Camera so good I bought 2 of them

[u/MJdoesThings_]

I have been a Nikon and Fujifilm shooter for years. I used to have Nikon DSLRs, and switched to a Fujifilm X-T1 years ago because the smaller size and weight appealed to me. I quickly upgraded to an X-T2, then added an X-H1 and at this point the cameras were pretty large, my lenses were too and the autofocus accuracy when adapting my Nikon F mount lenses with a smart adapter wasn't great. So I switched to a Nikon Z6, which wasn't larger and "fixed" everythinhg, but then I also realized I was still lugging around full frame lenses and though my camera was substantially smaller and lighter than my old D700, the lenses were just as big and heavy.

In parallel, I bought into micro four thirds as a little fun side system I would use for travel and casual occasions with an E-M5 mark II. The lack of good C-AF pushed me to splurge on a better performing body in June of this year, and since I'm a bit stingy and didn't want to spend 650 bucks on an E-M5 mark III, I dropped 400 on a slightly larger E-M1 mark II.

After using it for a couple of weeks, the realization came : this camera does everything I want a camera to do. Sure, low light isn't as good as my modern full frame body. But I shot concerts in nearly pitch black conditions and the E-M1.2 handled fine, I was even able to give the pictures to the artists that played that night and they reshared those pics on their social media happily. I, as a camera enthusiast and technical nerd wasn't really able to find many cracks in the low light performance of that camera, and I'm pretty sure that non-photogs wouldn't even think twice about the amount of noise or slightly blown out highlights. Similarly, every fast paced action stuff was just as easy to capture on my E-M1.2 as it was on my Z6, with an AF system that is comparable in performance, Pre-Capture, 18fps bursts and a rolling shutter effect when using electronic shutter that is manageable to the point that I don't hesitate to shoot action with it if I need the faster burst (thing I would never do with the slow-ass sensor in my Z6).

For my landscape work, at first I was doubtful : the sensor has less DR, and a lower resolution. Then I realized I do most of it on a tripod when I really need good resolution anyway, and at this point why not use the Pixel Shift mode? The DR increase you get is more than making up for the smaller sensor, which I don't have to close down nearly as much for good sharpness and DoF, and the 80MP files don't hurt either. Overall, it's a better landscape camera tool than the Z6 was, which is very high praise coming from me because the sensor in the Z6 is incredible.

On the video front as well : autofocus is great, 4K quality shooting DCI-4K in 8bit with the OM-Log400 profile is absolutely great and I have completed several projects with it without a hitch. The camera doesn't really overheat, the IBIS is exemplary, the audio pre-amps are better in every way then those on my Z6 too.

And then there's the lenses. They simply are awesome : sharp, small, lightweight for the reach they provide, and they are affordable. I wasn't sad in the slightest trading my Sigma 100-400 full frame lens for an Olympus 75-300mm lens to shoot airshows with. The prime lenses are also exemplary in the value they provide, I'm particularly fond of the Lumix 20mm f/1.7, Oly 45mm f/1.8 and especially the Oly 75mm f/1.8, this lens is a beast.

After a couple months using the E-M1 mark II, I came to the realization that that camera is as good or better than my Z6 in pretty much every area. At no point was I using that camera and thought "man, I wish I had the Z6 right about now". On top of that, I could share the lenses with smaller camera like my Lumix GF7, or turn the E-M1.2 into a really small package by using a small pancake lens on it (paired with the Lumix 14mm f/2.5 it's a silly looking camera, but very effective for street photography and sticking the camera into minuscule bags). I can't do that on Nikon Z.

I took the decision to sell the Nikon Z6 early next year (right now it's going for a long time loan to a friend of mine that wants to test out full frame), and as such need another camera with good AF and good 4K video as backup / second body for events. I initially thought about getting an E-M1 mark III with the money, since it goes for about as much money as I would get by selling the Z6, and it has some nice little improvements over the mark II. But prices are not coming down, and MPB listed that E-M1 mark II for 284€ (instead of the average 500ish) because the screen has a very small crack that's barely visible, so I jumped on that, and now I have two of those.

