MY FOUR MONTHS WITH THE OLYMPUS OM-D

Olympus OM-D E-M5 - Panasonic G Vario 14-45mm @ 39mm (78mm eq.)
1/400" f7.1 ISO 200
Perspective-straightened out-of-camera jpg

I must confess that I have been postponing this review for many weeks. Out of laziness, certainly. But most of all because it was a boring task. Writing one's harsh criticism about a photo product everybody sees as perfect is definitely funnier (for me, at least) than commending a camera which is up to (almost) all expectations.

I'm under the impression that the Olympus OM-D E-M5, notwithstanding its ludicrous name, is one of the most reviewed camera of the Internet era. And despite being aimed to the enthusiasts' market, it has quickly gained popularity also among people who see photography more as a leisurely activity than a serious commitment. This is probably due to Olympus' marketing strategy, which is more based on compactness and lightweight -easy to describe in an advertising campaign- than in image quality and operation responsiveness -a far from easy task-. Such a strategy is the only reason I can find to explain why Olympus chose to launch the OM-D in kit with the M Zuiko Digital 12-50mm, a mediocre lens that I put back in the box as soon as I made a couple of test shots. As a matter of fact I had to try the OM-D with a couple of good Panasonic Micro Four Thirds zooms I already had at home to convince myself that I wasn't looking at the umpteenth cleverly-launched-yet-definitely-disappointing digital camera, but only at an inadequate lens. So if you are planning to purchase the OM-D, do yourself a favor: buy the body and skip the crappy kit zoom.

If you need a transtandard zoom you better look for a used Panasonic G Vario 14-45mm f3.5-5.6 (remember to switch the optical stabilization off), an unpretentious, compact and lightweight lens with outstanding optics -and a 52mm filter thread which will be appreciated by those who started serious photography in the film era-. Or go for the new Panasonic Vario 12-35mm f2.8, a more ambitious unit which is gathering very positive reviews. One thing must be kept in mind: like any high-pixel-pitch sensor, the OM-D's simply needs to league with the best available glass. No compromise is allowed, unless you want to downgrade the awesome (repeat: awesome) image quality the OM-D is capable of. So be careful about the lens(es) you buy. Micro Four Thirds is no more in the 12 megapixel realm, where average glass could do a fine job anyway. We are talking about a grown-up system here, and grown-ups are more demanding than they were in their youth.

At present my kit consists in the following lenses:

• Olympus M Zuiko 12mm f2.0: a very good wide-angle, sumptuously built, with a clever mechanical focus-switch allowing a confortable use of the hyperfocal distance;
• Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f1.4: magnificent optics, slightly bulky and suffering from aperture-blades rattle when standing-by in certain lighting conditions;
• Olympus M Zuiko 45mm f1.8: magnificent optics, very compact and lightweight, unbelievably unexpensive, a must-have;
• Olympus M Zuiko 75mm f1.8: magnificent optics and sumptuous build, the ultimate medium-tele;
• the aforementioned Panasonic G Vario 14-45mm f3.5-5.6: very good optics, unrivalled cost-effectiveness;
• Panasonic G Vario 14-140mm f4-5.8: far better than expected (considering its huge focal range), a leader in its class; too bad it has been seized by my wife Daniela, a Panasonic G3 user.

You may have noticed that I didn't list any manual lens (modern or legacy), even though they seem to be the trendiest photographic thing those days. And I can assure you that, thanks to its sharp and bright electronic viewfinder, manual focusing is a no-brainer task with this camera, even without activating the focus-assist digital loupe. Well, despite their indisputable fetish value, I couldn't find any lens among all the Leitzs I already owned, plus a couple of Ai Nikkors and OM Zuikos, which could at least measure up to the OM-D's sensor requirements. Generally speaking, they all delivered soft, murky, vignetted and contrast-lacking images. Not to mention the frequently odd color rendition. I'm aware that many will disagree but, like it or not, side-by-side file comparisons sadly confirmed my first impression. Therefore I don't suggest the purchase of legacy glass+adapter ring for this kind of camera, unless you are in quest of special renditions like the softness found in some vintage portrait lenses, or the vignetting delivered by certain old-school "triplets": shortly, if you are in a Hipstamatic mood. There is nothing wrong with that of course, I simply don't see the point. At most, you better find an unexpensive first generation Micro Four Thirds body for this purpose, and save your hard earned cash.

