Reviews
Review | Olympus E-M5
Earlier this year, Olympus announced their new camera the Olympus E-M5. It is the first of the digital version or some say update to the much loved OM series.
It’s nostalgic appearance and feel might bring memories of the good old days in photography but for those born after the era it looks like a classic camera, it feels like a modern camera and it certainly works like a darn good one.
Features
The E-M5 presents a range of features including the 5-axis built in image stabilisation system which is great for macro photography but the great thing is this system also works on video mode.
It also features a 16MP MOS Four Thirds format sensor, weather sealed body, ISO sensitivity to up to ISO25,600 , 4.2fps with C-AF and up to 9fps for S-AF, VGA-equivalent 3″ OLED touch screen display, an electronic viewfinder, external flash sync speed to up to 1/4000s (super FP mode) and the latest TruePic VI processor.
An additional Art Filter is also added. It is the Key Line art filter which looks like a posterise effect. A posterise effect can also be described as a “Manga” effect. Another update is the intensity options added to some art filters.
A cool addition is the visualisation/preview of the final image when you use the Live Time/Bulb mode. This new addition is great if you do night-time /long exposure photography. No more trial and error 
. This feature is what I want to try when doing an All Night Shoot and hopefully for this year’s Paris All Nighter, we will have an Olympus representative with the E-M5 to test this feature.
To some a focus assist lamp is a feature. For me it is simply an option which I do not use. Years ago when on a guided tour to the tunnels of Ruinart in Champagne region of France. I made our guide look scary red because the focus assist was always on. Everyone’s attention went to me and some were annoyed that I interrupted. Anyway, I refuse to use the option (I stop taking pictures if I can’t help it) from then on.
Look & Feel
The E-M5 have a magnesium alloy & fully weather-sealed body. It weighs less than half a kilo with the battery, lens and card. The classic styling of the camera isn’t only for looking beautiful but it is very functional. The grips are pleasantly textured and for one with sweaty hands, it is comfortable and secure to hold. I love that it is weather sealed including some of it’s accessories. So if you have sealed Four Thirds lenses, there is the MMF-3 weather-sealed adapter for them.
The buttons are well spaced for small and large hands to access them. One of the things I like about Olympus cameras is how quickly you can control them. The buttons allow that without too much fidgeting.
Every single part of the camera have a reason to be there, like the hump. It is not there for looks alone, it houses the accessory port and the flash hot-shoe.
Olympus OM-1 camera
User Interface and Controls
The E-M5 uses the same user interface all of the Olympus Micro Four Thirds and Four Thirds cameras use with little or no change at all. So upgrading to this if you are already a system user is quick and easy. The E-M5 has an OLED touch sensitive screen which like the EP3 can be used to focus an AF point or trigger the shutter. To stop it accidentally taking pictures, you can disable this on-screen.
Like most Olympus high-end cameras, the E-M5 is very configurable. There are two buttons you can configure by shooting mode including setting the F number and flash/exposure compensation. It is also possible to re-assign a couple of function buttons. I tend to use one function button for custom white balance which is very useful. It is a setting I use regularly. Instead of going Auto WB and let the camera choose, I place a white sheet of paper in front of the subject, press my Custom WB and save it. It means I have one processing less to do on post production.
Image Quality (from pre-production model)
On first impression, one can see the vast improvements on ISO sensitivity compared to previous Olympus cameras. The grey tones on BW images seem pretty nice as well.
See some of the pictures taken with the camera.
