OM-1 Mark II - Is it better than OM-1 or not?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 พ.ค. 2024
- I had the possibility to test OM-1 Mark II. I also had the OM-1 and M.Zuiko 300 F4 Pro. OM-1 Mark II was loaned from OMDS. Special Thanks to Esko Toivakka. He loaned the OM-1 and M.Zuiko 300mm F4 Pro.
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⏱Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:10 Disclaimer
00:53 Special Thanks to Esko Toivakka
01:20 Your Questions
02:13 The Dials
03:08 Is it just Firmware?
05:34 The Buffer
08:42 LiveGND
09:40 AF
10:54 High Res. shot (14bit)
12:04 High ISO (OM-1 vs. OM-1 Mark II)
13:52 Is it Worth it?
16:20 Watch Next
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Thanks for a well rounded review/opinion of the mk2 release.
Thanks. I appreciate the review and perspective. Glad you did it.
Always enjoy hearing your perspective, Peter. I'm still using the Em1 MkII and it still gives me everything I need and more.
Thanks Peter…appreciate your comments. Personally I would likely try to pick up an OM1 (used or at a hopefully reduced price) with the upcoming firmware update. Both seem like great cameras however. I quite liked whatever you were vlogging with as well!
thanks, Peter
Peter, thanks for this review. I would add some Mk II features you didn't mention: one more stop of Live ND filtering and 1.5 stops of additional IBIS up to 8.5 over the 7 stops of the Mk I OM-1. This Mk II is exactly what I would expect as a next stage refinement of the original OM-1 - extending existing feathers and adding other improvements. People seem to forget that the OM-1 is just two years old, and virtually no other camera camera company releases an upgraded model of a market leading flagship camera that soon, but OM System did. As a decades-long Olympus user I doubt Olympus would have reacted so quickly. Lumix took 6 years to upgrade the G9 and then they used a recycled FF body. The Mk I OM-1 brought more people to the MFT system than any other camera in history - other than perhaps the original E-M5 - and the Mk II is better - and better is better.
I see comments that are straining to criticize OM Digital Solutions for somehow not treating the brand correctly. Those people need to remember that OMDS didn't "take" the cameras from Olympus - Olympus decided to sell, or close, their camera division. If there is a "bad guy" here, it's Olympus and not OMDS. Further, Olympus got out of cameras because they were losing money, yet I see posts from people claiming to be "Olympus" supporters who think they have a right to endless new features through firmware upgrades. No - you have no right to new free features. Bug fixes and improvements on existing features - yes - but not really much more. You don't see that with computers, smartphones or any other high tech products. Rather, each year must buy a new device if you want new capabilities. OMDS has to make money to survive, and I hope they do.
Well said about the firmware. People expect too much free stuff and at the same time they are talkingh about how PMDS should make money...
I would really be good if the Live GND had a feature or option to select the sky like Lightroom can do when masking.
It would be quite good. Maybe that type of features will available in thye future. I think Live GND is quite unique and useful feature like it is now.
@@ForsgardPeter when adjusting my outdoor shots using in Lightroom, I almost always use select sky or linear gradient to mask the sky. That would be such a time saver for me.
Perhaps AI can help us out in a positive way by perfecting lighting for us and making it even easier to fight those days with harsh light.
Thanks for your opinion on the new model. Regarding the update policy, I have to say that this is pushing me away from OM System and maybe MFT. Some years ago some smartphone vendors thought they could sell devices at premium prices and still not provide real updates over the typical usage time at least for the first owner. The customers didn’t accept that. Some camera vendors still don’t get that they actually sell computers, where the software part is always crucial. Of course the development of updates costs, but that needs to be part of the calculation, especially for the premium models. And let’s not forget that the OM-1 II is significantly more expensive than the G9 II. For less I can get a Fujifilm X-H2 that is very likely to be supported with updates for years to come.
VERY well said.. consumers really need to remember this..
Panasonic spoiled us with G9 updates. I hope OM system learns a very important lesson from this. The most costly part of marketing is customer retention.
I think the OM-1 was rushed to market based in the plethora of FW updates.
From online reports so far it sounds like the OM-1 and 1/2 is suffering a similar fate.
Couldn't agree more. I can't believe they didn't put enough RAM in the Mark I to support upgrades that were probably being developed at the time. The only explanation I can think of is they wanted to market the MarkII as having "exclusive" features. I hope I'm wrong about that, but it's looking like a real possibility. RAM is cheap after all. Also, although Peter is probably correct that the new hardware is necessary, at least some of these upgrades probably don't require more RAM, specifically the human detect changes. I'm not buying that argument. I'm anxious to see how Panasonic supports the G9 II. When it's time to upgrade, I may just go that route.
