DPReview review of Olympus OM-D

[thebatman]

Looks like DPReview's evaluation of the OM-D is up, and conclusions are very favorable:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/04/30/Olympus-OM-D-E-M5-review

I've been thinking for a while of picking up a compact system and the OM-D might be the one for me (tempted by the NEX too, but I like the smaller lenses of the 4/3 format).

Does anyone remember Michael mentioning if he would review the OM-D?  With his experience with compact systems I'd be very interested in his opinion of this camera.

Some good quotes:
"The E-M5 can't completely overcome the light capture disadvantage brought by its smaller sensor, compared to APS-C, but it reduces it to the point that it's irrelevant for almost all practical purposes. At which point we think its size advantage, in terms of both body and lenses, will outweigh that difference for most uses. If you're absolutely unwilling to compromise on image quality then spending twice the money and moving up to the bulk of a full-frame is the only way of gaining a significant step up from the E-M5."

"The E-M5 is, without question, the most accomplished Micro Four Thirds camera we've yet seen and, given how well established the system has become, it vies for the title of most capable mirrorless option yet. It's not entirely without flaws and, predictably, most of those relate to continuous autofocus. But, for the most part, the E-M5 is simply an awful lot of camera in a compact and attractive body. It's a nice camera to use and the images it takes are just as enjoyable. Without any reservations whatsoever, it deserves our Gold Award."

[BJL]

Given all the agonizing over the DR of the 5D3 vs D800 and so on, I will be very interested to see how the claims of greatly improved DR in the OM-D E-M5 over most previous 4/3 format cameras (all except possibly the GH2) hold up. The DPReview tests various JPEG modes, so will certainly not satisfy all the hardcore testers and data analysts here, so we at least need to wait on DX0, but the DPReview results along with testing by private users with DX0 software do at least hint at substantial progress, in a way that 5D3 testing does not: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusem5/17

My question is, assuming that this is a true substantial improvement over most previous 4/3? sensors, including the fairly new one of the G3 and GX1, and if indeed the DR is even better than in the Sony NEX-7 and Samsung NX200, is this due to a significantly new sensor technology, such as the column-parallel ADC of recent Sony sensors?

As background, most previous 4/3 sensors have traditional analog (voltage) output, with off-board ADC, while the GH1 and GH2 sensors do ADC on the sensor chip. This makes me guess that Panasonic is already doing something like column-parallel ADC in those multi-aspect ratio sensors for its top of the line video-oriented models, the GH1 and GH2, but I have not seen any official statement on this. Maybe Panasonic is now willing to sell this newer, better sensor technology to Olympus, but at a high enough price that it can only go in the Olympus OM-D E-M5, the most expensive m4/3 body so far.

Of course, one thought here is that if this is a real step forward for DR from these small photosites (equivalent to 25MP in Canon's EF-S format, 64MP in 35mm, format!), combined with the good video abilities of the hacked GH2, then the Canon sensor designers have their feet to the fire for the next generation of sensors.


Anyway, apart from the weakness of this and any CDAF cameras in AF on moving subjects, this body and the m4/3 lens system looks like a great package in its size and weight class; I might be ready to move on from my DSLRs.

[michael]

Olympus hasn't offered one for review yet.

Michael

[BJL]

Olympus hasn't offered one for review yet.

While we are waiting on Olympus, may I put in a plug for Mike Johnston's comments on the OM-D E-M5, which he is buying and so I expect him to review: see April 24 at The Online Photographer

Mile Johnston has long had an orientation to small, agile cameras (like Leica M's), so I look forward to his m4/3 commentary.

Also, a surprise to me: fine printing fanatic Ctein (he of the "we need 200MP for perfect prints" argument) has written there about efforts at getting the finest possible print from his current "go everywhere" camera --- a 12MP Olympus Pen E-P1!

[thebatman]

Michael, glad to see you gave in on the OM-D    Mine is still on backorder, but I had one as a rental last weekend and was very impressed indeed.  Look forward to your thoughts.

