I'm an Oly E-M10 Mk I shooter, so this is a huge upgrade. These are only preliminary impressions, which I'll edit as time goes by with longer term tests. Currently testing some of the more vaunted features with my 12-40 F/2.8 Pro lens while waiting on the 12-100 to be in stock somewhere. I'm writing from a perspective of a somewhat experienced photographer. Not a master by any means, but I shoot in manual, raw, and do a lot of OCF work, mostly portraits. It may also amuse you to read my older camera reviews and see my, er, growth (?) as a photographer over the years. :) Onto the review!
The exterior is very solid. The grip is much, much improved. There's no gap between my fingers and the grip like there was with the M10, and I know with the M1-I. Everything feels more solid too. I know it's weather sealed, and have seen many reviews and videos of early, promo shooters in Iceland, dropping their body & lens in freezing water with no ill effects. The M10 always felt a bit flimsy to me, and in fact have had some parts come off/fall apart (eye piece, hot shoe plate). All the flaps for the battery, SD Cards (2! Thank you, Olympus!), USB 3 (and type C), mic & headphone (again, thank you , Olympus!) jacks have a good feel to them, as is the fully articulated (3rd thanks!) LCD screen. Only potential downside is if you have the mic and/or headphones plugged in, you won't be able to flip the screen over for selfie-mode on the fly.
Fair IQ tests will have to wait, since I don't have a raw converter yet (still on LR 5.7, LR CC has early support, no lens correction as of this writing). DxO Mark had some tests done, and it looks like a tiny increase in high ISO quality over the M1-I, nothing huge, but going from 16 MP to 20 MP will net you a bit more resolution. Maybe a bit more noise if you pixel peep, but if you compare, say, an 8x10 to 8x10, you'll find a better overall image. But I'm not too worried about high ISO shoots, because...
The stability is a giant leap over my M10, since it only had 3-axis IBIS. I can't say for sure how much better the M1-II is over the M1-I, but I did some 1 sec hand held exposures at 12mm no problem. (Edit: I've now pulled off an 8 sec (!!!) hand-held shot with my 25mm 1.8, while leaning against a doorframe). I've seen on YouTube a 10sec(!) and a 20sec(!!) hand held exposures with just the body braced against a wall. That latter was paired with the 12-100mm F/4, which gives you an extra stop of stability, but even with a "mere" 5.5 stops of stability, you should be able to get a 12mm, 1 sec exposure for still scenes just by following the reciprocal rule. That is frankly mind blowing. So maybe if you're shooting action in low light, you'll miss having a FF camera, but for still scenes or even portraits, I don't think you'll have issues with image quality.
The menu system is, well, it's Olympus. If you're used to previous Oly models, you'll be able to figure things out. The controls are fairly instinctive (again, for Oly shooters) and very customizable--far more than the M10. Some people complain about the mode dial lock, but I absolutely love it, since I rarely take it out of M, but sometimes I'll brush the dial by accident and then wonder why I can't set my shutter or aperture properly. I do have to get used to the power switch being in a new location. New battery is huge. Should last most people a day easily.I got a spare anyway.
I'll next update this review when I get a fully supported raw converter, and also when I can pair it with the 12-100mm for the added stability, especially for video shooting, but I'm expecting very good things. There's also a ton of action photography features I need to test, including the ludicrous 60 FPS shooting and the Pro Capture mode where it starts buffering when you press the shutter 1/2 way down. I'm planning on an ice skating shoot in late January (2017), so stay tuned. For now, my initial findings are:
Pros:
Solid, weather sealed exterior
Ridiculous stability, makes up for the need for high ISO shooting for many situations
Dual SD slots
Video-friendliness: 4K, mic & headphone jacks, fully articulating LCD
Tons of excellent Olympus glass with which to pair, and now some combined lens stability too, Really looking forward to testing the 12-100mm F/4 and the 25mm F/1.2 (no lens stability though).
18 FPS with C-AF, 60(!) w/S-AF, all in raw.
Bigger, better battery. Faster charging too.
Cons:
Price. Only you can determine if this camera is "worth it". To me, yes, absolutely. but $2K USD is a lot of money.
For this price, you may honestly expect better high ISO performance.
Base ISO is 200. There's extended, but I really wanted a 100 or even 64 base ISO.
Only 1 SD slot is UHS-II.
Kinda bad placement for the mic/headphone jacks for the articulating LCD.
Can't reuse old battery.
Other:
This is probably THE flagship micro 4/3 camera body, with maybe an edge for video to the Panasonic GH series, but for stills, or even combining stills & video, the M1-II is the new king. Whether M4/3 works for you is a different story, and way too long to write about here.
