Olympus EM-1

[marcr1230]

I think I'm going to try the EM-1

The size is perfect, reminds me of my OM kit
The quality looks super high

Has anyone used this for sports/action shots?

Any concerns over lost Bokeh vs FF?
The smaller sensor size to me indicates shorter focal lengths for the same
Framing vs FF, most of the time that wouldn't matter to me
But occasionally I hit a sweet spot of out of focus background with my current tools

My main reason for coveting this, aside from unquenchable GAS, is
The size weight penalty of carrying around a heavy DSLR and lens

I love my X100s results but lack of a lens choice is a
Bit of a limitation

What's the thoughts of EM-1 vs X-pro 1 ?

My current "war duty" camera is the D800, I'm using it outdoors for sports
And travel - and it's not really made for that

I really don't like the new Nikon DF, seems gimmicky and a one off version rather than a true development path for nikon

What say my friends?

 

[Godfrey]

I received the E-M1 on October 10 and have been using it almost exclusively since (except for a bit of Polaroid shooting). Despite being inundated at work the past month, I've made over 2000 exposures with it.

It is a superb camera. The sensor is excellent, the control layout and customizability is outstanding, the build quality and feel are terrific, and the viewfinder is stunning. It is responsive and quick in operation, and focuses both Micro-FourThirds and FourThirds lenses very quickly and accurately. The focusing aids also make working with adapted manual lenses (I use Nikkors and Leica Rs) very fast and accurate.

The key to getting what you want out of it is to choose the right lenses that give you the imaging qualities you want. There are a lot of choices in FourThirds and Micro-FourThirds lenses. I have five dedicated primes in my usual working range (from FF equivalent 20mm ultra wide to 90mm portrait tele) and use adapted Leica R and Nikkor SLR lenses for longer focal lengths. They produce beautiful bokeh and plenty of focus zone control.

The key to focus zone control is lens speed. Available and announced primes from maximum apertures of f/0.95 allow plenty of flexibility. The Olympus 75mm f/1.8 is a stunner, as is the Panasonic-Leica Summilux 25/1.4. So is the new 12-40/2.8 from Olympus ... a terrific lens.

Some of my first E-M1 photos posted, with a variety of lenses, are available in this flickr.com set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gdgphoto/sets/72157637107203044/

I'm impressed enough with the E-M1 that it is now my primary camera system.

G

 

[Tejasican]

I think I'm going to try the EM-1

The size is perfect, reminds me of my OM kit

The E-M1 is in the possibility mix for me as well, so I look forward to the replies. That issue of being like the old OM's is a factor. I tried an E-M5 out and was suitably impressed at the ease of focus in the store with a Leica R 60mm as well as the sharpness of pictures that I got at 1/8 of a second shutter speed. Sure made me seriously consider the advantage that the in body stabilization brings to the table.

As an aside, I find the internet complaining about the on/off switch being on the wrong side hilarious. I look at my OM-1n and 2n and have to say, "Wrong side, really?"

 

[marcr1230]

Okay - been reading a bit
Steve Huff's review is glowing, is he credible or

Flash - any recommendation for flashes?
Anyone use OM lenses w adapter? Is it worth the hassle

Tripod? Does it have a standard socket?

Thanks

 

[Godfrey]

Okay - been reading a bit
Steve Huff's review is glowing, is he credible or

Flash - any recommendation for flashes?
Anyone use OM lenses w adapter? Is it worth the hassle

Tripod? Does it have a standard socket?

Flash: if you want to use any of the advanced flash system features, stick with the Olympus E-System flash units. Here's the compatibility table:
http://www.olympus.co.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/compati/pen_flashes.cfm

(The FL-LM2 comes with the E-M1. It's a small clip-on flash designed for casual flash fill or to trigger the other FL-r models as a remote commander.)

For non-dedicated flash use, follow normal precautions and don't use anything with more than 10V trigger voltage on the hot shoe mount to be safe. There's a PC flash terminal as well for studio system flash units, rated for up to 250V trigger voltages. I usually trigger non-dedicated external flash units with an RF flash trigger system.

Using adapted OM lenses: Works fine. Remember that the format is much smaller than 35mm so your OM 50mm lens will provide the field of view of approximately a 100mm telephoto on the E-M1. I have native Micro-FourThirds and FourThirds lenses from 11 to 45mm focal length. For anything longer, I adapt Leica R or Nikkor SLR lenses. They work very very well. It's not a hassle, although you are giving up P and S modes, auto focus, auto-stop-down, etc when you use them.

Tripod: Same old 1/4-20 screw thread in the baseplate. Really Right Stuff has produced a very nice, fitted camera adapter plate for Arca Swiss type tripod quick release systems, which has an available accessory that make it into an L-plate too.

