OM SYSTEM OM-1 - Where Is The Wow?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- After shooting with the OM System OM-1 for several weeks, doing paid jobs, I have enough use experience in real life to comment about a few things. I discuss several aspects of the OM-1 that I find lacking, and I wish could have been improved.
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0:00 Intro
0:21 How I Got The OM-1
0:45 Disclaimers
1:15 Single Touch Screen
2:24 Slower AF
3:30 Image Quality
4:41 No Charger
5:19 Handling Issues
6:37 Levelling Gauge
7:32 What I Like
9:01 High Expectations
10:22 More OM-1 Content
10:49 Conclusion/END
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Congratulations Robin on discovering this and sharing it here. When I first saw your video I though "Sour Grapes". I am a skeptic, as most fo us are now a days, and frankly the OM-1 has been my best camera ever. I have seen many of your videos and respect your opinion, integrity and generosity in sharing knowledge. I have published over 1000 images of birds in flight to Flickr taken with the OM-1 and love my OM-1. I am fortunate enough to own both the OM-1 and the EM1 MK3 and immediately decided I had to replicate your test. I love both cameras and the OM-1 has been truly a Godsend for my bird in flight photography. I replicated your test using pro grade Olympus lenses. My conclusions sort fo mirror yours. Overall the EM1 MK3 is a faster, more confident focusing camera when using single point AF in low contrast situations. If the target is high contrast, I saw no difference. But if the contrast is low or in low light, the Em1 MK3 is more reliable. I normally do not use single point S-AF and had not seen this. I can certainly see how this could be important to a weeding photographer. I primarily use C-AF with Bird Tracking and there my OM-1 is vastly superior to my EM1 mk3. Thank you again Robin!!!
Mirroring my response to Robin, again this has much to do with the total area being assessed. When one point on the EM-1 is 1300% larger than a single point on the OM-1 yes you'll be virtually guaranteed more contrast, thus the AF will work much better. So if the OM-1's AF is using the same AF area as the E-1, it should work just as well if not better. So widen the AF area by custom selecting 12 or 13 points and you'll have the equivalent area on the E-M1. Test again and see.
Go watch Rob Trek's video. He reported 0% success rate of OM-1 locking focus in low ocntrast, low light.
This was one of the best comments that I have seen because you kept your mind open and you were respectful as well. I learned something from this, and what I learned had nothing to do with cameras!
Agreed.. its a very good camera for wildlife and im enjoying it.. however thats not the only reason for a flagship camera..they need to do lot r&d and solve other issue via firmware…
For me, a bird photographer enthusiast, this is a Wow! camera. The OM-1 can shoot at 50fps, in RAW, with no black-out in the viewfinder. Birds move quickly. At slower frame rates you miss a lot of the action. Any camera can shoot portraits or slow-moving objects. The OM-1 has Pro Capture at 50fps with continuous autofocus and 120fps in RAW with first frame autofocus. This allows me to capture numerous wing positions of small birds in flight, like Downy Woodpeckers, chickadees. and sparrows. I rarely miss a bird taking off. Almost any camera can capture large birds in flight. Small birds are much more difficult. I believe that 20 megapixels is the perfect file size. This allows the OM-1 to shoot at incredibly high frame rates. I would not give that up for slightly more resolution. I will take speed over resolution. Autofocus with bird detect is blazing fast. If you are a bird photographer, the OM-1 stands out where it counts.
Wow
Agreed!
Agreed. I think wildlife/macro shooters will find OM-1 to be more of a wow camera compared to street photographers. After all, it was marketed toward us!
Unfortunately He doesn't do bird photography (which is a shame as would like some tips) so maybe not the camera for him and perhaps not looked into pro capture etc. Be interesting to see if he thinks it's ok for the macro work that he enjoys
OM almost gives the impression that they're putting so much energy into being the ultimate Birder's Camera that they're neglecting other things. Which is mostly their marketing angle and probably a smart one, since Full Frame systems keep nosing into formerly MFT territory in size and cost (assuming you give up weather sealing and are ok with plasticky, dim-aperture zoom lenses) but more and more people are seeing full frame cameras as the "everyone, every situation" product. So it's smart for OM to niche down into something narrow and then dominate. It's awesome that it does so well for you in birds. I have the OM-1 now also and would love to try some bird and wildlife photography soon! To get OM quality long zooms for my Canon would break my bank account -- and my back!
to the person who donated the camera. Thankyou, a genuine decent human being. Unlike the Harries of the world who do something then lets the world know.
I mentioned in your last video you will see some issues with SAF. However based on how this camera is marketed and the audience that is buying it, it’s quite an improvement over previous models in all respects we most care about and the caf is so fast and accurate I only use SAF for specific work where I have no problems with it. I’ve shot over a million images with the OM-1 cameras I own and compared to the OM-D E-M1 Mark III and OM-D E-M1X I’m having much more success in both low light event action and sports and wildlife. For the stuff you normally shoot I can not see much difference even in older 16MP sensors for well exposed and good lighting landscapes and architecture. I have no problems with my shots from 2013 in Shanghai and Beijing or 2016 in Europe or 2017 in the Northwest and BC. All the images are great and impossible to distinguish. However for what I’m doing now, the processing speed is great and getting usable jpegs at 12800-80,000 at football games in the rain has been great. And I can look back through each camera at iso5000-10000 and the color dynamic range is so good I can hardly believe what I’m seeing. I’m not a big fan of noise removal software so I value the quality of the noise and grain as long as color is good and accurate, which the OM-1 does better than any previous camera.
