I have to say, it is refreshing to see someone do a review like this actually out in the field. Not in their house and bitching about the sensor size and Olympus being dead etc etc. I appreciate your time and efforts.
I have Olympus gear and Sony full frame, and think your review is one of the most balanced that I've seen on TH-cam. I use the Sony (A7r3) for project work, but carrry the Olympus when walking for several hours or more. I rarely feel short changed by M43 equipment.
Hi Tony, thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed it and that the balance was right. I was impressed with the system and may form a complimentary setup when I want to be mobile. 👍
Thankyou, i appreciate that you are a canon user and I'm an Olympus (used to have canons) plenty of other people have been very scathing of the Olympus system but you offered a balanced and honest review. Much appreciated, from one Olympus fan to a Canon fan thanks.
Peter, have you followed Espen what's his name from Scotland...? He's also using this system and he's pretty amazing. I ended up buying the 40-150 lens.. Plus a converter. .. it's nice for a beginner such as myself. When I get real serious, I'll invest in this 300.. Thanks so much for this Simon Wantling..
@@janm2473 Great guy, sold some great Canon gear for a song and bought some expensive Oly gear just as they announced "We are broke and selling to an asset stripper". I like him, but what a decsion.
Thanks for a very fair review of the Olympus system. Olympus has been trashed by so many you would think the company just started out in business. I respect your views!
Simon all Olympus MFT cameras have a Super Control Menu which shows all the important settings on one screen & saves you from having to wade through all the different menu groups.
I do agree with you. The issue is that Olympus chose not to set the SCP as a default setting. To set it, a newbie need to learn how to dive through the settings first and it is not always advertised or written in the manual as an "essential" function. I have bought used Olympus cameras and find it strange that the owners had set up all sorts of custom menus, etc, but not the SCP as a default!
Really enjoyable and honest assessment. I own an EM1X and 40 - 150mm f2.8 + MC14 TC, 60mm f2.8 macro and 14 - 150mm mark II (social gathering lens). I also own a Sony A7R4, 200 - 600mm and 90mm macro. I use them in tandem and they compliment each other beautifully.
I changed from Nikon because I was fed up lugging all the kit around with me. Switched to Olympus can get fantastic results which I am more than happy with. If you are a pixel peeper the the lack of pixels will be an issue. The Procapture modes are fantastic especially for birders wanting takeoff/landing shots. The built in functions like like comp/livetime make long exposure photography really easy. Far less guess work. Having the Olympus kit has made me enjoy photography more. There are downsides yes especially low light focusing but the kit is getting better.
I agree that the bigger camera and lens are an effort to carry around BUT I do love the unbelievable AF-C speed and just amazing capabilities of my D500 with a 200-500mm lens.
Hi Simon, great and fair review. I have an EM1 MK II with the 300 mm and MC1,4 since 2017 and just updated to MKIII. The improvements in Autofocus are amazing. I often see people carrying big cameras and tripods when I am shooting freehand: they look at me as if I am crazy...The noise topic with higher ISO is an issue. But as you said: Topaz Denoise does a very good job here and brings the pictures with high ISO to a new level. A fair review about MF43 is very seldom there days. Therefore I booked your channel and looking forward for more great videos.
Thank you Bernd and I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it a balanced review. I was very impressed and although I've invested hugely in my canon big glass and pro bodies, the Olympus was surprisingly good and I saw no issue at all with M43 sensor at all. I really like my canon gear as it's never let me down and produces great quality images but I found the Olympus put some of the fun back into wildlife photography on the days when you simply don't want to lug the big heavy gear around. I definitely think that's the way it will all go and canon need to release light weight lenses for their mirrorless technology. All the best.
Simon, thank you very much for review. Yes, I am using Olympus but it was very interesting to see how a seasoned professional, Canon user , would react on Olympus camera. I am personally surprised to see how positive, balanced but still positive your reaction. I know it is absolutely hard to jump out of comfort zone and try something drastically different, glad you did. And, nice shots, really!
Hi Mike, thanks for your kind message. I'm very open minded when it comes to cameras and technology and I was pleasantly surprised by the Olympus. If you consider the price difference between the two system which is around £12k it's certainly not 12k worth of difference. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of my canon gear and I've invested heavily in it over the years but the Olympus gave me good mobility which was great. As much as I like my big glass and pro body, it can be a real pain to lug around so see it more for project work as apposed to going out with camera in hand walking and enjoying nature. I prefer images which for me are planned but when going out with my wife for a walk, having a mobile system is very attractive. 👍
Bokeh is just a made up issue. If you know your photography, like you do, you'll know how to separate your subject from the background using composition, lighting, colour separation and aperture setting.
I enjoyed your balanced review Simon and as someone who already uses the Olympus gear it was interesting to see what you made of it. Yes the Olympus menus can take some learning but they have added a customisable menu quick access shortcut system called My Menu to the latest bodies - not tried it as I have the older Em1MkII. They also put out firmware updates with significant new features for their cameras - this is why I stuck with my MkII and I am only just getting around to buying a newer body.
Thanks Lee. Glad you enjoyed it. It is a very mobile system and does open up a lot of opportunities. As mentioned in the video, I really do like my canon gear so won't be getting rid of that anytime soon as it's amazing BUT at the price of weight and the need for a tripod etc. In low light situations I think the canon will come into its own, but the Olympus is pretty good. If you consider the price difference between the two systems is roughly £12k - the quality difference in images is not vastly different to be honest, and that's coming from someone who is extremely picky..
Great review. I have an Em1mk2 and considering the EM1X for the wildlife shooting I'm doing. The menu system is indeed getting used to, but I think partly its the downside of having a camera that has many settings. Btw: you can link the spot meter to the auto focus point which makes sure the object that needs to be sharp is also well lit, saves compensation later in post. And fully agree what you said: great system for walking around, getting your shots and a lot less weight to carry around. I have taken shots that I would have missed with my Canon setup.
@@SimonWantling The death knell I think. This Merger & Acquisition company have an "ineteresting track record". On a better note: Canon R5 and R6 are out?!
Thanks Martin. It is a nice setup. It's always good if you can borrow one to test but I guess that's always not possible. The photographic section of Olympus was of course taken over but another companies some months ago now as I'm sure you will have seen but hopefully they will keep going as a company as they have a good following.
Hi Simon, Very fair appraisal. You might also want to consider the new Olympus 100-400 zoom which has just been released. I haven't sold off my Canon gear but might as well have done for the amount I use it these days.
The bokeh that everyone complains about, I didn't see it in your photos. They had a beautiful bokeh. I have been shooting wildlife for more than 10 years. There is a technique to correct this when choosing the right background.. Not to mention that it's funny for people to talk about the bokeh and most of them are looking for more depth of field in their photos by increasing the aperture. Especially for larger birds. So in many cases the dept of field is needed in wildlife photography. Of course, this is not true for human photography, and that's where most of the complaints come from. A wonderful presentation of this combination. I watched it because my E-M1X camera arrives tomorrow, which I plan to use with this 300mm F4 lens for wildlife photography. I had a good deal on E-Bay. For only $ 2900 the camera together with 1.4 MC and the 300mm F4 lens. Which is much lower than the one you say in the video of course 2 years ago. I'm thinking of replacing my Canon 400mm F4 DO II USM lens precisely because of the better portability of this combination. Good luck!
Thanks for the video. I am a canon guy, but my 600mm f4 II keeps getting heavier every year. I’m planning a trip to Hawaii with my wife and was looking at lighter options. I own the OM version II camera for my macro shooting so I was thinking of just bringing the olympus and one of their lenses instead. Thanks for the video. Would you suggest the larger olympus camera for birds or is the II or III olympus camera good for bird autofocus? Thanks. Gary
Thanks for the comment Gary. I know what you mean with the big 600mm f4 lens. Fantastic glass and I love mine but now iny mid 50s and bit by bit it's starting to get heavy. I'll never part with it though but I have just ordered the canon 100-500mm as a lighter walk about setup. I'm probably not the best person to advise on Olympus but if it was me I would 100% go for the new OM1 because from what I hear it's a great camera and paired with the 300mm f4 it's a nice light setup. I even contemplated getting that setup instead on the 100-500mm canon glass but decided to stick to canon. It was tempting to try something different though. It might be worth contacting Espen Helland as he's a true Olympus man and would advise I'm sure as he's a really nice guy. Thanks
@@SimonWantling thank you! Once you have the background quality of a 600mm II lens (and the unbeatable 1.4 and 2x quality, especially the latter at f10) I can imagine how difficult it is to go down to anything else. That’s my experience anyway. We work hard to get our equipment but it does spoil us!! I think the lack of blurry backgrounds and high noise from the Olympus may bother me too much, so I was debating a 400mm DO II canon lens for my R6 to bring while traveling. It’s probably a hood in between. I do own the 100-500L and while it can be excellent especially for landscapes and mammals, for birds it’s a bit difficult unless it’s flight shots. The backgrounds have to be really clean and I am very picky while some photographers don’t care, I’m a real stickler for nice backgrounds. At f7.1 it’s possible but you have to really work your subjects. For getting low at the beach or flight I think it’s really good. Thanks for the feedback and you will love the 100-500 I’m sure. It just takes getting used to.
