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

Ajophotog said:
Yes I agree with certain bugs or trying to catch certin critical moments TTL is a real pain, the beauty of photography is adapting to the situation. I find photographing Doli flies is near impossible using TTL as the pre-flash spooks them everytime. The few fixed setting I do use is; hand holding, shooting fully manual and using manual focus.
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I was into landscape first (and I still am) and tend to use aperture priority I probably should change to manual and I have up until now used MF .
I am trying AF with MF using the Oly 60mm f2.8 again as the MF is dire the AF is better with the E-M1 ii I can seem getting the Sigma 105 out again though but the Laowa is very tempting.
 
superpippo said:
Could you explain this a bit more please as Ihad understood that the 60mm is excellent.
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Alan
I have had a long running love hate relationship with the Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro lens since I got it and have preferred to use my 4/3 Sigma DG 105 f2.8 lens instead. The 60mm is very sharp see images below. I use MF to shoot macro mostly I am trying AF again with BBF and MF but for me the MF is just truly awful. If you want to shoot on a tripod and are happy taking your time I am sure the MF is great fine control. For handheld macro chasing live bugs it feels positively glacial and I am sick of losing shots because it.
The AF works better on my E-M1ii but I can see me reaching for the Sigma if I do not buy a Laowa 65mm f2.8 instead.

Notethese are opinions due to how I shoot macro.

Wasp making paper by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Solitary bee by Alf Branch, on Flickr
 
alfbranch said:
Alan
I have had a long running love hate relationship with the Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro lens since I got it and have preferred to use my 4/3 Sigma DG 105 f2.8 lens instead. The 60mm is very sharp see images below. I use MF to shoot macro mostly I am trying AF again with BBF and MF but for me the MF is just truly awful. If you want to shoot on a tripod and are happy taking your time I am sure the MF is great fine control. For handheld macro chasing live bugs it feels positively glacial and I am sick of losing shots because it.
The AF works better on my E-M1ii but I can see me reaching for the Sigma if I do not buy a Laowa 65mm f2.8 instead.

Notethese are opinions due to how I shoot macro.

Wasp making paper by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Solitary bee by Alf Branch, on Flickr
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Is the MF fly by wire so doesn’t feel responsive, is that what you mean?

TBH I always use MF for macro, set if to 1:1 and then move my body back and forth to get the focal plane where I want it. For bigger bugs etc I do the same but set magnification to 1:2 etc
 
snerkler said:
Is the MF fly by wire so doesn’t feel responsive, is that what you mean?

TBH I always use MF for macro, set if to 1:1 and then move my body back and forth to get the focal plane where I want it. For bigger bugs etc I do the same but set magnification to 1:2 etc
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No I mean I the MF takes far toooooo many turns to get from 1:4 to 1:1 the invertebrate has got bored and slowly wandered off the scene before I am ready to shoot.:crying::dummy:
It is fly by wire and has no feel.

My Sigma is about 3/4 of a turn (about 270 degrees) from infinity to 1:1 :banana:

The size of the 60mm wins hands down though.
 
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alfbranch said:
No I mean I the MF takes far toooooo many turns to get from 1:4 to 1:1 the invertebrate has got bored and slowly wandered off the scene before I am ready to shoot.:crying::dummy:
It is fly by wire and has no feel.

My Sigma is about 3/4 of a turn (about 270 degrees) from infinity to 1:1 :banana:

The size of the 60mm wins hands down though.
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I find that with fly by wire, a quick turn and it’s fine but try to be more accurate and it barely budges. I wish they went back to a proper geared mechanism, does it really save that much money?
 
snerkler said:
I find that with fly by wire, a quick turn and it’s fine but try to be more accurate and it barely budges. I wish they went back to a proper geared mechanism, does it really save that much money?
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It is quite quick between infinity and 1:4 and some people do not notice.
The best fly by wire MF I have found is on the 14-42EZ
 
alfbranch said:
Alan
I have had a long running love hate relationship with the Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro lens since I got it and have preferred to use my 4/3 Sigma DG 105 f2.8 lens instead. The 60mm is very sharp see images below. I use MF to shoot macro mostly I am trying AF again with BBF and MF but for me the MF is just truly awful. If you want to shoot on a tripod and are happy taking your time I am sure the MF is great fine control. For handheld macro chasing live bugs it feels positively glacial and I am sick of losing shots because it.
The AF works better on my E-M1ii but I can see me reaching for the Sigma if I do not buy a Laowa 65mm f2.8 instead.