Thanks for the great video, Robin! Looking forward to hearing more about your experience with OM-1…
I have had mine since the launch. I totally agree with you take. I use my OM-1 for low light. I still use my EM-1X as my go to wildlife camera. It acquires the target so much faster.
Good feedbacks but I disagreed on the LCD, IQ, handling and S-AF. The multi-selector LCD is something I would never find the need to use. I still barely touch any of my Olympus camera LCD since EM5.2. I don't know many people care. I think it is more of a personal preferences. For IQ, I do see different mainly at high ISO. I would never go beyond ISO6400 with EM1.3 but have no issue with OM-1 at ISO12,800 in the same situation. Also at lower hi ISO like 3200 and above, you can do more without getting too much chrome noise with OM-1 unlike older models. On S-AF, it is a known issue but it would have been fixed with the FW update, Which FW do you have Robin? I know that S-AF with 17mm F1.2, 75mm F1.8 and some other lens is not reliable until FW1.3. May be it is a matter of FW fix with 17mm f1.8 lens. Lastly, I have found the handling to be better with OM-1. I shoot mostly wildlife with tele lenses and this is definitely a wow camera for me and I own two.
Robin, I found the same issue when using the small single point auto focus - I think the issue is that the point is now much smaller and it doesn't seem to let you position it precisely enough to accurately focus. I found I got better results by setting a custom AF target mode with a single 1x1 point. That allows more precise positioning and I get better results.
It was definitely an upgrade for me. I traded my Nikon 7500 in for the OM -1. I’ve only had it for a few weeks. I haven’t had the chance to dig into it too much. I don’t have the issues with the grip - thankfully. This is my first MFT camera and I’m in love. Thanks for your perspective and I’m glad someone was so generous!
Thanks so much for this rundown. All valid points. You've helped me make my decision to keep my E-M1Mk2 and sit on my hands until a OM-1Mk2 version or new OM flagship is released OR when phase-detect autofocus comes to Panasonic MFT in a successor to the still magnificent G9.
Exactly what I'm thinking.
@Shariq Ahmed🌎💙 That's yet another reason to wait. Hopefully not for long.
Thanks Robin! Ima check you next video on the OM-1 too.
I've been just getting into photography and each new video of yours makes me more and more excited to practice and improve. Thanks for the content. :) Even if most of these cameras and lenses are way out of my budget at the moment.
Thanks for your view. I am your long time viewer and I trust what you are saying. And thanks for being bluntly telling your view. It’s not easy to say as people tends to bash people and carry no responsibility out in the cloud. It’s very brave of you!
Thanks robin , for an honest give on the camera. You have saved me money as i'll just stick with my Mkiii. And my favourite G9.
Enjoyed this overview Robin.
I’ll stick with my OMD EM l M ll for now. Currently insufficient reasons to upgrade.
Thanks for the review Robin. I think for what I do my em1 mkii is more than good enough. Glad you mentioned the extra charger. Getting an extra battery and charger is not inexpensive on top of the cost of an already pricy camera. I know others pull this same trick but still it's really annoying.
I went from an e-m1 ii to the OM-1. It is slightly better in my opinion but not massively so. I enjoy using the high res mode so the big advantage for me was 50mp hand held images. I happened to be in a position to trade in a bunch of old gear to upgrade to the OM-1 for no money but honestly if I didn't have that option I would have been more than happy with my old e-m1 ii. I got a dual battery charger on Amazon for very little money {£11.99) but the battery life on the OM-1 is easily double that of the older cameras
As usual a really interesting perspective and now that I've checked it, one that is completely correct. However, I would suggest these problems only apply to the general purpose studio, event and portraiture field, which the EM1 mark iii was (and still is) targeted towards. The OM1 is on the other hand is targeted to wildlife, astro and handheld landscape, and suceeds brilliantly in these areas. Many OM1 buyers are new to the system, and find the SAF and ergonomics excellent, particularly compared to Sony for example. It's people who previously owned an EM1 who notice these points. I sold my EM1 mark iiI to get the OM1, but recently bought one again as a backup camera so I was able to check the two against each other. You are quite right, the SAF on the OM1 is dramatically worse than the EM1iii and indeed in low light about the worst I've ever seen on a micro four thirds camera (but still better than most DSLRs and other phase-detect only cameras. I never use SAF myself and even on people/street shots I use CAF, so I had never noticed this before. Rifle fast single autofocus was always the outstanding feature of the MFT system, so why they have just let this go I can't imagine but hopefully it can be fixed in firmware. I also checked the ergonomics of the two bodies and again you are quite correct about this, but for me this is only when holding the camera with one hand (which I almost never do). One-handed on the OM1 the grip is less comfortable (but still very good), and the front dial is awkwardly placed and difficult to turn easily. Two handed through, its no problem. I also hadn't noticed the absence of multitouch on any OM or Olympus camera. However, I find the OLympus control dials for menu navigation, image magnification or moving through review frames far faster and more reliable than on a multi-touch screen and way better than on my Z7 with multi-touch. Overall, I think the OM1 is a brilliant camera, and a massive improvement on the EM1 in its target market. OM system made an intensely pragmatic choice in pivoting to wildlife and particular birds in flight and the like as the primary focus of this camera. That's where they can survive and compete whereas they are in a losing battle in the general purpose studio, event and portraiture area. If you hold the camera two-handed as I and most other wildlife photographers do, the ergonomics are fine and the CAF with subject recognition is superb. In this arena the OM1 is not just competitive, it's close to the best you can get, and in manouverability, ruggedness, frame rate and focus accuracy, it's unmatched by any other system. It's a shame one camera can't do it all but the EM1 mark ii and iii are pretty cheap right now, so it's quite possible to have an OM1 and an EM1 and the best of both worlds. But as ever, congratulations on honest and penetrating reporting. I await your next insights to the OM1 with great anticipation!