Which leads us towards the core of any camera evaluation: image quality. I already used the "awesome" adjective. Yes, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 is simply astonishing in this respect. Period. Professional reviewers posted tons of samples in the last months which will persuade even the most mistrustful pixel-peeper. If you are among those who appreciate the distinctive Olympus color rendition, along with crispness, huge dynamic range (up to more than 12 EVs, according to DxO), low-noise high ISOs and widely tweakable pixels, this camera won't disappoint you.

All this can be achieved through a fast and smooth operation. Auto-focus is surprisingly reactive and virtually faultless. The overall responsiveness of the camera allows the photographer to concentrate on the subject, as the unit feels -and actually is- ever ready to his/her demands. This is the result of thoroughly designed electronics along with close-to-perfect ergonomics. Holding the OM-D makes you feel at home since the very first time. Its body is cleverly sized and balanced (and very handsome, I must say). The top-plate design sports two programmable wheels on the right side, while the -useless, most of the times- mode selector has been exiled on the left side. Kudos to Olympus! 

The Olympus OM-D right-top-plate:
an ergonomics masterpiece

For instance, in a typical A-mode configuration, one can select the lens aperture via the bigger wheel and rapidly change the exposure compensation through the one surrounding the release button: a sheer bliss. By the way, the release button is definitely the best sized and engineered I have ever used. It's firm and smooth in the meantime -giving the sexiest shutter sound-, which surely cooperates with the brilliant 5-axis mechanical IS system. Great job. Shortly, as far as overall design and build are concerned, the OM-D is a well-made tool.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 - Panasonic G Vario 14-45mm @ 45mm (90mm eq.)
1/320" f7.1 ISO 200
Perspective-straightened out-of-camera jpg

Any shortcomings? Hell, yes.
Playback and Fn1 buttons are too small and flimsy. Moreover the protruding tiltable OLED monitor obstructs the way, preventing the photographer's finger to properly operate them. I never managed -repeat, never!- to playback an image at the first attempt; I always have to try at least twice. Quite obviously the back of the camera hasn't been designed by the same people who did the top-plate. They are as different as a pro-camera and a voguish cellphone -alas, how many digital cameras suffer from cellphone-ish engineering and build-. And I can't help thinking that with a fixed monitor the camera could have been slimmer and even sturdier than it actually is (even though I admit the tilt mechanism is very well built indeed). I hate tiltable monitors, as much as I hate having video functions in a stills camera. I would gladly pay an extra hundred bucks if a fixed-monitor videoless version of the OM-D was available. But I'm aware nobody would agree with that.
The battery-compartment door is flimsy and its lock lever is so insubstantial I'm sure I will break it someday. The same must be said about the on/off switch, wich is as much insubstantial and insanely located too. On the other hand the SDcard-compartment door is strong and well built. Too bad the card must be inserted upturned, which takes some time to get used to.
The tiny and wobbly four-way controller on the back is simply to be forgotten: I deactivated mine and that's that.
Pay attention to the rubber eyecup surrounding the viewfinder: when it gets rubbed inside a tight bag or against your clothes it can get easily lost. This is due to the flimsiest and cheapest fixing clip I have ever seen. Shame on you, Olympus!
The menu system is the usual crap. Somebody should loan a Panasonic or a Nikon camera to Olympus engineers, so that they can get inspired on how a good menu system can be designed. The card-format menu item is the exception that proves the rule: it has been cleverly located on the top of the list. Well done. Fellow countrymen beware: the menu Italian translation is so poor and full of mistakes that you better leave it in English.

