In the second part of the review, we will talk about the inside of the camera - the photosensor, shutter, focus and stabilizer, evaluate the noise and look at the quality of the picture and video.
Photosensor
All cameras in the OM-D line use essentially the same 16 Mpx micro 4/3 photosensor (with minor variations in the type of phase sensors in the E-M1).
This often serves as an occasion for reproaches against Olympus. Like, how many cameras can be made on the same matrix. On the other hand, 3.5 years is not such a long period of time, if you remember Canon, they often use the same sensor technology (and equally on crop and FF) for 4-5 years. We should also not forget that the electronic binding of the matrix is being improved, which in some cases makes it possible to achieve an improvement in noise.
Today we will try to figure out if there is a visible difference in noise between the last three Olympus cameras - E-M10, E-M5 Mark II and E-M10 Mark II.
Our test scene is rather colorless (the main task now is to look at noise and DD, and it’s already known that Olympus has excellent color reproduction, and the new camera has no differences in this regard).
Lighting - fluorescent lamp with CRI>90, warmed up for an hour after switching on.
Lens - OM Zuiko 50 1.2, f/4.0. Manual focus.
The Colorchecker target is out of focus intentionally to make it easier to evaluate the noise.
Shooting mode - "M", ISO and shutter speed were set manually - 200 (1/13), 400 (1/25), 800 (1/50), 1600 (1/100), 3200 (1/200), 6400 ( 1/400), 12800 (1/800), 25600 (1/1600).
Shutter mode - mechanical, anti-shock enabled, release delay 12 sec.
Before shooting each frame, the camera was turned off and on again to completely eliminate the "accumulation" of thermal noise.
Conversion - RPP, profiles are completely disabled, the white balance is set manually 1 time for 2 gray color checkers. Contrasting curve - L*.
Exposure compensation, sharp and noise reduction were not applied.
Let's look at the crops from all three cameras at the main ISO values.
What interesting points are found here?
Firstly, the exposure of shots with the E-M10 is slightly (about 1/5 stop) higher than with the E-M10-II and E-M5-II.
Shooting error? Warming up the lamp? No. The correct answer is that the sensitivity of the sensor in the E-M10 is actually about a quarter of a step higher.
If you ask the main techno-drawer for matrices - DxO - then their charts will tell you this difference show unequivocally:
For me, only one thing remains a mystery - why call “ISO 200” the real sensitivity of ISO 100. It seems to me that there is no particular benefit to marketing from this, only confusion. After all, shutter speeds will still correspond to real sensitivity. Again, zhpegs are very different from raves if raves are opened with the right converter. In general, it seems to me that absolutely all camera manufacturers should just switch to real and not rated ISO. There, the difference is somewhere within 1 stop, but the noise assessment is inadequate when compared. Yes, and many other difficulties. Yet again, why confuse studio workers if it turns out that ISO 200 is not really 200, but 100, and the sync speed allows you to shoot at wider apertures ...
What is the result?
Everything is about the same for the three cameras. AT this test I would call the old top ten the noisiest, although the differences are insignificant. Yes, and according to DD, she loses a little too.
The color noise of the E-M10 Mark II is slightly lower at high ISOs. Barely noticeable. However, such differences occur even in different batches of the same camera model, so we can conditionally assume that the photosensor in the new ten is actually identical to the sensor in the E-M5 Mark II.
The “point of no return”, at which important image details begin to be lost, I will conditionally mark as ISO 6400, above which I would not advise you to rise. In this regard, sample number 4 is very indicative, where you can see how the corrugation on the lens ring disappears with increasing ISO. At 3200 the invoice is still there, at 6400 it is no longer readable. But it's in fairly deep shadows. In the middle and in the highlights, the picture is more or less suitable at ISO 6400, although at 12800 solid sand appears in the highlights.
Let's digress from synthetic tests and 100% crops and still look at real shots taken at different ISOs. Frames are minimally processed (conversion to RPP to taste, resize), noise reduction was not applied.
ISO 200:
115 mm, f/2.8, ISO 200, click to enlarge
ISO 500:
90 mm, f/2.8, ISO 500, click to enlarge
ISO 640:
150 mm, f/2.8, ISO 640, click to enlarge
ISO 800:
25 mm, f/1.8, ISO 800, click to enlarge
ISO 2500:
40 mm, f/2.8, ISO 2500, click to enlarge
ISO 3200:
25 mm, f/1.8, ISO 3200, click to enlarge
Even in very difficult lighting conditions (dark + colored lamps), Olympus pulls out perfectly. Here, for example, is a photo from the Moskvarium. Who was - he knows that it is quite dark there, the lighting for the camera is difficult. Moreover, interestingly, in such a situation, even a chamber jpeg behaves adequately. White balance - automatic. The color is absolutely adequate to the real lighting in this aquarium exposition (visitors will confirm).
8 mm, f/1.8, ISO 3200, click to enlarge
And in a ravine, if you wish, you can generally compensate for the color light with a movement of your hand, allowing RPP to guess the white balance on its own, and see the real color of this comrade:
8 mm, f/1.8, ISO 3200, RPP conversion, click to enlarge
In this case, of course, the noise will grow (too much channel imbalance), but try to shoot with any other camera under such conditions - you will see about the same. However, the noises are uniform, do not irritate and look more like film grain, and what has been pleasing me with Olympus for many years is that the files (with their light weight and 12-bit size) remain very flexible in processing. Acid does not climb, colored splashes do not climb, and the coefficients of individual channels can be twisted in different directions by more than a step.
As for detail in normal shooting conditions, 16 megapixels is, in my personal opinion, a very good figure. Firstly, this resolution is sufficient up to meter prints, not to mention viewing on any retina-5K. Secondly, small file size, processing speed. A reasonable diffraction value, which allows you to clamp the aperture to f7.1 without any problems, which is equivalent to full-frame f14 in terms of depth of field (at the same shutter speed - this is a definite plus for double crop!)
That is, absolutely sufficient resolution for amateur cameras. You can also recall mine two years ago, the results of which (and still more than 300 participants) seem to hint either that 16 mgpx is really optimal for people, or that I have only double-croppers here :)
Look at these landscapes, look at the detail, look at the color. See how the camera handles high contrast scenes. And yes, all this was shot by hand, some shots - on a telephoto, on an open aperture. Sharp or noise reduction was not used during processing. Convert to RPP, resize to FS, overlay copyright, save as jpeg.
12 mm, f/2.8, ISO 200, click to enlarge
75 mm, f/2.8, ISO 250, click to enlarge
73 mm, f/2.8, ISO 200, click to enlarge
40 mm, f/2.8, ISO 200, click to enlarge
79 mm, f/2.8, ISO 200, click to enlarge
85 mm, f/2.8, ISO 250, click to enlarge
25 mm, f/1.8, ISO 200, click to enlarge
27 mm, f/5.6, ISO 200, click to enlarge
Recently, rhetorical discussions about the “progress” of sensors from other manufacturers and its “lack” from Olympus have become popular. Unfortunately, I don't have Panasonic's new 20Mgpc on hand right now to compare it to the Olympus. Because the samples I've seen are noisy. It is understandable - as long as there is no fundamentally new technical process, it makes no sense to increase megapixels, and there is no way to reduce noise (with such a cell size).
I also have one most interesting test in reserve, in which I decided shoot the same scene on OM-D E-M10 Mark II and Canon 5D Mark III:) But I will throw this testik in a separate post, later.
Gate
The main difference of the new camera is that it supports an electronic (and completely silent) shutter mode and provides shutter speeds up to 1/16000 sec. Mechanically, both cameras give a minimum shutter speed of 1/4000.
Slightly improved continuous shooting (8.5 fps instead of 8 fps) and sync speed with external studio flashes (1/250 instead of 1/200).
I'm often asked questions about the phenomenon where the camera shakes when the shutter opens, and this shake reduces the sharpness of the frame, especially with telephoto lenses.
I checked this question thoroughly on the new ten, and I can say that the OM-D E-M10 Mark II does not suffer from shutter shock if the "Antishock 0" option is enabled. That is, at focal lengths of 50 mm and above and at shutter speeds even up to 1/15 sec, it is precisely the shock shutter that is not observed. Yes, of course, no one can insure you from lubrication due to shaking hands. But it was the TECHNICAL phenomenon of shutter shock that I have not encountered for a very long time (the last time I saw this was on an E-M1 with an early firmware). Of course, the anti-shock option and the corresponding shutter mode must be enabled.
Also, do not forget to enable continuous shooting stabilization in the settings.
autofocus
Olympus, with the release of each new camera and firmware, claims improvements in tracking autofocus, but today I see the fundamental difference in this regard mainly only on the E-M1 - due to phase sensors. In other cameras with contrast autofocus in C-AF and C-AF tracking modes, it is still difficult to compete with DSLRs.
At the same time, single focusing remains very fast and tenacious, and its accuracy significantly exceeds the accuracy of AF in SLR cameras - since in the first case, focusing occurs on the actual image on the matrix, and not on separate sensors, which requires adjustment (moreover, like cameras , and lenses). I wrote about how different autofocus systems work in.
In general, in real conditions, I did not notice any problems with single focusing. As well as noticeable differences from other cameras in the line.
Stabilization and video capabilities
On the one hand, one and a half steps of difference is not too much. And many tests showed that the difference in video smoothness between 3- and 5-axis stabilization is not too big.
On the other hand, if there is a difference, it should be mentioned.
I did a test by connecting the cameras with one mount.
The stabilization mode on the E-M10 was M-IS ON and on the E-M10 Mark II it was M-IS1. An explanation should be made here - on the old ten in the M-IS ON mode, software stabilization is forcibly turned on, so I set the same M-IS1 mode on the new camera.
As you can see, there is almost no difference in terms of stabilization, although it is noticeable that when shaking the camera back and forth and when walking (the scene with a lamp), Mark 2 holds the picture a little better.
Perhaps there will be some improvements in the upcoming firmware.
In addition, the video detail on the new camera is an order of magnitude better, and rolling shutter is less noticeable (although it is negligible here and there). The dynamic range is also more adequate (picture style settings used the same).
Speaking of video quality.
In the new camera, the bitrate of the video stream has been increased (with Super Fine quality it is more than 50 megabits), codecs have been improved (H.264, AVC).
There is a full range of frame rates, including classic cinematic 24 fps and a very useful 60 fps (which can then be slowed down by 2.5 times, getting 24 fps). By the way, the slow-motion or accelerated video mode can also be turned on directly in the camera menu in the form of a speed multiplier, and not in the form of fps.
An ALL-I compression option has appeared, in which all frames of the video stream are key. The bitrate in this case reaches 77 megabits (this mode only works for frame rates of 24-25-30). This codec setting is more "friendly" for video editors and gives a significantly better picture on static scenes.
I checked the video recording, and it works fine on all my class 10 flash drives, so there is no need to change the existing cards.
For the review, I mounted a small video that shows the capabilities of the camera (although without much semantic load):
And yes, I tried the 120 fps mode. As I said, it is rather nominal (low resolution, no sound), but for an amateur (who does not yet have an iPhone with 120 fps 720p) it will be interesting to experiment. I think that on the TV at home viewing these videos will look quite acceptable. But no more. After all, the resolution of the videos is only 640x480 (VGA). The frame rate in the file is 30 fps (the video is saved already slowed down by 4 times at the actual recording speed of 120 fps).