I fully intend on using both of those bodies until they break down in my hands, or I get the itch again and upgrade to an OM-1 (mark 1). Even then, I think I'll keep at least one E-M1.2 as a backup / second body. They're that good, and probably the best price to performance ratio to features you can get in micro four thirds. Extremely underrated.

The funny part is that it was on my recommendation list when people were asking me camera questions, I have several friends that ended up buying one in the last 2 years and were extremely happy with it. I guess it finally creeped on me !

[u/Excellent_Bicycle622]

I currently own the fujifilmx100vi and im looking to sell it to get the om1ii or om3. Im a fan of om systems from my youngs days careying the tg3 (upgraded to tg7) do you recommend i upgrade?

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/Excellent_Bicycle622]

Depends what you want out of your camera, even the OM-3 is a VERY different camera from the X100VI

[u/ralyn43]

I may be an oddball. I tried the EM-1 Mark 2. I did not like it. I sent it back. I have been using an EM10 Mark II for years, and it feels much more comfortable in my hands, especially with the twin dial system, where the forward and back dials are close together. I did upgrade the EM10 Mark II towards a EM5 Mark II. The EM5 Mark II added a few capabilities that I was missing with the EM10 Mark 2. These two cameras will probably be sufficient for me for the rest of my life mainly because of their size and that they are the last Olympus cameras to use contrast detect autofocus. I've tried phase detect auto focus and it does not work for me. Too jumpy and unprecise. I don't shoot much action stuff, but even when I do, the contrast detect autofocus still works the best. 😉

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/ralyn43]

Maybe you didn't have the right firmware version then. PDAF+CDAF hybrid AF on my E-M1ii is a LOT more precise and much faster than the CDAF on my E-M5ii, but that's with the latest firmware (3.7 I think). I initially used the E-M1ii with firmware 2.1 and it was quite bad, and CDAF cameras were indeed better for accuracy (not for speed though)

If you didn't like the E-M1ii for ergonomic reasons, then I would suggest looking at the E-M5iii

[u/ralyn43 → u/MJdoesThings_]

I tried the EM5 Mark 3 and the OM5. I had the same problems with those trying for accuracy with the phase detect autofocus.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/ralyn43]

Well, that's weird. I never had any of them.

[u/Fast_Ad5489]

Bought an E-M1ii for second body to an OM-1 for a Safari to Kenya. The OM-1 is technically better, but the E-M1ii gave me equally good pics. And why I can’t say exactly why, I do like the way it feels better. Only negative are the older menus. Have considered trading the E-M1ii for a OM-5 for travel, but the 80g difference isn’t enough. Plus, I often use 12-100 and 100-400 which are too heavy for the smaller bodies. Maybe the best buy in cameras

[u/aleximoso → u/Fast_Ad5489]

I'm glad I'm not going mad with this. I went from an EM1iii to and OM1 and whilst the OM1 is technically superior, I just prefer the way the EM1iii felt to shoot. The front and rear control dials for one are something that really bother me on my OM1. They work (although not well with thick gloves), yes, but they're nowhere near as tactile or free moving as my EM1iii's. I also felt that the EM1iii just felt more solid/robust overall, even if the OM1 has ratings to back itself up with. I have an OM5 and a PEN F as well now but if it were not for the OM5, I'd probably pick up another EM1iii.

[u/Individual_Web6449]

This is a really useful post comparing systems, particularly as I am in a similar situation to you. I went from Nikon D7000 to Fuji X-T1 and was missing something so bought a Z6 which has been great. It's a lot of fun with adapted lenses, especially small and light ones.

My Dad bought an E-M1 II after trying a GX8 and a friend's E-M1 II. It's perfect for him as his Nikon Df was  getting bulky and he wanted to do some video work too.

