• Please use real names.

    Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed

    Firstname Lastname

    Register

    We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know!
  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Olympus OM-D E-M1 thoughts?

Laura Fitch

New member
Hoping I am placing this in the correct forum (I saw two that mentioned these camera systems).

I am a Canon DSLR user and currently love my 7D for shooting local sports and assignments, but I'm longing for something smaller/lighter for street photography and carrying around on vacation/personal outings where photography is not my main focus. So, I'm considering the Olympus OM-D E-M1 system.

At first I ignored these 4/3 cameras but I love the old school look of the E-M1 and have read very favorable reviews. Anyone here at OPF shooting with this camera? Which lenses do you most often use?

I'm also wondering how the IQ compares to a DSLR like my Canon 7D, any thoughts or personal experience on that topic? I don't expect the E-M1 to replace my 7D but I also don't want to spend the money just to be disappointed that the Olympus doesn't give similar results where image quality is concerned.

TIA,
Laura
 

George Holroyd

New member
Tempting camera for me as well. Though coming from a 7D, I think you might be disappointed in two areas: depth of field (if you like bokeh) and high ISO performance.
 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
Compared to the Canon 7D - the Olympus E-M1 has : better image : more dynamic range : more focus points : better colour depth : larger viewfinder image : much smaller and lighter package : wifi : touch screen : faster 10fps shooting : faster flash sync.

Both have good high ISO with minimal difference in quality - E-M1 up to 25600 ISO. With the variety of fast f1.8 and f1.4 lenses, shallow DOF isn't much different than with the 7D - - - would be more of a difference when comparing to 35mm sized sensor.

For me - Olympus' smaller, lighter package with plenty of great lenses, puts it over the top for me. 7D is a good camera as well and some benefits when it comes to video and faster continuous focusing and more megapixels. Go to a store and try it and see what you think.

but I'm longing for something smaller/lighter for street photography and carrying around on vacation/personal outings where photography is not my main focus. So, I'm considering the Olympus OM-D E-M1 system.

For sports, you may be farther ahead with your Canon. For street photography and vacation/personal outings, your probably better off with the new smaller and cheaper Olympus E-M10
 

Laura Fitch

New member
Thanks, Rob! This is exactly what I'm thinking. No plans to get rid of my 7D (although I'd love to see Canon release an update and include a few things like WiFi, but otherwise I'm happy with this camera at this price point--especially for sports) but I think I'm definitely now saving for the E-M1.

I'm happy to hear there are some fast lenses made for the Oly. I read somewhere that because of the smaller sensor an f/2.8 would not be as fast as it would be on my 7D. Does that make any sense? I didn't understand it when I read it but I am not big on the science side of photography so sometimes these bits go over my head.

I'm happy to hear you find the IQ as good or even better than the 7D. I know full frame would be even better but I've never had reason to complain with my 7D. I did see there was a Sony mirrorless full frame, though, that sounded great but some of the specs made me feel I'd still be happier with the Oly. I think it is called a Sony A7.
 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
I read somewhere that because of the smaller sensor an f/2.8 would not be as fast as it would be on my 7D. Does that make any sense?


That statement would be incorrect. A lens shot at a f2.8 setting, provides the same exposure whether it is on a m4/3 sized sensor, aps-c size sensor, full frame, medium or large format. Just think of the logic - a light meter would be useless if f2.8 provided a different exposure with different lenses or formats.

The f stop confusion generally is related to Depth of Field. To put it simply, a 50mm lens used on a m4/3 size sensor, acts like a 100mm lens with that smaller sensor - but still only has the depth of field of a 50mm lens at any given f stop. So at say f2.8, it wouldn't be as shallow as a 70mm lens used at f2.8 on an APS-C sized sensor - which won't be a shallow as a 100mm lens used at f2.8 on a 35mm size sensor, etc etc.

Olympus has an excellent line that includes f2.8 pro zooms, f1.8 primes from 24mm to 150mm - plus Panasonic has some f2.8 zooms as well as f1.4 and f1.2 (85mm equivalent) prime autofocus lenses that work with Olympus. As well there are a whole slew of amazing manual focus lenses for the system - made by other well known lens manufacturers - that are speed demons at f .95 and a couple even faster than that. And then again, just about any lens can work with the micro 4/3 cameras by using an adapter. I've used Nikon and Canon and Minolta and Vivitar and Sigma and old C-Mount movie lenses - they just have to be focused manually.
 

Laura Fitch

New member
Thank you, Robert! Very helpful information as I make my decision. I appreciate your taking the time to write that up.

Laura
 
Top