Don't laugh :) Some time will pass and Olyspus will release a camera with very advanced video. There will be 4K, and 120 fps in FullHD, and whatever you want. But this takes time, but for now let's look at these 120 fps as a kind of "training" :) Do not forget that in FullHD mode the camera produces quite a decent picture.
Conclusions:
Image quality, stabilization and video on the E-M10 Mark II does not differ fundamentally from the E-M5 Mark II (with the exception of 40 megapixels).
Compared with the previous model (E-M10), there is a little less noise, and the video has noticeably improved (a full set of frame rates and a good bitrate have appeared).
Now it remains for us to figure out how focus bracketing works. And there will also be a pair test holivar "E-M10 Mark II vs. Canon 5D Mark III".
GETTING STARTED WITH THE NEW OLYMPUS FLAGSHIP
Let's make one point right away: this article is not a complete test new Olympus flagship, although at the presentation, a preliminary announcement for the press, I managed to take a couple of hundred shots and get a feel for what this “baby” is capable of.
The camera was officially announced on September 10, the first publications in Runet appeared immediately. Or rather, not publications (in my understanding), but slightly altered official materials and micro-analysis to boot. But be that as it may, the price of Olympus OM-D E-M1 was finally named. And the readers responded vividly to this in the following tone: “Yes, it’s better for me to buy a couple of DSLRs for this money and a “ryksu” (that is, Sony RX100)”.
With all due respect to the opinions of readers and writers, the logic “yes, I'd rather buy myself three Ford Focuses than a Mercedes E 200 Coupe” is not entirely correct and is not suitable for everyone. Yes, the price of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 is surprising at first - it's about 60,000 rubles for the "carcass" and about 90,000 for the "whale" with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 Pro lens.
Expensive? Let's not talk about the camera yet, just compare the prices of the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 Pro lenses and, say, the Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM. Keep in mind that Zuiko is much lighter and more compact, and steeper in wide angle - after recalculating by crop factor, it turns out that the Olympus lens gives a focal length range of 24-80 mm, and Canon - 27-88 mm (when mounted on a half-frame SLR, of course ). Good technology is expensive.
Characteristics
| Main | |
| Matrix | CMOS, Four Thirds (17.3×13 mm). |
| Permission | 16.3 effective megapixels, maximum resolution 4608 × 3456. |
| Image stabilizer | Optical, five-axis, with matrix movement. |
| Light sensitivity | ISO 100-25 600 |
| Lens | interchangeable optics |
| Shooting modes | Program, Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, Freehand, Time, i-Auto, Scene Programs, Art Filters, Photo Story ". |
| Exposure control | Multi-segment TTL metering in 324 zones. Modes: ESP, Spot, Center-weighted, Highlights, Shadow. |
| File Format | JPEG (EXIF ver 2.2), RAW (ORF format, 12bit), RAW + JPEG, MPO (3D). |
| Video | Full HD 30 fps video recording in MOV (MPEG-4AVC / H.264), AVI (Motion JPEG) formats with stereo sound, with the ability to take pictures during recording. |
| Memory | Memory cards SD, SDHC, SDXC. |
| Screen | LCD 3 inches, 1,037,000 dots, swivel. |
| Connectors | Micro-HDMI, combined USB and video (NTSC, PAL), microphone jack - mini-jack 3.5 mm, accessory port, synchronization with external light. |
| Burst shooting | Up to 10 fps up to 50 RAW frames per burst (up to memory card full when shooting in JPEG format). |
| Source of power | Lithium-ion battery (approx. 330 shots, 50% with Live View). |
| Dimensions, weight | 130.4×93.5×63.1 mm; 497 g (including the weight of the battery and memory card). |
| Additional | |
| Flash | Removable, hot shoe mounted, guide number 10 (ISO 200). |
| Exposure range | 1/8000 - 60 sec. |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2,360,000 pixels, 100% field of view, Maksim. magnification - 1.48. |
| GPS | Not |
| Wireless connections | Bluetooth, WiFi. |
| Protection | Frost resistance - up to -10 ° С, moisture protection, dust protection. |
| AF illuminator | Yes. |
| Bracketing | By exposure, by sensitivity, by white balance. |
| Image Format | 4:3 / 3:2 / 16:9 / 6:6 / 3:4 |
four thirds
And before talking about the camera, it will come a little to plunge into history, to make a short digression. Maybe more than a digression, in Runet I did not find intelligible information on the Four Thirds System, if anyone shares a link, I will be grateful. And what I came across differs either in an extremely narrow view (it is interpreted as a lens mount standard for digital SLR cameras, created by Olympus and Kodak), or it repeats the official materials of Olympus and Panasonic, without clearing out the stuffing of a clearly advertising nature.
In fact, the Four Thirds System is much more than a lens mount standard with three blades on a bayonet mount and 9 signal pins. This is in many ways a successful attempt to create a common, open to all manufacturers standard for building truly digital cameras. Why "truly digital"? The logic of Olympus in 2002 was as follows:
- Existing DSLRs are not truly digital. These are "converted film" cameras, which bring with them many of the "sins" of the development of film photography. A full-frame 35mm sensor is not optimal for "digits" - matrices of this size are too expensive, too large optics have to be put on DSLRs.
- By making another, smaller sensor standard as standard, you can get rid of many of the complexities that arise in the design of optics and cameras. You can achieve better performance with smaller sizes.
- And, finally, stop continuing the undeclared war of standards, when each manufacturer binds the user to himself with branded lenses and flashes. Let the standard be the same, and let the optics and some accessories be interchangeable. Then the fleet of lenses will increase significantly, the user will not have to puzzle over where to put the optics, if suddenly he decides to change the brand of the camera.
The working space of Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras is twice as narrow,
than Four Thirds DSLRs. This allows other
equal (sensor size, first of all) do
smaller and lighter cameras.
The logic is definitely strong. But, as experts immediately noticed after the announcement of the Four Thirds System at the 2002 exhibitions (in Europe they were Cebit and Photokina), Canon and Nikon will not follow you. They will not agree with the leading role of Olympus in creating a single standard. And besides, they may have their own ideas about the optimal sensor size.
Of course, Canon and Nikon did not go. And Pentax with Minolta too. But the standard was fully or partially supported by Fujifilm, Kodak, Leica, Panasonic, Sanyo, Sigma, Tamron. And yet this alliance has not created a single truly popular, very common camera. Of course, successful models appeared: if you don’t go back centuries and into very expensive equipment for the pros, you can call Olympus E-420, E-620, but they didn’t conquer the market and didn’t even shake it (as the “pseudo-mirror” did in their time) Olympus E-10 and the first DSLRs for a wide range of amateur photographers Canon 300D, Canon 10D, Nikon D70). Panasonic, after two not-so-successful launches of the Lumix DMC-L1 in 2006 and the Lumix DMC-L10 in 2007, stopped experimenting with SLR cameras.
But leading manufacturers just don't give up. And in September 2008, Panasonic bounced back with the release of the bombshell Lumix DMC-G1, the first Micro Four Thirds MILC (mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera) camera. Perhaps, the era of "mirrorless" begins with it, since its predecessors Epson R-D1 (2004) and Leica M8 (2006) were rather fashion models and did not conquer a wide market. And with the Lumix DMC-G1 comes the baby of the Olympus-Panasonic collaboration, the Micro Four Thirds standard, aimed at a shorter camera workspace (without a mirror). At the same time, the sensor parameters remain the same as in the “large” Four Thirds System - a matrix with the dimensions of the working part 17.3 × 13 mm (diagonal 21.6 mm), aspect ratio - 4:3, crop factor - 2.0.
Pros and cons
After the release of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, while other manufacturers were thinking about the advisability of entering the mirrorless market, time passed. It cannot be said that at the same time time worked only for the creators of the Micro Four Thirds system. After all, pioneers, on the one hand, capture the frontiers, and on the other hand, allow competitors to soberly assess what mistakes were made in a hurry (not everything can be foreseen in laboratories), and enter the market with their own systems and strategies.
Even the first Olympus mirrorless camera, the PEN E-P1 model, came out almost a year later, in June 2009. And then it became clear to amateur photographers that mirrorless cameras are serious and for a long time. Manufacturers realized this much earlier. Following Olympus, Samsung comes up with the NX10 model, January 2010. Then, in May 2010, Sony releases the NEX-5 model. The next “swallow” is Pentax Q, June 2011. Nikon is in time for October 2011 with the Nikon 1 J1 model. Then in March 2012 - Fujifilm X-Pro1. And only the last to enter the market "heavyweight" Canon, in June 2012 with the Canon EOS M.
We can hardly consider the pros and cons of all mirrorless systems in one article. Let's focus on models from the Micro Four Thirds clan, especially since the problems and achievements of all manufacturers are similar. The advantages, of course, include:
Now, after a brief preparation, we can soberly judge what the Olympus OM-D E-M1 model, announced as recently as September 10 this year, is. Let's start with the official positioning: “The model is more compact than the main competitors and is the ideal camera for shooting on the road, it can be carried around all the time, unlike bulky DSLRs. It combines the portability of Micro Four Thirds with the superior image quality of a DSLR.”. How much this is true, we will understand in the course of the article. For now, let's fix the obvious details:
 | The creators of the OM-D E-M1 had to work hard on the design. The goal was to make the mirrorless camera look like a DSLR. But at the same time she created her own image - a full-fledged replacement for a SLR camera. You can't really see it in this photo, but the E-M1 doesn't have a built-in flash. A small flash, like a built-in flash, can be mounted in a hot shoe. |
 | OM-D E-M1, indeed, resembles a DSLR not only in appearance, but also in sensations. With a significant reduction in size (compared to a DSLR), relatively large controls were retained. They are, of course, smaller than most DSLRs, but do not cause discomfort. You quickly get used to them. At the presentation for the camera test, only 10 minutes were allotted, during which time you can adapt to the controls. But in order for the test to turn out to be more or less reasonable, I had to take an additional 10 minutes several times. |
 | It does not fit in my head a little that a medium-sized camera can be supplemented with a battery grip - like a large SLR. But apparently it will take some getting used to. Even with a neutral position, you involuntarily admit that the OM-D E-M1 sets new standards. |
 | The OM-D E-M1 screen is traditional for advanced compacts and Olympus mirrorless cameras - folding. It can be raised up, it can be lowered down. This, of course, is not a tilting rotary, like some cameras (and almost all video cameras), but such a screen also provides considerable opportunities for choosing a non-standard angle. |
Technology
Statements that the Olympus OM-D E-M1 claims to be "no worse than a DSLR, even better" were not unfounded. This became possible thanks to a whole "bouquet" of new technologies. The very first of them is design and ergonomics.
It would seem that, when talking about technology, it’s not entirely logical to talk about size and ergonomics, but think for yourself how much research needs to be done to develop a new camera body and achieve a convenient location for controls? This is likely less than when developing low-noise matrices or "next-generation processors", but still a lot of work. And, pleasantly, it brought results - the camera really gives the impression of "very serious", despite the fact that it is much smaller than the average DSLR. At the same time, the controls are convenient even for a large hand - according to Evgeny Uvarov (my hand is medium, not too large).
