I enjoy my Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark II very much. I bought it for the lighter weight and have not been disappointed. At 74 I can no longer carry a heavy camera, I just leave it home. This camera is with me much more of the time. Thank you for your review.
My D810 is great camera, my wife won’t let me use it on trips. I started Micro 4/3 about four years ago. Had a inexpensive Chinese Micro 4/3, upgraded to a used Panasonic G1 then a G85 bought in Alaska. I soon got a GH5. I found video was not my main thing. Got a G7 and a G8 along the way. I really like my G9 and GX9. I picked the Olympus up supposed to be used but was a store demo. The O MD EM-1 Mark II has been an experience. I have read the manual three times. I got the Olympus because the firmware update made it an inexpensive way to get better video focus. In continuous focus the video is very good. My son got the GH5 the G8 and a G7 that I may reclaim. I traded in a used Nikon 610 and a 35 mm f2 in on the Olympus. Only cost three hundred bucks. At 73 a new experience. I have the Olympus set on C123 to act like three different cameras. I prefer to use it with small pancake lenses. A 12 mm F2 a 20 mm 1.7 a 42.5 mm 1.7 60 mm 2.8 Macro with a 14-140 Panasonic as a backup. Small case crammed with 4 batteries a charger and a small dedicated Godex flash. Still have not decided if I should just turn off internal stabilization on Panasonic lenses.
One of the most balanced fair reviews I've seen so far. I keep looking at other cameras but come back to Olympus in spite of M43 draw backs. Every camera has short comings unfortunately so knowing what you plan to do with it is key. On the used market, Olympus cameras don't seem to hold their value so they are very good bang for the buck used. I can pick up a low shutter count E-M1 ii in excellent condition tomorrow for $625 USD here in Canada or an E-M5 ii to for $310 USD and there is nothing better for that price if you want a feature packed weather sealed stabilized body with good video in a compact form factor. Olympus pro lenses are not cheap but they are very very good quality and many of the more reasonably priced non-pro lenses are over achievers. The 60mm 2.8 macro is already outstanding and there's still a pro version to come. Before digital came along, practically nobody ever shot with ISO 1600+ film and there was no help from stabilized lenses or bodies until the mid 90's either. Yet, miraculously there's no shortage of outstanding photos from the pre-digital era. People are obsessed with megapixels they'll never see and ISO ratings they can live without 90% of the time. A fast lens on a high ISO full frame sensor body takes the worst pictures of all when it was left at home because it was too bulky to carry. The best camera or lens is the one you have on you.
Well, after constantly downgrading from FF to APS-C and now MFT I can say I was never more happy than with my current setup. As a Makro, Street and Protrait photgrapher I can say that I have NEVER EVER made better pictures than I am doing now. Not because of that whole Sensor and ISO crap, no - due to the size I simply have the camera with me all the time and everywhere. I missed so many spontanious shots because I did not carry the photobag with me. My OMD Em1 MK2 with the 45mm 1.8 and 17mm 1.8 fit in a bumbag and no one ever complaint about noise even in printed pictures. And especially in street situations i often shoot above 6400 ISO.
I made the switch successfully from A7Rii to micro four thirds and have the Olympus seen here now. I'm much more impressed than you are by the looks of things. The Pro Capture is the killer feature and although theGH5 specs sound good, it's much larger and the stills side is less polished. G80/85 looks like a superb camera but I'm very happy with the Olympus and won't change for a long time. Unlike Sony, they release models in 3 or so year cycles which is better.
DO you own this olympus now? I find the IQ difference with the D800e FF with its best glass actually not so big at all. It has become smaller even than with my GH4 which I did not expect at all. I also like the ISO64 output of the e-M1 a whole, whole lot....But I wonder what your findings are? Thx!
Serenoj69 I actually haven't tried ISO64 as I never surpass the native ISOs. I'll have to try it out as you're the second person I've heard to praise it. Overall, it's hard to beat these cameras within the limits of noise.
Well, you hit some of the points quite well, however the cost comparison wasn't fair. I feel that if I compare the quality glass with Canon , Sonny or Nikon, I will pay much more then for Olympus. For example the 300mm Olympus would be an equivalent of 600mm / f4 which will cost around 10K . (4 x more) ; And the same is for 40 - 150/ f2.8 where any brand name lens reaching 300mm at 2.8 will cost at least 2x more .... The other point is that with Olympus you get probably the best image stabilization system on the market as of today, and the cost is hidden in the body only one time !!! With IS lenses, you have to pay with each lens and how much it really cost between 3 or 4 lenses, maybe even more then the E-M1 camera itself and still you will not be able to hold 2 sec. ....
Hi Toby; As an avid photo enthusiasts of over 40 years, I was really inspired/moved by your previous video where you stated that you thought you had found the perfect camera (Holy Grail). Great review by the way, but now you are taking a step back. Unfortunately, as a long time subscriber, I committed myself to follow your first impressions and I ditched my Nikon D810 and all lenses and my Sony A7Rii camera body (the power of influence). (I still have several Sony G Master and Zeiss lens awaiting the A7Riii arrival). Now this follow up review/video appears to insinuate a reversal to your initial recommendation. Fortunately for me, with my photographic style and requirements, the Olympus OM-D E-1 Mark II and associated reduced size great lenses have proven to increased my joy and comfort of photography by 10 fold. I am a nature/landscape/wildlife and outdoors nut, working in the great outdoors of Canada, hiking 10-12 miles a day, at least 3-4 times a week and this system can't be beat for this role. Luckily the issues/criticisms you alluded to have not, or should not be a major issue in 90% of my shooting situations. I'm constantly reviewing/pixel peeking in my photo library from my collection of Nikon, Sony and now Olympus photos and damm if I can pick out a consistent winner but when I head out on a hike, family get together, birding assignment etc., I know which camera I'll grab first. Thanks for introducing me to the Oly OMD-EM-1 mark II. Great camera, great lenses, great fun and as for price, most anyone taking the time to view your videos and read reviews are not overly concerned about prices but more about performance or they should take up another hobby. Now my main go to small bag consists of an Olympus OM-D E 1 Mark ii camera, Olympus 12-100MM f4 Pro, Olympus 25MM f1.4 and Panasonic Leica Lumis 100-400mm lenses.Thanks Toby
Wow Gary! Well I am glad you are happy - you certainly have a great collection of Micro 4/3 lenses. I do think I explained in the first video that this was an experiment and I wondered if it could replace everything even sharing some concerns I had. Keep me updated on your photography - when do you think we will see the a7RII? also as a longtime subscriber I want to make sure you know about the PRTV members site I run - photorec.tv/support
No worries Toby; best advice I could have received. Micro Four Thirds was foreign to me at that time but I was looking to lighten my load when adventuring on long wilderness excursions. I won't knock the cameras I had but Nikon D810 and associated lenses, as good as they are, was just too heavy and bulky. I thought the Sony A7rii would be the answer but as I invested in better glass Master 24-70 & 70-200 again they defeated my new "go lite" policy. Now you mentioned the Oly OM-D E-1 Mark II in a past video and even with extremely good glass I can now head out with a camera strapped around my neck for the first time in ages. As you mentioned, no camera seems to be able to combine and cover every preferred requirement we'd like to see but for me this one comes close. I truly enjoy your insight and the subjects material you bring up in each video. Keep up the great work.
Gary, I debated on going Sony ff, largely in-part to my brother insisting on the format. In the end, after months of research, "go lite" + "bang for buck" won the day for my father (Oly) and myself (Panny).
Good question. Is Olympus as sharp as Sony for landscape photography? Depends. Well again the best camera system is the one you carry with you. Sony A7Rii is a great small camera but unfortunately their really good glass comes both with a very high price tag and a weight/size equivalency to the larger DSLR lenses, defeating the reason to want to downsize in the first place. If you are shooting landscapes within a short radius of your vehicle and using a tripod, the weight/size and shutter speed are not an issue (price still can be though). I hike/backpack a lot and want to remain as lightweight and mobile as possible (66 years old). Another GREAT feature that WILL improve the overall keeper rate is the Great 5-6 shutter speed steps of compensation stabilization system of the Olympus. Landscape photography is usually not as dependent on good light as say wildlife photography in dense wooded areas but there will be times early in the morning, overcast/rainy days, to smooth out rushing water scenes or just shooting after sunset where you can use the lower shutter speeds without a tripod. Speaking of overcast/rainy days, Olympus is completely water proof to rain snow or cold with most of their higher end lenses (big advantage). The smaller camera and lens size allows me to carry 2 Oly OM-D E-1 Mark II comfortably, one with the 12-100mm attached to a PEAK DESIGN SLIDE camera strap and the other mounted with the Oly 300mm (with or without M.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter- 840mm equivalent, easily shot handheld). This second camera attached to my belt with a PEAK CAPTURE Clip. Try that with any other system. Is the Olympus OM-D E-1 Mark II as sharp as the Sony A7Rii ff? Probably not if you're thinking of selling your prints to National Geographic or blowing up photos to mural size but my keeper rate is now much higher then it was with my previous Nikon 810D and Sony A7rii kits simply because I now always carry it with me and shoot more. Hope that helps.
I think if your the guy standing 4 inches in front of my print looking for pixelation and noise, this camera might not be for you. But if you're about capturing moments, this is pretty hard to beat. For me IQ has been equal to my xt2 in my early head to head. Enjoyed your review.
Your best done review yet! Thanks for the hard work. How does the autofocus work in 4K video mode? I have heard mixed comments on this. I will definitely buy my next camera with your link.
