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

ianp5a said:
It's safer to go and handle one to be sure its the right size and nice to use. A big DSLR sized one will get left at home. I played with my Manfrotto at a trade show and bought it online for half the price of the shops. They've changed their line-up since and no longer offer it. But being the right size, it can be slung with it's shoulder strap out of the way so I can carry it all day without noticing.
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This is sound advice. I'm still using my Gitzo aluminium thing at present. Was great with an FX camera. Total overkill for m4/3. Trouble is, I hate having loads of leg sections (three is fine) and not a big fan of centre columns, which always seems to bring me back to needing something quite big and bulky.
 
I use the Hahnel Triad 40 Lite Tripod which I can carry all day with no problems ( I do have a whiplash injury and week back)
 
I am just selling a Hahnel Triad C4 which is really good for m43, I'm just treating myself to something a bit swankier :)
 
Yerah go ands handle them I would say and put them up and down a couple of times you wanta different head to what they are offering too.
Giotto slik roads are nice and compact I have not been a fan of manfrotto but the befree stuff is nice but heavy for lower price stuff.
 
Thanks for all the answers. I've had a look today online and in my naivety I didn't realise just how many there were out there. I've had mine so long I just thought a tripod was a tripod. We used to have 4 or 5 good camera shops near me but now there are none so I'll have to have a few days out to find one
 
Just popped in to say that having been in and out of m43 several times since the E-P1, I'm now back in again with some nice kit. Whatever the limitations of the small sensor, the quality of the Oly lenses is just terrific as I guess everyone on this thread already knows. (I'm sure the Pana lenses are just as good but I don't have any so can't speak from experience.) The 17/1.8, 45/1.8 and 75/1.8 are all amazing value for money - especially when bought secondhand. The 35-150/2.8 is also an amazing lens - and again, a bargain if you are lucky enough to find one used at Wex for a very fair price :)
 
I agree - the p35-100 f2.8 is lovely, sure the extra reach of the o40-150/2.8 would've been nice but the size and weight went against it ( for me ). I did have an o45 but sold it a year ago...the new fast primes are tempting though
 
killwilly said:
I have a question for you Olympus stalwarts. According to the link below, (if it is to believed), there is very little difference in the specification of the EM-5 mark 2 and the EM-10 mark 2, but the difference in the price is significant, about £300. Perhaps I am reading the wrong spec sheet, if so can someone point me to the correct place?

http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=oly_em10ii&products=oly_em5ii
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Basically they are very very similar. The main differences are the 5ii has better IBIS, viewfinder and is weather sealed, and the 5ii has the flippy-twisty screen whereas the 10ii has the fold out screen (which lots of people prefer). In terms of image quality they are identical.

In many ways I prefer the 10ii but the lack of weather sealing is a deal-breaker for me.
 
Nawty said:
Basically they are very very similar. The main differences are the 5ii has better IBIS, viewfinder and is weather sealed, and the 5ii has the flippy-twisty screen whereas the 10ii has the fold out screen (which lots of people prefer). In terms of image quality they are identical.

In many ways I prefer the 10ii but the lack of weather sealing is a deal-breaker for me.
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Thanks Ned for your prompt reply. I am seriously considering selling my Canon 7D and all of my larger/heavy lenses and whilst the 7D is weather proofed, I have never found an occasion to put that to the test, so weather proofing would be less important to me.
 
Nawty said:
To add to my collection, or rather replace the EM10 I smashed in November last year, I've just ordered an EM5ii from HDEW - the price came down to £529 yesterday which is the cheapest by miles from anywhere and given the exchange rates are going in the wrong direction I can't imagine it getting any cheaper for a long while.
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Be interested in your appraisal of the EM5, and comparison to the EM10

I use the EM10, and think its a great camera. The 5 is twice the price, so it should offer much more................

Mj

Just seen the last couple of entries............

What is High Res mode? EM10 has an EVF.
 
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Mark Johnson said:
What is High Res mode? EM10 has an EVF.
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In hires mode the camera takes multiple exposures while using the IBIS to move the sensor slightly so it can build up a higher resolution image. It also gets full colour information from every pixel location rather than interpolating so should be more accurate colour as well. The camera would need to be on a tripod to avoid movement between exposures, and of course a moving subject isn't going to turn out too well, so use cases are somewhat limited. But for someone who shoots landscapes, architecture, studio etc it could be very useful. It's only available on the E-M5ii and the Pen-F so far.
 
For me, having tried it, unless you're into indoor product photography the Hi Res mode is a bit of a gimmick; when they manage to make it fast enough for handheld it will be amazing.

The EM10 does have an EVF and a very good one at that but not quite as good as the EM5ii
 
Nawty said:
For me, having tried it, unless you're into indoor product photography the Hi Res mode is a bit of a gimmick; when they manage to make it fast enough for handheld it will be amazing.

