I can't tell you how excited I was to see a video on Olympus and portraits, everything I see is focused on wildlife and birds. I do portraits and macro. Your images are gorgeous and now I think I'm ready to try out the OM-System. I'd be interested to see or hear how it did w/ flash. I use Godox ad200s and could easily get a trigger for that system.
They are superb cameras. The image quality is stunning. The live comp in the camera is fantastic too. Unfortunately the you tube vloggers hammer mft not everyone wants a massive kit. Thanks for the excellent video 👍🏻👍🏻
Love your enthusiasm -- and your model here is 'cute as a button'! Those are some nice ambient shots. I recently retired from pro work, and now only shoot family, volunteer fundraiser events, and occasional portraits for friends (plus a lot of nature/wildlife stuff). Prior to retiring most of my work was executive head and shoulder portraits, and corporate events -- large conferences, trade shows, awards ceremonies, golf tournaments, etc.. I was a contract shooter for Omni Hotels among other large national trade organizations. I used Olympus gear for all that work and never had a disappointed client. For me, the beauty of m4/3's was that I could run all over a huge conference center shooting activities all day, and at the end of the day I was tired, but not exhausted. A lens you might want to check out is the amazing Olympus/OM 12-100mm f/4 Pro. That is a 'do-it-all' lens, that is razor sharp, and has 'Synch IS' that allows insanely slow hand holding speeds. Also, you will love some of the faster primes like the 75mm f/1.8, or the 45mm f/1.2 Pro.
Also consider the Panasonic 35-100 2.8 zoom - the bokeh is very nice for a zoom, the bokeh is less nervous than that of the Zuiko 40 -150 2.8. (It’s also way smaller but of course has significant less reach than the Zuiko 40 - 150)
John you should become an OM ambassador. You have made the only compelling case for M4/3 I have ever seen. Your videos are so enjoyable to watch and I’m not emphasising the beautiful models you find. Your thought processes and genuine presentations are refreshingly unique. Since watching your first OM video I have been comparing the OM-1 with the Panasonic/Lumix G9 ll. it seems to have near identical specs and I suspect I might prefer its button layout. The Pana/Lieca lenses look really enticing from the outside! More research needed. Thanks again for an enjoyable and informative show.
Well thank you. Well if it comes down to it, rent them and try for yourself. I went with OM for the body and lenses. I love the Olympus glass even more than I thought I would. But trying both in-hand would be your best bet. I can def see the appeal of the Lumix
Firstly, what a fantastic model you have there. great expression and energy. Secondly, Thanks for these videos John. I'm a m/43 user and its great to se the system more than holding its own under Pro conditions.
When I got into digital photography, I fell into micro 4/3 rather by accident since I really knew nothing about it. Many years later, I’m glad I did. I love the system. I love the small size and as a hobbyist it’s more than adequate. I really don’t have any desire to spend lots of money on a full frame gear. I’ve never felt that micro 4/3 was lacking.
Same here. Fell into 4/3 first and gradually and first with some adaptors and then with native lenses, I upgraded to M4/3 - haven't looked back! Clients love the results, I love the gear and the process, why bother switching when it all works like a charm?
I have owned the EM1 MIII since 2020 and love it. I sell my work online and through galleries, never have I had a situation where the camera didn't work for me or a client has said, Oh, why was this pic not shot with a FF camera!"!
My EM1 ii paired with the Sigma 30 or 56 f1.4 is an absolute winning combination!! You get sharp eyes and bokeh and low light capabilities!! And then the colours straight out of the camera?! I could practically give my wedding and portrait clients the pictures unedited! Not sure if I'm allowed to share my IG handle here so I won't. Just discovered this channel but I'm going to keep watching
Most who bitch about m43 have never used m43. For a long time I have been saying I need to set up a controlled test shoot amongst m43, APS C, FF, and MF. Maybe it’s time to do that and see if the “experts” can tell the difference. I have all the gear so I should get going on that.
The ones who think that the M4/3 is dead are people who are slowly discovering that they paid too much for their full frame system, and that the M4/3 system is not so bad after all.❤😂👍🙏
Your excitement is really showing, it’s a surprising system all right. Love my Olympus’s, the12-100 is amazing through the range. I’m mostly sports shooting and headshots. The pro zooms are amazing lenses. I must say I really like the 8-18 f2.8 to f4 Panasonic Lieca as well. There is just something about the images that I really like.
75 f1.8 and the 45 f1.2 are both so good for portrait work and you don't need to worry about ISO with this camera. It is not a "see in the dark" miracle of a Sony, but anyone that started in film and has worked the evolution of digital cameras will appreciate that this one will give you very usable images at ISO3200 or even 6400. From a workflow perspective, DxO is second only to OM Workspace in handling the .orf RAW files. If you want to start from the best rendered position with your files, consider using either DxO PhotoLab or PureRAW (if you are fully embedded into the Adobe or CaptureOne ecosystem). Think of PureRAW as an optimized for OM System version of Camera RAW.
Hi, glad you’re liking the system. I’ve shot sooo many cameras over the last 50yrs, and the OM system cameras and lenses are best and most exciting bits of kit ever! In the 80’s , I used the OM-3, which started the multi spot metering with its spot hi and spot low. The 40-150f2.8 is probably the best lens I’ve ever used, and you’ll love the 75f1.8. Loving your channel.
Joe Edelman went to the OM System, for what seems to be the reason that fits many of us persons with several decades on earth. Full of features and LIGHT! It is quite a packet of tech and computational photography, like if you had a cell phone with really excellent glass.
I have a complete Sony and Olympus system. I Use the Olympus for up to 50% of the time and use it on all my Europe trips, which are usually two months at a time. The general tracking AF on the Olympus has been a generation behind even on the OM-1. I understand they have upped the game on the OM-1 II but I have yet to add that one. I would not mind if they could push this system to 25-30MP. They have been stuck at 20MP for ever. This is wy I am holding out a bit longer on getting the Mark II.
I second or third on the 40-150/F2.8. (80-300) equivalent focal length. That’s the 70-200 killer of all systems. That lens is INCREDIBLE!!!!! One thing I have for my em13 is the Really Right Stuff Arca Swiss l bracket. It adds just enough beef to the bottom that it becomes even more comfortable. The fl-700 flash is Amazing.