2:1 Crop | Olympus E-M5, Olympus M. 12-50mm ƒ3.5-6.3, ISO 800, 1/125 sec at ƒ6.3
Olympus E-M5, Olympus M. 45mm ƒ1.8, ISO 200, 1/400 sec at ƒ1.8
Olympus E-M5, Olympus M. 45mm ƒ1.8, ISO 6400, 1/100 sec at ƒ2.2
1:1 Crop | Olympus E-M5, Olympus M. 45mm ƒ1.8, ISO 3200, 1/100 sec at ƒ1.8
Olympus E-M5, Olympus M. 45mm ƒ1.8, ISO 16000, 1/125 sec at ƒ2.0
Olympus E-M5, Olympus M. 45mm ƒ1.8, ISO 1600, 1/60 sec at ƒ1.8
Olympus E-M5, Olympus M. 45mm ƒ1.8, ISO 320, 1/100 sec at ƒ1.8
Olympus E-M5, Olympus M. 45mm ƒ1.8, ISO 640, 1/60 sec at ƒ1.8
What I like about the camera
For someone who is conscious about the amount of gear I carry, the size and weight is definitely a positive thing. I look forward to the day when most of my gear will fit in half of my current camera bag and weigh substantially less. I’ve broken the handle of one suitcase I used for less than a year due to the weight.
The 5-axis IS system is another one I really like. With children, I tend to play with them and being in constant motion means that I have loads of pictures with a small amount of motion blur. This new IS system should further minimise the blur and deliver more pin sharp images.
For the handling I am easy to please 
, I like the nicely textured and soft grip. It is comfortable and secure. I absolutely love that there is an optional battery grip for the E-M5. The fact that you just attach it without taking out the battery inside the battery compartment makes it less fiddly and guarantees longer battery life (since there are 3 batteries).
I like that the ISO sensitivity is much improved as well as the grey tones.
I also like the electronic view finder which is activated when you look through it and that it goes to Live View when not.
What I do not like
You don’t get to have everything and it is not a surprise that there are things I do not like in the E-M5. One of these is the clip on flash. Although I do not use flash when I take my Olympus Pens out, I plan to use the Olympus E-M5 for professional commissions. It is a minor thing but with the amount of gear we carry, it is another small item to keep track of.
The other thing is more an annoyance than a dislike. When you tilt the screen up, you are looking down at the screen and when you try to do some setting adjustment or want to touch the screen to move on to the next picture, you can’t because in this position the camera thinks you are putting your eye to the view finder so it activates the EVF and turns off the screen.
I do not shoot video so I will keep that off my mini review.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the Olympus E-M5 delivers very good image quality for my needs. I can live with the small amount of annoyances because of all the good things which I think will help me be a more efficient photographer. I do not need a camera that can see in the dark, because when I take photographs at night, it is 99% long exposure night time landscapes. I do not need a camera that takes huge files great for A1 prints because my clients never asked for a single image printed this big. The 16MP sensor is perfect for me.
And the announcement of a couple more Olympus Micro Four Thirds lenses, makes the available selection of lenses between Olympus and Panasonic to 30 lenses. Which, I think is a good selection.
At £1149.99 the Olympus E-M5+M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm 1:3.5-6.3 it is an expensive kit (or £999.00 body only). It is at the moment the only camera of it’s kind with weather-sealing.
Would I buy one? Yes of course. I will wait when the Raw files are supported though. Because I do not want to deliver images to my clients taken in JPEGS instead of Raw.
Links:
Current list of Micro Four Thirds lenses
Olympus website | E-M5 specification
mini review Olympus E-M5, Olympus E-M5, Olympus OM-D, Olympus OM-d review
Review : Olympus Fisheye Converter
I had loads of fun with this converter and I think it is time to write a review about it. Essentially, this one works with an Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II MSC lens and later. It will NOT fit an older version of this lens. It costs an average of £130 with the cheapest on Amazon.co.uk at £113.05 only.
Compared to the fisheye lenses, this converter is extremely light-weight at only 112grams. It fits to the front of the lens via a bayonet fitting and is quiet secure and easy to remove. It also have a shallow built-in hood to protect from lens flare. (more…)
Fun with fisheyelens, Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II MSC, Olympus EPL2, Olympus FCON-P01, Olympus Fisheye converter, street photography with Olympus
Olympus EP3 first impressions
Very recently announced, I was lucky to be one of the first people to handle the Olympus EP3.
To start, please have a look at the specifications of the camera (Olympus UK). And as many of you know, I actively use Olympus cameras whether it’s a DSLR or the Pens. While I still use the DSLR to take portraits and shoot weddings, the Pen cameras now act as my back-up gear. Since I can use all my lenses on them, I am still able to deliver the pictures my clients are happy with.