Good job Robin! Rob Trek ran multiple tests (scientific approach) and confirmed your finding about the S-AF in low light. Keep up the good work!
2:32 I'm glad you have found the EM1 Mk iii to be good for autofocus since I have one!😅😂🤣👍
Thanks for the review and sharing your experience. I realized that there is no reason to upgrade my EM1 MII camera to OM1. But not having multi touch is really boring
Good critical review Robin. Most other reviewers state only the positive things about the OM-1.
Luckily, some of the shortcomings can be fixed via firmware, hopefully soon. And of course, we always need to hope that some things will get even better in the future.
For me, I'm disliking the front and back dial wheels. They are - compared to the E-M1.2 - more recessed and feel more plasticy. And the position of the front dial is far less optimal.
But overall, I'm very happy with the OM-1😍
I have to agree with you. I've found it very hard to get used to and find the front wheel but after a day of shooting intensively for 6 hours I've got used to it. I guess muscle memory takes time lol
Well said Robin. Nice to have a view from someone not employed by OMDS. This does seem to be a camera for bird shooters so until they bring out a camera for the rest of us I will be sticking with my e-m 1 mk iii (and my Sony). Please carry on providing the balanced view.
Same. I found OM-1 to be unbalanced when holding with a single hand. The reason is that the centre of mass of the camera is leaning towards the left, which made the camera seem heavier to hold (explained by the large torque in physics).
Fair personal preferences, though your comment on S-AF (i.e. contrast detect) raises questions: firmware version? How does it compare to EM1 when using the same size AF Target on the same focus point? Pointing the tiny single AF Target of the OM-1 to a completely white area lead to the expected result, no edges, no contrast, no focus! EM1 single point Target is much larger, hence more likely to find something to focus with.
Hi Robin, I love your videos and beautiful views of malaysia! I changed my beloved M5 mark III to OM-1 and he is very pleased. All the disadvantages you mention absolutely do not exist for me. AF speed sensational, grip sensational. I'm also surprised by your complaining about the multi-touch screen. After so many 10 years of using the Olympus menu and screen, multi-touch would be a disadvantage for me, and I'm surprised that you with so much experience complain about it, especially since the new menu with two knobs is great. As for the battery, I recommend a replacement from Newell - it is 10x cheaper, smaller and lighter than the original. Even if they gave the original in the set, I would buy a Newell charger!!! The OM-1 may not be Wow, but it's hard to make a revolutionary camera today. For me, however, this is a revolution when changing from the M5 Mark III. I greet you warmly from cold Poland 😀
I am moving from an e-PL5 and hesitate between the OM-1 and the OM-5. It is a trade-off between the smaller size and the better viewfinder. In either case I will miss the tiltable LCD monitor and tiltable (VF-4) viewfinder.
@James Rhodes i find the old Super Control Panel serves my needs well.
Thank you Robin for your clear words. I agree that the wow camera is incompleat. Too much issues for a new flagship camera.
Frankly, I think the 'wow' camera was introduced in 2012 with the E-M5. Like you, I was surprised to see that they still didn't go full in with the touch screen. Besides OM-D cameras, I also use a Panny LX100.2 and GM1, both of which are fully touch screen enabled.
Hi Robin I was so pleased to hear that you had an OM 1 gifted to you.. no one deserves it more and the result is going to be a lot of great training to those of us who might buy one in the future. I use your videos very often when shooting with my EM1 mkII & III. I always felt it was a little unfortunate that the WOW camera name started being used.. after hearing the specs I felt like it wasn't that big of a game changer but was a natural evolution of what Olympus did the very best. I was able to use an OM1 extensively for a couple of days last fall and I did love the viewfinder like you mentioned.. I didn't have the problems with the grip and focusing but I of course was concentrating on so many other things that I didn't have anything occur to me. Who knows though.. your observations get a lot of attention and there are always firmware updates.. keep shooting.. we'll be watching..
I bought my EM-1 mark III very cheap last year, when many we’re upgrading to the OM1. I probably won’t upgrade to a new camera for another 5-6 years, it’s good enough for me.
As an OM1 photographer I did not run into AF issues. The solution might be simple , use C-AF in stead of S-AF. This has a bigger focus field which will do fine in low contrast and low light situations.
For some of us, OM-1 is a wow camera. By example for wildlife shooting, the bird detection, the 100% AF coverage, the EVF and the faster C-AF make a big difference compared to the previous generation of cameras from Olympus. There is no camera from Olympus which can match OM-1 from this point of view, not even close.
I also found that a good noise cleaner like DXO Lab6 can get more from OM-1 at high ISO, than from the older sensor from Olympus. I can go up to ISO-12600 or ISO-25600. But of course your point about sensor remains valid. Everybody expected more, especially after the 2 stops claim.
The ISO performance and dynamic range was marketed wrong. The new sensor allows you to recover more details on high iso - especially from the highlights. This is why you may not see a big difference in many usecases. Narrowband Channel goes into detail about the sensor, if you're interested.
I haven't really complained about the performance of S-AF, although I am kinda surprised there are no settings for it. We can't choose between PDAF, CDAF or hybrid, it's just default setting. I sometimes find myself switching to C-AF, just to leverage phase detection.
And I completely disagree about the handling - this camera fits my hands perfectly! But I guess this is entirely subjective :)
Still, I really hope OMDS can fix some of the issues in firmware updates. Like, for example - the level gauge. I really disliked the old one, and prefer the new one. But I don't understand, why didn't they just make it possible to choose the style from the menus.
