Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II - A Review

[Rajan Parrikar]

Part 1 - http://pindelski.org/Photography/2015/03/02/olympus-om-d-e-m5-mark-ii-part-i/

Part 2 - http://pindelski.org/Photography/2015/03/03/olympus-om-d-e-m5-mark-ii-part-ii/

[nma]

Save a click: Parikar's bottom line.

"This has been the single worst camera experience I have ever had and I urge you to avoid this poorly designed piece of hardware and buy two GX7s instead if MFT is your thing. ..."

[Mjollnir]

Huh.  Think I'll just stick with my GH4.

[Denis de Gannes]

This review is not supported by lots of other reviews.

[degrub]

An example of menu hell with a dash of buttons if you read the blog. As an
EM5 user, i can understand the frustration.

Frank

[Guillermo Luijk]

"I am quickly learning that the only solution for the truly miserable menu design in the E-M5 Mark II is to procure a baseball bat and go in search of the committee which designed this execrable excrescence.

Dial up the Menu system by hitting the Menu button on the back panel and you get this – the overlay pops up after a second instantly obscuring your menu choices."

It is true the overlay popping up is horrible. It is also true the overlay can be disabled sine die (at least in my E-P5).

[Isaac]

"I had taken the precaution of downloading the 177 page instruction book from Oly’s web site to mug up on the vicious learning curve most modern digital cameras involve …"

"Dial up the Menu system by hitting the Menu button on the back panel and you get this – the overlay pops up after a second instantly obscuring your menu choices. … Where the user simply wants to scan the choices he can no longer do so and I can find no way of turning the intrusive overlay off."

I'm completely unfamiliar with Olympus cameras; perhaps that allowed me the humility to look in the Table of Contents and recognise the section titled "Basic menu operations" might be a good place to look.

4 Menu functions
Basic menu operations
• A guide is displayed for about 2 seconds after you select an option.
• Press the INFO button to view or hide guides.

pdf Instruction Manual, page 84

I wonder if that does the trick?



"Oly claims splash proofing for its body. I live in California so have no way to test that."

Even with the current mandatory restrictions on water usage, it would really need very little water from the faucet to splash such a small camera body :-)

[Telecaster]

The menu pop-ups are easily turned off…took me about 5 seconds to figure it out the first time I switched on an E-M5. Now the menu system is for sure a bit of a labyrinth. But once you get it all set up you can use the Super Control Panel for nearly everything not settable or adjustable via a button or dial.

IMO the author has let unfamiliarity and frustration get in the way of a proper review. Shoulda let it sit for a few days and then given it another pass through before posting.

I remember the first time I had to restring a Danelectro guitar. It was such a PITA I was soon ready to throw the thing against the nearest wall. But I put the guitar down, did something else for a while, then came back to it & figured out a way to get it done. Danelectros are quirky guitars but I love 'em anyway. Olympus has a very detailed menu system…but the cameras are very customizable.

-Dave-

[pcgpcg]

... Shoulda let it sit for a few days and then given it another pass through before posting...

Save a click: Parikar's bottom line...
"This has been the single worst camera experience I have ever had and I urge you to avoid this poorly designed piece of hardware and buy two GX7s instead if MFT is your thing. ..."

Just to be clear... the LL poster, Rajan Parrikar, is not the author of the review.

[Centauri]

Good read. I think it will be my next camera.

regards

[Manoli]

Here's another one ..
www.eoshd.com/2015/03/olympus-e-m5-mark-ii-love-and-hate-at-first-sight/

[Paulo Bizarro]

There are brands that have more user friendly menus than others, but honestly, if one takes the time to learn the menus in enough depth to set the camera to how we shoot, it should not be a show stopper.

For example, the menu in my Sony A7II can be frustrating at times, compared to my Canon 6D, but it takes just a few minutes to figure it out.

It's not rocket science after all...