Oh, if you are among those who conscientiously expose to the right, don't trust the live histogram, as it pushes you towards overexposure. Take it with a grain of salt and estimate one to two thirds EV of extra headroom to be safe. This way you will avoid clipped highlights and your jpgs will be gorgeous and indistinguishable from raws most of the times. When it comes to in-camera image processing, Olympus people know their job. And they know it well. I normally save my shots in both raw and jpg formats, but I seldom resort to the raw and usually keep the latter almost untweaked.
On the other hand the in-camera picture modes offer an interesting "gradation" option aimed at tweaking the curve towards low or high key. I generally use the low key combined with the monochrome mode, which delivers awesome black&white jpgs along with perfectly linear raws (of course). 

Olympus OM-D E-M5 - Olympus M Zuiko 45mm (90mm eq.)
1/320" f11 ISO 200
LAB-unsaturated and curve-tweaked out-of-camera jpg

All in all, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 is a camera that one can be tempted to build a system around. Which is exactly what I have been doing this summer after selling my whole Leica equipment. No regrets here. Tying-up such a fortune in a system like the Leica M so widely outperformed in many respects by the last Micro Four Thirds generation would have been crazy, especially these troubled days. So I used part of the cash to fund the purchase of the three Zuiko and the PanaLeica lenses, along with the surprisingly useful HLD-6 grip. I warmly recommend it. It's cleverly designed and sumptuously built. So much so that while immediately proving to be very helpful with longer focals, in time it turned out to be profitable with any lens.

The final word: despite its few quirks the Olympus OM-D E-M5 is definitely the best digital camera I have ever used. From now on Micro Four Thirds, thanks to its perfect balance between sensor size and image quality, is no longer a promising beginner but a serious and reliable option for any photographer who wants to build an affordable and long-lasting lightweight system.

Comments

[Tom McLaughlan]

I've been looking forward to reading this and it doesn't disappoint at all. An excellent review from a practical perspective that will assist many a person who's on the verge of buying this little piece of magic.

I agree with almost everything you've written and love the detailed observations - especially the one about the slight ticking of the Panasonic lens. Now I know it's not just me!

I say almost everything because of two small points. I stuck at using the rear dial and am grateful I did. Yes, it's bloody awkward to use at first but I do like to be able to access a couple of extra features rapidly. The other point relates to the tiltable monitor - I love it! I was at a buskers festival recently and couldn't get anywhere near the front of the crowds - I'm a polite Brit who feels uncomfortable barging his way through (!!) - so all I did was tilt the screen and use the touch facility to take the shot. All of a sudden I had a perspective that was 2.5 metres high. Ok, it's not the best thing to do but it works when needed.

I head to Valencia tomorrow for a long weekend of Calatrava and - though I can't quite believe I'm saying this - my Canon 5d Mark II is staying at home. Indeed, I even sold one of its lenses last week to fund the purchase of the 75mm.

What's happening to me? Perhaps I need to see a doctor :-)

Thanks again, Gianni, for a super review that confirms the choice I made and will help many others facing a similar decision.

[XebastYan]

nice review, i agree with all. Two tipps. For someone who needs a rugged combination the 12-50 is useful, second: buy the olympus e-p11 eyecup which fits much stronger and is very useful to prevent light from the sides. nicely xebastyan.

[Gordon Lewis]

Thank you for investing the time and effort in this review. I prefer to read reviews by someone who is an excellent photographer, as opposed to someone obsessed by numbers, measurements, charts, and graphics.

Your review is especially impressive because, at least to the best of my knowledge, your native tongue is Italian. Your mastery of English is amazing, and I say this as someone who has been a professional writer for more than 30 years.

All that said, I am very annoyed with you. Up until your review I was able to keep all thoughts of the OM-D hidden away in the dark recesses of my brain. Now they have burst to the surface. My only remedy is to keep reading all of the negatives you pointed out until the fever cools down.