I do indoor performance photography (music, ballet, theater, nightclubs) and my biggest problem with the OM-1 is that it has great trouble both finding faces and tracking them under such low-light, rapid-movement conditions even with the fastest MFT lenses. I've had the chance recently to check out a Sony A6700 and have been getting a far more keepers than I ever did with the OM-1, and this is with a slowish Sony 18-135 kit zoom! I wonder if the OM-1Mk2 would do any better under these conditions? I'll be testing out a G9M2 shortly and hope that it will be at least better than the OM-1Mk1. If not, then it might be the end of MFT for me, at least for performance gigs.
Having both the OM-1II and the G9M2 I may be able to answer some of your questions. I think your style of photography will really benefit from the human detection. I like the implementation of Panny human detection a little bit more with large rectangle. But I think the AF of OM-1II is quicker in general. If you can let me know, which shutter speed, ISO and aperture you have when you are experiencing these problems. I can try to replicate it and see how the MKII and G9M2 behave. I don't have the OM-1 I any more, so I can't compare them side by side.
Great video, Peter thank you!
Many thanks!
Agreed. It is a better camera. Is it worth the upgrade. It depends. Bird photography is my main use for the camera and the focusing is a big thing for me. Bigger buffer will come in handy at times for sure.
Many thanks for the review. I have upgraded from the Om-1 to the OM-1 MkII and your review is a fair and honest review. So far after using my OM-1 MkII for three days I am very pleased with it. The reworked Subject AI and AF is a very noticeable improvement.
Thanks for sharing and enjoy your new camera!
Worth $2400?
@@formermpc10 So far I am really pleased with the camera. So currently yes it was worth it. I traded in a lot of gear that I have not been using. So it got the price down to where I could stomach it
Thanks Peter. My primary use is wildlife and landscape. This new version is interesting for Gnd and autofocus for sure . If I upgrade won’t be soon because of cost and will see what new firmware changes on ver 1.
Check the OMsystem replacement program. I have friends that got a VERY good price for its OM1
It's great to have you back, even if temporarily :) One theory out is the primary purpose for coming out with a new OM-1 was license restrictions on the Olympus brand, and the features are just secondary. Did your OMDS contact address that at all?
Yes he did and the brand name is not an issue. Olympus name is still in most of the lenses they have.
@@ForsgardPeterTo my understanding, products which are built since 2024 cannot use the name Olympus anymore. So old stock does not have to be relabeled, but anything which is produced now would have to be rebranded...
Thanks Peter, I appreciate the effort that you put into this review.🎉🎉🎉. I have a question for you. Would you upgrade to the OM-1 Mkii from an OM-5? I do a lot of general photography; family portraits, landscape and streetscape, horse racing, car racing, surfing...anything. I am 61 and thinking about upgrading from my OM-5 to the OM-1 Mkii as my last ever cameras purchase.
It is very hard to say how much your photographs will improve. Are you happy with your OM-5? OM-1 Mark II is a better camera than OM-5, no doubt there. For car racing and horse racing you will benefit from the improived subject Recognition and faster camera. That also depends on what you photograph during those events. Is action or behind the scene things? Do you have a possibility to test one and see how much it improves your experience and photographs.
@@ForsgardPeter Thank you Peter, I appreciate the time that you made to consider my question. Yes, it is difficult but probably made so because the OM-5 is a perfectly fine camera. I think that I will wait until the end of 2024. I am not really in any rush and by January 2025, I would have had my OM-5 for 2 years. Many thanks, Peter.
A very honest comparison of these 2 good cameras high lighting the difference between them. As for me my OM5 still meets my needs as I don't feel the price differential with OM1 etc makes it practical or necessary. As always I enjoyed the analysis and the reality of the perspectives , so many thanks .
Nice video as always. I ended up passing on the OM-1 as I hated the new dials. As much flack as the OM systems seem to receive, I recently was looking for a small camera that would fit a small case on my belt, T.E. a Think Tank Mover 5. I looked at the other systems and ended up with an OM-5. It has a lot features in a small package and fits with the Lumix 15mm in a Think Tank Mover 5 (just barely). Now what I want is an OM-5 with some of the features of the OM-1 MK2. Maybe someday.
Thanks for the review Peter,, there's nothing like the voice of experience to make good comparisons like this. Like you, I thought that the GND was the most interesting feature .. but I don't discount the impact of improved focus capabilities. Do you think that the benefits of the GND are something that could be achieved in editing.. or is it unique enough to shooting with the camera to make a big difference... I suppose if you had to deliver images in the field that would be helpful ...if you did not have a chance to edit later.. I will wait to hear your opinion, thanks again!
Yes, it is always possible to darken areas in post if it is not blown out. In very contrasty situations Live GND can reduce the dynamic range of the scene and make the editing possible.
My Olympus M1.3 switches on relatively slowly. How is it with the OM1 II?
very fast for both OM-1 versions. just let your camera go into sleep mode. batteries are cheap. the lens waking up from being off and wanting to focus is the issue, it is often better for the camera to be in sleep mode as the lens will focus faster.