That's the one thing with the 100-500mm that is putting me off also. I'm holding off now to see if canon bring something else out. You're right about the 600mm f4 glass and like you I'm a perfectionist when it comes to the photos and love those blurred backgrounds. Honestly 99% of my photography is project work as I'm generally on private land from popup hides so the big glass can't be beaten. I did buy the 800mm f/11 to play with. It's ok but far too slow although in the right conditions and with good enough distance between the subject and background, you can actually get some nice images with the compression the 800mm brings. It's all money to keep up with it.
@@SimonWantling yeah, I’m tempted to sell the 100-500 and just get a 70-200L for my landscapes to complement my wide angle lenses. I think you are smart not to get it. But if you end up shooting bears in Alaska or mammals it’s really great. I think if we are patient, canon will come out with the new 200-600 f5.6 L or one of the other versions. There are some patents out I’m sure you have seen.
Simon... it is an f4 lens. But you have to remember, you are getting the DOF of a 300mm lens, not a 600mm. What you get is the FOV of a 600mm with a 300mm lens with micro four thirds at f4
Micro 4/3 is a 2x crop sensor, so that f4 lens has the equivalent depth of field as an f8 on a full frame camera. Shallow depth of field is not possible.
Great review. I have a Panasonic Lumix GX9 I purchased as a walk around lens. I had the chance to borrow a Lumix 100-300 f4-5.6 zoom and on the strength of this bought one. Even though the GX9 is in no way intended as a wildlife camera (the viewfinder is not great) I get 4 stops of image stabilsation which means I can comfortably hand hold this lens down to below a 200th at a full frame equivalent of 600mm. As this combination costs around £1000 it offer a good option for those looking to dip their toe in the wildlife pond, with the caveats you highlight for the MFT format.
This is the video I discovered your Channel by! Haven't looked back since and enjoyed all your content! Great content, great quality and you have a great voice to tell stories!
Amazing pictures. Thanks for showing this. I used to think negatively about m43 but now I'm totally sold on it for wildlife photography. I'm currently using Sony apsc and so glad I didn't jump on the full frame bandwagon because the lenses required to get decent shots are so huge and expensive to the point they are not practical for most people. The reason m43 totally makes sense for wildlife is because on apsc and even full frame if you want to stick with using the lighter lenses like 100-400 or 70-300, you are usually cropping images anyway, at which point you are getting the exact same image with exact same depth of field (but with less resolution) as you would from an equivalent m43 lens (if you took the same shot from the same distance, which you probably would have done anyway)
@@MuertoInc Truly tragic when so many people have been fooled by the TH-cam bokeh madness brigade. A competent photographer will know how to use composition, lighting, etc to separate the subject matter, just like how Simon does here. In addition, it is always important to have the background separated enough by blur, not not so much that it is a complete mess that you have no idea where the subject is. An image tells a story, not just an image of the bird, etc. Just look at Toneh Sony Northrup. All his videos are a complete mess of blur.
Very nice review. From a guy who was with Canon and went to Olympus for the size and weight I agree whit every thing you said. The way I consider the depth of field with the 300 f4 is you have the reach of a 600mm but the depth of field of a 300mm on a full frame.
Thanks for the honest review Simon. I guess for wildlife photography, the “price for reach” is the main advantage of crop sensor cameras. Traveling with the big 600 is like traveling with a rifle, really - minus ability to take it as a cabin baggage of course 😉 I think that the biggest disadvantage of Olympus is the uncertainty about the company's future. There were rumors that they are going to kill their camera division by the end of 2020. The company’s response to these rumors was vague, so I guess only time will tell. On another note, the big plus of your Canon system, is that you’re getting a workout while in the field! 😀
It was only in one country (so far) they are closing down. If I remember correctly it was in South Korea. But sales keep dropping everywhere for all brands, so more countries may follow. The latest version of Canon 600/4 is a lot lighter, but still a beast compared to the Olympus.
Hi Andrew, no I didn't mention that. Sorry. Yes the autofocus is very good indeed and locks on really well. I wouldn't say it's as quick as the canon body but again it's not going to be I think as that's a £5k camera. Saying that, in the time I've had the gear, it's been very good. Hope that helps.
Mirrorless has its place but if you can still lug around the big guns then they will reward you with better images and you ALWYAS have confidence that if the circumstance are right you know the DSLR will get you the image (Subject the user ability). Once an owner of a FF DSLR (for BIF/Wildlife) its tricky to change.
Hi Ian, totally agree. My canon gear isn't going anywhere plus I've invested massively in canon anyway. The Olympus as mentioned would just compliment it as a mobile system if I decided to buy one 👍
Nice video, thanks for putting in the work to share. Hope to see your review of the upcoming 150-400 f/4.5. I specifically wanted to see more on the quality of the files when editing and trying to recover shadows or highlights comparing the Canon to the M43 system. The lens clutch system has been around for a long time, my 645 lenses and Tokina lenses do this.
Hi Paul, thanks very much for your comment. If Olympus are willing to give me the Em1X again along with that lens then I'd be more than happy to pull a review video together. It was a nice system so let's hope the guys at Olympus get in touch again... Thanks again.
Hi Paul, I spoke with Olympus today and once they release the lens we should be able to pull a review video together which will be very interesting. Thanks
Simon I made the switch from Canon to Olympus last year, I had Canon 1DX and 500 & TC. Initially I had the same reservation over the EVF but after a few days you just don't notice the issue. You may find it useful to set the Profile to Neutral and reduce contrast and saturation. My early reservations were concerning noise but now - no problem, Topaz on the raw file prior to any processing other than exposure is just magic. No point pretending it doesn't perform at High ISO - so hey you can get over it! ...... you photograph other subjects using procapture or stacking or Neutral density. It puts the fun back into photography!!
Thanks Jonathan and totally with you on the noise and putting the fun back into it. I didn't find the noise an issue on the limited time I had it but it was never going to be as good as the pro full frame bodies. When it comes to low light situations then I will certainly be on the 1DX2 but still considering the Olympus. Also waiting on the R5 out of curiosity 👍
Interesting review and honest. Most reviews of the Olympus system are by people who are already motivated in their opinions. Either they think the system isn't any good because of the small sensor or have already got the camera and won't be critical of it. You've basically echoed my conclusions regarding depth of field, noise, etc., and like you, I would ideally like that set up to complement my existing one, though cost wise, that's probably not realistic. A further addition is now with Canons new R5 and R6 cameras which can seamlessly take my existing lenses and have all the benifits of, at least a mirrorless camera. The advantage of Olympus remains weight/size, plus for me personally as an ex Olympus film camera user, I love their form and style.
Thank you Frank for the kind comment and very pleased you enjoyed it. Yes, I was very impressed by the Olympus system and can see why people are using it. Being light weight its a great travel setup but as mentioned, wouldn't replace my big Canon glass. As much as I liked the Olympus, we all have limited funds and given that I have invested in Canon heavily over the years with lenses etc, I have gone for the new R5 which looks great, albeit with some heating issues which I can live with.
Sorry to correct you Simon, an F4 is an F4 irrespective of the size of sensor! F4 is the same for a half-frame, 35mm, 2 1/4" square, medium format, 5"x4", 10" x 8" film or digital cameras! Sorry to say that you have been reading too much rubbish on the internet. Trust me, I used all types of cameras in the past, using a Weston Euromaster as the exposure meter, and never had to compensate for film size. Apart from that, this is a very good review of a camera, and amazing images too. You're a great wildlife photographer. Thank you!
Great vlog as always Simon, nice honest review of the Olympus gear too. Look forward to the next few vlogs & comparisons between the two set ups & of course your fantastic images. Stay safe, happy clicking & catch you soon.
Great to see you back posting on your TH-cam channel Simon 👍 Can you do a beginners guide into the rule of focus settings with regards to shutter speeds and ISO for wildlife lens. Enjoy watching your blogs 👍👍
Interesting comparison - there’s certainly a lot to be said for a smaller lightweight setup... I’d be interested to see how it compared to my Nikon mirrorless camera with the compact 500mm PF lens...