[OldRoy]

In the last six months or so I've been looking for a take-(almost) everywhere camera. After years of lugging Nikon DSLR systems around I've finally had enough; I can easily find excuses to leave them behind unless someone's paying me and/or I'm driving right up to the location. I'm sure most people here have experienced something similar. I've had a Nikon P6000 for a long time but although this can be persuaded to produce acceptable results under controlled conditions, I've never actually enjoyed using it.

I took a look at the V1 - the attraction being the ability to use existing lenses occasionally for casual wildlife photography. The NEX series has always been a contender too - if only in theory. Finally the X-Pro 1 looked like the answer - at first. I read reviews and user reports until my head spun. I handled the V1 and Fuji a couple of times, albeit under the constraints of a shop environment: both generated serious reservations for different reasons. Then I took a look at the OMD.

I'd seen comments long the lines "don't handle this camera unless you're prepared to take out your cc." I wasn't, but I did. It's hard to define exactly what makes a camera feel right but the OMD felt right, immediately, unlike the others. I'm resistant to the appeal of "retro", per se, but the physical design of the OMD is a convincing recap of positive attributes from an earlier generation of SLRs. A couple of other photographers I've handed it to reacted identically.

There are plenty of reports and examples out there from users more competent and experienced than myself, so I'll omit the attempt to be comprehensive. I don't like offering up hostages to fortune at the best of times. But I'll offer a few comments based on a couple of weeks intermittent and casual "tests".

It's really very small and the controls are quite cramped; I have fairly small hands that even so haven't got accustomed to negotiating them. The extensively customisable dual-dial plus buttons make for very convenient routine adjustment... once you've got them set up. The live histogram - how did I ever live without it? I have the 12-50 kit zoom which is, er, a slow kit-zoom, plus the Panasonic 14/2.5 and 20/2.8 lenses. The latter of these is, to my eyes, excellent. The others are perfectly acceptable, for what they are, even if the 14mm lens never really sharpens up at the extremities.

On the downside the menu system is, inevitably, labrythine. The extensive customise-ability seems to offer the possibility of quite a few conflicts, for example between what is presented on the display vs the EVF. I often end up doing a bit of random button-stabbing. This is sometimes connected with the fact that the default focus rectangle is huge. I've been trying some of my MF Nikkors. The ability to magnify the vf image is connected with resizing the focus rectangle in such a way that if you zoom in to the maximum it is actually reduced to something like a reasonable size when zoomed out again: at which stage the live histogram has vanished, temporarily, until another button-stab. After which the focus rectangle is back to oversize. Now all this may well be due to my stupidity - it often is. But I've resorted to leaving well alone for the present, I can work around the confusion even if it slows things down a bit. I have however encountered a couple of situations when  the oversize focus grid seems to have contributed to mis-focusing; OTOH I'm not really used to predicting the way cd focusing systems behave.

As for IQ, it looks pretty acceptable to me. My own photographic limitations massively outweigh marginal differences in s/n ratios or resolution, even though I'm as big a sucker as anyone when it comes to specifications. I did a couple of quick and dirty comparisons with a D700 and 24/70 2.8 at equivalents and in decent light and was surprised how good the processed RAWs looked. The biggest problem I have currently is that the Olympus Viewer software is pretty awful when it comes to the mechanics of RAW conversion - although the output looks OK. They could at least include automatic ca correction. And there's no dedicated highlight/shadow recovery options - you have to mess about with exposure and curves. I've got used to CNX2.

My D700 seems to have got far heavier in the last few weeks. There are some very nice lenses already available for MFT and many more on the way. I could easily see myself using this system (in some form) exclusively. I look forward to seeing reactions to this camera from some of the more exacting and perceptive LL contributors - and Mike Johnstone's take on it, too.

Sorry, this ended up longer than I'd intended.