Loving your videos and content. Great to learn about the OM System OM-1 II. I have heard other reviewers express praise for it, though I don’t recall any expressing its strength as a social media image creation tool. I also liked your pointing out that beautiful images are hardly defined by megapixels, depth of field, or dynamic range.
I have heard this a long while as I was using EM5.2 and EM1.3. Now having two OM-1 bodies and lenses to cover from 18mm to 2000mm FF equivalent. I love the fact that I can take two bodies with lenses for family vacation and wildlife photography in one carry-on bag without paying extra fees or breaking my backs,
For about 2yr or so, we had a 30x40” print on the wall at the reception desk of our studio. It got great comments from visitors and some even mistook it for an MF image. Yet it was shot with a humble Lumix G9 20MP M43 camera and a 12-60 zoom lens.
Thanks for sharing! What a great time to be a photographer! So many options for us! Build and ergos are very important to me and great glass is a must!
Last summer I got a used E-500 4/3 sensor with original lens. Said to be by Kodax, and really nice colors. They say that the 4/3 is the same as the micro-4/3rd sensor so I assume it is only a smaller lens mount? I may try an adaptor to put my Olympus OM10 50mm manual lens on it if found for a decent price. This spring there was an OM system's open house near me with seminars and it was very nice and package discounts.
Very nice shoot! I have been thinking about OM systems too coming from a Panasonic. The photos from the OM system cameras just seem to be superior to Panasonic MFT!
my GF is as full of energy like your model and I Love it. oh and I still have 3 Olympus cameras from 2010 an EPL-1 2012 EM5 and EPL5 and Ive used them in Canada, USA both mountains and hot Florida beaches also in Japan and Phillipine hot humid jungles and they all still work great
I started in m43 back with the original release of the O-MD E-M5 - the first M43 that blew IBIS open onto the market. It was downright revolutionary. Tack sharp handheld shots at 1/2 second with the 75mm f1.8 - 150mm equivalent on 35mm. Absolutely ridiculous. People were saying back then that m43 was dead on arrival. They have been saying it for over 10 years by now. Maybe it's time to stop saying that and just let it be what it is? A versatile and capable system with excellent glass for affordable prices (especially if you go used).
The IBIS in OM cameras definitely feels like cheating. Tried the OM-1 and it was amazing. I really want one with the 12-40 and 100-400 for travel/wildlife.
I love what you said at the end, “I can’t see you” lol I follow a particular Nikon influencer who has made it his signature saying, “how very nice to see you”. I love his work and his enthusiasm but I hate the stupidity of him saying that on TH-cam. Told him but it’s become his thing now.
Unless you work exclusively in your studio, I don’t see how you could possibly prefer using prime lenses over zooms !! A zoom lens gives you the flexibility of framing your image with the right amount of background optically, reducing the need for cropping, thus improving the quality of your product. I don’t really understand this perspective of not liking zoom lenses when the logic is as illustrated above. The only thing you get from a prime lens is speed and within an Olympus/OM System and its amazing stabilization in-camera and in-lens, that requirement becomes almost academic! Am I not correct? But I really appreciate your style of TH-cam videos!
I don’t see anything wrong with Zooms - they are just not for me. I personally like primes. Image quality with today’s zooms are undistinguishable from primes in the end media in my opinion. It’s just a matter of preference for me
@@kaskoPhoto of course, you can do anything you like, but calling it a matter of preference doesn't really explain what the preference is. To me, it's just not a logical conclusion, if not, for the simple reasons already mentioned. You're not the first one to express this preference; I just still cannot figure it out and thought you might enlighten me. Thanks anyway.
FF offers more flexibility, unfortunately for MFT there just isn't the buzz surrounding it anymore. I shoot concerts and tried an OM-1 but compared to my Sony it wasn't great especially at 6400 I never sent any image files to the client that were shot with the OM-1 But it's a fun system for certain conditions, and if it's all you have then you work with it.
You won't make a long intro to bore the hell out of us... so you ended it at 4:45... But back to the system, if you haven't tried the 75mm f/1.8, you should. And/or the 45mm f/1.2, just because it is a wider portrait than the 75mm. the 45 and 75 for portrait work, all you need. And maybe the best reason for the m43 system, is the 43 itself. The format. miles better than a 3x2, for portraits, especially in portrait mode. Unless of course you crop the 3x2 to 8x10 ratio and toss the pixels.
No camera system is perfect and although you should have an Olympus it can't be the only one in your camera collection. My biggest gripe with the whole M43 genre is that currently there's very little difference price wise between them and an equally capable full frame mirrorless system.
Looking at getting that camera, mainly for macro-work. But I must say the studio shots you took looked amazing - especially without any flash. Very impressive!
Your photos are amazing and I love your honest tone in your videos. I have used many Canon, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Olympus and Sony cameras for work throughout my almost 20year career, and even though I am happily married to my Sony cameras since over 6 years now (some bodies sold and upgraded, but my current A9 & A9ii ticks most of my boxes). Before that I had so much fun for at least 5 years, maybe more with my Olympus cameras and those wonderful m4/3 lenses, used for my work, the only m4/3 shooter in my area except for 1 that I ever met.. I love your excitement and I recall my own. Was wonderful to use, after Canon and Fujifilm. I shot so many varied environments that I eventually saw the pitfalls of the older focus system and the difficulties of keeping up with full frame competitors and the dynamic range. Some things the EM-1 just couldnt do some things m4/3 just did so easily but either way it made shooting fun and light weight. I do miss that and still have my lenses so I am waiting for the best moment to grab a newer camera and re-ignite that old flame. Enjoy the ride.
Shooting Panasonic which uses the same flash triggers as Olympus. There appears to be less support for Olympus flash triggers compared to the bigger brands.
I believe M34 is more suitable for wild animals, as the lens are lit smaller than full frame. And there are very little telezoom apsc lens. Studio shoots obviously is also good place for M34.
Great video. I think the white valance of the OM1II is one of the best on the market (it was reviewed and is better than previous generations, including the original OM1). The focus on people has also been a success, making it a simpler and more effective tool. Furthermore, my experience tells me that with 20 MP we can make prints at optimal quality of 86x 64cm (152 dpi) and good quality of 206 x 155cm (63 dpi). By the way, magnificent photos 😍.