Cliff Day. Tim Boyer pro bird photographer switched to Olympus EM1x & EM1iii from Canon full frame .....as have a number of pro wildlife & bird photographers. Also the EM1ii was greatly improved with major firmware updates but the EM1x & EM1iii have superior autofocus.
Cliff Day try out the gear and compare. It is hard to be honest. To get the shot you need a mobile system. And pro capture. Noise is unimportant, only for pixel peeping. And to get a reason to have spend the money.
@@cliffday1183go watch his videos, he actually demonstrates side by side images with a Canon and Olympus. The difference is so small as to be of no consequence. Give examples where you think his work has deteriorated?
Would you say that you wouldn't use this camera as your daily driver because you're so heavily invested both financially but also muscle memory and experience with the canon? Would you recommend the E-M1X for someone looking to start a career in photography and dabble in videography if they don't have any gear at all?
Hi Jesse, thanks for your comment. I think a lot depends on what type of phoyography you want to do. The beauty of the Olympus system is it's portability in that it gives you an effective 600mm focus length on a 300mm lens as the camera has a 2X crop. There is a lot to be said it being mobile, getting gear on the plane etc which is why a lot of people are switching. My big Canon glass although probably one of the best lenses out there comes with a huge price tag and weight. I'm now in my 50's and honestly it's a real lump to carry around so the Olympus system was a very pleasant surprise. The main downside of the system was the DOF because although it's an F4 lens it's equivalent to F8 at 600mm so the background blur isn't the same as an F4 on a full frame camera. Some people would say you can get the same quality image using a micro 4/3s camera but I don't tend to agree. Most good images come from the skill of the photographer and often not the kit plus if you consider my canon setup is £18k compared to a max of £4k for the Olympus there certainly isn't a massive difference between the two systems. Yes the noise control isn't as good in low light but again I wouldn't get to hung up on noise as it's easily rectified in post if you need to. For me to switch is hard as I'm very heavily invested in Canon so for me I'm probably looking towards the new R5 or R1 in the future. I don't have much experience on video for the Olympus system so it would be better to get a more reliable response on that from someone who has more knowledge than me. I think Epsen Helland using it for video so maybe connect with him on that. Hope that helps...
Was looking at the Olympus, but will stick with my current gear which is the Nikon D500 and the D850 paired to my Nikon 200-500 f5.6 and Sigma 500mm f4 sport prime. I will wait and see where the Olympus brand goes after the sale.
I’ve just seen this review I wanted to know how good the pro capture was but you didn’t mention it ? But maybe you’ve bought this by now and you can do a vlog on it 🤞
I've had a loaner from Olympus and it was amazing, being able to get up to 60 shots even before I press the shutter button! Beware though, you'll run out of memory before you know it! Set up with the electronic shutter and in high burst rate mode, I just cannot miss the action! BTW, enquire with Olympus if you can get a free loaner from them, just like what Simon had.
Interesting review. In my experience you can't beat full frame and a 600mmf4, the images have a certain look. I see the Sony and Canon latest 600mmf4 III weigh around 3.0kg, a massive weight saving considering my first Nikon 600mmf4 weighed approx 6.0kg. I think the Olympus has an advantage when photographing flocks of birds where increased depth of field can actually be helpful!
Olympus kit: Easier to shoot, does hand held easily. a little more noise, long battery life Big gear: easier to post-process as noise is a tad lower - very little opportunity to hand hold. You can't post-process a shot you didn't get. All the art stuff (even, as you say, the clutch) can be switched off - as can anything else you don't like. MY MENUS allow you to collect the menu items YOU like and place them in your own custom menus.
Hi Sean. On a normal day to day operation then the image quality is comparable except with the Olympus you won't get that nice out of focus background if it's too close to the subject compared to a try f4 lens on a full frame camera. Saying that you can just account for that in your composition plus most people would hardly notice. Also low light photography isn't the same as a full frame camera but honestly with all the post processing AI software now, noise isn't an issue anymore in my opinion. That setup I shows I think was around £4k where as my canon gear is £18k. Is the difference worth the extra £14k - no it isn't. Hope that helps. Just note - Olympus photography have been brought out by another company now.
I went from many years of using film gear (where 35 mm was considered a miniature format!) to my first digital camera, a copped sensor EOS 20d. A great little camera with a surprisingly smooth relatively noise free image quality. Probably because it was "only" 8mp. Since then I have had several cropped bodies culminating in the 7d mkii. It appears that with every increase in mp the noise deteriorated (although the 7d mkii was an improvement over the original 7d as that was a pig of a sensor) and so I was constantly saving and aiming to get a full frame body. Having finally achieved that it would take something very special to make me go backwards to a smaller sensor. The size / weight is the best quality of that system and as a 64 year old my body would really appreciate it. However, at my age, when learning new technologies becomes ever harder, I am also very reluctant to move towards mirrorless technology. As for using the two systems side by side.... it's all I can do to run two different bodies of the same system without getting confused.! A good unbiased video though Simon with ver nice images. Ps. I do understand that noise improvement software is very good nowadays but I don't do wildlife photography to sit in front of a computer. Take care.
Regarding the part about learning new technologies - mirrorless cameras don't really shoot differently than digital SLRs. They certainly can have more noise in low-light but they generally do well nowadays.
@@wilkgr. Cheers Jack, I'm sure you are correct regarding the new technology and I guess the real issue is a reluctance on my part to embrace change. I think that all cameras these days are becoming more complex, not necessarily a bad thing but my point is that my granddaughter is usually required to set up a mobile phone for me....!! Technology is advancing at a rapid rate and I suppose the limitations that I observed some time ago (such as poor electronic viewfinders) have been, or will be, improved. However, for those of us on a very limited budget, if the equipment we currently have does the job then I see no reason to change. When you have a camera system it is surprising just how much ancillary kit you collect, flashes, remote releases, cables etc etc. All this represents quite a hefty investment so to change systems is no small decision. At the end of the day it is being out taking pictures that is important. So I guess I will stick with what I have for now. Thank you for taking the time to reply and who knows, if my lottery numbers come up tonight perhaps I will overcome my reluctance and give mirrorless photography a go. Take care.
@@robertlawrence7958 of course, you make very good points. And the limited budget is so true! I'm shooting on an E-M10 (Olymous' cheapest model) and buy my lenses second hand. And yes, I do agree - cameras have picked up a lot of features and settings along the way. At the end of the day, it's about enjoying yourself. I hope you have many great shots :)
I use Panasonic and I do get a bit confused by folk with their 15-20k setups and wonder why when they aren't even making that much money from their wildlife photography a year. I mean I am not in a position to judge what people do with their money but most of the time it looks like a waste... I also find (generally) the big expensive setup owners just sit in paid hides all day long getting "epic wildlife shots" which is not what I am personally all about. I mean that sort of setup is ideal for it cos try stalking a deer with an infantry soldiers worth of kit on your back 😁 The beauty of the M43 system for me is great image quality for A1 or even larger prints that no normal person can tell how much I paid for the gear and also the abundance of useful features such as video etc etc Just to add one thing in a world where money isn't a thing I think a full frame camera paired with a M43 would be the ideal scenario.
Thanks for your comment. I can assure you you'll never find me sitting in a paid hide, that's doesn't interest me at all. I'm much more into spending time with the wildlife in the field. I don't have an issue spending £18k on my setup, but I do admit the attractiveness of a mobile setup which was very good. For me, a system like the Olympus would compliment my work and primary equipment rather than totally replace it. I've not used the Panasonic but I've heard good things about them. Thanks.
@@SimonWantling Like I say I am not in a position to judge its just my thoughts. Kudos for a fair and impartial review. Comparing an 18k setup to a 4k one could only really go one way so good to see you admit the strengths and weaknesses without siding too much with a pre conceived notion that smaller sensors are dreadful which I hear a lot of.
@@JoeMaranophotography no problem. Honestly Joe, I was really surprised. I also own the 7D Mark II and that Olympus was so much better than that. In my honest opinion the only real time my big canon gear would be better is in low light but apart from that and the odd tricky focus situation you'd struggle to see the difference. DOF was different but a minor thing and you can just adjust your field craft to account for that. Really impressed. Good luck with your photography Joe 👍
@@SimonWantling That would be my thoughts too. It's for that reason I keep eyeing up a Sony with the 200-600 or going for a 200 2.8 which works out cheaper. They will work out the same for noise and depth of field but the Panasonic is cheaper but loses the reach and Sony AF. Until some money rolls in I can't justify either though. There is more to photography than gear and my shopping list is still endless 😂
In pro capture mode, the camera is taking 35 shots and rolling them thru memory, when finally taking the shot, all past 35 shots are recorded to memory card, sort of a time machine :)
@@Makta972 ahh, that's good to know. I shouldn't have assume that Olympus did this with jpgs. You'd think that Panasonic could implement a raw version of this through a firmware update.