My main system is mft and I use FF only when I really need it, caring large bag of equipment is not my fun. I never use higher than iso 1600 because I have fast prime for this. If I need to use iso 3200 it's still very usable with some noise reduction and the em1 II is probably the best of MFT for is 3200 noise performance. I'm not afraid of little bit of noise anyway. Compared to my ff gear the mft system is a lot lighter, if you compare just the weight for a lens you can say some are heavy but my 40-150mm f2.8 for example, with a 1.4x cover 55 to 420mm equivalent at F4. My 100-400L f4 with the body was a lot heavier and larger. Mft is a fantastic system if you know the limitation and know how to use it. I'm getting use to the em1-2 and it's a terrific fast action camera.
If you're getting this camera I definitely recommend it. I got one about a month ago and it works great. I had to buy a few extra things for it because of the weather where I take pictures but it's great.
very good review Toby. $2K is a lot for m43 camera. On the other hand used EM1 Mark1 can be had for under $500 these days. I've taken EM1 mark 1 under rain, sand, in all sorts of weather conditions and it works like a charm, and it can be literally washed under tap water to clean up the sand afterwards (I do), the weather resistance is so good. I bring it to all Beach Vacations, because I really don't have to worry about it. For anything else I generally take APSC and Full frame cameras.
Been there. Did the switch to M4/3 and went back to Nikon FF. It just is not good enough in low light. Very nice and fun to shoot with but I found like you that the weight and size savings are diminishing once you add lenses, tripod etc. Once you have gotten used to FF results it is very hard to step down.
I think without doubt this is the king of the m43 cameras at the moment,for all round use. It sounds to me Toby that it is m43 that is not suitable for your needs and not specifically the fault of this camera. The trouble is using aps c or ff you then lose the benefits of the smaller system and portability. I also doubt that there will ever be a do it all camera. Hope whatever you decide on you keep providing us with great content. Good luck
Hi ! So sensible and technical review of that incredible camera... I got Olympus E-M1 MkII myself... Lucky you are for the Alaskan Northern lights... I saw in Iceland, Norway and Finland.Thanks a lot. " Bonjour " from South of France, in Provence.
Toby, I always appreciate the candor of your reviews. Thanks for sharing. What I'm hearing is that you love the intuitive user experience and video quality of the GH4, while missing the IQ and high ISO performance of a high megapixel full-frame DSLR. Between the two, I'd say your recent experimentation with the Olympus has made you and even bigger fan of the GH4 for video. Will you be staying with the GH4 or do you intend to upgrade to the GH5? As for your still photography body, are you going back to full frame? Another Sony system?
I am someone who currently has a Rebel camera with cheap lenses, but I am planning on fully investing in a different system. I am thinking of this camera, but the Sony cameras do appeal even if they are EXPENSIVE (with good glass). How is the Sony ruggedness compared to the Olympus? I will most likely never make a dime from photography, so I am def interested in the Olympus purely for the versatility. The lack of IBIS on the Fuji is what removes it from the running. I also use my camera to video my kids. I want a jack of all trades. I will DEFINITELY be waiting for a price drop. No way this camera is worth the full MSRP for me. Shave $500 off and I would probably already own it.
Toby, I'm thankful for you review. I have been contemplating to change to lighter gear from my Sony A7Rii. After my trip last month to Japan, I feel like lugging around Sony A7Rii+Zeiss 35mm f1.4+Batis 85mm, isn't too my liking. I used to own Leica M240 before sony, and I love the 2 lens system much better because they are tiny. The high ISO performance and my bad eyesight making me with a sad heart, trade it towards A7Rii. Why until today I still havent part away with my Sony despite my complain on weight? Well, it's simply because of the high ISO performance, at 6400 is becoming my new 800, and most important of all, that zeiss 35mm lens is just simply the best lens I've ever used. The result, the 3D effect, the quality of the bokeh, the colors, are all just simply amazing! Now, I;m considering Em1 mark ii because I think their 2 new lenses are really pulling me in. I love exotic lenses, such as Leica summilux, nocticron, etc, and I think 25mm f1.2 and 12-100 f4 filling that category nicely. I had been jealous towards my friend on the last trip because with his fuji, he could carry 4 lenses and just weight at little bit more than me. He then switched it on the go. Unlike me and my primes. 24-70GM while I heard is amazing, its humongous and heavy. So, Olympus 12-100 would be amazing for travel! When the lights goes down, thats where the 25 f1.2 comes in. Seems like a perfect plan eh? However, your review confirms my doubt. I think to jump to M43 from FF is just too much for me. I did take a look at my pics from last year like what you suggested. I took about 35%of the pics at ISO3200, 20% at ISO6400, and the rest is lower than 800. If not travelling, the use is mainly for indoor party/celebrations, and I think that could explain the high ISO %. Sorry it takes this long. I just happy that you helped confirm my suspicions. I think for the moment I shall stick to my A7Rii with only Leica to tempt me if they release a new M with EVF. Your move, Leica! ;) Thank you!
Why no one states in their review that Olympus EM1-II Pro Capture feature will not work on Panasonic 100-400 lens. It will work only on Olympus lenses. Also there is bug with the Panasonic 100-400 lens when the range switch is set to 5m-infinity. In this mode the camera will not shoot when you press the shutter. It may shoot 1-2 Sec later with all the optics in the lens shaking generating a totally blurred image. Setting the switch to infinity will resolve the problem. This problem didn't existed on the old EM1
The in built focus stacking feature is interesting for me as a macro shooter especially if it can be realistically used without tripod. Would be nice to have better high ISO for action macro but I have a 6D/100L
Examples of pictures and videos compared to the other cameras mentioned like rapid shooting and tracking, low light pictures and 4K video to those you have taken on the Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark II would have been much more helpful. Did you test the 50 MP mode on the over priced OMD EM-1 Mark II ?
I think the EM-1 MkII is a specialist tool, comparable with the high end sport cameras for those who want a compact system and lenses (compare a 80/300 f2.8 zoom on m43 and full frame). The real key feature is the Phase detection system in the sensor absent on any other m43 camera. In the same way, the GH-5, is a movie maker specialist tool with no cropping and fully featured 4K. They cannot compete with Full Frame system in low light (and neither can APSC), but this is no big surprise. Any camera out there is a compromise: you cannot compare a D5 nikon and hope it will compare favourably with a D810 speaking of image quality or hope to bring the later at a sport event and hope to do the job with the same performances.
Olympus PRO lenses might not be cheap, but think about this. The Olympus 300mm f4 PRO IS lens is $2,499 (right now it's on sale for $2,299 on GetOlympus). Sony's 500mm f4 G SSM lens sells for $9,499 -- and it doesn't even reach as far. The Canon 600mm f4 runs $11,499.
Dan Oh me too. I’m trying to decide between the Olympus em-1 Mark II and the gh5. I’m more into photography and looking for something for sports photography. I would love to see a video comparing these two cameras.
Just pointing out that when you're transmitting video over WiFi to your phone it's a lot more costly using 4K over HD (bandwidth issues, phone battery, buffering, etc). My Canon app only lets me download photos from my 80D in HD, but at least the app works fast, transfers images quickly and when I'm sharing to social media HD is sufficient.
But the camera doesn't need to send or transfer 4K when using WIFI - all I want is control of the camera and Sony and Panasonic allow that - full control when shooting 4K. It makes it much easier to do my job.
Although I'm not interested in getting an Olympus - I shoot with Nikon and Panasonic - I found this review outstanding. I like how you give all the pros and cons in using this camera for your needs. *thumbs up*x10 Lol!
great review, I hope they revisit video on their app. the mkii isn't for everyone, but I'm loving mine and will never go back to dslrs no matter their performance.
Hello, Thanks for the review! I heard that the camera has a maximum video recording time limit of 30 minutes. Tell me please, is there no way to get around this restriction and shoot 2 hours without interruption?
This is why so many people respect your opinion on photography gear, because you test and provide real world feedback excellent job . and you confirmed my original comment on the ditching your song gear video , photo quality not a huge deal better than the gh4. and no where near the FF of the Sony.
So, I think I missed something. What did you decide in the way of your ultimate camera selection? I also want to say that this is an excellent video. I know more aoubt the Olympus rom listening to you thna I have elarned in watchng five different videos.
Great review of the practical implications of owning this camera. I have an EM1 mk1 and an Xpro2 and I can say that your evaluation on m43 as a system is fair and honest. I won't be picking this camera up, but I probably won't be abandoning the system, either. Even compared to other mirror less systems the speed and size advantage is significant.
Although Oly packs some nice features in, it can never replace a full frame for depth of field and DR so it could never be anything more than a travel camera.. and at that price it is not affordable enough or comfortable enough to move away from any other system. Currently I shoot with a Sony (with adapted lenses) as my main and Canon as my B body.. with the godox system ocf is pretty easy.. between the two. the OMD would just purely complicate matters especially in expense and ease of use. thanks Toby for the reviews..
Great review thank you. I have an OMD 5 Mark ii which I love, but it is the low light performance that keeps me from relying on it for everything, I was hoping the OMD 1 Mark ii would be my answer...but it's not quite there...yet. Still an amazing camera!
I'm One camera and 2 lenses away from making a switch. Sold most of my Canon gear, minus 1 digital (and 1 film), and the 2 lenses. Looking to see if this EM1 can make me switch fully over for all pro work. Low light is important, and the improved autofocus made me get one last month. The older I get, the more the heavy Canon Gear gets to me lol. my 80 percent complete Olympus box is much lighter.
Question : Did you try a metabones adapter with an apc lens ? I saw in the review you were disappointed with low light performance, was that with native lenses ?
