Hello, there!
A few Saturdays ago, I attended an event organized by Olympus Malaysia, which was the Olympus Touch & Try Event held in my hometown of Johor Bahru.
It was an event to introduce and showcase the many features of the brand new Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II.
At the event, I got to try out several different combinations of bodies and lenses, and here's my initial take on the Olympus micro 4/3 (micro four thirds) system.
E-M1
First of all, I'd like to say that I really enjoyed using the E-M1 the most.
The handling, operation and image quality were absolutely pleasing, even though I struggled to conform to the myriad of shortcut buttons and quick functions.
I loved the way the camera responded, where the EVF was very quick and bright.
A lot of times I found myself relying on the EVF's setting, which was very precise in telling me how my photos would turn out with the settings that I had.
The only other EVF to be as accurate was the one on the Fujifilm X-T1.
Everything else, from the AF & burst to the ruggedness was also great.
E-M10
Next, I'd like to point out that I wasn't too fond of the EM-10.
The focus was slow, the buttons were too small and the EVF was laggy.
When I reviewed my photos, I also found out that the image quality wasn't up to par with the E-M1.
My large hands were also uncomfortable when handling the camera, even for just a short while.
E-M5 Mark II
Now, for the E-M5 Mark II, I would like to reserve my opinions on the camera.
Frankly, I only got to shoot off a few shots and the rest of my time with the camera was to shoot the product shots.
It has a lot of new and improve features, the three most important ones being the 5-axis in-camera stabilization, super high resolution (40MP) and /I might be wrong here but/ weather-sealing.
In the hands, the camera felt alright but not as grippy or as intuitive as the E-M1.
With the E-M1, I felt right at home with the handling.
I also couldn't review my photos because Lightroom 5.7 doesn't have the profile for the RAW files so until I get Lightroom 6, I'll have to leave the image quality opinions until another time.
Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO
Damn, I love this lens.
This lens is the definition of crisp, sharp images in a compact, portable form.
Being half the weight of my own trusty NIKKOR 70-200 f2.8G VRII lens, the 40-150 PRO really brought forth the full potential of the Olympus bodies.
Altough the E-M1 only has 16MP and a micro 4/3 sensor, the detail captured was simply mind-blowing.
Even before I processed the photos, the contrast and tones were already superb; not to mention the beautifully rendered colors.
Of course, seeing as it was mounted on their flagship model, this was certainly to be expected.
However, when I tried it on the E-M10, I was rendered speechless.
Just look at the fine details.
I think Olympus really struck gold with this lens.
And as Young Sun pointed out in the demonstration session, the combined weight and size of the E-M5 Mark II + 40-150 f/2.8 PRO is only half of that of a standard DSLR + f2.8 telephoto.
This would be extremely helpful in terms of packing for jobs/assignments and is less of a detriment on the photographer who would shoot long hours.
Similar results with less hassle.
Conclusion (for now)
There is a lot to say about the Olympus OM-D system.
It's a mirrorless system running on micro 4/3 sensors, with all the features you need from a DSLR.
The handling on the E-M1 is wonderful but the E-M10 just wasn't meant for me.
I still don't have a set verdict on what I think of the system overall.
What I can tell you is that I enjoyed my time with the cameras that Saturday.
It was a new experience shooting these cameras and I got to get to know Olympus on a more personal front.
The people at Olympus Malaysia are really approachable and I can't wait to work with them in the future (hopefully).
But until I get my hands on a system that I can thoroughly peruse, I'll leave my judgements for myself.
Check out all the HIGH RES photos from this preview and more at my Flickr here.
DISCLAIMER: I do not represent Olympus, the models or any other brand that might be showcased in this review. This review is written for THE FEAR and is of no significance to any sort of argument that may or may not ensue. I deliver this with utmost honesty and sincerity.
A few Saturdays ago, I attended an event organized by Olympus Malaysia, which was the Olympus Touch & Try Event held in my hometown of Johor Bahru.