Well, the white balance is dead on in 90% of the cases. Goes to touch yellow with strobe. But not out of reach. As far as the white pens on people, I think it’s absolutely fantastic. And, thank you very much. I appreciate your comments and watching.
Coming from 8"*10" and real medium format, 35mm FF is the absolute bottom end for me, but my brother has this M43 camera and thought he could improve with a better lens. I suggested he replace the kit-zoom by a pre-owned Leica 12-60 and that's a great improvement. Most people over-estimate the effect of larger formats and overestimate the effect of more MP. Brother will only begin to see the difference if he buys a larger display or prints larger. But street creds in the family have more than doubled with the newer lens.
Thanks for sharing I have fell In love with the OM system. I have Sony and Nikon and canon full Frame I didn’t think the om12 would me this good and all the lens available wow. And at the end of the day 99% of my work is shared on social media. This 6:20 4/3 fits the bill. Anyway your daughter is a ham and so pretty. I enjoy your take on om1-2❤
Fantastic photos! Did you say the model was your daughter? She's such a pro! Panasonic themselves said it best recently, when they said FF is easier to sell to the uninitiated, whereas M4/3 is best appreciated by those knowledgeable about cameras. Why do you even need FF cameras when most jobs are going to social media?
I have been using the OMD EM 5 mk II for a long time now, and would have to say that it's a killer system. I could go on and on about how underrated Olympuses are from the IBIS to the colors but these can be appreciated only by trying out in action
While not that many of your videos covers gear that I actually use (I'm with Sony, preparing to move to Hasselblad), I still enjoy listening to your reasoning for what you do and watching how your shoots go. You have remarkably good taste in models, too, and this one in particular is amazing.
What made you go for this one versus the less expensive cameras in the line? You don't seem to use video on it? And your AF needs, versus 3-wing beat bird photogs, are not hardcore. Interested to see how this develops in your work. Thanks.
The improved human autofocus was the only tipping point honestly. The fact that I don’t shoot birds/wildlife made this added feature in the Mark 2 more appealing. It’s like they realized not everyone shoots just wildlife with this system.
I shot for years with m34. Then went on to the X-T3 crop sensor. Loved it. Now shooting Sony full frame and cannot think about ever going smaller sensor. There is just something with full frame that I truly enjoy. The A7iii is not very much larger than the OM-1.
I do understand your perspective. It’s the same as using a medium format compared to full frame - there is that “something” that draws you in. For me, I get what I need from my Leica M - and for my clients who want “posts”, they will definitely get what they need from this M43 system.
it's a shame, but it seems like totally not Olympus arent really making many macros anymore. I shot OM film stuff and the macros were the real stars of that lens lineup, along with ultra-wides there were always so small for SLR lenses.
@@kaskoPhoto I am a macro shooter and use the 60mm macro, I think the high magnification of the 90mm makes it a more specialist tool. The very shallow DOF necessitates stopping down way into diffraction land , unless you can take advantage of the stacking features where the improved AF of the 90mm { well for a macro lens } comes in handy
Followed with vinyl is not dead, DVD is not dead, tube amp is not dead, cassette player is not dead, film camera is not dead, video rental stores are not dead etc... So many sequels to make... 5 people using these does not quantify they are not dead.
Thanks for another video. Very interesting. My first system was the original Olympus "Four Thirds", and though i loved the camera it was the dynamic range limitation which finally caused me to move on. But that was 15 years ago. Can I ask, did you have the strobe in studio? The tone in the images is fantastic, but I couldn't see one fire.
@@kaskoPhoto You must do some magic in post, there's no sign of the shadows in studio. If that's Olympus exposure out of camera however I'll buy one tomorrow 😄
I use both FF and m43 there are some smaller m43 bodies that may be poorer regarding ergonomics. However there are plenty of higher end bodies { OM series, GH series G9/II etc } that offer very good ergonomics
Most of the time one does not need the shallow depth of field. But there is something special with the look of a Leica Q shoot at f/1.7. Sadly it is not currently possible to replicate the look on anything other then FF. Love the look of white on white on white draws my eyes to her face.
"Sadly it is not currently possible to replicate the look on anything other then FF" I can tell you Medium Format to portraits is better than any FF lol..
@@pentagramyt417 the closest on can achieve on GFX and Hasselblad is the 38mm 2.5 which does not offer the same shallow depth of field. With that said, I wish you a joyful laugh on your long stroll on a short pier.
@@arvidjohansson3120 I don't care about depth of field, I am not brainwashed by lobby as you are. Picture depth is more important than any depth of field. As you are fascinated by Leica, I JUST tell you Medium Format pictures are surreal with its depth.
It's not dead...yet. Around 5% of the market and not growing is worrisome though. As far I can tell, only Panasonic is a viable option for someone looking to buy a micro system. Their budget is massive compared to OM-D. I'd bet Panasonic invests more coin in R&D than OM-D has operating capital. That sort of advantage doesn't go away.
OM System is about just as large a company as Leica Camera. Around 2,000 employees. Their parent company JIT is one of the larger private equity firms in Asia with Mizuho and Bain Capital as investors. They also own companies like ITX, Nippon Avionics and Toshiba. In Japan, OM System is consistently in the top 5 of best sold cameras with at least one model. I’m sure that if they can stay profitable, JIT will have the capital to fund their growth. In the past we’ve seen other camera brands being close to out-of-business. Incl. Leica, Fujifilm and recently also Nikon was rumoured to be in a bad position. Yet, the one that actually killed their camera business was Samsung. One of the largest companies in the world. For those companies (incl. Sony, Panasonic and Canon) their camera business is a relative small part of the entire company. For them it’s much easier to end a business line if that line doesn’t make the ROI line a couple of years. So, predictions are difficult. Esp. when they’re about the future.
@@jacobh5817 The market share decline has to be a concern, JIP have no historic attachment to cameras like Olympus had and I doubt that they would be happy to throw money at any market. Despite Olympus's long history in photography and having a very successful medical division . Where not prepared to carry long term losses in the camera division Compared to JIP's other investment areas OM systems is small fry . It was a pity that Samsung folded their camera division , the NX1 was and still is an excellent camera and still competitive with most newer APS models .