Thanks for the review. Did you film in the general 4k or the cinema 4k. The cinema 4k has a MUCH higher bit rate. And if you didnt record in that, I hate to do this to you, but any chance you can do a side by side with Panasonic again? :)
Thank you for the honest review on this camera. I currently own a Nikon full frame with multiple lenses. I have the a7r2 at the top of my list -however until the adapters get better, I don't know if I am ready to make the switch.. i'd hate to have to sell all my lenses and start over from the beginning.. the Olympus caught my eye as an alternative, but I do need the camera to work well in low light, and afraid my wide angle shots from my 14-24mm would be missed going to a non-full frame camera. I will keep waiting for now... :)
There is a 7-14 mm lens. Two of them. One is weathersealed. That gets you 14-28 mm FF? The olympus works well in low light, but not as good as the best FF with the fastest glass. That for sure is true.
I'm trying to understand if this camera allows to shut off live view on the back lcd when using the EVF. In all the videos I saw live view is always there. I really like to use the evf and have all my the useful information on the lcd with no image in the background (like in the Sony). Is it possible to know if this works with the Olympus too? Thanks in advance!
Very balanced review! You pretty much confirmed my suspicions that the sensor still suffers in low light. I currently own the E-M1 along with many of the Olympus PRO series lenses. However, I bought the D500 at the end of November because my E-M1 just couldn't handle sports in the evening. I shoot quite a bit of high school football under the lights and the E-M1 really struggled because of the noise at high ISO's. The D500 works much better. However, under excellent lighting, the E-M1 holds its own with any camera out there. I will definitely be getting the E-M1 Mark II at some point because its a far better camera than the E-M1. I'm just waiting for the price to drop. It really comes down to this. The E-M1 Mark II is an amazing camera, maybe the most advanced on the market. However, because of the sensor, it will always suffer in low light. Just imagine if an APS-C camera came out with the features of the E-M1 Mark II. It would be the hottest camera on the market by far.
The GH5 may be worth buying. It's a step up over the GH4 in every single aspect (apart from the price) although the video autofocus may be still behind the competition
Great review Toby. This is exactly why I chose the G80 when looking to replace my A7r. I decided that If I would need to live with some drawbacks, I might as well pay half the price while doing so. Cheers.
Great video review, thank you. I've been a fan of the Pen series since it's intro, and I was seriously considering this new camera for our upcoming travel to Europe - but at $2K....it's hard to justify. That's the difference between economy and business class for the trip!
thanks for the review. the mft system really emphasises the "right tool for the job" thinking. For general Video and Portrait-style/Range, there are quite better systems out (Sony a7 and GH5 etc...). But for a "small as possible" "do-it-all" adventure-style camera, that still doesnt scream: " IM TAKING A PICTURE AND YOU BETTER BE CAREFUL BECAUSE MY CAMERA IS HUGE", there is no match. Also, factoring in the really awesome 2x crop-factor (for a wildlife guy like me), really makes for a great tool..
To tell the truth, one of the best posts of Toby ! Well, while so many bells ring ONLY FF, ONLY FF THAT COUNTS, you , finally as one of few, say 4/3 /aps-c is what might come into use:) I have decided I will not switch to FF because it is bulkier, heavier and not so much more upgrading to me that could be of my interest.
Great review and I have been back and forth between this Olympus and the Panasonic GH5. But features in the GH5 keep pulling me over like the app, features of the video, even more rugged, and even I would say menus/software. It is so close. The Olympus E-M1 MII crispness of the video and photos is so great....and I am still looking for a head-to-head on this E-M1 MII vs GH5. I will have to look for your review on the GH5.
Excellent balanced review Toby, I think you perhaps we're already aware of many of the potential negatives and positives even before testing this camera. Its clear that this camera ( and in fact M4/3rds as a system ) only meets some of your needs. Now I know it would be great to have a system that ticks every box but sadly that's never going to happen. I think anybody who shoots a wide range of subject matter both in video and stills will need to invest in at least two seperate systems if they are to get the best out of it. I personally would never consider micro four thirds for stills photography but I'd happily include it into my video workflow. The quality of the Sony A7RmkII has somewhat spoilt you regards low light/ISO performance so it's little wonder you are struggling to find better alternatives. It's hard to recommend where you go moving on because starting fresh into any system be it Nikon, Canon, Sony...etc is another big investment.
Good informative video, thank you. I have the Em-1 and am really enjoying it along with its size difference compared to my 5D. I think with the info you provided I am going to buy the Sony A7 with the adapter and utilize it for my Portrait photography endeavors since a dedicated remote flash system is a pipe dream with the Olympus.
I did enjoy watching your review, however, I wasn't that impressed with the GH4, as I was watching it, the lens seemed to hunt and wasn't very sharp. When you focused closer the image was better. I kept wondering why you didn't shoot your video on the EM1 MKII or show many video clips. Although the low light performance may not be equal to that of a FF, it does offer amazing images and useable image when you exceed 2000 ISO. I have been using the EMI & now moved to the MKII. The image quality is amazing in the MKII and the video is rich, clean and the IBIS is terrific. The app is ok but can be better. My advice for you is to re-shoot your entire review on the MKII and place it side-by-side to the GH4 or any other model you wan to compare it against. Wouldn't that be something everyone could benefit from?
BS. Oly OM D-1 ll body and 80-300 f2.8 35mm equiv pro lens =1334 grams. Nikon D750 (lightest FF) with 70-200 VRll f2.8=2380grams. And the Nikons still 100 millimetres shorter in focal length. Get your facts correct before publishing.
They probably made these limits on purpose. There might not be enough computing power in these cameras to record in 4K, and resize it in realtime for the wifi stream at the same time, or ther might be enough cpu power for it, but it would cause overheating and/or it would drain the battery way too quickly. I don't think there will ever be an update to fix this (other than that you could only start and stop a 4K recording, but yo wouldl only see a blank screen on your phone/tablet during recording).
Nice review. You appear to have concluded the obvious - no single product can do everything perfectly. When you want a number of different abilities from one product, you will always be making some compromises. It would be a bit like finding the perfect athlete. You might pick a pentathlete because they will be quite good in five separate sports. They may even be the world record holder in one or two of them, but if you look around, you will almost always find someone, somewhere, who can beat them in each of those with a dedicated single sport approach. Having said that, not being the fastest runner or the best swimmer, might still qualify you as the best all-round athlete. I think a similar evaluation holds true in this age of cameras that take great stills, produce great video, focus almost instantly, etc, etc... I particularly like the Olympus micro four thirds offerings, because like you, I've found them to be exceptionally reliable in extreme conditions, able to produce excellent images, and designed to offer the possibility of lightweight compact portability. Are they the best in every area? No, but they do excel in one of two, and come close in one or two. For me, that's just fine - they offer the perfect all-round solution, and I have yet to find another product that comes close on that scale.
I have the cam too. Funny how we can have such a different view on the same cam. For instance comapred to my GH4 I find the Em1.2 actually not nearly as much fun to use. It is far from intuitive and gets in my way and yes I have had an EPL5 before. I fail to understand why with so many manual cotnrols so little of them are dedicated to ISO, exposure compensation, focussing modes. I have also D800E and I do not think the IQ difference is as big, also not in low light. Its low light performance in RAw (I use MetaRAW+CS6) seems to be only one stop behind D800E which is still a very good camera with ditto sensor moreless on par with the A7RII. Also, what I miss a little here, is how HiRes mode seems to just turn the tables on the D800E: it has much more detail and after downsizing to even 45-50 MP is has lower noise and better colours. Only the Dynamic range is still not as good but I did not do extensive comparisons. In low light the video IQ out of the cam seems clearly less noisy then my GH4 btw, did you try that? The IBIS is out of this world. I have mostly Panasonic lenses so no SyncIS but just with IBIS I could easily go up to 6-8 seconds. The IBIS is not as good as OIS of the 100-400 Panasonic lens but the very fast EVF refresh in the cam notably does better than the one in the GH4, which in its turn looks nicer. Shooting sports, birds in flight with the E-M1.2 and the Panny is great surely when you use EFCS to prevent shuttershock (which the Gh4 did give me with this lens). This cam with Panasonic lenses even without SyncIS is a very good combination I think. When mounted on a tripod for landscape for instance in bright sun I found out that with the screen swivled out the EVF would not respond to my eye moving to it.....? Why? There are a number of these rather strange choices. But in the end, when I look at the image quality on stills and video yes this cam can do it all for me. I need more time with it to make it completely intuitive I think. I like to shoot landscapes but also noctilucent clouds (similar to aurora which we do not have so often over here, but they do occur) and will see how HiRes will help over there with a very fast lens (may be 25 mm f1.2). But for landscapes in reasnable to good light HiRes mode, even with water moving clearlym, with twigs moving etc the HiRes mode looks to work fine! And it gives me something no APS-c gives me and even the best FF struggle currently. Thx for your review, it is well balanced and I look forward to your other reviews of other cams!
I don't think ditching Sony will be easy. I could live with Sony Full Frame and MFT combination happily (be it pen f, gx80, g80, em1, em5 mk ii..) as APSC doesn't give enough reason to invest in. Having sold my A7 MK II, I bought an XT2, ok it is a great camera, but it becomes bulky pretty easily. I had to buy hand grip to be able to hold 16mm 23mm f1.4 lenses. Then the weight and size of these primes...Lack of IBIS, touch screen, lenses only compatible with APS-C and only two sensors being available in Fuji for all the lenses that you are invested in compared to Sony 16mp 24 mp apsc, 12mp, 24mp, 3x, 4x mp FF...In Sony instead of 16 f1.4 I could live with 28 f2.8, good enough FOV, and similar DOF with less weight size and price. Plus with IBIS and better high ISO performance (even older sony FF 24mp sensors are better than any apsc in low light) I could get similar if not better IQ. I also found face recognition less accurate on XT2. Considering the price of xt2 being same as a7 mark ii, it is extremely difficult to justify Fuji. Only if the new XT20 drops the price with same internals and joystick: I could ignore all the cons that Fuji system is bringing.