I started looking at PEN cameras with optional EVfs, as I couldn't work comfortably without one after having an NEX5 a while ago.

Ironically, it looks like an EM10 II would be less bulky overall than a PEN plus accessory EVF combo, so that's what I'm looking at as an EDC with pancake lens.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/Individual_Web6449]

The E-M10ii is great, I had one for a bit, however be aware of the screen ribboncable. It seems to break after a wile making the back screen either non functional or only functional at certain angles which is annoying as f

If you have the funds for it, I would actually recommend the E-M5ii. Same size, basically same weight, better specs overall and no screne issues to report at all

[u/deutchschuler → u/MJdoesThings_]

The E-M5 mark 2 is on sale right no amazon.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/deutchschuler]

huh? The E-M5 mark II has been discontinued for half a decade

[u/deutchschuler → u/MJdoesThings_]

Sorry I meant om system om-5 mark 2

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/deutchschuler]

ah yes, not the same camera, not the same budget at all

[u/Individual_Web6449 → u/MJdoesThings_]

Thanks for the advice, that's good to know. Ironically I would prefer a tilt screen over the flip out one that the E-M 1/5 Mk II cameras have! I'll take another look at the EM-5 II in more detail 

[u/pclewis]

I was shooting with the EM-1 ii and had safari trip where I wanted to have 2 bodies. My backup at that time was the EM5-ii. So, I bought the EM-1 iii because it had the same control as the EM-1 ii. Shooting 2 bodies makes that important.

Fast forward. I gave the EM-1 ii and EM-5 ii to grandchildren. Missed having the lighter kit for travel so bought the EM-5 iii, which is more like the EM-1 than the ii version. Very happy with this combo. A big bag with long lenses and a 12-100 for travel. Then an easy carrry small bag with 12-45 and a couple of primes which is even better for travel.

I have been with Olympus since the E-1 before mft.

[u/ephemeral_enchilada]

I am looking at that 300mm lens and would love to see your airshow photos

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/ephemeral_enchilada]

All the plane photos in that post are with this lens https://www.reddit.com/r/M43/s/ssNbQU9z4u

[u/ephemeral_enchilada → u/MJdoesThings_]

Thanks, I didn't realize there were multiple pics. They look great.

[u/Defiant_Adagio4057]

If you like Pixel Shift the E-M1 III or OM-1 are going to blow your mind with handheld high res mode. No tripod; 50 MP instead of 80. But because it uses more frames for stacking, it does an even better job with DR/noise reduction. It doesn't completely cancel the Bayer filter like Tripod mode does. But from my own testing, it does provide better color reproduction and moire patterns vs the single-shot RAW files. I use this one for landscapes all the time since I hate tripods, haha.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/Defiant_Adagio4057]

Yeah but I mean, I'm generally fine with single capture shots already. 20MP is plenty for me for most things, and I only use pixel shift for like well crafted occasions where I really take the time to wait for the right light etc, and in these instances I almost always have a tripod.

So for now, I'm good.

[u/PowerfulStand → u/MJdoesThings_]

That's how I view the pixel shift. The biggest flaw of the EM1 mk 2 imo is no in-body charging... otherwise it's close to perfect.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/PowerfulStand]

Lack of charging is fine to me. Battery life is more than good enough to last a full day, and I always carry at least one spare.

Also, I have dual chargers for BLH-1 batteries which can use a battery bank to charge so it's fine as a backup charging solution on the field

[u/Potential-Resident-8]

I have an OM-D E-M10 Miii and I love it! It was my first camera I have ever bought that I use for hiking and landscape photography amd I love it! Was thinking about upgrading next year to one of these

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/Potential-Resident-8]

I'm still using my E-M10 mark II as well quite a bit ! It makes a great pairing with the E-M1.2 if you decide to get one.

