Alert : EM5 Mk3 Release this year - it’s (well nearly) official

[Michael Meissner]

Although I have a spare battery (or two) with me when in the field, purely as a comfort blanket, I'm yet to get close to using one.

Different strokes for different folks.

When I'm shooting video at my local renaissance faire as one of the official faire photographers and videographers (4-6 hours of video per day on a 2 day weekend), I go through 3-4 batteries on the G85, and perhaps 2-3 on the E-m1 mark I that I'm shooting stills while the camera is recording video on a tripod.

In fact, both cameras have their battery grips, and on the G85 I have changed the battery in the grip while the camera was recording using the battery in the body.

The trick is to get the batteries recharged on Saturday night for Sunday's show (it is an hour or more drive between the house and the faire).

Another place that I do use 2 batteries is in my steampunk camera shells (like in my icon). I build a box around the camera made to look like a bellows camera. But it can take me 5-10 minutes with a screw driver and a flat surface to get the camera out of the rig and change the batteries. Generally, 2 batteries (one in the grip, one in the camera) do last most of the day.

For normal vacation days, normally I use one battery, but there are days when I get snap happy and need to go to a second.

 

[pdk42]

Different strokes for different folks.

When I'm shooting video at my local renaissance faire as one of the official faire photographers and videographers (4-6 hours of video per day on a 2 day weekend), I go through 3-4 batteries on the G85, and perhaps 2-3 on the E-m1 mark I that I'm shooting stills while the camera is recording video on a tripod.

In fact, both cameras have their battery grips, and on the G85 I have changed the battery in the grip while the camera was recording using the battery in the body.

The trick is to get the batteries recharged on Saturday night for Sunday's show (it is an hour or more drive between the house and the faire).

Another place that I do use 2 batteries is in my steampunk camera shells (like in my icon). I build a box around the camera made to look like a bellows camera. But it can take me 5-10 minutes with a screw driver and a flat surface to get the camera out of the rig and change the batteries. Generally, 2 batteries (one in the grip, one in the camera) do last most of the day.

For normal vacation days, normally I use one battery, but there are days when I get snap happy and need to go to a second.

I can't find any dictionary spelling of "faire". I guess you mean "fair" - is this version some MA colloquial?

 

[Bushboy]

That was my mistake, assuming stuff. When I use my batteries, and I’ve only got two, I use it until the low battery warning blinkie starts flashing, then I remove it and drop in the charged one. See, I thought everyone did this...
I’ve never timed it of course, but my M5ii uses a fully charged battery, remarkably quickly. Certainly, it seems, far quicker than Richard M’s M1ii. There I go again, making assumptions...
I do tons of focus bracketing, nothing to fire off a thousand pics, stacking, reviewing, and generally mucking about trying everything I can think of , and maybe that’s why I think my battery life sucks. Now I realise,it’s me, not the tiny battery!

 

[AussiePhil]

I can't find any dictionary spelling of "faire". I guess you mean "fair" - is this version some MA colloquial?

English[edit]
Adjective[edit]
faire

1. Obsolete spelling of fair

Noun[edit]
faire (plural faires)

1. Obsolete spelling of fair

Usage notes[edit]
Sometimes used deliberately to convey an archaic feeling, e.g. "Renaissance faire"

 

[AussiePhil]

Olympus has been down this route before with the BLL-1 battery used in the E-1. It was a great battery and long lasting. However, because no other camera used this battery, once Olympus moved away from the E-1, they stopped making BLL-1 batteries. There were a few clone makers that made BLL-1 clones, but they too soon closed the door and stopped making it.

Well it seems to be still available from one clone supplier, listed in stock http://www.mdbattery.com/battery-for-olympus-e-1-bll-1-digital-camera-replaces-bll-1.html

I actually didn't know about the bll-1 so i'll hold some hope that they will do the same thing, just a glimmer i suppose

 

[pake]

Also, I would not anticipate shooting sports with whatever this new 5 series camera turns out to be, and I suspect Olympus is not targeting that market segment with this model anyway, they already have 2 bodies for that. I suspect this model will be targeted, at least in part, at the world travelers that want to ditch their Canon or Nikon luggage busters with a more compact E-M1 II or X alternative.

