I’m a professional wildlife photographer currently living in Bristol, UK. This channel is a mixture of my various projects, trips and tips & tricks.
In my job now I run a lot of photography workshops so producing videos is a great way for me to get out and about for my own projects. Whilst I do cherish the moments in nature that I have by myself, there’s something special about being able to share that passion with other nature-loving people; so it really is a privilege to be able to create videos and run wildlife-specific workshops & tours as a living. I’ll never take for granted that I’m able to pursue what I love as a career.
OM1 is a heck of a nice camera. Love mine. Upgrades in the OM1.2 seem aimed right at me, so it is a significant upgrade for me. I enjoy it more than I thought possible (and my OM1 is now my second body). As with all equipment, it all depends on the needs of the individual. Cheers
I'm somewhat encouraged by your handhold demo. I tried this lens for 10 days, but I was using the push-pull zoom technique which meant I was holding the front of the lens with the lens fully extended. That was exhausting, but possibly using the traditional twist technique for zooming will make the lens more manageable.
Hi Marc. Well that was different and not boring at all. I think you definitely have “proof of concept” but it seems like a lot of patience is required to get any results. Your assumptions regarding the winter may well be correct with birds more readily coming to food but don’t forget the hot soup and a fleece blanket to avoid hypothermia 😀 One of my local patch sites includes a church and cemetery (but your site looks huge compared with mine) and it is excellent for Red Foxes, Badgers, birds (including Green Woodpeckers 🙂), butterflies and dragonflies.
Not boring at all! And certainly worth the effort. I can imagine a nice frosty scene (or even a foggy one!) with some hungry wildlife making an appearance if you go back there in Nov/Dec. Enjoyed this because it was a bit different. That's always a good thing!
I recently upgraded from the OM-1 to the OM-1 Mkll, and I have noticed a substantial improvement in bird detection and the camera's ability to acquire head and eye focus. I am getting a lot more shots where the eye and head are in sharp focus. The bird detection works so well that it even detects and focuses on Dragonflies in flight! I bought the Mkll primarily for the upgraded bird detection and AF, so I'm a happy camper.
Thanks Marc for another honest appraisal and review. I don't think there are enough improvements to persuade me to upgrade to the OM-1 MkII and, as you rightly say, finances are always a consideration. I am very happy with my OM-1 plus I still have much of its functionality to learn!
Garbage. It is NOT a gimbal. The Wemberely MH-100 or Lefoto MPG-1 are gimbals. This product produces zero stability over handheld except in the one use case of the vertical force when the weight of the camera is perfectly distributed underneath the monopod. Its ease of being detached also makes it dangerous for accidentally separation. I watched other demos and the photographers had to use various hand force to both keep the equipment connected and reduce movement at the ball head. Pure garbage.
Hi Brent - so the C-AF + Tracking is an option, but only if you have subject detection turned off. If you have any subject detection mode activated, you won't be able to click C-AF + tracking. Sorry, I definitely could have been more clear in the video.
Also have the original OM-1. Although not a pro, I can afford an upgrade and AF improvements are always welcome, but it seems like a lot of money for a fairly small upgrade. Did you compare the Mk II to Mk I with the v. 1.7 firmware upgrade that came recently? I haven't upgraded yet so haven't seen any AF-improvements for myself.
Unfortunately this was tested against the v1.6 of the firmware for the mk1 - I haven't had the chance to test 1.7 yet, but will let you know if I find anything gamechanging.
Hi Marc, thanks for the video. Is this review based on the new firmware updates for both cameras? I have the Mark 1 and with the 1.7 update I found AF, tracking and acquisition improved with the OM 100-400 but didn’t notice a difference with the 300 f4 pro. The 300 lens is great. Maybe reviews should include what lens were used. I still have lots to learn with the Mark 1 so not even tempted by the Mark 2.
Hi Tony, it was based on the firmware 1.2 for the mk2 and 1.6 for the mk1 - I've not actually had the chance to test out the new 1.7 update yet. with the mk2 I used the 150-600, 300mm, 40-150 f2.8 and the 12-40mm f2.8. You're right, I probably should have mentioned those lenses. Thanks for the comment
Hi Mark. Can you go into a little more detail about being able to assign different autofocus functions to the shutter and AF-On buttons? From reading the Mark II manual, it looks like you can tell one to do the subject detection and the other to use just the autofocus target point. But if you are using all points to track the subject, then switching to all points only without tracking will just focus on the closest object. I was hoping to have one button assigned to a single or small point without tracking, but want to use all points for subject detection. Have you found a way to do that?
