Totally agree with you, Ben. Olympus have an unwarranted reputation for the menu system. They give you an amazing range if settings and I find that 95% of what I need can be assessed with the Super Control Panel. The images are absolutely amazing too with the Pro lenses.
I sold all of my Sony gear, and bought the Olympus OM-D E-M5 iii, with 12-40mm f/2.8, and 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO lens, and very pleased. The camera is lighter, weather proofed, and stabilised.
I would say 40-150/2,8 Pro is possibly the best telezoom here. Just bought mine, yesterday I took it for a short trip with my dog, I can't recall if I had better one in my hands. Of course with the exception of broadcast Fujinons. But they cost 100x more :D
Just found your blog and subscribed. I sold all my Nikon gear a couple of months ago, moved to Olympus, M 1X, 300 pro, 40 -150 pro, no regrets, felt in love with photographing wildlife again. Fantastic system. Switch to Olympus
Welcome to the channel Edward, thanks for the sub. You'll be pleased to hear that I went for the e-m1iii in the end but I kept my 7d ii haha. All the best. Ben
Traded all my Canon gear last year EOS 5D mkiii plus a bunch of lenses inc 100-400 and went over to Olympus with the M1 mk2. I fell in love with photography again, so much lighter image quality is equally as good as the full frame 5D. I got the 300mm pro and the 40-150 f2.8 pro which is an absolutely fantastic lens and even when coupled with the 1.4 x converter the quality is outstanding. Silent shutter is exactly what it says and the ability to shoot at 60 FPS is awesome. Can’t believe you have done a review without trying pro capture. I took the pro loan a year ago and was blown away, I knew within 3 days I had to swap. I do not regret doing so as I say I have fallen in love with photography again. (35 years using Canon by the way)
Hi Tony, wow you had some really nice canon gear! The canon 5Div has, for a long time, been my dream camera but things are changing now. You'll be glad to hear that I tried procapture and it blew me away! It was amazing! Thank you for your comment I will take your experience and use it to help me make my decision. All the best, Ben.
I'm on 17 mins of the video - You can up the refresh rate of the EVF - I think it is the EVF refresh rate to 120 fps via Menu->Custom Menu->Disp->Frame Rate->High. You can also set the EVF to SOVF if you want it to me more like OVF so that it will not change brightness to simulate exposure. You can also tell the body in the menu to ignore the manual focus clutch. If you want a zoom there is the Panasonic and the new Olympus 100-400mm
Great video Ben. I moved form the 7D ii to the 5D iv and absolutely no regrets although obviously not mirrorless. Those Fox images with the mouth open are award winning mate, love them!! Look forward to seeing what you decide. Cheers Keith
Hi Kieth, the 5Div has always been my dream camera. But I'm considering taking up other types of photography now, such as landscapes and star photography and I think the features of the OLY are more for me now... But I still can't make my mind up. Thanks for watching 😊
Great video Ben. Fox photos are once in a lifetime. Superb. Bought a em1x yesterday (it was much cheaper than the em1iii) and looking forward to shooting in northern NSW. Cheers mate.
Hi Ben...thanks,I enjoyed your honest presentation. Have used Canon gear since the 80’s (with their FD system). They’re good as we all know. But I often reach for the Oly gear preferring Oly’s color rendering & the crispness from the (no AA filter’ed) E-M1. Use the old 4/3 50-200mm a lot. Beats the Canon 100-400mm (in my eyes). Hopefully Oly hangs in there somehow!
Yes, I can appreciate you finding the 300m fixed limiting w.r.t to your existing setup with zoom - you may want to look at the 40-150 lens - also a pro lens with the 2x teleconverter option - might be a winner...
I'm not a wildlife photographer, I'm mainly a concert and event photographer, but still wanted to say that last year I decided to invest in M43 gear, coming from Nikon DLSR's. I bought an Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II with the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 Pro and the M.Zuiko 40-150mm F2.8 Pro (with a 1.4x teleconverter). I fell in love with this gear and recently added an OM-D EM-1 Mark III. And if it proves to be affordable, I intend to add "the beast", the 150-400mm F4.5 Pro that Olympus is going to release next winter. So maybe the 40-150mm F2.8 Pro with a 1.4x or 2.0x teleconverter is an option for you to still have zoom possibilities in stead of the fixed 300mm F4? (And yes, I also had to get used to using an EVF.)
Hi Theo, thanks for your comment. It is interesting to hear what your experiance is like coming from Nikon to Olympus and its promising that you do not regret your decision. I have gone and brought a em1iii and so far im loving it :) I am also waiting to see how the new 150-400mm lens turns out when they eventually release it. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
I have been shooting with Olympus for 3 years, decided to sell all my Nikon full frame gear and I am not looking back. The Olympus bodies and lenses are amazing and way lighter, smaller and less expensive than any APS-C and full frame kit.
@@LarsLarsen77 Just in terms of depth of field f4 in M 4/3 is equivalent to f8 in full frame. In light gathering, which is the most important factor imo, both are f4. With a 300 f4 in M 4/3 you get the reach of a 600mm full frame lens with an f4 speed not f8.
The fact that the fox trusts you speaks volumes. Great photos! The Olympus does seem to have some great bells and whistles. The built in image stabilization and articulating touchscreen monitor is really nice. I would wait and see where the new company is going to take Olympus.
Hi Randy, I think the company will be just fine especially with their most recent announcement of new lenses and firmware but I also think you are right to be a bit cautious. I'll see how things go before making any hasty decisions. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
Ben, I enjoyed the video. Your comments are very fair. I see you’ve since gone ahead and invested in an E-M1 Mark III, which is a great camera, and half the weight of the E-M1X. Two further points for you to consider: 1. You could invest in a battery grip for your E-M1 Mark III, which would almost turn it into an E-M1X for those occasions when you want the double battery life and the portrait grip - and it’s removable! Best of both worlds. All you’d lose, compared with the E-M1X, is GPS (a shame) and intelligent subject tracking. (But you have starry sky mode, which the E-M1X doesn’t have yet.) 2. The new 100-400mm lens has been getting fantastic reviews and has really good features, but is much cheaper than the 300mm. RRP for the 300 is £2,500 (cheap compared with equivalents on other systems!), but I’ve found it online (new) for under £1,600. Yet the new 100-400 is just two-thirds the (cheapest) price brand new (around £1,100), and is more generally flexible. Seems to me it’d be an ideal option for you. The 150-400 Pro lens - still coming - looks fabulous, but will surely make even the 300 look budget-price! I’m as sorry as anyone about the sale of Olympus, but the gear they’re selling these days is supremely high quality and will last ‘forever’. So buy it while you still can, as an investment. I’m doing so - though partly because I’ve always loved Olympus as one of the leading innovators in the digital camera world. Other brand enthusiasts delight in being small-minded and sniffy about Olympus, but they’ve consistently been pioneers (including with mirrorless) and the camera world owes them a great deal. NB It remains to be seen what the outcome of the sale to JIP will be: all signs recently (including commitment to promised future releases) are that Olympus is only doing this because it absolutely has to, not because it really wants to, and maybe it will retain an active interest afterwards. Olympus itself is clearly not going away, and maybe it’ll continue to work with the newly independent spun-off camera company. I hope so. I’d be mildly interested to know why you say you wouldn’t previously have considered an Olympus camera - because they’ve always been extremely good, though clearly underrated (if only for reasons of ‘fashion’).
Hi Richard, and thank you for your comment. That is a good idea I may have to invest in the battery grip as I will be using it for both video and photo and so the extra power will likely be needed. There is a great amount of lens options to be honest and I am really interested in the new telephoto lens they are bringing out later this year. I was never really a camera person once upon a time and had only ever heard of Canon and Nikon but after years of being in the industry I have become aware of so much more. Like you say, the unwarrented bad rep of Olympus kind of put me off ever even considering it. Thanks for your comments and fingers crossed for the future of Olympus :) All the best, Ben
I have a Sony A7R3 with various Sony lenses including the 200-600 f5.6-6.3 . Also have the 300mm f4 and an EM1mk2 and a Panasonic G9 with the 200mm f2.8. I get your point about the lack of flexibility with fixed focal length, but the stabilisation of the EM1mk2 and the G9 just beats the Sony hands down. I like the Sony for dynamic range, focussing ability, especially eye focus. And if I'm going on a specific shoot with limited carry distance it would probably be top of the list. But M43 has so many advantages when hiking, wildlife photography, dimly lit interiors (churches for example), some sports photography and sometimes portraits. If you want shallow dof go full frame every time, but sometimes I like the longer dof with M43 so I get the nose tip, eye lashes and earlobes in focus while having the lens still reasonably wide open. Horses for courses. And before going mirrorless I was a Canon shooter for forty years.