I will defintely be shoting sports with my E-M5III. I had been thinking about getting an E-M1 but noticing how heavy and big they are (compared to my E-M5) I rejected the idea. E-M5III with usable AF-C is a dream come true for me. I have missed too many shots due to E-M5's inability to use AF-C(+TR).

I don't see any sense in switching to the smaller battery, unless they are planning to make the camera body significantly smaller than both of the previous E-M5s.

Well... Sounds (kinda) good but I don't want it to be significantly smaller but instead I'd welcome any decrease in weight. (And in fact I'd prefer E-M5s to be 1cm taller but that's not an issue because I can fix that by using an L-bracket).

 

[pdk42]

English[edit]
Adjective[edit]
faire

1. Obsolete spelling of fair

Noun[edit]
faire (plural faires)

1. Obsolete spelling of fair

Usage notes[edit]
Sometimes used deliberately to convey an archaic feeling, e.g. "Renaissance faire"

I love the wisdom I find here! Thanks.

 

[jhawk1000]

Different strokes and nothing is always true for different people with differing needs for batteries. My wife shoots professionally and sometimes has over 100 employees she has to do headshots for at their headquarters. Does she take extra batteries for her EM1 and EM5ii? She certainly does. We both photograph action sports (football, baseball, and basketball) and our shots per session may be in the area of 200-300 and batteries are definitely a thing to take extras along. Because of habit, we each slip a couple of batteries in our pockets or in some cases, my pockets, just in case. Maybe the casual shooter should not worry about batteries but it just happens, one time you are shooting a lovely session and it just ends and you realize another battery is at the studio or home and I am far away and I can not ask the scene to stay the same. Not a big deal to carry extra batteries especially if you are carrying a camera body, a couple of lenses and other paraphernalia.

 

[Michael Meissner]

I can't find any dictionary spelling of "faire". I guess you mean "fair" - is this version some MA colloquial?

It is more Renaissance Fair(e) colloquial. A Renaissance Fair is an event that in theory recreates a historical period (usually England of the time Henry VIII and Elizabeth I). And yes, Italy had their Renaissance period some two hundred years before, but the English are somewhat slow on the uptake, and their renaissance period is the late 1500s and early 1600s.

Usually there are performers who act out scenarios either on stage or in the streets. These performers can represent real people (such as named members of the queen/king's court) or types (mayor, thief, washer wench, etc.). In some fairs, the court and such stage a connected show in different stages that advance a plot during the day. In some fairs they just walk around to greet the patrons.

In addition, there group of performers scheduled at particular times at the stages. These performers might be jugglers, musicians, belly dancers, knights who stage tournaments, etc. My job is to generally record these performers.

There are of course vendors that sell things like food and keepsakes.

Typically at the end of the day there is a common stage where all performers gather. Each performer does an act, and if there is a staged theme show, the conflicts are resolved.

But the use of the word "faire" is similar to the "olde" many places use to highlight they are talking about old times (i.e. such as Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, which was founded in 1899 in Seattle as a homage to Dicken's Old Curiosity Shop). As far as I know, the use of "faire" dates back to the original large renaissance fair, which is/was the "Renaissance Pleasure Faire" founded in southern California in 1963. They also opened a second faire in Northern California in 1967.

 

[JediCheese]

I don't shoot professionally, but IMO a 2nd battery is necessary. I usually don't shoot enough to go through a full battery each day, but having a spare to change out when my current one dies is enough backup. Then when I get home I can charge up the one that died so I'm always 1 partial in the camera and one full spare.

I have about a dozen for my GoPro from back in the day when I would do more video stuff. It was just too easy to burn though an hour and a half of battery/video. Not to mention a 26000 mAh battery backup and USB charger for the batteries. I also had 2-3 128 GB micro SD cards which would capture ~8 hours of video, in case I wanted to spend a whole day videoing. I wish I had something exciting to video but right now I'm living a more subdued life that lends itself more to camera rather than video.