@@jacobh5817 Leica is a very unique market case where their fanbase will accept very high prices with in essence no real competition . OM isn't in this position and is just a small part of fierlcy competitive ILC market , Olympus has a very successful medical division and a long and respected history of photography. Yet they would not continue losing money in the camera division year after year and paid JIP to take it off their hands. JIP has zero history in photography and I think they would behave more like Samsung than not. If they cannot maintain a profitable niche { and as a long time user I hope they can } . I have very little interest in long tele nature shooting and I am not sure that is the "niche" that will do it for them. Though predicting what happens in the imaging world is folly . Look at Nikon a while back there were mostly nonsense rumours about them being in difficulty { Nikon has a huge capital asset value } . A while later and totally out of left field they have just bought RED
John, tried Oly a couple of times. Gave it up a couple of times. Just did not like the EM-1 output. Then tried OM-1. Love it! Responsive. Nice colors. Lenses are terrific. System is small, light! Images are beautiful. To your point, not like our M11 or X2D. Still very passable for most use cases. If you shoot and avoid composing with cropping in mind, you are good to go. Enjoy! I’m picking up the 75 again. It is superb.
Well, i am a bit mystified. You take beautiful photos…wonderfully exposed, models very attractive and adept at eye engagement, and you work their attire and surroundings well. But i can’t help think its you and not the camera. So many in our camera club have moved to Olympus 4/3rds for their weight advantages. I too value light gear so i’ve tried them, shooting many hundreds of photos in raw and editing them in LR. I was left with the conclusion that they do have a noticeable bit less dynamic range and color gradations than comparably current apsc cameras, and those have less than FF cameras. It seemed really obvious to me in the different sensor models’ raw outputs. So are the 4/3rds “good enough” for some uses? For me, i drew the line at apsc-sensor cameras. But, that’s just me.
The only thing I notice from the images is the color bit depth on the screen. But when I shoot M43 I shoot in RGB mode vs sRGB to have a wider color range which helps. As far as dynamic range, it really is a matter of shooting it correctly vs “I’ll fix it in post”. I know it’s easier to just leave your subject dark to maintain the sky etc… but filling in with a flash or reflector makes a world of difference Diving in deep to an image (100,200% zoom) is not something viewers do- that’s only on us, the photographers.
@@kaskoPhoto that’s a very good point you make about we, the photographers, improving things by adding light, whether with flash or reflectors. I don’t do that as often as i should. Your other point about RGB versus sRGB…Does that affect the quality of the raw output? Thanks
There is nothing wrong with m43. It is a great system, especially in studio. OM Systems and Lumix have been slow to update their cameras to modern needs... and it is a shame.
Well I haven’t seen that yet, and throwing on a 1.2 lens or 40-150 isn’t available, so I think we are ok with our cameras so far. Making memories from your pocket is an amazing thing and I personally love it. But nothing beats the camera/photography experience and that will never be replaced by a phone. No matter what system.
Depends on what type of photos you are targeting. If it is the snapshot variety (birthdays, family, occasional landscape) then yes... but know quality like that existed as a standard before autofocus came on to the scene (think the 70s & 80s compact rangefinders). With autofocus came the plastic P&S cameras that did a lesser job for snapshots. As a replacement for that plastic generation P&S, the modern smartphone is definitely superior and even matches/exceeds the pre-AF (RF film) quality. As a tool for more serious work - sadly the phone does not meet the requirement. A real interchangeable lens camera has scalable quality that covers situations that phones cannot match (despite all the marketing Apple does to try to convince you otherwise). I am a collector with multiple film and Digital cameras and often use the same lens via adapters on both. My iphone only gets use as a phone - and the occasional snapshot. If camera companies are going out of business because of the marketing phone companies do then the public loses because both objects have distinct roles and can exist together.
I can't tell you how excited I was to see a video on Olympus and portraits, everything I see is focused on wildlife and birds. I do portraits and macro. Your images are gorgeous and now I think I'm ready to try out the OM-System. I'd be interested to see or hear how it did w/ flash. I use Godox ad200s and could easily get a trigger for that system.
They are superb cameras. The image quality is stunning. The live comp in the camera is fantastic too. Unfortunately the you tube vloggers hammer mft not everyone wants a massive kit. Thanks for the excellent video 👍🏻👍🏻
Keep the crowd away, so the prices stay down. Look at what happened to fuji
Love your enthusiasm -- and your model here is 'cute as a button'! Those are some nice ambient shots.
I recently retired from pro work, and now only shoot family, volunteer fundraiser events, and occasional portraits for friends (plus a lot of nature/wildlife stuff). Prior to retiring most of my work was executive head and shoulder portraits, and corporate events -- large conferences, trade shows, awards ceremonies, golf tournaments, etc.. I was a contract shooter for Omni Hotels among other large national trade organizations. I used Olympus gear for all that work and never had a disappointed client. For me, the beauty of m4/3's was that I could run all over a huge conference center shooting activities all day, and at the end of the day I was tired, but not exhausted. A lens you might want to check out is the amazing Olympus/OM 12-100mm f/4 Pro. That is a 'do-it-all' lens, that is razor sharp, and has 'Synch IS' that allows insanely slow hand holding speeds. Also, you will love some of the faster primes like the 75mm f/1.8, or the 45mm f/1.2 Pro.
It's fun huh :)...The Oly is so sweeeeeet! The 40-150 is outstanding, you will love it.
Don’t like zooms? Wait till you try the 40-150 f2.8 Pro lens… IMHO, it’s heads & shoulders above the 12-40 Pro. ✌🏼
I am looking forward to it. I mean the way it looks now, those two lenses would cover just about anything.
Not the same weight too…
Also consider the Panasonic 35-100 2.8 zoom - the bokeh is very nice for a zoom, the bokeh is less nervous than that of the Zuiko 40 -150 2.8. (It’s also way smaller but of course has significant less reach than the Zuiko 40 - 150)
Agree. Very sharp for a zoom. I’m told the 75mm f1.8 is the sharpest of all.
@@kaskoPhotoon the opposite end, get a pm2 and a 12-32. Same sensor size, but the size of a pack of cards.
John you should become an OM ambassador. You have made the only compelling case for M4/3 I have ever seen. Your videos are so enjoyable to watch and I’m not emphasising the beautiful models you find. Your thought processes and genuine presentations are refreshingly unique. Since watching your first OM video I have been comparing the OM-1 with the Panasonic/Lumix G9 ll. it seems to have near identical specs and I suspect I might prefer its button layout. The Pana/Lieca lenses look really enticing from the outside! More research needed. Thanks again for an enjoyable and informative show.