[Gianni Galassi]

Tom,
as a newcomer to MFT from FF Canon, you deserve the honor of the first comment to this post.
Thank you for your appreciation. And thank you for contradicting my opinions about the 4-way controller and tiltable monitor.
Regarding the first, I admire your patience.
As far as the latter is concerned, you know how snobbish I can be about the tools I use, no matter they are bicycles, motorcycles, computers, audio equipment or cameras.
I count on your forgiveness... ;-)

[Gianni Galassi]

XebastYan,
thank you for your suggestions that I'm more than happy to share with PhotoGraphia readers.
I'll certainly resort to the Oly 12-50mm whenever I'll need a rugged combo.
As for the E-P11 eyecup, I just ordered mine on Ebay.

[Gianni Galassi]

Gordon,

the delay in posting this review demonstrates that, no matter the result, this is far from being an effortless task for me. In this respect I can't help recalling your recent post on Shutterfinger about what running a blog entails: http://shutterfinger.typepad.com/shutterfinger/2012/09/why-its-been-quiet.html
On the other hand sharing my passion with other photographers is the best way I know to thoroughly reflect about it and to fuel it in the meantime.

I'm so pleased you appreciate my writing. Italian is actually my mother tongue and my English is completely self-taught. I'm a professional writer as well (I'm involved in film and TV programs localization - in short: dialogue translation into Italian and voice dubbing) so I'm perfectly aware of how important words are, especially when they are addressed to a vast audience. It's a subtle process, one that requires expertise and responsibility.

As for the Olympus OM-D, knowing your soft spot for the film-era mechanical Pentaxes, I suggest you avoid even holding one for a minute at your dealer's counter. Unless you are ready to hand him your credit card the next minute.

[David Aspinall]

Hi Gianni
Great to read your review.
I have written in the past about similarities on my photographic journey to yours.
Last spring I sold my Leica equipment and pre-ordered an OMD, I also bought the 12/25/45 and an Pany 100-300.
I am trying to stop myself buying the 75 as I love the Zeiss 135/1.8 on my A900, it is a delicious focal length and the 150 at 1.8 on M43 is very appealing.
I loved files from all the OLY cameras I have had-E10/20, EP1/2/3 EPL3 and now the OMD, they are the most film like of any digital files and Olympus colour is great.
Steve Huff writes that Olympus sprinkle their Sony sensors and digital files with pixey dust and I think he is right and some of the dust also brushes against the glass used in their lenses.
When I bought my OMD I got a free battery grip and if you buy an OMD in the UK between October 15 and December you get a 45 free.
All the best

David

[Paul]

Excellent review and much in line with my feelings, I do use the 4 way controller having assigned 2 of the buttons to ISO and single shot/continuous which I find useful and have gotten used to it.

Key things for me are the DR, ergonomics and image quality and at last an auto grad setting that works and extends the DR with little compromise. What would I like? a direct/customisable button for bracketing, a custom mode or 2 on the left dial (don't need iauto or video)and a hold function on the buttons (like the E5) press to engage/press to release.

One legacy lens I've enjoyed using is my OM Oly 100mm 2.8 which get pretty good results but the new m4/3 lens coming out from both Oly and Panny are superb.

I did find the large dial a bit difficult to use at factory settings until using the same set up as yourself which works beautifully.

As you say this is now a proper grown up system, the 4/3rds concept has come of age and I pick this camera up with the same affection I have for my OM4, it's a pleasure to hold and use.

[Half Sigma]

Like you, I hated the 12-50 lens, mostly because the corner and edge quality was really bad at the wide angle focal lengths. And it's twice as big and heavy and three times as expensive as the other Olympus kit lens.

But that other kit lens, the 14-42mm IIR, deserves an honorable mention. It's well worth the extra $100 it costs to buy it with the camera. It's small and light and provides decent (not the best ever, but definitely decent) image quality in the 14mm to 25mm focal lengths. I find it perfectly adequate for outdoor photos when I can stop down the lens to its sharpest aperture.

[lorne evernden]

Gianni -- terrific review, perfect english, both matched by your excellent images. Only one quibble: as a long-time Rolleiflex/Bronica/Hasselblad user, I couldn't have opted for the OM-5 without the tilting lcd -- I've just never been comfortable with eye-level photography. That said, I also appreciate your "square" compositions. I look forward to your next observations and images.

