Olympus OM-D E-M1X Firmware 2.0 In depth Review - RED35 Long Term Review 

Hi Jimmy, I switched to OM-D and M.Zuiko products in July 2019 and absolutely love the system. I used Nikon full frame in the past but sold all of that gear in July 2015 and used an extensive Nikon 1 kit exclusively until I made M4/3 my main camera system. For the client work we do, smaller sensor cameras are much more flexible and time efficient. The E-M1X is a superb, professional camera that is a true workhorse that has handled anything that we have asked of it. It is simply the finest camera that I've had the pleasure to own and use. We've been so impressed that we own 2 of them. We also have an E-M1 Mark III that my wife uses. Bird Detection AI works extremely well... although it does take a bit of practice. The E-M1X coupled with the M.Zuiko 100-400 and M.Zuiko MC-14 and MC-20 teleconverters is an excellent birding kit, allowing handheld bird photography at equivalent fields-of-view of 1120 mm and 1600 mm. I've had good success photographing birds in flight using both teleconverters. Compared to the full frame camera with a 150-600 zoom that I used in the past the E-M1X combo weighs about 800 grams less (~1.7 lbs.) . This has extended continuous handheld shooting time from 3 hours with full frame gear to well over 6 hours with our M4/3 kit. Add Pro Capture H and L into the mix, and the E-M1X runs circles around the full frame set-up I used in the past. Even though we have an E-M1 Mark III body readily available, I never even think about using that camera. I have large hands and the E-M1X is significantly more comfortable and efficient for me. Tom

This was helpful as I am considering moving to this camera from a Panasonic G9.

Good, timely! “Let’s do this!” Subscribed

Jimmy the e-m1x is my next camera. With a good trade in on my old Nikon I hope to pick it up this coming weekend! Thanks for the great review!

So much I love about the E-M1X, handling, ergonomics, size, weight, everything-proof! I do shoot a lot of portraits though... why oh why oh why won't Olympus add the enhanced portrait AF to their flagship camera :(

Great video. I also own the E-M1X since it was released. The bird subject is really a nice addition. I also own the E-M1.3. I wish the E-M1X had the new Face Detection and Starry Sky AF. Both are great cameras.

Not having the newer eye / face detect on the EM1X is a real head scratcher!

Also thanks for the videos. Keep um up!

Hi Jimmy..Thank You so much for this video..my local camera shop has had a used 47k shutter count 1X in the window for a few months now..needless to say I went and looked at it as a possible upgrade for my 1 mk1,and they assured me that it would but I was still on the fence...you have set my mind at ease so I will go grab it tomorrow as they even offered to knock a nice chunk off the price for me :-)

Hi Jimmy -- Purchased an e-m1x last week. Out of my means until price dropped to current levels -- now have to start watching the extensive videos to learn all features. First weekend went out with a low end 40-150mm Zuiko lens and very happy with results, including low light shots.

Thanks! Very clear.

'Let's do this', like it!

Oops, I should have waited a little longer, you tells us a little later! Thanks, again.

Thanks mate, this was great. I've considered getting the 'X for my main body, but I think the vertical grip may tide me over for now.

Nice video clip. I also have now an EM1X and still using my EM1 mark ii. Currently using my 300mm with x1.4 TC for bird shots and video. I could spend days with you discussing photos and video production using M4/3rds system!!!! If anyone is enthusiastic amateur like me then the Olympus and to some degree the Panasonic/Lumix m4/3rd is without doubt the best way to go!!!! In terms of what you get for your money then absolutely no point in going for other systems. Currently waiting for the 150-400mm + x1.25 TC to be imported into London UK. Stay safe and well.

6m with my EM1X (have also R6) and always prefer the Oly.

Got both X and Mark-iii. Best combo ever

After tryingh and owning 6 different camera brands (Fuji GFX, Leica M, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Olympus) I must say that the Olympus are still the best in colour science and also white balance straight out of the camera. I have the em1mkII and the em5mkII, and even with this last one, the results sometimes can be much better than some of the other cameras. If you don´t need to print big or shoot with high ISO, definitely, the results are just great... but put the best optics on it, like pro line and some of the premium lenses. Also, one of the main reason I enjoy the olympus experience, is the build quality. Aside of Leica, the only body that match the build quality of the olympus bodies, is the 1DX mkII (that I owned).

Actually considering the X now as a main body to enable wildlife shooting - but also to enable myself for wildlife video too. Consuming your review hungrily many thanks. Every review of the lens I've seen this far has only convinced me on the 150-400: I know your work dosnt really justify both the expense and use of it but it would be great to hear your experience via hands on. (Lol Am still waiting for you to make a Bourne style self defence guide using only camera bodies)

Excellent 👏👏👏

For your occasional pigeon photography I can recommend pairing the MC-20 with your 40-150 Pro, so long as light is good. It's my first weekend with that set-up & it adds amazing flexibility to my camera bag at little extra weight.

The bird tracking mode also works very well on animals like cats, dogs and squirrel s too. I think they must have added more tracking abilities in the last update.