Great content. What is your lens of choice for family parties and get togethers?
a use in most cases a so-called standard zoom, 12-40mm on my OM-5. A kit lens of 12-45mm works fine too.
@@ForsgardPeter Good to know. Thanks.
I shoot wildlife and have the OM1. I do not think that the mark 2 has enough new features for me to 'upgrade'. It will be interesting to see what the new firmware release has to offer - Do you have any thoughts on what this could be? If you were new to the brand and format, and were switching from another brand, then I can see the advantage however.
We have to wait and see what is going to be new.
Per OMDS: "Scheduled to be released around this autumn (northern hemisphere), the following changes for the OM-1 via a firmware update are planned:
I. Autofocus: Improvement of some AF performance capabilities, such as S-AF and C-AF in all-target mode to improve capture of main subjects.
II. Operability: Improved usability through the option to assign the trash (delete) button as a menu access shortcut."
A lot of the original reviews were saying it wasn't a major upgrade. However your review is more considered, the better auto focus, high ISO performance and Live ND are an improvement over the original OM1. I wasn't considering upgrading to the OM-1 from my EM1 MKII but now quite tempted with the MK II if I can sort out the finances.
Not sure if it can be called a major update, but I think it has some good new things. If those new features are enough everyone has to decide themselves.
@@ForsgardPeter Actually...while it may not be a major upgrade from the OM-1 original, I'll bet it's a major upgrade form the EM1 ii.
It if not a major upgrade no.
@@evenhandedcommentor6102 Exactly, If I had an OM1 MK 1 I would wait for the MK III if it ever appears and M43 still a thing.. From the E-M1 MK II or Mk III its well worth looking at. Also the new Mk II will mean used prices for the MkI should start to drop and with a firmware update promised, might also be worth considering used.
Hi Simon, I was upgrading from E-M1ii to OM-1i and it was really a game changer for me: Animal recognition and better sensor with not problems up to ISO 20000
I don't know your main genre, but you might be positively surprised by upgrading
i was literally expecting a side-by-side AF between the two cameras since you had them for a few days. doesn't have to be wildlife; a test simlar to what CameraLabs does it would have been better than just describing it with words.
I know that it would have been better. Side by side should be done at teh same tiume and I did not have two similar lenses. Seperately done there are many things that could affect the results.
@@ForsgardPeter idk man you could have used a lens to stick it on the OM-1, use a timer or the remote shutter to take photos of yourself running towards the camera or going in and out of the frame then stick that same lens on the OM-1 II and do the same thing...
Yes I could have done that. Still it there would have been a possibility for differences in the situation.
Hi Peter,
What I noticed how greatly the AF improved in video mode although OM doesn't advertises this improvement. This feels as a whole new camera in that regard. The subject detection now also works without AF-C + tracking in video. I also wasn't sure if all improvements were worth it. Eventually I think it is for me. Also the stills AF is so much more consistent and for owners of the 150-400mm as I count myself upgrading to MKII should be no brainer.
The subject recognition works on video too. The AF is much better. I agree that for bird photographers it is an upgrade.
Interesting that the 12 bit image looks sharper to me in your comparison
I hope I did not mix them... The difference is not very big.
Thanks for the reviews Peter! I just got one of my friends into getting the new OM-1 II over R5. I actually encourage him to go with G9 II when he decided that MFT is enough so no R5. Anyhow, he should be getting his hands on his new camera tomorrow. I don't think I will upgrade at all except one factor. OM1.1 when wiring file to memory, you cannot change shooting mode or do anything much really. I have heard that has changed with OM1.2. If that is true, I will upgrade one of my OM1.1 to the Mark II but when price comes down or perhaps during special deal like Black Friday here in the US. Cheers.
I cannot say about that mode changing. Never really thought about it. If it is true, it is nice.
Thanks for the review. Your comments seem very fair to me. There's no such thing as a camera that's perfect for everybody, but some photographers (like me!) will find this one suits them really well. I traded in my EM-D Mark iii for the original OM-1, and I have been very happy with it, but rather regretted not having kept the EM-1 as a second body. I mainly photograph birds and other wildlife, usually with the brilliant 150-400 lens. So for me getting the Mark ii was very attractive, and when it came to it, I didn't hesitate. I've been extremely pleased with it, and find the improvements in focusing and subject recognition in particular really worthwhile. I spent a pleasant time yesterday, for example, at the zoo with the 150-400 on the Mark ii and my 40-150 f/2.8 on the Mark i, and I found that a great combination. (It will be even better when the promised firmware update for the Mark i comes along.) I completely understand that many OM-1 owners might feel the improvements in the Mark ii might for them not seem worth the expense, but if like me you're seriously into bird photography and are after a second camera body, or if you've been thinking of upgrading to an OM-1 then I'd certainly recommend considering it.
I have noticed that those who have used OM-1 Mark II have been very happy with the new AF.