PhotoRec TV canon 700d with the kit lens, but started saving for the GH4..is it a good upgrade? (i mostly do videos for my girlfriends vlog and stuffs) Thanks! :)
The perfect camera for ME does not yet exist - I am sure this is the perfect camera for someone else :) I would be happy with the EM1ii if I was a general travel photographer, I would make it work for sure but my interest in astro photography and occasional low light needs plus my specific video needs make it less than perfect.
I agree, Toby, that is why I have a Nikon D500 and an Olympus EM1 mark II. Together with my choice of lenses for each, I now have what I consider to be the perfect wildlife system - for me. The cameras compliment each other beautifully: and the EM1 mark II is so much better than my old EM1's: it has exceeded my expectations for BIF and longer range IQ.
I would really like to hear your thoughts about Low light on This camera using a Metabones Speedbooster and say some NIKON f or G lenses I think you may change your mind about things Regards, Rick
I will be reviewing the GH5 - not sure I will directly compare the two, they really seem like different markets to me. GH5 - serious videographers that also want to take photos. EM1 Mark 2- serious photographers that also want to take video :)
I think having 2 systems is better. ya the a7rii is bigger and has heavy lenses, but that's what you get when you want the absolute best image quality. I also think if you have 2 systems it would be better to use the a6500 or the a7sii for video and the a7rii for photos. so you can use the same lenses easily
Would this be a good Studio Portrait Camera in an controlled environment? I have seen photographers use the EM5 Mkii in studio and wondered if they were getting good detailed results..
Thanks for the response. I understand the portability. But as an all around camera, I wanted to take it from the travel side and move into the studio with one camera. I was hoping the Oly 75mm and the Nocticron 42.5mm would yield some comparable results.
Why would you need 60fps? 59 photos to delete for that one shot. Slows down work flow. Weight isn't that big of a difference when you go pro with Olympus gear. Most cameras comes with wifi now. Even the D750. For the price, a D500 would be a better choice in my opinion.
Interesting idea!, The one other thing is the auto focus in video - it's horrible on the D500 but really fast on the X-T2. But I guess you just have to alter your shot to accommodate the camera's ability. Without the grip, the X-T2 is quite a bit smaller and lighter drawing less attention in a street scenario..... But overall, I do prefer the shots with the D500, probably, I think, maybe but that video :/ ..........
No Camera is perfect, and it will never be. Why would they sell you one camera when they can sell you five. Pick a camera that best fits your needs. ;) I own FF, APSC and M43 cameras (medium format for a little while) and love them all for what they are and hate them all for what they are not.
G9 will turn a corner for m43. We'll get the last 1/2 stop of low light performance we're looking for so that ISO6400 is acceptable. Great menu system, great controls, great IBIS and Dual-IS. Downsides are price and size/weight for m43. Personally I'm waiting on the GX9/GX95. Hoping for a slightly better viewfinder, 20mp sensor, slightly improved IBIS, while still being portable. Still in love with my GX85.
Full frame loose their edge when people need to shoot 2 stop down on many primes/zooms to get good result. In MFT you go all out on any lens and get sharp pic with needed deep dof sometime
Toby, is there a Panasonic G85 review coming up!? Would love to see that review. Bought one today. I was really impressed with the completeness of the G85, in comparison to some other MFT cameras.
I've really enjoyed the Panasonic G85 thus far, the stabilization is great with my adapted FD lenses and is a joy to use. Love the video quality. I will say, Im kind of kicking myself now though, for not giving the Fujifilm XT-2 more thought. I guess I'm just realizing the drawbacks of low light performance on MFT. The noise and color noise is controlled really well on the G85, I feel like. However, it renders a perfectly focused images rather soft. Basically unusable past 3200. Thinking of selling my T6i and buying into Fuji and the X system. Just a big jump is cost.
Great review and I've been anxiously waiting to hear your experience. I'm deeply invested in Sony right now and now just bought the A6500. Very happy so far along with my A7 full frame. The new GH5 might be a worthy contender. Though it would be hard to give up the Sony IQ.
Thank you. Slow and steady growth :) a6500 is a sweet camera - I just wish I could mash together the performance of an a6500 with the useability of the Panasonic GH4 :)
Price is too high for M43 considering the drawbacks. I say this as an owner of Oly & Lumix gear - for action I bought a D500 and am confident it is a much better choice for action/sports stills. The new GH5 will be superior video rig to this Olympus too.
Thanks for the video. I love my Olympus Em-1 because of one simple quality I rate above all others; it is fun to use. I like carrying it. I like traveling with it. I like shooting with it. Dynamic range, low light performance aside I'm happy with the results. Could I get better from a Sony? Sure, but I'd much rather by the numerous plane tickets and finance the adventures then pay the Sony/Zeiss premium. The Olympus Em-1 is the camera I like to carry, therefore it is in my less then subjective opinion the best camera. I love the Em-1 mark II but for the price l will keep my Em-1 for now. My complete lenses I travel with are the 17mm and the 75mm and I don't find the burning need for anything else.
this camera is so over priced here in Australia I will be surprised if they sell one. people hate Sony but they are damn good. I like image quality and my Sony delivers. Sony 6500 is a great all purpose shooter
Thank you for this very helpful vid Toby! i've been specifically mulling over EM1 mk2 vs SONY A7R2 for lowlight stills. you made the decision so much clearer for me. Another plus for the A7R2 is compatibility w Canon lenses. thanks and more power.
Glad you found it helpful - I tell you as a owner of the a7R2- I am getting tired of working with adapted lenses and will likely start to sell them off and transition to Sony this year.
...and now the Panasonic GH5 has unleashed some impressive features and around the same price... what say you? I think the GH5 has just put a shot into the Olympus mark ii crippling some of the impressive features. Many people bag on it's still capabilities, but from what's being reported in the reviews, it can hold up to the mark ii and it's a Panasonic. For me, the Olympus lack of world wide warranty and history of bad quality is a deal breaker, especially at these prices. Panasonic has great lenses and more working with the dual IS. Olympus has 2 and one is the massive and expensive 300mm. I'll make my decision in March.
The GH5 does look extremely impressive - I still don't expect to be wowed in low light but the dual IS system working with more lenses -including one I already own is very interesting - plus some crazy slow mo options!!
Great review! Compact and precise, with no nonsense. I'm extremely happy with XT-2. (I don't shoot videos) I really do wish, though, it had in-body stabilization.
It likely has to do with processing power, WiFi access to the camera is costing more CPU cycles that it can't do 4K anymore. That's my reasonable assumption here.
Smaller sensors and smaller lenses start to lose their point if they lose their weight advantage. After all, why else would you prefer a 20mp sensor to a 30-50mp sensor?
New subscriber and I really appreciate the review. I left Canon for Olympus and understand the trade offs for sure. I am convinced there will never be one camera that can do it all. I am very happy with Olympus and even shoot weddings with it bc of the unreal IBIS I can keep it below 1600. But there are times I would love a Sony system as well. Looking forward to more of your vlogs.
I use the Oly 75 1.8, 45 1.8, and 17 1.8. in like the 12-60swd for receptions and anytime I can use flash. however, I've ditched the Oly 17. it has beautiful contrast and color, lighting fast AF, but lacks acceptable sharpness in my opinion. I'll sell it or keep it for a casual lens.
I enjoy my Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark II very much. I bought it for the lighter weight and have not been disappointed. At 74 I can no longer carry a heavy camera, I just leave it home. This camera is with me much more of the time. Thank you for your review.
I’m 72 and thinking the same way to go. Perhaps with the new 100/400 coming soon for birding.
My D810 is great camera, my wife won’t let me use it on trips. I started Micro 4/3 about four years ago. Had a inexpensive Chinese Micro 4/3, upgraded to a used Panasonic G1 then a G85 bought in Alaska. I soon got a GH5. I found video was not my main thing. Got a G7 and a G8 along the way. I really like my G9 and GX9. I picked the Olympus up supposed to be used but was a store demo. The O MD EM-1 Mark II has been an experience. I have read the manual three times. I got the Olympus because the firmware update made it an inexpensive way to get better video focus. In continuous focus the video is very good. My son got the GH5 the G8 and a G7 that I may reclaim. I traded in a used Nikon 610 and a 35 mm f2 in on the Olympus. Only cost three hundred bucks. At 73 a new experience. I have the Olympus set on C123 to act like three different cameras. I prefer to use it with small pancake lenses. A 12 mm F2 a 20 mm 1.7 a 42.5 mm 1.7 60 mm 2.8 Macro with a 14-140 Panasonic as a backup. Small case crammed with 4 batteries a charger and a small dedicated Godex flash. Still have not decided if I should just turn off internal stabilization on Panasonic lenses.
One of the most balanced fair reviews I've seen so far. I keep looking at other cameras but come back to Olympus in spite of M43 draw backs. Every camera has short comings unfortunately so knowing what you plan to do with it is key. On the used market, Olympus cameras don't seem to hold their value so they are very good bang for the buck used. I can pick up a low shutter count E-M1 ii in excellent condition tomorrow for $625 USD here in Canada or an E-M5 ii to for $310 USD and there is nothing better for that price if you want a feature packed weather sealed stabilized body with good video in a compact form factor.
Olympus pro lenses are not cheap but they are very very good quality and many of the more reasonably priced non-pro lenses are over achievers. The 60mm 2.8 macro is already outstanding and there's still a pro version to come.
Before digital came along, practically nobody ever shot with ISO 1600+ film and there was no help from stabilized lenses or bodies until the mid 90's either. Yet, miraculously there's no shortage of outstanding photos from the pre-digital era. People are obsessed with megapixels they'll never see and ISO ratings they can live without 90% of the time. A fast lens on a high ISO full frame sensor body takes the worst pictures of all when it was left at home because it was too bulky to carry. The best camera or lens is the one you have on you.