Be careful, phase detection is inaccurate at long distances - contrast af is always spot on. It has to do with the measuring base. Anyways, the OM-1 is fantastic
@@ThomasEisl.Photography thanks for that info. Elsewhere on TH-cam a technical person from Lumix implied that they had been reticent to implement phase detection because it had a negative effect on image quality. Perhaps I misunderstood and this is what he meant.
@@ThomasEisl.Photography it can be a bit less precise, but at times when I need the focus to just "snap", I choose it.
@@RoderickJMacdonald you understood that correctly - PDAF does indeed reduce IQ!
@@JezdziecBezNicka yes, I know what you mean! It works perfectly most of the time, but a 75 wide open at 1.8 at more than 15 meters no subject detection is a bit tricky for PDAF.
Hi Robin, I have always appreciated your views, but I find myself agreeing with commenters who disagreed with you. My OM-1, coming from Nikon, was WOW!
It sounded like the several of your negatives (not all) were minor or largely reflect your own specific needs (i.e. grip) which makes sense and I think it’s fair and easily justified to not consider it a wow camera…yet your review overall for many would have likely been more positive sounding if you had focused more on the points you also found very good but as you noted again these aren’t areas you usually work in (i.e. wildlife or sports), plus given it is an OM camera you didn’t need to cover the basics (weatherproof, small and light lenses etc), which for many is why they choose a M43. I look forward to your updates as you try the camera more in future work. Personally I don’t think there are really any new Wow cameras out there, regardless of the brand largely as most cameras are already so good that we can only see incremental upgrades. Likely the only wow cameras are going to be ones in smart phones who are are slowly adding some amazing features that replicate larger camera abilities with software. Always enjoy the passion behind your videos and would love you to try some other brands like Sony and Canon. I own both and each has their attributes, but weaknesses too! Great video once again!
Hi Robin, you can use your finger on the Display to place the AF and take shots. You also can zoom into pictures, when you look at the results. It's a bit different, but it works. The AF is much more precise, than the older models. If you use a small AF Point at the OM-1, it's not the same with the older EM5. If you test the AF in front of a white wall, that's not fair. The AF of the OM-1 is lightning fast. Test it with flying birds and you are blowing away.
For the problem with the grip, I recommend for EM-1 and OM-1 Modells the L-Bracket from RRS. This stuff is expensiv, but it is woth each Cent. Suddenly your small finger has the 5mm place to find a super grip! This solves 100% your problems.
For an Wildlife photographer, the leveling screen is now better. For streetlive photography it might disturb.
What disturbs me most is, that you can't watch your shots on a TV after a session. They forgot a function in the menue.
Best regards from Germany
Matthias
Agreed with you about testing AF on white wall!
I'm wondering if you have the newest FW 1.4 installed. FW 1.3 fixed major AF bugs, especially SAF in low light inaccuracy, and some lenses (the Premium Primes) couldn't focus at all in CAF at medium distances.
FW 1.4 has improved general accuracy of AF a bit more too, but FW 1.3 was the biggest fix.
THANKS FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF WHAT CASEY CC SAID IN SO MANY WAYS , SO GLAD I SKIPPED THAT ONE . AND THE EM1 MK 3 BEING SO GOOD TOO , LIKE THE G9 . TO THINK ONE COULD PICK UP 3 MK3 LIKE NEW CONDITION CAMERAS FOR THE PRICE OF 1 OM1 NOW . , STILL AT LEAST ITS GOOD FOR WILD LIFE . CHEERS
Thank you for sharing your impressions of the OM-1. A few months back I was in the position where I was considering an upgrade from my em1m1 and was looking at the em1m3 or the OM-1. With the OM-1 having the same resolution, and what seemed very minor improvements in image quality, I just could not justify paying the premium price over the em1m3. I also did not think I would like the new front and back dial design and was annoyed with the battery charger issue. I didn't even know about the other disadvantages that you mentioned - other reviews were not critical enough to even mention them. The only positive with the OM-1 that I really saw, considering what I shoot, was the bird detect. In the end I saved a bunch of money and went with the em1m3 which I am very happy with. The money I saved will go to a good lens and down the road I will wait for the OM-2.
Look forward to the next videos on the OM1. I am wondering which you would choose between the E-M1 Mark II and Mark III.
Many valid points Robin. I'm sticking with the E-M1.2 until I see a WOW camera.
My E-M1.2 fits perfectly in my hand, and I still love it after all this time. The only thing I'm envious of is the joystick.
As for not including a charger, how ridiculous. It's like selling lenses without hoods ;-)
@@dolex161 I have the 12-40 too. It is an awesome lens. I shot a wedding at the weekend. Had all my primes with me but didn't use a single one. I just bumped up the iso to get faster shutter speeds and wide open my shots were sharp with a nice amount of bokeh. The ability to zoom was critical. There's an old saying - date your bodies but marry your lenses lol. I've used the same lens on an e-m5 ii, e-m1 ii and now the OM-1
I have E-M1 MK II and OM-1, and OM-1 is in deed a wow camera.
But it depends what you need or what you expect.
By example for some people Nikon-D850 will be better than Nikon D6, althought D6 is a much more expensive camera and it's the DSLR flagship from Nikon.