Peter do you think the price is right? I compare to the Fuji flagship of the X-H2S which is a few hundred pounds cheaper. Yes I know the Fuji doesn’t have the computational features but is possibly better value for money.
It is quite pricey! If the camera has the features what one needs then it is better value for money.
I would say that for a wildlife photographer OM-1 Mark II is better value for money. For a hybrid shooter Fuji is a better value for money.
I had the posibility to 'test' the OM-1II at an OM System NL-event and found out that recognizing a human worked great. Jumping from one person to another worked perfectly using the joy-stick
It works better, especially the tracking.
Appreciate you doing the review and posting it. Whatever the real driver for OMS is to come out with this revision only 2 years after the version 1 - whether it is the realization that the camera needs more memory for certain functions or it is some reasons related to the legacy with Olympus - the release of the OMDmk2 so soon with only minor firmware improvements for the OMDmk1 forecasted means to me that the MK1 was a flawed design that was rushed to the market. They are lucky that they inherited a great lens lineup. To me that is the rationale to stick with the system for now despite loosing confidence in the company.
I do not think two years is too short of a cycle for new products. It is a bit faster than Olympus did. n the other hand they also had more products. E-M10 Mark IV was launched in August 2020. E-P7 was launched in June 2021. Basically they only have two cameras at the moment.
I think the new nd grad feature is a really useful innovation, sure, we can AE stack, but on a windy day or long exposure nd grads are best. The days of new features via firmware are gone, software development is expensive, it makes sense to reserve enhancements that aren't bug-fixes for the next iteration of the camera.
The “High ISO difference” comparison - was this from JPEG or RAW? From RAw I would expect no difference between the two cameras.
It was from a raw image. Lower ISO no difference, but ISO25600 there was. The noise looked different. The colors also holds up better. It uis not a big thinhg, but there is a difference.
I have always used bird recognition signed to one of the front buttons. So I left facial recognition on by default, and when I wanted to photograph birds I just pressed the front button and quickly switched between the human face and birds. I don't know if the new system will help or hinder my daily use. Thanks Peter, great video. I would have liked to have seen some sequence properly exposed at 120 FPS 5.2K in Slow Motion.
There is a small clip where the duck is moving.
For me, it seems a potential upgrade from OM-D EM mark II with easy-peasy schedule. Like the liveGND as it means less carrying stuff around plus gives you the potential to try ”using filter” while shooting without the need to buy filters separately 🙂
From E-M1 Mark II the new OM-1 is definately an upgrade.
Panasonic impressed me with their firmware updates as does Nikon. OM should step it up I think. That said I'm very happy to see this update even though I'm going to wait for a OM-2, or MKIII, maybe....
I sold my Nikon D700 full frame DSLR system that contained excellent lenses. The reason: Nikon discontinued support of camera driven AF lenses in their FtoZ converter. When I then saw the humongous Z lenses I was not convinced of the promise that everything would get smaller. So now I contemplate to get into the more compact OM-system. It is very attractive.
Thanks Peter for your thoughtful and considered review. Obviously you only had limited time to do it.
My take away thought from the controversy over this upgraded camera is this:
Cameras are getting more and more like computers with a lens attached. We photographers have to change our mindset to cope with this. And perhaps think more like a computer user - they take for granted the need to upgrade memory to get better performance.
I have worked with real time software systems and i can tell everyone for a fact that the big restriction on computer performance is the speed of the memory. Often computers will use special very high speed memory to keep up with the data throughput, in addition to slower memory. To me i would guess that om system was able now to buy this very high speed memory at a lower price and/or a bigger size. This has removed the restriction on the systems ability to deal with complex autofocus situations.
Really well said. It is most likely like that.
I was expecting more updates for the OM-1 original. Still, I'm in the process of saving up for the mark ii - the improvements are big enough for my taste.
Firmware upgrades are a balancing act for camera companies, because software development isn't free. They need to satisfy their customers, but at the same time make money to stay afloat.
Yes, firmware updates are tricky for the manufacturer. Keeping their customer satisfied, but at the same time giving stuff out for free instead of selling something. In the long run it is bad business.
I think the larger memory (RAM) in Mk2 allows it to have bigger buffer for pro-capture and more stops of LiveND. But the firmware is stored in ROM (similar to smartphone) so it should be feasible to upgrade the firmware of MK1 to get all functionalities of Mk2, perhaps with less EV stops in GND.
But I also understand as a hardware company, OMDS needs to sell new cameras (and lens) in order to survive.
We never know for sure what could be improved with new firmware.