The spare camera battery is easy to fit in the camera bag with an extra SD card and any lenses/filters I bring with.

 

[Bidkev]

I often "go bush" for 3 days at a time so extra batteries are essential. I have 3 batteries per camera (9 for the em10's and 3 for the e m5) and nearly always have 4 cameras with me. Even if I only take 30 or so shots on a particular camera, I still remove and charge the battery when I get home as I like to start the next days shoot with a new battery in each camera. I have the batteries stacked in a slim pouch facing alternate ways on their side so the terminals never come into contact with each other. The one I remove, after charging, goes to the bottom of the stack and the camera is reloaded with a battery from the top of the stack. If shooting just for a day, I take one spare battery for the 10's and one for the 5, so my minimum carry per day is 6 batteries.................yes I know, I'm a bit anal

 

[Glawsder]

Stupidly enough the battery issue is the deal breaker for me.
I would assume that it would share batteries with other cameras in the range, as the pen-f is discontinued, then it needs a battery change;
either the em10/plL9 battery or em1ii battery, I had expected the latter.
If it doesn't share batteries with the em1ii then I need 2 battery sets and I will buy one of the last em5iis instead of the em5iii.
As an improved em10, the em5ii does everything I want (with the exception of the 20mp sensor).
As they are currently £400 with the UK grey market importers I will probably save myself £600.

 

[pake]

Stupidly enough the battery issue is the deal breaker for me.

I can't afford to skip a second upgrade in a row. I'm beginning to become frustrated with my E-M5's focusing so I will buy one (or two!) no matter what - even if the they put two swivel screeens or a old static one on it. And though I'd prefer to use the current E-M5 batteries if it uses the E-M10 battery I think I will just replace my 2nd camera (another E-M5) with an E-M10II/E-M10III to be able to share the batteries.

 

[gary0319]

I can't afford to skip a second upgrade in a row. I'm beginning to become frustrated with my E-M5's focusing so I will buy one (or two!) no matter what - even if the they put two swivel screeens or a old static one on it. And though I'd prefer to use the current E-M5 batteries if it uses the E-M10 battery I think I will just replace my 2nd camera (another E-M5) with an E-M10II/E-M10III to be able to share the batteries.

As I've noted elswhere, the batteries in my Pen F (same one as the E-M5 II) has the poorest battery life of any that I own. Even the one from my E-M10 II is better, and smaller. I most likely will jump on this one if the focusing is better than the E-M10 II and the Pen F. I'm not sure if it will replace the E-M10 II or just be an add on.

 

[ac12]

IS on my EM1-mk1 is also set to activate at half press, and so is AF. All I can say is my 12-100 SUCKS power. That run time reduction from 4 hours down to 2-1/2 hours with the 12-100 is repeatable. But I am going to sent a message to Olympus Service to inquire about battery drain of that lens.

Well, the reply from Olympus service is that my 12-100 does not need to go in for servicing.
According to the rep, the Sync IS will draw more power from the battery than using just IBIS. Well I knew that, I was concerned with how much more power it was drawing.

When the Original E-M1 with its 7.6v 1220mAH battery was designed, the 12-100mm IS lens did not exist. So they did not have to design the EM1 for a power hungry lens. But years later, the EM1-mk2 with a larger 7.4v 1720mAH battery handles the 12-100 well. I think the mk2 came out before the 12-100, but they may have known about the 12-100 and the 300/4, both with Sync-IS.
Based on that, I leave it up to you guys to determine how the 12-100 would do on the EM5mk2 or mk3.
Or just not use the 12-100 on the EM5.

Again, my shooting scenario is shooting a sport (baseball, soccer, etc.) with the camera ON all the time.
- Soccer and Lacrosse, from start to half-time, then half-time to end of game.
- Baseball and softball, on all the time, except when moving to a different part of the field.
If YOUR shooting scenario is different, the battery may last longer.