Roy

[Martin Ocando]

Roy, you mean the Panasonic 20mm f:1.7, since there is no 2.8 as far as I know.

I'm also a convert from Canon DSLR, and it became second nature the moment I held my G3 in my hands. Every day I travel to work in a very long and stressful commute, almost 3 hours back and forth. And I usually encounter pretty good street photography and some landscape subjects in my travels, but having to lug around a Canon 60D with a big Sigma 17-70mm f:2.8-4, was not pretty. I ended up using the 50mm only, and having two bags, one for the camera and one for the laptop, hauling them around bus stops and cramped buses made me look elsewhere.
I didn't cared for the m43 format, since I thought (wrongly) that the sensor was smaller than 4/3. When I realized that what changed was the flange distance, and lenses and cameras could be built smaller, but using the same sensor size, I got very excited. In fact was the OM-D, the camera that made me consider the m43 format. I've always appreciated the OM system of cameras and superb lenses.
I didn't got the OM-D, since I knew it were going to be a nightmare to get one, so I ended up with a Panasonic G3. Is in one word tiny, but packed with amazing features, like a really useful EVF and superb lenses. I also got the 20mm f:1.7, the kit 14-42mm and a 45-200mm. The later is an amazing little gem. There are some that say is not very sharp, but in my case I found it to be sharp even wide open. You just need good light. It won't do magic in low light, that is for sure.

Now, I'm very excited to know that Michael have an OM-D for a long term hands on test. I'd love to see what he finds out regarding not only the OM-D, but the whole m43 system as a whole. How same size prints compare with his also new D800E, etc.

[OldRoy]

Martin indeed I do have the Panasonic 20mm 1.7. I'm also considering buying an Olympus 45mm 1.8 which is getting excellent reviews across  the board.
Roy

[Martin Ocando]

Martin indeed I do have the Panasonic 20mm 1.7. I'm also considering buying an Olympus 45mm 1.8 which is getting excellent reviews across  the board.
Roy

Agree. It seems to be one sweet lens. Sadly it doesn't have IS for my Panasonic G3, so I'll have to keep that in mind, but being 1.8 is not such big a deal to achieve hand holding speed at lower ISO. I've heard DOF and Bokeh is creamy.

[BernardLanguillier]

The OMD is for sure a very appealing carry around camera. It is readily available in Tokyo and is high on my list as a complement to the D800 and J1.

How easy is it to reach critical focus with MF lenses (say a voigtlander 20mm or Leica M 21mm)?

Cheers,
Bernard

[BarbaraArmstrong]

Yesterday I was at my camera store and finally got my hands on their samples of the Olympus OM-D EM-5 and the Nikon D800.  For weeks (months) I had thought I would buy both when they were in stock, and had pre-ordered the Nikon (E version) soon after it was announced.  I wanted a camera smaller and lighter than my Panasonic GH2, and smaller/lighter and lots more MP than my Nikon D3.  Well, after holding them both, I'm not going to buy either one.  The Nikon was heavier and uglier than I had expected, and did not feel good in the hand.  I know, this is a camera for the tripod, but you have to get it there, from home to wherever, and it is heavy (they had Nikon's 85mm lens on it).  The focus was nice, but that's not typically how I'm operating a camera on a tripod.  Now we get to the Olympus, the subject of this thread.  I was really disappointed in the Olympus, for a somewhat different reason.  It also didn't feel very good in the hand, and the biggest problem with this small camera is that there was no security to the grip.  I'm accustomed to putting my fingers around the GH-2 and being able to do anything with my arm I want, and that camera isn't going anywhere.  The little Olympus would go flying at the least provocation.  And I'm going to add another point to all of you who are extolling the virtues of the EM-5.  Not all these 4/3rds sensors are created equal.  Using the resolutions listed on the DPReview site, let me compare the effective megapixels you get with the GH2 and the EM-5.  They both give you 15.9 MP at the 4:3 image ratio.  At 3:2, the GH2 gives you 15.1 MP, while the EM-5 gives you 14.15.  At 16:9, the GH2 gives you 13.9 MP while the EM-5 uses 11.9 MP.  And they both come in at 11.94 at the 1:1 ratio.  Just some food for thought.  --Barbara

[OldRoy]

The OMD is for sure a very appealing carry around camera. It is readily available in Tokyo and is high on my list as a complement to the D800 and J1.

