OM-D as a webcam beta

[Ross the fiddler]

Thanks very much for the info and the link. I downloaded It.

Sorry, that was meant to be E-M5 II not III. Can you please edit my quote too please.The E-M5 III does not have it.

 

[RAH]

Sorry, that was meant to be E-M5 II not III. Can you please edit my quote too please.The E-M5 III does not have it.

OK, I changed history, as requested Yeah, gee, it is a shame they removed that capability (now I'm complaining too!). Thanks again!

 

[Michael Meissner]

I think it gained a lot from the E-M1 II & it is another thing to differentiate the levels between model tiers, with the small battery etc being part of having a 'light' camera with no battery grip. Get an E-M1 model if a battery is needed, like they reduced the advanced features in the E-M10 models too.

Unfortunately, since I need to wear polarized sunglasses ALL of the time when I'm outdoors (due to migraines), the E-m1 mark II/III and E-m1x are not cameras that I will buy. It is unfortunately that they dumbed down some features in the E-m5 mark III that previous cameras in the line had (similar to the gutting that the E-m10 mark III suffered).

The problem is the TFT LCD viewfinder while the TFT LCD refreshes faster and the colors are more 'natural' than your typical OLED viewfinder (E-m10 mark II/III, E-m5 mark III, Pen-F), when you shoot in landscape orientation, the viewfinder either becomes distorted or completely opaque. Until I bought the E-m5 mark III, I would carry 2 cameras (E-m1 mark I for wet conditions and indoors, E-m10 mark II for sunny conditions, along with a dry bag to hold the E-m10 mark II).

We will have to see if JIP continues the OM-D line, and if/when they come out with new bodies, what new features are added and removed from it.

And in terms of tethering/web-cam, I'm sure Olympus could add the support if they desired, since most of the support for controlling the camera is already in the wifi/bluetooth support that is in all cameras now. I had a thought that maybe they needed higher speed USB (USB 3.0 or USB-C) for webcam/tethering, but the E-m1 mark I and E-m5 mark II have the support and they both use USB 2.0. I should mention that even if the E-m5 mark III did get tethering/webcam support, I can't use it, since I don't run Windows.

 

[RAH]

I've been thinking that if it took an UPDATE to the E-M5II for it to allow tethering, then perhaps an update for the E-M5III for it might happen in the future. Seems like they might start selling these cameras before the software is ready to work with them (and vice versa).

 

[bassman]

Do you mind sharing where you got the dummy battery?

Not at all. B&H, $45.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1520044-REG

 

[Matt Drown]

Do you get a preview on the lcd panel on the em1.2? I get a black screen, and nothing on the webcam software side (spinning wheels). Wondering if I have some setting causing a conflict on the camera, as same behavior on two different windows 10 laptops.

I backed-up my settings with olympus workspace, then reset the camera settings. The webcam software worked. I restored my settings, and it still worked. I haven't done much fiddling yet to see if there are some settings I lost in the backup/reset/restore, but wanted to followup my original post with a "fix".

 

[Ross the fiddler]

Unfortunately, since I need to wear polarized sunglasses ALL of the time when I'm outdoors (due to migraines), the E-m1 mark II/III and E-m1x are not cameras that I will buy. It is unfortunately that they dumbed down some features in the E-m5 mark III that previous cameras in the line had (similar to the gutting that the E-m10 mark III suffered).

The problem is the TFT LCD viewfinder while the TFT LCD refreshes faster and the colors are more 'natural' than your typical OLED viewfinder (E-m10 mark II/III, E-m5 mark III, Pen-F), when you shoot in landscape orientation, the viewfinder either becomes distorted or completely opaque. Until I bought the E-m5 mark III, I would carry 2 cameras (E-m1 mark I for wet conditions and indoors, E-m10 mark II for sunny conditions, along with a dry bag to hold the E-m10 mark II).

We will have to see if JIP continues the OM-D line, and if/when they come out with new bodies, what new features are added and removed from it.