The Olympus EP3 was unveiled in June 30th in Vienna, Austria in front of the 300 or so journalists. We were then treated to a photo-safari to try out the new cameras and lenses.
Body & What’s new
If you like how the EP1 and EP2 were built, you will like the EP3 more. The design was streamlined to perfection. If you were a E-4xx, E-5xx or E-6xx the feel of the camera will be familiar to you specially when you have the appropriate grip attached. (Yes, you can remove or replace the grip) for better handling.
Still discrete and still beautiful. As you can see, they now added the flash (which they removed from the EPL3) and the built-in auto-focus illuminator light. Like an annoying red laser beam to help it lock on something. Thank goodness you can turn it off. It’s embarrassing sometimes not to mention it reminds me of an embarrassing situation a long time ago when I went to Reims in Champagne region i n France for a champagne tour… the red light on the face of the guide made everyone lock on me :-/ Anyway, I got used to not using that “red laser beam” but it could be handy in some situations.
They kept the back part as close to the EPL2 as possible. They added a thumb-wheel and the Video button, which also serves a selector when you are reviewing your pictures. The selected pictures can then be deleted or locked at a press of a button just like the Olympus DSLR cameras.
They also added an Fn button.Which helps when customising the controls to better suit the way you take your pictures.
The Accessory port is better integrated and updated to accept more accessories.
The USB and mini-HDMI are the same as the previous Pens. Also use the same battery as the EPL2 but fully compatible with older batteries.
The combined 4-way controller / rear dial is still the same… small and sensitive to touch. No need too press to hard.
It was mentioned by someone from Olympus Europe that the grip is removable. So complains like “clunky grips ruining the lines” is now unfounded. I am very interested in what users will do to customise this bit. Personally, I want a transparent one with glitters!
The OLED screen is sweet, bright and very responsive.
User Interface & features
Another improvement is the user interface. Nothing major but still welcome. It is still the same as the old ones but they made it look better. Slightly changed but you can still find your way around easily.
Like the previous Pens and the DSLRs, the user interface of the Olympus EP3 is very straight forward and intuitive. It is very easy to customise the camera to suit your shooting style.
The Olympus EP3 now have a Live Guide control which imported from the EPL models. This is to help beginners achieve the desired results without going through the technical stuff.
The Super Control Panel and Live Control panel are still there. It makes life easier but for one who is used to the Super Control Panel, I just wish there’s a way to disable the Live Control panel.
Another new feature is the ability to independently tweak the highlight and shadow tone curves with the result previewed on screen live.
Fast Auto Focus
Well, this is very welcome indeed, Olympus really did great in answering our gripes about the previous cameras being “slow” on AF. I am not going to get really nerdy (or geeky if you prefer) and get the stop watch and time the responses. I have better things to do than that.. like taking pictures. As I mentioned above, the screen is very responsive. One thing that really sold me the camera is the fact that it’s got Touch Focus and Touch Shutter. And Touch Shutter is my favourite. Sometimes the camera takes pictures without my consent but when in actual use.. it really is great.Touch Shutter mode is when it focuses and take a picture when you touch the screen. I think it’s best when one is shooting fast children
Art Filters
The Olympus EP3 have 10 Art Filters. These are: Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Colour, Light Tone, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, Cross Process, Dramatic Tone, Gentle Sepia. I think it is possible to combine some Art Filter in JPEG processing. I haven’t tried it but I heard it being mentioned.
ISO
They have increased the ISO sensitivity to ISO 12800. I did not try these out in depth because I really want to do it properly. Will be available when I write my hands-on review.
What I really Like: I really like that the flash is now built-in. Also, I love the touch screen… and that it’s more customiseable than before. And I like that I can now select several images and group delete them <<<I really need to rephrase that or just make a list) :-/
What I don’t Like: The rear wheel is still very sensitive. I still get to “accidentally” change to timer mode… Oh same with Touch Shutter mode, the camera takes pictures without my permission
What I want to see in the next cameras : Ability to wireless trigger the camera (remote pointing to the front and back). And nope, I do not want an extra accessory to attach to the accessory port for that.