Well thank you. Well if it comes down to it, rent them and try for yourself. I went with OM for the body and lenses. I love the Olympus glass even more than I thought I would. But trying both in-hand would be your best bet. I can def see the appeal of the Lumix
Great idea, thanks
Firstly, what a fantastic model you have there. great expression and energy. Secondly, Thanks for these videos John. I'm a m/43 user and its great to se the system more than holding its own under Pro conditions.
Thank you. She is amazing. Always smiling and a ball of energy. The system is really amazing and I’m appreciating it more and more.
When I got into digital photography, I fell into micro 4/3 rather by accident since I really knew nothing about it. Many years later, I’m glad I did. I love the system. I love the small size and as a hobbyist it’s more than adequate. I really don’t have any desire to spend lots of money on a full frame gear. I’ve never felt that micro 4/3 was lacking.
I think this system is equally at home in an amateurs hands as it is in a pros hands. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending it to either.
Same here. Fell into 4/3 first and gradually and first with some adaptors and then with native lenses, I upgraded to M4/3 - haven't looked back! Clients love the results, I love the gear and the process, why bother switching when it all works like a charm?
I have owned the EM1 MIII since 2020 and love it. I sell my work online and through galleries, never have I had a situation where the camera didn't work for me or a client has said, Oh, why was this pic not shot with a FF camera!"!
Keep selling - and I haven’t had a client comment either.
My EM1 ii paired with the Sigma 30 or 56 f1.4 is an absolute winning combination!! You get sharp eyes and bokeh and low light capabilities!! And then the colours straight out of the camera?! I could practically give my wedding and portrait clients the pictures unedited! Not sure if I'm allowed to share my IG handle here so I won't. Just discovered this channel but I'm going to keep watching
Most who bitch about m43 have never used m43. For a long time I have been saying I need to set up a controlled test shoot amongst m43, APS C, FF, and MF. Maybe it’s time to do that and see if the “experts” can tell the difference. I have all the gear so I should get going on that.
That would be fun. Be sure to share
The ones who think that the M4/3 is dead are people who are slowly discovering that they paid too much for their full frame system, and that the M4/3 system is not so bad after all.❤😂👍🙏
Your excitement is really showing, it’s a surprising system all right. Love my Olympus’s, the12-100 is amazing through the range. I’m mostly sports shooting and headshots. The pro zooms are amazing lenses. I must say I really like the 8-18 f2.8 to f4 Panasonic Lieca as well. There is just something about the images that I really like.
100%. Love Oly/OMDS and completely agree about the artful pleasantness of images from Pan/Lecia 8-18. Cheers.
Man, I wish I had 1/10 the energy of that model! Oh, and the photos are great :-)
She is an energetic dynamo
75 f1.8 and the 45 f1.2 are both so good for portrait work and you don't need to worry about ISO with this camera. It is not a "see in the dark" miracle of a Sony, but anyone that started in film and has worked the evolution of digital cameras will appreciate that this one will give you very usable images at ISO3200 or even 6400. From a workflow perspective, DxO is second only to OM Workspace in handling the .orf RAW files. If you want to start from the best rendered position with your files, consider using either DxO PhotoLab or PureRAW (if you are fully embedded into the Adobe or CaptureOne ecosystem). Think of PureRAW as an optimized for OM System version of Camera RAW.
Hi, glad you’re liking the system. I’ve shot sooo many cameras over the last 50yrs, and the OM system cameras and lenses are best and most exciting bits of kit ever! In the 80’s , I used the OM-3, which started the multi spot metering with its spot hi and spot low. The 40-150f2.8 is probably the best lens I’ve ever used, and you’ll love the 75f1.8. Loving your channel.
Olympus Pro 17mm & 45mm f/1.2 they are beautiful professional lenses.
So far I’ve used only the 25 1.2 prime and I loved it. It was unbelievably sharpe and lightweight too
Try the 45 f1. 8 it will blow you away for the price.
Yes. The King. One of my favorite lenses. Love it. 📸
Joe Edelman went to the OM System, for what seems to be the reason that fits many of us persons with several decades on earth. Full of features and LIGHT! It is quite a packet of tech and computational photography, like if you had a cell phone with really excellent glass.
The photos are impressive, thank you for proving that the om1 is not just for wildlife photography. Well done. I subscribe.
Honestly with the new human detect (and before it) it’s perfect for my type of work.
I have a complete Sony and Olympus system. I Use the Olympus for up to 50% of the time and use it on all my Europe trips, which are usually two months at a time. The general tracking AF on the Olympus has been a generation behind even on the OM-1. I understand they have upped the game on the OM-1 II but I have yet to add that one. I would not mind if they could push this system to 25-30MP. They have been stuck at 20MP for ever. This is wy I am holding out a bit longer on getting the Mark II.
I second or third on the 40-150/F2.8. (80-300) equivalent focal length. That’s the 70-200 killer of all systems. That lens is INCREDIBLE!!!!! One thing I have for my em13 is the Really Right Stuff Arca Swiss l bracket. It adds just enough beef to the bottom that it becomes even more comfortable. The fl-700 flash is Amazing.
Thank you for your input. I appreciate the gear advice always
Loving your videos and content. Great to learn about the OM System OM-1 II. I have heard other reviewers express praise for it, though I don’t recall any expressing its strength as a social media image creation tool. I also liked your pointing out that beautiful images are hardly defined by megapixels, depth of field, or dynamic range.
I tell you I shoot exclusively with Olympus now one for your portrait stuff. The 45 mm F 1.2 chef's kiss!!
Damn I really have to try that lens
I have heard this a long while as I was using EM5.2 and EM1.3. Now having two OM-1 bodies and lenses to cover from 18mm to 2000mm FF equivalent. I love the fact that I can take two bodies with lenses for family vacation and wildlife photography in one carry-on bag without paying extra fees or breaking my backs,
Do any of the OM lenses have an aperture ring (similar to Fugi) or is there a lense ring that one can program to aperture?
For about 2yr or so, we had a 30x40” print on the wall at the reception desk of our studio. It got great comments from visitors and some even mistook it for an MF image. Yet it was shot with a humble Lumix G9 20MP M43 camera and a 12-60 zoom lens.