I'm going to say something that might sound completely crazy. The white balance being more neutral and less blue is my biggest takeaway from this. I do a lot of SOOC shooting, as I really like the tonality of photos processed by the camera. It's something I can't quite reproduce when processing from raw. So I often find myself using JPEGs from the camera. These need very little editing to look good for basic uses. If they are for professional purposes and/or prints, I will of course go to more effort. All that said, the JPEGs from the OM-1 are quite nice. I've only ever been bothered by the slight blue bias. No amount of tweaking has corrected for this. If I nudge AWB to the right, so it's into the red, it loses some of the blues, which is not the best for landscape photography. If I nudge it up toward green, again to offset the strange blue bias, it may enhance greens, but then you lose something for it. Setting it to a specific color temperature only helps if you have an exact look you're going for and the scene and/or lighting isn't changing. This is often not the case with the outside world, where with clouds and weather, sun position, etc. it's constantly changing. So I like to keep AWB as my default. Having the slight improvement toward the warm side for JPEG output would be quite a nice change. It may sound like a small thing, but the small things can make the biggest difference. My Panasonic G7 had the best color output of any camera I've used. I still look back at JPEGs from it and wonder. Anyway, I appreciate this observation and thank you for taking the time to check out the camera.
I agree that, Olympus/OM SYSTEM cameras produce quite nice jpgs. The color and tones are quite pleasing.
Thanks for the comparison Peter, the only issue I have with it is that you are hesitant to say whether you would upgrade or not. I’m thinking you know the kind of photography you do, so it should be easy for you to decide but…It’s not like you are making a decision for someone else! Anyways, I’m in the market for a Micro 4/3 camera. I was seriously considering the OM-1, but now I’m leaning towards the Panasonic 9ii on principle. The Panasonic seemed to offer more in terms of value for your investment. I feel the biggest issue with OMS is the lack of integrity, meaning the promise of firmware update to uphold or maintain the value of their investment, which they have not done. Now they promise a firmware update but it will only be shadow of the features in the OM-1 Mark ii. I think it would suffice if OMS were to at least bring the OM-1 AF on par with the OM-1 Mark ii for starters. I also feel the additional increase in price is business move than a customer move; of course, I could be wrong and it could just be inflation. However, if OMS would have kept their promise of providing firmware updates, most of this resentment and lack of trust could have been avoided. Only time will tell, if OMS made the right decision with the OM-1 Mark ii or if old Olympus fans stay faithful and not jump to Panasonic or other brands. If I was an OM-1 user, I would feel betrayed. It would be a different thing if no promise of future firmware updates were made, but that’s not the case. So don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep OMS.
The reaosn I cannot say if I had upgraded or not is that I do not have OM-1 anymore. For my photography OM-1 Mark II did not bring anything that I need. The only thing is teh improved Human tracking, but for portraits i never had any problems with the OM-1 Mark I.
great
ATG & I say if they can get 40M or more, the OM System will be going into the history books.
First, Olympus 4/3 then Olympus m4/3 to Canon EF, Nikon F. ATG & I say just rent dated 20M system or use a cellphone.
I do wildlife photography and particularly fast action as opposed to still life/portraiture. Sure, I'll take an image of a bird sitting on a tree branch, but I would rather get the bird taking off or landing. The Sony A9 III can capture a swallow in flight capturing an insect. That's what I want form OMDS. How good, how sticky is the tracking autofocus? As a very fast, small bird is flying, can it stick the autofocus on it and not lose it. (Assuming I can keep the bird in the viewfinder...not an easy task!!!). At some point, someone with access to multiple cameras will do a comparison. How well can focus be maintained on fast moving, small birds. The ultimate test.
The gnd saves me to buy square filters and filter holder system for the 7-14 mm. Pro . That is a big deal for me. Better auto focus and human detection and that it apperenntly finds faces faster and more reliable is also a big deal for ms as portraits of kids is big for me. So I will sell one of my OM-1’s and buy the mark II.
Pete, I appreciate your attention to detail. I have standardised on Olympus Cameras because they are Good, not too expensive, compact and have proper buttons and dials. Just like My Nikons that I used in 30+ years of the silver age. I have two E-M5 bodies, a stack of lenses both Olympus and Nikorr, my Mega Favorite TG6 for real scuba underwater with all the cases strobes and LEDs. OK I look at my last two years of photography.... Travel, underwater, safari, pretty women, all of that in photo and video. My kit is SO good, why would I sell off my bodies at trash prices to buy new bodies at full price? OK the OM has two weaknesses. First, Astronomy, at which it is not great {Or is it pme) second, Wedding Photos. The OM does not have a dual card. If you have a card down at the wedding it cannot be recovered. REAL story! Two years ago I got married in Kampala Uganda. I was not taking the photos I was getting married not taking the photos. The photographer turned up WITHOUT a camera Why?.... Well he was sent to hell and I found the photographer from the marriage in front of us, he had a camera, i've no idea what make. He took the photos, was paid $. His name was Peter, my name is Peter, your name is Peter TRUE STOR
Thanks for sharing the story!
I have brought it, but the human AI since have some issue, it will out of focus even it shows in-focus , It was not reliable enough
You mean the MarkII?