Hi Tony, it sounds like you have had pletny of experiance using all sorts of different cameras and so it is good to hear that you still think that m43 has its place. Like you say it is great for hiking/wildlife photography which is exactly why I was considering it for myself. I have to say I really do like Olympus now and I hope they continue to release m43 gear in the future. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
I see your dilemma. I have the 7DII and a 5DIII. The 7DII has been a stellar camera but I do not have a decent zoom lens for it anymore. I sold my Tamron 150-600 due to wrist issues but things have now improved and I could probably go back to using one. I recently brought into the Fuji system with an XT3 the 18-55 , and a 55-200 as well as a 56F1.2 prime. The camera is amazing, Im still getting used to it but it captures birds with the 55-200 as well as the 7DII but the focus may be a little better. My dilemma is do I save for the Fuji 100-400 or do I buy another Tamron? My 7DII is now over 6 years old and has a lot of shutter actuations so not worth selling. Im not keen on selling my canon gear but I am wondering about my lens issue. The good thing for me about not selling the 7DII is that my husband can use it along side his 70D so it wont just gather dust. Does Olympus not have a good zoom you can buy instead of the prime?
I was thinking of getting a 150-600mm sigma lens for my Canon 7D mk2. I ended up with an Olympus m10 mk3, a 14-42mm, a 40-150mm and a 75-300mm lens for the same price as the Sigma 150-600mm lens. The 75-300mm Olympus lens has the same field of view as the Sigma 150-600mm and the m10 mk3 has a built in 2x teleconverter for jpegs. That's a 1200m field of view for nailing focus. Still have the 7D mk2 although I'm debating getting rid of it.
The E-M1 Mark 3 does not have the object detection of the E-M1X. 300mm are 300mm, that’s what the length defines. But the weight is quite a difference 😉
Ben Fitzcosta , yes, but crop only, not in terms of optical focal length. The smaller pixel pitch of sensor keeps image same sharpness as e.g. a 600 mm on a Nikon D5 (also 20 Megapixel). Because of projection diameter needed for MFT is so much smaller as on full frame, glass diameter can be reduced and reduction of diameter reduces weight of glass by square, not only linear ☺️😊. For that, you may build smaller lenses. Imagine a full frame sensor having 80 megapixel, stick a 300 mm on it and crop if down to MFT. Same result as 300 mm on 20 Mpixel MFT
I shoot primes whenever possible. The speed and sharpness is very valuable when it comes to bird photography. My best shots have been taken on primes. I use a zoom that is light when I have to walk long distances birding. Thanks for making the video.
2 months later - how did you decide? You surely have noticed the new 100-400 lens, which is very sharp, but hasn’t as nice bokeh as the 300. If you haven’t yet taken the decision, you should have a look at the very affordable, but pretty good 60mm macro lens, which supports focus stacking either in-body or with full raw files and that works even hand-held!
Hi Hauke I decided to go for the EM1iii and keep my 7dmkii for now :) I have tried the 60mm macro lens and I was very impressed by it. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
hiya great video as always im actually already using nikon mirrorless and for my wildlife im actually considering one of these cameras including the lumix G9 and maybe the canon 1dxii but not sure but if i get olympus or lumix i may consider this lens or lookin at the 100-400 maybe sigma version or the lumix but u can fit lumis/leice lens on olympus and olympus on lumix cameras
Great video and omg those fox photos are AMAZING! As far as switching, personally I think the most important thing to consider is the lenses available with each system. Cameras come and go but the glass is the real investment. You missed having the focal length range when you were using the prime lens - does Olympus make good zoom lenses? Do they make a good macro lens, a good portrait lens? Also look into what each company has in their pipeline. Another thing to consider is third party lenses. I have a Sigma 150-600 that I use on my crappy Canon T6 and I love it. If Sigma or Tamron or whoever makes glass for the Olympus system, that’s a plus. The flippy screen is a life changer and I hope to someday have a camera that has one. It’s so hard to do wildlife and macro without it. I never get the angle I want. Please keep us updated on what you decide!
Hi Lisa, you make some really good points and ones which I will certainly consider. Thanks a lot for watching and I'll do my best to keep you updated 🙂 all the best, Ben.
Great video. I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned these or you have found them since you did the video but you have a few options. For the lens you now have the Oly 100-400 but to match your Canon range you could instead use the Oly 40-150mm F2.8 pro with the MC1.4 converter which makes it a 110-420 f4 equivalent lens. Also in the camera settings you can set the viewfinder to be an OVF instead. And you can also disable the manual focus clutch on the 300mm. Have fun, hope you bought the Oly
I love my em1.3 + Leica 100-400mm combo, and I use mft 90% of the time. In dark scenarios I use FF. No need to carry big and heavy equipment all the time. I would sell all the general FF equipment and keep only one body ( in my case the Z6), one fast Lens and one supertele.
I used to have the 7D Mk2/100-400 combo for wildlife, switched to Nikon full frame for a while and then tried most of the mirrorless contenders and settled with Olympus with am E-M1 Mk2. The EVF definitely takes some getting used to, but I wouldn't be without it now. Noise levels are pretty much the same, I'd actually say the Oly is actually slightly better at high ISO than the Canon was, certainly a lot less chroma noise, and the raw files in general are a lot nicer to work with, particularly if you expose to the right a bit. Definitely try the 40-150 Pro, it's one of the sharpest lenses I've ever owned, works exceedingly well with teleconverters and doubles as a very handy faux-macro! Weather sealing is hugely better on the Oly gear as well, which is a big plus for wildlife.
Very interesting overview Ben - I guess if you make the switch the Olympus 100-400mm might be something to look at... I really should have thought to factory reset the one I had on loan when I got it - would have fixed a few of the issues I found with it!
Hi Geoff, yes the 100-400 is a good contender but I am also interested in the new telephoto lens that they will be bringing out and I also love the 300 prime. Hahah easily done mate, it helped me just to turn the camera on. thanks for watching, All the best, Ben.
Going down the same road but Sony rather than Olympus, Sony A9 and 200-600 M lens when I sell my 7D MK II and the rest of my Canon gear but as you say there are a lot of options out there and will not jump in with both feet just yet.
A unique review and opportunity to compare the two cameras and lenses. I'll have to catch up with the rest of your videos to see what your final decision is, especially since Olympus has come out with its own 100-400mm zoom (maybe you can get the fox to come back for a follow-up test:). I hope MFT's remains in production since there seems to be a real desire for many photographers to travel lighter at less cost and provides Olympus and Panasonic a unique niche in a crowded and shrinking FF market.
Hi Bruce thanks for watching :) I ended up getting the em1-iii and i'm currently using it for landscapes and vlogging until I can afford a telephoto lens. I have to agree with you that m43 has a place these days and hopefully it wont die. All the best, Ben.
Starting witch E-M1X? Quite special camera, not for general use (for M43 it is quite big), but the computing power is of course superb. I think M1 would be safer choice if you don't know what do you want. But with surplus budget I would but M1X also. Now I am using M1 Mk2 and after firmware updates it is basically Mk2.5 :D I changed my system from Pentax APS-C.
great video mate - I've actually spent the last few days searching for comparisons between the 7d mark ii and the E-M1X, couldn't find anything of note. Luckily I was subscribed to your channel, so got the notification through... quite the coincidence! Almost certain that I'll be moving from all of my Canon gear (7D mark ii, 500mm f4, 100-400mm + others) and onto Olympus E-M1X/E-M1 iii once the 150mm-400mm f4.5 is released in the winter. The weight and portability is just such a huge pull, and like you said, coming from a 7d mark ii, micro 4/3 low light ability is much less of an issue. Now to decide upon which is better, the E-M1x or the E-M1 iii...
Hi Marc, I'm glad you enjoyed my video :). It sounds to me as though you are in a very similar situation. I can't decide between the em1iii or the em1x and Olympus have just announced the new bird af firmware update for the em1x only! Which if it works could be a game changer. I think I'll wait and see how the reviews for that go before I make my mind up. Thanks for watching Marc. All the best, Ben.
@@doghouseriley4732 nice sprinkle of sarcasm in your comment 'Doghouse Riley's thanks for looking out for us uninformed consumers... I spoke about OLY being sold and as I stated in the video I am not worried about that and my opinion still stands. The current gear is quality as far as I'm concerned and it does everything I need and more for what I want. Thanks for watching 😊
Ben, can you please explain why did you finally choose Olympus and why are you happy with the decision. Does doubts about future of Olympus cameras bother you? Thanks.
Hi Pankaj, thanks for your question. I decided to go with the em1-iii because I loved the usability of the camera and the image quality. For me there are so many bennifits to the m43 system whihc bennifit me as both a wildlife photographer and a youtuber. It is so hard to make a choice when looking to buy a new camera but I think I found what I was looking for with the em1-iii. With regards to olympus selling its company I am not worried about their future. As olympus have told us they are still going to be involved and still own 5% (or so) of the company. Therefore, we will still be able to get our cameras fixed and there will be spare parts available and not only this but they will contine to bring out new gear in the future. Thanks for watching :)
@@BenFitzcosta Thank you very much. I am thinking of buying one myself. Can you elborate a little more about the image quality that you liked. Because many reviewers think that the camera is rich in features but lacks image quality when compared to other similarly priced cameras. Thanks again.