Thanks for sharing! What a great time to be a photographer! So many options for us! Build and ergos are very important to me and great glass is a must!
i like m4thirds! its an impressive system... Micro but powerfull, like a mini cooper on steroids!😂😅❤❤❤
That’s a good analogy. 😂😂 thank you for sharing
Last summer I got a used E-500 4/3 sensor with original lens. Said to be by Kodax, and really nice colors. They say that the 4/3 is the same as the micro-4/3rd sensor so I assume it is only a smaller lens mount? I may try an adaptor to put my Olympus OM10 50mm manual lens on it if found for a decent price. This spring there was an OM system's open house near me with seminars and it was very nice and package discounts.
Yes, the word “Micro” only refers to the mirrorless system. The 4/3 sensor is the exact same.
Love my em5 mark 2 not a pro photographer just a guy who loves photography and collects cameras and I admit I have GAS!
😂😂 the Gas-X doesn’t work on it I assure you.
Very nice shoot! I have been thinking about OM systems too coming from a Panasonic. The photos from the OM system cameras just seem to be superior to Panasonic MFT!
Well I can’t comment on the comparison, but I am loving the OM-1 colors for sure.
my GF is as full of energy like your model and I Love it. oh and I still have 3 Olympus cameras from 2010 an EPL-1 2012 EM5 and EPL5 and Ive used them in Canada, USA both mountains and hot Florida beaches also in Japan and Phillipine hot humid jungles and they all still work great
I started in m43 back with the original release of the O-MD E-M5 - the first M43 that blew IBIS open onto the market. It was downright revolutionary. Tack sharp handheld shots at 1/2 second with the 75mm f1.8 - 150mm equivalent on 35mm. Absolutely ridiculous. People were saying back then that m43 was dead on arrival. They have been saying it for over 10 years by now. Maybe it's time to stop saying that and just let it be what it is? A versatile and capable system with excellent glass for affordable prices (especially if you go used).
The IBIS in OM cameras definitely feels like cheating. Tried the OM-1 and it was amazing. I really want one with the 12-40 and 100-400 for travel/wildlife.
In 2035 we'll still be having this format argument. We reach sufficiency for 99% of jobs on almost every camera system years ago.
I love what you said at the end, “I can’t see you” lol
I follow a particular Nikon influencer who has made it his signature saying, “how very nice to see you”. I love his work and his enthusiasm but I hate the stupidity of him saying that on TH-cam. Told him but it’s become his thing now.
Congratulations! M4/3 rise up 🥰Thanks for the video! Cant wait to see more of what you do with OM-1 II :)
Honestly me too! 😂
You have a beautiful daughter. Your video is impressive. I think M43 is good for any kind of photography job. Thank you for sharing. Great job！
Unless you work exclusively in your studio, I don’t see how you could possibly prefer using prime lenses over zooms !! A zoom lens gives you the flexibility of framing your image with the right amount of background optically, reducing the need for cropping, thus improving the quality of your product. I don’t really understand this perspective of not liking zoom lenses when the logic is as illustrated above. The only thing you get from a prime lens is speed and within an Olympus/OM System and its amazing stabilization in-camera and in-lens, that requirement becomes almost academic! Am I not correct? But I really appreciate your style of TH-cam videos!
I don’t see anything wrong with Zooms - they are just not for me. I personally like primes. Image quality with today’s zooms are undistinguishable from primes in the end media in my opinion. It’s just a matter of preference for me
@@kaskoPhoto of course, you can do anything you like, but calling it a matter of preference doesn't really explain what the preference is. To me, it's just not a logical conclusion, if not, for the simple reasons already mentioned. You're not the first one to express this preference; I just still cannot figure it out and thought you might enlighten me. Thanks anyway.
FF offers more flexibility, unfortunately for MFT there just isn't the buzz surrounding it anymore.
I shoot concerts and tried an OM-1 but compared to my Sony it wasn't great especially at 6400 I never sent any image files to the client that were shot with the OM-1
But it's a fun system for certain conditions, and if it's all you have then you work with it.
You won't make a long intro to bore the hell out of us... so you ended it at 4:45... But back to the system, if you haven't tried the 75mm f/1.8, you should. And/or the 45mm f/1.2, just because it is a wider portrait than the 75mm. the 45 and 75 for portrait work, all you need. And maybe the best reason for the m43 system, is the 43 itself. The format. miles better than a 3x2, for portraits, especially in portrait mode. Unless of course you crop the 3x2 to 8x10 ratio and toss the pixels.
No camera system is perfect and although you should have an Olympus it can't be the only one in your camera collection. My biggest gripe with the whole M43 genre is that currently there's very little difference price wise between them and an equally capable full frame mirrorless system.
Looking at getting that camera, mainly for macro-work. But I must say the studio shots you took looked amazing - especially without any flash. Very impressive!
My first real camera was the OM1 back in 1977. Full frame, great photos!
Really good results. But then again, having shot with an E-M1III and the Zuiko Pro lenses I am not surprised.
Your photos are amazing and I love your honest tone in your videos. I have used many Canon, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Olympus and Sony cameras for work throughout my almost 20year career, and even though I am happily married to my Sony cameras since over 6 years now (some bodies sold and upgraded, but my current A9 & A9ii ticks most of my boxes). Before that I had so much fun for at least 5 years, maybe more with my Olympus cameras and those wonderful m4/3 lenses, used for my work, the only m4/3 shooter in my area except for 1 that I ever met.. I love your excitement and I recall my own. Was wonderful to use, after Canon and Fujifilm. I shot so many varied environments that I eventually saw the pitfalls of the older focus system and the difficulties of keeping up with full frame competitors and the dynamic range. Some things the EM-1 just couldnt do some things m4/3 just did so easily but either way it made shooting fun and light weight. I do miss that and still have my lenses so I am waiting for the best moment to grab a newer camera and re-ignite that old flame. Enjoy the ride.
Shooting Panasonic which uses the same flash triggers as Olympus. There appears to be less support for Olympus flash triggers compared to the bigger brands.
There def is less support. But I did try the Profoto Connect remote for Olympus/Panasonic and it works well.
I believe M34 is more suitable for wild animals, as the lens are lit smaller than full frame. And there are very little telezoom apsc lens. Studio shoots obviously is also good place for M34.