The EM10 does have an EVF and a very good one at that but not quite as good as the EM5ii
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I'm suprised you don't like hi res mode. I'm finding it quite good for many landscapes. The ulswater shot I posted on previous page is a hi res 64mp raw file. There are an awful lot of circumstances where is doesn't really work but when on a tripod with a relatively still scene, it's nice to have it.

That being said, unless you print really big, is more than 16mp important? Maybe not.
 
damianmkv said:
I agree - the p35-100 f2.8 is lovely, sure the extra reach of the o40-150/2.8 would've been nice but the size and weight went against it ( for me ). I did have an o45 but sold it a year ago...the new fast primes are tempting though
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It is a bit of a beast. I was very tempted by the pana lens and would have succumbed if the 40-150 hadn't come up at a fair price. I might still swap for the 35-100 if I find I'm not using the long end of the Oly lens. Mind you it is quite nice to get sharp photos at 300mm fov at 1/60 sec.
 
I mentioned a while back that due to health problems I was leaving Olympus and had got myself a Panasonic FZ1000. I have to say I am chuffed to bits with the FZ1000, although being a bridge it won't give the same IQ. However I didn't sell my Oly kit as I felt it would be giving into the worsening of my health (daft I know, but every time I get worse I am in denial for a far while). Anyway last week, my daughter found herself without a camcorder (again long story..) but as she is now working at a school that is keen to utilise her video/editing skills, but have no decent cameras, she was in a bit of a dilemma. After much research and talking to us she decided to go for a Panasonic GH4 which seems pretty much the bees knees in terms of using a camera for video, which would mean she would have the best of both worlds.
Anyway, long story short, being the best Mum ever, I decided to sell my Oly gear, and fund the GH4 for her. MPB offered me a good price, but when it came down to it, I couldn't part with the EM5ii! I did some weight tests with various lenses on the front, and thought about the type of photography I do, and ended up keeping the 75-300mm and the 14-42ez! Not the very best of lenses but both very good copies and weight wise will be manageable. It was hard to let go of my Pro lenses most of all, but even just trying out the 40-150 f2.8 for 10 minutes in the garden left me with a good few hours pain, so I knew it had to go.
It was sad to see such a lot of good quality lenses go, but when you have health issues life is always a compromise isn't it? It was all picked up yesterday and to be honest I felt relief that I'd made a decision and when the GH4 arrived today, I knew I'd definitely done the right thing as that could be the start of my daughter furthering her career.
Anyway sorry for rambling on, but I thought this post may help others who are also struggling with health issues! Also, it means I can still be part of this thread, and even post the odd photo!
 
I to suffer with health issues but not sure there is much of a weight advantage the FZ1000 weighs in at 833 grams.
The E-M5mk2 and 14-42mm ez and 40-150mm kit lens weigh in at 752 grams. I'll stay with my E-m5 mk2.:)
 
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I agree that the you mention Paul is a similar weight, but I had the 40-150 f2.8 plus 1.4 TC making one heck of a weight! So that's why I kept the 75-300mm (which I know is heavier than the 40-150mm but I wanted the reach for birds), and the 14-42mm ez.
My other problem is with changing lenses and having Lupus/Rheumatoid Arthritis there are days when it can be a perilous activity. With the FZ1000 I don't have to worry if I'm having a bad day. I guess there are different solutions for different folk!!
 
milster said:
Has anyone had a pen or omd converted to infrared?
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It might be worth sending a PM to @JulesP. He was talking about converting an EPL-1, not sure if he got around to it or not. The though of converting an OMD with IBIS scares me silly! I've got a Panny G2 to take apart and a filter to drop in. Might be a project for tomorrow so if I'm successful, I'll report back.
 
After seeing some files from an Oly EM-1 I am seriously considering buying into an Oly M43 system. The colours and the grain were unmatched. I shoot mainly street and documentary and post process my images to try and replicate the look of film. The files I saw from the EM-1 look very filmic to me and the grain is very pleasing. But which camera should I go for? The OMD range all seem to be very similar to me? Am I wrong? The EM-1 seems to be affordable second hand, very good prices in fact and with the larger grip it looks more comfortable than the EM-5. The first EM-5 is very very affordable second hand though! Are there any other differences to be aware of?
 