@@ForsgardPeter Yes. OM1 MK2, I use it for one of my portrait work
Good review Peter. I do have one question, and I think it's the elephant in the room that nobody is talking about. RAM is cheap. (The G9II has twice the buffer of the OM1 and is less expensive). Why wouldn't OMD put enough RAM in the Mark I to support the buffer that the future computational features need ? It's a safe bet they knew at the time of release of the Mark I what new features were coming in Mark II, yet they held back on the hardware changes necessary to support the new firmware. This looks like marketing strategy to me. Don't get me wrong; I want to see OMD save this line of cameras. I want to see them do well and thrive. But this may not be a good marketing strategy, especially since almost all the computational features Olympus was famous for are being incorporated by the competition. They need to hang on to their past customers as well as new customers. Your thoughts?
Adding features via firmware is good for the existing customer, but at the same time, the company is not selling anything. It costs money to make the improvements in the new firmware. Coding is not free. If they had more memory in OM-1, they would make no money with the new features. I think OM SYSTEM is in a tight spot and needs to balance between firmware updates vs. new camera bodies. In my opinion, they are doing the right thing. Of course the customers will decide by buying or not buying. One thing is sure, with only updating the firmware on OM-1, they would not make any money unless it would have boosted the OM-1 sales. I believe that the updates need to be so significant that it is almost a new camera. That happened with E-M1. It got a few big updates via firmware. It was also different times. Features that were added were really something new. Nowadays, developing new revolutionary features, especially via firmware, is very hard.
@@ForsgardPeter Fair enough. But I see the statement about firmware updates that they posted when they released the Mark I is still being used to market the Mk II. From their website: "We're committed to keeping the technology in your camera on the cutting edge. We offer regular, robust firmware updates to protect your investment...." If we have unrealistic expectations that may be why. Maybe they should remove that from their website.
I see your point and the statement is a bit too promising. There has been firmware updates, yes... but those have been so far only about the AF. No real features yet until the promised firmware is available. Not sure if the expectations are unrealistic. We want the best and that is natural.
if you release a wow camera, where ai features are the new upcoming features in future, you need 2 most important things: processor performance and enough memory (and its speed) for future updates.
we saw the marketing strategy change more towards wildlife too. they hoped that this community will upgrade to mark ii … its in my opinion an indirect firmware upgrade …
Thorough review, thx, obviously a solid camera with great features. But, likely nothing to stem the tide of OM’s long, slow demise.
Heelo afew years ago Nikon was dead too.....and now?
@@richardfink7666 The size and resources of Nikon so dwarfs OM that there is no comparison to the current situation. I take no joy in OM’s plight, but they are showing me nothing. The Micro 4/3 market is shrinking.
As we can see that the focus on wildlife, nature and birds means only features focused on this users wil be included. Video features will not be upgraded. So OM digital Solutions are only suitable for birders.
It is one of the best cameras on that genre.
Hi Peter
Thanks for this great summary!
First, I was at the level of "firmware disappointment".
Then, especially after Thomas Eisles review, I was convinced about the technical improvements. He showed the the AF sticking on the eyes of a model whuth hair in her face....very impressive.
Your findings are going in similar findings.
For me, I'm happy with my OM-1i, I'm waiting for the firmware update in autumn AND, if OMDS has now the pace of renewing their flagship every 2nd year, I'll be probably waiting...
Lenses and shooting practice are more important than always the newest body
Greetings from 🇨🇭 to 🇫🇮 !
I have no idea what the pace will be in the future. I agree, lenses and photographing is more important a slight faster camera.
I suppose you can only review what you have but i would be more inclined to respect a review once the firmware for the OM-1 is deployed. At the moment it sounds like Olympus desperately wanted you to review before the firmware comes out for the previous model.
Let's see if I can review it again when the new firmware for OM-1 is out.
@@ForsgardPeter your review was as usual very good and a 👍 up, but I think Olympus put you in a difficult position. They promise regular firmware updates when they released the Om-1 but haven’t given us one since May 2023. I believe they will just do the minimum to satisfy those wondering if OM System are really interested in the camera business.
Could be the case and we will see how it goes.
You will still need to carry GND and ND filters for long exposure photography. Neither of these features work in Bulb mode. This is a significant weakness of the ‘so-called’ breakthrough advance with GND. This feature is clearly not worth £2199!!
For what do you use the Bulb mode? Have you tried the Live Composite? The computational filters are great features. Of course, there are situations as you mentioned that those cannot be used. In most cases you do not need ND or GND filters.
Am waiting for Robin Wong to get the best opinion
I agree it would be interesting to hear what he have to say about the camera after he had hands on it.
When we see Fuji's success with the X100 series, we say to ourselves that Olympus then OM-System have depreciated the assets at their disposal: compactness, versatility, price. They abandoned the Pen-F, they restricted the OMD-EM10 series after the mark II, and now lock themselves into a niche and rich strategy with ever larger and more expensive products imitating full frame.. It's really a shame.
It is a gamble for sure. I would love to see a new Pen-F being launched. The success of X100 really started when X100V went viral in TikTok. Before that it was just one really good camera.