Thanks for the video Robin. I have both OM-1 and EM1 MK3. I will need to test the single point focus. I shoot a lot of sports and birds, and for me there is no comparison, OM-1 is the better camera. Touchscreen issues for me is just not a big deal. I agree that for those who don't shoot action sports, wildlife or birds in flight, the OM-1 is not a WOW camera, but if you do, the improvements are significant. I also think the menu system is much improved on the OM-1. The camera has one fantastic menu feature that is simply overlooked in a lot of reviews: when a menu option is grayed out and not available, the description of the feature tells you why! That in my opinion is huge feature when your out in the field trying get a shot. As far as the grip, that is personal thing. Frankly to me, neither has a grip that is as comfortable as the Panasonic G9. I still have my G9 and if I am shooting non action stuff, I often find myself reaching for the G9 because it just feels good in "my" hand. Personally, I hope a lot people disagree with and buy the OM-1. Micro four thirds is a great platform and if there is high demand for the OM-1, then we have a better chance of seeing a OM-1 MKII that just might WOW a wider audience. Keep the content coming!
I'll wait and buy it in a year or something. It seems to me they leaned super hard into wildlife and landscape photography (which is great for me) but I appreciate your critiques of the OM-1 as a camera in general. It has a lot of potential to be a jack of all trades and also the GH6 has a 25 MP sensor so better image quality is certainly possible. I think your points are fair and hope OM Systems listens to improve because the potential to be truly great for everyone is there.
Can’t say too much about the GH6 but the DPReview boys noted it has abysmal shadow noise, much worse than the OM-1. With that said, considering the smaller sensor size, I’m wondering what people really want in a m43 camera. Most cameras these days have excellent IQ no matter what you pick, and most updates seem to be related to speed and functions.
@@tomrandall6539 yeah. Certainly for action, they mailed it for the OM-1. IDK. Seems like the camera industry has peaked across the board. I already have my needs met for the shooting and moving I do with MFT.
I also purchased OM-1 10days before. After watched this movie today , I realized again you really love OM-1 anyway 😂
I have been using Olympus since 2000 from E-10 to E-1, M1, E-m1x. Unfortunately, the OM-1 is the first Olympus camera where you can no longer feel the “Olympus quality” that will work forever. The AF problem is just icing on the cake. General assembly quality is also not the real thing and the front and rear wheels do not work properly. Especially the back.
I'm sorry, but I hope the OM system will soon outgrow its initial difficulties and continue on the same path as Olympus.
Thanks for this video and others like it about the new company's products. I am now more satisfied than ever with my E-M5 Mk II. I'll be looking at a used E-M1 Mk II or III for an upgrade. I am still in love with my MFT lenses. That's what keeps me in the system.
Great to hear your thoughts Robin, not a camera I ever intended to purchase, the camera's I've got
do way more than I'll ever need, if people love purchasing gear the camera companies won't ever
let them down, as for the camera's they produce? I suppose it all depends on our expectations.
I've found that the S-AF is a bit better when you're actually focusing on contrasty bits and not white wall. And if your client wants you to focus on a white wall, why not just focus on the contrasty areas, it's on the same plane. The C-AF is also so good you might just want to leave it on.
Hi Robin. I only recently got my hands on the OM-1 in our country. I also found the single AF with the small zone an issue on my first test assignment. The solution was to use a larger target. I agree on the grip...after a full day of holding it my hand was also complaining...never did on the M1/M1.2 and M1.3 bodies. In addition, the change between the menu systems/layout was not needed and now causes confusion when using the M1.2 and M1.3 on the same assignment as the OM1. Totally agree on the charger and battery issue as well - that's just nuts!. Essentially, if you already work with the M1.2/M1.3 models as our studio does, and have spare batteries, grips and the older FL series flashes (They do NOT work on the OM1 in all modes and functions in my experience...), the only benefit here is the much better viewfinder. and the subject detection C AF which is brilliant. (and you DO get better DR at ISO settings above 6400) Is it worth the added cost of buying new HLD grips, different batteries, two chargers, new flash units and re-jigging your brain as you change between camera bodies? Mmmm...not so much. Sent it back. Will wait until we can get two, the chargers and new flashes and move on the other bodies as then we will have a fluid user experience when using them on assignment. Still a great product but in economies such as ours, a considered purchase decision that must pay for itself.
Great video Robin! This is the camera that made me jump the boat from Olympus, unfortunately. After comparing the raw files and the bold claim of 2 stop better image quality, I didn't see it at all! Exactly like you mentioned. It has the same image quality as my old mighty EM1II and my Lumix G85. If OM System doesnt fully embrace computational photography to overcome these well known flawns, I don't know what will happen for the brand...
excellent video! I am so please to hear that photos from olympus om-d em5 mark III are similar to this flagship camera as I recently bought em5 mark III
I think you need to give it more time to get used to the differences from the EM-1. In particular the focus set-up is different and more flexible - choose an area that suits the target. Waving a spot around a blank sheet is not a realistic example. I have found the focussing to be fast in both CF and SF modes, provided I have set a suitable focus area. For example trying to photograph a moving bird with a small area means very accurate aiming; using a larger area will capture the target more quickly. As for touch screens - on a phone they are a necessary evil; on a camera screen they are just evil. This is just my view of what must be the best camera I have ever owned.
Having owned the OM-1 for a while now, I have to agree on all the points you bring up Robin. Not including a charger on a top of the range camera is outrageous. The EVF is great and the bird detection works well. Hopefully a firmware upgrade will help with the focus issues.
Thank's for your exaustive and independant review. I own the Olympus EM1 Mark II and when I decide to upgrade it will be lickely to the EM1 Mark III.
Unless a OM1 Mark II shows up with all the issues corrected.
But anyway, the EM1 II and III are great matured cameras.
This makes me very happy that I decided to hang on to my em1 mkiii. Improvements seem incremental and there definitely seem to be some downsides - s-af in particular.
