Olympus OM-D E-M5 1-Month User Review

This is a user review of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 written by Denny (Straycat): A month with the Olympus OM-D E-M5.



I’ve had the camera and the 14-42mm kit lens for about a month now, and I’ve taken more photos in that than in the previous 4 years combined. I haven’t used the 14-42 much, but what I have done I liked, for example; shots of the grandchildren inside and out, and I really am impressed with the movies I’ve made of them.


However, what I have enjoyed most is the combination of the camera with the Panasonic Lumix 100-300mm f/4.0-5.6 lens that I got about a week after getting the camera. My hobby is really wildlife photography, not just photography, and every time I download a days shots to the PC I am more and more impressed with the quality I’m getting. The camera is so easy to use after a few days getting used to the menus, and when you consider the fact that it gives me the focal range of 200-600mm on the Micro 4/3 body, it’s a true bargain. The camera was $1000.00, and the lens was $500.00.



With the ability to use high ISO settings and still get great IQ, it’s amazing. The auto-focus is very fast and you don’t notice any hunting in reasonable light. In very dim lighting, it is understandable that the lens struggles to auto-focus on small birds and the like using spot metering. I don’t use higher than ISO 800 for my shooting because in some cases I like to crop in very close on the subject when editing on the PC. A tiny bit of noise reduction works fine, and I’m sure I could use higher ISO and get pretty much the same results, but as I’m not shooting fast action, I haven’t needed it so far.



At first I was reluctant to rely on in-camera stabilisation, based upon past experience with other systems, but I have recently been using the 5-axis IS system built into the camera, and I am gaining confidence in its superior qualities. I’m more than impressed, considering the vast majority of my shots are done at the equivalent of 600mm. Handholding at that focal length, and getting sharp images is a huge bonus, as in most cases if I try to set up the tripod, the subject is long gone. The left window in the car, in this case the driver’s side, can’t be selected down, something I have to get fixed, so any grab shots have had to be from the left seat through the right side window, handheld. You wouldn’t believe the high keeper rate I’ve been getting. All of my backyard shots are done with the camera on a solid tripod.


I have made good quality videos of kayakers going over waterfalls, small wildlife going about their business, and the video is of a high quality shown on a 40 inch HD TV.



I find I like the default settings of “0” on sharpness, contrast, etc., and in post processing all that’s required is a touch of contrast adjustment and the tiniest increase in sharpness.



This is the best camera I’ve ever used, and the Panasonic Lumix 100-300mm lens is comparable to the Nikon VR 80-400mm optics, but with an almost instantaneous auto-focus lock on the subject in reasonable conditions.



I am back at my hobby full-time with many photography trips planned for the summer, thanks to the Olympus OM-D E-M5. Denny.

Read our full Olympus OM-D E-M5 review for full sample photos and ratings.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Pros:

Lightweight
Relatively small
Very fast accurate auto-focus
Reasonably good low light capability
Nice bokeh

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Cons:

For the price, quality, and focal range achieved with this combination, none

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Specifications

Manufacturer	Olympus
Image Sensor
	CCD pixels	16.1Mp (Megapixels)
	Pixels (W)	4608
	Pixels (H)	3456
	Sensor Type	Live MOS Sensor
	Sensor Size	Micro / Four Thirds
	Sensor Size (width)	17.3mm
	Sensor Size (height)	13mm
	Aspect Ratio	4:3 3:2 16:9 1:1
LCD Monitor
	LCD Monitor	3in
	Screen resolution	610k dots
	Touch Screen	Yes
Focusing
	Focusing modes	Autofocus Manual Face Detection AF Tracking Touch AF Spot Multi
Exposure Control
	Shutter speeds shortest	1/4000sec
	Shutter speeds longest	60sec
	Exp modes	Program Aperture-Priority Shutter-Priority Manual Scene modes
	Metering	Centre-weighted - Average Multi Pattern Spot
	ISO sensitivity	200 - 25600
	White balance	Auto Manual Incandescent Fluorescent Outdoors/Daylight Cloudy Shade Flash Underwater
	Exposure Comp	+/-3
Viewfinder
	Viewfinder Resolution	1.44million dots
Shooting Options
	Continuous shooting	9fps
Video
	Movie mode	Yes
	Video Resolution	1920x1080 1280x720 720p 640x480 VGA
	Video FPS	30
	Stereo Sound	Yes
	Optical Zoom with Video	Yes
Other Features
	Image Stabilisation	Yes
Interface
	HDMI	Yes
	USB	USB 2
Storage
	Card Type	SD SDHC SDXC
	File Type	RAW JPG RAW + JPG
Power Source
	Battery Type	Lithium Ion
	CIPA Rating	330
Box Contents
	Box Contents	Body, Flash FL-LM2, Li-ion battery BLN-1, Li-ion battery charger BCN-1, USB/Video Multi cable, Shoulder strap, OLYMPUS Viewer 2/ib CD-ROM, Instruction manual, Warranty card
Dimensions
	Weight	373g
	Width	121mm
	Height	89.6mm
	Depth	41.9mm

View Full Product Details