14 months with an OMD...some conclusions

[RevBob]

I agree that the OP is well though out and helpful for those thinking about moving to the E-M5. My question would be: "What did he like, if anything, about using the camera?" Obviously, it is smaller and lighter - but what else does it do well? Does it do anything better than a DSLR? A bit more balance would be helpful, at least for me.

 

[bluzcity]

I will certainly be in the minority here but I really like the evf. Having shot with ovf all these years I thought I would hate it and apparently many, if not most, do. But for me it is wonderful to have the histogram and other information while I am framing. I can adjust exposure comp without moving my eye from the cup, fire off shots with various exposures and not have to chimp. It reminds me of what it must be like to fly a chopper with night vision glasses or something, like a video game! I also like that it doesn't seem as imposing as a full DSLR. I shoot mostly urban and street stuff and people just seem less intimidated by the smaller body. Cameras are like cars to me, I could own and drive several if I had the funds!

 

[MexicoMik]

" My question would be: "What did he like, if anything, about using the camera?""

I like it's size/weight! I no longer care to carry a large "kit" around and I don't use different cameras for different jobs. So I want one camera that takes great pics and is not obtrusive weight-wise and size-wise. THe OMD fits that bill perfectly. Also, if you DO carry multiple lenses, much of the time they can fit in a pocket with no need for a bag. When we were in Peru I carried the camera with 14-150 on a strap and the 12 in a pocket and the 45 in another pocket (never used the 45). When I use a bag now, it is just a little Domke F5XB.

As far as what does the OMD do better than an SLR. IMO I'd have to say that from a "taking a picture" point of view, and shooting in Raw, the answer for me is that it does nothing better and several things not as well... OTHER than be far easier to carry. But the size/weight is a critical thing for me and I am tickled to death to NOT carry a DSLR/lens(es) and get excellent results.

OTOH, the OMD Jpegs are dramatically better than the Jpegs out of my D7000. So if you are shooting only Jpegs, the OMD, IMO, takes "better" pictures than my D7000. Keep in mind that my comparison is between the D7000 I had at the time and the OMD which replaced it. I don't know anything about DSLRs newer than that. Also, I rarely do video so I can't comment on how the video compares with a current DSLR.

However, much of this is about how you use a camera. As has been noted, things I find annoying with the OMD don't bother other folks and they have mentioned issues that I don't find to be a problem. But if you forced me to say which is better, an OMD or a DSLR, I'd say the DSLR is a more flexible, capable, and faster "tool." BUT the OMD is an easier camera to take with you and that's the beauty of it for me. I carry it when often I would not carry the D7000 because I didn't want to deal with the size/weight.

 

[sigamy]

Pick up a GH2 or GH3...you'll probably be much happier with the handling.

 

[Narnian]

I expect the battery issue is here to stay for the near future. I would guess the battery usage is not much different from DSLRs as the electronics are not really much different and by using a smaller battery by definition it will not last as long. Carrying a second battery is not adding much weight or size and as a result still affords a much smaller package. It is a tradeoff I am willing to take.

 

[Talanis]

The battery is about half the size of the one in my 5DII and I get about half the pictures on a charge. Seems normal. It certainly is far from abysmal. I got up to 450 photos on a charge on the OEM batteries but not as much on the cheap eBay ones

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Mu-43 mobile app

 

[Levster]

My biggest grumble is the minimum default focus box. I moved over from a GX1/G5 to EM-5 and the minimum focus box size is a real frustration on the EM-5. I know that I can use the magnify button to create a smaller box, but then I can't view the live histogram. I also then need to press Enter to cancel the tiny focus box. If Olympus made the tiny focus windows a default option then this camera would be perfect! I used to hate adjusting aperture on the GX1/G5 due to the horrible scroll wheel which would always switch to exposure compensation halfway through adjusting. The separate dials on the EM-5 are a Godsend!

