Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP Live MOS Mirrorless Digital Camera with 3.0-Inch Tilting OLED Touchscreen [Body Only] (Black) (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP Live MOS Mirrorless Digital Camera with 3.0-Inch Tilting OLED Touchscreen [Body Only] (Black) (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
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- 16.1MP CMOS Micro Four Thirds sensor
- 9 frames per second continuous shooting
- 35-area contrast detect AF
- ISO 200-25,600
- 1080 HD video
- Articulated 3.0 inch touchscreen LCD with 610,000 dots
- Electronic viewfinder with 1,440,000 dots
Brand : OLYMPUS
Category : Electronics,Camera & Photo,Digital Cameras,Mirrorless Cameras
Rating : 4.2
ListPrice : US $749
Price : US $749
Review Count : 343
Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP Live MOS Mirrorless Digital Camera with 3.0-Inch Tilting OLED Touchscreen [Body Only] (Black) (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
- My background.... I am a part time professional photographer and I own a range of canon cameras and lenses. I still use the canon for my work photography most of the time, but I am starting to use this olympus more and more.Let me start by saying that I absolutely love this little camera. I clicked the \"buy it now\" button the moment it first appeared on amazon. I waited several months for the backorders to clear and I\'ve now owned it close to a year. I have absolutely no regrets. As odd as this may sound, this camera makes me happy. Whenever I use it I imagine I have a dopey grin on my face.Initially I fought with this olympus to get sharp shots. If, like me, you are coming from a DSLR camera, you might have some difficulty adjusting to the balance of the camera. It is very light (which is one of the great things about it) but that means that it is a bit more prone to camera shake if you don\'t have it on a tripod and if, like me, you don\'t have rock steady hands. I stuck with the camera through my initial frustration and I\'m so glad I did. I learned my own best way of holding it in order to keep it steady.If you are thinking of buying this camera I think its important to hear some thoughts on what it can and cannot do. There are already so many good solid reviews here on amazon that I am only going to hit the high and low points as I see them. These might not be the same highs and lows that everyone else has so just keep in mind that these points are my OPINIONS.THE GOOD....- WEIGHT/SIZE Light as a feather and beautifully constructed. I can carry this camera in a small bag with 2 or 3 or 4 lenses all day and not feel any strain. I used to carry a camera with one lens with me EVERYWHERE, but after several years the dslr around my neck or on my shoulder started to take a heavy physical toll. Now I can go back to having a camera with me at all times.- IMAGE QUALITY can be outstanding. I have taken some stunning photos with this thing. Punchy colors, Creamy bokehs. Good photos taken with this thing rival good photos taken with any DSLR. The olympus 45mm f1.8 lens is a relatively inexpensive thing of beauty.- MENU SYSTEM. The super control panel is, hands down, one of the best and most intuitive menu systems I\'ve ever used on a camera. Changing settings is effortless and takes only seconds to accomplish. You might not think this is all that important, but when you need to get your shot, you will be endlessly grateful for this brilliant super control panel. I\'ve gotten shots with this camera that I wouldn\'t have gotten with my higher end DSLRs because I would have been fidgiting with the settings and the moment would have passed.- FOCUSING Super quick focusing and enough focus points to keep anyone happy. With the grid system they use in this camera it is absolutely effortless to switch focus points. The touch screen is amazing. Touch any place on the LCD and the camera can instantly focus on that spot and take the shot before you can blink. I know the iphone can do this but it is my first experience with that touch focus. Focusing is accurate. Gone are the days of shutter lag. Reviewers more scientific than I am can tell you relative to other cameras whether the focusing is faster or slower, but for my purposes it is fast enough and tremendously accurate.- UNOBTRUSIVE This might not be an issue for some people but for me it is. When I pull out a DSLR to take a shot it can draw a lot of unwanted attention particularly if I have a large lens attached. If I am photographing an outdoor event with a long white canon L lens, inevitably several people will come up to me to discuss just how big my lens is. So, this camera really doesn\'t attract attention to itself. I can get the photos I need to get without making folks self conscious and without ending up in long discussions about the length of my equipment. Seriously, unobtrusive is a good thing.BUILD QUALITY- this is a matter of personal taste, but I find this camera to be a thing of beautyFUN FACTOR- this little camera just puts the fun back into photography. I can\'t say that enough. Fun Fun Fun. I love taking pictures.THE NOT SO GOOD- HIGHER ISOs - I have several friends who are very good or excellent photographers who also own this camera and we debate this point heavily. I have not found this camera to be reliably noise free at ISO 800 or higher. My feeling is that you need to shoot wide open in darker settings and if your lens doesn\'t open up wider than f4, I think you will struggle with noisy shadow detail. That said, I have gotten some beautifully low noise images at ISO 800 or even 1600 when I use f2 and even with f8. I should say for the record that I do like some noise in my images at times particularly if I am going to convert them to black and white. But not all noise is created equal and I just don\'t like some of the noise visible in the backgrounds or shadow detail with this camera at higher ISO. Many of my friends disagree with me completely so this is up for grabsTRACKING OF MOVING OBJECTS - I photograph active