Hi Mick, Unfortunately I've now had to give the camera back... but I wasn't able to do what you suggested when I was playing around with it - which is quite frustrating! I tend to just use a small focus point with the subject detection engaged, and if that struggles I will just click AEL button to turn off the subject detection.
Very good review. I did trade in my OM-1 for the OM-1 MkII. I owned the OM-1 for a little over 2 years and now owned the OM-1 MkII for 6 months. I am pleased with the upgrade. Your re3view was right on. I wish I could have kept my OM-1 to be used as a second body but it took the money from trading it in along with trading in several lenses to help pay for the OM-1 MkII.
You forgot one point. The human autofocus is much better than the OM1. P.S.: I should know because from time to time I "have to" photograph family events.🤣
ah that's very true! My focus on wildlife photography is evidently a little too engrained as I didn't even think about giving the human autofocus a go!
Hi Marc - Just wondered if you have updated your Mk1 to the 1.7 firmware? If so, interested to hear if you think it makes much difference in AF performance. I believe it only affects 'all-targets' mode, so may be of value for the birds in flight shots. Thanks for another helpful vid and keep up the good work. Cheers
Hi Bob, I haven't yet updated to 1.7 - no! I think I'll be heading out tomorrow for a test with it, so will let you know if I come across any significant changes. Thanks for the comment bob
Hi Marc 👌🏻 video I am so lucky to have 2 OM-1 mark II bodies they’re great . I use one mainly for photography and the other is setup for or video. Up to now I am glad that I can do that, it saves time depending on what my goal is. If photography is your main goal, it does not matter much if one has a OM-1 mk 1 or mk 2, both are great and/or the upgrade of the mk 2 features are needed for your specific needs. It’s a fact that their are now great price offers for the OM-1 mark 1 ! Ton
Thanks for the comment Ton. Ah that's a lovely set up, sounds perfect! And yes, you're right about the photography side of things - they're both wonderful cameras.
I just received my new MK-ii a couple of weeks ago. Was out today purposely shooting birds that were in tangles and behind twigs. My feeling is the bird detect and auto focus is improved. I was hesitant to upgrade myself but with $300 US discount along with 10% additional discount for MK I users I jumped in. I am not getting any younger so decided to treat myself while I am still able. Next Week will be on a pelagic trip so will be putting it to a real test. My MKi will be a backup and my dedicated macro setup. Cheers
hi Marc thank you for sharing your personal experiences with the `Om-1Mk II. Maybe Black Friday on November 29 will give you a nice offer. 'Until then you can save some nice money for it and you can make your move on Black Friday.😂👍🙏
That was just ace Marc and an area of wildlife photography we don’t see very often or even at all. Think you maybe the first person to have made a video on it! 😀👍 the images you got were well worth getting wet for! Great stuff. 👍
Bloody hell Marc! Your dedication and commitment (risk-taking”!) to serve your RU-vid subscribers is admirable. At least you and your camera survived to tell the tale. Double thumbs up 🙂 I loved the pantomime “it’s behind you” moment 😂 It also shows, yet again, the benefits of pro-capture with such an unpredictable subject.
Thank you Richard - it's greatly appreciated! I'm seriously slacking in getting to watch yours & others videos at the mo, I hope all is going swimmingly with you!
Nice one Mark, loved the call at the start as I do like a Grouse. Vehicles make for great hides and give you those close encounters. Nice shots too. Miss my landy:-( great video 👍
A photo of a leaping salmon would be a nice birthday present for your uncle and will bring back memories he had with the family, resent and past. Would you be able to take photos with your drone?
Oh that's a lovely idea, I'll do that for his 61st haha! We got him an all bbq with all the bells & whistles, he was a happy man. I'd love to go back and try to get better footage with my drone, but in terms of photos, I'd need to find a way to pre-empt when a salmon is going to leap which is incredibly hard...
That weather sealing was used to maximum effect haha. Nah, great shots, Marc! I want to get an underwater housing one day for my cameras to do some stream photography of fish and aquatic wildlife. Inspiring stuff, man!
Thank you Blaine! Ah I've been looking in to getting underwater housing for my backup camera, but it's all so prohibitively expensive for something I'm not sure I'll get much use out of haha. I wonder if there's anywhere you can rent underwater housing?
Hi Geoffrey, i was just using a single focus point (or maybe 5 I can't remember), but I was essentially pre-focusing and then spamming the shutter button without engaging autofocus.