It's 2023 now and the E-M1X can be had for less than USD1,000 used like new with warranty, the 300mm f4 sells for USD2,000 used like new. I will pull the trigger on a EM-1X soon.
@@sergiollag1 The benefits on m4/3 are lighter, better dept-of-fields & IS. It's actually behave like a 40Mega camera and out performed the 1Dx Mark III & D6. Yes, that is correct. We tested all three. The OM-D E-M1X is sharper & has greater depth-of-field than the other two cameras. If you cut the 1D & D6 sensor in half, the quality will be below M1X
You should have become more familiar with that camera, Olympus has a viewfinder mode that simulates that of a SLR and is exactly the same in all situations, just like a SLR. and then you can configure all the viewer options with more light, less, warmer, colder, etc.
Thanks. Yes unfortunately I didn't get a lot of time to use it as I had to travel but noticed the same option on the Fuji XT3 recently which was good to find. Thanks for mentioning it. 👍
Hi Andrew, yes I had it on a two week loan. The have a pro loan scheme which you could use and test the equipment. Not sure what the latest situation is with that now though since their announcement last week. I can share the details if you want me to. Thanks
@@SimonWantling Thanks. I borrowed before buying my Olympus gear. Just wanted to make sure people realise anyone can borrow this kit ("Test and wow" scheme). Sounds like it is business as usual for the moment. Nice review by the way.
Great set-up but the EVF is not up to standard and the controls on the Olympus Bodies and just crazy stupid to set-up. I would pick the lens with the Lumix g9 that works a lot more like a DSLR.
I have issues with the menu as a long time user. 😃 One thing to note is that the the letters are intended to represent the topic, eg "a" for af, "e" for exposure etc. I've noticed that Olympus video presenters have started mentioning this regularly in recent videos.
You were wondering why the depth of field is is different allthough both are f4 lenses. It's because Olympus is 300mm and Canon is 600mm. So simple. Nice review anyways.
I would rather buy & use a Canon 200D and EF 300mm f4, or a Canon 80D and a 400mm f5.6. Two examples of light weight systems with a larger sensor, that are considerably cheaper than the Olympus setup. My 2 cents worth......
Hi, If your wife says yes you can one can you please let me no what you said to get the go ahead, not for this, I want a Canon 5D MK IV as all my gear is Canon and to be honest with the 5D being FF with a 1.4 extender on 400mm lens you get around 560mm I beleive at F8 same kind of DOF you get with the Olympus( not 100% sure on that one) wish I could afford but that's life. Russ.
She's pretty good. It might involve doing the house work for a considerable amount of time 😉. Don't get me wrong, I'm not moving away from Canon in the slightest. The big prime I have on the 1dx2 is amazing plus I've invested far to much in them to shift over completely. They also have the R5 coming out which I'm extremely interested in. The Olympus is attractive based on its lightweight, so good for travel has pro capture and the IS is simply amazing. That's purely what I'm looking at it for but not as a replacement. If they were to offer me one I wouldn't say no 🙂
If you think about it, of course it's lighter it's only a 300 f4 lens, about the same size and weight as the canon 300f4 lens. With a high megapixel sensor like what is coming on the Eos R5 you could get a similar sized kit as the EMX by simply cropping the image (or using a aps-c crop mode) whilst still maintaining the possibility to use your excellent canon glass if you want to. I get what Olympus are pushing but it's not a 600mm lens and will never look as sexy as a 300 2.8 400 2.8 or 600 f4.. And talking about price, then once again, how can you compare two lenses that are completely different, it makes no sense, for a 300f4 that Olympus lens is actually quite a lot more expensive than the Canon equivalent which has become a bargain today
I noted in your video, seeing you lugging the ridiculously huge 600mm setup. Why ANYONE would prefer to shoot with that, when you can get the cheaper portable superior system. I know everyone will say "olympus has no depth of field and it's got too much noise" (rubbish). Sure high iso gives noise. Every camera gives noise. Lets face it, it is digital, as are the noise removing programs. eg Topaz. If there is to much noise remove it with a digital program. Clearly if people were to be honest it is a far superior system. As for the menu - well if you can not work it out, then your better of looking for a different hobby. It just takes a bit of thinking to learn, like any camera..
I have to say, it is refreshing to see someone do a review like this actually out in the field. Not in their house and bitching about the sensor size and Olympus being dead etc etc. I appreciate your time and efforts.
Thanks Jason. Glad you enjoyed the video. Have a good new year. 👍
I have Olympus gear and Sony full frame, and think your review is one of the most balanced that I've seen on TH-cam. I use the Sony (A7r3) for project work, but carrry the Olympus when walking for several hours or more. I rarely feel short changed by M43 equipment.
Hi Tony, thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed it and that the balance was right. I was impressed with the system and may form a complimentary setup when I want to be mobile. 👍
Someone who doesn't use "like" every other word and actually has meaningful insight on gear. You've earned a new subscriber! Please don't change!
Thank you very much, I really appreciate that and thanks also for subscribing. 👍 All the best..
Thankyou, i appreciate that you are a canon user and I'm an Olympus (used to have canons) plenty of other people have been very scathing of the Olympus system but you offered a balanced and honest review. Much appreciated, from one Olympus fan to a Canon fan thanks.
Thanks Peter. 👍
Peter, have you followed Espen what's his name from Scotland...? He's also using this system and he's pretty amazing. I ended up buying the 40-150 lens.. Plus a converter. .. it's nice for a beginner such as myself. When I get real serious, I'll invest in this 300.. Thanks so much for this Simon Wantling..
Espen Helland... ;)
@@janm2473 Great guy, sold some great Canon gear for a song and bought some expensive Oly gear just as they announced "We are broke and selling to an asset stripper". I like him, but what a decsion.
Thanks for a very fair review of the Olympus system. Olympus has been trashed by so many you would think the company just started out in business. I respect your views!
Simon all Olympus MFT cameras have a Super Control Menu which shows all the important settings on one screen & saves you from having to wade through all the different menu groups.
I do agree with you. The issue is that Olympus chose not to set the SCP as a default setting. To set it, a newbie need to learn how to dive through the settings first and it is not always advertised or written in the manual as an "essential" function. I have bought used Olympus cameras and find it strange that the owners had set up all sorts of custom menus, etc, but not the SCP as a default!
Big fan of Olympus gear
Really enjoyable and honest assessment. I own an EM1X and 40 - 150mm f2.8 + MC14 TC, 60mm f2.8 macro and 14 - 150mm mark II (social gathering lens). I also own a Sony A7R4, 200 - 600mm and 90mm macro. I use them in tandem and they compliment each other beautifully.
I changed from Nikon because I was fed up lugging all the kit around with me. Switched to Olympus can get fantastic results which I am more than happy with. If you are a pixel peeper the the lack of pixels will be an issue. The Procapture modes are fantastic especially for birders wanting takeoff/landing shots. The built in functions like like comp/livetime make long exposure photography really easy. Far less guess work. Having the Olympus kit has made me enjoy photography more. There are downsides yes especially low light focusing but the kit is getting better.
I agree that the bigger camera and lens are an effort to carry around BUT I do love the unbelievable AF-C speed and just amazing capabilities of my D500 with a 200-500mm lens.
Hi Simon, great and fair review. I have an EM1 MK II with the 300 mm and MC1,4 since 2017 and just updated to MKIII. The improvements in Autofocus are amazing. I often see people carrying big cameras and tripods when I am shooting freehand: they look at me as if I am crazy...The noise topic with higher ISO is an issue. But as you said: Topaz Denoise does a very good job here and brings the pictures with high ISO to a new level. A fair review about MF43 is very seldom there days. Therefore I booked your channel and looking forward for more great videos.
Thank you Bernd and I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it a balanced review. I was very impressed and although I've invested hugely in my canon big glass and pro bodies, the Olympus was surprisingly good and I saw no issue at all with M43 sensor at all. I really like my canon gear as it's never let me down and produces great quality images but I found the Olympus put some of the fun back into wildlife photography on the days when you simply don't want to lug the big heavy gear around. I definitely think that's the way it will all go and canon need to release light weight lenses for their mirrorless technology. All the best.
300mm on a tripod? Maybe these photographers should spend a few hours each week down the gym if a 300mm needs a tripod
Doghouse Riley ... means 600 to 840mm in full frame. That is heavy...