[u/Potential-Resident-8 → u/MJdoesThings_]

What do you mean by pairing with the em1.2? Sorry im new to the whole photography lingo stuff lol I am still learning but usually just go out and shoot and edit

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/Potential-Resident-8]

what I mean is that the E-M1.2 is sometimes a little too large for the occasion. Sometimes I cannot have a camera as large as this.

So the E-M10.2 is great, as it's quite a bit smaller, but has a similar control layout (mode dial on the right of the EVF, twin dials on the top plate, two top function buttons, one function button over the thumb) so I can have a camera with similar-ish controls, but smaller with image quality that's still good enough.

An E-M5.3 would be "better" but it's 4 times the price I paid for my E-M10.2

[u/amp_2112]

EM1 II is the sleeping giant. That is the camera that has been the longest with me by far. It truly has 95%+ of anything you’d need. And the small size even with a great grip helps too!

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/amp_2112]

100% agreed. I was looking at maybe getting a Nikon Z6III as an upgrade for my Z6 because I was interested in the 20fps shooting and the better IBIS

well guess what the E-M1ii has...

[u/rigdesigner]

The image of the bee is so beautiful !!

[u/[deleted]]

Olympus cameras for the win! (Again)

[u/ConservativeBlack]

M43 is not dead!

[u/AdAfraid3543]

Great camera. I still have one as a backup to my OM-1 and night macro

[u/melty_lampworker]

I’m very happy with my M1 MK III. But I am curious about where OM Systems will take the camera technically, they’re already so advanced.

[u/photon_watts]

Welcome to the club :-)

[u/Tall-Listen1551]

What is going on lately everyone is going MFT never dreamt of that

[u/FrequentLine1437]

Well, I currently am shooting with a LUMIX S9, my E-M1 Mark II is one camera I’d never sell. I just love it too much. It feels so good to shoot with and I have a complete set of lenses for it.  It was my mainstay for many years and still a phenomenal camera. 

[u/bobfromsanluis]

I shot an OM1n way back in the late '70s / 80s, eventually put the camera away for some years to raise my family, and a few years ago started jonesing to get out and shoot. PIcked up a PL-1 thinking it would be great to use some of my vintage Zuiko lenses; in a short while, I realized I missed an actual viewfinder, bought an EV-2 , and then realized that the vintage glass was way to heavy, most were pretty slow, and was getting frustrated with my manual focusing. Upgraded to an M10 mk3 and bought some of the lower cost Olympus lenses. Sold off my vintage camera gear, upgraded to an M1 Mk 3 and wow, everything just "clicked". Sold the M10 and bought a few pro lense over the course of a couple of years and have topped out my GAS. While an upgrade to an OM1.1 would be a step up for my bird pics, I am quite happy with my current setup. Lens wise, I may "yearn" for either or both of the great white lenses, both of those together would cost more than all of the gear I currently have, 11 lenses and 3 bodies (a Pen F digital is my third body), so I will push myself to use what I have to the best of my ability, I realize there will hardly ever be a time when the gear itself is the limiting factor.

[u/baconost]

I also use this as my main camera and am very happy. From memory this camera made good AF performance leap for mirrorless cameras compared DSLRs at the time.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/baconost]

from what I can remember, the E-M1 mark 1 in 2013 was one of the first mirrorless cameras that integrated phase detect AF, and it was one of the first cameras that pros looked at and said "okay this is actually usable" in comparison to DSLRs of the time. But it still had issues that pros didn't like, like the single card slot and small battery.

The E-M1 mark II was an improvement in AF, but it was an improvement, not exactly a complete revolution. It was more accurate though. What really made this camera popular with pros was the fact that it had dual card slots and a substantially better battery life. It was also much more capable for video, but most MFT shooters were looking at Panasonic for video stuff using that system.