Well, after constantly downgrading from FF to APS-C and now MFT I can say I was never more happy than with my current setup. As a Makro, Street and Protrait photgrapher I can say that I have NEVER EVER made better pictures than I am doing now. Not because of that whole Sensor and ISO crap, no - due to the size I simply have the camera with me all the time and everywhere. I missed so many spontanious shots because I did not carry the photobag with me. My OMD Em1 MK2 with the 45mm 1.8 and 17mm 1.8 fit in a bumbag and no one ever complaint about noise even in printed pictures. And especially in street situations i often shoot above 6400 ISO.
The best camera is always the one that you have in your camera bag.
I made the switch successfully from A7Rii to micro four thirds and have the Olympus seen here now. I'm much more impressed than you are by the looks of things. The Pro Capture is the killer feature and although theGH5 specs sound good, it's much larger and the stills side is less polished. G80/85 looks like a superb camera but I'm very happy with the Olympus and won't change for a long time. Unlike Sony, they release models in 3 or so year cycles which is better.
DO you own this olympus now? I find the IQ difference with the D800e FF with its best glass actually not so big at all. It has become smaller even than with my GH4 which I did not expect at all. I also like the ISO64 output of the e-M1 a whole, whole lot....But I wonder what your findings are? Thx!
Serenoj69 I actually haven't tried ISO64 as I never surpass the native ISOs. I'll have to try it out as you're the second person I've heard to praise it. Overall, it's hard to beat these cameras within the limits of noise.
Well, you hit some of the points quite well, however the cost comparison wasn't fair. I feel that if I compare the quality glass with Canon , Sonny or Nikon, I will pay much more then for Olympus. For example the 300mm Olympus would be an equivalent of 600mm / f4 which will cost around 10K . (4 x more) ; And the same is for 40 - 150/ f2.8 where any brand name lens reaching 300mm at 2.8 will cost at least 2x more .... The other point is that with Olympus you get probably the best image stabilization system on the market as of today, and the cost is hidden in the body only one time !!! With IS lenses, you have to pay with each lens and how much it really cost between 3 or 4 lenses, maybe even more then the E-M1 camera itself and still you will not be able to hold 2 sec. ....
Hi Toby;
As an avid photo enthusiasts of over 40 years, I was really inspired/moved by your previous video where you stated that you thought you had found the perfect camera (Holy Grail). Great review by the way, but now you are taking a step back. Unfortunately, as a long time subscriber, I committed myself to follow your first impressions and I ditched my Nikon D810 and all lenses and my Sony A7Rii camera body (the power of influence). (I still have several Sony G Master and Zeiss lens awaiting the A7Riii arrival). Now this follow up review/video appears to insinuate a reversal to your initial recommendation. Fortunately for me, with my photographic style and requirements, the Olympus OM-D E-1 Mark II and associated reduced size great lenses have proven to increased my joy and comfort of photography by 10 fold. I am a nature/landscape/wildlife and outdoors nut, working in the great outdoors of Canada, hiking 10-12 miles a day, at least 3-4 times a week and this system can't be beat for this role. Luckily the issues/criticisms you alluded to have not, or should not be a major issue in 90% of my shooting situations. I'm constantly reviewing/pixel peeking in my photo library from my collection of Nikon, Sony and now Olympus photos and damm if I can pick out a consistent winner but when I head out on a hike, family get together, birding assignment etc., I know which camera I'll grab first. Thanks for introducing me to the Oly OMD-EM-1 mark II. Great camera, great lenses, great fun and as for price, most anyone taking the time to view your videos and read reviews are not overly concerned about prices but more about performance or they should take up another hobby. Now my main go to small bag consists of an Olympus OM-D E 1 Mark ii camera, Olympus 12-100MM f4 Pro, Olympus 25MM f1.4 and Panasonic Leica Lumis 100-400mm lenses.Thanks Toby
Wow Gary! Well I am glad you are happy - you certainly have a great collection of Micro 4/3 lenses. I do think I explained in the first video that this was an experiment and I wondered if it could replace everything even sharing some concerns I had. Keep me updated on your photography - when do you think we will see the a7RII?
also as a longtime subscriber I want to make sure you know about the PRTV members site I run - photorec.tv/support
No worries Toby; best advice I could have received. Micro Four Thirds was foreign to me at that time but I was looking to lighten my load when adventuring on long wilderness excursions. I won't knock the cameras I had but Nikon D810 and associated lenses, as good as they are, was just too heavy and bulky. I thought the Sony A7rii would be the answer but as I invested in better glass Master 24-70 & 70-200 again they defeated my new "go lite" policy. Now you mentioned the Oly OM-D E-1 Mark II in a past video and even with extremely good glass I can now head out with a camera strapped around my neck for the first time in ages. As you mentioned, no camera seems to be able to combine and cover every preferred requirement we'd like to see but for me this one comes close. I truly enjoy your insight and the subjects material you bring up in each video. Keep up the great work.
Gary, I debated on going Sony ff, largely in-part to my brother insisting on the format. In the end, after months of research, "go lite" + "bang for buck" won the day for my father (Oly) and myself (Panny).
Good question. Is Olympus as sharp as Sony for landscape photography? Depends. Well again the best camera system is the one you carry with you. Sony A7Rii is a great small camera but unfortunately their really good glass comes both with a very high price tag and a weight/size equivalency to the larger DSLR lenses, defeating the reason to want to downsize in the first place. If you are shooting landscapes within a short radius of your vehicle and using a tripod, the weight/size and shutter speed are not an issue (price still can be though). I hike/backpack a lot and want to remain as lightweight and mobile as possible (66 years old). Another GREAT feature that WILL improve the overall keeper rate is the Great 5-6 shutter speed steps of compensation stabilization system of the Olympus. Landscape photography is usually not as dependent on good light as say wildlife photography in dense wooded areas but there will be times early in the morning, overcast/rainy days, to smooth out rushing water scenes or just shooting after sunset where you can use the lower shutter speeds without a tripod. Speaking of overcast/rainy days, Olympus is completely water proof to rain snow or cold with most of their higher end lenses (big advantage). The smaller camera and lens size allows me to carry 2 Oly OM-D E-1 Mark II comfortably, one with the 12-100mm attached to a PEAK DESIGN SLIDE camera strap and the other mounted with the Oly 300mm (with or without M.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter- 840mm equivalent, easily shot handheld). This second camera attached to my belt with a PEAK CAPTURE Clip. Try that with any other system. Is the Olympus OM-D E-1 Mark II as sharp as the Sony A7Rii ff? Probably not if you're thinking of selling your prints to National Geographic or blowing up photos to mural size but my keeper rate is now much higher then it was with my previous Nikon 810D and Sony A7rii kits simply because I now always carry it with me and shoot more. Hope that helps.
If I wasn't shooting video, in your shoes, I would have bought a half the price Nikon D7200
One can lower the iso by using some of Oly's bright primes.. excellent wide open..
I think if your the guy standing 4 inches in front of my print looking for pixelation and noise, this camera might not be for you. But if you're about capturing moments, this is pretty hard to beat. For me IQ has been equal to my xt2 in my early head to head. Enjoyed your review.
Your best done review yet! Thanks for the hard work. How does the autofocus work in 4K video mode? I have heard mixed comments on this. I will definitely buy my next camera with your link.
I have some thoughts about Autofocus during video on the site photorec.tv/em1m2 - it is good, certainly better than the GH4 but still hunts at times.
And thank you!
My main system is mft and I use FF only when I really need it, caring large bag of equipment is not my fun. I never use higher than iso 1600 because I have fast prime for this. If I need to use iso 3200 it's still very usable with some noise reduction and the em1 II is probably the best of MFT for is 3200 noise performance. I'm not afraid of little bit of noise anyway. Compared to my ff gear the mft system is a lot lighter, if you compare just the weight for a lens you can say some are heavy but my 40-150mm f2.8 for example, with a 1.4x cover 55 to 420mm equivalent at F4. My 100-400L f4 with the body was a lot heavier and larger. Mft is a fantastic system if you know the limitation and know how to use it. I'm getting use to the em1-2 and it's a terrific fast action camera.
If you're getting this camera I definitely recommend it. I got one about a month ago and it works great. I had to buy a few extra things for it because of the weather where I take pictures but it's great.
very good review Toby. $2K is a lot for m43 camera. On the other hand used EM1 Mark1 can be had for under $500 these days. I've taken EM1 mark 1 under rain, sand, in all sorts of weather conditions and it works like a charm, and it can be literally washed under tap water to clean up the sand afterwards (I do), the weather resistance is so good. I bring it to all Beach Vacations, because I really don't have to worry about it. For anything else I generally take APSC and Full frame cameras.
You may have recorded this before the GH5 announcement a couple of days ago. Time for a head-to-head review!
Been there. Did the switch to M4/3 and went back to Nikon FF. It just is not good enough in low light. Very nice and fun to shoot with but I found like you that the weight and size savings are diminishing once you add lenses, tripod etc. Once you have gotten used to FF results it is very hard to step down.
I think without doubt this is the king of the m43 cameras at the moment,for all round use. It sounds to me Toby that it is m43 that is not suitable for your needs and not specifically the fault of this camera. The trouble is using aps c or ff you then lose the benefits of the smaller system and portability. I also doubt that there will ever be a do it all camera. Hope whatever you decide on you keep providing us with great content. Good luck
Hi ! So sensible and technical review of that incredible camera... I got Olympus E-M1 MkII myself... Lucky you are for the Alaskan Northern lights... I saw in Iceland, Norway and Finland.Thanks a lot. " Bonjour " from South of France, in Provence.
Toby, I always appreciate the candor of your reviews. Thanks for sharing. What I'm hearing is that you love the intuitive user experience and video quality of the GH4, while missing the IQ and high ISO performance of a high megapixel full-frame DSLR. Between the two, I'd say your recent experimentation with the Olympus has made you and even bigger fan of the GH4 for video. Will you be staying with the GH4 or do you intend to upgrade to the GH5? As for your still photography body, are you going back to full frame? Another Sony system?