I bought the E-M1 III back in march and I love to bits given the size and weight (though I did add a bottom metal bracket to extend the height so all my fingers fit on the grip) and I dismissed the E=M1 X because of its size and weight, and I'm not a big fan of battery grips) BUT after Olympus NOT giving AI detection to E-M1 III and the effectiveness of it on E-M1 X it's getting impossible to ignore the want for the E-M1 X as wildlife photography has become an essential part of my life. And I want it with the 150-400 Pro, though I still wonder if I can handle the 3Kg weight on long day hikes (I find that 1.5-2 kgs the perfect weight for me).

Bird Focus Tracking is awesome!

agree 100% thank ps. I have them both

Great camera with an out of date sensor and EVF at launch.

I’m having a lot of fun with the X but I do have 1 critique on the ergonomics. There’s no function lever switch when shooting in portrait orientation so you have to move your hand across the camera.

Merci ! ...Bonjour de France!...très bon reportage sur un non moins très bon appareil!! ... je viens de l'acheter...

Excellent video! Can you tell me who makes that lcd screen you are using on your hot shoe on your E-M1x?

Just picked up the X and love it. Using it for wedding films.. fills the gap where my GH5 and G9 let me down - AF and even better image stabilisation. It's also now my go to photo camera. Would be great if the new Olympus owners can add 4K 60 and remove the file splitting.

Hi Jimmy, Olympus very kindly lent me one of the beasts and I have to say I found it to be brilliant. I use my OMD EM1 Mk2 for shooting motorcycles and portraits and I have been delighted with the results, however the EM1X with its Motorsports focus feature is fantastic. Great video as always mate. Cheers

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy... actually I think Robin got a kick out of the openning. He's a great guy. In fact you both need some "coffee." I've got to agree. The EM1X has been a workhorse even though I've only owned it for 5 months. During this time I've done a Wedding, location portraits, lots of landscapes. But oh my does it shine for Animal and yes Bird photography. Currently I've attached my 13 year old Zuiko 70-300mm 4/3 lens and the combo works like a charm even with the slow af. Else the 17mm f1.2 is on it. Overall it's been a great investment. May get into video. Really considering the Atomos Ninja add on...... Alas the new 100-400mm is calling. 😉 Now to get you guys some coffee

Thank you for your videos. Could you tell me what the viewing device is that you have sitting on top of the camera. I hope that the latest lockdown is not hurting your business too badly.

Could it be that the enhanced eye detection/starry sky AF needs slightly more computing power than a single processor on the twin processor E-M1x, and that it would be rather complicated to implement the algorithms with sharing the workload between two processors -- hence simpler with the newer, more powerful processor in the E-M1.iii? If so, an E-M1x.ii with the newer processor should support both enhanced eye detection and starry sky AF.

Great review! I have to disagree on one thing though, granted the bird tracking is not perfect, but as a (mainly) bird photographer, I don't think it needs much fixing if any. I'll explain. It has its use cases, just like on sony the super fast af tracking does (my A7RIV also jumps depending on the scene), and it is experience what will let you know when it is appropriate to use it. You'll be surprised how often, despite having amazing af capabilities in whatever system we shoot, we end up doing single point af and even manual focus to get through obstacles. Branches and twigs are to bird photographers what harsh midday sun is to landscape ones 😅. So not a critique in any way to you, as you clearly state your birding is more of a casual hobby, but just wanted to share the perspective of a more dedicated bird geek also shooting the M1X. Also, If I may give a little tip, bird photography and wildlife in general, really benefits from getting low. Thanks for another great video 😊👍🏼

HELLO, can you tell me re: the e-m1x. When you go to the IBIS settings and press info, you can then enter the lens details for stabilization. eg 400mm or 150mm. What I wish to know is, when you change Olympus lenses on the 1X do you have to each time enter the lens details so as to get correct stabilization, or does the camera recognize the attached lens and make the needed corrections automatically. Please advise. - Thank you

I traded my canon eos r and eos 7d mark ii in for an Olympus e-m1x and three lenses so far I really like it.

DISREGARD, I had not watched the entire video at the point I asked the question. I see it’s the Atomos Ninja V. New subscriber. Great piece on the E-M1X. What on-camera monitor are you using in this video?

The paint is coming off mine near the bottom shutter button and its only a few weeks old it hasn't got any abuse as I'm always careful with my gear. But its still a great bit of kit.

It's time for a Mark II from OM Digital Solutions that shows how serious they are. With a new sensor of course.

2 yrs later, is the Em1X still a good buy in 2023? Now that it is discontinued

I have a question I wanna buy a camera and I am new to photography should I buy the OM-D E M10 V lv or the OM-D E M 10 M 10 iii

On a site with birds it would help to limit the focusrange for the AF to only the area where birds are.

