Olympus OM-D E-M1: Mirrorless Perfection for Serious Photographers

What's This?

By Raymond Wong2013-11-02 20:59:59 UTC

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Mirrorless cameras aren't supposed to be this good. Yet, somehow, Olympus has made a compact interchangeable lens camera so marvelous and drool-worthy that I don't even know where to begin.

If there's a mirrorless camera that can replace a DSLR, it's probably the OM-D E-M1, the successor to last year's critically acclaimed OM-D EM-5 (don't let the higher number fool you, it's the older model). Despite its small size, the solid E-M1 still manages to pack a serious punch.

More of Everything

Hand the OM-D E-M1 to a casual shooter and they'll probably get scared off by all of the switches and buttons on the camera body. That's how you know the E-M1 is a serious camera for serious shooters. It's for photographers who don't just want, but need to fiddle around with apertures, shutter speeds, ISO settings, exposures, HDR and all that jazz.

Simply put, the E-M1 is more of everything — more buttons, more features and more money. The E-M1 has a 16.3-megapixel Live-MOS sensor (up from 16.1-megapixels) with Olympus' TruPic VII image processor and a new phase-detection autofocus system.

Continuous shooting has been increased from 9 frames per second to 10 frames per second, and the improved five-axis image stabilization vastly reduces motion blur in low-light scenarios. Additionally, the E-M1 has a few "fun" features and built-in Wi-Fi for smartphone connectivity.

You'll immediately notice just how compact the magnesium alloy camera is once you grip the E-M1. Often overlooked, the grip is actually very important to the picture-taking process. A good grip makes all the difference in counteracting shaky hands.

Despite all the buttons (which seem to protrude from every possible area of the E-M1) the new DSLR-like grip is comfortable without being cramped. With such a firm grip, your chances of accidentally dropping the E-M1 are very low.

A beauty to behold, the E-M1 is also even more weather-sealed than its predecessor. It's dust-, water- and freeze-proof, not to mention strong enough to survive any blizzard that drops the temperature down to -14 degrees Fahrenheit.

Seeing Is Believing

As a person who regularly shoots with a Nikon D7000 DSLR, I really appreciate the ability to frame a shot with a viewfinder. In my view, 90% of shooting good photos is about being in the moment, finding the right composition and framing it on the spot.

One of the biggest downsides to the E-M5 was its somewhat low-res electronic viewfinder. Compared to the TruFinder OLED electronic viewfinder in Sony's NEX-7, the E-M5's looks terrible. The good news here is that the E-M1's electronic viewfinder is both larger and sharper than the previous OM-D, thanks to a 64% increase in pixels — 2.3 million dots versus the 1.4 million dots in the E-M5.

For spec nuts, that's a resolution jump from 800 x 600 to 1,024 x 768. With a larger viewfinder, you're able to view photos with a level of clarity you just couldn't get on the previous E-M5.

While the upgraded electronic viewfinder is a welcome addition, the 3-inch (1.04-million dot) tiltable touchscreen is just as responsive and crisp as you'd expect from a premium product. Ignoring Olympus's camera UI decisions, the touchscreen is one of the best I've ever used on a camera. It never failed to recognize taps or touch-to-focus/tap-to-shoot zones. Swiping to view photos is also smooth and fluid.

The only thing that still bugs me is the lack of multitouch. It would be nice to see pinch-to-zoom on a high-end Olympus camera at some point.

Sharp Shooter

Of course, a camera is only as good as the photos it takes. As far as I can tell, the EM-1 produces the sharpest pictures of any micro four-thirds mirrorless camera I've ever tested.

As I've already stated, the EM-1 comes with a slew of technical innovations. One standout spec that actually matters is its five-axis image stabilization. The previous E-M5's 5-axis stabilization was already an impressive piece of kit that tracked vertical and horizontal shifting and reduced blur accordingly.

However, the improved five-axis image stabilization on the EM-1 goes a step further and accounts for tilts, turns and rotations along the optical axis. Translation: You get sharper handheld shots at higher ISO, even when using zoom lenses. In my tests, I was able to get shockingly clear shots taken at night at up to ISO 6400, without the need for a tripod, and with little image noise.

The best part about the five-axis image stabilization is that it's built directly into the E-M1's body. So, whether you're using micro four-thirds, four-thirds or legacy Olympus lenses (the latter two types require lens adapters), you should still be able to produce sharp images.

Fun Filters and Easy HDR

Just because the E-M1 is a "pro" camera doesn't necessarily mean it can't be a "fun" camera to use, too. One of the things I've always loved about Olympus' mirrorless cameras is that they all have art filters and scene modes that are actually fun to use.

The E-M1 has over a dozen different art filters ranging from "Dramatic Tone," which brings out details hidden in shadows and decreases brightness, to "Watercolor," which transforms photos to resemble, well, watercolor paintings.

But my favorite two "artsy" features by far are Photo Story and HDR.

With Photo Story, you can quickly create collages in different preset aspect ratios (1:1, 4:3 and 16:9) à la the popular smartphone app Pic Stitch. While in Photo Story mode, you can also choose from three "Fun Frames" (Instant, Film or Stripe) which will give your photo collages even cooler borders in the style of an old school Polaroid or film strip.

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For photo collages, you can use either the shutter button or the touchscreen. I found using the touchscreen to be more straightforward and intuitive when selecting different panels.

Lastly, the E-M1 has a handy high dynamic range (HDR) mode that, thankfully, isn't buried beneath layers of menus. The HDR button is located on the top left of the camera, right next to the on/off switch — a spot you just can't miss. Taking a dramatic photo with intense light and dark details is as easy as selecting the HDR mode and pressing the shutter button. From there, the E-M1's software intelligently combines three to seven images (you select how many you want) at various exposures to create one stunning photo.

High Price, High Quality

It's hard to find any real complaints about the E-M1. Is the E-M1's micro four-thirds image sensor inferior compared to mirrorless cameras with larger APS-C sensors? On paper, yes. And is the HD video recording (1080p resolution at "only" 30 frames per second) weaker when stacked up against other cams? Yes, but those weaknesses don't matter as much when you see the photos the E-M1 produces.

I can confidently tell you that the E-M1 is a high-end mirrorless camera — not just in looks, but in performance. The fine craftsmanship and engineering Olympus put into the EM-1 makes it worth its $1,399.99 price (body only).

If you're already heavily invested in the micro four-thirds system, the E-M1 is as good as it gets. It's incredibly fast and the five-axis image stabilization does wonders for reducing motion blur, especially during night shooting.

Like a Leica, the E-M1 is a serious investment. But with proper care, the EM-1 will probably last you a good long time.

The Lowdown

What's Good:

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  Super-fast autofocus

  
  


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  Large and bright electronic viewfinder

  
  


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  Highly customizable, accessible buttons

  
  

What's Bad:

Bottom Line

Whether you're a pro looking for a second, lighter camera that doesn't skimp on performance or an amateur looking for a camera that will provide enough custom settings and buttons to grow with over time, the OM-D EM-1 is one of the speediest and most well-rounded mirrorless cameras to date.

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Images: Mashable, Raymond Wong

Topics: cameras, Gadgets, Mashable Choice, mirrorless cameras, Mobile, olympus, reviews, Tech