Official: EM-1 Real World Use & Report

[robbie36]

Thank you bcaslis and Clint - I think it's going to take a few weeks to get to know the E-M1 before I'll have it set up how I like it, but the one thing that jumped out at me yesterday was the responsiveness.

Yes... that was my immediate reaction to using the E-M1 compared to the E-M5. It is just a very fast camera to use - from switch on, to focus, to playback.

It has a noticeable edge to the E-M5 which, in itself, is a very responsive camera.

 

[Lindsay D]

Exactly that Robbie - I was photographing a dog playing and the focus and capture was pretty much instantaneous, rather like what I would expect from my top end Canon DSLRs. In fact I didn't even think about trying the tracking focus.

I do hope Adobe sorts out the Lightroom profiles soon because right now I feel I'm not really seeing the images at their best, so it's difficult to pass proper judgement on them.

 

[robbie36]

Exactly that Robbie - I was photographing a dog playing and the focus and capture was pretty much instantaneous, rather like what I would expect from my top end Canon DSLRs. In fact I didn't even think about trying the tracking focus.

I do hope Adobe sorts out the Lightroom profiles soon because right now I feel I'm not really seeing the images at their best, so it's difficult to pass proper judgement on them.

Actually you raise a good point. When I ask friends who have FF DSLRs how often they use C-AF, they usually say very rarely.

We then come to the E-M1 with 'improved PDAF C-AF' but what does that mean in practical terms? I can get a 'fairly good' hit rate with say a moving dog or child with S-AF because Oly's S-AF is blistering fast.

Is the new C-AF better than existing S-AF on moving subjects? I cant really tell from the reviews posted to date. Hopefully one of your reviews will cover this.

 

[Lindsay D]

Actually you raise a good point. When I ask friends who have FF DSLRs how often they use C-AF, they usually say very rarely.

We then come to the E-M1 with 'improved PDAF C-AF' but what does that mean in practical terms? I can get a 'fairly good' hit rate with say a moving dog or child with S-AF because Oly's S-AF is blistering fast.

Is the new C-AF better than existing S-AF on moving subjects? I cant really tell from the reviews posted to date. Hopefully one of your reviews will cover this.

Yes, I often have this conversation. Some of my work requires that I photograph moving targets, such as lively children, pets, or even wildlife. Photographers have got along very well for many years without tracking focus. Even when I use my 5DMkIII I would very rarely use tracking focus because single focus was so fast and accurate, or I would perhaps pre-focus. The few occasions when I find tracking autofocus handy would be if I was shooting catwalk (once or twice a year) because that can be very physically tiring and tracking focus simply relieves a degree of pressure on my trigger finger. And for the same reason I might occasionally use it for motorsport (again, not often). I could just as easily use single focus for these endeavours. So I would say that the preoccupation with tracking focus is often misplaced and misunderstood. What really matters, as I see it, is fast and accurate single autofocus since that is where the vast majority of people will spend virtually all of their time, and that's what I rely on as a professional.

But I will take a look at the EM1 tracking focus nonetheless.

 

[Lindsay D]

I have just amended something in my initial review - I've now had a chance to do some quick side-by-side JPEG ISO tests between the EM1 and EM5 and it seems my initial impressions yesterday were not quite right - in fact I am not really seeing any difference in noise between the two cameras at 3200 or 6400 ISO. I have not looked for differences above that (probably because I wouldn't even think of shooting at even higher ISO values).

So I am firmly concluding that the new camera is about tweaking some of the pre-existing performance niggles of the EM5, and creating better ergonomics. The EM5 remains an awesome little machine.

 

[robbie36]

I have just amended something in my initial review - I've now had a chance to do some quick side-by-side JPEG ISO tests between the EM1 and EM5 and it seems my initial impressions yesterday were not quite right - in fact I am not really seeing any difference in noise between the two cameras at 3200 or 6400 ISO. I have not looked for differences above that (probably because I wouldn't even think of shooting at even higher ISO values).

So I am firmly concluding that the new camera is about tweaking some of the pre-existing performance niggles of the EM5, and creating better ergonomics. The EM5 remains an awesome little machine.

The one area I have seen noticeable performance increase with the E-M1 is in 5 axis image stabilisation. I took some shots at 1/5th sec with the 45 1.8 on both cameras - I didnt even have to properly analyse them and I could see that the E-M1 images were sharper (all images sharp v 1/3rd of images sharp with the E-M5.) I could even stick the 75 on the E-M1 and shoot at 1/5th of a second and get sharp images 100% of the time.

 

[klythawk]

The EM5 remains an awesome little machine.

Love mine to bits, which makes waiting on delivery for the E-M1/12-40 that much more bearable. :smile:

 

[mattia]

It's a damn fine looking package. I'll likely be getting the E-M1 + 12-40 since the E-M1, 12-35, 100-300 and 45/1.8 got stolen yesterday. Crap reason to upgrade, but hopefully the insurance payout will cover the difference. Here's hoping my friend (currently in Japan) can find one at a brick and mortar store and take it along...

 

[Lindsay D]

the E-M1, 12-35, 100-300 and 45/1.8 got stolen yesterday

Good grief, that's awful. I sincerely hope you weren't hurt in the process.

 

[mattia]

Correction, the e-m5 was stolen. No E-M1s here (yet) Nobody hurt, just pissed off and annoyed.

 

[dcisive]

I've been exhibiting a level of patience I never knew I had waiting for my OMD-EM1, grip and 12-40 f2.8 lens. I know the lens is a no show till at least after Thanksgiving at least so I'm resigned to that. But sure would like to be playing with the body and grip at this point. I have a 45mm f1.8 that is wishing to meet a EM1:tongue: I sure hope my dealer wasn't pulling my leg when I spoke to him on last Friday the 4th and he said Olympus told him "everyone that pre ordered one will have theirs in the next 10 days". We'll see..:sad010:

 

[atmo]

That 75mm looks very nice on it.

 

[bcaslis]

That 75mm looks very nice on it.

Yes, the E-M1 and the black 75mm are match made in heaven!