The creators of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 have put a lot of effort into making the camera produce
the impression "like a SLR, but much more compact than a SLR."
Any person familiar with modern production, possessing
superficial knowledge of ergonomics, it will appreciate.
By the way, Olympus has been actively developing new approaches to camera control in recent years. I recently tested the premium compact Olympus XZ-2 (the article will appear in our section in two weeks). So, I had to study this compact for several days, it has non-standard functions that are not immediately (intuitively) revealed, I have to look into the manual (which generally happens infrequently, usually everything is clear with most of the tested cameras).
Dual autofocus. Phase detectors provide speed
focus. If necessary, OM-D E-M1 can connect
to them contrast focusing - for accuracy.
The next strong step is "dual" autofocus, a combination of the capabilities of the sensor and phase-detection AF sensors. Phase sensors are built into the field of the photosensitive matrix, and the camera selects the fastest autofocus mode according to the nature of the image. When using Four Thirds lenses, only phase-detect AF is used. When installing Micro Four Thirds lenses, the camera chooses either a contrast method or a combination of phase and contrast.
Of course, this is not the first "swallow". Phase sensors on the matrix have already appeared at Canon. Fujifilm's Hybrid Focus technology has been around for a couple of years now. All new technologies try to use the possibilities of the phase and contrast method as efficiently as possible, not only for speed, but also for focusing accuracy. Olympus Dual AF, when using the two methods together, first launches a fast phase, and then with the help of a contrast “twists” the accuracy.
Phase detection autofocus sensors built into the matrix appeared
not only at Olympus. Canon and Fujifilm also make
similar CMOS sensors. I wonder how much they
more expensive than conventional matrices?
The approach seems very sensible, it is difficult to say how much better or worse than what competitors offer. I’m not sure that this can be verified in principle: as long as user reviews “I managed to take a picture of a fly in flight” accumulate, technologies will have time to move to the next level. The fact remains that leading manufacturers a little earlier or a little later come to the same basic solutions. And the nuances - they depend on the "school", on many years of experience, which each manufacturer has considerable. Most likely they are about the same. If someone manages to make a revolutionary leap, the market will definitely notice it. But for now, the balance of power in the market remains relatively stable, because in addition to purely technical solutions, there are also marketing ones. And the preferences of amateur photographers also do not change every second.
But back to technology. The next thing the Olympus OM-D E-M1 can be proud of is the electronic viewfinder. This is a really strong development, but to feel its full power, you need to spend more than one day with the camera.
In addition to its impressive size, high resolution (more than two million dots) and fast pixels (29ms response time), the OM-D E-M1 viewfinder has unique features - it allows you to see the HDR shot before the shot is taken. And in general, it gives us the opportunity to “play” with the key parameters of the frame before pressing the shutter button. We can, looking through the viewfinder, without using the display, change the aspect ratio, magnify the frame, adjust the color and light and shade.
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I don't remember any photographer talking about electronic viewfinders approvingly. Until the number of dots exceeded a million, and the picture flickered godlessly, everyone generally spat and did not look into this “window” without disgust. But now it seems that electronic viewfinders are becoming more powerful tools than the "eyes" of DSLRs. In digital photography, this is how it should be - after all, in theory, a photographer can get much more information from electronics than from optics. But the theory, until recently, was faced with the imperfection of electronic viewfinders. It looks like the Olympus OM-D E-M1 will be a game-changing camera that can prove the capabilities of electronic peepholes.
At first, new opportunities cause rejection, we are not used to “editing” a photo in the process of shooting. During a dense “reporting” this is generally impossible, there is only enough time to grab a frame at the very least. And the photo itself is pulled out of the frame later, when processing RAW: composition, exposure, colors ... But if we have time, if we are doing calm landscape photography? Why not take a photo during shooting, and not in post-processing? During landscape shooting, we feel the atmosphere of the picture directly, much brighter than later when we pull out RAW.
I think it's also a matter of time and habit. The new features of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 for color correction during shooting (Color Creator technology) appeared at the request of Japanese photographers - this is how the technology was explained at the presentation. I fully admit that some Japanese photographers work in on-line mode - when a frame from the camera immediately goes to the pages of websites and newspapers in the author's processing. And we are interested in making it not only possible, but also requiring a minimum of time (for this, the OM-D E-M1 can be connected to a smartphone wirelessly). It’s just that I personally have hundreds of photographers I know, including those who work, say, for the Associated Press and from time to time receive Pulitzer Prizes (Alexander Zemlyanichenko), so far there are no acquaintances who process photos during shooting. But, I fully admit that if new opportunities appear and become established, de facto standards, photographers who value every second of their time will seize such opportunities.
What are 5 axes in three-dimensional space - you will not figure it out right away.
In addition to the usual 3D, two more axes (more precisely, two dimensions) give rotation
matrix clockwise or counterclockwise, as well as its tilt back and forth.
The result is 5D - as in "fancy" cinemas.
Olympus' next step is 5-axis optical stabilization. That is, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 matrix can compensate for camera tremor along three axes of three-dimensional space, as well as compensate for rotational movements along the clockwise-counterclockwise axis and along the forward-backward tilt axis. The result of this 5D approach is a 4-stop EV boost that a stabilizer can deliver to a photographer. Usually this figure does not exceed 3 steps. And if Olympus really took the lead here, we will confirm this with pleasure after testing the camera, we have a good technique.
And finally, Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a magnesium body, increased moisture resistance, dust resistance and frost resistance. "The OM-D E-M1 is the best camera ever, guaranteeing excellent performance down to -10°C". All this is wonderful, although so far there is no data in official materials on how frost resistance is measured, everything is confirmed only by the phrase: “According to the results of Olympus tests.” Usually the cameras keep the low temperature well, but the batteries do not, they run out quickly. So it would be interesting to start by knowing how smaller camera will be able to take pictures at minus ten than at plus ten Celsius. In general, there are many questions, but since the camera is brand new, it is not so easy to get answers. Some points, I think, have not been studied even by the manufacturer.
Results
I think I managed to prove that the Olympus OM-D E-M1 is an extraordinary camera. Perhaps it will become "significant", secure a special place for itself in the history of photography. There are all the prerequisites for this, and history - it will deal with everything and everyone. So far, the only drawback that has been revealed during a brief acquaintance and a rather lengthy analysis is the price of the camera and optics. The price makes the Olympus OM-D E-M1 a camera for enthusiasts and professionals alike.
There will always be enthusiasts. True, there won't be many of them. But people are ready to stand in long queues in order to be the first to buy some “fifth iPhone”. Or pay not too reasonable money for the right to run a computer game on a "special release" of the video card. They write about it, they argue about it. As for amateur photography enthusiasts, they are in the shadow of public interest, but they are.
As for professionals, let me finally tell you a series of small stories. To the question “What advice would you give to a novice photographer?” one of the fashion shooters (Marcio Madeira) replied: “We need to take on twenty kilograms of photographic equipment and run around with them for twenty years. Then everything will work itself out.” From time to time I watch Moscow-based photographer Igor Kostromin "play around" on corporate shoots with two cameras that weigh four kilograms each (with lenses, flashes and battery packs). One camera is telephoto, the other is wide-angle. Four kilograms is a small weight, if you “play” with it for about ten minutes. But try to hold out in tight shooting for a few hours! Try to go on a photo trip with a 20-kilogram backpack, as Evgeny Uvarov does. True, all the photographers listed are large, weighing hundreds of kilograms. And when you see a “reed”, an aspiring photographer girl, bending under a backpack that weighs a little more than a “reed”, this is not for the faint of heart, I cried.
All this to the fact that if, over time, mirrorless cameras replace DSLRs and the photographer’s backpack becomes twice as light, many people will say thank you to Olympus. And it will be for what. Forgive me that my position in the course of writing the article was lined up “for the manufacturer”, and not “against”. But this is a position, not just words.
Gallery
These are not just words, I tried to confirm the frames. There are a lot of them, more than usual, but I think everyone is interested to see how a new camera of this class shoots. Therefore, the samples are taken together with the Adobe Photoshop field, so you can evaluate the quality of the exposure (by the histogram) and see which fragment of the 4608 x 3456 frame is taken as an illustration (by the navigator).
The same photographs are presented in their untouched form - not cropped, and, of course, without any correction. The only processing some of them have gone through is the RAW to JPG conversion. Here we did not use the proprietary Olympus converter, but the recently released version of the Adobe CameraRAW plugin with support for Olympus OM-D E-M1. This converter works quite soundly, and the reason that we did not use the proprietary one that is included with Olympus Viewer 3 is simple - the proprietary converter removes EXIF data from the image. Strange, but true. Therefore, in order to avoid distrust of readers, the samples underwent Adobe processing.
General note on pictures. The camera is very fast and works as well as a Canon 7D or Nikon D300 class DSLR (with cooler devices, I won’t lie, I don’t have much communication experience). All the advantages of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 during the short test, of course, could not be assessed, and no obvious punctures were noticed. Is that sometimes "smear" autofocus. But he sometimes “smears” with DSLRs.
As for shooting at high sensitivity, the only thing I regret is that I didn’t check how the camera shoots at ISO above 16000 (I thought it couldn’t do it). But, you see, a camera that produces photos at ISO 16,000, and not “porn” is a decent camera.
With a wide open aperture (F1.8 - F5.6), the camera does an excellent job of artistic background blur. So the manufacturer managed to overcome all the visible shortcomings of mirrorless cameras. And you can evaluate the quality of the pictures yourself: color reproduction, noise, "plasticity" of the image (I would like to know what it is measured in, but there is such a characteristic). So it goes.
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First acquaintance, review, preliminary test
“The updated OM-D E-M5 Mark II transforms the award-winning camera into a powerful tool for creative photo and video reportage.”
"With a unique stabilization system and a rugged, compact body, even the most demanding videographers can easily capture outdoor footage hand-held, without the need for additional heavy equipment and without worrying about noise, blur or low light."
"...not to mention the 40-megapixel composite shooting feature."
“Even in low light and using a telephoto lens that enhances the effect of vibration, the 5-axis stabilization system ensures that every shot is sharp. This applies to both photos and videos: in both cases, more high quality images compared to heavy and clumsy DSLRs.”
Some articles in our section begin with the words of the manufacturer. This is not hidden or open advertising. This is an occasion to meet the camera “by clothes”, as the manufacturer presents it. And then, as you get to know the heroine of the test or preliminary test, gradually make sure how true or not too true the first impression was. Consider that we are thus opening the box.
