This is a first look at the NEW Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II camera. I had it for about 4 days to play with it some and shoot this first impressions video.
Jamie.... really nice job on the video. The thing I like best about your videos is that you come across as a regular guy and not an expert gearhead. You really give us a "user perspective" and don't waste a lot of time talking about specs. You just talk about how the camera feels, and whether it works as advertised. Thanks!
Thanks Marty. Regardless of my position with Olympus I am first and foremost a hardcore enthusiast. I know specs (when I have them for the specific product :) but prefer to just talk about the experience as that in the end is what matters to most of us. Thank you for watching and taking time to leave me feedback. THAT is a big deal for me. Take care!
Thanks for a preliminary review. I know you have to spend more time with this new camera to get to known it even better. However, I'd like to share my comments and questions.. maybe you can give me your feed back on them. I think a number of them would make great material to bring up to that meeting you and other Olympus visionaries attend to give feedback and suggestions to Olympus engineers to help improve current and future cameras. As with other e-m1 differences or "advantages", the e-m1 also has no anti-aliasing filter, but the difference, if any, seem to be negligible, honestly. I wished the absence of the low pass filter on the e-m1 would have made a more difference from the “standard” sensor on the e-m5 mk2 and e-m10. Perhaps a more significant difference and exclusivity may be that the e-m1 has phase detect auto focus. It does work with m43 lenses (not just the older four thirds lenses) if you use c-af, does not work with s-af. With the soon to be released firmware update 3.0 for the e-m1 this month, c-af performance and accuracy is said to be improved. Hope it really makes a significant difference to c-after tracking accuracy and hit rate. It is also suppose to up the c-af up to 9-10 fps, as opposed to the 5-6 fps currently. Hopefully, a few other updates/upgrades will make its way into the 3.0 update (or successively soon afterwards). I know the e-m5 mk2 has really high continuous shooting rate... Like 10 fps and 11 with silent/electronic shutter mode. But, is that only in high mode with no c-af? What is the low mode with c-af? Nobody has mentioned or commented on that which is equally important to get continuous and accurate focusing at high rate. Would it really be that hard or impossible to add more fps options for video such as 24 and 60 fps? Perhaps also add a high res shooting mode. Sure, I know the new e-m5 mk2 has new hardware with voice coil motor for the 5 axis ibis improvement which also allows for the way high res shooting works, however, the e-m1 still does have a very good ibis system and would it be that hard to utilize it to offer high res shooting function? I think the fact that the sensor in the e-m1 also has that ability to hyper vibrate and self clean which should make it possible to micro shift the sensor to make/simulate high res shooting. From many recent reviews, the high res shooting does seem to work, though very limited applications for static only shooting situations on tripod. It would make a great feature for high quality product photography as well as photography of art and architecture. Anyways, wouldn't it be nice if the above mention updates could find its way to the e-m1… It’s the flagship, so it should have nearly all the features of it’s siblings, wherever possible. I was glad that live composite made its way into the e-m1 from the e-m10. Mathieu Gasquet reviewed the e-m5 mk2 as well and noted the slowest shutter speed is 8 seconds. But, is there a max shutter speed in high res shot? It's taking 8 shots at once, so how long does that process actually take? I imagine there's only so Mich you can squeeze within a set amount of shutter time on the high speed end. Lastly, I hope a future firmware update will bring full silent shooting with full electronic shutter (and perhaps higher electronic shutter speed s) to the e-m1. It is already halfway there with anti-shock electronic first curtain, why not make second curtain electronic too? The Fuji X-t1 was able to incorporate such improvement via firmware update recently. I think the e-m1 should be able to add full electronic shutter and silent shooting to its impressive mix of tricks already... And if they can do that , having a higher shutter speed in such modes should also be capable. Thanks for the great review again, Jamie, and your insight into the new e-m5 mk2!
Awesome video Jamie! As usual. I have my EM1 coming this week, and my EM5 mkI will be a backup. It was tough to decide between the EM5 MKII and the EM1, but the EM1 won :) I'd love to be a trailblazer!
Can you say why you picked EM-1 over Em-5 markII? I am debating between those two cameras. Are you happy with your choice of the Em-1? I appreciate any help.