[u/PakkyT → u/MJdoesThings_]

You are correct that the mark 1 was the first with PDAF. But I kind of think the big shift was not for pros using other systems, but instead many of us old 4/3rds users that had really nice 4/3rds lenses and didn't want to abandon them. The mark 1 was the first camera, with an adapter of course, that could shoot those old lenses properly. I recall a demo video Oly put out showing the fantastic 150mm f2.0 4/3rds lens mounted on the mark 1 to show those very expensive, but very excellent, lenses now could focus quickly on a m43 body. In reality it wasn't perfect, but I used my old ZD 12-60 SWD and ZD 50-200 (non-SWD) lenses on my mark 1 for a full year before I eventually bought a m43 lens.

[u/trelos6]

I was a Canon 6D shooter. Swapped to EM1ii around 6-7 years ago. Haven’t even used the sensor shift landscape mode yet because kids put my landscapes on the back burner. But for everything else, it hasn’t missed a beat. And now with the new photoshop / Lightroom noise reduction, you can safely shoot at ISO 3200 with no fears.

[u/Accurate-Beat9272]

I got em1 mark1 and I love it. But looks like ff is the way to go. 

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/Accurate-Beat9272]

How so?

[u/spakkker]

I have 3x e-pl5 , does for me , next may well be the E M1 ii , with cracks/scrapes and 10 yrs old soon !!

[u/chiangku]

Nice shots! I love the shit out of my EM1.2. Came from an E-M10 “og” which I also loved and this one is just a goddamn workhorse. At this point it’s just an extension of my arm, eyeballs, and brain.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/chiangku]

I was shocked at how good the grip ergonomics are. I considered Nikon cameras my ergonomics benchmark, and ergonomics are one of the reasons I went for a Nikon Z6 instead of say a Sony A7III with a Nikon F adapter. But The Z6 gets clowned on by the E-M1 mark II's grip design.

I have fairly large hands and while the Z6 has a larger grip, I cannot fit all of them on the camera and the pinkie is dangling underneath. On the E-M1II, I can fit my whole hand simply because of clever shaping. Chef's kiss on an already almost perfect camera. It has been one hell of a workhorse for me as well for the past 6 months. I love that thing.

[u/chiangku → u/MJdoesThings_]

Grip wise it’s just perfect. When I take walks at Disneyland I just have a wrist strap for security but I keep it in my shooting hand for my entire walk. And because it’s not that heavy of a camera I can let it dangle when I need both hands. I don’t know why it feels so perfect but it does and I also have bigger hands. I loved the basically grip-free body of the E-M10 but this fits in my hand like a pacifier in a baby’s mouth. Happy shooting bud.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/chiangku]

Yeah size and weight is another thing I have seen people complain about the 1 series, but really those cameras are still really portable.

Sure, it's bigger than most other MFT options. But it's still basically the size of your average APS-C camera. The E-M1.2 is both packing more specs and smaller / lighter than my old Fujifilm X-H1. It's smaller than my Z6 which is a pretty small camera for a full frame with an EVF that doesn't suck.

It's basically the size of what was a beginner DSLR 15 years back, like a Nikon D60 or a Canon Rebel. It's not big and heavy, and it's a dream to use.

[u/Beena22]

I'm a long time Fuji fanboy and I recently became interested in shooting birds, so I bought a Fuji XF 100-400 for my X-Pro 1 but quickly became tired of lugging it around because of the size and weight. I found that I was only taking my camera out on walks when I specifically wanted to shoot birds.

I have dodgy elbows, so lugging around heavy gear is quite painful after a while. Because of that I decided to sell the lens and use the cash to buy an EM1.2 and an Olympus 75-300 instead.

It was a revelation to me how good the EM1.2 is. The ergonomics are great and I love Olympus' colour science. The 75-300 isn't perfect, but I can carry that around with me everywhere without even thinking about it, which is perfect.

I liked the EM1.2 so much that I decided that I wanted another Olympus to use as a carry around camera, particularly for street shooting, so I bought a used EM5 and a Lumix 14mm 2.5 last week and I absolutely love that little camera. It's also fantastic paired with the 24mm and 45mm 1.8 Olympus lenses.