How easy is it to reach critical focus with MF lenses (say a voigtlander 20mm or Leica M 21mm)?

Cheers,
Bernard

Hi Bernard.
The magnify function works well, assigned to one of three possible buttons. At present I've got stuck with a workable configuration that isn't ideal - for example the stabilisation of the evf when magnified looks more unstable than it might and I believe this can be improved. But you can still see clearly when you hit focus. I've been playing about with this using an 200 F4 Nikkor. Obviously you're looking through the lens at the set aperture unless you have time to focus wide open and then adjust but the evf compensates adequately. I haven't yet tried this off a tripod using the display. I imagine it would be even better.

For me optimising the controls, and getting familiar with navigating them whilst looking through the evf, is something that's going to take time. I have several times encountered what might, or might not, be conflicting set up options too. However I must say I really enjoy using this camera already!

Roy

[Wolfgang_F]

Hi Roy, last week I bought the OM-D EM-5 here in Nuremberg and spent a considerable amount of time scanning German forums for the optimal configuration of the camera.
Especially I focused on the optimal handling if you want to adapt old lenses (like Minolta MD 50mm 1,4 or MD 200mm 4,0). I proceeded in the following way for "my" optimal configuration:
1. Be sure that the super control panel (SCP) is active (->camera settings: D Disp)
2. Assign the magnify function to button "Fn2" (-> camera settings: B Button/Dial)
3. Enable image stabilization when the shuter button is pressed halfway (-> camera settings: C Release)
Whenever I mount a MF lense, I at first go into the SCP and touch the image stabilizer button. A new menue pops up which offers a direct change of the focal length using the "info button". value= 200 e.g. for MD 200mm.
After this initial set-up you can activate the green magnifier rectangle via button "Fn2". If required you resize the rectangle or change the x-y-position.
When you press the "Fn2" a second time the magnified live view is active. If you press the release shutter half way the image is stabilized and you can finally adjust the focus and release the shutter or return to the non-magnified view by shortly pressing the "Fn2" a third time. If you press the "Fn2" about 1/2 a second
the green rectangle totally vanishes.
On my Flickr page you find some images I recently took in order to test the M.Zuiko 20mm 2,0 and the already mentioned MD lenses; all images are freehand without image postprocessing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79688720@N07/

Cheers, Wolfgang.

[OldRoy]

Wolfgang.
Thanks very much - items 1 and 2 are already how I have the camera set however your expanded explanation of item 3 is very useful. I tend to get stuck for a time with a lazy "just about workable" configuration...

As an aside, my camera tends to underexpose quite a bit on the 12-50 kit lens in matrix metering mode (haven't checked anything else) and similarly to a lesser extent with the Panasonic primes. The live histogram is so useful that this seems pretty irrelevant really.

Roy

[leuallen]

Has anybody mentioned the Shadows/Highlight mode in the EVF? I think it is really great. Shadows show up as blue and Highlights are orangish. I meter by cranking up the exposure compensation until I just see orange in the highlights (ignoring speculars), then back off one click. You are assured that you have max exposure with no clipped highlights. You can set the shadow and highlight thresholds in the menu but I just use the defaults, 0 and 255. It is very fast and accurate in practice.

The main problems with it is that there is no icon in the EVF to indicate that it is active so I find myself trying to use it and it is not there. You can toggle different modes with the Info button, so sometimes it inadvertently get changed to another mode and I don't know it.

The worst thing though is that if you use touch focus to reduce the size of the focus box and actually see it (I have a hard time seeing the focus box), S/H gets turned off - not available. I don't understand why. I also like the touch focus implementation and want to use both but can't.

