corrected. This will be a very impressive camera. Full specs...

www.getdpi.com

First leaked images of the new OM-1 camera! – 43 Rumors

www.43rumors.com

Sensor readout time?
According to the first link above snout 1/120 s,
as compared to 1/160 s for A9
and 1/240 s for A1.
Hmm.

OM-1 vs the E-M1III size and spec comparison – 43 Rumors

www.43rumors.com

https://cs.olympus-imaging.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/download/manual/om/man_om1_e.pdf

New battery grip with joystick.

OM System announce new 'Olympus' OM-1

OM Digital Solutions has announced the new OM System OM-1, the first new camera featuring the OM System branding along with Olympus branding

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

First OM-1 images

 

[k-hawinkler]

OM System OM-1 studio tests published

Some ambitious claims have been made about the OM System OM-1's image quality. We've shot our studio scene and dynamic range tests to see how it performs.

www.dpreview.com

Hmm.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

OM System OM-1 studio tests published

Some ambitious claims have been made about the OM System OM-1's image quality. We've shot our studio scene and dynamic range tests to see how it performs.

www.dpreview.com

Hmm.

No big improvements compared to the old sensor. Disappointing maybe, but not very surprising. Waiting for the GH6...

 

[k-hawinkler]

OM SYSTEM OM-5: Kompakt & Vielseitig

OM SYSTEM OM-5: Kompakt & Vielseitig

Hallo, lieber Besucher! Als Forumsmitglied (kostet nix) würdest du hier ein Bild sehen… Einfach hier registrieren – Wir freuen uns immer über neue Mitglieder! OMDS stellt heute mit der OM SYSTEM OM-5 eine neue Mittelklassekamera vor, die in einem kleinen und kompakten Gehäuse Funktionen anbietet,...

www.systemkamera-forum.de

OM System OM-5 in-depth review

In the middle of the OM System lineup, the OM-5 promises yesterday's top-tier performance in a lighter, more compact body. Rain or shine, it's hard to find a camera that does all the OM-5 can for the price.

www.dpreview.com

OM-5: Who's going to get one?

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

It's still a good camera, but it smells a bit too much of a warmed up E-M5 III with a few spices added. The strangest omission in my view is the choice not to use the new, better menu system of the OM-1. That might be because the programming of the new menu isn't compatible with the old processor, but still. I might choose to keep the E-M5 II that I've been trying to sell. That camera looks more and more like a classic.

This comment that I found online hits the mark depressingly well: "Over 1k€ for something they could have basically given us via firmware updates."

 

[k-hawinkler]

Five OM-D cameras get firmware update to support the upcoming M.Zuiko 90mm F3.5 Macro IS Pro lens

OM Digital Solutions has released firmware updates for the following cameras to add compatibility support for its new M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO lens: OM-D E-M1 Mark II, E-M1 Mark III, E-M5 Mark III, E-M1X, and OM-5.

www.dpreview.com

Quote:
"The cameras to receive these firmware updates include the OM-D E-M1 Mark II(firmware version 3.7), E-M1 Mark III (firmware version 1.6), E-M5 Mark III (firmware version 1.7), E-M1X (firmware version 2.4), and OM-5 (firmware version 1.1). OM Digital Solutions says the OM-1 shouldn’t need a firmware update so long as it’s running on firmware version 1.3, which was released November 24, 2022."

 

[k-hawinkler]

Went back to an old image from 2017.05.08.

Processed back then.

And processed now.

EM1.2 + 300/4

WOW! Quite a difference. I like the improvement.

 

[ptomsu]

Went back to an old image from 2017.05.08.

Processed back then.

And processed now.

EM1.2 + 300/4

WOW! Quite a difference. I like the improvement.

Looks great indeed!

How did you process it (LR, Capture One, ....)?

 

[k-hawinkler]

Looks great indeed!

How did you process it (LR, Capture One, ....)?

I import raw files into C1 23 Sessions.
Then have DxO PR 2 do demosaicing, denoising, and sharpening.
File comes back as .DNG.
Then finish editing in C1 23, often reduce sharpening amount.
I recently got also DxO PL6, now have to learn using it.

 

[Knorp]

Mmm, so what do you do to the original files in C1 first before you put the output next through DxO ?

 

[k-hawinkler]

Mmm, so what do you do to the original files in C1 first before you put the output next through DxO ?

Thanks Bart. Great question.
Nothing. DxO will work of the original unmodified raw files. So changes beforehand in C1 are ignored by DxO.
However, if you made already adjustments in C1, then you can copy and paste them to the DNG files that DxO returns.
Please note here, the demosaicing, lens corrections, denoising, and sharpening happens in DxO.

Of course the DNG files are a sort of raw file and treated as such by C1.
So in C1 I still can adjust the usual parameters, including white balance or sharpening.

 

[k-hawinkler]

So I went back in time to 2017.05.08 and noticed a whole much of unprocessed EM1.2 files that were shot at around 10 frames per second, using the electronic shutter. Of course with occasional rolling shutter distortions. Nothing new here.

I then made a GIF animation of those images, displaying the first and last image a bit longer. Here it is.

As you can see the feeder is being blown around by the wind.
Also I didn't hold the camera very steady.
I then used PS to align the images before creating the GIF animation.
Here it is.

The feeder is kept steadily but gets funnily distorted, as is the bird.
One can also see that the Hummingbird and feeder get in and out of focus a bit.

 

[k-hawinkler]

Earth’s Rotation Limits IBIS Performance to 6.3 Stops

In 2016, Olympus Camera made some buzz in the photo world when they claimed that their new camera was capable of an impressive 6.5 stops of stabilization and that the limiting factor was in fact th…

thecentercolumn.com

To me very interesting discussion, including the comments at the end.
There is also this reference

Interview with E-M1X developer Hisashi Takeuchi – 43 Rumors

www.43rumors.com

to an interview with an Olympus IBIS manager, giving clues to which approach Olympus has taken to get beyond the 6.3 stops limitation if the Earth’s rotation is not taken into account.

 

[k-hawinkler]

Email from B&H, quote:

"Thank you for your interest in the following item:

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO Lens
(B&H # OL15040045)

You are receiving this message because you asked to be notified when this item becomes available. We regret to inform you that this item has unfortunately been discontinued. Please check back on our website for similar or possible replacement items.

We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding."

Oh well.