Simon, thank you very much for review. Yes, I am using Olympus but it was very interesting to see how a seasoned professional, Canon user , would react on Olympus camera. I am personally surprised to see how positive, balanced but still positive your reaction. I know it is absolutely hard to jump out of comfort zone and try something drastically different, glad you did.
And, nice shots, really!
Hi Mike, thanks for your kind message. I'm very open minded when it comes to cameras and technology and I was pleasantly surprised by the Olympus. If you consider the price difference between the two system which is around £12k it's certainly not 12k worth of difference. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of my canon gear and I've invested heavily in it over the years but the Olympus gave me good mobility which was great. As much as I like my big glass and pro body, it can be a real pain to lug around so see it more for project work as apposed to going out with camera in hand walking and enjoying nature. I prefer images which for me are planned but when going out with my wife for a walk, having a mobile system is very attractive. 👍
Thought I wouldn’t like M43 but ironically the deep depth of field made me stay. I felt very comfortable with less bokeh and more context to my works.
Bokeh is just a made up issue. If you know your photography, like you do, you'll know how to separate your subject from the background using composition, lighting, colour separation and aperture setting.
I enjoyed your balanced review Simon and as someone who already uses the Olympus gear it was interesting to see what you made of it. Yes the Olympus menus can take some learning but they have added a customisable menu quick access shortcut system called My Menu to the latest bodies - not tried it as I have the older Em1MkII. They also put out firmware updates with significant new features for their cameras - this is why I stuck with my MkII and I am only just getting around to buying a newer body.
Thank you - glad you liked it and really appreciate the feedback.
Really interesting review. I’ve seen quite a few reviews on this system. The reach and compact size is certainly very tempting.
Thanks Lee. Glad you enjoyed it. It is a very mobile system and does open up a lot of opportunities. As mentioned in the video, I really do like my canon gear so won't be getting rid of that anytime soon as it's amazing BUT at the price of weight and the need for a tripod etc. In low light situations I think the canon will come into its own, but the Olympus is pretty good. If you consider the price difference between the two systems is roughly £12k - the quality difference in images is not vastly different to be honest, and that's coming from someone who is extremely picky..
If you add in the built in 2 time multiplier it’s nice in a pinch
Oh lalaaa. Im Olympus and panasonic user. That lense is my to do list hope to have one in the futute
Great review. I have an Em1mk2 and considering the EM1X for the wildlife shooting I'm doing. The menu system is indeed getting used to, but I think partly its the downside of having a camera that has many settings. Btw: you can link the spot meter to the auto focus point which makes sure the object that needs to be sharp is also well lit, saves compensation later in post. And fully agree what you said: great system for walking around, getting your shots and a lot less weight to carry around. I have taken shots that I would have missed with my Canon setup.
Thanks very much for the comment. Really appreciate it..👍
You’ll keep the camera, I bet :-). I love my Olympus gear.
Already gone back but I'm thinking of it.
@@SimonWantling You do know that OLY has been sold to an asset stripping merger and acquisitions company?
Yes I heard. Shame but may be good news for them in the end.
@@SimonWantling The death knell I think. This Merger & Acquisition company have an "ineteresting track record". On a better note: Canon R5 and R6 are out?!
Doghouse Riley they’re ok brands they own still releases perspective products
If you still have access to the camera, try out ProCapture. It works really well with birds taking off on my EM1.3
i am so tempted by this camera ... deary me
It is very tempting isn't it. I'm often caught up about buying one which I haven't done yet.
As a Nikon D500/Sigma150/600(s) user I'm really considering this setup thanks for the honest review, I think it will sway me to buy,
Thanks Martin. It is a nice setup. It's always good if you can borrow one to test but I guess that's always not possible. The photographic section of Olympus was of course taken over but another companies some months ago now as I'm sure you will have seen but hopefully they will keep going as a company as they have a good following.
Hi Simon, Very fair appraisal. You might also want to consider the new Olympus 100-400 zoom which has just been released. I haven't sold off my Canon gear but might as well have done for the amount I use it these days.
The bokeh that everyone complains about, I didn't see it in your photos. They had a beautiful bokeh. I have been shooting wildlife for more than 10 years. There is a technique to correct this when choosing the right background.. Not to mention that it's funny for people to talk about the bokeh and most of them are looking for more depth of field in their photos by increasing the aperture. Especially for larger birds. So in many cases the dept of field is needed in wildlife photography. Of course, this is not true for human photography, and that's where most of the complaints come from. A wonderful presentation of this combination. I watched it because my E-M1X camera arrives tomorrow, which I plan to use with this 300mm F4 lens for wildlife photography. I had a good deal on E-Bay. For only $ 2900 the camera together with 1.4 MC and the 300mm F4 lens. Which is much lower than the one you say in the video of course 2 years ago. I'm thinking of replacing my Canon 400mm F4 DO II USM lens precisely because of the better portability of this combination. Good luck!
Thanks for the video. I am a canon guy, but my 600mm f4 II keeps getting heavier every year. I’m planning a trip to Hawaii with my wife and was looking at lighter options. I own the OM version II camera for my macro shooting so I was thinking of just bringing the olympus and one of their lenses instead. Thanks for the video. Would you suggest the larger olympus camera for birds or is the II or III olympus camera good for bird autofocus? Thanks.
Gary
Thanks for the comment Gary. I know what you mean with the big 600mm f4 lens. Fantastic glass and I love mine but now iny mid 50s and bit by bit it's starting to get heavy. I'll never part with it though but I have just ordered the canon 100-500mm as a lighter walk about setup. I'm probably not the best person to advise on Olympus but if it was me I would 100% go for the new OM1 because from what I hear it's a great camera and paired with the 300mm f4 it's a nice light setup. I even contemplated getting that setup instead on the 100-500mm canon glass but decided to stick to canon. It was tempting to try something different though. It might be worth contacting Espen Helland as he's a true Olympus man and would advise I'm sure as he's a really nice guy. Thanks
@@SimonWantling thank you! Once you have the background quality of a 600mm II lens (and the unbeatable 1.4 and 2x quality, especially the latter at f10) I can imagine how difficult it is to go down to anything else. That’s my experience anyway. We work hard to get our equipment but it does spoil us!! I think the lack of blurry backgrounds and high noise from the Olympus may bother me too much, so I was debating a 400mm DO II canon lens for my R6 to bring while traveling. It’s probably a hood in between. I do own the 100-500L and while it can be excellent especially for landscapes and mammals, for birds it’s a bit difficult unless it’s flight shots. The backgrounds have to be really clean and I am very picky while some photographers don’t care, I’m a real stickler for nice backgrounds. At f7.1 it’s possible but you have to really work your subjects. For getting low at the beach or flight I think it’s really good. Thanks for the feedback and you will love the 100-500 I’m sure. It just takes getting used to.
That's the one thing with the 100-500mm that is putting me off also. I'm holding off now to see if canon bring something else out. You're right about the 600mm f4 glass and like you I'm a perfectionist when it comes to the photos and love those blurred backgrounds. Honestly 99% of my photography is project work as I'm generally on private land from popup hides so the big glass can't be beaten. I did buy the 800mm f/11 to play with. It's ok but far too slow although in the right conditions and with good enough distance between the subject and background, you can actually get some nice images with the compression the 800mm brings. It's all money to keep up with it.
@@SimonWantling yeah, I’m tempted to sell the 100-500 and just get a 70-200L for my landscapes to complement my wide angle lenses. I think you are smart not to get it. But if you end up shooting bears in Alaska or mammals it’s really great. I think if we are patient, canon will come out with the new 200-600 f5.6 L or one of the other versions. There are some patents out I’m sure you have seen.
Simon... it is an f4 lens. But you have to remember, you are getting the DOF of a 300mm lens, not a 600mm. What you get is the FOV of a 600mm with a 300mm lens with micro four thirds at f4
Micro 4/3 is a 2x crop sensor, so that f4 lens has the equivalent depth of field as an f8 on a full frame camera. Shallow depth of field is not possible.
@@GapBahnDirk no it has exactly the same DOF as a 300mm f4 lens on a FF camera (if you crop down the image to the same field of view as the m43)
@@justinholding02 It has the DOF of a 600mm f8 lens on a FF camera.
@@GapBahnDirk you need to stop watching Tony Northrup 😂
@@justinholding02 Just remember, multiply the F stop by the crop factor to get the equivalent DOF.