[AFairley]

Everyone dumps on the Oly menus, but ignores that the reason they are like that is that the camera is highly highly highly configurable to a particular shooters preferences/needs, AND that that configuration can then be saved (all parameters, not a subset like in the Nikon implementation that makes the feature essentially useless) for quick recall.  I'll go with the Oly menus over any other manufacturers any day.

[BobDavid]

Everyone dumps on the Oly menus, but ignores that the reason they are like that is that the camera is highly highly highly configurable to a particular shooters preferences/needs, AND that that configuration can then be saved (all parameters, not a subset like in the Nikon implementation that makes the feature essentially useless) for quick recall.  I'll go with the Oly menus over any other manufacturers any day.

Agreed. Once I got the hang of my first Oly, an EPL-1, I began to appreciate the menu layout. I love the EM-1 and the EPL-5. They are highly, highly configurable and capable tools. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my EM-5 II. I'd like to mount it on a Cambo Actus and use the multi-shot function. I use the Olys for still photography exclusively. In-camera five-axis stabilization is a miracle of modern technology. If I were intent on shooting video, I'd go with Panasonic or Black Magic.

[bcooter]

Everyone dumps on the Oly menus, but ignores that the reason they are like that is that the camera is highly highly highly configurable to a particular shooters preferences/needs, AND that that configuration can then be saved (all parameters, not a subset like in the Nikon implementation that makes the feature essentially useless) for quick recall.  I'll go with the Oly menus over any other manufacturers any day.

I have two olys the em5 and em1 maybe buy the em52 when we do a video test in a few weeks, so I guess I got a dog in this hunt.

Nobody dumps on the menus sytem because it's configurable, (though it could be a lot easier to navigate).

The problem is when you make a change and then go back to adjust that same change, the menu doesn't revert to where you left off and since the menus have so many subsections it takes either a video taping of your setups or one big legal pad.

IMO

BC

[Isaac]

The problem is when you make a change and then go back to adjust that same change, the menu doesn't revert to where you left off and since the menus have so many subsections it takes either a video taping of your setups or one big legal pad.

Maybe this does the trick?

Menu Recall
Set [Recall] to display the cursor at the last position of
operation when you display a menu. The cursor position will
be retained even when you turn off the camera.

pdf Instruction Manual, page 103

[geesbert]

What a dork! He should get an Iphone if he can't handle a proper camera..


- The info overlay can be switched off or on by: the info button, what a surprise!

- the mark 2 now can be set to remember the last looked at menue item

- the yellow box is a feature, not a bug, the raw file is always the full sensor frame, he must have set the camera to 2/3 size (it's a 4/3 sensor!)

- I can't recall any camera who was supported by LR when the came out, but LR 6 is imminent

- nearly every button can be switched off, read the manual!

- the ISO/WB setting can be set by moving the fn1 switch down to 2. Up on 1 the camera behaves just normal

- the quick setting screen is such a brilliant feature, especially by using touch, I don't know of any camera that allows so many settings done within one touch a a scroll of the wheel.


I got my mark 2 today, setting it up took less than 20 minutes by going through the menue list. there are hundreds of settings, agreed, but at least the menue makes sense (ever tried a Sony A7r?). I must say that i use a em1 on a daily basis for a few months now.

not being able to save all the settings to card is a major omisson, I agree. But once you have done it a few times it all makes sense.

the OMD series is the most brilliant camera system on the market today. Canon should be ashamed of what the offer. I only wish Olympus would offer a larger sensor version.

[elf]

I think the reviewer deserves an award as the most incompetent reviewer of the year (excluding, of course, anyone at dpreview).

[scooby70]

What a dork! He should get an Iphone if he can't handle a proper camera..

...but at least the menue makes sense (ever tried a Sony A7r?).

May I refer you to your earlier advice?

[scooby70]

I think the reviewer deserves an award as the most incompetent reviewer of the year (excluding, of course, anyone at dpreview).

Maybe but he can't be all bad as he likes the Panasonic G1. I have one and if it had a cutting edge sensor and a better EVF it's possibly be my favourite camera.