 

[gary0319]

Well, the reply from Olympus service is that my 12-100 does not need to go in for servicing.
According to the rep, the Sync IS will draw more power from the battery than using just IBIS. Well I knew that, I was concerned with how much more power it was drawing.

When the Original E-M1 with its 7.6v 1220mAH battery was designed, the 12-100mm IS lens did not exist. So they did not have to design the EM1 for a power hungry lens. But years later, the EM1-mk2 with a larger 7.4v 1720mAH battery handles the 12-100 well. I think the mk2 came out before the 12-100, but they may have known about the 12-100 and the 300/4, both with Sync-IS.
Based on that, I leave it up to you guys to determine how the 12-100 would do on the EM5mk2 or mk3.
Or just not use the 12-100 on the EM5.

Again, my shooting scenario is shooting a sport (baseball, soccer, etc.) with the camera ON all the time.
- Soccer and Lacrosse, from start to half-time, then half-time to end of game.
- Baseball and softball, on all the time, except when moving to a different part of the field.
If YOUR shooting scenario is different, the battery may last longer.

I concur that the battery life with the 12-100 on my Pen F (same battery as the E-M1) is shorter than the battery life with the 12-100 on my E-M1 II. Luckily, my usage of the Pen F is not as demanding as using the E-M1 II, so not as noticeable.

 

[ac12]

I concur that the battery life with the 12-100 on my Pen F (same battery as the E-M1) is shorter than the battery life with the 12-100 on my E-M1 II. Luckily, my usage of the Pen F is not as demanding as using the E-M1 II, so not as noticeable.

In June I miss-timed it.
At a graduation, the battery went to "empty" just before the tassle turn, so I missed it.
Next year, I'm bringing the EM1-mk2.

I brought the EM1-mk1, because I did not have enough shutter time on the mk2, to trust it on a critical shoot.
But I got burned anyway.

 

[mawz]

A few thoughts.

1. I think Olympus is going to aim at the $999 pricepoint, and no more than $1199 at the top end. That means we'll see some parts-bin stuff in it, and the rest is stuff that will drive parts-bin stuff for the other bodies. Target will be the X-T30 and A6400, as the E-M1.2 is the competition for the X-T3 and A7000 (if the latter ever shows up)

2. As a result, I think the BLN-1 is gone. Right now Oly sells 5 cameras which use 3 batteries. the BLN-1 is E-M5.2 only. It makes sense to kill the oddball and settle on 2 batteries. Maybe they'll take a page from Nikon and offer BLH-1 capability in the inevitable grip. my bet is BLS-50 + USB charge as per the rumour.

3. A lighter, more plasticky E-M5 makes a lot of sense. Right now there's no weight advantage to the E-M5.2 over the E-M1.2 once you add the HLG-8G or ECG-II. Putting the E-M5.3 on a diet really helps with that. The BLS-50 also plays into that, as a bigger battery means more weight.

4. Remember that processor upgrades drive as much IQ gain as sensor upgrades. Look at the performance of the various 24MP APS-C sensors, which have been around since 2012 or so, but modern 24MP APS-C is much better in terms of IQ than my NEX-7 was. So while I believe we'll see the E-M1.2 sensor in the E-M5.3, I also think we'll see TruePic IX and get an IQ bump from that (I also suspect this will get HHHRes into the E-M5.3). We saw the E-M5.2 leapfrog the E-M1.1 in IQ terms and I expect the same from the E-M5.3. The E-M1.3 will be where a new sensor gets launched.

5. AF performance, especially AF-C, needs to be a key focus on the E-M5.3, simply put the A6400 and X-T30 have set the bar extremely high for what is competitive AF-C performance for sub-$1k mirrorless and these two bodies are the direct competitors to the E-M5 series. I'm not expecting Olympus to match the class-leading X-T30 (whose AF system arguably outperforms the E-M1X in some situations) but shouting distance would be nice.