Notethese are opinions due to how I shoot macro.

Wasp making paper by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Solitary bee by Alf Branch, on Flickr
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Thanks for that explanation Alf
Good shots BTW
 
Chipper said:
she came to our club and was very personable and chatty - obviously this was before lockdown. She also spoke on the Oly stand at TPS last year and didn't give that impression. Good for her, making a living from something that she loves in a very competitive world. It will be hard for all pro photographers at the moment, whatever their professional genre / range of activities.
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.... I can only share how I found her to be with me - My own opinion or assessment. Not everyone gets on with everyone do they Chipper ;) and neither can they be expected to. There are plenty such examples within this online community even, are there not.

Note that I did say what a good photographer I think she is and I still do - I also admire her dedication and effort. But I just don't warm to her as a person. Enough said.
 
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RedRobin said:
My first dragonfly/damselfly shots of the new 2020 flight season and first ones of dragonflies since switching from Canon, so a bit of a test!

All handheld at 840mm (equivalent) on M1X + 300mm Pro + MC-14.

THERE ARE TIGERS AT THE BOTTOM OF MY GARDEN! by Robin Procter, on Flickr

FIRST OF THE 2020 SEASON! by Robin Procter, on Flickr

BROAD-BODIED CHASER DRAGONFLY by Robin Procter, on Flickr
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Those are fab, Robin. Incredible to think hand held at a 840mm equiv, bloody amazing
 
A few on here might know this ,over the last couple of weeks I have been having problems with my Panasonic 100-400 and the oly 1-mkii probably due to changing lenses more frequently due to lockdown , ... there is a resistance when taking it off and putting it on the body almost as if it needs greasing . The len fits fine on the mk1 but that’s a bit to slow on a.f for that lens ..so after hearin* from others who have had the Same problem I decided to sell the mk1 and have bought a panasonic g9 as they are now sub £900 bnib .. should be here tomorrow ..
I will be keeping The Oly mkii for macro ( with stacking) and to use with my four thirds lenses and bits I.e 50-200 ,EC14 plus others and for the wife to use after lockdown .. and use the G9 with the 100-400 . My gut feeling is that although the two systems are compatible there are slight differences in tolerances from a engineering viewpoint .and also in operation I.e only lens I.s rather than full I.b.i.s
 
the black fox said:
A few on here might know this ,over the last couple of weeks I have been having problems with my Panasonic 100-400 and the oly 1-mkii probably due to changing lenses more frequently due to lockdown , ... there is a resistance when taking it off and putting it on the body almost as if it needs greasing . The len fits fine on the mk1 but that’s a bit to slow on a.f for that lens ..so after hearin* from others who have had the Same problem I decided to sell the mk1 and have bought a panasonic g9 as they are now sub £900 bnib .. should be here tomorrow ..
I will be keeping The Oly mkii for macro ( with stacking) and to use with my four thirds lenses and bits I.e 50-200 ,EC14 plus others and for the wife to use after lockdown .. and use the G9 with the 100-400 . My gut feeling is that although the two systems are compatible there are slight differences in tolerances from a engineering viewpoint .and also in operation I.e only lens I.s rather than full I.b.i.s
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Be interested to hear your thoughts and see results with the G9 Jeff as it’s a camera I really like the look of and have considered getting myself on and off for a while now. Given your superb photo’s from the Olympus, it should be an honest and accurate
reflection of what it can do.
 
the black fox said:
A few on here might know this ,over the last couple of weeks I have been having problems with my Panasonic 100-400 and the oly 1-mkii probably due to changing lenses more frequently due to lockdown , ... there is a resistance when taking it off and putting it on the body almost as if it needs greasing . The len fits fine on the mk1 but that’s a bit to slow on a.f for that lens ..so after hearin* from others who have had the Same problem I decided to sell the mk1 and have bought a panasonic g9 as they are now sub £900 bnib .. should be here tomorrow ..
I will be keeping The Oly mkii for macro ( with stacking) and to use with my four thirds lenses and bits I.e 50-200 ,EC14 plus others and for the wife to use after lockdown .. and use the G9 with the 100-400 . My gut feeling is that although the two systems are compatible there are slight differences in tolerances from a engineering viewpoint .and also in operation I.e only lens I.s rather than full I.b.i.s
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The resistance on the Panny 100-400mm is just due to the thicker rubber on the gasket, and as you say the EM1-II seems to have less tolerance so it’s quite snug. Despite the early issues after which they changed something, I don’t believe the snug fit is an issue (y)
 
