Courtesy of the folks at F64, I had Olympus' newest mirrorless camera for review – Olympus OM-D E-M5. The model was launched at the end of May and is the successor of the "old" Olympus OM-1. It is the world's first mirrorless camera with a 5-axis image stabilization (IS) system to remove blur from photos and movies.
Olympus OM-D camera It is dust and spray resistant, comes with a magnesium housing, includes an electronic viewfinder and offers the user the option of attaching different lenses and other compatible accessories. These facilities make it a good travel device. You can take beautiful street photos through different cities of the world, you can enjoy it even if it is raining and it is very easy to handle.
Olympus OM-D can be folded according to the requirements of each one, whether you are a beginner or a professional photographer. I tested the car more. I photographed through parks and even tried to practice a little plane spotting. I only had the kit lens - 18-50mm.
Below are some pictures taken with Olympus OM-D
It is the first mirrorless tested and I am pleasantly impressed. I quickly got comfortable with it, without too many headaches and without running after settings and buttons. Olympus OM-D is a small device (121.0 x 89.6 x 41.9 mm) and lightweight (373 g without battery and card). These tricks help you camouflage yourself in the crowd and take pictures without looking. You can use the flip-up display to take pictures from different angles.
I liked the retro design, similar to the one found in its ancestor - OM-1. See below some pictures with OM-D and OM-1.
Basic features found at Olympus OM-D E-M5:
• Speed - the fastest autofocus system in the world FAST AF and continuous focus 3D to improve performance in tracking moving subjects;
• Our new Live MOS sensor 16,1 megapixels, for high resolution and good performance under low lighting conditions;
• Electronic viewfinder with 1,44 million points, unique optical design for vignetting reduction, 100% field of view and very small display gap;
• Powerful image processing system - TruePic VI, for faster recovery after shutter release and excellent image quality (high sensitivity up to ISO 25600, when shooting);
• Ultra-efficient image stabilizer, uses the first IS system in the world with 5-axes and is really useful;
• Compact, lightweight body, built in the tradition of the famous OM series, made of magnesium alloy, enhanced with dust and spray protection;
• You can shoot in Full HD format with multiple settings.
There are some downsides in my opinion:
• I did not like the fact that it comes with the flash detached by the body and often I had to settle for the natural light, where it really did surprisingly well. I think the flashing and mounting are the last worries for a tourist.
• I noticed a small noise similar to that of a cooler.
• When shooting in burst, there are some contrast problems in some of the pictures in the series. Plus it has a tendency to flush photos. The contrast problem can be adjusted from settings, valid for those who know how to walk more professionally at the buttons!
The price can be a negative factor. The Olympus OM-D is not accessible to everyone, prices starting from 4.999 lei for the body version and reaching 7.999 lei with a 12mm lens.
We can say that with this money there are clearly superior DSLR cameras, but it is a phenomenon similar to that encountered in laptops. If we want portability, speed and good performance - Olympus OM-D can be a solution. If we want something more complex, more efficient, but at a better price - then we are moving to a DSLR, but we will no longer benefit from portability and speed in use.
Read also the opinion of the professional photographer Vlad Eftenie about the new Olympus OM-D.