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I am someone who currently has a Rebel camera with cheap lenses, but I am planning on fully investing in a different system. I am thinking of this camera, but the Sony cameras do appeal even if they are EXPENSIVE (with good glass). How is the Sony ruggedness compared to the Olympus? I will most likely never make a dime from photography, so I am def interested in the Olympus purely for the versatility. The lack of IBIS on the Fuji is what removes it from the running. I also use my camera to video my kids. I want a jack of all trades. I will DEFINITELY be waiting for a price drop. No way this camera is worth the full MSRP for me. Shave $500 off and I would probably already own it.
This video was uploaded in January 2017. Has Olympus addressed the issue with the app to enable shooting video in 4K?
Toby, I'm thankful for you review. I have been contemplating to change to lighter gear from my Sony A7Rii. After my trip last month to Japan, I feel like lugging around Sony A7Rii+Zeiss 35mm f1.4+Batis 85mm, isn't too my liking.
I used to own Leica M240 before sony, and I love the 2 lens system much better because they are tiny. The high ISO performance and my bad eyesight making me with a sad heart, trade it towards A7Rii. Why until today I still havent part away with my Sony despite my complain on weight? Well, it's simply because of the high ISO performance, at 6400 is becoming my new 800, and most important of all, that zeiss 35mm lens is just simply the best lens I've ever used. The result, the 3D effect, the quality of the bokeh, the colors, are all just simply amazing!
Now, I;m considering Em1 mark ii because I think their 2 new lenses are really pulling me in. I love exotic lenses, such as Leica summilux, nocticron, etc, and I think 25mm f1.2 and 12-100 f4 filling that category nicely. I had been jealous towards my friend on the last trip because with his fuji, he could carry 4 lenses and just weight at little bit more than me. He then switched it on the go. Unlike me and my primes. 24-70GM while I heard is amazing, its humongous and heavy. So, Olympus 12-100 would be amazing for travel! When the lights goes down, thats where the 25 f1.2 comes in. Seems like a perfect plan eh?
However, your review confirms my doubt. I think to jump to M43 from FF is just too much for me. I did take a look at my pics from last year like what you suggested. I took about 35%of the pics at ISO3200, 20% at ISO6400, and the rest is lower than 800. If not travelling, the use is mainly for indoor party/celebrations, and I think that could explain the high ISO %.
Sorry it takes this long. I just happy that you helped confirm my suspicions. I think for the moment I shall stick to my A7Rii with only Leica to tempt me if they release a new M with EVF. Your move, Leica! ;)
Thank you!
U have forgotten the crop factor will affect ISO,mm, and F no. which means 3200iso on FF is not equal to 3200iso on MFT
Why no one states in their review that Olympus EM1-II Pro Capture feature will
not work on Panasonic 100-400 lens. It will work only on Olympus lenses.
Also there is bug with the Panasonic 100-400 lens when the range switch is set to 5m-infinity. In this mode the camera will not shoot when you press the shutter. It may shoot 1-2 Sec later with all the optics in the lens shaking generating a totally blurred image. Setting the switch to infinity will resolve the problem. This problem didn't existed on the old EM1
The in built focus stacking feature is interesting for me as a macro shooter especially if it can be realistically used without tripod. Would be nice to have better high ISO for action macro but I have a 6D/100L
Examples of pictures and videos compared to the other cameras mentioned like rapid shooting and tracking, low light pictures and 4K video to those you have taken on the Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark II would have been much more helpful. Did you test the 50 MP mode on the over priced OMD EM-1 Mark II ?
I think the EM-1 MkII is a specialist tool, comparable with the high end sport cameras for those who want a compact system and lenses (compare a 80/300 f2.8 zoom on m43 and full frame). The real key feature is the Phase detection system in the sensor absent on any other m43 camera.
In the same way, the GH-5, is a movie maker specialist tool with no cropping and fully featured 4K.
They cannot compete with Full Frame system in low light (and neither can APSC), but this is no big surprise.
Any camera out there is a compromise: you cannot compare a D5 nikon and hope it will compare favourably with a D810 speaking of image quality or hope to bring the later at a sport event and hope to do the job with the same performances.
Olympus PRO lenses might not be cheap, but think about this. The Olympus 300mm f4 PRO IS lens is $2,499 (right now it's on sale for $2,299 on GetOlympus). Sony's 500mm f4 G SSM lens sells for $9,499 -- and it doesn't even reach as far. The Canon 600mm f4 runs $11,499.
Though GH5 is video centric camera I would love to see you do a comparison between GH5 and Oly Em-1 Mark2 as still camera.
Dan Oh me too. I’m trying to decide between the Olympus em-1 Mark II and the gh5. I’m more into photography and looking for something for sports photography. I would love to see a video comparing these two cameras.
maurice laar I have ! I’m totally gonna be getting it
Will you recommend this camera to new user of professional cameras?
Just pointing out that when you're transmitting video over WiFi to your phone it's a lot more costly using 4K over HD (bandwidth issues, phone battery, buffering, etc). My Canon app only lets me download photos from my 80D in HD, but at least the app works fast, transfers images quickly and when I'm sharing to social media HD is sufficient.
But the camera doesn't need to send or transfer 4K when using WIFI - all I want is control of the camera and Sony and Panasonic allow that - full control when shooting 4K. It makes it much easier to do my job.
Although I'm not interested in getting an Olympus - I shoot with Nikon and Panasonic - I found this review outstanding. I like how you give all the pros and cons in using this camera for your needs. *thumbs up*x10 Lol!
great review, I hope they revisit video on their app. the mkii isn't for everyone, but I'm loving mine and will never go back to dslrs no matter their performance.
Hello, Thanks for the review! I heard that the camera has a maximum video recording time limit of 30 minutes. Tell me please, is there no way to get around this restriction and shoot 2 hours without interruption?
This is why so many people respect your opinion on photography gear, because you test and provide real world feedback excellent job . and you confirmed my original comment on the ditching your song gear video , photo quality not a huge deal better than the gh4. and no where near the FF of the Sony.
I really appreciate your comment.
So, I think I missed something. What did you decide in the way of your ultimate camera selection?
I also want to say that this is an excellent video. I know more aoubt the Olympus rom listening to you thna I have elarned in watchng five different videos.
Great review of the practical implications of owning this camera. I have an EM1 mk1 and an Xpro2 and I can say that your evaluation on m43 as a system is fair and honest. I won't be picking this camera up, but I probably won't be abandoning the system, either. Even compared to other mirror less systems the speed and size advantage is significant.
Although Oly packs some nice features in, it can never replace a full frame for depth of field and DR so it could never be anything more than a travel camera.. and at that price it is not affordable enough or comfortable enough to move away from any other system. Currently I shoot with a Sony (with adapted lenses) as my main and Canon as my B body.. with the godox system ocf is pretty easy.. between the two. the OMD would just purely complicate matters especially in expense and ease of use. thanks Toby for the reviews..
Great review thank you. I have an OMD 5 Mark ii which I love, but it is the low light performance that keeps me from relying on it for everything, I was hoping the OMD 1 Mark ii would be my answer...but it's not quite there...yet. Still an amazing camera!
It really was a joy to use and feature packed. Glad you found the review helpful.
I'm One camera and 2 lenses away from making a switch. Sold most of my Canon gear, minus 1 digital (and 1 film), and the 2 lenses. Looking to see if this EM1 can make me switch fully over for all pro work. Low light is important, and the improved autofocus made me get one last month. The older I get, the more the heavy Canon Gear gets to me lol. my 80 percent complete Olympus box is much lighter.
Question : Did you try a metabones adapter with an apc lens ? I saw in the review you were disappointed with low light performance, was that with native lenses ?
Thanks for the review. Did you film in the general 4k or the cinema 4k. The cinema 4k has a MUCH higher bit rate. And if you didnt record in that, I hate to do this to you, but any chance you can do a side by side with Panasonic again? :)
Thank you for the honest review on this camera. I currently own a Nikon full frame with multiple lenses. I have the a7r2 at the top of my list -however until the adapters get better, I don't know if I am ready to make the switch.. i'd hate to have to sell all my lenses and start over from the beginning.. the Olympus caught my eye as an alternative, but I do need the camera to work well in low light, and afraid my wide angle shots from my 14-24mm would be missed going to a non-full frame camera. I will keep waiting for now... :)
There is a 7-14 mm lens. Two of them. One is weathersealed. That gets you 14-28 mm FF? The olympus works well in low light, but not as good as the best FF with the fastest glass. That for sure is true.
Have you made the switch to anything yet?
From a Photography perspective the a6500 or the OM-D E1 Mark II???
2 quick questions: what's the video recording limit? and does the 4K video record the full sensor, or does it crop into it like the GH4?
Thanks!
I'm trying to understand if this camera allows to shut off live view on the back lcd when using the EVF. In all the videos I saw live view is always there. I really like to use the evf and have all my the useful information on the lcd with no image in the background (like in the Sony). Is it possible to know if this works with the Olympus too? Thanks in advance!
you must use a Panasonic camera body to record this video. I have seen the camera try to refocus again and again.
Very balanced review! You pretty much confirmed my suspicions that the sensor still suffers in low light.
I currently own the E-M1 along with many of the Olympus PRO series lenses. However, I bought the D500 at the end of November because my E-M1 just couldn't handle sports in the evening. I shoot quite a bit of high school football under the lights and the E-M1 really struggled because of the noise at high ISO's. The D500 works much better. However, under excellent lighting, the E-M1 holds its own with any camera out there.