You also have the 150-450 f4.5 pro to look forward to. By the way, the EM1 mark 2 may be just as good for your purposes for thousands $ in savings. Mk3 and X offers handheld hi-res, but only incremental improvement on other features. Do some research and find the difference.
Hi Ben, did you try hand held video with the E-M1 X and 300mm F4 IS Pro? I read your description and it stated that you are into "Wildlife Documentary Productions". If that is the case, I think you will be really impressed with the stability of the footage you can achieve without the need for a fancy video tripod head. I have recently used the 300mm F4 paired with my E-M1 mii and E-M1 miii with great success. If you support your body, you may even be able to fool viewers into thinking the footage was captured from a tripod, even with panning and tracking wildlife!
Hi Jay, I did not try the video although I have heard how good it is without the tripod. Maybe ill look into testing this at some point. Thanks for you comment. All the best, Ben.
i like olympus, i shoot with them for 15 years now. i started with a 4/3 camera and now i have m4/3, but just for fun and travel. it's nice to see a real side by side comparison. i might upgrade as well to an EM1. now oly is for sale, there may be good deals coming up. i wouldn't step into m4/3 anymore if i didn't already have some gear, though. i'm not optimistic with oly for sale and panasonic moving to full frame. the mirrorless full frames seem to be the future for serious photography but more expensive for slightly better image quality.
I really do think it will be a shame if m43 gets lost in the market. I think it has so many advantages and that there is a market out there for it. Fingers crossed Oly will live on. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
With the 100-400 on an apsc you also increase focal length to 600 equivalent i believe. Could be wrong. I'd always go with what you know. Its a tool. So with a tool you want consistency. And you get that from experience with that tool. The flare comes from the users ability. I would agree that Canon auto focus is very poor for multiple shots. If not poor it is annoyingly hit or miss. To be honest I would look at what holds its value best lens wise, battery life, replacement costs. If you break or lose a lens you love, how easy is it to replace it at a reasonable price. Image transfer software for Canon is soooooo arse. The app is a joke. But how hard is it to send images. On Samsung you can get a USB card reader and drag and drop them off instantly. Its literally a few quid and a few cms long plugs into the phone one end and takes the card the other. I have a flip screen on mine and obsessively used it initially. For everything. But now I have the new canon lens and faster wildlife has become possible, live view has become impossible lol. Its utterly pointless. Interesting choice to have Ben ... .... but that fox. Soooo kewl. You will have to take loads of photos of it. Just beautiful shots matey and such a privilege. Thank you for sharing Ben 😊👍👍👍
Hi Adam, yes the canon 100-400 has a 1.6 x crops making it a full frame equivalent of 640mm compared the the Olympus 600mm FF equivalent. I have used a USB adapter before (I think I lost mine haha) but yeah the live view on a DSLR is pretty much unusable however on a mirrorless it's a different story. However saying that I would still want to be using the viewfinder when tracking birds in flight for example but for everything else the LCD screen is perfect on the em1X. I am soo lucky to have a fox in my garden and I will make the most of it while he is around 😊 thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
Hi John, it all depends on personal needs/wants from a camera. There are many other advantages to m43 but the main ones are worlds best image stabilisation and double the range on your lens. For wildlife it is a real advantage but like I say it depends on so many factors and I wouldn't say no to a ff camera. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
This is basically the same question like why ff and not medium format. Like, really medium. Pentax 645 or Hasselblad. Or Phase One. Not that toy from Fuji.
Nice shots of the Fox! I shoot MFT and it's great! I think a Olympus OM-E-M10 Mk lV would be a better choice as it's almost half the weight & price. The Panasonic G9 is another choice you would love. See if you can get your hands on them and try them ont first :)
I have both of these cameras, the 7d2 is a great camera but it’s getting on now, the EM1X is also a great camera and getting to know it is difficult in only two weeks. If you can get frame filling shots it’s really very sharp with the 300 pro, if you put in some distance to the subject the images can be a bit soft. Birds in flight can be a problem at “distance” too I find the eye will be sharp but the feather detail can be a bit soft. The camera likes “good light” too. I should mention that my Nikon d500 nails those flight shots over 90% of the time so much so that I don’t even bother with the Oly for “flight” shots when they are both in my bag. But there are many good reasons to buy the EM1X it feels great in the hand has many great features, is user friendly and as you said the image stabilisation is amazing. And it’s much better than the 7d 2!
Aside from the new 100-400, which it is a pricy, premium lens, Olympus have offered a 75-300mm tele zoom for years. That would cover the exact same focal lengths as your Canon 100-400mm. It's very affordable, but surprisingly good quality. So, there are options :)
Yeah and that another reason why I was considering Oly over Panosonic, because they have a much better range of lenses to choose from for wildlife photography (in my opinion). Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
It is hard getting used to the evf but to be honest I find myself using the live view on the lcd screen now that I can flip it out haha. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
OLYMPUS IS THE UNDERATED CHAMP - I just found two old Olympus E420 and E520 10MPix for $100 at a pawn shop like brand new and each one with a lens, battery charger and 2GB M2+ Memory Card and the other with 4GB CF memory card. Not too many MPix but the images are coming out as they should, the color accuracy is lifelike and compared with another Sony Bridge that I have with 20MPix sensor - photos taken with Olympus are better.
Hi Ben, Very interesting video and those fox images are amazing - especially the one looking straight at the yawn. You must be thrilled. I have the E-M1.2 and E-M1.3, plus the Olympus 300mm and the Panasonic 100-400. I use the zoom for my travel wildlife for the versatility and compactness (it is both smaller and lighter by a considerable margin compared to the 300) but use the 300 when I can - it is much sharper and works better on the Olympus body. For larger wildlife, as opposed to birds, I can see the zoom being a lot more beneficial. I shoot a lot of birds and rarely miss a shot with the 300 because they are too close. I agree with you on the E-M1.3 over the E-M1X - sounds a much better fit for what you said you value and you give up very little. Perhaps the 100-400 Olympus recently released could tempt you over? Or the upcoming 150-400 with built in teleconverter? I used to shoot Canon crop sensor and the Tamron 150-600, but have never looked back. I used to miss shots simply because I didn't want to carry the camera that day - I do a lot of 'incidental' wildlife photography. For that, the Olympus system excels. If I want to, I can carry a body and lens for every purpose now (macro, to landscape, to portrait, to wildlife) and still only take up half a backpack. Or if I want to just shoot wildlife, I can go out with just a small sling if I am going for the whole day. It comes with compromises, but that's the nature of photography. For me, the compromises are worth it. Did you make a choice yet, a couple of months down the track? Cheers, Craig
Hi Craig thanks for your comment, you make some really good points. I have indeed made a choice and I decided to keep the 7dii for now and get the em1iii. In the future I might transition completely to the em1iii but for now I'll use it as a landscape/vlogging camera. Thanks for watching 😊
You'll just have to keep your Canon gear and get another system too! I have Canon gear and got a Panasonic Lumix G9, now I almost exclusively use the G9 to be honest. I don't use a battery grip however, but the G9 is so much easier to carry around all day.
Hi Malcolm, I wish I could do that! Maybe in later life I could afford to do that 😅 but right now I need to make a decision, one or the other haha. I was once very close to buying the g9 as it was on an amazing deal on Amazon and it is still a contender. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben
Ben, you could get the smaller PRO zoom lense Olympus have and use a teleconverter, or the Panasonic 100 to 400mm has good results on the Olympus cameras....
Really good video, most enjoyable and the fox images were lovely. I owned a Canon 7D mark II, 70D, 100- 400mm L IS II and a 300mm f2.8 IS + TC20 mark III. I swapped it all for Olympus gear and never regretted it for a moment. I now own an Olympus EM1X, EM1 mark III, PL 100 - 400mm f4 - f6.3, PL 200mm f2.8 + MC14 and a couple of Oly lenses. I am waiting to see if I can justify the expense of the 150 - 400mm f4.5. If not, I will part exchange my PL 100 - 400mm for an Oly 300mm f4 + MC20. I tend to purchase secondhand gear in "like new" or "excellent" condition from reputable dealers such as London Camera Exchange and Park Cameras and save a pile of cash. I take your point with the flexibility of a zoom: but you can't beat the faster apertures of primes - though the forthcoming 150 - 400mm at f4.5 may be the exception.
Hi Pete, Thanks for sharing your experiances, sounds like you have a lot of great gear! I am looking foward to seeing how the OLY 150-400 f4.5 turns out but I can only imagine how much that lens is goig to cost. Take care.