Great review. I have a Panasonic Lumix GX9 I purchased as a walk around lens. I had the chance to borrow a Lumix 100-300 f4-5.6 zoom and on the strength of this bought one. Even though the GX9 is in no way intended as a wildlife camera (the viewfinder is not great) I get 4 stops of image stabilsation which means I can comfortably hand hold this lens down to below a 200th at a full frame equivalent of 600mm. As this combination costs around £1000 it offer a good option for those looking to dip their toe in the wildlife pond, with the caveats you highlight for the MFT format.
This is the video I discovered your Channel by! Haven't looked back since and enjoyed all your content! Great content, great quality and you have a great voice to tell stories!
Thanks very much Moritz that's really nice of you to say. Glad you enjoyed the content. All the best..
Amazing pictures. Thanks for showing this. I used to think negatively about m43 but now I'm totally sold on it for wildlife photography. I'm currently using Sony apsc and so glad I didn't jump on the full frame bandwagon because the lenses required to get decent shots are so huge and expensive to the point they are not practical for most people. The reason m43 totally makes sense for wildlife is because on apsc and even full frame if you want to stick with using the lighter lenses like 100-400 or 70-300, you are usually cropping images anyway, at which point you are getting the exact same image with exact same depth of field (but with less resolution) as you would from an equivalent m43 lens (if you took the same shot from the same distance, which you probably would have done anyway)
Seems like an amazing camera...I’m sure you’ll get some greats shots 👌
Nice video.With the 2x crop body you get F4 of light entering the lens but the focal length and DOF is doubled therefore your DOF is equivalent to f8.
Wrong! You get a DOF of a 300mm lens with a 600mm FOV. The lens is still f4
@@MuertoInc Truly tragic when so many people have been fooled by the TH-cam bokeh madness brigade. A competent photographer will know how to use composition, lighting, etc to separate the subject matter, just like how Simon does here. In addition, it is always important to have the background separated enough by blur, not not so much that it is a complete mess that you have no idea where the subject is. An image tells a story, not just an image of the bird, etc. Just look at Toneh Sony Northrup. All his videos are a complete mess of blur.
Very nice review. From a guy who was with Canon and went to Olympus for the size and weight I agree whit every thing you said. The way I consider the depth of field with the 300 f4 is you have the reach of a 600mm but the depth of field of a 300mm on a full frame.
Thanks Marc. Indeed weight does get an issue when you get older. I'm certainly feeling it. 🙂
Thanks for the honest review Simon. I guess for wildlife photography, the “price for reach” is the main advantage of crop sensor cameras. Traveling with the big 600 is like traveling with a rifle, really - minus ability to take it as a cabin baggage of course 😉 I think that the biggest disadvantage of Olympus is the uncertainty about the company's future. There were rumors that they are going to kill their camera division by the end of 2020. The company’s response to these rumors was vague, so I guess only time will tell. On another note, the big plus of your Canon system, is that you’re getting a workout while in the field! 😀
It was only in one country (so far) they are closing down. If I remember correctly it was in South Korea. But sales keep dropping everywhere for all brands, so more countries may follow. The latest version of Canon 600/4 is a lot lighter, but still a beast compared to the Olympus.
No problem glad you liked it. All the best..
I may have missed it, but did you mention how good the autofocus system compared to your canon ? It seems like a really appealing setup
Hi Andrew, no I didn't mention that. Sorry. Yes the autofocus is very good indeed and locks on really well. I wouldn't say it's as quick as the canon body but again it's not going to be I think as that's a £5k camera. Saying that, in the time I've had the gear, it's been very good. Hope that helps.
@@SimonWantling great stuff simon, cheers.
Mirrorless has its place but if you can still lug around the big guns then they will reward you with better images and you ALWYAS have confidence that if the circumstance are right you know the DSLR will get you the image (Subject the user ability). Once an owner of a FF DSLR (for BIF/Wildlife) its tricky to change.
Hi Ian, totally agree. My canon gear isn't going anywhere plus I've invested massively in canon anyway. The Olympus as mentioned would just compliment it as a mobile system if I decided to buy one 👍
Nice video, thanks for putting in the work to share. Hope to see your review of the upcoming 150-400 f/4.5. I specifically wanted to see more on the quality of the files when editing and trying to recover shadows or highlights comparing the Canon to the M43 system. The lens clutch system has been around for a long time, my 645 lenses and Tokina lenses do this.
Hi Paul, thanks very much for your comment. If Olympus are willing to give me the Em1X again along with that lens then I'd be more than happy to pull a review video together. It was a nice system so let's hope the guys at Olympus get in touch again... Thanks again.
Hi Paul, I spoke with Olympus today and once they release the lens we should be able to pull a review video together which will be very interesting. Thanks
@@SimonWantling Awesome :)
Simon I made the switch from Canon to Olympus last year, I had Canon 1DX and 500 & TC. Initially I had the same reservation over the EVF but after a few days you just don't notice the issue. You may find it useful to set the Profile to Neutral and reduce contrast and saturation. My early reservations were concerning noise but now - no problem, Topaz on the raw file prior to any processing other than exposure is just magic. No point pretending it doesn't perform at High ISO - so hey you can get over it! ...... you photograph other subjects using procapture or stacking or Neutral density. It puts the fun back into photography!!
Thanks Jonathan and totally with you on the noise and putting the fun back into it. I didn't find the noise an issue on the limited time I had it but it was never going to be as good as the pro full frame bodies. When it comes to low light situations then I will certainly be on the 1DX2 but still considering the Olympus. Also waiting on the R5 out of curiosity 👍
Honest review with pro's en con's. Subscribed to the channel. Hope to learn more about wildlife photography.
Thank you Jeroen. All the best..👍
Interesting review and honest. Most reviews of the Olympus system are by people who are already motivated in their opinions. Either they think the system isn't any good because of the small sensor or have already got the camera and won't be critical of it. You've basically echoed my conclusions regarding depth of field, noise, etc., and like you, I would ideally like that set up to complement my existing one, though cost wise, that's probably not realistic.
A further addition is now with Canons new R5 and R6 cameras which can seamlessly take my existing lenses and have all the benifits of, at least a mirrorless camera. The advantage of Olympus remains weight/size, plus for me personally as an ex Olympus film camera user, I love their form and style.
Thank you Frank for the kind comment and very pleased you enjoyed it. Yes, I was very impressed by the Olympus system and can see why people are using it. Being light weight its a great travel setup but as mentioned, wouldn't replace my big Canon glass. As much as I liked the Olympus, we all have limited funds and given that I have invested in Canon heavily over the years with lenses etc, I have gone for the new R5 which looks great, albeit with some heating issues which I can live with.
Thank you for your review and I agree with you concerning the menus.
No problem John, glad you found it useful.
Sorry to correct you Simon, an F4 is an F4 irrespective of the size of sensor! F4 is the same for a half-frame, 35mm, 2 1/4" square, medium format, 5"x4", 10" x 8" film or digital cameras! Sorry to say that you have been reading too much rubbish on the internet. Trust me, I used all types of cameras in the past, using a Weston Euromaster as the exposure meter, and never had to compensate for film size. Apart from that, this is a very good review of a camera, and amazing images too. You're a great wildlife photographer. Thank you!
Great vlog as always Simon, nice honest review of the Olympus gear too. Look forward to the next few vlogs & comparisons between the two set ups & of course your fantastic images.
Stay safe, happy clicking & catch you soon.
Thanks Nick. The kit wasn't mine. It was lent by Olympus so I could review it. It's now gone back so back in my canon gear.
Great to see you back posting on your TH-cam channel Simon 👍 Can you do a beginners guide into the rule of focus settings with regards to shutter speeds and ISO for wildlife lens. Enjoy watching your blogs 👍👍
Thanks for the suggestion Vince. I will do my best.
Nice Review and great Camera!! I just bought the em-1 iii! Fantastic!
Interesting comparison - there’s certainly a lot to be said for a smaller lightweight setup... I’d be interested to see how it compared to my Nikon mirrorless camera with the compact 500mm PF lens...
Thanks Jeff, I can send you an email address if you like. I'm sure they might help.
@@SimonWantlingyes please, that would be great - I think it'd be an interesting comparison and I'd be happy to have a crack at it..
Hi Geoff. If you email pro.loan@olympus.co.uk they may be able to help.
@@SimonWantling Awesome - I'll do that :)
Fantastic video! The images are very nice
Thanks Elise.
Sorry new to your channel., can you remember how far away the fox was using the 300mm F4.0 Pro....
Great video by the way 👍
Sorry Ant, I missed this. I can't quite remember exactly but the image is frame filling to no crop really. Maybe 20 meters but not much more.
Nice review and pictures. Looks interesting as a second system for more on the go work as you say.