dogs a great deal and so far I have not been successful in using the focus tracking of this camera to get good shots. In fact, I am terrible with it. But I have seen shots from other photographers which are very good at this. I don\'t know what their secret is. I am guessing the majority of people will have problems with this the way I do and there are probably a handful of folks who can nail the focus tracking. So many reviews site it as a weak point of the camera so if sports is your thing and tracking moving subjects is your thing, this is not the camera for you. But lets put it in perspective... if you want to capture your baby\'s first steps or your childrens\' antics, this camera would be quite capable.CONCLUSION:Did I mention this camera put the fun back in photography for me? I can\'t stress that enough. If you are an experienced photographer coming from a dslr you may be frustrated at first and you may not relinquish all of your photo chores to this puppy. I still do not trust it quite enough to bring it as my only camera for very important photo shoots. Or maybe the camera is trustworthy but I don\'t trust myself quite enough to coax the best out of it every time. If you are coming from a point and shoot you will be in camera heaven. Make sure you get yourself a couple of really good lenses to cover a range of situations. I can\'t stress enough how gorgeous that 45 mm f1.8 is. The 12-50 kit lens isn\'t half bad either. I also own the panasonic 45-200 lens. For the money, you can\'t beat it and I use it often, but there are better longer range lenses out there.So why not 5 stars? I was tempted to give it 5 stars but I try to save those 5 star reviews for near perfect items. The grainier high ISO shots and the so so focus tracking keep me from pushing in that fifth star.I get asked about this camera all the time and I lend it out often to prospective buyers. I am thinking of putting up an OMD-EM5 gallery on my website so people can see shots at different ISOs taken with different lenses. If it turns out that there is enough interest, I\'ll probably put the gallery up and I will edit this review if I do.If you do get this camera, ENJOY and HAVE FUN!
- First impressions:(This is not intended as a comprehensive review of the O-MD. It is, rather, a compilation of random thoughts and impressions gathered during my first 24 hours with the O-MD. Full reviews are, of course, available elsewhere along with sample photographs and reviews of the \"kit\" lens. The intention of this review is to perhaps answer a question or two that a perspective buyer might have.)The camera is heavier than one might think, especially with the 12-50mm weather sealed lens attached.As noted in other reviews the camera is smaller than it appears in many photographs. If one has large hands one might consider finding a brick and mortar store in order to test the ergonomics of the O-MD. I have medium sized hands; my DSLR is a Nikon D300 with battery grip attached. That is a fairly large (and heavy) system, but I have found no problem in adjusting to the much smaller O-MD body. I am, however, considering the purchase of the optional grip for the O-MD to counterbalance the weight of some lenses.***EDIT: I ordered the HLD-6; Amazon has them discounted to $325 as of this writing, some $70 under suggested retail 6/23/12. I would recommend that anyone considering the OM-D E5 camera also consider the battery grip (available on Amazon, there are reviews of the grip available). I now consider it a \"must have\" if one does considerable portrait style framing or if one wants the security of having two batteries available. Note that the spare battery does not come with the grip! The grip does add some bulk and weight to the system, but not as much as I had feared. The battery in the grip may be accessed if the camera is mounted on a tripod or monopod.***I do not consider the camera to be \"pocketable\"; even with the Panasonic 20mm \"pancake\" lens attached it would require a rather large pocket to hold the camera.The rubber thumb grip on the right/rear of the body feels very secure and offers a good grip for my hands. Those with larger hands may not find this to be the case.The 12-50mm weather sealed lens (heaviest of the \"kit\" lenses) begs for support from the left hand when shooting. The length and weight of the lens overbalances the camera body, causing the camera to want to tilt downwards. (This, of course, would be the case on any interchangeable lens camera body to which a long, heavy lens was attached).The two control dials fall \"readily too hand\"; the rear dial is within easy reach of my forefinger, thus negating the need to move my right thumb from the rear grip.The \"on/off\" switch is in, possibly, not the best location. It is the lower right corner of the camera body. I prefer a switch over the \"on/off\" button on the Olympus E-PL1, but having it mounted on the top of the camera, like the Nikon D300, would be ideal. However there is not much real estate available on a camera as small as this, so one has to make some concessions as to control placement. The reason the current location is poor is not because it may be accidentally powered off or on, it\'s poor because having it on the top of the camera makes it more ergonomic. Your index finger or thumb are already in place when picking up the camera to reach a top mounted switch, whereas the current location of the switch requires that the camera be supported by the left hand while the right hand powers the body up.The shutter button is smooth to operate.The control buttons on the back, being weather sealed, are not as \"crisp\" in movement as one might be accustomed to in other camera bodies. I do not find that an issue, but I am used to working with weather sealed cameras; others may have a small period of acclimation before the buttons feel \"right\".The tilting screen can be completely turned off while shooting through the electronic viewfinder (EVF), or can be programmed to turn off automatically when the EVF is used. I prefer the EVF full