wardy07 said:
Be interested to hear your thoughts and see results with the G9 Jeff as it’s a camera I really like the look of and have considered getting myself on and off for a while now. Given your superb photo’s from the Olympus, it should be an honest and accurate
reflection of what it can do.
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Yeah will do Chris , I have a few friends that already use the combo. So hopefully it will help the leaning curve plus I have already had a g80 so the menu won’t be totally alien . The main reason for change is I don’t want to damage the mkii plus I don’t want the lens to get jammed on it . The animal recognition feature also supposedly works well on the g.9 even with birds we shall see
 
snerkler said:
The resistance on the Panny 100-400mm is just due to the thicker rubber on the gasket, and as you say the EM1-II seems to have less tolerance so it’s quite snug. Despite the early issues after which they changed something, I don’t believe the snug fit is an issue (y)
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In the case of mine Toby it’s more than what I would class as a snug fit .there is a physical resistance and it feels like I’m having to force it on , I would have contemplated another mkii body just for the lens but secondhand with warranty they are fetching nearly as much as a new G9
 
the black fox said:
In the case of mine Toby it’s more than what I would class as a snug fit .there is a physical resistance and it feels like I’m having to force it on , I would have contemplated another mkii body just for the lens but secondhand with warranty they are fetching nearly as much as a new G9
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Are you getting the free battery deal
 
M1 mkii is £749 at HDEW - 3 year warranty.
the black fox said:
In the case of mine Toby it’s more than what I would class as a snug fit .there is a physical resistance and it feels like I’m having to force it on , I would have contemplated another mkii body just for the lens but secondhand with warranty they are fetching nearly as much as a new G9
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It’s here ,unpacked and battery on charge , first impressions it appears to be well made ,feels nice to handle ,lens went on nice and smoothly , main likey it comes with a full manual in English . i’m not going to get into a slagging match over which is better it’s simply a tool to do a job .
The oly and pan are both MFT bodies so should give similar results . Time will tell
 
the black fox said:
It’s here ,unpacked and battery on charge , first impressions it appears to be well made ,feels nice to handle ,lens went on nice and smoothly , main likey it comes with a full manual in English . i’m not going to get into a slagging match over which is better it’s simply a tool to do a job .
The oly and pan are both MFT bodies so should give similar results . Time will tell
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Better say :wave: then.......
 
jakeblu said:
He’s still got the EM1.2. In sure we’ll still be seeing plenty of him :)
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Yep basically just keeping the G9 to use with the PL 100-400 ..I still have the oly 1.mkii for all other oly lenses and I have a few . Just tried the 50-200 on the G9 and it doesn’t work so both bodies are keepers
 
I will now post results from testing in the panasonic thread on here so as not to upset the applecart any further :cool:
 
RedRobin said:
.... I can only share how I found her to be with me - My own opinion or assessment. Not everyone gets on with everyone do they Chipper ;) and neither can they be expected to. There are plenty such examples within this online community even, are there not.

Note that I did say what a good photographer I think she is and I still do - I also admire her dedication and effort. But I just don't warm to her as a person. Enough said.
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And I was doing the same, for balance. Have a good day.
 
This thread title doesn't include the Olympus TG-6 Tough but it has the same processor as an E-M1X and Menu interface and also several of the same features including Focus Stacking. And there isn't a separate thread for the TG series probably because not enough TP photographers use one.

I have mine in my pocket all the time outdoors and also sometimes shoot the same subject as on my M1X rig. The TG-6 is outstanding on macro.

Would anyone mind if I posted TG-6 images here?
 
RedRobin said:
This thread title doesn't include the Olympus TG-6 Tough but it has the same processor as an E-M1X and Menu interface and also several of the same features including Focus Stacking. And there isn't a separate thread for the TG series probably because not enough TP photographers use one.

I have mine in my pocket all the time outdoors and also sometimes shoot the same subject as on my M1X rig. The TG-6 is outstanding on macro.

