Little Big Camera

[BobDavid]

Multi-shot photograph taken with an Olympus EM-5 II / 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro lens. The RAW file is a bit larger than 18" X 24" @ 360 DPI. Having used Sinar and Blad MFD multi-shot backs (2006 through 2012), I think the Oly files are nearly comparable. The OM-5 II is extremely compact, light, and versatile. I use multi-shot mode for taking pictures of static subjects--just as one would with any multi-shot system extant. I like crisp images, so bokeh is not an issue. The Oly does not require tethering, live view is great, and manual focusing in extremely dark settings is a cinch. ISO 400, no problem.

[Hank Keeton]

Very nice.

Is this "focus-stacking," or "stitch?"

Cheers,

Hank

[BobDavid]

Very nice.

Is this "focus-stacking," or "stitch?"

Cheers,

Hank

No stitching, no stacking--just one RAW file.

[Jeremy Roussak]

The RAW file is a bit larger than 18" X 24" @ 360 DPI.

No stitching, no stacking--just one RAW file.

Your EM-5 II has a 54MP sensor?

Jeremy

[Johnny_Johnson]

Multi-shot.

[BobDavid]

Your EM-5 II has a 54MP sensor?

Jeremy

The sensor is 16 MP. The multi-shot mode quadruples resolution, improves color accuracy, and eliminates moire.

[Mike Sellers]

looks like the MS capability of this camera is the industries best kept secret

[BobDavid]

looks like the MS capability of this camera is the industries best kept secret

I don't think Phase and Hassey dealers care to discuss this.

[Paul2660]

Multi shot is a great idea. In the past with MS MF movement was an issue. Does the Oly work well with movement?  Leaves or water? 

Paul C

Paul

[razrblck]

Multi shot is a great idea. In the past with MS MF movement was an issue. Does the Oly work well with movement?  Leaves or water?

Someone should test this. There seem to be no limitation on shutter speed and you can disable the short pause between each shot.

Provided you have enough light to shoot at 1/8000th and considering it has to take 8 shots, you could get it done in less than 1/500th of a second if the camera is fast enough. Using the 1/16000th electronic shutter would speed things up even more, but I think this doesn't work in all shooting modes. You would also need a really stable setup to limit blur since you don't have IS active.

I assume you would still get minor artifacts on flowing water and rustling Leaves, but if you can get a model to stand still and be sharp at 1/60th, you can probably get this working as well.

Strobes will still work in this mode for each of the 8 shots, but you need really fast recycling times with the pause between each shot disabled.

[Theodoros]

I don't think Phase and Hassey dealers care to discuss this.

+1... I'm sure Phase one & Leaf dealers wouldn't...

I'm also sure that if you had a direct comparison with a "fat pixel" multishot MFDB you would change your mind on the margin of the difference... but this later one the dealers wouldn't like to discuss twice as much...   

[Theodoros]

Someone should test this. There seem to be no limitation on shutter speed and you can disable the short pause between each shot.

Provided you have enough light to shoot at 1/8000th and considering it has to take 8 shots, you could get it done in less than 1/500th of a second if the camera is fast enough. Using the 1/16000th electronic shutter would speed things up even more, but I think this doesn't work in all shooting modes. You would also need a really stable setup to limit blur since you don't have IS active.

I assume you would still get minor artifacts on flowing water and rustling Leaves, but if you can get a model to stand still and be sharp at 1/60th, you can probably get this working as well.

Strobes will still work in this mode for each of the 8 shots, but you need really fast recycling times with the pause between each shot disabled.

The blair on the grass is obvious... and less so on some leafs behind the trees... Certainly not the kind of scene that multishot is ideal for, but it is clear on the thick woods the magnitude of superiority one might expect from multishot "true color" captures when compared with anything that is bayer pattern interpolated for stills...  I thought of the Olympus (not to replace my two MS backs of course) but decided to wait until next year for a FF Pentax with multishot capability as to replace my Nikons...

[SZRitter]

Someone should test this. There seem to be no limitation on shutter speed and you can disable the short pause between each shot.

Provided you have enough light to shoot at 1/8000th and considering it has to take 8 shots, you could get it done in less than 1/500th of a second if the camera is fast enough. Using the 1/16000th electronic shutter would speed things up even more, but I think this doesn't work in all shooting modes. You would also need a really stable setup to limit blur since you don't have IS active.

I assume you would still get minor artifacts on flowing water and rustling Leaves, but if you can get a model to stand still and be sharp at 1/60th, you can probably get this working as well.

Strobes will still work in this mode for each of the 8 shots, but you need really fast recycling times with the pause between each shot disabled.