I will definitely be getting the E-M1 Mark II at some point because its a far better camera than the E-M1. I'm just waiting for the price to drop. It really comes down to this. The E-M1 Mark II is an amazing camera, maybe the most advanced on the market. However, because of the sensor, it will always suffer in low light. Just imagine if an APS-C camera came out with the features of the E-M1 Mark II. It would be the hottest camera on the market by far.
The GH5 may be worth buying. It's a step up over the GH4 in every single aspect (apart from the price) although the video autofocus may be still behind the competition
I have preordered :)
Great review Toby. This is exactly why I chose the G80 when looking to replace my A7r. I decided that If I would need to live with some drawbacks, I might as well pay half the price while doing so. Cheers.
Great video review, thank you. I've been a fan of the Pen series since it's intro, and I was seriously considering this new camera for our upcoming travel to Europe - but at $2K....it's hard to justify. That's the difference between economy and business class for the trip!
thanks for the review. the mft system really emphasises the "right tool for the job" thinking. For general Video and Portrait-style/Range, there are quite better systems out (Sony a7 and GH5 etc...). But for a "small as possible" "do-it-all" adventure-style camera, that still doesnt scream: " IM TAKING A PICTURE AND YOU BETTER BE CAREFUL BECAUSE MY CAMERA IS HUGE", there is no match. Also, factoring in the really awesome 2x crop-factor (for a wildlife guy like me), really makes for a great tool..
What are you using for audio capture in this video?
To tell the truth, one of the best posts of Toby ! Well, while so many bells ring ONLY FF, ONLY FF THAT COUNTS, you , finally as one of few, say 4/3 /aps-c is what might come into use:) I have decided I will not switch to FF because it is bulkier, heavier and not so much more upgrading to me that could be of my interest.
Great review and I have been back and forth between this Olympus and the Panasonic GH5. But features in the GH5 keep pulling me over like the app, features of the video, even more rugged, and even I would say menus/software. It is so close. The Olympus E-M1 MII crispness of the video and photos is so great....and I am still looking for a head-to-head on this E-M1 MII vs GH5. I will have to look for your review on the GH5.
Greetings would I be better off getting the m1 for 499 and lenses or mark ii and whatever kit lens it comes with ?
Depends on YOUR needs based on what and how you will be shooting. Mark 1 with some good glass is a killer combo for 90% of what I do.
Excellent balanced review Toby, I think you perhaps we're already aware of many of the potential negatives and positives even before testing this camera. Its clear that this camera ( and in fact M4/3rds as a system ) only meets some of your needs. Now I know it would be great to have a system that ticks every box but sadly that's never going to happen. I think anybody who shoots a wide range of subject matter both in video and stills will need to invest in at least two seperate systems if they are to get the best out of it. I personally would never consider micro four thirds for stills photography but I'd happily include it into my video workflow. The quality of the Sony A7RmkII has somewhat spoilt you regards low light/ISO performance so it's little wonder you are struggling to find better alternatives. It's hard to recommend where you go moving on because starting fresh into any system be it Nikon, Canon, Sony...etc is another big investment.
Good informative video, thank you. I have the Em-1 and am really enjoying it along with its size difference compared to my 5D. I think with the info you provided I am going to buy the Sony A7 with the adapter and utilize it for my Portrait photography endeavors since a dedicated remote flash system is a pipe dream with the Olympus.
Hi Toby. The sound level was a little LOW and "DISTANT" ! ! !
I did enjoy watching your review, however, I wasn't that impressed with the GH4, as I was watching it, the lens seemed to hunt and wasn't very sharp. When you focused closer the image was better. I kept wondering why you didn't shoot your video on the EM1 MKII or show many video clips. Although the low light performance may not be equal to that of a FF, it does offer amazing images and useable image when you exceed 2000 ISO. I have been using the EMI & now moved to the MKII. The image quality is amazing in the MKII and the video is rich, clean and the IBIS is terrific. The app is ok but can be better. My advice for you is to re-shoot your entire review on the MKII and place it side-by-side to the GH4 or any other model you wan to compare it against. Wouldn't that be something everyone could benefit from?
Go Watch my Alaska vlog - it is entirely shot with the EM1 Mark II. ua-cam.com/video/2CuNHRrECaI/v-deo.html
Great review. I believe the weight saving disappears when you add the lens and accesories. Its true for any mirrorless
BS. Oly OM D-1 ll body and 80-300 f2.8 35mm equiv pro lens =1334 grams. Nikon D750 (lightest FF) with 70-200 VRll f2.8=2380grams. And the Nikons still 100 millimetres shorter in focal length. Get your facts correct before publishing.
The remote app limit for video is a bad joke. I hope fuji and olympus will fix it in app updates.
They probably made these limits on purpose. There might not be enough computing power in these cameras to record in 4K, and resize it in realtime for the wifi stream at the same time, or ther might be enough cpu power for it, but it would cause overheating and/or it would drain the battery way too quickly. I don't think there will ever be an update to fix this (other than that you could only start and stop a 4K recording, but yo wouldl only see a blank screen on your phone/tablet during recording).
Nice review. You appear to have concluded the obvious - no single product can do everything perfectly.
When you want a number of different abilities from one product, you will always be making some compromises. It would be a bit like finding the perfect athlete. You might pick a pentathlete because they will be quite good in five separate sports. They may even be the world record holder in one or two of them, but if you look around, you will almost always find someone, somewhere, who can beat them in each of those with a dedicated single sport approach. Having said that, not being the fastest runner or the best swimmer, might still qualify you as the best all-round athlete. I think a similar evaluation holds true in this age of cameras that take great stills, produce great video, focus almost instantly, etc, etc...
I particularly like the Olympus micro four thirds offerings, because like you, I've found them to be exceptionally reliable in extreme conditions, able to produce excellent images, and designed to offer the possibility of lightweight compact portability. Are they the best in every area? No, but they do excel in one of two, and come close in one or two. For me, that's just fine - they offer the perfect all-round solution, and I have yet to find another product that comes close on that scale.
I have the cam too. Funny how we can have such a different view on the same cam. For instance comapred to my GH4 I find the Em1.2 actually not nearly as much fun to use. It is far from intuitive and gets in my way and yes I have had an EPL5 before. I fail to understand why with so many manual cotnrols so little of them are dedicated to ISO, exposure compensation, focussing modes.
I have also D800E and I do not think the IQ difference is as big, also not in low light. Its low light performance in RAw (I use MetaRAW+CS6) seems to be only one stop behind D800E which is still a very good camera with ditto sensor moreless on par with the A7RII.
Also, what I miss a little here, is how HiRes mode seems to just turn the tables on the D800E: it has much more detail and after downsizing to even 45-50 MP is has lower noise and better colours. Only the Dynamic range is still not as good but I did not do extensive comparisons.
In low light the video IQ out of the cam seems clearly less noisy then my GH4 btw, did you try that? The IBIS is out of this world. I have mostly Panasonic lenses so no SyncIS but just with IBIS I could easily go up to 6-8 seconds.
The IBIS is not as good as OIS of the 100-400 Panasonic lens but the very fast EVF refresh in the cam notably does better than the one in the GH4, which in its turn looks nicer. Shooting sports, birds in flight with the E-M1.2 and the Panny is great surely when you use EFCS to prevent shuttershock (which the Gh4 did give me with this lens). This cam with Panasonic lenses even without SyncIS is a very good combination I think.
When mounted on a tripod for landscape for instance in bright sun I found out that with the screen swivled out the EVF would not respond to my eye moving to it.....? Why? There are a number of these rather strange choices.
But in the end, when I look at the image quality on stills and video yes this cam can do it all for me. I need more time with it to make it completely intuitive I think. I like to shoot landscapes but also noctilucent clouds (similar to aurora which we do not have so often over here, but they do occur) and will see how HiRes will help over there with a very fast lens (may be 25 mm f1.2). But for landscapes in reasnable to good light HiRes mode, even with water moving clearlym, with twigs moving etc the HiRes mode looks to work fine! And it gives me something no APS-c gives me and even the best FF struggle currently.
Thx for your review, it is well balanced and I look forward to your other reviews of other cams!
the first all rounded review I have seen not saying it a game changer this it a must buy etc, a refreshing change :-)
Hi! Do you know if this camera can shoot video in a raw format? I have only found the settings for stills but not video. Would love some help! :)
It does not shoot video in RAW. That is very rare and really only found in very expensive high end video cameras.
PhotoRec TV thanks so much for that!
I don't think ditching Sony will be easy. I could live with Sony Full Frame and MFT combination happily (be it pen f, gx80, g80, em1, em5 mk ii..) as APSC doesn't give enough reason to invest in. Having sold my A7 MK II, I bought an XT2, ok it is a great camera, but it becomes bulky pretty easily. I had to buy hand grip to be able to hold 16mm 23mm f1.4 lenses. Then the weight and size of these primes...Lack of IBIS, touch screen, lenses only compatible with APS-C and only two sensors being available in Fuji for all the lenses that you are invested in compared to Sony 16mp 24 mp apsc, 12mp, 24mp, 3x, 4x mp FF...In Sony instead of 16 f1.4 I could live with 28 f2.8, good enough FOV, and similar DOF with less weight size and price. Plus with IBIS and better high ISO performance (even older sony FF 24mp sensors are better than any apsc in low light) I could get similar if not better IQ. I also found face recognition less accurate on XT2. Considering the price of xt2 being same as a7 mark ii, it is extremely difficult to justify Fuji. Only if the new XT20 drops the price with same internals and joystick: I could ignore all the cons that Fuji system is bringing.
I wont be buying this ever. But cannot miss your reviews. Awesome job Toby!
Thanks Blue! What do you shoot with?
PhotoRec TV canon 700d with the kit lens, but started saving for the GH4..is it a good upgrade? (i mostly do videos for my girlfriends vlog and stuffs) Thanks! :)
So the take-away Toby is you're hard to please and the perfect camera does not yet exist. However, it seems the EM1ii comes pretty close.