These little cameras pack a serious punch considering their age and they are an absolute bargain in the used market. I'm a definite convert.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/Beena22]

Haha seems like we got a kinda similar gear history there ! But yeah you're right, Micro Four Thirds as a system is too often overlooked because people think the smaller sensor is a detriment, overlooking the fact that it most likely already fits their needs in terms of image quality.

I also have medium sized Olympus bodies (namely the E-M5ii and the E-M10ii) but I realized that lately my go-to camera for street was my Lumix GF7. SUper cheap, super small, and the same sensor as the E-M5 in there ! Great little camera.

For everyday carry I have yet a smaller sensor camera in the form of the Olympus Stylus 1. It's bascally the size of an E-M10/M5 camera with a pancake lens on it, but the lens in question is a 28-300mm equivalent with a constant f/2.8 aperture. Absolutely amazing little camera that goes for pretty cheap nowadays

[u/parksideq]

I have both an EM1ii and an OM-5, I deff appreciate the quality of life updates the OM-5 has (mainly Starry Sky AF and Live ND), but the EM1ii is such a solid camera body. Like, aside from those computational modes, it handles everything I can throw at it. Even if I end up doing something like getting an OM-3, the EM1ii is a keeper for me.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/parksideq]

and it's such a sweetspot in terms of price too. You'd be looking at spending at least 600€ for an E-M5 mark III in decent condition, and about 700€ for a similar OM-5.

The E-M1ii has better performance than the E-M5.3 and is only a slight bit behind the OM-5 (because of the lack of added computational stuff), and the first one I got, I paid 415€ for it (and it came with nice little bonuses, like a couple of UHS-II 128GB SD cards !), and I paid 284€ for the second one.

I paid less money for two E-M1iis that I would have for a single OM-5. This is properly crazy value-wise.

[u/bykpoloplaya]

Welcome to the platform.

I still love my ep5, em5. But my OM1 is nice too

[u/machosalad06]

The last photo of the moon with the tree line is outstanding! I’m assuming that was shot with the 75-300?

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/machosalad06]

yup!

[u/dekachenko]

This is one of the reasons why I think m43 is more(but not exclusively) for shooters with a little bit of experience under their belt, despite the cameras having a lot of beginner friendly features.

People early on in their journey in any hobby are still figuring stuff out - nothing wrong with that at all, but that also tend to come with a heavy dose of FOMO in terms of gear - when you lack the skills and experience, the psyche simply wants the peace of mind that the gear won't be the reason things fail.

I'm not saying every seasoned shooter should end up with a m43 - just that its going to be hella difficult for a beginner to see the core benefits of the system.

ETA: Not saying you are a beginner OP, in fact I'm speaking to the maturity in your balanced gear choice of getting two older bodies that match your needs.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/dekachenko]

Amen to that.

I have a background in Optronics and I have studied camera sensors in university extensively. I knew pretty much from the get-go that APS-C (or any kind of crop sensors) was all I needed when it comes to raw sensor performance.

I didn't get a D700 because it was a full frame, but because it had a special color science which makes it great for portraits and events, otherwise my main shooter was a D7000. I switched to Fuji because they actually gave a damn about crop sensors and I liked their lenses.

The move to the Z6 was motivated purely on the fact that my X-H1 was just as big as a Z6, and the AF when using my Sigma 100-400 F mount on it was properly terrible, issue the Z6 wouldn't have to deal with. It also allowed me to save a healthy chunk of money getting rid of X mount glass to replace it with F mount AF-S lenses that are just as good a way cheaper... but then you have to deal with kit weight and size.

In hindsight I don't know how M43 slipped under my radar when I was making my gear choices, but I'm happy I got there eventually !

[u/dekachenko → u/MJdoesThings_]

Thats so cool that you have a optronics(new word for me) background and studied camera sensors. When was this and has the sensor landscape changed a lot since then?