Would anyone mind if I posted TG-6 images here?
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Go for it.
My mate has a TG-5 he uses when he is kayaking he likes it. I have used it is nice to use I find.
 
alfbranch said:
I find the 60mm f2.8 frustrating I love it's size and sharpness but for me MF is too fine/slow for handheld invertebrate work.
I still use my 4/3 Sigma 105 f2.8

I really like the STF-8.
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.... For macro I find the Oly 60mm Macro frustrating too. The image quality it can deliver is beyond doubt but the MF is a royal PITA! I get around it by using AF to begin with and then MF override but it can still be tricky. It helps to select the appropriate focus distance dial on the side of the lens. But all this wastes time which can lose you your shot when the minibeast is awake and inclined to move.

I've still got my Canon EOS-R and EF 100mm F/2.8L IS Macro + 1.4x Kenko (so 140mm reach) and it's very tempting indeed to use it and not offer it for sale. I feel even tempted to trade my Canon 1DX-2 against an EOS-R5 as the BBF button on the EOS-R is also a PITA. Hmm....

But would I then keep my Olympus 60mm and STF-8? I don't think the EOS-R5 has in-camera focus stacking though.
 
RedRobin said:
.... For macro I find the Oly 60mm Macro frustrating too. The image quality it can deliver is beyond doubt but the MF is a royal PITA! I get around it by using AF to begin with and then MF override but it can still be tricky. It helps to select the appropriate focus distance dial on the side of the lens. But all this wastes time which can lose you your shot when the minibeast is awake and inclined to move.

I've still got my Canon EOS-R and EF 100mm F/2.8L IS Macro + 1.4x Kenko (so 140mm reach) and it's very tempting indeed to use it and not offer it for sale. I feel even tempted to trade my Canon 1DX-2 against an EOS-R5 as the BBF button on the EOS-R is also a PITA. Hmm....

But would I then keep my Olympus 60mm and STF-8? I don't think the EOS-R5 has in-camera focus stacking though.
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My Sigma is 4/3 fit using a MMF3 but I only use is it in MF

I use the 60mm in much the same way as you.
I could not use the 60mm at all until BBF was suggested to me as BBF is not something landscape photographers use.
 
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alfbranch said:
I use the 60mm in much the same way as you.
I could not use the 60mm at all until BBF was suggested to me as BBF is not something landscape photographers use.
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.... BBF (Back Button Focus for anyone unfamiliar) is something I have used since my first digital camera - It took quite a bit of perseverance to overcome my previous muscle memory but it has many advantages in wildlife photography.

I think I should perservere with my efforts on my Olympus macro rig before any decision to switch back to the Canon EOS-R just for macro. I won't offer the Canon for sale yet just in case.

If I can also get to grips with the STF-8 and control its strength of lighting I'll feel more confident. I'm after fill-in rather than full-on.

I thought that wildlife photography was challenging but proper macro wildlife is in another league of challenge!!
 
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alfbranch said:
Go for it.
My mate has a TG-5 he uses when he is kayaking he likes it. I have used it is nice to use I find.
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.... As with all cameras, there's no such thing as a perfect camera (or lens!) and it's always horses-for-courses. But here is one of my first efforts on the Olympus TG-6 for macro. At the moment I am getting on better with the TG-6 than the Oly 60mm Macro for wildlife macro shots but the lack of articulated screen and EVF on the TG-6 is a limitation. But it also has in-camera Focus Stacking and even Pro Capture at 10fps, which I haven't used yet.

Without being told, would you have known this macro image of a tiny Crab Spider was taken on a compact pocket camera? :

CRAB SPIDER IN AMBUSH MODE by Robin Procter, on Flickr

In the exact science of hindsight I could have also shot this with in-camera Focus Stacking. The TG-6 differs from the E-M1 series in that you only get the one final stacked JPG to upload and post-process. One of the advantages of only shooting RAW is that you can spot that any JPG is a stack result.

I don't get on at all with using a mobile phone to take photos and so the TG-6 solves my limitation and offers much much more.
 
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RedRobin said:
.... BBF (Back Button Focus for anyone unfamiliar) is something I have used since my first digital camera - It took quite a bit of perseverance to overcome my previous muscle memory but it has many advantages in wildlife photography.

I think I should perservere with my efforts on my Olympus macro rig before any decision to switch back to the Canon EOS-R just for macro. I won't offer the Canon for sale yet just in case.

If I can also get to grips with the STF-8 and control its strength of lighting I'll feel more confident. I'm after fill-in rather than full-on.

I thought that wildlife photography was challenging but proper macro wildlife is in another league of challenge!!
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Macro of live creatures is very rewarding but not at all easy however you do it.
 
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