Then - open the description of the camera on the page with characteristics. Moreover, we find on this page a comparative table of three models of the OM-D series - the predecessor of the E-M5, the E-M5 Mark II itself and the flagship of the E-M1 series.
| Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II | Olympus OM-D E-M1 |
|
| Announcement date | February 8, 2012 | February 5, 2015 | September 10, 2013 |
| Frame | magnesium alloy | ||
| Protection | Water / dust | Water / dust / frost (up to −10 °С) | |
| Matrix | 16MP Four Thirds live MOC | 16 MP *
Four Thirds live MOC | 16MP Four Thirds live MOC |
| Sensitivity | ISO 100 ** - 25 600 | ||
| autofocus | contrast, 35 zones | Contrast, 81 zones, with tracking capability | Phase and contrast, 37 zones |
| metering | Multi-segment, 324 zones | ||
| Stabilizer | Optical, 5-axis, ≈ 4.5 EV steps | Optical, 5-axis, ≈ 5 EV steps | Optical, 5-axis, ≈ 4.5 EV steps |
| Screen | 3.0" OLED 921,000 dots folding, touch | 3.0" TFT 1,040,000 points tilt-swivel, touch | 3.0" TFT 1,040,000 points folding, touch |
| Viewfinder | 1,040,000 points | 2,360,000 points | |
| Burst speed | up to 9 fps | up to 10 fps | |
| Video | 1920×1080 30p fps | 1920×1080 60p fps |
|
| CPU | TruePic VI | TruePic VII | |
| Gate | 60 - 1/4000 s | 60 - 1/8000 s | |
| Memory cards | SD/SDHC/SDX | ||
| WiFi | eye-fi compatible | built-in module | |
| GPS | No | ||
| Dimensions, weight | 121×90×42mm 425 g *** | 124×85×38 mm 496 g *** | 130×94×63mm 497 g *** |
| Price, housing | T-7857683 | ≈ 62,999 rubles | T-10498016 |
*
With the possibility of composite shooting (in this mode, the matrix during exposure
makes 8 micro-movements, as a result of which it allows you to get
pictures with a resolution of 40 megapixels, 7296 × 5472 pixels).
** ISO 100 in low sensitivity mode, in normal mode - ISO 200.
*** With battery and memory card.
As you can see, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II has more in common with the flagship E-M1 than with its predecessor. In particular, it concerns the price. Although the issue of price is not entirely simple: at the presentation it was noted that the price of the E-M5 and E-M5 Mark II in euros is the same, the E-M5 Mark II should replace the old model painlessly for buyers. However, in Russia, E-M5 will cost 30 thousand less - while old stocks are being sold, tied to the pre-crisis euro rate. Deliveries of the E-M5 Mark II will already be pegged to the new rate, so it is here that the price of the old and new cameras will differ greatly.
Design, management, "whales", accessories
If the camera was in the hands of just a couple of hours, it is better not to draw final conclusions, the first impressions are not always correct. But while there are only them, the first ones, there is nothing more to share. So let's try to figure out how successful the design of the E-M5 Mark II came out, with minimal data. Let's just tell you what is now known about the camera.
 | If we compare the “carcasses” of the E-M5 and E-M5 Mark II, it is easy to see that a diaphragm repeater has appeared to the left of the lens (bottom), and a flash synchronization connector to the left (top). In addition, frost resistance was added, but outwardly it does not manifest itself in any way. I would very much like the built-in flash to “appear”, but it is not. This is where Olympus falls into the sin of "cool cameras don't need built-in flash." We have already dealt with this sin using the examples of Nikon D750 and Canon 6D. Not in favor of the latter. |
 | The camera is available not only in black, but also in silver - a tribute to another version of the classic. In Russia, at least two "whales" with different lenses will be sold:
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 | A flip-down swivel screen for Olympus cameras is a rarity. To be honest, I don’t remember a model equipped with a folding swivel, but this is not so important. And it is important that the manufacturer positions the E-M5 Mark II as a cool camcorder. And, accordingly, the screen of a photo-video camera should have a maximum of degrees of freedom. |
 | On the top of the rear panel, we see another function button framed by the mode switch. Otherwise, the design of the panel is also minimalistic, like that of a simple "five", E-M5. On top of it were the Play and Fn buttons, and at the bottom - the on / off camera lever. |
 | Top view is a pleasant surprise: the number of control wheels - two, the number of function buttons - four. This is great, although the question arises - how quickly can you master so many Fn-buttons? After all, they change different parameters when scrolling the main and additional wheels. In short, the control scheme of the E-M5 Mark II is advanced. The OM-D E-M5 also had two control wheels, but only one function button. |
 | But the mode dial is almost the same as the OM-D E-M5 dial. Basis: i-Auto, PASM, video, ART (effects), SCN (story programs). The only new mode is PHOTO STORY (creating collages). |
 | And, of course, the E-M5 Mark II provides compatibility with Olympus accessories for the OM-D series:
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- If its predecessor E-M5 was positioned in the middle of the OM-D line, then the E-M5 Mark II comes close to the flagship E-M1 in terms of features and price.
- In some respects, the E-M5 Mark II even surpasses the flagship - it is equipped with a more movable screen, a more advanced stabilizer, and is lighter. But in what it exactly loses to the E-M1 - in ergonomics, in the convenience of the case. However, here it is very difficult to compete with the E-M1, its body is fantastically comfortable. This is not only my opinion, but a dozen of my fellow photographers who own the E-M1 or have tested this camera share the same opinion. As for the ergonomics of the E-M5 Mark II - it's just good, wonderful, like many other cameras. This can be said after the first meeting. After a week or two weeks of testing, opinion may change.
| Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mark II and competitors | ||||||
| fujifilm X-E2 | fujifilm X-T1 | Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 | Sony Alpha 7 |
||
| Matrix | 16 MP APS-C CMOS BSI | 16 MP APS-C CMOS BSI | 16 MP Four Thirds live MOS | 16 MP Four Thirds live MOS | 24 MP full frame CMOS |
|
| Sensitivity | 200 - 6400 up to 25 600 * | 200 - 6400 up to 51 200 * | 200 - 25 600 | 125 - 3200 up to 25 600 * | 50 - 25 600 | |
| Display | 3" TFT 1 040 000 fixed | 3" TFT 1 040 000 folding | 3" TFT 1 040 000 | 3" OLED 614 000 tilting, swivel, touch | 3" TFT 921 000 folding |
|
| Viewfinder | OLED 2 360 000 | OLED 2 360 000 | TFT 2 360 000 | OLED 1 744 000 | OLED 1 359 000 |
|
| Stabilizer | No | No | optic 5 axis | No | No | |
| Burst shooting | 7 fps | 8 fps | 10 fps | 20 fps | 5 fps | |
| Video | 1920×1080 60p | 1920×1080 60p | 1920×1080 60p | 1920×1080 60p | 1920×1080 60p |
|
| Dimensions, weight | 129×75×37 350 g | 129×75×37 440 g | 129×90×47 496 g | 124×85×38 550 g | 133×93×82 470 g |
|
| Estimated price | T-10548231 | T-10687078 | Reference point. RUB 62,999 | T-8459250 | T-10542303 | |
* - in extended mode.
Presentation of Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
As already mentioned, my acquaintance with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II is still capped - although at the presentation I managed to thoroughly “feel” the camera, but the acquaintance lasted only a couple of hours. This is not enough time to form a stable reasonable opinion. All this time you think about one thing - how to make test shots not in the laboratory, but in an unfamiliar room? So now I will not talk about the features of the camera, but representatives of Olympus. Perhaps, in the course of the story, I can add something sane. First, about the market and target audience. Yes, by the way, the presentation slides can be enlarged if desired (click).
 | Reference: ILC (Interchangeable-Lens Cameras) is a common set of DSLRs (DCLR) and mirrorless or "system cameras" (CSC). According to Olympus, the ILC market is showing the following trend:
|
 | The share of Olympus mirrorless cameras has grown from 10% to 15% (approximately) over the past two years. I will not comment on these figures because:
|
 | Olympus does not make cameras "for everyone". Each model has its own target audience. As for mirrorless cameras, which Olympus prefers to call "system cameras" (CSC - Compact System Cameras), here the division goes into two groups. The PEN series cameras are considered "female", while the OM-D series are considered "male". |
 | On the other hand, OM-D E-M5 Mark II is a representative of the "middle class". In the sense that the flagship E-M1 is aimed at the pros or over-enthusiastic amateurs, the E-M10 is aimed at successful people who are passionate about photography. And the E-M5 and E-M5 Mark II are for enthusiastic photographers. This is the "middle class". |
 | From a third party, photo enthusiasts, in a refined form, this is:
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Now we understand under what "sauce" OM-D E-M5 Mark II appears on the market, and we can move on to the features of the camera itself. At the same time, we would like to voice the following point: in this article, our comments are laconic and not particularly critical. You can adhere to the position “in a theoretical dispute, I will win everyone” and, as a result, get a multi-page battle, like those that sometimes unfold on our forum. But we adhere to a much simpler position - we develop sane tests, test cameras, post materials, estimates. This is our main argument. And to catch representatives of this or that company in an insufficiently objective coverage of the facts is stupid. Of course, they adhere to the strategy of "telling the whole truth, nothing but the truth, but not the whole truth." It would be funny to hear from Olympus arguments defending the positions of Nikon DSLRs. Or Canon.
 | The OM-D E-M5 Mark II (like the E-M1, like the E-M5) is equipped with a 5-axis stabilizer - which dampens the motion of the sensor in three Cartesian dimensions and, in addition, stabilizes the rotational motion of the sensor when the optical axis moves up and down, clockwise and back. The manufacturer claims that the OM-D E-M5 Mark II stabilizer is even more advanced than that of its predecessor cameras, that it is the most effective optical image stabilizer in the world. I don't think Olympus is being disingenuous here. When we , our test showed efficiency at the level of 4.5 stops (the manufacturer promised consumers from 4 to 5 stops; our test consistently gives results that differ from the results of the CIPA test by no more than 1/3 EV). |
 | It is still difficult to say how the “improved 5-axis stabilizer E-M5 Mark II” differs from the “5-axis stabilizer E-M1 or E-M5”. Perhaps the improved stabilizer is a third or a quarter stop more efficient. Measuring such a small increase is not easy, but it will be interesting to “drive” the E-M5 Mark II according to our methodology. And in any case, the Olympus 5-axis gimbal is the most effective of all that fell into our laboratory. We usually come across 3-step instances. |
 | The second feature of the E-M5 Mark II is frost resistance. This is a guaranteed ability to work at minus 10 Celsius. As far as I remember, the year before last, colleagues in Murmansk tested OM-D EM-1 at temperatures much lower, below minus 20 - for sure. Together with compact dimensions and light weight, protection against moisture and dust, frost resistance forms the concept of "Fully protected compact system". Why this is important - Olympus representatives will clarify in an interview at the end of the article. |
 | The third feature or "very high quality video in your hands" is provided by the following logical chain:
|
 | The fourth feature is the ability to see a crystal clear image in any situation. This feature is provided by an improved viewfinder (the Mark II has twice as many dots as the E-M5). This feature provides an improved screen. The Mark II almost doubled the number of screen points, and at the same time it became not only folding, but also turning. |
 | And finally, the fifth feature of the E-M5 Mark II is the ability to create 40-megapixel images using a 16-megapixel sensor. Of course, this is not a simple interpolation, but rather tricky matrix movements during exposure. And the most amazing thing is that it works! And it works very well. Details are in the test part of this article. |
 | For now, suffice it to say:
|
Small test - noises
Of course, one of the first questions that arises is how well the camera copes with noise. The manufacturer's statements, no matter how they sound - rosy or restrained - require verification. In one of the Runet materials, I read the following statement: "... even the matrix of the E-M5 Mark II remained the same as that of the E-M5." Maybe so, but from a brief acquaintance with the new camera, I got the impression that it was less noisy than the E-M1 and E-M10 (cameras that I studied well). So, perhaps, the matrix of the E-M5 Mark II is still new, and only the resolution remains old. It is also possible that noise canceling has become more perfect. However, judge for yourself: the table below shows shots taken at ISO 800 - 3200 - 6400 in the top row and ISO 10,000 - 16,000 - 25,600 in the bottom row.
| Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mark II noise test |
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| Clicking on each fragment will open a window where it will be presented in 6 options: In the top row - with sensitivity 800 - 3200 - 6400 In the bottom row - with a sensitivity of 10,000 - 16,000 - 25,600 |
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Since there is nothing to “develop” the RAW frames of the E-M5 Mark II yet (there is no program or plug-in available yet), we have presented only “cuttings” from JPG. But a general conclusion can also be drawn from JPG - the noise level even at ISO 25 600 is quite worthy. On some textures, it is hardly noticeable, on others it is more noticeable, but, I repeat, the noise picture that the E-M5 Mark II gives is quite worthy. To be honest, I really want to compare the laboratory shots of the E-M5 Mark II, Sony Alpha 7 and some kind of SLR. The laboratory differs from the "nature" in that the frames are made in the same conditions, the differences are very visible.