G

 

[cosmonaut]

I would stick to the D800 for sports. I tried a kids football game and even though it was late evening I wouldn't consider it low light. The camera hunted like crazy and was almost useless at tracking runners. The issue is as much Olympus doesn't have fast enough glass as the camera doesn't track.
Also the dynamic range will be nowhere in the ballpark of your Nikon. I own the D800 as well. It's low light focusing is as good as I have owned.
The E-M1 will also be a disappointment over 1600iso. Olympus has done little image improvement over the years, go check DXO marks. The E-M1 scores just over 700 in low light sports. Not good. Your D800 is well over 2000.
Image stabilization is useless on a moving target. Your D800 is perfect for sports.

 

[marcr1230]

Damn those DxO people

Thing is the D800 is so so heavy

The EM-1 with the 40-150 will have a longer reah than
The D800 w 70-200 and be half the weight if not less

Appreciate the comments - thx

 

[Godfrey]

Damn those DxO people

Thing is the D800 is so so heavy

The EM-1 with the 40-150 will have a longer reah than
The D800 w 70-200 and be half the weight if not less

Appreciate the comments - thx

Frankly, I completely ignore the DXO stuff. I've found nothing in their specs that actually has any significant effect on my photography.

Olympus has f/2 and f/2.8 zooms if you need faster lenses, and the smaller format will also net more DoF at larger lens openings ... important for sports. I've had no trouble tracking moving cars @ 35-40 mph and flying birds. Haven't been to the race track yet, but I don't envision any difficulties. Oh and I sure as heck don't need a 36Mpixel FF SLR camera for kids sports ... ! 🙂

G

 

[cosmonaut]

Frankly, I completely ignore the DXO stuff. I've found nothing in their specs that actually has any significant effect on my photography.

Olympus has f/2 and f/2.8 zooms if you need faster lenses, and the smaller format will also net more DoF at larger lens openings ... important for sports. I've had no trouble tracking moving cars @ 35-40 mph and flying birds. Haven't been to the race track yet, but I don't envision any difficulties. Oh and I sure as heck don't need a 36Mpixel FF SLR camera for kids sports ... ! 🙂

G

Well if you are shooting Rodeos at night with clients wanting clean and focused pictures high iso is quite nice to have and I can also roll back the image quality or shoot in crop mode. The D800 although not my favorite camera is amazing in low light. Try a few time lapse videos of stars with a camera without good clean high iso. 6400 and above is a must to avoid trails. Shorter exposures saves tons of time when shooting time lapse. Plus the OP already owns a D800 it's not that he is buying one or the other but asking will one perform as well.

 

[den_sh]

Okay - been reading a bit
Steve Huff's review is glowing, is he credible

No, hes is absolutely not cresible. 99% percent of his reviews are glowing. He often takes the most overpriced and overreated piece of gear (like Leica X Vario) and presents it as it was the best marvel of technology filling every second sentence with a referral link. The only legit information in his posts are the photos themselves. Some people call him Steve Puff for that or modern day Ken Rockwell.

 

[cosmonaut]

Damn those DxO people

Thing is the D800 is so so heavy

The EM-1 with the 40-150 will have a longer reah than
The D800 w 70-200 and be half the weight if not less

Appreciate the comments - thx

I totally agree. It really depends on ones needs in image quality. Not all of us or going to be shooting big sporting events. But from time to time I do get paid to deliver. I am by no stretch a day in and day out pro. But then again I am not going to a gun fight with a knife.
Some of can get by with less than others. The OP is wrong if he thinks his D800 isn't the right camera. For him it might be overkill for others it's a good match.

 

[marcr1230]

I should try to clarify - The D800 is thought of as somewhat of a studio camera, higher resolution, but perhaps not as well adapted to sports.
I've seen and discussed cameras with the local major newspaper photographer at the meets. He uses a D4 and said as much to me.
That's neither here nor there, because if you can take great pictures, it doesn't matter what people think about the equipment - certainly the D800 is no slouch.

As a matter of fact, I have used it for night sky photography and it is amazing.

some of my issues are certainly experience and familiarity - the D800 is complex, if you use it once every month - you need to relearn the settings.

My main complaint is that it is super heavy, and that perhaps the 70-200 isn't always long enough for where I stand. I had a D300 before it - and I liked the size and results better. ( noted that I could switch the D800 to DX mode or just crop more)

I'm not shooting for poster size prints - mostly small stuff - quick postings to the team's online web site - I actually got usable photos at a cross country meet with my iPhone last weekend (didn't have the D800 cause I was also running!).

I hate the compromise of quality, with digital , other things equal - sensor size seems to rule.

