FYI
Today worked with the S2 on set.
Great camera, focuses well, not dslr like, but the Leica 120 is pretty, the file is very nice.
In the process when we changed sets, did a little quick test.
Shot our p30+ on my contax with the 140 zeiss. and for grins did about 25 frames on the olympus em-1 and the em-5 with the 75mm oly lens.
Now these are widely different cameras and format sizes.
Result.
the S2 is pretty does everything well, running to a hot folder on Lightroom. It takes about 3 to 4 seconds an image for the frame to come up (applying settings in lightroom) running the last 17" macbook pro with thunderbolt, a 27" monitor, the Leica tethered through usb 2.
iso 360, using hmi lighting.
The Contax, almost identical in file quality to the S2. In fact I can't tell a difference in regards to sharpness and detail compared to the S2. The difference is running the p30+ to C1 v6 using fw 800 the full preview is almost instant, with adjustment settings.
iso 400 using hmi lighting
The focus is identical to the S2, though just a little faster, a little more precise and no hunting where the S2 did some hunting. The tethering speed in C-1 is just mind blowing fast.
The Olympus em-1. I won't use this for the whole project because it won't tether, but the color and look is almost identical to the phase one. Obviously less detail but only about 25% less at the most. Nice file, fast buffering and instant focus. The focus is just crazy fast on this camera.
iso 400 using hmi lighting.
The Olympus em-5. Once again I won't use this for the whole project because of tethering but the look of this file is way different than the other three. It has more nose but it's grain like noise, sharpness detail slightly less then the em-1, same with the p30+ and S2.
iso 400, using hmi lighting.
Now the look of the file. 180 degrees from the other cameras. Crazy film like, I mean if this was scanned 35mm file you'd say uh yea, sure.
I can make all of these camera files look good, but the em-5 just blew us all away. I mean everyone including the AD that said, wow that is cool, which camera did you use . . . the leica. I said no this little one and he said oh come one.
My point?
These are different cameras, costs widely different numbers, all have a place but on set, in controlled conditions, any of the 4 will work more than professionally.
The p30+ just is insane that it's 8 years old, on a body and lens that is out of production and it easily equals the S2. The only difference is it's larger, heavier and requires two sets of batteries, plus the lcd is less than good, but anyone that thinks medium format is over priced hasn't used a digital camera like this for 7 years. That averages about $4,700 per year.
The em1 is by far the best shooting of the four. Focus is instant, always sharp, always obvious and the file is professional but not much different in look of the two medium format cameras. It just lacks some detail in comparison.
The em-5. This is a commercial project, but the em-5 is art. I don't know what olympus did to that sony sensor, but man if they made it larger with the build quality of the em-1 and could tether, they'd own the world.
FWIW we only did 5 frames with the Canon 1dx, just to make sure everything was running well and since we had a heavy day, I really couldn't compared cameras. I did all these quick tests in minutes.
But honestly the 1dx didn't shoot 1 bit better than the olympus either one.
So my real point?
Use what you like and don't worry about dxo, pixel peeping, or anything that gets in the way of your photography it, because all of these cameras are very good.
My third point. Why didn't Sony (since they work with olympus), come out with the 5 axis stabilization and why not ask the olympus guys how they got the look of the em-5 sensor out of the a sony sensor?
IMO
BC