And another small note. Some shots taken at ISO 800 are a little blurry - for example, the second test shot (red cloth with embroidery) was taken at a shutter speed of 1/5 second. This, even with a 5-axis stabilizer, is not enough to prevent a little blurring. So some ISO 800 frames would have to be rejected, but we left them so that all test blocks contain the same set of ISOs. If an ISO 800 shot makes you feel bad, feel free to ignore it - it's the photographer's doing, not the E-M5 Mark II's fault. But, believe me, making test shots at a presentation is not so easy.
Small test - 40M Hi Res Shot mode
In the Olympus presentation, the announcement of the 40M Hi Res Shot 40-megapixel mode was brought to an honorable last place. According to the last but not least rule, or so that a slight tension of the audience reaches the desired condition.
Photographer and journalist Yevgeny Uvarov, the Olympus "photo attache", demonstrated how good the 40M mode is. He added that: “The shots taken in this mode are beautifully “stretched”. That is, you can increase them up to 600-700 percent and get ready-made billboards for a small skyscraper. And he added that they "stretch" so well, because "pixels do not have edge effects." For fans of photo enlargement, this may say something, but it seemed to me some kind of mixture of physics and lyrics. Perhaps I'm wrong. In any case, Uvarov gave the 40M regime an enthusiastic assessment. I have known Uvarov for a very long time, and I know that he will not dissemble, in the worst case, he will not tell the whole truth. And after his enthusiastic assessment, it was interesting to see the merits of the 40M mode for yourself. Conclusions - a little later, first look at the results of self-persuasion:
| Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mark II 40M Hi Res Shot mode |
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Clicking on each fragment will open a window showing:
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I think that after viewing this table, neither my recommendations nor those of Evgeny Uvarov are needed, the pictures speak for themselves. Of course, all of them are posted in their untouched form in the test results download block - only in the JPG version.
Here it will also be very interesting to compare the shots of the E-M5 Mark II and, say, the 36-megapixel Nikon D810. I think it will happen pretty soon. And by the time of testing, I would like to wait for the release of a program or plug-in that will allow you to develop RAW from the E-M5 Mark II.
Olympus - interview
At the presentation of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, in addition to representatives of the Moscow branch of the company, Florian Hasselmann, Olympus project manager, spoke. And although during the presentation and after it, during testing, there were many conversations, mainly about technology, we also had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with Mr. Hasselmann and Pavel Gurov, Director of the Photo and Audio Department at Olympus Moscow ". Not only about technology.
I sketched the questions for the interview, starting from other interests: I was curious to find out how the company builds the production of high-end equipment. Moreover, for a considerable period, a whole era, since 1919.
Japanese manufacturers think a little differently than European and American ones. I once understood this while reading articles by Vladimir Tsvetov, and later, when I had a chance to visit Japanese factories. In the actions of Japanese engineers and leaders, there is always a philosophy that, I think, is not given to Europeans to fully understand (just like the Japanese are not given to understand us). But at least you can try, you can make some kind of projection of their world. And although Florian Hasselmann and Pavel Gurov are not Japanese, they (simply on duty) had to be "saturated" to some extent with the Japanese vision of things.
The answers of Florian and Pavel complemented each other, and therefore, in order not to complicate the material, I reduced them to a single whole. In this interview, iXBT asks questions and Olympus provides answers.
iXBT: This is partly a compliment, partly objective information. Olympus is a company that can be called a leader in the search for a new image of photographic equipment. We mean exceptionally successful design and technical solutions, ergonomics. Your cameras are extraordinary. The development of such products requires not just non-standard solutions, but a whole system of views and philosophy. Question: if Olympus has a philosophy or belief system? If yes, can it be briefly outlined?
Olympus: Thank you for this question, because it's always nice when you try to understand why and why a company produces a particular product. And we are, indeed, a company that has its own philosophy, which for many years, since the creation of our first cameras, has been trying to go its own way.
Olympus never copied anyone, we never thought, “Oh! Someone is making a camera like this, let's do something similar. If it works in the market, let's do the same, improve a little, and it will also work.
This is not our way. Our products - Stylus, PEN, OM-D - are, in their own way, absolutely unique creations in which we have invested all our capabilities, the developments of the R&D department, the knowledge that the company's professionals have, and, of course, a piece of our soul.
If we talk about what philosophy we choose as the basis of our actions, we can remember how two years ago at the presentation of OM-D EM-1 we showed a rather interesting photo: a man stood knee-deep in water by the river, he sent a small boat to sail with a candle. And the whole river was filled with such boats ...
It was a ceremony dedicated to the victims of the 2011 earthquake in Japan. The shooting conditions there were quite difficult - emotionally, physically (the photographer had to stand knee-deep in water), according to the shooting conditions (very low light). This photo perfectly illustrates the philosophy of our company - to create products, cameras that will allow you to take photos in any conditions. It can be viewed from very different angles. If we create 5-axis stabilization, it should help the photographer to get the most out of the shooting conditions. Then we start thinking: “OK! And if the camera is also compact, then there will be no restrictions in terms of movement.” And further: "Then we will need compact and high-aperture optics."
At the end of this chain, it turns out that the camera should not have any restrictions at all, either in time, or in the place of shooting, or in anything else. This is the philosophy of our company, which our specialists pick up and embody in specific products.
iXBT: The Four Thirds System was announced in 2002. And then Olympus's arguments regarding the size of the sensor were as follows: in the near future, the noise problem will be solved (more or less); then it becomes obvious that the size of the Four Thirds System sensor is optimal for digital photography. Question: many years have passed since then, but the problem of noise remains quite acute? And in the near future, most likely, there will be no breakthrough. Do you still think that Four Thirds sensor size is optimal for photography?
Olympus: This question sometimes disappears, sometimes reappears, but we still stand on the position that we have chosen the right format.
Let's clarify what gives us reason to think so. First, the problem of noise is not as acute as some photographers and some media try to portray. For small sensors - yes, this is an acute problem. But for large ones, in particular, for Four Thirds, it is no longer sharp. We have practically ceased to be “exhausted” with questions about noise. At least when the OM-D series came out, in 2012. It was this year that we introduced our latest developments into the OM-D and PEN cameras, and the problem of noise became of little importance. These cameras can compete directly with most DSLRs. And the fact that the upper segment of DSLRs provides higher quality is also insignificant - these are a few percent of the entire market.
Farther. Our main weapon in the fight against noise is not only the quality of the matrix and noise suppression. It's also very powerful image stabilization. We understand that stabilizer doesn't save the day in every situation, but it (especially if the photographer is used to using it) can greatly enhance your low-light shooting options.
And, finally, we always start from the needs of our clients, give what people need, and do not pursue some abstract goals. And if our cameras are bought, if they receive numerous awards, this is the best confirmation of our correctness. From the launch of the E-M5 in 2012 to today The OM-D family has won over 75 different awards, and we have been awarded not only for design and technology, but also for image quality. Since 2012, more and more people have been personally testing and evaluating the full benefits of premium products, including the level of noise reduction. All this is done in the daily practice of novice photographers, amateurs, enthusiasts and professionals. Therefore, we are not too surprised that the Micro Four Thirds standard has become one of the recognized leaders. Yes, it took years for the consumer to appreciate the merits of Four Thirds and its sequel Micro Four Thirds. But today it is a fact with which one can not argue.
iXBT: It's hard to guess for a long time. But still, let's try to imagine. Question: Do you think in ten years: (a) Mirrorless cameras will completely replace DSLRs. (b) They will be strongly pressed. (c) The balance of power will remain about the same as today.
Olympus: We do not consider this question from the point of view of repression or non-repression. We consider or, rather, evaluate it from other positions.
In itself, the creation of cameras without a mirror tunnel was a very serious, one might say, mega-breakthrough innovation. And from the very beginning, its prospects were visible, although at the beginning, it must be admitted, there was a certain technological difference between classic SLR cameras and cameras that began to be called mirrorless. But it dwindled pretty quickly. For us it was almost obvious. And now we are well aware that our OM-D and PEN cameras are already competing on absolutely equal terms, technologically they are not inferior to a large group of SLR cameras.
We think that subsequent technological innovations will lead to the fact that the gap between one or another group of cameras will cease to exist (if we do not go into the details of the segments). And this, of course, will lead to the fact that the consumer will weigh absolutely equally whether he wants to buy a camera with a mirror or without a mirror?
Perhaps, here the attachment of a person to an optical viewfinder will be a more significant point. But, on the other hand, electronic viewfinders have existed for more than one year and have been improving for more than one year. A whole generation of amateur photographers has already grown up who are not psychologically attached to optical viewfinders. And in the end, the question of choice will become not technological, but psychological - which is more pleasant in work. Therefore, we did not initially assume that one technology would kill another. And the question here is not in 10 years (or not in 10 years), not in who will oust or not oust whom, but in the fact that at some point the choice of different types of cameras will leave the technical plane.
iXBT: If we return to the first question - is aggressiveness included or not included in the corporate philosophy?
Olympus: Well, if we are aggressive, it is only in the sense that we supply a large amount of innovation to the market. From a marketing point of view, this can be considered aggression, since not every company is capable of such a volume. But the very task of aggressive behavior in the market is not included in our philosophy and is simply not set. Although external observers may come to a different point of view, since the trend of increasing the share of system cameras is very, very fast. For example, in Russia, in the past 2014, system cameras were the only market segment that grew steadily every month, all 12 months.
iXBT: What do you think the image of a mirrorless camera will be in five years? What parameters will increase, what will change first?
Olympus: At the moment, we keep the focus on image stabilization and compactness, light weight. And not only the cameras themselves, but the entire system as a whole. Stabilization, compactness, light weight add up to give consumers more freedom, excellent quality, and the ability to take photos anytime, anywhere.