Hi Jimmy, thanks for the video. I got an EM1.3 and a Ninja V. I don’t know whether there is a difference when recording ProRes RAW on an EM1.3 and an EM1X, but I don’t presume any. I understand when recording ProRes RAW, EM1.3 does not record internally, you have to trigger recording on the Ninja V by pushing the on-screen record button. Do you have the same experiennce on the 1X? I think this fact means the camera does not activate in-camera functions associated with recording - such as color/vignette/sharpening corrections (you mentioned by yourself) and there is a crop (a further crop to the already cropped M4/3 which kind of sucks). I am not sure whether the IBIS is activated, but I don’t think so since other corrections do not activate as mentioned. On the other hand, external recording in ProRes 422 is ok, pressing the red-dot record button on the camera activates recording on the Ninja V (i.e. there is a synchronization), so I believe IBIS, corrections and sharpening are activated as well and I didn’t identified any crop that was evident in ProRes RAW mode. I am not sure about samplings under ProRes 422 - the Atomos website suggests the samplings on the Ninja V when recroding ProRes 422 through EM1.3 is 4:2:2, 8 bit, but Sony’s Catalyst Browse shows that the files are 422, 10 bit, which confused me a little bit. Anyway, I quite sure the camera internally records in 420, 8 bit. What do you think? Could I be wrong about those functions when recording in ProRes RAW??? I would love you prove me wrong...

I love Robin.

Here's my problem with this camera, and I'm an Olympus lover going way back. It has the same sensor as my EM1 mkii, I don't shoot sports and wildlife or video, so it doesn't make much sense to me to get it, even though the price has come down considerably. I'm told there is a small improvement in the ibis, but other than that, is there any reason image-wise to get this camera? Same for the EM1 mkiii. Same sensor. Same images. I'm still on the fence with respect to the OM1, since it does at least have an improved sensor, and a much better viewfinder (finally). I'm sure I would love the ergonomics and handling of the EM1X, and I'm tempted, but I can't bring myself to pull the trigger.

can u kindly tell the lens in your bag during the demonstration of this vidro

I own an em1x I took it to a track day to shoot some cars. I did messed around with the sensitivity on the focusing system. Same result you had with tracking birds, if anything gets in the frame in front of the car the focus lock drops. Such a bummer because where you want the focus to hit it drops every time due to k rails or tires for safety in corners (I shoot drifting more than any other Motorsport) I would love to flex that if they can figure it out or maybe I need more time with it... I’ve had the body for a few months. Ended up just using manual focus for those turns in question and lower light stuff at dusk. There are a lot of factors going into this. These settings are all set manually. 1. Shutter speed, shooting this type of thing you want a slow shutter right? Make them look fast. Focus will not lock on under 1\50 sec. period unless the light is overhead for some reason. To get blurr I want to be 1/25 or lower. 2. I am always at the lowest iso I can be at. Usually 64 -800. 3. Lighting cannot be introduced, ever. So can’t use that trick... This is ridiculous to say but, my G9 does a better job at keeping the focus locked in this situation. I was so hoping this would be the last bit of kit I needed for a while but I’m on the fence because it is a great camera for everything else I shoot. Sony’s focus just grabs it that’s what most guys are using it seems. All that said this is what this is aimed at and failed results thus far. Low shutter panning is the issue just to be clear, hit rate about 5%... frustrating as all... Is anyone else seeing this issue?

What is the brand and model number of the of your monitor in this video ?? J. Payne, Charlotte, NC

Hi Jimmy can you give me suggestion for non-pro lens for street photo zoom lens please

Got the chance to film a few thing with Pro Res raw last week (on my channel) and can say it does help a lot. The work flow isn't ideal though as there are no native Olympus gamma curve conversions and the camera profile is no good either. Still, you can push out so much more info! Great review mate! Would be awesome to tee Up sometime and talk Olympus! 🙏

Just got my E-MIX I am not seeing Bird Tracking as an option in AF Tracking. I have only Airplance, Motorsports and Trains (?). Firmware 1.2

i have a question .does anybody know, the problem with white balance and other metadata in prores raw is fixed yet or not?

Looks like EM1III is able to do 12bit prores raw output

I would trade ProRes Raw for 10 bit 422.

What af sensitivity have you set it at?

Was considering adding the EM1 Mark3 to my G9 and EM5 Mark iii when I had just saved up enough money. But when the owners immediately raised the prices significantly on the cameras I think I’m going to get myself Fuji body and start fazing out m4/3 slowly. I don’t think I like that move and it looks like a cash grab and I’m not confident about what they want to do with Olympus.

Bonjour , Em1x en 2024 et tio encore d'actualité ? Je viens dun em1 mark 1 merci di retour

Robin Wong. Yep, yep. lol

any cilents complain to you for not using FF or something? :D

But Jimmy never see a sample of the images from you. I would’ve thought prospective buyer would want to see this more than anything. What is the Old saying a picture is worth 1000 words.

wish it would fix the muddy rubbish viewfinder, lovely camera otherwise

哈哈哈 Robin

it's hard to say .... could you give us a chinese sub to share your experience... if you r a CBB, just go ...never mind.

really poor animal tracking

Its a coot not a duck