Olymous OMD: First first-hand impressions

[rbelyell]

jim i dont know if you shot with a PEN model as i did. if you have, iam very nterested in your opinion of comparative good light resolution RAW with OMD. i'm just not seeing enough of a jpeg difference (like i am seeing with low light/high iso) to make me as happy as i thnk i should be with this aspect of the cameras performance.
tony

 

[Ken Ford]

I would very much like to see how the Panleica 25/1.4 does on the OMD! It's a very appealing body.

 

[rparmar]

thats it for now. many features to explore, many lenses to try out.

Thanks for the overview! I am ever so slightly envious. 😀

One thing I should point out is that even the E-PL2 had distinct IQ improvements over the E-P2. And then the next gen of PENs improved colour balance and so on. So it's difficult to know from your comparison just how much better the new system is than the best of the PEN cameras that came before. Especially when you find only small improvements.

But I am very happy to to hear the EVF is better! Because the previous model was already way nicer than the Panasonics etc. I have used.

 

[jpfisher]

jim i dont know if you shot with a PEN model as i did. if you have, iam very nterested in your opinion of comparative good light resolution RAW with OMD. i'm just not seeing enough of a jpeg difference (like i am seeing with low light/high iso) to make me as happy as i thnk i should be with this aspect of the cameras performance.

I've shot a bit with the E-PL3 and E-PM1. Review units are in short supply, so I've been shooting, shooting, shooting and not spending a ton of time in Lightroom. Some shots at 12800 I took in a very dim restaurant looked much better to me than similar shots taken with a the Panasonic GX1. But I'd say 6400 is the tops that I'd normally shoot the camera at. In good light, the camera is great--love the macro function on the 12-50mm as well--definitely above and beyond the standard 14-42mm M43 kit zoom.

I really love the way the camera handles--much more than any of the PEN cameras. Going to put my thoughts together and put together the review this week--but of the M43 cameras that I've shot with, it's impressed me the most.

 

[rbelyell]

yes absolutely jim, the low light /high iso ability of the OMD is far beyond that of any PEN, qnd may end up being competitive to the X100. and i also agree the handling of the camera in general, its speed and varied functionality, as well as compartive kit lenses are all far superior with the OMD. my niggling concern is specifically comparative IQ/resolution in good light at lowest iso (200).

after reading all the great OMD reviews i realized most of them really concentrated on the OMDs low light ability. only lori grunin from zdtech spent a little time on low iso good light IQ and summarily concluded it wasnt much different than the PENs. at first reading i thought she must be nuts, but that seems to be what i'm finding so far.

being somewhat frustrated/disappointed in this result, i'm curious as to others perceptions. then yesterday i recalled reading somewhere that the OMD somehow shoots 2/3 under the chosen iso, meaning when set to 200, one is actually shooting at 125. my understanding is that most contemporary digitals are optimized to shoot at iso 200, so to 'compensate' i started shooting at iso 320 with the OMD. i felt i got better resolution, though since yesterday was very rainy, i only took about a dozen photos, so not enough of a sample.

i also feel i'm getting many more blown highlights in bright daylight than i did with my PEN. they do seem to be recoverable, but i keep fiddling with different settings to deal with this phenomenon...
tony

 

[jpfisher]

I haven't yet ready Lori's review--do you have a link?

I'm looking at the histograms of my daylight shots in Lightroom (JPG, don't have the Raws converted to TIF on my work machine)--don't see anything blown out, save for a couple where I dialed in EV compensation.

This is the first M43 camera that I've felt that I would be completely satisfied with owning/shooting full-time--assuming that I made the investment in some native primes. The crop factor doesn't make it a realistic option for me to use with my M glass--I'd have to swap out my 35mm Lux for a 28mm Cron, and that still might be a little tight for me on the smaller sensor.