Mobility, freedom, always, everywhere - these are our main principles, and if we adhere to them, we take into account not only the existing needs of consumers, but also future ones. But if you are interested in a specific answer, most likely, in the coming years, stabilization and compactness will be decisive for system cameras.
iXBT: Low-end compact cameras are now gradually being replaced by smartphones, smartphone cameras. Question: what prevents to equip everything compact cameras larger sensors (at least half of Four Thirds), make them more perfect? Is it a question of the price of the matrix or is it not just about the price?
Olympus: Yes, there are cameras on the market with non-removable optics and relatively large matrices, not even just there - there are a lot of such cameras. We, of course, follow this part of the market. And we note for ourselves that we can create something similar, based on the totality of technological solutions that the company has. But we also look at the size that this part of the market occupies and what dynamics it has.
We can say about this part of the market that it is small and not dynamic. Although it does not fall, but, unlike system cameras, it does not grow. This is a niche product. And it makes no sense to enter this niche just for the sake of getting out. We need to understand what value this will bring to the end consumer. And besides, we remember our rule: "We never copy anyone."
Let's say we create a camera like this, call it "X", put in our great Zuiko optics and a bigger sensor. And in the end we will get the same thing that is already on the market, maybe a little cheaper, maybe a little better. But in general, this will be a repetition of what already exists, and we will be engaged in banal copying. This is not our way.
We have another example: when Stylus 1 was created, we were able to offer consumers the best camera, unique in its kind, by the combination of characteristics. Even now, its position is very strong, but the size of the sensor in its set of characteristics does not play a leading role. And the market feels great about it. So, in answer to your question, we can say that the size of the sensor and its price, from our point of view, do not play a big role. Although some manufacturers "set" it on the size of the sensor and as a result received niche products that are not very interesting for the market.
iXBT: Cameras from some manufacturers are equipped with so-called "Creative Auto Modes". In which, instead of the term "Aperture", the term "Blurring the background", which is understandable to everyone, is used, instead of "Exposure" - "Freezing or blurring the frame". Question: why do you think manufacturers are developing this direction so slowly? Indeed, in theory, this will allow rebuilding the camera interface, making it understandable to everyone.
Olympus: As for the simplified function names, we have already used and use this functionality in our cameras, it is called Live Guide. We introduced it when the PEN E-PL1 came out in the spring of 2010. This functionality is very convenient, since its capabilities are complemented by a touch screen. You just need to touch the screen to pop up a special menu. And it looks like that journalists immediately began to say that all this is intended for beginners and housewives. And just there the terminology is used not classical conservative, but understandable and accessible.
The user can use the concepts "Blurring the background" or "Frozen frame" or by adjusting the color temperature can choose the color of the frame "Warmer - Colder". Even more has been done there - not only the functions are called in simple human language, but the function settings themselves have been changed. Using the slider on the touch screen, you can very flexibly select different degrees of adjustment "blur the background" or "do not blur the background".
But as we said, we do not have cameras "for everyone", each model is designed for its target audience. If we position the OM-D E-M5 Mark II camera for advanced photographers, we understand that they will not accept a different language, they are used to “classic” and not the choice of “take clear pictures” or “fuzzy pictures”.
It's different when we're talking about cameras aimed at beginners, for example our PEN PL7 is considered a "female" camera. The Live Guide functionality has been preserved there, it is being developed there. And we were the first to propose such an approach in 2010. And now, of course, we keep the development of these functions in focus, we monitor their demand. And if it grows, we are, of course, in a position to offer further development of these functions.
iXBT: Thank you for your time and interesting answers.
Olympus: Thanks for the interesting questions.
Results
Of course, the "presentation" share of content in this article is great. But why not? Why not expand the "manufacturer" view of the camera? Why not limit yourself to brief comments and test shots? By the way, they are very "speaking", their word in this article is almost the main thing.
Some time will pass, and OM-D E-M5 Mark II will be in our laboratory. And then we, most likely, will only be able to clarify the information in this article. Of course, it will be very interesting to compare the test shots of the E-M5 Mark II with those of other cool cameras. It will be very interesting to try out our methodology for evaluating the speed and accuracy of autofocus on the E-M5 Mark II. But it is unlikely that we will be able to come across anything that completely changes the idea of the camera that has developed today.
And today the impression is very strong. Olympus isn't exaggerating when it talks about its innovations. And, of course, he praises his products.
Perhaps, so far the only complaint that can be made against the OM-D E-M5 Mark II is the considerable price of the camera. But here, alas, not only the manufacturer is “to blame”, but also the ruble exchange rate.
A compact and lightweight restrostyle camera with 4K video recording, matrix stabilization, a large viewfinder, a tilting touch screen... all at a very reasonable price. Too good to be true? We will look for shortcomings, because without them it does not happen. In any case, if compared solely by characteristics, then many competitors fade against the backdrop of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III. In fact, the only direct competitor with a similar cost, size and functionality is only the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85. Sony ILCE-6300 is more expensive, does not have matrix stabilization and a touch screen, is similar in many respects, but is already much more expensive. The Fujifilm X-E3 is somewhere nearby, but it does not have built-in stabilization, and the price is much higher. Of course, the more expensive competitors are aimed at the experienced photographer, while the target audience of the tested camera is amateurs and beginners.
Specifications
| Camera type | Mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses |
| Matrix | 4/3" MOS |
| Effective pixels | 16.1 MP |
| Total pixels | 17.2 MP |
| Low pass filter | There is |
| lens mount | micro 4/3 |
| CPU | TruePic VIII |
| Photo frame dimensions | 4608*3456 |
| Photo format | RAW 12bit, JPEG (EXIF 2.3, DCF) |
| Video frame size | 3840×2160 (4K), 1920×1080, 1280×720 |
| Video file format | MOV(MPEG‑4AVC/H.264), AVI(Motion JPEG) |
| Sensitivity | ISO 64-25 600 in 1/3 steps or 1 EV |
| Shutter speed range | Mechanical shutter: 1/4000 - 60 sec Electronic shutter: 1/16000 - 60 sec |
| Metering modes | ESP metering, spot metering, center-weighted metering, highlight, shadow |
| Exposure compensation | +/- 5 EV (1/3 steps) |
| Flash | Yes (GN 8.2 @ ISO 200) |
| Viewfinder | 2360k-dot electronic viewfinder |
| Display | 1040k-dot 3.0-inch swivel touchscreen display |
| Data carrier | SD (SDHC/SDXC/UHS-I/UHS-II) |
| Connectors | HDMI Type-D, USB Type-B (microUSB) |
| Additionally | Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz |
| Food | Lithium-ion battery BLS‑50 8.7 Wh |
| Dimensions, mm | 121,5*83,6*49,5 |
| Weight, g | 410 (with battery and memory card) |
Appearance
Olympus has been actively using retro design in the design of its cameras since the PEN E-P1. Initially, all models were made in this style, but with the advent of the premium OM-D line, pure classics remained only behind it. Of course, there are retro notes in the cameras of modern models of the PEN series, but the inscription “Since 1959” on their body would no longer look good.
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The novelty is enclosed in a plastic case with small aluminum inserts. At first glance, the premium series and the absence of magnesium alloys in the design are bad manners. But let's not forget about the cost of the camera, which already in our retail is about $800, i.e. commensurate with such amateur devices as, for example, . There are no premium materials, but the camera still looks great, and the build quality is high. In addition, when working with a camera in the cold, a plastic case is much more convenient and pleasant to use than a metal one. Of the features of the novelty, it is worth noting a slightly enlarged handle, which makes it easier to work with the camera with one hand.
On the front is the lens mount and the LED autofocus illuminator. Behind the right of the inclined display, there are keys for locking the exposure / focus, entering the main menu, changing the information display mode, deleting, switching to viewing mode, as well as a round multi-functional 4-way manipulator with an enter key in the center.
A pop-up flash with a hot shoe at the base is installed in the top center, as well as a pair of microphones. To the left of the flash is the power lever, which is also a pop-up flash lock, and a mode menu key. On the right side there is a round shooting mode selector, digital zoom and video recording keys, as well as a pair of command dials, one of which has an integrated shutter button.
The display is exactly the same as its predecessor - tilting, touchscreen, with a resolution of 1040 thousand dots. Of course, cameras with a much higher display resolution are now available on the market, but they are all much more expensive than our test subject. The display has large viewing angles, so it is easy to see the image even when viewed from an acute angle. The white brightness at standard settings is 336.5 cd / sq.m, and if you turn the backlight brightness up to the maximum value - 822.51 cd / sq.m, while the brightness of the black field is 1.07 cd / sq.m. In general, you can work with the camera even when direct sunlight falls on the screen.
But the touch control of Olympus cameras leaves much to be desired. It is there, but it seems to be non-existent, especially when compared with the main competitor in the face of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85. You can’t control the main menu using the touch screen, the quick menu is also available only with the help of physical keys, multiple touches are not supported, so you have to scale the footage by calling the touch slider. Well, at least photo scrolling gestures are supported. Of the pluses of the touch screen, we can note the possibility of smooth control of shutter speed, zoom, aperture and sound level in video recording mode, as well as the ability to select the focus point when viewing the image through the viewfinder. But Olympus was a pioneer in the introduction of touch control in mirrorless cameras, so you expect significant progress from each new product in this area, but it still doesn’t. And do not forget that the camera is primarily aimed at beginners, some of whom, perhaps, have never seen a push-button mobile phone.
The menus of previous OM-D E-M10 models were extremely similar to those of the older Olympus premium cameras. The new menu has been greatly simplified. In addition, an "advanced shooting mode" has been added, which will be especially useful for novice photographers. In order not to bore you with the description of the interface, below are a few screenshots for your reference.
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Features and additional functions
All unusual camera modes are moved to a separate “Advanced shooting mode”, the transition to which is carried out when the mode dial is moved to the “AP” position. Here are shooting modes with long exposure, multiple exposure, HDR, silent mode ( electronic shutter), panoramic shooting, keystone correction mode, and exposure bracketing and focus bracketing modes. The latter mode will be especially appreciated by fans of various small “objects”. It is noteworthy that all of the listed modes are not fully automatic, and the user is free to enter a lot of corrections into the settings, including shooting in RAW. By the way, in HDR mode, shooting in RAW is also possible, but only when RAW + JPEG is selected, while shooting exclusively in RAW in this mode is not possible.
Keystone correction in the camera menu
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Like all competitors, the tested camera is equipped with a WiFi module. There are no Bluetooth and NFC modules. However, even without NFC, the setup is quite fast - just install the Olympus Image Share application on your smartphone and take a picture of the QR code on the camera screen. With a wireless connection, you can view the footage and send it to your smartphone. Of course, remote control is also provided, and not only photos are supported, but also video shooting. But in the case of video recording, the resolution cannot exceed 1920 * 1080 pixels, the quality is reduced by the bit rate (to the “Fine” quality mode), the bit rate is up to 30 frames per second. During remote control, the delay on the smartphone screen is almost imperceptible. With remote control, it is possible to adjust the shutter speed, aperture opening, sensitivity, white balance, as well as zoom control (when using a lens with an electric drive) both in photo mode and in video mode.