Thank you so much for this interesting video I still have my Sony and Fujifilm gears but switched to Olympus last year because I’m tired of leaving my camera at home if I didn’t get the pictures it’s on me and not the equipment. Sub
Olympus has the best stabilization of all system. Even Canon claim with r5 has 8, 9, 10 stop of ibis a full frame don't have enough room to move with very long lens. You can even set the is1 at 300 ou 400mm to be good. I tried at 1000mm and I have seen sensor moving almost 1cm in all direction (e-m1 mark iii) amazing!
My Canon 7D2 with the 100-400 has been my day time go to camera of choice for a few years now. Olympus cant do low light sports action so I am going with a Canon R6 next. I would not even want to sell all my Canon gear. Probably lose a lot of money.
Excellent review! I do prefer Canon colors on the fox. Contrast seems better too. I had a G9 alongside my 7D MKII... I still have my 7D, sold the G9 because I felt it wasn’t tough enough for field work. Changing lenses outdoors was another issue with mirrorless... on windy days dust would too easily got on the sensor (without the mirror)
Hi Boris thanks for you comment. You have raised some good points, I guess it's always about weighing up the pros and cons of each system. All the best, Ben.
Well, I bet you are now aware that Olympus has just released a 100-400mm zoom lens, and from the reviews so far, the lens is a very sharp lens, albeit it is not a pro lens.
Save some cash get a G9. You know it makes sense 😅 You made me chuckle though Ben when you called it the Em1 Mark X though 😂 With regards to lens size and weight it should be about the same size as a full frame 300mm F8 but the problem is you try and find a lens like that with weathersealing and image quality like that.
I love the G9 but I'm not sold on Panasonic's lens quality.. the 300 f4 for Olympus is really nice. Haha yeah I watch that back like why?? 😂 But I called it by it's proper name on several other occasions. And yeah but when compared with the Canon 100-400 the difference isnt massive and you're getting pretty similar reach and quality. But the main issue was the size of the em1x and not the lens itself.
@@BenFitzcosta Panasonic have optics designed in conjunction with Leica so shouldn't be a problem. Beware of wanting a smaller lighter camera though. I used to have the GX80 and the G9 with battery grip is so much better! Also long term Olympus could be a bad bad choice 😉 You could still use the 300 F4 with Panasonic and have 3 stops of stabilisation or more from the lens itself. It is shame that they don't work with each others IBIS.
Hi Glenn, I actually went for the em1iii in the end for that exact reason. Hopefully in the future I will add a telephoto lens to my collection. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
And for future regs if you are serious about wanting people opinions on filed make the row downloadable from a G drive or equivalent. So we can see what is what. JPEGs and utube or Instagram, Facebook and other social media shots mean nothing. With a bit of post processing anything can be made to look nice.
Hi Ben, I have just had the same dilemma, I have sold my Canon 7D mkii and 100-400mm lens and have bought the Olympus EM1 mkiii and the 300 mm pro lens. I have had the Olympus system for about 1 month now and don’t regret my decision, I am still amazed at the image quality that I am getting and love the Olympus system. Ian.
@@BenFitzcosta Hi Ben, I am sure you won’t regret it, I loved my 7D MK II and 100-400 combo, Although both systems are very different I feel that the Olympus kit feels much the same in the hand, (I use a battery grip on my mkiii as the battery life isn’t brilliant especially if you are out all day) but I have the extra reach with the Olympus plus all of the other great features that I haven’t tried yet, enjoy, Ian.
Yes, the 300 mm Pro is a fixed lens. One very nice feature is that all Pro lenses have a very short minimum focus distance! You can actually take freehand macro shots on flying insects with it. Amazing!
This is probably a bad time to be switching to Olympus. If you already have a fair sized system, it’s different. But with Olympus negotiating to divest themselves of their camera division to JIP, the future of it is shaky. After the newest products come out, it’s very likely that no new “real” Olympus products will come out. The fear is that JIP will do what they did with the Sony Vaio, which was to go to cheap Chinese manufacturers and slapped the Vaio name on it. I have nothing against Olympus. They make fine lenses, but the sensor is now 4.5 years old, and it’s not likely to get a new one. So, that’s something to consider as well.
Hi Mel you make a good point and I understand you concerns with Olympus and JIP. However, I am happy with the quality of thecurrent gear and lenses so I don't really need to consider what the future holds. Depending on circumstances and reasons for buying a camera this will be different for each person. Thanks for watching, All the best, Ben.
Olympus is disappearing :-) I would n’t touch them with a barge poll. The R5 and R6 are out in a few days. Give them a thorough test and do not rush. In the long run the 35mm wins. And get a sand bag for laying down so you do not put undue pressure on your arms. EVFs have some benefits but OVFs can’t be beaten for realistic / natural experience. WiFi and in camera charging are gimmicks. You are also comparing a 6 year old camera with a new one. And IBIS is no help for fast moving subjects which is the usual case in wildlife.
@@WhoIsSerafin As I understand it, the camera business from Olympus will be sold to an investment company, and the investment company will no longer be able to use the Olympus name. So let's just see how much development and innovation there will be in the future, because maybe the investment company is now dividing the camera company into small pieces and selling them, or maybe they will continue and then try to do better than Olympus?
Totally agree with you, Ben. Olympus have an unwarranted reputation for the menu system. They give you an amazing range if settings and I find that 95% of what I need can be assessed with the Super Control Panel. The images are absolutely amazing too with the Pro lenses.
Totally agree with you and I was amazed by the image quality, totally changed my opinion on Oly. Thanks for watching, all the best. Ben.
I sold all my Nikon gear last year and haven't looked back since. I have the EM1X and EM12. Great combination.
That's good to hear David. I really did enjoy using the Em1x while I had it.
I sold all of my Sony gear, and bought the Olympus OM-D E-M5 iii, with 12-40mm f/2.8, and 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO lens, and very pleased. The camera is lighter, weather proofed, and stabilised.
Hi Derek, that sounds like a great set up. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
I would say 40-150/2,8 Pro is possibly the best telezoom here. Just bought mine, yesterday I took it for a short trip with my dog, I can't recall if I had better one in my hands. Of course with the exception of broadcast Fujinons. But they cost 100x more :D
Just found your blog and subscribed.
I sold all my Nikon gear a couple of months ago, moved to Olympus, M 1X, 300 pro, 40 -150 pro, no regrets, felt in love with photographing wildlife again. Fantastic system.
Switch to Olympus
Welcome to the channel Edward, thanks for the sub. You'll be pleased to hear that I went for the e-m1iii in the end but I kept my 7d ii haha. All the best. Ben
Traded all my Canon gear last year EOS 5D mkiii plus a bunch of lenses inc 100-400 and went over to Olympus with the M1 mk2. I fell in love with photography again, so much lighter image quality is equally as good as the full frame 5D. I got the 300mm pro and the 40-150 f2.8 pro which is an absolutely fantastic lens and even when coupled with the 1.4 x converter the quality is outstanding. Silent shutter is exactly what it says and the ability to shoot at 60 FPS is awesome. Can’t believe you have done a review without trying pro capture. I took the pro loan a year ago and was blown away, I knew within 3 days I had to swap. I do not regret doing so as I say I have fallen in love with photography again. (35 years using Canon by the way)
Hi Tony, wow you had some really nice canon gear! The canon 5Div has, for a long time, been my dream camera but things are changing now. You'll be glad to hear that I tried procapture and it blew me away! It was amazing! Thank you for your comment I will take your experience and use it to help me make my decision. All the best, Ben.
I'm on 17 mins of the video - You can up the refresh rate of the EVF - I think it is the EVF refresh rate to 120 fps via Menu->Custom Menu->Disp->Frame Rate->High. You can also set the EVF to SOVF if you want it to me more like OVF so that it will not change brightness to simulate exposure. You can also tell the body in the menu to ignore the manual focus clutch. If you want a zoom there is the Panasonic and the new Olympus 100-400mm
Hi Ananda, thank you for that, this is really helpful to me! Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
Great video Ben. I moved form the 7D ii to the 5D iv and absolutely no regrets although obviously not mirrorless. Those Fox images with the mouth open are award winning mate, love them!! Look forward to seeing what you decide. Cheers Keith
Hi Kieth, the 5Div has always been my dream camera. But I'm considering taking up other types of photography now, such as landscapes and star photography and I think the features of the OLY are more for me now... But I still can't make my mind up. Thanks for watching 😊
Great video Ben. Fox photos are once in a lifetime. Superb. Bought a em1x yesterday (it was much cheaper than the em1iii) and looking forward to shooting in northern NSW. Cheers mate.
Hi Ben...thanks,I enjoyed your honest presentation. Have used Canon gear since the 80’s (with their FD system). They’re good as we all know. But I often reach for the Oly gear preferring Oly’s color rendering & the crispness from the (no AA filter’ed) E-M1. Use the old 4/3 50-200mm a lot. Beats the Canon 100-400mm (in my eyes). Hopefully Oly hangs in there somehow!