As long as I am bitching, I don't like the back button focus lock setup that Olympus uses. I much prefer the GH2 method. With Oly, the button refocuses on each press and you are confined to using only this to focus, no half press, without going into the menu or using workarounds which have other problems. With the GH2, press to focus and green focus box is shown. Focus is now locked. Press again and green focus box disappears and half press focus is active. So if I want to change from back button to half press, which I often do, it is quick and easy. If I want to refocus a locked focus, two quick presses does it. Easy to remember and do. 

Larry

[BernardLanguillier]

Hi Roy, last week I bought the OM-D EM-5 here in Nuremberg and spent a considerable amount of time scanning German forums for the optimal configuration of the camera.
Especially I focused on the optimal handling if you want to adapt old lenses (like Minolta MD 50mm 1,4 or MD 200mm 4,0). I proceeded in the following way for "my" optimal configuration:
1. Be sure that the super control panel (SCP) is active (->camera settings: D Disp)
2. Assign the magnify function to button "Fn2" (-> camera settings: B Button/Dial)
3. Enable image stabilization when the shuter button is pressed halfway (-> camera settings: C Release)
Whenever I mount a MF lense, I at first go into the SCP and touch the image stabilizer button. A new menue pops up which offers a direct change of the focal length using the "info button". value= 200 e.g. for MD 200mm.
After this initial set-up you can activate the green magnifier rectangle via button "Fn2". If required you resize the rectangle or change the x-y-position.
When you press the "Fn2" a second time the magnified live view is active. If you press the release shutter half way the image is stabilized and you can finally adjust the focus and release the shutter or return to the non-magnified view by shortly pressing the "Fn2" a third time. If you press the "Fn2" about 1/2 a second
the green rectangle totally vanishes.
On my Flickr page you find some images I recently took in order to test the M.Zuiko 20mm 2,0 and the already mentioned MD lenses; all images are freehand without image postprocessing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79688720@N07/

Cheers, Wolfgang.

Thanks Wolfgang, this is very useful.

Cheers,
Bernard

[OldRoy]

Another point worth noting is that the IS function is keyed to F/L. Use SCP > IS > OK > info. Info jumps the selection to the F/L box which you can then adjust using <>. I still haven't determined under what circumstances this is critical however it isn't obvious.
Roy

[Wolfgang_F]

Hello Roy, although I lack a deep understanding how the closed loop control in the camera ensures a stabilzed image, it seems obvious that the F/L is one of the "must" parameters. During my first tests with my new camera I misunderstood the parameter and I set the value to 400mm instead of 200mm and I was disappointed that the stabilization of the mounted MD 200mm didn't have any tangible effect.
I guess that whenever you mount a mft zoom lense the momentary value of F/L is transferred electronically.
Cheers, Wolfgang.

[BJL]

I am curious about the E-M5 as a successor/partner to my 4/3 SLR gear, so am very happy for this thread of user reviews and comments.

Any comments on usability with adapted 4/3 SLR lenses?

One thing I notice is that the discussion is almost all about ergonomics, and in particular the elaborate system of menus, settings and controls, rather than about image quality, where the attitude seems to be "It's good enough for the intended use, nothing much more to say".


One conclusion about the settings, menus and controls though: stay away from this camera, Rob C!

[OldRoy]

Hello Roy, although I lack a deep understanding how the closed loop control in the camera ensures a stabilzed image, it seems obvious that the F/L is one of the "must" parameters. During my first tests with my new camera I misunderstood the parameter and I set the value to 400mm instead of 200mm and I was disappointed that the stabilization of the mounted MD 200mm didn't have any tangible effect.
I guess that whenever you mount a mft zoom lense the momentary value of F/L is transferred electronically.
Cheers, Wolfgang.

Even with the 12-50 kit zoom on board you can still set this value to a fixed f/l. Which seems a bit odd...
Roy