I like the idea of a much smaller camera and the 12-40 Zuiko 2.8 is a nice package for everyday with the OM-D EM-1 body - much more portable than the D800 with the 24-70 2.8. The 70 1.8 and EM-1 looks like a killer portrait combo

mostly my hobby is for my enjoyment - I was thinking that the EM-1 would be the magic bullet, like the X100s and before it the X100 and before that the D300 🙂

As of now - not sure where I stand. I do know that in the near future I will be selling some
under-used but perfectly good equipment - trying to right size my kits after trying a lot of film and digital stuff.

 

[cosmonaut]

Well you have touched on why the Nikon isn't my favorite camera. The menu system is very complex, it is heavy and bulky. I have to work to squeeze the best out of it.
I really like my E-M1. It does a lot of things really well. It's more camera than many need. But every video or written review I have seen has commented on its lack of tracking even slow moving objects when compared to other cameras.
Plus I haven't seen a lens in the 70-200mm range in the 2.8 or 2.0 area. Wide apertures doesn't really mean the lens will perform better and focus faster.
As far as mirrorless goes the E-M1 out performs every other system by a big margin. Except high ISO.
Perhaps you should look at the a77.

I should try to clarify - The D800 is thought of as somewhat of a studio camera, higher resolution, but perhaps not as well adapted to sports.
I've seen and discussed cameras with the local major newspaper photographer at the meets. He uses a D4 and said as much to me.
That's neither here nor there, because if you can take great pictures, it doesn't matter what people think about the equipment - certainly the D800 is no slouch.

As a matter of fact, I have used it for night sky photography and it is amazing.

some of my issues are certainly experience and familiarity - the D800 is complex, if you use it once every month - you need to relearn the settings.

My main complaint is that it is super heavy, and that perhaps the 70-200 isn't always long enough for where I stand. I had a D300 before it - and I liked the size and results better. ( noted that I could switch the D800 to DX mode or just crop more)

I'm not shooting for poster size prints - mostly small stuff - quick postings to the team's online web site - I actually got usable photos at a cross country meet with my iPhone last weekend (didn't have the D800 cause I was also running!).

I hate the compromise of quality, with digital , other things equal - sensor size seems to rule.

I like the idea of a much smaller camera and the 12-40 Zuiko 2.8 is a nice package for everyday with the OM-D EM-1 body - much more portable than the D800 with the 24-70 2.8. The 70 1.8 and EM-1 looks like a killer portrait combo

mostly my hobby is for my enjoyment - I was thinking that the EM-1 would be the magic bullet, like the X100s and before it the X100 and before that the D300 🙂

As of now - not sure where I stand. I do know that in the near future I will be selling some
under-used but perfectly good equipment - trying to right size my kits after trying a lot of film and digital stuff.

 

[defconfunk]

I would stick to the D800 for sports. I tried a kids football game and even though it was late evening I wouldn't consider it low light. The camera hunted like crazy and was almost useless at tracking runners. The issue is as much Olympus doesn't have fast enough glass as the camera doesn't track.
Also the dynamic range will be nowhere in the ballpark of your Nikon. I own the D800 as well. It's low light focusing is as good as I have owned.
The E-M1 will also be a disappointment over 1600iso. Olympus has done little image improvement over the years, go check DXO marks. The E-M1 scores just over 700 in low light sports. Not good. Your D800 is well over 2000.
Image stabilization is useless on a moving target. Your D800 is perfect for sports.

What lens are you using for shooting your sports?
The m4/3 lenses can't track, but adapted four thirds lenses can. I expect the Olympus 50mm-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD would be pretty solid for sport shooting. And if you really need faster glass, Olympus does have F2 telephotos, but they cost as much as a small car.

I haven't shot any sports yet with my E-M1, so I can't say for sure how well it does or does not track.

Saying Olympus has done little image improvement is just plain wrong in my experience. Compared to an E-5, the image quality is much better. And compared to the E-M5, it has better CA control and seems to be better at higher ISOs (personally, I consider ISO 3200 perfectly useable, but I may have lower standards than you). It may not have improved in the lab test performed by DxO, but those aren't all encompassing.

As for the question of which flash, I have yet to use a flash with mine. When paired with the 25mm F1.4 and IS turn on, I can use it hand held in EV 0. Pretty fantastic for natural light work.

 

[hepcat]

mostly my hobby is for my enjoyment - I was thinking that the EM-1 would be the magic bullet, like the X100s and before it the X100 and before that the D300 🙂

This is the most interesting thought in your entire post. If you think about what you've written, apparently your "magic bullets" don't stay magic for you. That indicates that perhaps they weren't to begin with.