And in terms of tethering/web-cam, I'm sure Olympus could add the support if they desired, since most of the support for controlling the camera is already in the wifi/bluetooth support that is in all cameras now. I had a thought that maybe they needed higher speed USB (USB 3.0 or USB-C) for webcam/tethering, but the E-m1 mark I and E-m5 mark II have the support and they both use USB 2.0. I should mention that even if the E-m5 mark III did get tethering/webcam support, I can't use it, since I don't run Windows.

Yes, I know you have that issue & it is unfortunate how it turns out for you, but from a marketing price point here are some Australian prices from a reputable retailer to show the pricing separation between these models (also posted elsewhere).
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II - Black Body
$2,199.00
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Camera Body (Black)
$2,949.00
Olympus E-M5 Mark III Body - Silver
$1,629.00
There has to be enough features besides 3 buttons, built in grip, larger battery & two SD card slots to justify that price difference.

 

[Mack]

Has Olympus ever released Beta software? Workspace or any others?

Could be this is something left behind from a programmer who has since left or plans to. Will it ever be finalized, say before Sept. 30, 2020 when JIP takes over.

Same goes for the firmware updates that are supposedly coming this Winter when the 150-400mm appears and any other lenses - some of which may already be made for the Winter sale.

 

[Ross the fiddler]

Has Olympus ever released Beta software? Workspace or any others?

Could be this is something left behind from a programmer who has since left or plans to. Will it ever be finalized, say before Sept. 30, 2020 when JIP takes over.

Same goes for the firmware updates that are supposedly coming this Winter when the 150-400mm appears and any other lenses - some of which may already be made for the Winter sale.

It's possible the programmer is no longer with them (or no longer), but I'm not going to lose sleep over it (at this point).

 

[ddekadt]

Sorry to reawaken this thread: Has anyone found a good way to power the EM-1 for use as a webcam? I need reliable power for 3hrs at a time.

I have found a dummy battery on amazon, but there are only three reviews. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Michael Meissner]

Sorry to reawaken this thread: Has anyone found a good way to power the EM-1 for use as a webcam? I need reliable power for 3hrs at a time.

I have found a dummy battery on amazon, but there are only three reviews. Anyone have any ideas?

Which E-m1?

If you have E-m1 mark I, you have 3 options:

• Dummy battery that is fed 7.5-9 volts of power and at least 1 amp of power;
• HLD-7 battery grip and use 2 batteries;
• HLD-7 battery grip and using an AC-01/AC-03/clone A/C adapter. The AC-01 A/C adapter was made for the classic 4/3rds cameras, and in theory might still be available (though expensive). The AC-03 A/C adapter was made for the E-m1 mark I/E-m5 mark I/II cameras with the HLD-6/7/8 battery grips, but it has been discontinued by Olympus. If you search around Amazon or Ebay, you can find a clone AC-01 A/C adapter. The issue is the the AC-01/AC-03 adapters used a plug that is not available any where else.

If you have an E-m1 mark II, you have 3 options:

• Dummy battery that is fed 7.5-9 volts of power and at least 1 amp of power;
• HLD-9 battery grip and use 2 batteries;
• HLD-9 battery grip and external 9v/1a power. The HLD-9 battery grip switches to use a more standard 5.5mm x 2.1mm power plug, so you don't need the expensive Olympus cable.

If you have an E-m1 mark III, you now have 4 options:

• Options 1-3 are the same as E-m1 mark II;
• If you have something that provides USB C-PD power support (PD is power distribution) support, you can power the camera directly via USB-C.

 

[ddekadt]

Which E-m1?

If you have E-m1 mark I, you have 3 options:

• Dummy battery that is fed 7.5-9 volts of power and at least 1 amp of power;
• HLD-7 battery grip and use 2 batteries;
• HLD-7 battery grip and using an AC-01/AC-03/clone A/C adapter. The AC-01 A/C adapter was made for the classic 4/3rds cameras, and in theory might still be available (though expensive). The AC-03 A/C adapter was made for the E-m1 mark I/E-m5 mark I/II cameras with the HLD-6/7/8 battery grips, but it has been discontinued by Olympus. If you search around Amazon or Ebay, you can find a clone AC-01 A/C adapter. The issue is the the AC-01/AC-03 adapters used a plug that is not available any where else.