[Gianni Galassi]

David,
I'm quite sure you will end up buying the Olympus 75mm, an impressive lens which is up to the highest expectations, under both optical and build-quality points of view.
As for Leica, I'm afraid the second-hand market is being flooded by cast-off M bodies and lenses of Olympus OM-D buyers.

[Gianni Galassi]

Paul,
I totally agree with your requirements, especially the custom modes on the left dial.
And with the final sentence of your comment: when talking about this camera, "pleasure" is the word.

[Gianni Galassi]

Half Sigma,
as a matter of fact I happened to read positive evaluations of the Olympus 14-42. Moreover it's collapsable, which adds to the compactness of the whole outfit.

[Gianni Galassi]

Lorne,
thank you for your appreciation.
I occasionally used medium-format film cameras (the same brands as you) when I was a commercial pro photographer, but despite their indisputable image and build quality I never got to be in close terms with them. I perfectly understand your remark though.

[Stefano Mazza]

Very good, Gianni, a comprehensive and user-oriented review, amazingly adapted to English language :)
In particular I have been impressed by the considerations you make on the last Micro Four Thirds generation of cameras, which is "no more in the 12 megapixel realm" and this changes many things for us.

Thank you, Gianni.

[Yehuda]

I also enjoyed reading your review with a few reservations (we all have some :-) )

Regarding the 12-50 lens which tends to be knocked at reviews...

It's a decent optic, not great but not that horrible either.
It's slow but for the overlapping focal length of the 14-42 it's much the same.
It has a few nice benefits over the standard 14-42 kit lenses:

The focal range is more useful especially at the wide end.
It's weather sealed.
Has a fixed physical size for all focal lengths which makes holding it much nicer than extendable zooms. You grab it and nothing moves while focusing etc.
The macro mode is pretty good for your casual macro shots.
The electronic zoom is much more fitted to video zooming. Not jerky etc.

It's not that big or heavy. Just marginally heavier than the 14-42 and when the 14-42 is extended and not in storage collapsible setting the length of both lenses is virtually the same and in fact the 14-42 is 'fatter' at the base and not fun to hold while shooting... Very wobbly.

As to not liking video in stills cameras... I dare to differ. I find video to be a very useful companion to still photography especially for precious memories. I have many nicely shot videos of my kids which I find invaluable.
The idea of carrying an extra dedicated video camera is cumbersome to say the least. The video quality and capabilities of the omd em5 with the stabilizer make it a very competent video camera. In a whole different league from smartphone video capturing.

I don't get the whole 'I hate video' thing. Why? It doesn't have to be tacky. It's up to you.

Other than that you're spot on on most things.

I'll add some negatives of my own:

- If you want to playback images on the evf you have disable the automatic evf/back lcd sensor and then you click once on the playback mode and then click the evf button. Very poorly done.
- the strap lugs are terribly positioned and dig into my fingers. I had them removed easily enough but the metal bolts are still a bit annoying though not as bad. I use a black rapid knockoff from eBay with a neoprene strap and a metal bolt which connects to the tripod base. Very comfortable and useful. Only annoying when I want to attach a tripod but you get a version with a tripod base as well, it's just slightly bigger at the connection.

[Gianni Galassi]

Thank you Stefano.
Most of all, with the OM-D the MFT format has entered the 12EV-dynamic-range club along with a mature signal-to-noise ratio at higher sensitivities and a wide array of impressive native lenses.
Pixel count doesn't really count anymore.

[Gianni Galassi]

Yehuda,
it would be nice to put together the mechanics of the 12-50 and the optics of the 14-42. Nonetheless I'd go for the Panasonic 14-45 instead (the old one with the metal-bayonet, not its younger plastic-bayonet sibling).
Video: it's a feature I simply don't like because I don't need it. I don't make videos. Ever. Therefore I don't see the point in paying a feature I'm totally uninterested in, and have the hardware and software of my stills camera overloaded by the video function (more buttons, more menu items, heavier firmware and so on).
As for the lugs, I got rid of them and fitted the camera with a beautifully aged leather Luigi strap (originally designed for Leica M bodies) which softly bends down when I hold the camera.