When it first came out, someone posted a photo of a rocky shoreline, and the water was leaving a good amount of artifacts. If you halved the image (so it is 1/4 the original area, 50% on the sides), you could remove the artifacts pretty well, but then you were left with about a 10MP image. Mind you, it was a fairly high quality 10MP with virtually no discernible noise and spot on color.

What I haven't seen was the same/similar scene done with long shutter speeds. Can you shoot it with bulb in the multishot mode?

[synn]

One of the British sites did test this cam with nature scenes in multishot mode and concluded that it leaves artifacts in the sky, moving water, leaves etc. it has the same inherent limitations that multishot always have had.

For outdoors, I personally prefer shift stitching with a larger mp cam/ back to be more useful.

[BobDavid]

+1... I'm sure Phase one & Leaf dealers wouldn't...

I'm also sure that if you had a direct comparison with a "fat pixel" multishot MFDB you would change your mind on the margin of the difference... but this later one the dealers wouldn't like to discuss twice as much...   

I've had a couple of Blad "fat pixel" multi-shot backs and have used the Sinar 54 M. Sure, CCD fat pixel sensors render a different look. Is it better? It kinda depends. ... I like the dynamic range, higher ISO, workflow, and the versatility of the Oly way more than MFD. I once earned a living photographing and reproducing fine art. My businesses depended on MS technology. My studio was equipped with a CF39-MS, H2F, several HC lenses, and a pancake camera/Schneider 72mm digitar + electronic shutter. That MS setup had to be tethered to a workstation that included an Eizo Color Edge monitor. The copy stand alone weighed 400 pounds. That was very demanding/fussy work.

The Oly was never intended for that type of operation.

I would not ever have dreamed of taking a "fat pixel" MS kit out into the field, especially at night and in inclement weather. The Oly premium and Pro lenses are champs. I hated the Hasselblad HC 35mm and the HC 50mm Mark I.

Even though the Oly employs a MFT 16 MP sensor, the single-shot files are nice so long as the ISO stays at 200 and the better lenses are used. I've made some 24" X 32" prints that are tack-sharp, noise-free, and really pop.

[Theodoros]

I've had a couple of Blad "fat pixel" multi-shot backs and have used the Sinar 54 M. Sure, CCD fat pixel sensors render a different look. Is it better? It kinda depends. ... I like the dynamic range, higher ISO, workflow, and the versatility of the Oly way more than MFD. I once earned a living photographing and reproducing fine art. My businesses depended on MS technology. My studio was equipped with a CF39-MS, H2F, several HC lenses, and a pancake camera/Schneider 72mm digitar + electronic shutter. That MS setup had to be tethered to a workstation that included an Eizo Color Edge monitor. The copy stand alone weighed 400 pounds. That was very demanding/fussy work.

The Oly was never intended for that type of operation.

I would not ever have dreamed of taking a "fat pixel" MS kit out into the field, especially at night and in inclement weather. The Oly premium and Pro lenses are champs. I hated the Hasselblad HC 35mm and the HC 50mm Mark I.

Even though the Oly employs a MFT 16 MP sensor, the single-shot files are nice so long as the ISO stays at 200 and the better lenses are used. I've made some 24" X 32" prints that are tack-sharp, noise-free, and really pop.

Sinarback 54H & Blad CF-39MS is also what I use Bob... Earlier than that it was the Imacon 528c... Glad to find one that has used the same equipment (I think you did a mistake and called the 54H ...54M... the 54M is single shot only), I use Contax 645 and Fuji GX680 though... never went for a Blad or a Phamyia, the only other plarform I ever considered was the Rollei...

[BobDavid]

Sinarback 54H & Blad CF-39MS is also what I use Bob... Earlier than that it was the Imacon 528c... Glad to find one that has used the same equipment (I think you did a mistake and called the 54H ...54M... the 54M is single shot only), I use Contax 645 and Fuji GX680 though... never went for a Blad or a Phamyia, the only other plarform I ever considered was the Rollei...

I always confuse the M for the H. ... The Imacon 384c was my first back--a 36mm X 36mm version of its big brother, the 528c.

[EricWHiss]

uh oh now I will have to upgrade my OM 5D…  I'm a big fan of multi-shot and have been curious about the new Oly.  I use my OM-5d mostly for family stuff but...

You can sometimes get away with multishot outside with the CF - 528  - definitely there can be some artifacts in the clouds / sky but if you take a single frame and just overlay it its not that big a deal.  I have also taken lots of flower shots and things in studio with multishot.  The flowers move/wilt under the studio lights but do it slowly.