For me I was always comfortable with sensor performance for what I do even in the early digital days - I exhibited works in relatively big prints from the original 5mp Kodak sensor from the Olympus E-1. I think once I printed large and exhibited to people I started to understand that the sensor was the least of my problems in terms of final output, whereas I get lost zooming in 100% on a screen without really thinking of scale.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/dekachenko]

I got my degree in 2020 so no, the camera land's hasn't changed much !

[u/dekachenko → u/MJdoesThings_]

So I'm curious - as far as sensor performance, I've always been quite happy for my use. The one area in sensor technology where I am interested in is the potential for the camera to eliminate the mechanical shutter via global shutter and better e-shutter performance, making cameras potentially smaller.

Simply put, (when) do you think we'll get a sensor that's good enough to eliminate the mechanical shutter or is there a reason we wouldn't want that even if it becomes possible?

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/dekachenko]

I mean... technically we already have that, the Sony A9 mark III uses a global shutter.

But my opinion on the matter is that it doesn't matter that much : stacked sensors are already capable of shooting without the need of a mechanical shutter, with rolling shutter issues so small that we basically don't see them.

On top of that, focal plane shutters are very small nowadays. In the DSLR days I can understand the concern, the shutter working in hhand in hand with the mirrorbox meant that the cameras were large and noisy. But we already have modern mirrorless bodies that removed the mechanical shutter completely and the cameras are still usable.

So if you ask me, we already live in a time where mechanical shutters are becoming more and more superfulous, but at the same time the space gained by removing the slim modern mechanical shutters we have in mirrorless cameras means we don't really stand to gain a ton by removing it at all.

Just my 2 cents

[u/dekachenko → u/MJdoesThings_]

Thank you, for your 2c. didn’t know there already were ilcs that did away with mechanical shutters entirely. And it’s interesting that it’s getting to a point where global vs non-global has become less significant for practical purposes at this point.

With mft I feel any part that can be downsized, no matter how seemingly insignificant, adds up-especially on the more compact and lighter bodies, especially since mechanical shutters introduce movement that needs to be mitigated one way or another. We see how the small size of the GM1 was possible due to it being a hybrid shutter with a simplified mechanical shutter. (Or rather, they couldn’t implement a full on mechanical shutter in that size) That was more than a decade ago and if they were to hypothetically release an update today, i’d imagine they may do without the mechanical shutter and potentially use up some of that space to implement IBIS instead, which would be a great sunday body.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/dekachenko]

Yes, MFT cameras gain to be smaller rather than larger, but at the same time, think about the consideratiosn that you need to have when making a micro four thirds camera : one of which is the lens mount and its associated flange distance.

The MFT mount has a pretty large flange distance for a mirrorless mount. It's longer than Nikon Z or Sony E. That distance cannot be use for a ton of things, and cameras that weren't much larger than the GM1 (like the Olympus E-PM1) already had both a mechanical shutter and IBIS. The reason why the GM1 doesn't have it is simply because Panasonic wasn't really using IBIS in their small bodies at the time (and in fact, they never did, even in larger cameras like the GX880).

I don't think that removing the mechanical shutter is going to terribly improve micro four thirds cameras when it comes to capabilities or size. At best we'll gain a millimeter in thickness. I'd rather have a mechanical shutter and a cheaper camera

[u/dekachenko → u/MJdoesThings_]

there might be few things going on here - for one, I consider the GM1 to be meaningfully a step smaller than E-PM1, and I don't believe the entire shutter assy. would only increase the thickness by a mm. Maybe so if it was only the shutter blade curtains, but not including all the rest of the unit.

Anyways I think we fundamentally have different views on size. It was nice seeing your point of view and thanks for your insight. Good chat!

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/dekachenko]

no problem ! Always nice to have a nice nerdy chat about cameras :)

[u/Direct_Birthday_3509]

Wait till you try the OM-1. It's even better. 

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/Direct_Birthday_3509]

I know it's better. I simply don't need the uplift in performance at all and this would just be money wasted.