It was an event to introduce and showcase the many features of the brand new Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II.
At the event, I got to try out several different combinations of bodies and lenses, and here's my initial take on the Olympus micro 4/3 (micro four thirds) system.
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II + Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO
The newest addition to the Olympus body line-up, combined with the superior telephoto PRO lens
First of all, I'd like to say that I really enjoyed using the E-M1 the most.
The handling, operation and image quality were absolutely pleasing, even though I struggled to conform to the myriad of shortcut buttons and quick functions.
I loved the way the camera responded, where the EVF was very quick and bright.
A lot of times I found myself relying on the EVF's setting, which was very precise in telling me how my photos would turn out with the settings that I had.
The only other EVF to be as accurate was the one on the Fujifilm X-T1.
Everything else, from the AF & burst to the ruggedness was also great.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 + 25mm f/1.8 | f/2.5 | 1/200 sec. | ISO-500 | 25mm (50mm equiv.)
E-M10
Next, I'd like to point out that I wasn't too fond of the EM-10.
The focus was slow, the buttons were too small and the EVF was laggy.
When I reviewed my photos, I also found out that the image quality wasn't up to par with the E-M1.
My large hands were also uncomfortable when handling the camera, even for just a short while.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 + 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO | f/2.8 | 1/200 sec. | ISO-1600 | 40mm (80mm equiv.)
E-M5 Mark II
Now, for the E-M5 Mark II, I would like to reserve my opinions on the camera.
Frankly, I only got to shoot off a few shots and the rest of my time with the camera was to shoot the product shots.
It has a lot of new and improve features, the three most important ones being the 5-axis in-camera stabilization, super high resolution (40MP) and /I might be wrong here but/ weather-sealing.
In the hands, the camera felt alright but not as grippy or as intuitive as the E-M1.
With the E-M1, I felt right at home with the handling.
I also couldn't review my photos because Lightroom 5.7 doesn't have the profile for the RAW files so until I get Lightroom 6, I'll have to leave the image quality opinions until another time.
Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO
Damn, I love this lens.
This lens is the definition of crisp, sharp images in a compact, portable form.
Being half the weight of my own trusty NIKKOR 70-200 f2.8G VRII lens, the 40-150 PRO really brought forth the full potential of the Olympus bodies.
Lana
Olympus OM-D E-M1 + 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO
Lana 100% crop
Even before I processed the photos, the contrast and tones were already superb; not to mention the beautifully rendered colors.
Of course, seeing as it was mounted on their flagship model, this was certainly to be expected.
However, when I tried it on the E-M10, I was rendered speechless.
Classic
Olympus OM-D E-M10 + 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO
Classic 100% crop
I think Olympus really struck gold with this lens.
And as Young Sun pointed out in the demonstration session, the combined weight and size of the E-M5 Mark II + 40-150 f/2.8 PRO is only half of that of a standard DSLR + f2.8 telephoto.
This would be extremely helpful in terms of packing for jobs/assignments and is less of a detriment on the photographer who would shoot long hours.
Similar results with less hassle.
Conclusion (for now)
There is a lot to say about the Olympus OM-D system.
It's a mirrorless system running on micro 4/3 sensors, with all the features you need from a DSLR.
The handling on the E-M1 is wonderful but the E-M10 just wasn't meant for me.
I still don't have a set verdict on what I think of the system overall.
What I can tell you is that I enjoyed my time with the cameras that Saturday.
It was a new experience shooting these cameras and I got to get to know Olympus on a more personal front.
The people at Olympus Malaysia are really approachable and I can't wait to work with them in the future (hopefully).
But until I get my hands on a system that I can thoroughly peruse, I'll leave my judgements for myself.
Check out all the HIGH RES photos from this preview and more at my Flickr here.
DISCLAIMER: I do not represent Olympus, the models or any other brand that might be showcased in this review. This review is written for THE FEAR and is of no significance to any sort of argument that may or may not ensue. I deliver this with utmost honesty and sincerity.
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