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This Item  OM SYSTEM OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark II Camera Body Only, (Black) |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $1,699.00 | -7% $1,889.40 List: $2,033.07 | $1,499.99 | $799.99 | $699.99 | $1,199.99 |
| Delivery | Get it Apr 24 - 26 | — | Get it as soon as Friday, Apr 26 | Get it as soon as Friday, Apr 26 | — | Get it as soon as Friday, Apr 26 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Picture quality | ||||||
| Image stabilization | ||||||
| Auto focus | ||||||
| Sold By | Focus Camera LLC | PORTABLE GUY | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Adorama | Amazon.com |
| display type | LCD | OLED | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD |
| display size | 3 inches | 3 inches | 3 inches | 3 inches | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| lens type | Macro | — | Wide Angle | Zoom | Zoom | Close-Up |
| zoom type | Other | — | — | Automatic, Manual | Digital Zoom, Optical Zoom | Optical Zoom |
| shooting modes | Bulb Mode, Time Mode,Aperture Priority, Auto, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority | Bulb Mode, Time Mode,Aperture Priority, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority | Automatic | 16 | 16 | Bulb Mode, Time Mode,Aperture Priority, Auto, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority |
| connectivity tech | USB 3.0, HDMI, 3.5mm audio | HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, HDMI | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro HDMI, USB |
| video resolution | 4K UHD 2160p | High definition 4k, 60p video | 4K UHD 2160p | 4K DCI 2160p | 4K DCI 2160p | 2160p, 2K DCI 1080p |
| optical zoom | 1 multiplier x | 0 multiplier x | 3 multiplier x | 3 multiplier x | 1 multiplier x | — |
From the manufacturer
OM-D E-M1 Mark II
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20MP | Resolution | 16MP |
| | Silent Mode | |
5.5 EV | Image Stabilization | 5 EV |
| | 5-Axis Sync IS | |
| | Weathersealed | |
20 fps | Continuous Speed | 10 fps |
4K | Video | Full HD |
20MP | Resolution | 16MP |
| | Silent Mode | |
5.5 EV | Image Stabilization | 4 EV |
| | 5-Axis Sync IS | |
| | Weathersealed | |
20 fps | Continuous Speed | 8.6 fps |
4K | Video | 4K |
20MP | Resolution | 16MP |
| | Silent Mode | |
5.5 EV | Image Stabilization | 4 EV |
| | 5-Axis Sync IS | |
| | Weathersealed | |
20 fps | Continuous Speed | 8.5 fps |
4K | Video | Full HD |
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Reviews with images
Love it!
I use the E-M1 mostly for macro work — specifically, I shoot insects, amphibians such as salamanders and frogs, small reptiles (snakes and lizards mostly) and slime molds or fungus (often very tiny) as a hobby. Sometimes I use extension tubes or a Raynox. I upgraded from the E-M5 (which I loved and kept as my back up). I have now used both cameras extensively (including in high humidity rain forests) and they have been put through their paces. Here’s what I like the most about the E-M1: 1. The battery life is excellent. 2. The “out of the camera” files are extraordinary. For my needs, they need very little post processing. 3. It is substantially larger than the E-M5 but still way smaller and lighter than a DSLR. In fact, I routinely shoot one handed which is HUGE for me since I have a free hand to move twigs or leaves out of the way and steady myself (take a look at my photos and you’ll see what I mean. I only shoot in the field). I also hike for hours carrying this camera in one hand using a wrist lanyard for safety and my hand does not get tired — I just hook the tips of my fingers under the grip. 4. I don’t use the flippy screen much but, when I do, it is responsive and easy to use and the magnification (for focus) is excellent. 5. Once you find it in the (awful) menu you can set up "back button" focus and, for my hand size, the button is positioned really well. 6. The ergonomics are pretty good. For example, while lying on my belly, steading a leaf with one hand, I can focus, shoot, turn on focus peaking, use flash compensation and more with my other hand. 7. The files that are produced do not need a lot of tweaking because the camera does an amazing job of getting the white balance right. 8. I LOVE the 1:1 wheel which allows me to rest the lens to the shortest working distance. Here’s what I dislike: The complicated Olympus menu system creates a steep learning curve. The menu system is consistently panned by users and has been the topic of derision for years — and it is not consistent between models. That said, I can usually find most of what I need fairly quickly now I’ve shot with it four or five times a week for a year. I posted some photos that are typical of what I get when I use this camera with the M. Zuiko 60mm lens. These likely have some minor tweaks in Lightroom — but those will truly be minimal. I have used this camera with the Olympus 12-40 and it scored high points there too. If you want to see insect, amphibians and reptile macro shots I post to IG under jeremy.nature.photos. One final point: Keep in mind that my review is all about the relatively narrow field in which I work. As a macro camera this thing is magic. Coupled with the 60mm it has dramatically cut down the number of shots I make in order to get a “keeper”. I’d still use my full frame rig for landscape and birds. I rented an Oly 200mm and shot for a few days in Florida and, while everything worked fine, the m43 format/lens combination does not allow me to create the kind of image I like. I hope this is useful!
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Stosh
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Reviewed in Canada on January 27, 2024Style: Body OnlyVerified Purchase
b_than
Gran cámara de bajo peso y fácil portabilidad
Reviewed in Mexico on January 23, 2021Style: Body OnlyVerified Purchase
Lance
Great camera just overpriced
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2022Style: Body OnlyVerified Purchase
KK
Great, Solid m43 Camera with Good C4K Video
Reviewed in Singapore on January 29, 2021Style: Body OnlyVerified Purchase
KK
Reviewed in Singapore on January 29, 2021
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ronald embree
fantastic camera
Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2021Style: Body OnlyVerified Purchase
ronald embree
Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2021
I have the EM5mk3 and the EM1mk2 is better made, battery life alone is at least 3 times longer. Long heavy lenses are a treat with this camera due to the grip fitting your hand. The EM5/3 you will have buy a grip anyhow if you going get a lens like the 12-100 pro and even then its front heavy and cant be tri pod mounted unless you wont to break the plastic base.
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