 

[Iansky]

Agree

I will certainly be in the minority here but I really like the evf. Having shot with ovf all these years I thought I would hate it and apparently many, if not most, do. But for me it is wonderful to have the histogram and other information while I am framing. I can adjust exposure comp without moving my eye from the cup, fire off shots with various exposures and not have to chimp. It reminds me of what it must be like to fly a chopper with night vision glasses or something, like a video game! I also like that it doesn't seem as imposing as a full DSLR. I shoot mostly urban and street stuff and people just seem less intimidated by the smaller body. Cameras are like cars to me, I could own and drive several if I had the funds!

I am with you on this one, I too had my doubts intially about using an EVF but when my friend let me try his OMD I was sold, the EVF is great and I forget it is electronic not optical!

 

[hrsy1234]

A good thread, thanks OP. I think we all generally share the same concerns.

I've come from 5 years with DSLR and the battery life is still the hardest thing to get used to. I have four batteries - 2 genuine, 2 Ex-Pro BLN1, and I churn through them. I went through 3 batteries for less than 700 photos at a festival recently. This was with no chimping.

The slow-wake-up-from-sleep issue has caused me to lose a few shots of people. Part of the attraction of the EM-5 is that it is inconspicuous when compared to a DSLR. However, a couple of times that inconspicuousness has been negatively countered by the fact it takes a good second or two to start up, so the opportunity to take stealthy street photos is lost.

Still, I keep coming back to the size. It can't be beat. I'm planning on going traveling next year, open-ended, with my life in a backpack. 3 months across Africa, then India, Nepal, SE Asia, etc, whatever comes up. I cannot fathom taking a DSLR with me. Part of the attraction of Africa is the game-driving and the opportunity to take photos of animals.

To do this with a DSLR I'd need the Canon 100-400L or similar. Maybe bigger. It costs £1,300, which is already more than I've spent so far on an OM-D + 45mm + 20mm + 7.5mm. It weighs 1.4kg on its own, without even considering the cost of the camera. And then I'd only use it while in Africa, I never use a long-lens otherwise, it's not my style of photography. So I'd have to lug a very expensive extra 1.4kg with me for the remainder of my trip? Without really wanting to use it? No thanks! The Oly 75-300 comes in a 1/3 of the weight and 1/3 of the price. It's a no-brainer.

So, I like my OM-D. It's not perfect but I never expected it to be.

 

[IDLookout]

I'm at 4 months with my OMD and still love it. A few thoughts:

1. Battery isn't bad, but it sure isn't great.

2. EVF is a pleasant surprise. The only thing I miss about my E-510 viewfinder is the ability to compose with the camera off. I used to do that quite a bit.

3. Size is the best part. I hike a lot and it reminds me so much of my OM-1, OM-2 cameras.

4. Not sure about the complaints about startup/wake times, i think it's fine. But then again, mountains don't move very fast. I have gotten some nice wildlife pics.

5. Absolutely love the Manual Lens focus assist, which i have programmed into Fn2. Works great with my Vivitar Series I 70-210.

6. Flip screen does great down low and up high, but not so much for Portrait mode pics.

7. I still have a smile on my face every time I use it.

 

[xdayv]

7. I still have a smile on my face every time I use it.

That is the most important part, imho. No matter how technically sound the camera is.

 

[ralfmouth]

That's great.

 

[ariel777]

If you have the Sigma DP2, the battery issue for the OM-D is non-existent.

 

[rfortson]

I can understand where the OP is coming from, but having used the OM-D for about the same length of time, and selling my Pentax K-5 kit, I find that I'm still happier with the OM-D. I use the 14-150 a lot, but the 45/1.8 is the lens that really opened my eyes to what the OM-D could do. I agree with the niggles he listed, but I guess they don't bother me that much.

Like others, I wish the base ISO was 100 and the max shutter speed was 1/8000s. Then I wouldn't have to use ND filters on my 45 and 75 lenses during the day. And a built-in flash would be useful. The E-P5 covers all that, but I still love the OM-D enough that I won't be switching. Plus, the faux-SLR form factor is nice for longer lenses where I use the EVF.

Anyway, good, reasoned post. No camera is perfect and the OP lists legitimate concerns that others should be aware of.