I have used the iconic M1 MkII for several years now, and, I am not changing! Love it! OM1 is not for me.
Bonjour et merc pour ce coup de G....e j'ai bien fais de conserver mon E-M5 mark III !
Great honest review, long term Olympus user but I am honest about its drawbacks. It’s a great system but some of the over zealous fans can be insufferable. All the best
I always love your videos Robin! I have been shooting with an E-M5 Mk III and a Canon R6 for the past 18 months and decided I would prefer a larger E-M1/OM-1 body with more controls and a better grip. I was between the older and newer body until OM put the OM-1 on sale this past week and so I got it. I agree that there are things that make you slap your forehead and scream "REALLY?!" like the lack of charger and the single-touch screen (that doesn't work on menus). I agree, it's unforgivable in 2023 (or 2013). Does it really impact me? No, I can use the buttons, but it's annoying and I'm so used to doing everything on my Canon with the touch screen. Your single point AF example is something I will have to test myself -- I have seen other reviews that said they get reliable AF when they tap-to-focus in low contract environments. Perhaps that uses more than just one AF point? However, even the mighty Canon R6 struggles to lock single-point AF focus in low light and contrast. After 18 months of shooting with that camera I can say that Canon's magic is in the Eye and Face Tracking, which is almost magical. But in typical zone AF, whether continual or single, it isn't especially better than OM or any other brand, so when people rave that Canon's AF is so much better than other brands, they really mean the face and eye tracking. OM's latest seems to do pretty well but it does NOT stay locked like Canon, which can also pick out eyes and faces under hats, in shadows, and even wearing a ski mask (good job, Canon). So with the R6 doing so many amazing things, why get an OM-1? Because I get exhausted carrying all that FF gear around all day! On most professional shoots (I do 90% portrait work) I'm in an environment where I can put the camera down between shots and keep spare lenses on the ground or on a table. But when having to carry everything all the time, it's MFT all day, every day.
I don't know why I wrote all that but my point is, keep making the videos and I'll keep watching them :) Your channel is always great and if I'm ever in Malaysia, I'll be sure to high-five you if I meet you on the street!
I wonder if the S-AF on OM-1 is similar to Sony camera's logic -- S-AF uses only contrast while C-AF uses hybrid PDAF and contrast. Some rumours say this camera is largely designed and manufactured by Sony, so this might be a residual of it?
Not only the OM-1, the OM-5 does not seem to ship with a charger in the box nor the versatile FL-LM flash, which is sad...
Correct me if I am wrong but you looked like you were picking points with no contrast in them when you were focusing; if i saw it right, any camera would have issues focusing in that case.
A deliberate attempt to put the camera down?
As the OM-1 is 3x the cost of my EM5iii I won't be swapping.... The EM5iii is a remarkable camera...
You need to use the small AF point rather than a single point AF. Because of the 1000+ AF points on the sensor, a single AF point is way too small to grab focus depending on where you are focusing. Also, the ISO performance in low light is very noticeable ABOVE ISO 6400, especially in chroma noise an color shift. And this trend is especially noticeable when using AI noise reduction programs like DxO photolab. I have done extensive tests using DxO and the sample images from DP review and found 1.5 stops or more between the old sensors and the OM1 raws, when you are comparing chroma noise and color casts/color shifts. The loss of dynamic range and details are present in OM1 at higher ISO but the lack of chroma noise and color shifts makes OM1 raws far more usable beyond ISO 6400. You should really push the high ISO settings on OM1 beyond ISO 10,000 to see if you can get higher keeper rate than you used to.
I made a follow up video. The larger AF area solves nothing.
@@robinwong I think someone gifted you with faulty camera.
I share your dissappointment with the camera's handling. My EM1mk 3 is the best fit for my larger hands of any camera I have owned. Canon's DSLR's were a close second.
Since the grip on the OM-1 is deeper, I expected it would feel great, but I find it much harder to hold with one hand and operate the wheels, compared to the EM1mk3. The EM1mk3's dials and buttons all fall naturally under one's fingers, and are easy to operate. On the OM-1, the top dials are recessed and moving fingers over them impairs the solidity of my grip upon the camera.
The viewfinder, speed of operation, dual high speed card slots, and button/dial customization are terrific. The battery life is awesome. The wildlife tracking and C-AF functions are phenomenal. of Perhaps one of the best upgrades is the MENU system. It is WAY easier to find things you need and to move through the menus. Customizable groupings of features accessed often are able to be organized into custom menus.
Interesting to hear your both good and not so good thoughts on this camera. I personally would not hold out too much hope of 'better' in the next camera. I think most of us m4/3 users are mostly pre GenX and will be mostly expiring as time inevitably marches on. Fewer folks buying = less revenue for R&D and ultimately better products. Anyway with AI soon to make an appearance and I dare say make a massive difference to how these devices interact with us all, who can say how this will effect the general marketplace as we know it today. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the rise of AI (as relevant to camera design and the future) as it will surely disrupt the marketplace (workplace/fun space) as we know it today.
Great Review Robin, as always. Where can I get one of those camera wrist straps?
Listening to what you say at the end of the video I wonder if you are not a bit jumping to conclusions Robin, although as always I appreciate you being critical. Here are my thoughts on your findings:
Multi-touch screen: I really couldn't be bothered. I never touch the screen with mij hands, I use the buttons and wheels.
Slow AF: I do agree. I have the same experience but I read it may have to do with the very small focus area that is selected standard.
No charger: I am not a professional, but had the same thoughts at first. So, I bought a set of charger and extra battery for a ridiculous amount of money. Ridiculous until I learned that Canon charges more than double that amount for the same thing. They are ridiculously ridiculous! Since I have not shot more than a 1000 photos a day I have not used the charger once.