The perfect camera for ME does not yet exist - I am sure this is the perfect camera for someone else :) I would be happy with the EM1ii if I was a general travel photographer, I would make it work for sure but my interest in astro photography and occasional low light needs plus my specific video needs make it less than perfect.
I agree, Toby, that is why I have a Nikon D500 and an Olympus EM1 mark II. Together with my choice of lenses for each, I now have what I consider to be the perfect wildlife system - for me. The cameras compliment each other beautifully: and the EM1 mark II is so much better than my old EM1's: it has exceeded my expectations for BIF and longer range IQ.
Hi Pete, how do you compare the C-AF of the Em1.2 with the D500 which is known to be excellent? I just wonder. Thx!
Great honest review.....Thank you
I would really like to hear your thoughts about Low light on
This camera using a Metabones Speedbooster and say some NIKON f or G lenses
I think you may change your mind about things
Regards, Rick
Mark ii is same price of A7r ii so which is best for travel photography in Africa
Jimmy a Geek I’d get the a7iii over the a7rii
I love the videography in this review. Well done!
Sweet review. Well done, Toby,
Thanks! Are you going to compare this to the gh5?
I will be reviewing the GH5 - not sure I will directly compare the two, they really seem like different markets to me. GH5 - serious videographers that also want to take photos. EM1 Mark 2- serious photographers that also want to take video :)
I think having 2 systems is better. ya the a7rii is bigger and has heavy lenses, but that's what you get when you want the absolute best image quality. I also think if you have 2 systems it would be better to use the a6500 or the a7sii for video and the a7rii for photos. so you can use the same lenses easily
I agree - that would make the most sense but the Sony cameras lacking flip out screen make some of my video very difficult!
oh ya I totally spaced that, if it did then you could just use the a7rii only.
PhotoRec TV what are you shooting with now?
GH5 for video and sometimes photos and the a7RII for photos and occasionally video.
PhotoRec TV that's cool. I have the a7rii
Where was this shot. The bus was interesting. Wouldn't mind shooting it sometime.
Would this be a good Studio Portrait Camera in an controlled environment? I have seen photographers use the EM5 Mkii in studio and wondered if they were getting good detailed results..
Certainly - great detail in good light. But I think some of the value of this camera is portability and you don't really need that in studio setting.
Thanks for the response. I understand the portability. But as an all around camera, I wanted to take it from the travel side and move into the studio with one camera. I was hoping the Oly 75mm and the Nocticron 42.5mm would yield some comparable results.
Do u consider the X-T2 suitable as a travel camera compared to the E-M1 mark II?
Ba Bu
For that price, I personally will not buy a m43 camera. Period. Why would I if it costs the same as a D750.
D Ch Less weight, more speed, wifi functionality?
Why would you need 60fps? 59 photos to delete for that one shot. Slows down work flow. Weight isn't that big of a difference when you go pro with Olympus gear. Most cameras comes with wifi now. Even the D750. For the price, a D500 would be a better choice in my opinion.
Interesting idea!, The one other thing is the auto focus in video - it's horrible on the D500 but really fast on the X-T2. But I guess you just have to alter your shot to accommodate the camera's ability.
Without the grip, the X-T2 is quite a bit smaller and lighter drawing less attention in a street scenario.....
But overall, I do prefer the shots with the D500, probably, I think, maybe but that video :/ ..........
No Camera is perfect, and it will never be. Why would they sell you one camera when they can sell you five. Pick a camera that best fits your needs. ;)
I own FF, APSC and M43 cameras (medium format for a little while) and love them all for what they are and hate them all for what they are not.
4/3 is on the way out in my opinion. Most reviews don't really rate it now as bigger frame cameras get smaller.
Most reviews... nah, don't agree. and for video micro 4/3 shines - so it all depends on your needs.
Panasonic are pushing the video aspect off micro four thirds, for stills APSC cameras will get smaller still.
great review. looking forward to your take on the G85
G9 will turn a corner for m43. We'll get the last 1/2 stop of low light performance we're looking for so that ISO6400 is acceptable. Great menu system, great controls, great IBIS and Dual-IS. Downsides are price and size/weight for m43. Personally I'm waiting on the GX9/GX95. Hoping for a slightly better viewfinder, 20mp sensor, slightly improved IBIS, while still being portable. Still in love with my GX85.
Full frame loose their edge when people need to shoot 2 stop down on many primes/zooms to get good result. In MFT you go all out on any lens and get sharp pic with needed deep dof sometime
you videos are simply the best. good job
Much appreciated.
Toby, is there a Panasonic G85 review coming up!? Would love to see that review. Bought one today. I was really impressed with the completeness of the G85, in comparison to some other MFT cameras.
Working on it!
PhotoRec I actually saw your video saying you are going to right after writing that comment. I'm excited to see it. keep up the good content!
I've really enjoyed the Panasonic G85 thus far, the stabilization is great with my adapted FD lenses and is a joy to use. Love the video quality. I will say, Im kind of kicking myself now though, for not giving the Fujifilm XT-2 more thought. I guess I'm just realizing the drawbacks of low light performance on MFT. The noise and color noise is controlled really well on the G85, I feel like. However, it renders a perfectly focused images rather soft. Basically unusable past 3200. Thinking of selling my T6i and buying into Fuji and the X system. Just a big jump is cost.
Great review and I've been anxiously waiting to hear your experience. I'm deeply invested in Sony right now and now just bought the A6500. Very happy so far along with my A7 full frame. The new GH5 might be a worthy contender. Though it would be hard to give up the Sony IQ.
Thank you. Slow and steady growth :) a6500 is a sweet camera - I just wish I could mash together the performance of an a6500 with the useability of the Panasonic GH4 :)
Price is too high for M43 considering the drawbacks. I say this as an owner of Oly & Lumix gear - for action I bought a D500 and am confident it is a much better choice for action/sports stills. The new GH5 will be superior video rig to this Olympus too.
Certainly true the Gh5 will be better - I feel like the GH4 is already better minus the stabilization.
Agreed - GH4 is killer camera
If you record in 4k, why not upload it to youtube in 4k?
Thanks for the video. I love my Olympus Em-1 because of one simple quality I rate above all others; it is fun to use.
I like carrying it. I like traveling with it. I like shooting with it. Dynamic range, low light performance aside I'm happy with the results. Could I get better from a Sony? Sure, but I'd much rather by the numerous plane tickets and finance the adventures then pay the Sony/Zeiss premium. The Olympus Em-1 is the camera I like to carry, therefore it is in my less then subjective opinion the best camera. I love the Em-1 mark II but for the price l will keep my Em-1 for now. My complete lenses I travel with are the 17mm and the 75mm and I don't find the burning need for anything else.
hello, what type of microphone did you use to film this? thanks
Wireless lav mic
Did you test the Hi Rez mode by any chance?
I did and I think it is decent but I would be scared to use it when something is moving - like water, people, branches etc.:(
Great review as always. Keep em comming. :)
Choosing the right gear to the right is the best way.
this camera is so over priced here in Australia I will be surprised if they sell one. people hate Sony but they are damn good. I like image quality and my Sony delivers. Sony 6500 is a great all purpose shooter
Thank you for this very helpful vid Toby! i've been specifically mulling over EM1 mk2 vs SONY A7R2 for lowlight stills. you made the decision so much clearer for me. Another plus for the A7R2 is compatibility w Canon lenses. thanks and more power.
Glad you found it helpful - I tell you as a owner of the a7R2- I am getting tired of working with adapted lenses and will likely start to sell them off and transition to Sony this year.
What did you choose in the end?
I'm having trouble g9 or em1 markii
...and now the Panasonic GH5 has unleashed some impressive features and around the same price... what say you? I think the GH5 has just put a shot into the Olympus mark ii crippling some of the impressive features. Many people bag on it's still capabilities, but from what's being reported in the reviews, it can hold up to the mark ii and it's a Panasonic. For me, the Olympus lack of world wide warranty and history of bad quality is a deal breaker, especially at these prices. Panasonic has great lenses and more working with the dual IS. Olympus has 2 and one is the massive and expensive 300mm. I'll make my decision in March.
The GH5 does look extremely impressive - I still don't expect to be wowed in low light but the dual IS system working with more lenses -including one I already own is very interesting - plus some crazy slow mo options!!
Is the sensor 4:3?
Great review! Compact and precise, with no nonsense.
I'm extremely happy with XT-2. (I don't shoot videos) I really do wish, though, it had in-body stabilization.
If the XT2 had IBIS it might be the perfect camera (for me)
It likely has to do with processing power, WiFi access to the camera is costing more CPU cycles that it can't do 4K anymore. That's my reasonable assumption here.
Just bought this brand new for $1250. Plus they say the AF is better with latest firmware ;)
Smaller sensors and smaller lenses start to lose their point if they lose their weight advantage. After all, why else would you prefer a 20mp sensor to a 30-50mp sensor?
New subscriber and I really appreciate the review. I left Canon for Olympus and understand the trade offs for sure. I am convinced there will never be one camera that can do it all. I am very happy with Olympus and even shoot weddings with it bc of the unreal IBIS I can keep it below 1600. But there are times I would love a Sony system as well. Looking forward to more of your vlogs.
Welcome Bob and thank you! What are your lens choices for weddings?
I use the Oly 75 1.8, 45 1.8, and 17 1.8. in like the 12-60swd for receptions and anytime I can use flash. however, I've ditched the Oly 17. it has beautiful contrast and color, lighting fast AF, but lacks acceptable sharpness in my opinion. I'll sell it or keep it for a casual lens.
Consider the Pana 15 1.7 as a replacement for your Oly 17, it is quite sharp although a little pricier.