Nice video Simon , Simon It would be worth trying the new Canon R5 out when it released you have some great glass
Hi Nigel, that's definitely on my list. I would keep my 1Dx2 and 600mm prime anyway regardless of whether I'd get another system. Thanks
Great video. The mobility and the Image stabilization has won me over, and I have sold my Nikon gear and are moving over to this system.
Great vid and stunning images. I think for around £4-5000 I'd go for the Sony A7RIV and 200-600mm
Cliff Day. Tim Boyer pro bird photographer switched to Olympus EM1x & EM1iii from Canon full frame .....as have a number of pro wildlife & bird photographers. Also the EM1ii was greatly improved with major firmware updates but the EM1x & EM1iii have superior autofocus.
@@cliffday1183 i think they are all payoffs unfortunately.
Cliff Day try out the gear and compare. It is hard to be honest. To get the shot you need a mobile system. And pro capture. Noise is unimportant, only for pixel peeping. And to get a reason to have spend the money.
@@cliffday1183go watch his videos, he actually demonstrates side by side images with a Canon and Olympus. The difference is so small as to be of no consequence. Give examples where you think his work has deteriorated?
@@cliffday1183 wow your imaging requirements must be extraordinarily high. I'm really keen to see your photography portfolio. Care to post a link?
Would you say that you wouldn't use this camera as your daily driver because you're so heavily invested both financially but also muscle memory and experience with the canon?
Would you recommend the E-M1X for someone looking to start a career in photography and dabble in videography if they don't have any gear at all?
Hi Jesse, thanks for your comment. I think a lot depends on what type of phoyography you want to do. The beauty of the Olympus system is it's portability in that it gives you an effective 600mm focus length on a 300mm lens as the camera has a 2X crop. There is a lot to be said it being mobile, getting gear on the plane etc which is why a lot of people are switching. My big Canon glass although probably one of the best lenses out there comes with a huge price tag and weight. I'm now in my 50's and honestly it's a real lump to carry around so the Olympus system was a very pleasant surprise. The main downside of the system was the DOF because although it's an F4 lens it's equivalent to F8 at 600mm so the background blur isn't the same as an F4 on a full frame camera. Some people would say you can get the same quality image using a micro 4/3s camera but I don't tend to agree. Most good images come from the skill of the photographer and often not the kit plus if you consider my canon setup is £18k compared to a max of £4k for the Olympus there certainly isn't a massive difference between the two systems. Yes the noise control isn't as good in low light but again I wouldn't get to hung up on noise as it's easily rectified in post if you need to. For me to switch is hard as I'm very heavily invested in Canon so for me I'm probably looking towards the new R5 or R1 in the future. I don't have much experience on video for the Olympus system so it would be better to get a more reliable response on that from someone who has more knowledge than me. I think Epsen Helland using it for video so maybe connect with him on that. Hope that helps...
Was looking at the Olympus, but will stick with my current gear which is the Nikon D500 and the D850 paired to my Nikon 200-500 f5.6 and Sigma 500mm f4 sport prime. I will wait and see where the Olympus brand goes after the sale.
I’ve just seen this review I wanted to know how good the pro capture was but you didn’t mention it ? But maybe you’ve bought this by now and you can do a vlog on it 🤞
I've had a loaner from Olympus and it was amazing, being able to get up to 60 shots even before I press the shutter button! Beware though, you'll run out of memory before you know it! Set up with the electronic shutter and in high burst rate mode, I just cannot miss the action! BTW, enquire with Olympus if you can get a free loaner from them, just like what Simon had.
Used prices on this great camera are interesting. Definitely an ideal expedition camera.
BTW the image stabilization is 7 stops with body only and 7.5 stops with a compatible lens such as the 300mm f/4 Pro
So less than the R5? mmmmmm
@@doghouseriley4732 Canon exaggerates, the E-M1X blows away the R5 in stabilization!
Interesting review. In my experience you can't beat full frame and a 600mmf4, the images have a certain look. I see the Sony and Canon latest 600mmf4 III weigh around 3.0kg, a massive weight saving considering my first Nikon 600mmf4 weighed approx 6.0kg. I think the Olympus has an advantage when photographing flocks of birds where increased depth of field can actually be helpful!
Olympus kit: Easier to shoot, does hand held easily. a little more noise, long battery life
Big gear: easier to post-process as noise is a tad lower - very little opportunity to hand hold.
You can't post-process a shot you didn't get.
All the art stuff (even, as you say, the clutch) can be switched off - as can anything else you don't like.
MY MENUS allow you to collect the menu items YOU like and place them in your own custom menus.
Very informative video as always, how does the picture quality compare between the two camera set ups?
Hi Sean. On a normal day to day operation then the image quality is comparable except with the Olympus you won't get that nice out of focus background if it's too close to the subject compared to a try f4 lens on a full frame camera. Saying that you can just account for that in your composition plus most people would hardly notice. Also low light photography isn't the same as a full frame camera but honestly with all the post processing AI software now, noise isn't an issue anymore in my opinion. That setup I shows I think was around £4k where as my canon gear is £18k. Is the difference worth the extra £14k - no it isn't. Hope that helps. Just note - Olympus photography have been brought out by another company now.
great video, loved seeing the swans. they aren't as common in the area that i live
Beautiful review! Canon 100-400ii vs Oly 300 f4 pro?
Nice work Simon. Your video was nicely done.
cracking review and video look forward to seeing more
Thanks Andrew, glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for objectively speaking to the Olympus advantage.
Thanks very much. Glad you liked it. All the best..👍
I went from many years of using film gear (where 35 mm was considered a miniature format!) to my first digital camera, a copped sensor EOS 20d. A great little camera with a surprisingly smooth relatively noise free image quality. Probably because it was "only" 8mp. Since then I have had several cropped bodies culminating in the 7d mkii. It appears that with every increase in mp the noise deteriorated (although the 7d mkii was an improvement over the original 7d as that was a pig of a sensor) and so I was constantly saving and aiming to get a full frame body. Having finally achieved that it would take something very special to make me go backwards to a smaller sensor. The size / weight is the best quality of that system and as a 64 year old my body would really appreciate it. However, at my age, when learning new technologies becomes ever harder, I am also very reluctant to move towards mirrorless technology.
As for using the two systems side by side.... it's all I can do to run two different bodies of the same system without getting confused.!
A good unbiased video though Simon with ver nice images.
Ps. I do understand that noise improvement software is very good nowadays but I don't do wildlife photography to sit in front of a computer.
Take care.
Regarding the part about learning new technologies - mirrorless cameras don't really shoot differently than digital SLRs. They certainly can have more noise in low-light but they generally do well nowadays.
@@wilkgr. Cheers Jack, I'm sure you are correct regarding the new technology and I guess the real issue is a reluctance on my part to embrace change. I think that all cameras these days are becoming more complex, not necessarily a bad thing but my point is that my granddaughter is usually required to set up a mobile phone for me....!!
Technology is advancing at a rapid rate and I suppose the limitations that I observed some time ago (such as poor electronic viewfinders) have been, or will be, improved.
However, for those of us on a very limited budget, if the equipment we currently have does the job then I see no reason to change. When you have a camera system it is surprising just how much ancillary kit you collect, flashes, remote releases, cables etc etc. All this represents quite a hefty investment so to change systems is no small decision.
At the end of the day it is being out taking pictures that is important.
So I guess I will stick with what I have for now. Thank you for taking the time to reply and who knows, if my lottery numbers come up tonight perhaps I will overcome my reluctance and give mirrorless photography a go.
Take care.
@@robertlawrence7958 of course, you make very good points. And the limited budget is so true! I'm shooting on an E-M10 (Olymous' cheapest model) and buy my lenses second hand.
And yes, I do agree - cameras have picked up a lot of features and settings along the way.
At the end of the day, it's about enjoying yourself. I hope you have many great shots :)
I use Panasonic and I do get a bit confused by folk with their 15-20k setups and wonder why when they aren't even making that much money from their wildlife photography a year. I mean I am not in a position to judge what people do with their money but most of the time it looks like a waste...
I also find (generally) the big expensive setup owners just sit in paid hides all day long getting "epic wildlife shots" which is not what I am personally all about. I mean that sort of setup is ideal for it cos try stalking a deer with an infantry soldiers worth of kit on your back 😁
The beauty of the M43 system for me is great image quality for A1 or even larger prints that no normal person can tell how much I paid for the gear and also the abundance of useful features such as video etc etc
Just to add one thing in a world where money isn't a thing I think a full frame camera paired with a M43 would be the ideal scenario.
Thanks for your comment. I can assure you you'll never find me sitting in a paid hide, that's doesn't interest me at all. I'm much more into spending time with the wildlife in the field. I don't have an issue spending £18k on my setup, but I do admit the attractiveness of a mobile setup which was very good. For me, a system like the Olympus would compliment my work and primary equipment rather than totally replace it. I've not used the Panasonic but I've heard good things about them. Thanks.