Sometimes those two worlds collide. I’ve shot many a subject that fall into the wild animals category
Great video. I think the white valance of the OM1II is one of the best on the market (it was reviewed and is better than previous generations, including the original OM1). The focus on people has also been a success, making it a simpler and more effective tool. Furthermore, my experience tells me that with 20 MP we can make prints at optimal quality of 86x 64cm (152 dpi) and good quality of 206 x 155cm (63 dpi). By the way, magnificent photos 😍.
Well, the white balance is dead on in 90% of the cases. Goes to touch yellow with strobe. But not out of reach. As far as the white pens on people, I think it’s absolutely fantastic. And, thank you very much. I appreciate your comments and watching.
Coming from 8"*10" and real medium format, 35mm FF is the absolute bottom end for me, but my brother has this M43 camera and thought he could improve with a better lens. I suggested he replace the kit-zoom by a pre-owned Leica 12-60 and that's a great improvement. Most people over-estimate the effect of larger formats and overestimate the effect of more MP. Brother will only begin to see the difference if he buys a larger display or prints larger. But street creds in the family have more than doubled with the newer lens.
So true. It all comes down to great glass and great light
Thanks for sharing I have fell
In love with the
OM system. I have Sony and Nikon and canon full
Frame
I didn’t think the om12 would me this good and all the lens available wow. And at the end of the day 99% of my work is shared on social media. This 6:20 4/3 fits the bill. Anyway your daughter is a ham and so pretty. I enjoy your take on om1-2❤
Thanks for watching!
Fantastic photos! Did you say the model was your daughter? She's such a pro! Panasonic themselves said it best recently, when they said FF is easier to sell to the uninitiated, whereas M4/3 is best appreciated by those knowledgeable about cameras. Why do you even need FF cameras when most jobs are going to social media?
She is not. My daughter (Gracie) this young lady is Grace. But at this point she does feel like my second 😂
Forgive my complete ignorance of the subject matter, but I can't help but wonder how are photos taken in shoots like this generally utilized?
Well that is up to the client. But for this client, it’s social media images she can use over the next couple of months.
I have been using the OMD EM 5 mk II for a long time now, and would have to say that it's a killer system. I could go on and on about how underrated Olympuses are from the IBIS to the colors but these can be appreciated only by trying out in action
100% agree. The colors out of this system are amazing.
Lens selection is very wide.
While not that many of your videos covers gear that I actually use (I'm with Sony, preparing to move to Hasselblad), I still enjoy listening to your reasoning for what you do and watching how your shoots go. You have remarkably good taste in models, too, and this one in particular is amazing.
Well I can say that you will absolutely love that Hasselblad color science! Probably my favorite from any camera hands down.
Nice video. I'm interested in m43. How does the aspect ratio affect your composition vs a standard 3x2?
It’s more natural for me.
What made you go for this one versus the less expensive cameras in the line? You don't seem to use video on it? And your AF needs, versus 3-wing beat bird photogs, are not hardcore. Interested to see how this develops in your work. Thanks.
The improved human autofocus was the only tipping point honestly. The fact that I don’t shoot birds/wildlife made this added feature in the Mark 2 more appealing. It’s like they realized not everyone shoots just wildlife with this system.
Schönes Video!! MFT smart
I shot for years with m34. Then went on to the X-T3 crop sensor. Loved it. Now shooting Sony full frame and cannot think about ever going smaller sensor. There is just something with full frame that I truly enjoy. The A7iii is not very much larger than the OM-1.
I do understand your perspective. It’s the same as using a medium format compared to full frame - there is that “something” that draws you in. For me, I get what I need from my Leica M - and for my clients who want “posts”, they will definitely get what they need from this M43 system.
@@kaskoPhoto Very true| Also, my favorite lens for m34 was the 45 1.8. Very cheap, very sharp!
Thinking on getting the mark 1, not that cheap.. but damn i want 25mpx from the lumix
I get wanted the extra - and that camera seems to be no slouch - but I am really happy with this sensor. (Can’t believe I am saying that myself)
Oh John - what happened to the Nikon ZF? Has it fallen out of favour?
No, it’s a spectacular camera
Nice shots and great model 😁
it's a shame, but it seems like totally not Olympus arent really making many macros anymore. I shot OM film stuff and the macros were the real stars of that lens lineup, along with ultra-wides there were always so small for SLR lenses.
Their new 90mm macro is supposed to be in a league of its own. I want to play with macro one day soon.
@@kaskoPhoto I am a macro shooter and use the 60mm macro, I think the high magnification of the 90mm makes it a more specialist tool. The very shallow DOF necessitates stopping down way into diffraction land , unless you can take advantage of the stacking features where the improved AF of the 90mm { well for a macro lens } comes in handy
Can you make another video with a title, "DSLR is not dead!"
😂😂 that’s just as true. The optical is just the best.
Followed with vinyl is not dead, DVD is not dead, tube amp is not dead, cassette player is not dead, film camera is not dead, video rental stores are not dead etc... So many sequels to make... 5 people using these does not quantify they are not dead.
Amazing images
What happened with the Nikon ZF? 😇
I hope nothing 😂😂 amazing camera.
Thanks for another video. Very interesting. My first system was the original Olympus "Four Thirds", and though i loved the camera it was the dynamic range limitation which finally caused me to move on. But that was 15 years ago.
Can I ask, did you have the strobe in studio? The tone in the images is fantastic, but I couldn't see one fire.
No, all natural light on this one
@@kaskoPhoto You must do some magic in post, there's no sign of the shadows in studio. If that's Olympus exposure out of camera however I'll buy one tomorrow 😄
@@KingfisherSeven absolutely no post magic other than her skin retouching.
@@kaskoPhoto Thank you!
I choose either full frame sensor or smart phone one. M43 is not worth trying due to its ergonomics.
I use both FF and m43 there are some smaller m43 bodies that may be poorer regarding ergonomics. However there are plenty of higher end bodies { OM series, GH series G9/II etc } that offer very good ergonomics
See we all have our likes and views that are different- the ergonomics is one of the key factors why I love this camera.
I liked the ergonomics of my Nikon DSLRs, then I tried the E-M1iii and OM-1....love it
Most of the time one does not need the shallow depth of field. But there is something special with the look of a Leica Q shoot at f/1.7. Sadly it is not currently possible to replicate the look on anything other then FF. Love the look of white on white on white draws my eyes to her face.