6. I bet little changes on the EVF front. There's little need since the E-M5.2 already is best in class for EVF (compared to X-T30 and A6400). An OLED panel is a possibility, for lower power draw, but I'd expect same specs overall.

7. Please Oly, give us a new mid-range kit lens. The 12-50EZ underwhelmed in 2012, it's time for something new in the same basic range. How about a non-EZ weather-sealed 12-50 f3.5-4.5...

In related items, I think Oly is planning on riding the E-M10.3 downmarket to drive sales, before replacing it with a E-M10.4. The biggest challenge here is the low, low cost of an entry-level DSLR. It's hard for Oly to get something decent into the same cost bracket as a D3500 without decontenting more, and people just aren't willing to accept the same set of compromises in a mirrorless body as on a budget DSLR (think of the screaming if the E-M10.4 came with a fixed LCD like the D3500, and that's a major cost item).

Additionally, I suspect that Oly will follow Fuji in bringing the E-M1.3 down in launch cost a bit while bringing performance up. Fuji has quite successful in doing this with the X-T3 (which launched at a lower price than the X-T2), and right now they're basically setting the standard for sub-FF mirrorless. I think the E-M1X was far too late in development to learn from the flop of the X-H1, or react to the sudden explosion of ~$2k FF mirrorless bodies (which went from 1 to 4 systems in the last 12 months). The E-M1X made a lot of sense in the days before the FF mirrorless push, but it's a lot harder to justify now with the low-cost pressure from FF mirrorless.

 

[ac12]

It is a difficult balance, where Olympus cannot please everyone.

Re: BLN-1. There are still a LOT of EM1-mk1s out there, so there is still the need to keep both the EM1-mk1 and soon to be replaced EM5-mk2 supplied with batteries. Though aftermarket demand would be less than production demand.

Battery is a balance, larger size and capacity for longer run time, or smaller size and capacity for shorter run time.
They can decrease power consumption, but put in a faster processor and you likely increase power consumption.

Run time is a bigger issue for some than others.
Shorter run time = need to carry more spare batteries.

What concerns me about the battery capacity are the future lenses.
Right now Olympus only has Sync IS in two pro lenses.
But will they put sync IS in the consumer line lenses? Maybe, maybe not.
And what if I want to put a Sync IS lens on my EM5 or EM10?

The problem is, Sync IS draws significantly more power than just running IBIS. And that would be a problem for the small batteries.

Example: On my EM1-mk1, I get 4 hours continuous ON run time, with a lens with just IBIS. With the 12-100/4 with Sync IS on, I get about 2-1/2 hours. That is more than 1/3 reduction in run time ☹​

Olympus Service told me that the reduction in run time for my EM1-mk1 is "acceptable," and the lens does not need servicing for drawing too much power.​

This battery run time reduction, would be a reason to NOT use a lens with Sync IS on a camera with a small battery. Or at least recognize and accept that you will HAVE TO carry spare batterIES (note the plural).

 

[mawz]

I expect the BLN-1 to remain available for a good long while. Removing it from the cameras is about simplifying the camera line logistics, not the accessories. One can still get batteries for almost all older DSLR & mirrorless cameras (the Fuji S5 Pro being the main exception, as Fuji foolishly chose to lock those out of using the far more common Nikon EN-EL3e battery that they rechipped for their bodies)

I don't expect to see Sync IS in any consumer lenses. I do expect to see it in more pro lenses, as it adds real value with the larger/heavier/longer lenses. But these are big/heavy lenses in general, the same ones you'd want to use with a grip for handling. If Oly includes BLH-1 compatibility in the notional HLD-10, that could work very well in this application.

Heck, if Oly is smart they'll to an HLD-10G and an HLD-10P, with the 10P and 6P being interchangeable. That way you could use BLN-1's via the HLD-6P (which is already shared between the current E-M5 models as it attaches to both the HLD-6G and HLD-8G) and BLS-50's and BLH-1's via the notional HLD-10P (which I see having a tray for each of those two battery types).