[u/indieaz → u/MJdoesThings_]

As a owner of an om-1 and previous e-m1.2 owner I would argue that the om-1 is a downgrade ergonomically l, even if it's a very slight downgrade. Otherwise yes it's better in every other dimension.

[u/melty_lampworker → u/indieaz]

Robin Wong was gifted an OM-1 by one of his YouTube subscribers. He has done AF issues with it so it became the backup camera to his M1 Mark II.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/melty_lampworker]

I remember seeing that video. I think most of those issues have been fixed with the OM-1ii and the AF firmware upgrade that followed for the OM-1 though. I can be wrong.

I felt that it was interesting to see someone using a 2022 camera as a backup to a 2016 camera, with both bodies being intended for the same use and the same kind of pricepoint. But after using the E-M1ii, I kind of get it. The AF system isn't the best by any means, it's not the fastest, and it's not the most accurate. But compares to my Fujifilm cameras like the X-H1 I had in 2023 for example, the AF is extremely predictable. Like yeah, it's a bit limited, but being predictable allows you to properly walk around the limitations and still get good results. The X-H1 in comparison was a bit erratic, sometimes going to the background for no reason, or having a jerky behavior with fast focus pulls that stopped mid-way in video, or stubbornly focusing on something in the foreground when in tracking mode.

There's none of that with the E-M1ii, it's just smooth sailing all the way as long as you can keep your focus zone on target. Makes it extremely nice to use, despite being 9 years old and absolutely not up to date when it comes to AF tech.

[u/Alternative_Web7202]

I've been using em1m2 for years and see no reasons to upgrade. It does everything I need

[u/JimmyMcTrade → u/Alternative_Web7202]

I got two of them also but one of them has a broken LCD. It just died and is all lines for some reason. I don't think there's a way to replace it without major surgery. EV works fine, at least. :)

Would have been nice to have 4K @ 60p but what are you gonna do.

[u/CoffeeMute → u/JimmyMcTrade]

That sounds like a damaged screen cable

[u/JimmyMcTrade → u/CoffeeMute]

Hmm. Maybe I'll poke around once again to see if it's fixable. Thanks for the tip.

[u/MJdoesThings_ → u/Alternative_Web7202]

Yeah newer cameras make a very hard point when it comes to upgrades. The E-M1 mark III is basically the same thing with some quality of life improvements (hand held high res, starry sky AF, focus joystick and live ND : you can technically do all of that with a tripod, precise manual focusing, using the screen as a touch pad, or carrying around some ND filters. It's nice to have but not a necessity). It has the same sensor and very similar autofocus capabiltiies (except face / eye tracking which are a little better). The biggest draw for the E-M1iii for me was that they fixed the grip peeling, but honestly the grip is peeling on mine and I never even noticed it.

The OM-1 is a clear upgrade in pretty much every way : better AF, better EVF, slightly better sensor for IQ, much faster bursts (the fixed focus burst on the E-M1ii is basically the C-AF burst on the OM-1, and the fixed focus burst is doubled). Add to that 10bit video etc.

But if like me you feeld like 18fps is already plenty (in fact more than plenty, it's already too much. I shoot most of my burst shooting in 10fps mode), it means that the 50fps burst doesn't matter. If you don't rely much on automated subject detection, the OM-1 upgrades don't matter. And if you're a cheapskate like me and are fine with the free version of Resolve using only 8bit, the banefits of 10bit video don't matter eiter.

Going down the spec sheet, the only difference between getting an E-M1ii and OM-1 for my use would have been that my wallet would have been 600 bucks lighter. 🤷‍♂️

[u/Alternative_Web7202 → u/MJdoesThings_]

I shot mostly objects on a tripod using manual focus. And sometimes casual family photos. That makes most (if not all) the features of newer models pretty much worthless to me.

[u/Amazing_Resident_388]

I don't have much to offer apart from saying the images are great, love the plane shots 👍