New accessory I really want : A tilt screen much like the E3/E5 to attach to the accessory port for those of us who like to put our cameras in difficult places.
Overall conclusion: Very welcome improvements. Definitely worthy upgrade.
I am sorry, Olympus asked that the photo taken with the 45mm f1.8 be taken down because it is a pre-production lens. Let us hope that the final version sets the bar even (a little bit) higher. Thank you for your understanding.
Image sample (below) taken with EP3 and 12mm f2.0
Image sample (below) taken with the EP3 and 40-150mm lens
I will write a proper review once I get to use this camera and the new lenses for a while. I hope that this first impression write up answered some of your questions. And if you have further questions, please feel free to contact me or comment.
Thank you for your time.
All rights reserved © 2011 Ghene Snowdon – www.gsnowdon.com
first impressions of the EP3, hands on review of the EP3, Sample image of 12mm f2.0, Sample image of 45mm f1.8
Olympus MCON-P01 review
Macro & Close-up photography are fun things to do. I cannot say if it’s simple or complicated because it all depends on your gear, the subject and the lighting situation. However, for those just beginning or those who want an option to be able to do it without shelling £649.99 for a the Leica 45mm f2.8 macro lens, the macro converter is a good alternative.
The new Olympus macro lens converter is a cheaper way to start macro and close up photography. It fits your M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 II, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-150mm 1:4.0-5.6 and the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm 1:4.0-5.6.
- Build Quality
- This lens converter is completely made of plastic and made up of 4 parts. The lens cap (LC-65C), the part that hold the glass (silver – MCON-P01), the part that attaches to the lens (MA-P01) and the rear cap (LR-3). It’s build material makes it very lightweight and despite the material used, it is well built. I do not know what will happen if I use the same liquid I use to clean my other lenses but a quick wipe with untreated lens cloth should be okay.
Attaching it to the lens is easy and it fits rather well. When you take it off, put the lens cap on and hold on to the black part that attaches to the lens and not the silver part with the glass. You can take these two apart by turning it around. I do not know the reason why it is so, but I already asked Olympus this question and will update when I get my answer. When you remove the MA-P01 part, this makes it possible to attach the adapter directly to the 40-150mm lens. It’s a nice fit.
Made in the Philippines, I wonder whether they thought it funny that this is as light as welterweight boxing champ Manny Pacquiao. I cannot say that it is as tough though because this converter definitely is not made to last like old camera gears we are used to.
Image Quality
Despite it’s build material, the images taken with the adapter attached are of good quality. It reduces the focusing distance to a mere 24cm although I do get it to focus at 12cm without “searching”. The bokeh is nice and smooth and the image is sharp. In some instances, chromatic aberration is seen.
Conclusion
This is a good product and despite the build quality, it still manage to deliver good macro shots.. but for how long? You can’t possibly be extremely careful of your gear always. Accidents happen and the “oh shit” moment I can think of is when you sit on it and hear/feel it crushed. Also there is the price.. £49.95 on Amazon brand spanking new. Only £46.99 on the Olympus shop though. So, if you cannot afford a macro lens or even the Olympus 35mm f3.5 macro lens and the MMF1/MMF-2, then this is good enough. But I personally think that it is too expensive for what it is. It is not like those cheaply made plastics but I expected better build and better material from Olympus.
All images in the review were taken with the Olympus EPL2 and t14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II lens… and large fine Jpegs instead of RAW.
All rights reserved © 2011 Ghene Snowdon | www.gsnowdon.com
Olympus MCON-P01 review, Olympus Pen Macro lens adapter, Taking the macro lens adapter apart
What’s in the bag?
After over a year looking for the right bag to carry when shooting events, I found what I needed in this bag. Sure it is not as pretty as my red Jill-e but as I now have a long lens that basically takes a lot of space horizontally, I needed something different.
From the looks of it, there is nothing to be excited about… but…
camera bag, DSLR camera bag, olympus e3, Olympus EPL2, Rexton 200 camera bag
Wedding Planning