E-M1 mkII Sanity Check

[mawz]

I found the Mk. II a huge step up from the Mk. I - the grip is better suited to my hands, the image quality is a bit better, focus speed in all conditions is much better etc. I bought a used 12-40 a couple of months after buying my E-M10 Mk. I and was amazed at how sharp and contrasty a lens it is.

I'd rate the IQ being much better. Not so much in terms of absolute resolution, but everything I found limiting about the E-M1.1 and E-M5.2 in terms of RAW files is noticeably less so on the E-M1.2 now that I've had a chance to really challenge it. It's very much a case of a lot of objectively minor improvements make for a major improvement as a whole.

I'm actually finding the RAW files on par with 24MP APS-C in terms of DR and malleability, which were always my challenges with the 16MP m43 sensor files. I'm sure there's still a noise advantage to APS-C, but since I don't tend to push ISO as much when I have top-notch IBIS available, it's not a major concern of mine (my low-light shooting tends to static subjects, which means IBIS or high ISO, but not necessarily both)

 

[BrianLa]

Picked up a used E-M1 mk II yesterday.

Extremely impressed overall, getting acceptably sharp shots at 105mm and 1s is outstanding and the high ISO IQ is a real step up from the 16MP bodies I'm used to. Liking the handling after a year and a half on Fuji, Nikon and Sony, although I was surprised that the 2x2 lever seems less configurable than I remember it being on the E-M1 and E-M5 mk II that I was shooting in 2019 before my last kick at the FF bucket.

That said, it looks like my body is bad. Getting constant lockups, especially if I power on with no lens or card and hit menu (that's a 100% guarantee of a lockup). I'd initially thought the issue was the body hating on Sandisk, as I've read that Sandisk Extreme Pro cards are somewhat problematic in E-M1 mkII's, but I tried my trusted Sony 32GB UHS-1 cards that have been rock solid in all my bodies for the last ~5 years and same semi-random lockups. I can usually generate one by hitting menu while the card activity icon is flashing during startup.

Just want a sanity check that I'm not missing something.

Body has been updated to 3.4 (it was on 2.3 when I got it). Settings reset done twice.

Lenses tested were the classic Lumix G Vario 14-45 (the G1 kit lens and a real classic) and an ZD 40-150 f4-5.6 on both a MMF-3 and a DMW-MA1 adapter. On and a manual lens too (Nikkor 105/2.5 AI-S on 4/3rds adapter stacked to the MMF-3). 14-45 is on latest firmware (1.2)

Dirty contacts somewhere? I always use Sandisk in my Olympuses, never had a problem in ten years. Before that I used them in my Pentax, same card is still going strong after something like fifteen years, unlikely to be the cards. Phones and tablets are also all sandisk.
Brian

 

[mawz]

Dirty contacts somewhere? I always use Sandisk in my Olympuses, never had a problem in ten years. Before that I used them in my Pentax, same card is still going strong after something like fifteen years, unlikely to be the cards. Phones and tablets are also all sandisk.
Brian

No, failed body. Dirty contacts wouldn't cause the issue when no card or lens were inserted/mounted.

Body has been replaced by the dealer.