@@ForsgardPeterThe desire for immediate and assured profitability is opposed to a longer-term strategy which involves greater risk-taking.
Both are important and there needs to be a balance between these two.
@@ForsgardPeterThis is precisely what Olympus neglected and what OM-S chose to give up...
Did they neglect that? Maybe the firmware next fall is not enough for that balance?
Let's do some math. 2388 divided by 180 seconds = 13.3 shots per second. I haven't looked at the specs, so I don't know how long it can take photo's at 120 per second, but apparently not very long before it slows down considerably. Everyone is talking about the Sony A9 III with global shutter shooting 120 fps. But the buffer fills in less than 2 seconds and it slows down after that. I have no idea how many shots it can take in 3 minutes. I thought it could do 30fps indefinitely, but I really don't know. A more realistic stress test might be how many shots in 10 seconds. Yes, still a long time, but if you want 3 minutes, hit the record button, not the shutter button!!!
The 3 minutes was just an experiment and to test the difference between the two cameras. I explained that in the video. OM-1 Mark II can shoot 120fps a few seconds. It is very good speed when combimed with ProCapture where the camera records images before the shutter is pressed fully down.
@@ForsgardPeter Okay. But is this a good test of the differences between these models when no one will be holding down the shutter button for 3 minutes? Yes, the mark 2 version will take a few more pictures than the mark 1 version over 3 minutes. However, shorten that time period down to a few seconds and I'll bet the improved buffer on the Mark 2 will outperform the Mark 1 substantially. The 3 minute test is probably limited by the memory card write speed more than the camera buffer.
The memory card plays a role in this. I used the same card just to make sure it does not affect that much. The test showed that OM-1 Mark II is faster.
Logo should be OLYMPUS
I hardly understand om strategies.. They made an impressive entrance in the market with such a commercial success that om1 was,they should have been focused to improve it,and strengthen their wide base of customers, without to launch so quickly a new model, which is not seen "so new" by the majority, and rasing doubts on a constant support on the older one(s).
Olympus users were used to a deeper careness
It was two year cycle. I think it is quite normal cycle. There will be a firmware update next fall. We have to wait and see what it actually will cover and add to the OM-1 Mark I.
The "memory" excuse regarding the firmware changes is largely bogus, yes memory can make differences, but the vast majority of the updates are not ones that benefit from additional memory (and I don't mean the shot buffer), AF, subject detection, live grad ND all require processing power, not memory. The CPU is identical and the sensor is identical, so the 2 versions of the camera have identical processing capacity and the amount of data coming off the sensor hasn't changed either, neither has the EVF or LCD so the amount of memory required for them hasn't changed. The increased number of stops in LiveND I can see requires more memory as I suspect the buffering of more frames in memory is required to simulated a greater number of stops.
End of the day OMS can chose whatever they want, it's an entirely commercial decision on their part and equally customers can also make a choice, whether its to get the new camera, stick with their existing OM1, or go elsewhere. Only time will tell if OMS made the correct decision or not.
It is not just bogus. As you said some of the features required that new memory. The improved AF requires that too. You are right OMDS has to make business decission like every other company thin world. Nothing special there. Consumers then decide if it went to the right direction. Not sure if only a firmware for OM-1 would have been a good business decision?
hi Peter
thank you for your review or something that passes for it. of course there was great disappointment with the presented OM-1 MK II. people expected more and also got it for free. but the fact is, nothing is free. either you pay a high purchase price, or you pay in another way, but in any case services must be paid for. it said left, it said right. Nobody works for free, not even at Om systems. it is a company that simply has to make money, otherwise they cannot exist. Paying an extra $200 for a new camera isn't a lot of money.
Poor marketing by OM System switching folk off given the age of the previous model. Stugling for cash?
It was two years since OM-1 Mark I was launched. I think it is a quite cycle for new cameras. What should it be? 3 years, 4 years?
The trouble with this ND grad system is that it tars everything it touches with the same brush. If, say, there is a tree or a mountain or a fence or a building, etc. in the shot and then the grad is applied to those elements too. If you are using a setting where, say, a foreground building juts into the area of the grad, then the building will also be hit by the effect and it will also go dark. I suppose It’s OK as a sticking plaster in some cases (eg a flat, featureless horizon), but the problem is that the effect will show as a stuck-on effect, so the image will look unnatural, as though it has been monkeyed with…
Maybe a future OM1iii will have some sort of auto-masking. The new camera will be maybe $2500-$3000. Then the value of the OM1ii will drop by half the next day. The upside might be that the OM1 original could be then had for $250? It’s a great camera.