I used the spot meter “high” for that. Very nice addition.
"Sadly it is not currently possible to replicate the look on anything other then FF" I can tell you Medium Format to portraits is better than any FF lol..
@@pentagramyt417 the closest on can achieve on GFX and Hasselblad is the 38mm 2.5 which does not offer the same shallow depth of field. With that said, I wish you a joyful laugh on your long stroll on a short pier.
@@arvidjohansson3120 I don't care about depth of field, I am not brainwashed by lobby as you are. Picture depth is more important than any depth of field. As you are fascinated by Leica, I JUST tell you Medium Format pictures are surreal with its depth.
Your background is verry distratcing. But maybe its the mft depth of field
😂😂😂
It's not dead...yet. Around 5% of the market and not growing is worrisome though. As far I can tell, only Panasonic is a viable option for someone looking to buy a micro system. Their budget is massive compared to OM-D. I'd bet Panasonic invests more coin in R&D than OM-D has operating capital. That sort of advantage doesn't go away.
That would have been a great colab between the two companies.
OM System is about just as large a company as Leica Camera. Around 2,000 employees. Their parent company JIT is one of the larger private equity firms in Asia with Mizuho and Bain Capital as investors. They also own companies like ITX, Nippon Avionics and Toshiba. In Japan, OM System is consistently in the top 5 of best sold cameras with at least one model. I’m sure that if they can stay profitable, JIT will have the capital to fund their growth.
In the past we’ve seen other camera brands being close to out-of-business. Incl. Leica, Fujifilm and recently also Nikon was rumoured to be in a bad position. Yet, the one that actually killed their camera business was Samsung. One of the largest companies in the world. For those companies (incl. Sony, Panasonic and Canon) their camera business is a relative small part of the entire company. For them it’s much easier to end a business line if that line doesn’t make the ROI line a couple of years. So, predictions are difficult. Esp. when they’re about the future.
@@jacobh5817 The market share decline has to be a concern, JIP have no historic attachment to cameras like Olympus had and I doubt that they would be happy to throw money at any market. Despite Olympus's long history in photography and having a very successful medical division . Where not prepared to carry long term losses in the camera division
Compared to JIP's other investment areas OM systems is small fry . It was a pity that Samsung folded their camera division , the NX1 was and still is an excellent camera and still competitive with most newer APS models .
@@jacobh5817 Leica is a very unique market case where their fanbase will accept very high prices with in essence no real competition . OM isn't in this position and is just a small part of fierlcy competitive ILC market , Olympus has a very successful medical division and a long and respected history of photography. Yet they would not continue losing money in the camera division year after year and paid JIP to take it off their hands. JIP has zero history in photography and I think they would behave more like Samsung than not. If they cannot maintain a profitable niche { and as a long time user I hope they can } .
I have very little interest in long tele nature shooting and I am not sure that is the "niche" that will do it for them. Though predicting what happens in the imaging world is folly . Look at Nikon a while back there were mostly nonsense rumours about them being in difficulty { Nikon has a huge capital asset value } . A while later and totally out of left field they have just bought RED
@@jacobh5817 Revenue last year was 47 million. Panasonic was 1+ billion.
John, tried Oly a couple of times. Gave it up a couple of times. Just did not like the EM-1 output. Then tried OM-1. Love it! Responsive. Nice colors. Lenses are terrific. System is small, light! Images are beautiful. To your point, not like our M11 or X2D. Still very passable for most use cases. If you shoot and avoid composing with cropping in mind, you are good to go. Enjoy! I’m picking up the 75 again. It is superb.
Well, i am a bit mystified. You take beautiful photos…wonderfully exposed, models very attractive and adept at eye engagement, and you work their attire and surroundings well. But i can’t help think its you and not the camera. So many in our camera club have moved to Olympus 4/3rds for their weight advantages. I too value light gear so i’ve tried them, shooting many hundreds of photos in raw and editing them in LR. I was left with the conclusion that they do have a noticeable bit less dynamic range and color gradations than comparably current apsc cameras, and those have less than FF cameras. It seemed really obvious to me in the different sensor models’ raw outputs. So are the 4/3rds “good enough” for some uses? For me, i drew the line at apsc-sensor cameras. But, that’s just me.
The only thing I notice from the images is the color bit depth on the screen. But when I shoot M43 I shoot in RGB mode vs sRGB to have a wider color range which helps.
As far as dynamic range, it really is a matter of shooting it correctly vs “I’ll fix it in post”. I know it’s easier to just leave your subject dark to maintain the sky etc… but filling in with a flash or reflector makes a world of difference
Diving in deep to an image (100,200% zoom) is not something viewers do- that’s only on us, the photographers.
@@kaskoPhoto that’s a very good point you make about we, the photographers, improving things by adding light, whether with flash or reflectors. I don’t do that as often as i should. Your other point about RGB versus sRGB…Does that affect the quality of the raw output? Thanks
You said at the start that you didn’t want to bore us with a long intro…five minutes later you’re still waffling.
There is nothing wrong with m43. It is a great system, especially in studio. OM Systems and Lumix have been slow to update their cameras to modern needs... and it is a shame.
That is the reason why Olympus stopped producing m43 camera. Smart phones are capable of providing relatively comparable image quality.
Well I haven’t seen that yet, and throwing on a 1.2 lens or 40-150 isn’t available, so I think we are ok with our cameras so far. Making memories from your pocket is an amazing thing and I personally love it. But nothing beats the camera/photography experience and that will never be replaced by a phone. No matter what system.
Depends on what type of photos you are targeting. If it is the snapshot variety (birthdays, family, occasional landscape) then yes... but know quality like that existed as a standard before autofocus came on to the scene (think the 70s & 80s compact rangefinders). With autofocus came the plastic P&S cameras that did a lesser job for snapshots. As a replacement for that plastic generation P&S, the modern smartphone is definitely superior and even matches/exceeds the pre-AF (RF film) quality. As a tool for more serious work - sadly the phone does not meet the requirement. A real interchangeable lens camera has scalable quality that covers situations that phones cannot match (despite all the marketing Apple does to try to convince you otherwise). I am a collector with multiple film and Digital cameras and often use the same lens via adapters on both. My iphone only gets use as a phone - and the occasional snapshot. If camera companies are going out of business because of the marketing phone companies do then the public loses because both objects have distinct roles and can exist together.