Once upon a time when I was just out of high school, a friend of mine got the contract to do the photography for a 1/4 mile oval dirt track raceway. He had a Nikon Ftn and I had a post-war Canon IIF with 85mm and 50mm Serenars. We shot Ektachrome 160 and made Cibachrome prints to sell. Would I have chosen a Canon IIF to shoot stock car races? Absolutely not, but it was what I had. I'd have loved to have had ISO 5000, but we had ISO 160. We sold a ton of prints and did ok with the contract, but I had to figure out how to get the shots we needed with the gear I had.

In my humble experience, the "magic bullet" is the knowledge and expertise to get the shots you want with the equipment you have available. Different equipment may make some tasks easier or faster, but you'll always find something about it that irks you... in your case with the D800, its the size, weight and complexity; yet the equipment is competent to accomplish any task you set it to.

My best suggestion is to learn that D800 inside and out and make images with it. If you're mostly satisfied with something else that suits you better, (smaller, lighter, less complex) than learn THAT inside and out and figure out ways to get around its shortcomings. You'll be a much better photographer for putting the effort into the gear you have.

 

[Godfrey]

No one camera does everything the best. The Nikon D800 is a wonderful tool for some things that it does the best. For the rest, it's an overly large and heavy lump to lug around.

This same principle applies to film cameras, BTW. A Hassy 500CM is one of my favorite cameras, but it is next to useless in many many situations.

I don't think I've shot star trails in two dozen years. No interest. Don't shoot sunsets either ... Boring. Rodeos at night? If I was paid to, only, and I'd rent the right gear for that and charge the client for the rental.

The Olympus E-M1 is very versatile, probably an order of magnitude more versatile than my M9, but like any other piece of equipment (including the M9) it has its limits. Not that I think relying upon AF to always get the shot for you is one of them ... AF is a nice convenience but what I see is a generation of photographers who are utterly helpless without it from the internet posts on the subject.

Tell you what: send me a check for $500 and I'll shoot a night rodeo for you with the E-M1. And I'll return your money if the photo editor at any of the local newspapers says the photos are not technically up to par for publication. 🙂

G

 

[cosmonaut]

The lighting in the cow pasture rodeos I go to are quit dim. Yes I have tried several cameras. If someone is paying you $50.00 for an 8x10 on a bull they may ride less than a few seconds you better have the right gear to get the shot. You might can do it with an E-M1and you are better than I but my E-M5 failed miserably.

 

[Godfrey]

The lighting in the cow pasture rodeos I go to are quit dim. Yes I have tried several cameras. If someone is paying you $50.00 for an 8x10 on a bull they may ride less than a few seconds you better have the right gear to get the shot. You might can do it with an E-M1and you are better than I but my E-M5 failed miserably.

If someone is paying me $50 for an 8x10, and that's my only compensation for the work involved, I see no purpose to spending $3500+ for a camera to satisfy them. I'm surely not going to shoot these events for my own satisfaction. ;-)

G

 

[cosmonaut]

No one camera does everything the best. The Nikon D800 is a wonderful tool for some things that it does the best. For the rest, it's an overly large and heavy lump to lug around.

This same principle applies to film cameras, BTW. A Hassy 500CM is one of my favorite cameras, but it is next to useless in many many situations.

I don't think I've shot star trails in two dozen years. No interest. Don't shoot sunsets either ... Boring. Rodeos at night? If I was paid to, only, and I'd rent the right gear for that and charge the client for the rental.

The Olympus E-M1 is very versatile, probably an order of magnitude more versatile than my M9, but like any other piece of equipment (including the M9) it has its limits. Not that I think relying upon AF to always get the shot for you is one of them ... AF is a nice convenience but what I see is a generation of photographers who are utterly helpless without it from the internet posts on the subject.

Tell you what: send me a check for $500 and I'll shoot a night rodeo for you with the E-M1. And I'll return your money if the photo editor at any of the local newspapers says the photos are not technically up to par for publication. 🙂

G

Godfrey I have always had a great deal of respect for you. You are an accomplished seasoned photographer with a vast knowledge and you share freely. I feel in this thread you have gotten personal and belittling. No I don't like Rodeos. I have a friend who is 62 years old and he is mentally challenged, Troy, I have been taking him to rodeos for about three years. In that time I have gotten to know some of the riders. They ask will I and how much? So I say yes. Heck I am already there why not make some cash and pay for the trip.
If you think my big whopping D800 is overkill then that's fine. Or find it funny what I use it for then fine. At least I am happy.

 

[marcr1230]

Seems like we've gotten a little of track

Can we please stay on topic?

This thread is supposed to be about me and
My flaws - not other people's !