I have to agree with you Mike. Finger crossed oly can hang in there. Thanks for watching, all the best Ben.
Love my 300mm F4 on my EM1.2. Very sharp and quick to focus. Plus the lens Stabilisation combined with the cameras IBIS is incredible.
Yes, I can appreciate you finding the 300m fixed limiting w.r.t to your existing setup with zoom - you may want to look at the 40-150 lens - also a pro lens with the 2x teleconverter option - might be a winner...
That's a good option! Thanks Tim :)
Topaz denoise is my top piece of software to complement the small sensor. I Love it!
Its an amzing piece of software :)
I'm not a wildlife photographer, I'm mainly a concert and event photographer, but still wanted to say that last year I decided to invest in M43 gear, coming from Nikon DLSR's. I bought an Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II with the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 Pro and the M.Zuiko 40-150mm F2.8 Pro (with a 1.4x teleconverter). I fell in love with this gear and recently added an OM-D EM-1 Mark III. And if it proves to be affordable, I intend to add "the beast", the 150-400mm F4.5 Pro that Olympus is going to release next winter. So maybe the 40-150mm F2.8 Pro with a 1.4x or 2.0x teleconverter is an option for you to still have zoom possibilities in stead of the fixed 300mm F4? (And yes, I also had to get used to using an EVF.)
Hi Theo, thanks for your comment. It is interesting to hear what your experiance is like coming from Nikon to Olympus and its promising that you do not regret your decision. I have gone and brought a em1iii and so far im loving it :) I am also waiting to see how the new 150-400mm lens turns out when they eventually release it.
Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
I have been shooting with Olympus for 3 years, decided to sell all my Nikon full frame gear and I am not looking back. The Olympus bodies and lenses are amazing and way lighter, smaller and less expensive than any APS-C and full frame kit.
Totally agree with you and that is why I love the Olympus! Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
@@LarsLarsen77 Just in terms of depth of field f4 in M 4/3 is equivalent to f8 in full frame. In light gathering, which is the most important factor imo, both are f4. With a 300 f4 in M 4/3 you get the reach of a 600mm full frame lens with an f4 speed not f8.
The fact that the fox trusts you speaks volumes. Great photos! The Olympus does seem to have some great bells and whistles. The built in image stabilization and articulating touchscreen monitor is really nice. I would wait and see where the new company is going to take Olympus.
Hi Randy, I think the company will be just fine especially with their most recent announcement of new lenses and firmware but I also think you are right to be a bit cautious. I'll see how things go before making any hasty decisions. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
Ben, I enjoyed the video. Your comments are very fair. I see you’ve since gone ahead and invested in an E-M1 Mark III, which is a great camera, and half the weight of the E-M1X. Two further points for you to consider:
1. You could invest in a battery grip for your E-M1 Mark III, which would almost turn it into an E-M1X for those occasions when you want the double battery life and the portrait grip - and it’s removable! Best of both worlds. All you’d lose, compared with the E-M1X, is GPS (a shame) and intelligent subject tracking. (But you have starry sky mode, which the E-M1X doesn’t have yet.)
2. The new 100-400mm lens has been getting fantastic reviews and has really good features, but is much cheaper than the 300mm. RRP for the 300 is £2,500 (cheap compared with equivalents on other systems!), but I’ve found it online (new) for under £1,600. Yet the new 100-400 is just two-thirds the (cheapest) price brand new (around £1,100), and is more generally flexible. Seems to me it’d be an ideal option for you. The 150-400 Pro lens - still coming - looks fabulous, but will surely make even the 300 look budget-price!
I’m as sorry as anyone about the sale of Olympus, but the gear they’re selling these days is supremely high quality and will last ‘forever’. So buy it while you still can, as an investment. I’m doing so - though partly because I’ve always loved Olympus as one of the leading innovators in the digital camera world. Other brand enthusiasts delight in being small-minded and sniffy about Olympus, but they’ve consistently been pioneers (including with mirrorless) and the camera world owes them a great deal. NB It remains to be seen what the outcome of the sale to JIP will be: all signs recently (including commitment to promised future releases) are that Olympus is only doing this because it absolutely has to, not because it really wants to, and maybe it will retain an active interest afterwards. Olympus itself is clearly not going away, and maybe it’ll continue to work with the newly independent spun-off camera company. I hope so.
I’d be mildly interested to know why you say you wouldn’t previously have considered an Olympus camera - because they’ve always been extremely good, though clearly underrated (if only for reasons of ‘fashion’).
Hi Richard, and thank you for your comment.
That is a good idea I may have to invest in the battery grip as I will be using it for both video and photo and so the extra power will likely be needed.
There is a great amount of lens options to be honest and I am really interested in the new telephoto lens they are bringing out later this year.
I was never really a camera person once upon a time and had only ever heard of Canon and Nikon but after years of being in the industry I have become aware of so much more. Like you say, the unwarrented bad rep of Olympus kind of put me off ever even considering it.
Thanks for your comments and fingers crossed for the future of Olympus :)
All the best,
Ben
I have a Sony A7R3 with various Sony lenses including the 200-600 f5.6-6.3 . Also have the 300mm f4 and an EM1mk2 and a Panasonic G9 with the 200mm f2.8. I get your point about the lack of flexibility with fixed focal length, but the stabilisation of the EM1mk2 and the G9 just beats the Sony hands down. I like the Sony for dynamic range, focussing ability, especially eye focus. And if I'm going on a specific shoot with limited carry distance it would probably be top of the list. But M43 has so many advantages when hiking, wildlife photography, dimly lit interiors (churches for example), some sports photography and sometimes portraits. If you want shallow dof go full frame every time, but sometimes I like the longer dof with M43 so I get the nose tip, eye lashes and earlobes in focus while having the lens still reasonably wide open. Horses for courses. And before going mirrorless I was a Canon shooter for forty years.
Hi Tony, it sounds like you have had pletny of experiance using all sorts of different cameras and so it is good to hear that you still think that m43 has its place. Like you say it is great for hiking/wildlife photography which is exactly why I was considering it for myself. I have to say I really do like Olympus now and I hope they continue to release m43 gear in the future. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
I see your dilemma. I have the 7DII and a 5DIII. The 7DII has been a stellar camera but I do not have a decent zoom lens for it anymore. I sold my Tamron 150-600 due to wrist issues but things have now improved and I could probably go back to using one. I recently brought into the Fuji system with an XT3 the 18-55 , and a 55-200 as well as a 56F1.2 prime. The camera is amazing, Im still getting used to it but it captures birds with the 55-200 as well as the 7DII but the focus may be a little better. My dilemma is do I save for the Fuji 100-400 or do I buy another Tamron? My 7DII is now over 6 years old and has a lot of shutter actuations so not worth selling. Im not keen on selling my canon gear but I am wondering about my lens issue. The good thing for me about not selling the 7DII is that my husband can use it along side his 70D so it wont just gather dust. Does Olympus not have a good zoom you can buy instead of the prime?
I was thinking of getting a 150-600mm sigma lens for my Canon 7D mk2. I ended up with an Olympus m10 mk3, a 14-42mm, a 40-150mm and a 75-300mm lens for the same price as the Sigma 150-600mm lens. The 75-300mm Olympus lens has the same field of view as the Sigma 150-600mm and the m10 mk3 has a built in 2x teleconverter for jpegs. That's a 1200m field of view for nailing focus. Still have the 7D mk2 although I'm debating getting rid of it.
Should be 1200mm if I sell my canon gear I could get the 100-400mm lens and a proper teleconverter.
It an incredible range from the m43 for sure. I am in the same situation as you as I still have my 7d mkii haha. Thanks for watching. Ben.
The E-M1 Mark 3 does not have the object detection of the E-M1X. 300mm are 300mm, that’s what the length defines. But the weight is quite a difference 😉
300mm on m43 is a ff equivalent 600mm due to the sensor size.
Ben Fitzcosta , yes, but crop only, not in terms of optical focal length. The smaller pixel pitch of sensor keeps image same sharpness as e.g. a 600 mm on a Nikon D5 (also 20 Megapixel). Because of projection diameter needed for MFT is so much smaller as on full frame, glass diameter can be reduced and reduction of diameter reduces weight of glass by square, not only linear ☺️😊. For that, you may build smaller lenses. Imagine a full frame sensor having 80 megapixel, stick a 300 mm on it and crop if down to MFT. Same result as 300 mm on 20 Mpixel MFT
There’s settings for the EVF so you can adjust to your liking!
Really enjoyed this video, good practical review.
Thanks for wathcing, i'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Great video. But why not get an Olympus 100-400mm if you need zoom?? You should make a video for that, I will tune in.
Amazing shots of the Fox Ben!...great video lots of help, thanks mate!🇦🇺😎👍Subscribed.
Hi Stephen, thanks for the sub :) I am glad you like the images of the fox. All the best, Ben.