Image quality: I do a lot of night photography in the city. To me the images of the OM-1 are much cleaner and much more detailed (especially in highlights and shadows and at high ISO) than my Olympus cameras. So, I would love to hear your findings after shooting some concerts.
Handling: I have relatively small hands but this camera fits me like a glove.
The biggest improvement is the EVF. The thing that kept me from buying the EM1X was the poor EVF. The main reason I sold my EM1ii and bought the OM-1 was the EVF improvement. This significantly improves the useability. I can forgive the other issues because of this. I agree, the ergonomics are not as good as the EM1 cameras. In particular, I don't like the new control wheels. The rear wheel in particular doesn't fall as naturally under my thumb and I'm always searching for it. As for image quality, I find it passing strange that half the reviewers who look at it see a 1 to 2 stop low light improvement, and half see no improvement at all. Very strange.
@@rossthefiddler5890 I don't know how old you are, but if you are young, you may find you appreciate a high res EVF more as you age. I also shoot a Nikon Z7, and when I had my EM1, the difference appeared pretty dramatic to me. The Pen-F is even worse. I really like that camera, but it feels like I'm looking at a TV screen at the end of a bowling alley. I really notice the difference with the new EVF. I hope you're right about the improved image quality, but when I look at the raw files on DP Review, compared to the EM1 files, I don't see a difference.
I used this camera a few days ago from a friend. I currently use a full frame Sony and was looking at switching to Micro 4/3. It was paired with the 300 f4. I think the auto focus is fantastic but as I predominantly do bird photography and like to crop a lot and this is where the Om-1 starts to suffer. I won't be moving to Micro 4/3 in the future. **I might add this camera with the 150-400 lens would be ideal but I think the £££ is too much***
Sorry I don't agree with you Robin ! I have the Em1 Mk iii and the OM-1. The grip on the OM-1 is far better to me, more depth and my finger fits perfectly to the shutter button, I haven't found a problem with single AFC , i do many focus stacked shots and also landscape. C-AFC is a game changer for birding and also for sports, have just done a College Swimming and Athletics shoot and the quickness and accuracy of focus and quality of shots, both Jpg and Raw are outstanding. Have you done the firmware updates up to 1.4 ? they do make a difference. Perhaps there are more significant updates to firmware to come, who knows, at the end of the day its whatever rocks your boat in regards to what you shoot and there will never be the perfect Camera to suit everyone. My personal opinion, Cheers
I was looking for wildlife photografy content but i stayed for you positive energy
Agree about the level gauge design and the lack of charger. I bought the OM-1 to upgrade from the EM5.3 so it was an easy choice to get the latest model with the new BIF mode and other performance and computational tweaks. Horses for courses, or birds for birds :D. It seems that your preferred shooting genres are suited to portraiture and street/architectural photography whereas people who really love the OM-1 are more action and wildlife oriented.
The grip on the OM-1 is wonderful for my little old lady hands but I'm only comparing it to the death grip required by the EM10 and EM5 series so cannot fairly compare OM-1 to EM1
The new OM-1 menu design is much nicer. I haven't been a lifelong Oly shooter so I don't have any muscle memory there
Expecting great increases in IQ from new cameras never mind M4/3 you won't find amazing advances in any other systems either it's how it is lenses make the biggest differences. The OM-1 is superb for wildlife/bird photography as you've found which is what I most care about it's a far better option than many other crop sensors. I'm just waiting for Nikon to announce Z8 and for the Z9 stacked tech to start appearing in smaller bodies like a proper D500/D850 replacement. Canon and the lack of third party lenses stops me from staying with Canon after over two decades. I might just get the OM-1 for spring this year that new macro lens for the insects and the 300mm F4 for birding is exciting.
I had the om-1 and after a month I send it back to the shop. What bothered me the most is the flickering monitor in low light, plus the focus often missed then, especially when using face detection. By bad light I don't mean darkness, but the person opposite me in the restaurant became a problem. Actually, I would have assumed a defect, but the OM support explained to me that it is normal with the camera. I really liked the image quality of the OM 1, at least in daylight. A protective glass cannot be applied, since the monitor then no longer folds in completely. Compared to my omd em1 mk1 the monitor feels like a cheap piece of plastic. The focus also seems to have problems with backlighting. I will now need a new one and am actually leaning towards the omd em1 mark iii or the omd em5 mark iii with 12-45 f4 for just €1200. I would be interested to know what you think of the omd em5 mark iii with the 12-45?
I agree with you on most points, especially ergonomics and the level display. I use histogram a lot and it needs to go to the old place. Top left corner is very inconvenient. After many months of daily use I still often frame images wrong (to the right side, leaving left corner empty) because, I think, histogram display throws me off center. I like the new sensor, and new menu system, and autofocus, but rest should go back to em1.3 body :) Shutter button also got somewhat worse. It needs a touch more movement, and more defined click.
A honest review. Thank you Robin. Where do you get the braided camera strap?
I guess I'll have to wait for the competition to release the GH7.
It's a problem that you can notice because you're a professional.
I would like to continue to use the E-M1markIII while keeping in mind that the new model is not necessarily a better camera than usual.
What do you think of the ISO upgrade? Is it really better, acceptable at 12 800 or more for moving subjects in low light?
My EM5 mk3 is proving to be a fantastic little camera! I’m still looking forward to getting my hands on an OM-1 once the heat comes out of the secondhand market somewhat. I do shoot wildlife and some landscape predominantly, and I sense that’s the future direction that OM System is going towards. I think it’s a wow camera for those pursuits - agree not so much for event and street work.