Camera in action
The time required to prepare the camera for operation depends on the type of installed lens. With the supplied M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens, the first shot can be taken only 1.17 seconds after the power is turned on. But here you need to take into account that the lens with a motorized drive takes time to reach working position. When conventional lenses are attached, the first shot can be taken 0.51 seconds after the power lever is turned. Far from a record, but not bad.
Claimed continuous shooting speed is 8.6 frames per second, which was confirmed during the measurements, and the camera pulls out the declared speed both when using the JPEG format and when using RAW. It is noteworthy that even with the activation of software processing or noise reduction, the speed of continuous shooting does not decrease, and this is expensive. First of all, this is the merit of a powerful 4-core TruePic VIII processor (it is worth noting that in the flagship camera OM-D E-M1 Mark II uses a pair of the same processors). When shooting in RAW, the camera is able to shoot a series at a maximum speed of 22 frames, and when shooting in JPEG, until the memory card is full. But for such results, you will have to fork out for a UHS-II SD memory card, because when using even the fastest SD UHS-I cards, the burst is 10 frames in RAW and 21 frames in JPEG.
Autofocus in the camera only works in contrast mode, while many mirrorless cameras, thanks to phase sensors built into the matrix, are able to work in hybrid mode. The camera provides a variety of modes for selecting zones, including the ability to select by moving your finger across the screen while looking through the viewfinder, which is very convenient. Using the supplied M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens, the camera was able to focus on the test pattern in 0.36 seconds. This is a good result, because, for example, who visited us for testing was able to focus in only 0.46 seconds. But at the same time, it should be noted that the SLR camera in Live View mode was able to focus in 0.09 seconds. In terms of autofocus sensitivity, nothing extraordinary - in testing, the camera was able to focus at illumination of 0.52 lux, which approximately corresponds to the level of -2 EV. Here, modern Panasonic cameras are ahead, because they often easily cope with the task when the illumination is -4 EV, and in such darkness even the eyes are no longer an assistant.
With manual control, the focus area can be increased by 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 times, which allows you to aim at the subject even in the most difficult conditions. In addition, there is a "focus picking" function with a choice of one of 4 colors for highlighting the edges of sharpness. This feature will be useful not only for fans of manual optics, but also for fans of macro and subject photography. It is worth noting that a huge set of cheap Soviet optics is installed on Olympus mirrorless cameras through an adapter without any problems, including an M39 mount for rangefinder cameras (in the case of using lenses for M39 on SLR cameras, only macro photography is possible), which are generally mere pennies at flea markets (2-5 dollars).
Setting the exposure coupler is possible in PASM modes, which is the standard for the vast majority of system cameras. But in the settings of the metering mode, in addition to the standard trio (matrix, center-weighted, spot), there are “light zone” and “shadow zone” modes, which are proprietary features of Olympus cameras. In addition, there is the ability to separately adjust the highlights, mids and darks, which allows you to publish a picture without post-processing and even without the need to shoot in RAW (of course, if you need urgent publication via a smartphone). The metering proved to be quite accurate, with a metering error of just -0.1 EV in testing, which is almost impossible to notice without comparison with the reference image.
In terms of the number of white balance settings, the tested camera is not inferior to much more expensive cameras. Of course, there is a set of presets (sunny, cloudy, shade, incandescent, fluorescent, flash), an automatic mode with the ability to activate the function of keeping warm tones, as well as manual input of color temperature. In manual mode, there are 4 cells for storing settings, which is rare in relatively inexpensive cameras.
Noises
The maximum ISO level is 25600. The minimum sensitivity value in the standard range is ISO 200, the extended range also includes ISO 100.
click on thumbnails to view full size
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When determining the level of luminance noise in numerical terms, the shooting was carried out both in RAW format and in JPEG format with noise reduction turned off. The shooting was carried out in RAW + JPEG mode, that is, frames in both formats were received simultaneously. As you can see in the graph, when shooting in JPEG, starting from ISO800 sensitivity, latent noise reduction algorithms are activated. This is not to say that the noise reduction is too active, but at the maximum sensitivity value, the difference reaches 5.7 dB, and this is almost a twofold difference in the noise level.
Stabilization
The camera has a built-in 5-axis gimbal that claims 4 EV in CIPA testing. The efficiency is not the most impressive, because for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II the gain is up to 5.5 steps. But unexpectedly, the test subject showed an even better result. Perhaps this is due to the lighter weight of the camera, which makes the hands less tired. But even without comparison with the flagship, the result seems incredible - 10 frames out of 10 are clear already at a shutter speed of 1/6 second. All in all, Olympus has once again proved that its stabilizers in photo mode are the best. In fact, holding your breath and standing still like an idol, you can get a blur-free shot when shooting handheld at shutter speeds of several seconds, but this implies normal use of the camera.
Flash
The flash in the camera is not very powerful - the guide number is only 8.2 at ISO200. It can only be used for wireless "ignition" of flashes when synchronizing over the light channel. But on the other hand, there are quite a lot of settings for such a budget baby. In addition to the choice of modes (synchronization on the first or second curtain, red-eye correction mode), a power divider (1 / 1.3 ... 1/64) is provided. Of course, when using the built-in flash, the presence of a divider is not relevant, but when installing on-camera speedlights, this is already a plus, because you can make settings without using the external flash menu. There is also a function for setting the duration of the synchronization speed, and the minimum is 1/250 s, while the main competitor has 1/160 of a second.
It is also worth noting here that Chinese manufacturers have already mastered not only manual, but also TTL flashes for Olympus. The same Godox has an excellent solution with a guide number of 60 at ISO100, a swivel head and a built-in radio synchronization module, and for only $ 110. Of course, this is not a relevant offer for a flagship, but for a relatively inexpensive camera, this is an excellent solution, which simply did not exist for the Olympus system a couple of years ago, which forced many potential buyers For budget cameras, look in the direction of the Canon system (for some reason, Nikon budget cameras still have significantly reduced functionality when working with an external flash), for which Chinese TTL flashes have appeared quite a long time ago.
Photo examples
Video recording mode
A relatively inexpensive camera with many bonuses such as matrix stabilization, which also works in video mode, in addition to everything else, it can record 4K videos. But you should not expect a miracle - both in FullHD mode and in 4K mode, the color representation is only 8-bit, and color subsampling is 4:2:0. But there is the possibility of recording in 1080/60p mode. There are no microphone and headphone jacks. To record high-quality sound, you can use an external HDMI recorder or voice recorder. The camera, of course, does not support time codes, but you can synchronize the sound during subsequent video processing with a banal clap instead of a clapperboard. In general, you can get out. It is noteworthy that the “focus peaking” mode works when shooting video. Inexperienced operators can fully rely on auto focus, because it works correctly and imperceptibly, which is pleasantly pleasing. The stabilizer in the video mode accurately determines the panning mode, so there are no jerks during vertical and horizontal wiring. And in general, the stabilizer works exemplary.
4K video recording example (3840*2160 dots)
1080/60p video example
1080/30p video example
Battery and battery life
The camera uses a lithium-ion battery BLS-50 with a capacity of 8.7 Wh, that is, the same as the previous model. Battery life when tested according to the CIPA standard increased from 320 to 330 frames. Most likely, the new processor turned out to be a little more economical, because the power of the built-in flash, display and battery, which directly affect battery life, remained unchanged. With normal everyday use, the battery lasts for 350-400 shots. If you do not forget to turn off the camera, then you can safely count on half a thousand, which is a very good result for a compact mirrorless camera. But still, SLR-type cameras are far ahead here. Charging the battery from the USB bus/charging is not supported, so you can recharge the charge from the mobile battery only using a variety of Chinese adapters, which is not very convenient.
Conclusion
I liked the camera a lot. Of course, there were some drawbacks, but even flagship cameras have plenty of them. The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III is a great mobile and, importantly, multifunctional tool at a reasonable price. It is small and light, so it is perfect for street photography. Thanks to its excellent 5-axis IS, it is capable of taking blur-free shots at huge shutter speeds of several seconds, allowing you to use the lowest ISO even at night. That is, in low light conditions, to obtain a noise level and a dynamic range commensurate with expensive flagship DSLRs, which in such conditions are simply forced to use high sensitivity values. The focus bracketing function allows you to use the camera for subject and macro photography. In addition, the camera is capable of recording 4K video of good quality. In addition to this, there is a viewfinder and a tilting touch screen, which adds to the convenience. In general, a complete set for the price of a budget DSLR.
Minuses:
- case materials do not pull on a premium series (but a plastic case is more convenient in the cold);
- no microphone and headphone jacks;
– the system of touch control is poorly developed;
- autofocus sensitivity is lower than that of the main competitor from the Panasonic camp;
- there is no possibility of charging the battery from the USB bus / charging;
Pros:
– design and ergonomics;
- low weight;
– support for SD UHS-II format cards;
– Possibility of touch selection of the focus point when sighting through the viewfinder;
- focus bracketing function;
- remote control function with the ability to shoot video;
– excellent 5-axis stabilizer;
– support for 4K video recording;
– battery life (compared to the main competitor).
the first digital camera I bought in 2002, a couple of months after moving to Moscow. At that time, decent photographers did not yet take the “digit” seriously, but I was completely dreary on film. After the first acquaintance in 1999 with a simple Epson camera, the sensor resolution of which was as much as one megapixel, I realized that this was mine. Unfortunately, at that time, the desires did not yet coincide with the possibilities, but as soon as they approached, I immediately began to choose a digital camera.
For some time I looked closely at the Fuji “soap box” with a breathtaking matrix resolution (as much as 4 megapixels!), But Evgeny Kozlovsky said that soap dishes are for suckers, and only DSLRs are the choice of serious guys. I trusted Kozlovsky and eventually bought an Olympus Camedia C-2500L. At that time (in the spring of 2002) it had been on sale for the third year already, it was not a special miracle of technology. But it cost about $700. At the time, very humane.
What can be said now, after 14 years, about the quality of shooting on a quasi-reflex camera with a 2.5 megapixel matrix? Yes, smartphones are better now. But then for me personally it was like a breakthrough into another dimension. And a card of as much as 64 megabytes seemed almost endless.
But a year later, I began to miss the capabilities of the C-2500L. I sold it to my friend Yura, whose camera worked well for many more years, and bought an Olympus Camedia E-10 myself. And now it was really cool. "Ten" captured reality so deftly and beautifully that even after a decade it is very pleasant for me to look at many shots. They were filmed decently - many thousands. And at work, and on trips, and for the soul. I really liked that the camera and I have the same ideas about beauty. I confess, I have never been a hardcore photographer, and still prefer to use automatic modes. No, if it presses, then, of course, I will set everything up as it should be. But it's better, of course, to just press the button - and it would be beautiful. So on the E-10 it was exactly like that. In automatic mode, she shot exactly the way I liked. How would I set it up myself.