I shoot primes whenever possible. The speed and sharpness is very valuable when it comes to bird photography. My best shots have been taken on primes. I use a zoom that is light when I have to walk long distances birding. Thanks for making the video.
2 months later - how did you decide? You surely have noticed the new 100-400 lens, which is very sharp, but hasn’t as nice bokeh as the 300. If you haven’t yet taken the decision, you should have a look at the very affordable, but pretty good 60mm macro lens, which supports focus stacking either in-body or with full raw files and that works even hand-held!
Hi Hauke I decided to go for the EM1iii and keep my 7dmkii for now :) I have tried the 60mm macro lens and I was very impressed by it. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
hiya great video as always im actually already using nikon mirrorless and for my wildlife im actually considering one of these cameras including the lumix G9 and maybe the canon 1dxii but not sure but if i get olympus or lumix i may consider this lens or lookin at the 100-400 maybe sigma version or the lumix but u can fit lumis/leice lens on olympus and olympus on lumix cameras
Great video and omg those fox photos are AMAZING! As far as switching, personally I think the most important thing to consider is the lenses available with each system. Cameras come and go but the glass is the real investment. You missed having the focal length range when you were using the prime lens - does Olympus make good zoom lenses? Do they make a good macro lens, a good portrait lens? Also look into what each company has in their pipeline. Another thing to consider is third party lenses. I have a Sigma 150-600 that I use on my crappy Canon T6 and I love it. If Sigma or Tamron or whoever makes glass for the Olympus system, that’s a plus. The flippy screen is a life changer and I hope to someday have a camera that has one. It’s so hard to do wildlife and macro without it. I never get the angle I want. Please keep us updated on what you decide!
Hi Lisa, you make some really good points and ones which I will certainly consider. Thanks a lot for watching and I'll do my best to keep you updated 🙂 all the best, Ben.
Thanks Ben.
Try the 40-150mm f2.8 and either 1.4 or 2x tele con. Great lens good zoom range and f4 or 5.6 with the tele
Great video. I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned these or you have found them since you did the video but you have a few options. For the lens you now have the Oly 100-400 but to match your Canon range you could instead use the Oly 40-150mm F2.8 pro with the MC1.4 converter which makes it a 110-420 f4 equivalent lens. Also in the camera settings you can set the viewfinder to be an OVF instead. And you can also disable the manual focus clutch on the 300mm. Have fun, hope you bought the Oly
Hi Christian, thanks for watching and thank you for your suggestions. All the best, Ben. p.s I bought the em1iii :)
I love my em1.3 + Leica 100-400mm combo, and I use mft 90% of the time. In dark scenarios I use FF. No need to carry big and heavy equipment all the time. I would sell all the general FF equipment and keep only one body ( in my case the Z6), one fast Lens and one supertele.
I used to have the 7D Mk2/100-400 combo for wildlife, switched to Nikon full frame for a while and then tried most of the mirrorless contenders and settled with Olympus with am E-M1 Mk2. The EVF definitely takes some getting used to, but I wouldn't be without it now. Noise levels are pretty much the same, I'd actually say the Oly is actually slightly better at high ISO than the Canon was, certainly a lot less chroma noise, and the raw files in general are a lot nicer to work with, particularly if you expose to the right a bit. Definitely try the 40-150 Pro, it's one of the sharpest lenses I've ever owned, works exceedingly well with teleconverters and doubles as a very handy faux-macro! Weather sealing is hugely better on the Oly gear as well, which is a big plus for wildlife.
Very interesting that you went from ff to m43 an you still love the oly. Thnaks for sharing your experiances and thanks for watching :)
The photos of the Fox are amazing especially the one with the foxes mouth open keep up the good work god bless
Thank you very much!
Very interesting overview Ben - I guess if you make the switch the Olympus 100-400mm might be something to look at... I really should have thought to factory reset the one I had on loan when I got it - would have fixed a few of the issues I found with it!
Hi Geoff, yes the 100-400 is a good contender but I am also interested in the new telephoto lens that they will be bringing out and I also love the 300 prime. Hahah easily done mate, it helped me just to turn the camera on. thanks for watching, All the best, Ben.
Going down the same road but Sony rather than Olympus, Sony A9 and 200-600 M lens when I sell my 7D MK II and the rest of my Canon gear but as you say there are a lot of options out there and will not jump in with both feet just yet.
What price are you looking at for the A9 and 200mm?
A unique review and opportunity to compare the two cameras and lenses. I'll have to catch up with the rest of your videos to see what your final decision is, especially since Olympus has come out with its own 100-400mm zoom (maybe you can get the fox to come back for a follow-up test:). I hope MFT's remains in production since there seems to be a real desire for many photographers to travel lighter at less cost and provides Olympus and Panasonic a unique niche in a crowded and shrinking FF market.
Hi Bruce thanks for watching :) I ended up getting the em1-iii and i'm currently using it for landscapes and vlogging until I can afford a telephoto lens. I have to agree with you that m43 has a place these days and hopefully it wont die. All the best, Ben.
Starting witch E-M1X? Quite special camera, not for general use (for M43 it is quite big), but the computing power is of course superb.
I think M1 would be safer choice if you don't know what do you want. But with surplus budget I would but M1X also.
Now I am using M1 Mk2 and after firmware updates it is basically Mk2.5 :D
I changed my system from Pentax APS-C.
I also changed from a pentax k50 and it was a great first camera :) thanks for your advice and thanks for watching :)
great video mate - I've actually spent the last few days searching for comparisons between the 7d mark ii and the E-M1X, couldn't find anything of note. Luckily I was subscribed to your channel, so got the notification through... quite the coincidence!
Almost certain that I'll be moving from all of my Canon gear (7D mark ii, 500mm f4, 100-400mm + others) and onto Olympus E-M1X/E-M1 iii once the 150mm-400mm f4.5 is released in the winter. The weight and portability is just such a huge pull, and like you said, coming from a 7d mark ii, micro 4/3 low light ability is much less of an issue.
Now to decide upon which is better, the E-M1x or the E-M1 iii...
Hi Marc, I'm glad you enjoyed my video :). It sounds to me as though you are in a very similar situation. I can't decide between the em1iii or the em1x and Olympus have just announced the new bird af firmware update for the em1x only! Which if it works could be a game changer. I think I'll wait and see how the reviews for that go before I make my mind up. Thanks for watching Marc. All the best, Ben.
@@doghouseriley4732 nice sprinkle of sarcasm in your comment 'Doghouse Riley's thanks for looking out for us uninformed consumers... I spoke about OLY being sold and as I stated in the video I am not worried about that and my opinion still stands. The current gear is quality as far as I'm concerned and it does everything I need and more for what I want. Thanks for watching 😊
Ben, can you please explain why did you finally choose Olympus and why are you happy with the decision. Does doubts about future of Olympus cameras bother you? Thanks.
Hi Pankaj, thanks for your question. I decided to go with the em1-iii because I loved the usability of the camera and the image quality. For me there are so many bennifits to the m43 system whihc bennifit me as both a wildlife photographer and a youtuber. It is so hard to make a choice when looking to buy a new camera but I think I found what I was looking for with the em1-iii. With regards to olympus selling its company I am not worried about their future. As olympus have told us they are still going to be involved and still own 5% (or so) of the company. Therefore, we will still be able to get our cameras fixed and there will be spare parts available and not only this but they will contine to bring out new gear in the future.
Thanks for watching :)
@@BenFitzcosta Thank you very much. I am thinking of buying one myself. Can you elborate a little more about the image quality that you liked. Because many reviewers think that the camera is rich in features but lacks image quality when compared to other similarly priced cameras. Thanks again.
You also have the 150-450 f4.5 pro to look forward to.
By the way, the EM1 mark 2 may be just as good for your purposes for thousands $ in savings. Mk3 and X offers handheld hi-res, but only incremental improvement on other features. Do some research and find the difference.
I went for the em1iii in the end. Thanks for watching ☺️
Hi Ben, did you try hand held video with the E-M1 X and 300mm F4 IS Pro? I read your description and it stated that you are into "Wildlife Documentary Productions". If that is the case, I think you will be really impressed with the stability of the footage you can achieve without the need for a fancy video tripod head. I have recently used the 300mm F4 paired with my E-M1 mii and E-M1 miii with great success. If you support your body, you may even be able to fool viewers into thinking the footage was captured from a tripod, even with panning and tracking wildlife!
Hi Jay, I did not try the video although I have heard how good it is without the tripod. Maybe ill look into testing this at some point. Thanks for you comment. All the best, Ben.
i like olympus, i shoot with them for 15 years now. i started with a 4/3 camera and now i have m4/3, but just for fun and travel. it's nice to see a real side by side comparison. i might upgrade as well to an EM1. now oly is for sale, there may be good deals coming up. i wouldn't step into m4/3 anymore if i didn't already have some gear, though. i'm not optimistic with oly for sale and panasonic moving to full frame. the mirrorless full frames seem to be the future for serious photography but more expensive for slightly better image quality.