Oh! Forgot to add... If future firmware updates for the e-m1 can add all, if not most, of the things I hope it can to help keep its title as the flagship camera, it would be great to help fend off those upgrading woes... And reinvest in yet another camera that has just those select cook new features that make it almost worth the effort to sell old gear and upgrade. Anyways... The only thing I know for sure I can't upgrade or change on my e-m1 are the new dials! Damn it they look nicer with the knurled texture! The e-m1 does have very nice dials and work great, but I do like the ones on the new e-m5 mk2! Perhaps wait for the e-m1 mk2 to have them along with all the other e-m5 mk2 improvements and then some... If they're going to take this new direction to make video capabilities seriously, as they seem to be, then 4k in body like Panasonic GH4 will have to happen along with more profiles for better editing and grading options.
I only wish Olympus adds the 25fps to E-M1 so I can start really using the camera video at all in situations where there are electric light sources so they would not flicker. Just that one frame rate to make usable video. Now all lights flick badly or annoyingly. I am waiting the 9fps C-AF and possibility use just PDAF to speed up C-AF without CDAF slowing down.
Great to see your enthousiasm! Had the old EM5 but this one is tempting!! How about higher ISO performance than 800? Any improvements there over the old camera's?? Tnx again!
Hi Jamie, Firstly id like to say thanks for posting this info and secondly i love how enthusiastic you are about the OM-D products they are great! Just wondered what your thoughts were on this subject EM-5 mk2 VS EM-1 ? I have just sold my EM-10 and want to upgrade to one of the above, now In the UK these 2 cameras are both priced exactly the same! I just can't decide between the 2. I have the 12-40 2.8 the 40-150 2.8 and a number of great primes just don't know what body to buy.would love to hear your thoughts? thanks in advance..Andy
Jamie, Thanks a lot for your awesome review! I had a chance to try the sample yesterday here in Thailand and man, what an amazing camera. Did you have a chance to try the CAF with it? I didn't get to test it because it was tested in a conference room. Anyway, how would you compare CAF for fast moving subjects to the EM1? I'm seriously considering either the EM5 II and the EM1. I do have plenty of M4/3 lenses and also planning to get the 40-150 Pro. I shoot mostly travel and some birds. Thanks!
I was little same position as you but I recommend E-M5 II over E-M1 because once You get the 40-150 Pro and if You have 12-40 Pro you really don't need 4/3 anymore. So PDAF advantage goes directly to C-AF in future update as rumor say they disable CDAF in E-M1 when in C-AF to speed up focusing and high framerate from 6.5 to 9. So unless you are to sports, get E-M5 II and invest to Pro line. If of course the articulating screen isn't a problem (as for me it is). Sadly I feel that Olympus killed E-M1 with this if it can't get firmware updates to video for 25fps frame rate for others than USA/Japan users.
Hi Jamie! Are You going to review in future the EE-1 reflex sight? I am interested to know does it have a parallax error and if does, how big. Like can small focus point stay in the reflex sight circle when eye (camera in this case) is moving behind the reticle. Thanks.
Hi Jamie, I need your advice. I am switching from Nikon D800 because of weight. I am looking to buy Olympus EM 5 mark ii. I am also looking at these prime lenses. 12mm f/2.0, 17mm f/1.8, 25mm f/1.5 and 45mm f/1.8. Which lenses would you suggest for Landscape, Street Photography, Portrait and Travel. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and thank you in advance.
I agree! Sadly this was running a pre release version of the firmware and I am not allowed to share images or video from a non-consumer ready device. Next time though....Next time. Believe me....I had this whole video done, and images and video cut into it and then got word that I couldn't share that content and had to re-edit a few days before launch. :(
Hi, how do you find the new eyepiece, especially compared to the EM10? I have the EM10 at the moment and find the eyepiece a little awkward to use and it doesn't block a lot of light out.
Hi Jamie, I'm pretty close to getting this camera. I'm coming from Sony A7. So??? Have you ANY experience with Full Frame? Would I be missing that much? I'm after small size. That's why I went to A7 from Nikon D600. Your thoughts? Thanks.
AnythingSTRANGE Hey I just got my production model yesterday...So with that said I will be sharing shots over on Flickr. www.flickr.com/photos/sl33stak/