I owned an EM1 and sold it to move to Nikon full frame. I could not get on with FF and will be returning to Olympus. As you say the EM1 used prices are excellent an the camera represents excellent value for money. I may be wrong but there is talk of a upgrade to the EM1 being released later this year.
 
gad-westy said:
It might be worth sending a PM to @JulesP. He was talking about converting an EPL-1, not sure if he got around to it or not. The though of converting an OMD with IBIS scares me silly! I've got a Panny G2 to take apart and a filter to drop in. Might be a project for tomorrow so if I'm successful, I'll report back.
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I didn't bother with the E-PL1 as I didn't like the feel of it in the hand. Looking on youtube it does look quite easy though.
Go on get that G2 done - if its as easy as the G1 it wont take long at all:)
 
I'm looking to upgrade my em5.. Would the em5ii or penF be the better option? Both look nice and do the trick but unsure as to which I'd be better off with. The newer and larger sensor with the art dial worth it over the em5ii do you think?
 
Andrew Moore said:
I'm looking to upgrade my em5.. Would the em5ii or penF be the better option? Both look nice and do the trick but unsure as to which I'd be better off with. The newer and larger sensor with the art dial worth it over the em5ii do you think?
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Swings and roundabouts really, neither is better than the other, they're just different - only you can know which would suit your needs better.
 
Nawty said:
Swings and roundabouts really, neither is better than the other, they're just different - only you can know which would suit your needs better.
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I'll be honest, I like my Fuji out of all my cameras the best due to the film simulation, it's design and the superb lenses.

I've got a 7D with lenses if i want to go take pictures what ever the weather but neither the Fuji or the canon are exactly small so that's where the em5 comes in. I think the penF with a price will better suit after thinking about it but there's the cost where the em5ii comes in and a healthy £500 or so less.

I'm going to move a bit of kit out first and then see how much I have in the way of funds as that'll pay in the decider.
 
Andrew Moore said:
I'll be honest, I like my Fuji out of all my cameras the best due to the film simulation, it's design and the superb lenses.

I've got a 7D with lenses if i want to go take pictures what ever the weather but neither the Fuji or the canon are exactly small so that's where the em5 comes in. I think the penF with a price will better suit after thinking about it but there's the cost where the em5ii comes in and a healthy £500 or so less.

I'm going to move a bit of kit out first and then see how much I have in the way of funds as that'll pay in the decider.
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The Pen isn't weather sealed which was a deal breaker for me so I got a 5ii recently (the price difference helped too) to go with my EM1, I used it properly for the first time yesterday and I was really impressed and the controls being similar helps in using the two cameras together.

The creative modes on the Pen look fun but Google have just made Nik software free and that should satisfy me for filters (or the General Oly art filters are also good)
 
Can I ask what's the difference between EM10 and EM5 mk1, please? I'm tempted to get a M43 but I have to do my research before I can commit... Thanks a lot
 
I can only think of 10 = better button ergonomics, built in flash, WiFi, focus peaking. And 5 = weather sealing, and 5 versus 3 axis IBIS.
 
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10 has wifi which was important for me as it means you can just take the camera and an iPad for the ultimate travel kit (I refuse to pay the ridiculous cost of a camera connection kit and I'd be bound to lose it).

The 5 has, in theory, better ibis but there isn't too much in it.
 
gad-westy said:
It might be worth sending a PM to @JulesP. He was talking about converting an EPL-1, not sure if he got around to it or not. The though of converting an OMD with IBIS scares me silly! I've got a Panny G2 to take apart and a filter to drop in. Might be a project for tomorrow so if I'm successful, I'll report back.
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Would be good to hear if you do :)
 
Andrew Moore said:
Would the em5ii or penF be the better option? Both look nice and do the trick but unsure as to which I'd be better off with. The newer and larger sensor with the art dial worth it over the em5ii do you think?
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I think those are the least of the differences.
You really need to handle each and look through the viewfinders to make a choice.
Don't base your choice on megapickles.
I would also include the E-M10MkII in your handling test.
 
Ulfric M Douglas said:
I think those are the least of the differences.
You really need to handle each and look through the viewfinders to make a choice.
Don't base your choice on megapickles.
I would also include the E-M10MkII in your handling test.
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I agree
 
Ulfric M Douglas said:
I think those are the least of the differences.
You really need to handle each and look through the viewfinders to make a choice.
Don't base your choice on megapickles.
I would also include the E-M10MkII in your handling test.
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Had a play with all three at the photography show. The EM10ii felt toy like to be honest and didn't feel all to up on my em5 in its feature set which would leave me thinking the upgrade wasn't large enough to justify the outlay. The em5ii has more feature as the flash is beautiful and very well featured for a stock affair. It feels chunkier, heavier, more dense and just a better camera to hold than he em10ii.

Given he size of the cameras I prefer the position of the viewfinder on the pen-f over the em5ii but that is literally it. Is that worth another £4-500 for me though? Probably not.. That's why I'm wondering if the sensor and art dials are going to make up that price gap.

Any idea when the em1ii with that sensor is coming as that will probably be the best of both for me.?
 
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