If you have an E-m1 mark II, you have 3 options:

• Dummy battery that is fed 7.5-9 volts of power and at least 1 amp of power;
• HLD-9 battery grip and use 2 batteries;
• HLD-9 battery grip and external 9v/1a power. The HLD-9 battery grip switches to use a more standard 5.5mm x 2.1mm power plug, so you don't need the expensive Olympus cable.

If you have an E-m1 mark III, you now have 4 options:

• Options 1-3 are the same as E-m1 mark II;
• If you have something that provides USB C-PD power support (PD is power distribution) support, you can power the camera directly via USB-C.

Thanks, this is incredibly helpful. I have the EM-1 Mk1 (sorry). I just bought this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015C6GVYA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Michael Meissner]

Thanks, this is incredibly helpful. I have the EM-1 Mk1 (sorry). I just bought this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015C6GVYA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have that adapter. I primarily bought it for the plug so I could power the camera with 9v battery power sources. I cut up the cable and put 5.5mm x 2.1mm power plugs in the middle of the cable. But I have used it occasionally as a 9v A/C adapter.

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

Just saw Olympus announce in my Instagram feed that the webcam doodad thingy now works on Apple Mac iOS kajiggers if that matters to anyone ...

 

[Ross the fiddler]

Just saw Olympus announce in my Instagram feed that the webcam doodad thingy now works on Apple Mac iOS kajiggers if that matters to anyone ...

The downside of iMac. Always getting software later.

 

[dhazeghi]

Just saw Olympus announce in my Instagram feed that the webcam doodad thingy now works on Apple Mac iOS kajiggers if that matters to anyone ...

Seems to work decently well on my Mac. A 2-hour Zoom call drained the battery of my E-M1.3 by exactly 50%. Need to look into finding a way to power it in the future. The Bescor BLH1AC dummy battery seems like a nice solution but I'm a little concerned that I need to upgrade to an E-M2 Mark II (per the product description).

 

[Michael Meissner]

Seems to work decently well on my Mac. A 2-hour Zoom call drained the battery of my E-M1.3 by exactly 50%. Need to look into finding a way to power it in the future. The Bescor BLH1AC dummy battery seems like a nice solution but I'm a little concerned that I need to upgrade to an E-M2 Mark II (per the product description).

Well as you know there is no E-m2 mark II. The page I read on B&H says E-m1 mark II. I imagine that at the time it was designed or announced, the E-m1 mark III was not yet introduced. Given the E-m1 mark II, E-m1 mark III, and E-m1x all use the BLH-1 batteries, it should work on all 3 cameras.

If you have the HLD-9 battery grip, it is supposed to have a standard 5.5mm x 2.1mm power port that is meant for you to plug in the AC-5 A/C adapter. However, I tend to feel the AC-5 is over-priced. You can get similar adapters for about $20. Just make sure the adapter can supply 9 volts and 5 amps of power that the AC-5 is spec'ed for. I imagine it will run fine on 9v, 2a, but I don't know for sure (earlier Olympus cameras tend to run fine on 9v, 1a, so just having more amps is a good thing).

But since you have the E-m1 mark III, in theory you should not need to go the dummy battery route. Instead, the camera is capable of being powered with USB -C PD (power delivery), where the camera and power source can decide to use higher watts. I don't have any gear with USB-C PD, but a quick google search shows this review of the current USB-C PD adapters on the market:

• https://www.cnet.com/news/best-usb-c-pd-chargers-for-2020/

There are also USB batteries that can supply USB-C PD power for on the go usage. RAVPower and Anker tend to be the ones to look for.