@@SimonWantling Like I say I am not in a position to judge its just my thoughts. Kudos for a fair and impartial review. Comparing an 18k setup to a 4k one could only really go one way so good to see you admit the strengths and weaknesses without siding too much with a pre conceived notion that smaller sensors are dreadful which I hear a lot of.
@@JoeMaranophotography no problem. Honestly Joe, I was really surprised. I also own the 7D Mark II and that Olympus was so much better than that. In my honest opinion the only real time my big canon gear would be better is in low light but apart from that and the odd tricky focus situation you'd struggle to see the difference. DOF was different but a minor thing and you can just adjust your field craft to account for that. Really impressed. Good luck with your photography Joe 👍
@@SimonWantling That would be my thoughts too. It's for that reason I keep eyeing up a Sony with the 200-600 or going for a 200 2.8 which works out cheaper. They will work out the same for noise and depth of field but the Panasonic is cheaper but loses the reach and Sony AF. Until some money rolls in I can't justify either though. There is more to photography than gear and my shopping list is still endless 😂
Good review Simon, and some great images you got with it!
Thanks Espen 👍
Very cool and fair review
Thanks a lot Stephen. All the best.
Simon on your Canon gear what are the red tags on the body and on the lens
I think they are the ends of the detachable camera strap
Yep, they are for a detachable peak design strap.
Good honest review, Canon user at the moment but your set up far out of my price range, I shall ponder over the next month or so
Thanks Robert 👍 good luck with your photography..
Simon Wantling picked it up yesterday just need to learn that new menu 😊
Does it save shots before you hit shutter? I had heard some do that. Sounds crazy but....
Jim
In pro capture mode, the camera is taking 35 shots and rolling them thru memory, when finally taking the shot, all past 35 shots are recorded to memory card, sort of a time machine :)
They do, and it is brilliant for wildlife photography.
My G9 has features like this as well. Very nice for certain situations.
@@Fluxion11 the g9 use a inferior 4k mode. On tve olympus you get full RAW images. Not even close.
@@Makta972 ahh, that's good to know. I shouldn't have assume that Olympus did this with jpgs. You'd think that Panasonic could implement a raw version of this through a firmware update.
Top quality video as normal Simon well done👏
Thanks Alex.
It's 2023 now and the E-M1X can be had for less than USD1,000 used like new with warranty, the 300mm f4 sells for USD2,000 used like new. I will pull the trigger on a EM-1X soon.
Hi Simon good honest, and interesting review well done. Regards Tim
Thanks Tim. All the best..👍
f/4 on an m43 is equivalent to f/8 on the full-frame, someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Thanks , yes you're quite right. 👍
Light gathering is still f/4 only DOF is equivalent to an f/8
@@gregs4163 That's great info. Thank you, Gregory.
This "equivalence" thing has to do with depth of field, not aperture. It got tiring long ago, folks.
Great video as always Simon i have been looking at this camera and lens ,is it a zoom or is like a prime ?
Hi, thanks a lot. It's a prime lens.
@@SimonWantling Thank Simon much appreciated .
My normal set up emx+ em1 mk3 and 300+40-150 /24-48 in my pocket enough
How big can u print at 300 ppi without having to digital enlarge?
8X10 just like the Canon EOS-1Dx Mark III & Nikon D6.
thanx. for the price, i can get a d500 or xt4 with kit lense and should have better low light performance and dynamic range, right?
@@sergiollag1 The benefits on m4/3 are lighter, better dept-of-fields & IS.
It's actually behave like a 40Mega camera and out performed the 1Dx Mark III & D6.
Yes, that is correct. We tested all three.
The OM-D E-M1X is sharper & has greater depth-of-field than the other two cameras.
If you cut the 1D & D6 sensor in half, the quality will be below M1X
Excellent channel. Thank you very much for sharing. You have a new subscriber in Buenos Aires. Best regards.
Thanks very much. Apologies for the late reply. Only just seen this comment. All the best.
You should have become more familiar with that camera, Olympus has a viewfinder mode that simulates that of a SLR and is exactly the same in all situations, just like a SLR. and then you can configure all the viewer options with more light, less, warmer, colder, etc.
Thanks. Yes unfortunately I didn't get a lot of time to use it as I had to travel but noticed the same option on the Fuji XT3 recently which was good to find. Thanks for mentioning it. 👍
Great review . Many thanks !
Thank you.
Olympus let you borrow their kit (through a camers shop) for a few days to test it out
Hi Andrew, yes I had it on a two week loan. The have a pro loan scheme which you could use and test the equipment. Not sure what the latest situation is with that now though since their announcement last week. I can share the details if you want me to. Thanks
@@SimonWantling Thanks. I borrowed before buying my Olympus gear. Just wanted to make sure people realise anyone can borrow this kit ("Test and wow" scheme). Sounds like it is business as usual for the moment. Nice review by the way.
Great pictures
600 which version ?
I have the Mark II.
@@SimonWantling I have the 400 2.8 ver 1 try walking with that all day !!
Thanks for the review 👍🏻
No problem 😊
The menu system is grat it doesnt take to long to learn....
great review
Thanks a lot.
Amazing video! I follow you on Instagram as well, keep the good work up👍
Thanks very much. Really appreciate the comment as always. 👍
Great review :)
Nice video
Great set-up but the EVF is not up to standard and the controls on the Olympus Bodies and just crazy stupid to set-up. I would pick the lens with the Lumix g9 that works a lot more like a DSLR.
Subbed, that menu can't any worse than my A7iii 🤭
I'm sure. It's not that bad, just takes a bit of getting use to.
I have issues with the menu as a long time user. 😃 One thing to note is that the the letters are intended to represent the topic, eg "a" for af, "e" for exposure etc. I've noticed that Olympus video presenters have started mentioning this regularly in recent videos.
You were wondering why the depth of field is is different allthough both are f4 lenses. It's because Olympus is 300mm and Canon is 600mm. So simple. Nice review anyways.
Hello Simon
Hi there.
did you get it?
I would rather buy & use a Canon 200D and EF 300mm f4, or a Canon 80D and a 400mm f5.6. Two examples of light weight systems with a larger sensor, that are considerably cheaper than the Olympus setup. My 2 cents worth......
You’ll end up wanting to lower the weight and leaving the canon at home
Possibly 🙂 not sure I could ever part with my canon gear though 😉
Hi, If your wife says yes you can one can you please let me no what you said to get the go ahead, not for this, I want a Canon 5D MK IV as all my gear is Canon and to be honest with the 5D being FF with a 1.4 extender on 400mm lens you get around 560mm I beleive at F8 same kind of DOF you get with the Olympus( not 100% sure on that one) wish I could afford but that's life. Russ.
She's pretty good. It might involve doing the house work for a considerable amount of time 😉. Don't get me wrong, I'm not moving away from Canon in the slightest. The big prime I have on the 1dx2 is amazing plus I've invested far to much in them to shift over completely. They also have the R5 coming out which I'm extremely interested in. The Olympus is attractive based on its lightweight, so good for travel has pro capture and the IS is simply amazing. That's purely what I'm looking at it for but not as a replacement. If they were to offer me one I wouldn't say no 🙂
Thanks a lot, from Brussels ! L u c
If you think about it, of course it's lighter it's only a 300 f4 lens, about the same size and weight as the canon 300f4 lens. With a high megapixel sensor like what is coming on the Eos R5 you could get a similar sized kit as the EMX by simply cropping the image (or using a aps-c crop mode) whilst still maintaining the possibility to use your excellent canon glass if you want to. I get what Olympus are pushing but it's not a 600mm lens and will never look as sexy as a 300 2.8 400 2.8 or 600 f4.. And talking about price, then once again, how can you compare two lenses that are completely different, it makes no sense, for a 300f4 that Olympus lens is actually quite a lot more expensive than the Canon equivalent which has become a bargain today
I noted in your video, seeing you lugging the ridiculously huge 600mm setup. Why ANYONE would prefer to shoot with that, when you can get the cheaper portable superior system. I know everyone will say "olympus has no depth of field and it's got too much noise" (rubbish). Sure high iso gives noise. Every camera gives noise. Lets face it, it is digital, as are the noise removing programs. eg Topaz. If there is to much noise remove it with a digital program. Clearly if people were to be honest it is a far superior system. As for the menu - well if you can not work it out, then your better of looking for a different hobby. It just takes a bit of thinking to learn, like any camera..
You'll find you'll almost always leave the Canon at home...