I really do think it will be a shame if m43 gets lost in the market. I think it has so many advantages and that there is a market out there for it. Fingers crossed Oly will live on. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
Panasonic is not "moving to full frame" but "adding a full frame".
With the 100-400 on an apsc you also increase focal length to 600 equivalent i believe. Could be wrong.
I'd always go with what you know. Its a tool. So with a tool you want consistency. And you get that from experience with that tool. The flare comes from the users ability.
I would agree that Canon auto focus is very poor for multiple shots. If not poor it is annoyingly hit or miss. To be honest I would look at what holds its value best lens wise, battery life, replacement costs. If you break or lose a lens you love, how easy is it to replace it at a reasonable price. Image transfer software for Canon is soooooo arse. The app is a joke. But how hard is it to send images. On Samsung you can get a USB card reader and drag and drop them off instantly. Its literally a few quid and a few cms long plugs into the phone one end and takes the card the other. I have a flip screen on mine and obsessively used it initially. For everything. But now I have the new canon lens and faster wildlife has become possible, live view has become impossible lol. Its utterly pointless. Interesting choice to have Ben ...
.... but that fox. Soooo kewl. You will have to take loads of photos of it. Just beautiful shots matey and such a privilege. Thank you for sharing Ben 😊👍👍👍
Hi Adam, yes the canon 100-400 has a 1.6 x crops making it a full frame equivalent of 640mm compared the the Olympus 600mm FF equivalent.
I have used a USB adapter before (I think I lost mine haha) but yeah the live view on a DSLR is pretty much unusable however on a mirrorless it's a different story. However saying that I would still want to be using the viewfinder when tracking birds in flight for example but for everything else the LCD screen is perfect on the em1X.
I am soo lucky to have a fox in my garden and I will make the most of it while he is around 😊 thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
Out of curiosity, have you made a decision now? Did you have more experience with the Olympus since that video?
Hi Terry, I have now got the EM1-III and I am keeping the 7Dii for now, probably until it breaks down on me haha. Thanks for watching :)
@@BenFitzcosta So you still using both now?
@@terryvitanza28 Yes I am, for now.
Hi mate if you have not switch yet maybe the new Olympus 100-400 5.6.3 and the firmware upgrade 2nd December might tempt you? 👍
Hi Wayne, I already went for the EM1-iii haha. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
maybe get the 40-150 mm f/2.8 and the OLYMPUS OM D EM 1 mark II then you can crop and it's not too heavy
ps this is before I saw a more recent video and found out what you bought:)
I'm curious, why Micro Four Thirds and not Full Frame?
Hi John, it all depends on personal needs/wants from a camera. There are many other advantages to m43 but the main ones are worlds best image stabilisation and double the range on your lens. For wildlife it is a real advantage but like I say it depends on so many factors and I wouldn't say no to a ff camera. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
This is basically the same question like why ff and not medium format. Like, really medium. Pentax 645 or Hasselblad. Or Phase One. Not that toy from Fuji.
Weight of canon 7d mk2 and 100-400 lens is 2550 grams weight of em1x and 300mm pro is 2267 grams, 300mm pro with em1 mk3 is 1850 grams.
Hi Tom, thanks for the information :) Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
Nice shots of the Fox! I shoot MFT and it's great! I think a Olympus OM-E-M10 Mk lV would be a better choice as it's almost half the weight & price. The Panasonic G9 is another choice you would love. See if you can get your hands on them and try them ont first :)
Hi Richard thanks for your suggestions and for watching :) All the best, Ben.
I have both of these cameras, the 7d2 is a great camera but it’s getting on now, the EM1X is also a great camera and getting to know it is difficult in only two weeks. If you can get frame filling shots it’s really very sharp with the 300 pro, if you put in some distance to the subject the images can be a bit soft. Birds in flight can be a problem at “distance” too I find the eye will be sharp but the feather detail can be a bit soft. The camera likes “good light” too. I should mention that my Nikon d500 nails those flight shots over 90% of the time so much so that I don’t even bother with the Oly for “flight” shots when they are both in my bag. But there are many good reasons to buy the EM1X it feels great in the hand has many great features, is user friendly and as you said the image stabilisation is amazing. And it’s much better than the 7d 2!
Thanks for your advice Tony and thanks for watching :) all the best, Ben.
Oh, by the way, I kept my Canon gear, including the 100-400 and the 400 prime but hardly ever use it now. I keep it 'just in case.'
Aside from the new 100-400, which it is a pricy, premium lens, Olympus have offered a 75-300mm tele zoom for years. That would cover the exact same focal lengths as your Canon 100-400mm. It's very affordable, but surprisingly good quality. So, there are options :)
Yeah and that another reason why I was considering Oly over Panosonic, because they have a much better range of lenses to choose from for wildlife photography (in my opinion). Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
@@BenFitzcosta my pleasure - very enjoyable video, with some great fox footage :)
I switched from nikon apsc to olympus. Share your "view" of the evf. Love the camera... but dont get along with the evf at all.
It is hard getting used to the evf but to be honest I find myself using the live view on the lcd screen now that I can flip it out haha. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
OLYMPUS IS THE UNDERATED CHAMP - I just found two old Olympus E420 and E520 10MPix for $100 at a pawn shop like brand new and each one with a lens, battery charger and 2GB M2+ Memory Card and the other with 4GB CF memory card. Not too many MPix but the images are coming out as they should, the color accuracy is lifelike and compared with another Sony Bridge that I have with 20MPix sensor - photos taken with Olympus are better.
Hi Ben,
Very interesting video and those fox images are amazing - especially the one looking straight at the yawn. You must be thrilled.
I have the E-M1.2 and E-M1.3, plus the Olympus 300mm and the Panasonic 100-400. I use the zoom for my travel wildlife for the versatility and compactness (it is both smaller and lighter by a considerable margin compared to the 300) but use the 300 when I can - it is much sharper and works better on the Olympus body. For larger wildlife, as opposed to birds, I can see the zoom being a lot more beneficial. I shoot a lot of birds and rarely miss a shot with the 300 because they are too close.
I agree with you on the E-M1.3 over the E-M1X - sounds a much better fit for what you said you value and you give up very little. Perhaps the 100-400 Olympus recently released could tempt you over? Or the upcoming 150-400 with built in teleconverter?
I used to shoot Canon crop sensor and the Tamron 150-600, but have never looked back. I used to miss shots simply because I didn't want to carry the camera that day - I do a lot of 'incidental' wildlife photography. For that, the Olympus system excels. If I want to, I can carry a body and lens for every purpose now (macro, to landscape, to portrait, to wildlife) and still only take up half a backpack. Or if I want to just shoot wildlife, I can go out with just a small sling if I am going for the whole day.
It comes with compromises, but that's the nature of photography. For me, the compromises are worth it. Did you make a choice yet, a couple of months down the track?
Cheers,
Craig
Hi Craig thanks for your comment, you make some really good points. I have indeed made a choice and I decided to keep the 7dii for now and get the em1iii. In the future I might transition completely to the em1iii but for now I'll use it as a landscape/vlogging camera. Thanks for watching 😊
You'll just have to keep your Canon gear and get another system too! I have Canon gear and got a Panasonic Lumix G9, now I almost exclusively use the G9 to be honest. I don't use a battery grip however, but the G9 is so much easier to carry around all day.
Hi Malcolm, I wish I could do that! Maybe in later life I could afford to do that 😅 but right now I need to make a decision, one or the other haha. I was once very close to buying the g9 as it was on an amazing deal on Amazon and it is still a contender. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben
@@BenFitzcosta Oh well, keep doing the Lottery!
Ben, you could get the smaller PRO zoom lense Olympus have and use a teleconverter, or the Panasonic 100 to 400mm has good results on the Olympus cameras....
Olympus releasing a 100-400mm with built in 1.4x converter later this year
Hi Shane, that's a good point! I did ask to use the smaller PRO lens but Olympus forgot to send it haha. Thanks for watching 😊
Regarding viewfinder, you can set it so it behave like optical viewfinder. If you do that you loose one of the benefits of a mirrorless camera.
Thanks for the advice that is really helpful :)
Try the new hot 🔥 150-400mm from olyjip 😁
You can turn off the manual focus in the settings
Really good video, most enjoyable and the fox images were lovely. I owned a Canon 7D mark II, 70D, 100- 400mm L IS II and a 300mm f2.8 IS + TC20 mark III. I swapped it all for Olympus gear and never regretted it for a moment. I now own an Olympus EM1X, EM1 mark III, PL 100 - 400mm f4 - f6.3, PL 200mm f2.8 + MC14 and a couple of Oly lenses. I am waiting to see if I can justify the expense of the 150 - 400mm f4.5. If not, I will part exchange my PL 100 - 400mm for an Oly 300mm f4 + MC20. I tend to purchase secondhand gear in "like new" or "excellent" condition from reputable dealers such as London Camera Exchange and Park Cameras and save a pile of cash. I take your point with the flexibility of a zoom: but you can't beat the faster apertures of primes - though the forthcoming 150 - 400mm at f4.5 may be the exception.