 

[rbelyell]

jim, here is the link:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57414393-1/olympus-best-shot-yet-first-days-with-the-om-d/

regarding shooting RF lenses on m4/3, the summicron-c 40/2 is my absolute favorite in that format. the detail even on my old ep2 was stunning, and the crop factor turned it into my favorite portrait FL of 80mm, while on film it was my favorite normal FL--a personal 'win win' for me. and the small size of the lens fits extremely well ergonomically with the small m4/3 cams.

in general ive been very impressed with how RF lenses perform on m4/3. i dont have a huge collection by any means, cv skopar 25/4, nikkor 35/2.5, summarit 50/1.5, cv heliar 75/2.5, elmarit-c 90/4, sonnar and elmar 135s, but imo i couldnt be happier with the results ive gotten. besides the cron, the cv's are particularly awesome in this format. i actually like the 25 better on digital than film! and at 270mm, the 135s provide excellent detail of birds and other wildlife.

for WA i have film or my X100.

 

[jpfisher]

Tony, thanks for the link. I was invited to the Whistler trip as well, but am in the midst of planning a wedding so flying to Canada for a weekend wasn't a possibility.

My two digital bodies are the M8 and the NEX-5N at the moment. I use the M8 in good light, generally with a 35mm, and supplement with the 5N when I'm shooting at higher ISOs. Works pretty well for me. Used to have a Panasonic G2, but never really loved shooting with it, so I ended up selling it when I got the NEX.

And yeah, there is no substitute for film. But I've been busy to the point as of late that running a roll through the CL or M3 is a daunting proposition.

 

[rparmar]

This is the first M43 camera that I've felt that I would be completely satisfied with owning/shooting full-time--assuming that I made the investment in some native primes. The crop factor doesn't make it a realistic option for me to use with my M glass--I'd have to swap out my 35mm Lux for a 28mm Cron, and that still might be a little tight for me on the smaller sensor.

I don't have any rangefinder lenses and so am an alien on this forum. 🙂

But I do have adapted M42, K-mount, PEN F, Leica R and some I may have forgotten. I think the best MFT usability, with good "fun" factor, comes from a combination of native and adapted lenses. I have the Panasonic 14mm and 20mm lenses, because it's rather impossible to find any lenses to adapt that would be as compact. Despite the size (and low price) these lenses perform very well indeed. They give me the compact kit that is the whole rationale for using a smaller sensor.

But then for longer focal lengths I like adapting lenses. (This might change when the MFT format sees the release of the two planned primes. But for now there's really only the 45mm.) One can have a lot of fun in the portrait and tele ranges, using glass that would have been normal on other systems.

 

[Jim Evidon]

Where on earth did you buy an OM D? Every vendor I have checked with has them either on pre-order or back order.

 

[jsrockit]

B&H has the 1099 kit right now...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/842933-REG/Olympus_V204041BU000_OM_D_E_M5_Micro_Four.html

 

[HuubL]

The question is not "if" to buy the OM5, but "with" or "without" the 12-50. (I have the Pana 20 1.7, 7-14 and 14-140). Tell me what I should do...

 

[rbelyell]

The question is not "if" to buy the OM5, but "with" or "without" the 12-50. (I have the Pana 20 1.7, 7-14 and 14-140). Tell me what I should do...

if you have and are happy with your zooms, i dont see any reason beyond weatherproofing to go for the 12-50. its slow, IQ is fine. i got it because i have no zooms and no native lens to get me under 40mm. its a great street lens, but its a little on the big side for this little camera...
tony

 

[shadowfox]

The question is not "if" to buy the OM5, but "with" or "without" the 12-50. (I have the Pana 20 1.7, 7-14 and 14-140). Tell me what I should do...

Huub,

The kit lens will always be useful.
Take a look at Larry's concert pictures on the other thread about this camera.
It's so versatile especially with the 24mm (equivalent) compared to the usual 28mm wide-end.

Plus, you'd want that lens when you're hiking or being outdoors in the elements.