But years passed. After the not very successful E-20 model, some fermentation and throwing began in the camp of Olympus, but Canon and Nikon, on the contrary, made significant progress. And when it came time to upgrade the camera, colleagues at Computerra convinced me to take the Nikon D70. I can't say that I didn't like the camera at all. After all, she shot in RAW, a format that allows many flaws to be corrected after the fact. But in automatic mode, it didn’t work at all what I wanted. And in the first months after parting with the E-10, it was terribly uncomfortable. Then I got used to where to go. But the memory of the camera, with which we lived in perfect harmony, remained.
I will not describe all my cameras, I will move on to the main thing. In the fall of 2014, Alex Exler asked me to take the Olympus OM-D E-M1 camera to Moscow. And he said that if I want, I can shoot it.
I flew home, inserted a card into the camera, took a few pictures ... and was stunned. The same feeling returned ten years ago with the E-10. The camera "saw" the world in exactly the same way as I did. But, of course, it has become an order of magnitude better - faster, more convenient, more precise in details. I had no plans to change the camera. At that time we were quite happy with the Sony RX100, a completely unique device, after meeting with which I sold Nikon DSLR D90 and thought that he had completely stopped carrying a camera with him, which was very different in size from a pack of cigarettes.
But, having shot on the OM-D E-M1, I realized that the harmony with the RX100 came to an end. Over the years, I began to photograph less, as they say, for the soul, and much more - for work. A typical scenario is to go somewhere, click on 300-400 frames within a couple of days, select 50 of them and use them in an immediately written report. At exhibitions and conferences, few people think about the right light on the stands. More precisely, it sometimes seems to me that people tend to complicate the work of photographers as much as possible. Decorate everything with some creepy neon, darken the areas where new products are located, cover them with the most glaring glasses in the world. All this is treated in Photoshop. And if you shoot in RAW, it is treated almost without a trace. But it takes a lot of time. When you, having rewound a couple of tens of kilometers around the exhibition, write a text in the issue, then select those same 40-50 frames, and then treat almost every one of them ... Well, you usually finish at two in the morning, of course. But then, with some nervousness, you react to questions - how is Las Vegas? How is London? Yes, hell knows how. I didn't see them.
But the E-M1 shot right away, as it should. And even the lens profiles were recorded in the RAW files themselves, which eliminated the need to correct optical distortions (any zooms have them, regardless of price). And the white balance caught correctly. And focused instantly. And wonderfully blurred the background.
In general, E-M1 left me, but the longing for her remained. I looked - how much they sell it, and it seemed a little expensive. I needed a version with the Olympus ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens, where aperture of 2.8 is maintained throughout the zoom range. It was this combination that provided such pleasing results. But to invest a hundred thousand rubles at once ...
I decided to try the Sony a6000 camera, which in May 2015 was sold in the States at a wonderful discount in honor of Mother's Day. Mother photographers must have been wildly delighted. With two lenses, it cost me about 45 thousand rubles.
Good camera, no doubt. Probably, if I hadn’t tried the E-M1, I would have shot it and praised it. But still, the difference with Olympus was so noticeable that after a month and a half I sold the a6000 and took the kit version of the OM-D E-M1 with the correct lens. The last straw that forced me to make a decision was the lack of an input for a standard microphone on the a6000. At that time, I was seriously planning to write videos on an industrial scale, and buying some kind of hellish design instead of an existing normal microphone did not smile at me categorically.
And since June 2015, I’ve been shooting with Olympus again.
Why do I love the Olympus E-M1?
You can, of course, write "for everything" and put an end to it. But it will not be very polite to the reader, although honestly. I'll tell you more anyway.
This model belongs to the class of mirrorless cameras. The first representatives of this tribe did not please with anything special, but gradually they learned to shoot no worse than SLR cameras of the same price range with much more compact dimensions. Yes, I’ll make a reservation right away that it’s better not to read further for harsh guys and girls who consider everything with an incomplete frame garbage. Full frame, no doubt, a great thing. And if you a) can afford it, b) can fully use its capabilities and c) are ready to carry the carcass itself and suitable lenses with you, respect and respect to you. No, seriously, I understand perfectly well that you can achieve more on a full frame. But for my needs and, I'm afraid, opportunities as a photographer, buying a full-frame camera is a waste of money.
There is another ... piquant moment. I recently spoke with really a good photographer having a full arsenal of professional equipment. And he complained that big camera often you have to carry it with you solely to appease customers. They judge the photographer solely by the size of the camera and lens, and if the dimensions are not impressive, they begin to resent. By the way, I came across this a bit when I rode with the RX100. You shoot some exhibits at the stand, and the employees politely clarify: they say, can they send you normal photos later, otherwise nothing sensible will work on this fart.
True, there was another case. A year and a half ago, I photographed Noel Lee, the owner of Monster, and asked him not to be surprised by the size of the camera. And he answered - why be surprised, she’s cool, I myself have one. And he took out the RX100 from his pocket.
Noel Lee in the lens of Olympus E-M1. The darkness in the hall is pitch-black. But we digress. The E-M1 uses a 4/3 MOS sensor developed by Panasonic. In terms of area, it is relatively small - almost one and a half times smaller than APS-C, not to mention Full Frame. The laws of physics have not been repealed. But in digital photography, not only the size of the sensor matters, but also how the lens is sharpened under it. And also the quality of software algorithms. The example has already set the teeth on edge, that in smartphones from other manufacturers, Sony photomodules for some reason shoot much better than in Xperia ... The sensor resolution is 16 megapixels, which is not a record for today, but this indicator is not critical for me at all. Anything over 10 megapixels is already more than it actually needs.
The E-M1 came out in 2013 and has been continuously improved by Olympus ever since. At the end of 2015, the fourth version of the firmware was released, which added a number of really useful things. For example, macro photography with eight focus points at once, from which you can then choose one to your liking. I mention this at the beginning of the story about the camera to emphasize 2 things. The first is that despite its age, which is respectable in modern times, the company does not forget about it and continues to improve. So, right now I looked into the firmware section and found a completely new firmware, released on February 4th. The second point is that the performance margin of the E-M1 is so great that even years later it allows you to add resource-intensive functions. In 2013, when the camera first came out, it became a real breakthrough and received a bunch of prestigious awards. But even now it is absolutely modern. And so far no chips have been invented that would be important to me, and which would not be in it.
So here's what's important to me.
An absolutely necessary thing in a modern camera is WiFi support. It allows you not only to download photos to a laptop if you forgot to place a card reader in the latter, but, more importantly, provides quick synchronization with a smartphone or tablet. The Olympus E-M1 has everything on top here: there is a convenient application for iOS and Android, through which you can send ready-made pictures to your phone / tablet, and use the latter as a wireless viewfinder. Now I can take high-quality pictures during incendiary presentations and instantly send them to the editor or post them on Facebook. Taking pictures directly on a smartphone is not an option: in the twilight, even the best models cope so-so, and optical zoom in mobile devices is still rare.
The second useful thing is HDR support. When you shoot against a light source (alas, sometimes you have to), without HDR, too many details are killed. There are two HDR modes on the E-M1, basic and advanced. In both cases, the camera takes a series of shots with different shutter speeds, and then prepares something like an arithmetic average based on them. The result differs in quality and time required for shooting.
The third thing I really like is the large touch viewfinder with a rotating mechanism. That is, of course, I mainly look through the peephole, but if the camera has to be held above my head, the screen helps a lot. There, at the same time, you can select a focus point and even immediately take a picture with it. When viewing photos on the screen, they are scrolled through, like on a smartphone screen, with gestures.
Five-axis optical stabilization is built into the body itself, which means that the camera owner has the opportunity to save on lenses. Without much hope, I bought an inexpensive M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40‑150mm 1: 4.0‑5.6 R (from 10,000 rubles in Moscow), and suddenly discovered that it can shoot clear shots at maximum zoom with a relatively low shutter speed. Yes, in terms of clarity, it is still inferior to M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12–40mm 1:2.8 PRO, but this masterpiece costs about 50 thousand for a reason. Aperture 2.8 over the entire range, combined with lightning-fast autofocus, is, I tell you, just some kind of miracle. Not a fan of carrying several "glasses" with him and changing them during work, and there was a temptation to pick up a universal ultrasonic. But for now, the ED 12–40mm 1:2.8 PRO pattern keeps me from experimenting. Masterpiece! He still has interesting feature– You can switch between automatic and manual focusing with a single movement of your hand.
With the Olympus E-M1, you can take pictures of respected people from a safe distance. 
With the first versions of the firmware, the E-M1 thoroughly ate the battery. Alex Exler's review says that there were enough frames for 200. Now they fixed it: I won't lie, I didn't count on purpose, but one charge is enough for 400-450 frames for sure. An incident happened to me in January: I flew to CES, the first day I photographed furiously from morning to evening, on the second day I also clicked heartily, but somewhere around dinner the icon blinked - they say, the battery is low, it needs to be charged. And then I discovered that I forgot the charger at home ... In the surrounding stores there was nothing suitable for reasonable money, and somehow I didn’t smile at paying $ 70. And I went to the Olympus booth. Explained the situation and asked for help. I thought I was just charging the battery. But instead, the bearded man took out his copy of the E-M1 from the bag, pulled out the battery and gave it to me. I shot with her until the end of the exhibition, making a total of 932 shots. And the second battery by that time still retained 30 percent of the charge. Here also consider. Yes, I note that I shot in RAW, and in JPEG the power consumption is less.
The video shoots wonderfully. The new firmware added a variable frame rate and such a professional thing as synchronization with a linear PCM recorder. The built-in microphone records the sound very decently, but it's not a problem at all to connect a buttonhole, thanks to the presence of a connector. The only point - when shooting at maximum quality, you need a fast memory card. Burnt on slow ones, I'm currently using Kingston SDA3 with maximum speed records 80 Mb/s. She is all right.
Total
You know, I'm probably not the coolest photographer. My daughter shoots much better. It is not so much the artistic value of the frame that is important to me, but its information content. And also the ability to instantly fix some situations, scenes that exist in a matter of seconds. I also regularly shoot reports - about people and devices.
In this sense, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 is perfect: if I consciously press the shutter button, the frame will be of high quality. Of course, if I start shooting without a flash of a hare rushing across a field in pitch darkness, I'm unlikely to get something sensible. But even in the twilight, I shoot my very fast-moving children from my hand, and it turns out well.
Such collages can be made directly with the E-M1. 
The magnesium alloy case with dust and moisture protection will allow you not to worry too much if you unsuccessfully attach a backpack or get caught in the rain with the camera. By the way, I apologize that the portraits of the camera itself are a bit too dusty: this does not interfere with work, and when you fly in and run over a good 70 thousand miles together, everything just settles.
Is the E-M1 the best mirrorless camera in the world? I have no idea. But it's definitely the best camera I've ever had. Satellite camera. Assistant camera. I understand that miracles do not happen. But it is a pity that she was not with me ten years ago. Some pictures with technical defects caused by technical limitations of that time, which I keep as documents of my time, could be shown to others.
Photo at sunset. As they say, “no filters” Personally, I lack only automatic panorama shooting in the camera. They can be easily glued later from several shots, but once you get used to this feature on Sony, it's hard to wean yourself. At the same time, smartphones now shoot panoramas perfectly, so if you suddenly need it urgently, there are no problems.
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