 

[dhazeghi]

Well as you know there is no E-m2 mark II. The page I read on B&H says E-m1 mark II. I imagine that at the time it was designed or announced, the E-m1 mark III was not yet introduced. Given the E-m1 mark II, E-m1 mark III, and E-m1x all use the BLH-1 batteries, it should work on all 3 cameras.

I suspect so, yes. I was just a bit non-plussed by the typo!

If you have the HLD-9 battery grip, it is supposed to have a standard 5.5mm x 2.1mm power port that is meant for you to plug in the AC-5 A/C adapter. However, I tend to feel the AC-5 is over-priced. You can get similar adapters for about $20. Just make sure the adapter can supply 9 volts and 5 amps of power that the AC-5 is spec'ed for. I imagine it will run fine on 9v, 2a, but I don't know for sure (earlier Olympus cameras tend to run fine on 9v, 1a, so just having more amps is a good thing).

Good to know. I'm really not a fan of vertical grips, but if I were (and the HLD-9 were not absurdly expensive), that'd be a decent option.

But since you have the E-m1 mark III, in theory you should not need to go the dummy battery route. Instead, the camera is capable of being powered with USB -C PD (power delivery), where the camera and power source can decide to use higher watts. I don't have any gear with USB-C PD, but a quick google search shows this review of the current USB-C PD adapters on the market:

• https://www.cnet.com/news/best-usb-c-pd-chargers-for-2020/

There are also USB batteries that can supply USB-C PD power for on the go usage. RAVPower and Anker tend to be the ones to look for.

Sure, but a USB battery won't be very helpful when tethering the camera to the computer for the webcam functionality (which uses the camera's only USB-C port).

Some computers do support USB-C PD. But going by the manual, it doesn't seem like you can both charge and do tethered video - to charge via USB-C PD you need to select one mode on the camera and to tether you need a different one (there's actually a dedicated USB-C PD mode - see page 278).

 

[Michael Meissner]

Sure, but a USB battery won't be very helpful when tethering the camera to the computer for the webcam functionality (which uses the camera's only USB-C port).

I imagine you are right. It didn't occur to me that you need USB for the tether support, but it makes sense. The only way it might work is if you could use the wireless support for tethering.

I don't use webcams for my normal work meetings (just voice and sharing screens), none of my Olympus cameras support being webcams, and I only run Linux (no wine emulation) so I couldn't run the tether software if I wanted to. While I can understand why people use webcams, I'm not sure why you would want to use an expensive camera to take the place of a webcam.

Note, in terms of using dummy batteries, on all Olympus micro 4/3rds cameras except the E-m1x, the battery door is underneath the left hand side. This will mean you will need to raise your camera about an 1" or so to allow the battery door to hang down and snake the cord out. You might be able to take the battery door off, but you would still need the cable to snake out.

I'm setting up to measure how much current my various cameras needs to do various things (via various dummy batteries), and I used an extender to mount the camera above the tripod. At some point, I may make a wooden base, to allow the camera to sit on it and provide room for the external power. My main focus is to provide longer battery time, so if I make this base, it likely would have a slot for one of the larger batteries that I would use to power the camera.

I used something similar to this to raise the camera off of the tripod:

• ebay Universal Tripod Head with Cold Shoe Mount

If you get the battery grip, even if you don't use the 5.5mm x 2.1mm power socket, the second battery door opens to the side, rather than underneath, which is a lot easier to snake the cable out. I just did a quick ebay search, and I didn't see any cheap clones of the HLD-9.

 

[bassman]

“I don't use webcams for my normal work meetings (just voice and sharing screens), none of my Olympus cameras support being webcams, and I only run Linux (no wine emulation) so I couldn't run the tether software if I wanted to. While I can understand why people use webcams, I'm not sure why you would want to use an expensive camera to take the place of a webcam.”

The difference in image quality between the webcam in my late model iMac and the E-M1.3 with any lens is stunning. Also great is the ability to control the framing by selecting the appropriate focal length.

Whether this matters to you or not is up to you.