Physical gradual ND-filters has the same problem. Those are still widely used. If the masking is a problem with physical GND-filter we need to do masking in post production or blend multible imgaes with different exposures. Auto masking in a camera would be great, but I do not see that coming in a near future. It needs to be perfect if it is baked in the image. If it was possible to adjust it later in post production, that would be cool. Auto masking in Lightroom Classic is quite good, but even that is not perfect. We will see what OMDS comes up with Mark III.
changed both my bodies to mark ii, the focus updates are marginal. the focus box will say it is focussing on the eye, and completely miss.
birds in flight, with green background, is marginally better. blue sky is practically the same.
insects, depending on type still arent catered for. Butterfly focus is completely off kilter, focussing on circle markings on the wings. AI technology - My arse.
I was concerned for GND, as wind swaying trees produced inconsistent results. sometimes in focus sometimes not. it is unusable on a clear sky, only cloudy skies. I was concerned a bird flying over a sunset would be cut out by the GND stacking algorithm, but hasnt been the case, yet.
I see no improvement in the buffer or memory usage. in my case, I want to record a video in stills mode (with red button!) and when stopped recording, have the camera quickly return to stills mode again. it takes an eternity!
My 150-400 is halfway thru its life, so I needed a body update at all costs, As there is only 2-3 years left in m43 before it is completely left behind (its not gonna be like pentax). Hope OMS listen to people outside of Japan!
Interesting to hear this. You are the first one that I have heard that has had negative things to say about the AF.
At 14:18, you say "from what I remember of OM-1.." At the beginning of the video, you praised a subscriber for providing you with an OM-1 for comparison purposes. So does this mean you aren't REALLY comparing the two cameras based on your real-life, daily use experience? Please tell me, this is a legit comparison!
At the moment I do not have OM-1 nor Om-1 Mark II. the comparising part is based partly on having both camera at the sama time and partly it relies on my 9 year experience with several Olympus and OM SYSTEM cameras.
Is it worth it? To upgrade from OM1: not at all. To upgrade from other cameras: yes, since this replaces the OM1 completely and they will not be sold at the same time as new.
This is definitely a rebranding with a firmware upgrade. They only increased the memory, which should actually not affect the other features besides the buffer. If OMS do not include those in the OM1 it is just a marketing move, and trying to have people upgrading from the original one, which I actually consider a really bad move since it implies 1000€ only for a couple of features, one of which you can reproduce in post by doing a bracketing.
Memory is actually quite important for computational features (like GND), so it might be much more than just some firmware tweaks. That they don't bring back at least the one or other improvement to the OM-1 (where technically possible) I would indeed deem to be a marketing move. On the other hand - nobody is forced to upgrade. It rather looks as if they had to remove the Olympus brand at this point in time, and this was all they could muster (no surprise there).
You seem to be clinging to the now debunked idea that the Mk II is "just a firmware upgrade'", when in fact, there is both the memory speed and size upgrade, and a new IBIS system which added 1.5 stops of stabilization over the original OM-1.
Guess you didn't really watch the video. You have an agenda, than spewed out your misguided, defy the laws of physics, opinion.
It is not a firmware update. I really do not who is still spreading that nonsense? The more powerful memory is the things here. That makes many of the new features possible.
You seem to be saying that OM System should have included these new features in the original OM-1. Ha! That's some funny "logic". How about you contact whoever makes your smartphone the next time they release a new model and tell them they owe you the new one for free because they should have included those new feathers in the old model. Let us know how that works out. Do you see how unreasoable what you are saying sounds?
But, you are correct that "refinement" models like this Mk II are not always a compelling upgrade for the prior version owners. That's is how refinements work. They make the current version even more competitive and desirable, especially for those coming from other brands and those with older models. However, I've seen a bunch of posts from people who have the Mk I and are buying a Mk II FWIW. Olympus did the same thing with the E-M1 Mk III over the Mk II, but it took them 4 years between these two models - not 2 like we are talking about now.
Wait a year and it will be half price
You mean the Mark II? OM-1 is now about 1800,-. The price has come down from 2199,-. I expect about the same happening with OM-1 Mark II. My prediction is that most likely they will have some kind of cash back thing after the first burst of camera are out.
To me, you sound very reluctant to say “Yes “, you would, or is it “No” you wouldn’t? Sorry you “moved on”, though again reluctant to say what you moved on to!
Since I do not have Om1 anymore, it is hard to say would I upgrade since it is not an option. Here is my video about my news camera: th-cam.com/video/cZ7IYf1G6jM/w-d-xo.html. Spoiler alert: it is a Fuji X-S20.
I hope all of the "likes" are worth the $2400.
What do you mean? I did not get to keep the camera. I was just testing out of curiosity when I had the chance.
@ForsgardPeter
My comment wasn't addressed to you, Peter.
We know early adopters have egos, and marketing caters to that.
Peter, how did you get the loan of this camera? Was it from someone with a relationship with OMD?
Are you a surrogate influencer lol?
I don't want to view product videos but appreciate your videos about the craft of photography.
All of the discounts on the OM-1 1/2 show it must not be selling well.
I'd be ticked if I bought the OM-1 1/2 when it came out.