[David Mantripp]

Ciao Gianni

Io invece sono da lingua madre inglese e ho provato d'imparare un po di Italiano :-) Grazie mille per l'articolo, molto interessante. Personalmente non sono ancora 100% convinto che la EM-5 e veramente un passo in avanti su la E-P3, o piuttosto un passo abbastanza grande per giustificare €1000. Provo di convincermi che e meglio aspettare il prossimo modello promesso compatibile con i obiettivi Four Thirds. Pero, pero...e bella :-)

David

[Gianni Galassi]

David,
congratulations for your Italian. You manage to master a language which is very far from being an easy one.
As for the leap from E-P3 towards E-M5, I can't give you my opinion as I came from the E-P2. Is there an IQ improvement? Of course there is, although the files delivered by the E-P2 were really impressive. The major difference IMHO stands in the low-light performance of the OM-D along with its excellent ergonomics.

[lucaV]

:-)
Here we are!!
How are you?!
I'm happy you falled in love with Olympus too.
Luca.

[stephen rudolph]

since i travel a lot and not a fan of lugging my d7000 with 18-200mm lens (many times i'm at 200mm and then swing around for a candid street shot at 24mm {for example}.. so i'm not a fan of changing lenses...
i'm thinking about buying this camera.. .but i have a question which is paramount to what lens to buy)..
to give me the same 'experience' i am having with my setup .. i dont know whether i should go with the
1) 14-140 zoom
or
2) 12-35 2.8 and the recently announced 35-100 2.8.

although i would prefer one lens, the 2.8 would seem to be a better choice, since i dont carry a tripod when i'm traveling and i frequently shoot dark streets or late in the day..
most of my shots are in the wider angle.. i could live with 2 lenses like that... and i guess i could crop to make up for the loss between 100mm and 140mm..
although i've been trolling the net for ideas, you seem to have the best review i;ve seen and i would respect your input.
p.s
off next week on a cruise with a stop over in rome.. have been to rome and florence several times.. just love it...
the only thing i would miss with the olympus, is that i just bought a gps for my nikon. i'm too lazy to write down every location where i'm shooting... specially on tours when we are running around all day to different towns and my wife was tired of me asking "sweetheart... where was this church ?"

[Gianni Galassi]

Luca,
thank you for following my blog.

PhotoGraphia readers should pay a visit to your 360° photography site:
http://officinepanottiche.com
Enjoy.

[Gianni Galassi]

Steven,
thank you for your appreciation.
I understand your dilemma, which is the same I have to deal with every time I'm planning a travel abroad.
Before switching to Micro Four Thirds I have shot Nikons for a long time, and the Nikkor 18-200 has been my companion during several journeys. This is why, when I switched to the Panasonic G1, I was so impressed by the Panasonic Vario 14-140, which is definitely better than its Nikkor (first version) sibling.
Therefore I'm sure the Panasonic would give you a better IQ with the OM-D. On the other hand the OM-D requires the best available glass in order to express all its IQ potential. So, considering the outstanding quality of the 12-35 (confirmed by most reviewers) and the expected quality of the 35-100, the two-lens option appears to be a better one, with the only tradeoff of lesser portability and frequent bayonet fiddling (the occasional slight cropping won't be an issue at all in my opinion).
As for the gps I can't help you, as my kind of photography doesn't require such a feature.

[Margaret Brown]

A great summary, Gianni, and I hope you have better luck than I have in getting the message that many serious photographers never shoot video across to camera manufacturers. I've been trying for years, so far with no success.
If Olympus would strip out the video, Art Filters, Scene presets and other rubbish people like us never use, have a chat with Fujifilm's and Panasonic's designers and produce an E-M5 with more 'traditional' controls, I would be beating a path to their doors. But I'm not buying until I find a camera that's designed for photographers, rather than snapshooters.
It would be great to see Olympus adapt the interface in their OM film cameras to the OM-D series. What do other readers think?