EM5 iii is indeed a wonderful camera, but misses a 2nd SD card. So if a card fails, there is no backup. I enjoy the comfort/safety of having 2 SD cards.
@@tizio54 Yeah I agree - I wouldn’t want to rely on it for commercial work.
An honest review if I’ve ever seen one. This helped me determine that the E-M5 Mark III is still all I need. I don’t shoot birds. Not with a camera anyway. Great stuff!
I usually like your contributions and agree to most of your statements. As for me, I am quite satisfied with the OM-1. There is definitely much less noise with high ISOs in the images: I have absolutely no problems to use ISO 12.800 with satisfying results comparable to ISO 4000 with my former Olympus M1 II. The new menu and the new AF modes are definitely very positiv, but I agree that I would have preferred that the menu system could have been dealt with by touch.
i have EM1 III and M1X and buy OM1 test it and sell it. I dont see any visible ISO progres for me..🤷♂
@Erwin...Did u use jpg or raw when u used iso 12.800
@@reinhartsianturi6740 RAW
I'm selling my beloved Sony A9 for the OM-1. Beyond birds and wildlife shooting, the OM-1 can do so much, like pro-capture, live ND filters, excellent IBIS, live multi-exposure, high resolution mode, 5.7 million dot EVF, flippy screen, 2 UHS-II cards, and M43 system is smaller, lighter, and cheaper.
Interesting video, Hope it will get better performance in later firmware update
Well said Robin!! The OM-1 is my first Olympus camera.The documentation is wholly inadequate. I am a professional photographer previously using Lumix and Canon. I am frustrated with the learning curve and the inability to get explanations on how best to utilize this complex machine. The OM-1 TH-cam channel might be entertaining for some. I want to be educated not entertained. Customer service can answer simple questions only. Not sure what my future is with OM Systems.
Thank you for pointing out that our cameras are complex and have a considerable learning curve. I am not a professional and really used mine as a “snap shooter” for a few years before getting serious about getting the most out if it.
You might find Rob Trek here on TH-cam useful. He has extensive on line classes about the OM-1. I don’t have that camera, so I cannot vouch for the quality. Many people seem to appreciate them.
Canon did the same with level gauge & agree it totally ruins the shooting experience.. best I have used is fuji with 1x simple green line fast and clean
I haven't this camera (as it is too expensive for me). But I have read some reviews about it.
Of all the negative points raised by you, I think S-AF issue is the top concern to many. Don't know whether you have updated the firmware to the latest version. Or there may be some other workarounds. Your friend Rob Trek could have some advice for you regarding this issue.
The single touch LCD issue is not a deal breaker for me as I have got used to it, though it may be a good idea to implement multi-touch in a future model.
My wish list from OM systems, OM-2 with 30 megapixels of resolution with a more powerful image processor
With a starting base ISO of 50 with big improvements made with hi-Rez capture using the same body as the
OM-1 so we can use the same battery grip other accessories that the OM-1 uses.
Good points Robin. It was the EM1X that wowed me to move from the griped EM1 Mk2. The OM-1 does not give me any special photographic advantages over the X. Also the X has it's special sensors which I value a lot. With the X, Olympus gave me two, yes! two battery chargers. I think that the missing charger is a ripoff!!! Looking at photonstophotos, the EM1 Mk 2 is still king in the dynamic range department in the Olympus world. Cheers!
I like the OM-1 overall, but there are a few things that are a bit odd or surprisingly dated. I agree with you about the poor touch screen operation compared with decade old Panasonic cameras. It also surprises me that some controls become unresponsive while it's writing to the card, e.g. I can't change shooting mode until the buffer is cleared. It can't be a processing power issue as old Panasonic models like the GM1 and GX7 don't have the same issues despite old hardware. It's stuff that should be fixable in firmware updates, but I won't hold my breath waiting.
Hello Robin, many say that the shutter button is very responsive like high end cameras like the canon dslr flagships. Do you agree with that?
Thanks! That saves me lot of money:)
Robin, in your example you were trying to focus a plain white spot on a whiteboard with zero detail. This is a challenge for all AF systems. Another reason is that the single focus point is much smaller as there are many more points on this system, as the OM-1 has 1053 points vs the EM-1's 81 points, 1300% bigger points. The size of the points have alot to do with this problem. Smaller points have an advantage of precision, but the disadvantage that there is usually less differentiation in light in each point as the points get smaller and smaller. if you are trying to focus on an area where the light is wholly uniform throughout that point (such as the blank spot on the whiteboard, which isn't too far from trying to focus on the sky, it's impossible, unless there in something IN the sky), the AF system cannot differentiate and lock on. I found the AF system on the OM-1 to be incredibly snappy as long as there is something there to focus onto. So maybe instead of using single focus points, you need to use multiple points if you want a higher AF hit rate.
The point is E-M5 Mark III can do it, why cant OM-1?
And please watch the follow up video.
For me I love the fact that you can now use the viewfinder with sunglasses on !!
I enjoyed the vid 👍
Hi Robin. I have a pl5 and would like to know how to lock the exposure compensation so it doesn’t change accidentally Thank you so much
Robin , I agree with all. I buy OM1 and I sell it. Only good news for me is 4K60 , animal tracking ,new menu, fast HR shoot. I dont have any problem with my M1X in future...
Thank you :)
I use an EM1.2 and have no experience with the OM-1. I'm just happy OMS bought Olympus and is continuing to support MFT.
would be worth it for me for the faster processing on handheld computational modes. Would keep me moving