Hi Pete, Thanks for sharing your experiances, sounds like you have a lot of great gear! I am looking foward to seeing how the OLY 150-400 f4.5 turns out but I can only imagine how much that lens is goig to cost. Take care.
Thank you so much for this interesting video I still have my Sony and Fujifilm gears but switched to Olympus last year because I’m tired of leaving my camera at home if I didn’t get the pictures it’s on me and not the equipment. Sub
great video, thanks so much, love those fox images.
Thanks for watching I am happy tyou enjoyed it :)
Hey Ben great video👍
I’m interested in getting your 7d mark ii and 100-400!
Do you ship to india?
Hi Abhignan, I do not ship to India but my camera is not for sale. Thanks for watching 😊
Olympus has the best stabilization of all system. Even Canon claim with r5 has 8, 9, 10 stop of ibis a full frame don't have enough room to move with very long lens. You can even set the is1 at 300 ou 400mm to be good. I tried at 1000mm and I have seen sensor moving almost 1cm in all direction (e-m1 mark iii) amazing!
You make a very good point! I have to say I would pick the oly over the r5 after lots of thinking haha. Thanks for watching, Ben.
small sensor get more room to move the 5 axis stabilization.
Love the battle that’s going on, yes would go for the M3.
Hi Catherine, I did go for the EM1iii in the end and im very happy with my decision :)
Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
@@BenFitzcosta yes it is safer choice than M1X.
My Canon 7D2 with the 100-400 has been my day time go to camera of choice for a few years now. Olympus cant do low light sports action so I am going with a Canon R6 next. I would not even want to sell all my Canon gear. Probably lose a lot of money.
Excellent review! I do prefer Canon colors on the fox. Contrast seems better too. I had a G9 alongside my 7D MKII... I still have my 7D, sold the G9 because I felt it wasn’t tough enough for field work. Changing lenses outdoors was another issue with mirrorless... on windy days dust would too easily got on the sensor (without the mirror)
Hi Boris thanks for you comment. You have raised some good points, I guess it's always about weighing up the pros and cons of each system. All the best, Ben.
Well, I bet you are now aware that Olympus has just released a 100-400mm zoom lens, and from the reviews so far, the lens is a very sharp lens, albeit it is not a pro lens.
I have just seen that. It will be a lens I look into for sure. Thanks for watching all the best. Ben.
Unfortunate the lens IS doesn’t work with the cameras IBIS the way it does with the 300mm F4. But it does have more range and is lots less money.
Save some cash get a G9. You know it makes sense 😅
You made me chuckle though Ben when you called it the Em1 Mark X though 😂
With regards to lens size and weight it should be about the same size as a full frame 300mm F8 but the problem is you try and find a lens like that with weathersealing and image quality like that.
I love the G9 but I'm not sold on Panasonic's lens quality.. the 300 f4 for Olympus is really nice.
Haha yeah I watch that back like why?? 😂 But I called it by it's proper name on several other occasions.
And yeah but when compared with the Canon 100-400 the difference isnt massive and you're getting pretty similar reach and quality. But the main issue was the size of the em1x and not the lens itself.
@@BenFitzcosta Panasonic have optics designed in conjunction with Leica so shouldn't be a problem. Beware of wanting a smaller lighter camera though. I used to have the GX80 and the G9 with battery grip is so much better!
Also long term Olympus could be a bad bad choice 😉
You could still use the 300 F4 with Panasonic and have 3 stops of stabilisation or more from the lens itself. It is shame that they don't work with each others IBIS.
Great photo of the fox Ben, I'm afraid you lost me with all that technical stuff but great video any way 👍
You need to consider the em1mk3 with a 100-400 Olympus lens. That will be lighter and you won't look back.
Hi Glenn, I actually went for the em1iii in the end for that exact reason. Hopefully in the future I will add a telephoto lens to my collection.
Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
Great camera! I hope you stick with your current gear, maybe go for the canon R6?
Hi Brian, I'd love the R6 but it's a bit expensive 😅
And for future regs if you are serious about wanting people opinions on filed make the row downloadable from a G drive or equivalent. So we can see what is what. JPEGs and utube or Instagram, Facebook and other social media shots mean nothing. With a bit of post processing anything can be made to look nice.
Good point Dimitris, I did not consider this. I will consider it for future. Although this comment is not entirely accurate.
Hi Ben, I have just had the same dilemma, I have sold my Canon 7D mkii and 100-400mm lens and have bought the Olympus EM1 mkiii and the 300 mm pro lens. I have had the Olympus system for about 1 month now and don’t regret my decision, I am still amazed at the image quality that I am getting and love the Olympus system. Ian.
Hi Ian that is good to know! I have decided to get the em1iii but keep my canon gear for now. Thanks for watching. All the best, Ben.
@@BenFitzcosta Hi Ben, I am sure you won’t regret it, I loved my 7D MK II and 100-400 combo, Although both systems are very different I feel that the Olympus kit feels much the same in the hand, (I use a battery grip on my mkiii as the battery life isn’t brilliant especially if you are out all day) but I have the extra reach with the Olympus plus all of the other great features that I haven’t tried yet, enjoy, Ian.
Change !!
Sort of half have aha
Woow good
Thanks for watching 😊
bet you will love 1x more than 1m3, the 1x performance is far better than 1m3.
We will see as I went for the em1iii and so far its great :) thanks for watching, All the best, Ben.
@@BenFitzcosta
Welcome
I’m les’ brothers son!
I agree with Joe get the g9
Yes, the 300 mm Pro is a fixed lens. One very nice feature is that all Pro lenses have a very short minimum focus distance! You can actually take freehand macro shots on flying insects with it. Amazing!
100-400 on olympus is same as 200-800
NO
IF Olympus had sinc IS it would be the best camera
I'm not going to carry a tripod
Ill pass and keep my g9 100-400mm which has sinc IS
No
I think a lot of wildlife photographers will convert to mirrorless simply because of the silent shutter. DSLR mirror slap spooks a lot of wildlife.
Yeah I have to agree with you on that, certainly mirrorless has its advantages
I see you have not
I have the em1-iii and im currently using it as a vlogging camera (for now) :)
This is probably a bad time to be switching to Olympus. If you already have a fair sized system, it’s different. But with Olympus negotiating to divest themselves of their camera division to JIP, the future of it is shaky. After the newest products come out, it’s very likely that no new “real” Olympus products will come out. The fear is that JIP will do what they did with the Sony Vaio, which was to go to cheap Chinese manufacturers and slapped the Vaio name on it.
I have nothing against Olympus. They make fine lenses, but the sensor is now 4.5 years old, and it’s not likely to get a new one. So, that’s something to consider as well.
Hi Mel you make a good point and I understand you concerns with Olympus and JIP. However, I am happy with the quality of thecurrent gear and lenses so I don't really need to consider what the future holds. Depending on circumstances and reasons for buying a camera this will be different for each person.
Thanks for watching,
All the best, Ben.
Ben Fitzcosta I’m concerned about service and parts, as much as new equipment over time.
Get an R6.
I'd consider an R5 but not anytime soon. All the best, Ben.
bye canon
Olympus is disappearing :-) I would n’t touch them with a barge poll. The R5 and R6 are out in a few days. Give them a thorough test and do not rush. In the long run the 35mm wins. And get a sand bag for laying down so you do not put undue pressure on your arms. EVFs have some benefits but OVFs can’t be beaten for realistic / natural experience. WiFi and in camera charging are gimmicks. You are also comparing a 6 year old camera with a new one. And IBIS is no help for fast moving subjects which is the usual case in wildlife.
R5 and R6 are used hot hatch price which is fine for a professional with a Dentist pension or BOMAD but not many others 😂
Joe Marano the R6 will be cheaper than the combo he is proposing to buy.
@@dimitristsagdis7340 With a lens?
Here comes Doghouse Riley again saving all us stupid consumers from making a 'bad' decision. Thank you doghouse Riley, what would we do without you? 😂
@@BenFitzcosta Its OK Ben to be wet behind the ears and having to burn in order to learn.
Olympus is unfortunately closing their camera/lens production, so it's a very uncertain future ahead for Olympus users!
They are not closing camera production, I wish people would correctly read what is actually happening.
@@WhoIsSerafin As I understand it, the camera business from Olympus will be sold to an investment company, and the investment company will no longer be able to use the Olympus name. So let's just see how much development and innovation there will be in the future, because maybe the investment company is now dividing the camera company into small pieces and selling them, or maybe they will continue and then try to do better than Olympus?
All the more reason to get Olympus while you can.