time, and so have powered down the screen except for reviewing photographs or changing menus. The tilt screen is functional, but I cannot give more information on that feature because it is simply one I will not use. Other reviewers have posted comments on the usability of the tilt screen, and I would recommend that those who are interested in the feature read those reviews.There is a slight delay in powering up the EVF when brought to one\'s eye, even when the tilting screen is powered down. This is different from the Olympus VF2 EVF (which may be used on several of the Olympus Pen camera bodies). The VF2 can be set to being continuously on, while the O-MD EVF goes dark when removed from the eye. The delay is not long enough to cause the missing of a shot, but is at first disconcerting for those (like me) who are not expecting it.The \"instant review\" of photographs can be turned off, which is my preferred method of shooting. Even having the just-taken shot come up automatically for .3 seconds can be distracting. However if one does want to review the just-taken shot the time the review is visible is adjustable in the menu.The EVF itself is very good (caveat being that I have limited experience with this camera at this point and have not attempted to photograph sports or other rapidly moving subjects). When rapidly panning the camera there is just a touch of blur in the EVF image. The EVF is bright and the exposure information seen on the EVF can be modified, and there are several choices of \"grid\" pattern should one choose to see a grid when composing a photograph.There is a sound coming from the in body stabilization mechanism, but it is discernible (to me) only in a nearly silent room.The factory neck strap is lamentable (as are most factory straps); one might budget for a more comfortable strap, such as the OpTech strap. Of course with a camera this small a wrist strap is also an option.I would recommend the fastest (not the largest) memory card one can afford. This camera body, while not necessarily in the same class of performance as some of the full framed offerings from Nikon and Canon, still requires a fast card to obtain the maximum satisfaction out of the camera.The fit and finish on the camera that I received is excellent. The camera, according to a small plate on the bottom, was \"designed in Tokyo and made in China\".I cannot address the video capabilities of the O-MD; I am a photographer, not a cinematographer, and the skills required to create videos will forever elude me.Given that I\'ve had the camera for less than 24 hours and have made only a few test shots with it I cannot make final comment on the quality of the images that the camera can produce. There are many other reviews available on the Internet written by more experienced (and more skilled) O-MD photographers that include sample images if one cares to do more research. However I do have more than 40 years experience with the 35mm format (on a hobbyist level) and can say that so far I have been favorably impressed by the few photos I\'ve made. The stabilization technology is first rate and the sensor is, for it\'s size, excellent.EDIT 6/29/12: The stabilization results from this camera are very, very good. The In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) works as advertised and the view through the viewfinder can be set to show the action of the IBIS. One can actually see the camera shake dwindle and stop as the shutter button is pressed halfway to lock focusing.This camera is not inexpensive and one cannot anticipate that, long term, the camera will retain it\'s monetary value. Digital camera bodies tend to depreciate rather quickly compared to, for instance, the Nikon F series of 35mm camera bodies from years past. Of course one generally buys into a \"system\" rather than a camera body; one purchases external flash units or lenses or grips or other accessories that run the cost of the original purchase up. Those who are considering purchasing an O-MD as their first \"real\" camera might want to keep such considerations in mind.Cameras must be, as all things are, judged within the framework of their competition. For those considering the O-MD I would recommend considering the Panasonic GH2, the FujiFilm X Pro 1, the FujiFilm X100, the Olympus E-P3, the Sony NEX 5, or the Sony NEX 7. Those models are, of course, subject to change even as the next round from Olympus will certainly see new technology in the O-MD line.I did a fair amount of research before buying into the O-MD system (to the point of purchasing an Olympus E-PL1 and three lenses in order to see if the Micro Four Third system would be a good fit for my style of photography). The E-PL1 is a capable camera and is, since it is no longer in production, available new at very reasonable prices. Any lens purchased for the E-PL1 will, of course, work on the O-MD as well. (Currently the E-PL1 is under three hundred dollars, including the kit lens: http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-E-PL1-Interchangeable-Digital-Black/dp/B0035LBRJO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1340468881&sr=1-1&keywords=olympus+e-pl1 ).Having tested the water with the E-PL1 I\'ve decided to work with the O-MD system. I think that the O-MD is worth learning (one learns a camera as one does a musical instrument, until finding the correct \"keys\" is second nature, requiring no conscious thought).I would not advise potential O-MD buyers to purchase without checking out the other cameras in the genre. Patience and research may save one from becoming involved in a system that does not ultimately meet ones needs.I have given the Olympus O-MD five stars, even with my short period of familiarization with the camera, as I consider it to be the current class leader in the Micro Four Thirds realm. It isn\'t perfect, but it is very, very good. Of course Panasonic et.al. will certainly respond with their updated flagship offerings; it is a never ending cycle.Recommended.Regards,Jim
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