MrSMW

For me, it’s the entire package including lenses. I have a list of requirements. Against that, I matched every available option. The OM-1 (including lens choices) ticked more boxes than anything else on the market now or coming any time soon. The only box it didn’t tick was it has a flip out side screen rather than a tilt screen. And it’s not a Sony…

Ha, just read Andrew's tweet: "OM-1 is a nice camera but will sell exactly 0 units at £2000" Well one muppet has pre-ordered a pair so we're 2 up on your 0 already 😉

I didn't mind it too much as in it wasn't a deal-breaker but instead, a 'known compromise'. In some ways, it was quite good, ie, ergos and stability etc...but actually, it was a bit of a beast to handhold for very long and so I had already decided to go back to using it on a monopod most of the time. Anyway, no longer an issue as the courier collects tomorrow and then it's just a case of wait and see when the replacements turn up.

Decision made: S1H + S5 (plus some lenses) outbound, pair of OM-1's inbound. Sticking with Panasonic S1R/L Mount for at least the time being until I can test the stills capability of the OM-1's. Of course they are not going to match, never mind beat, the 47mp FF S1R, but how close can they get and is that 'close', good enough... For my video needs however, I just need that 'well above average' and reliable AF. The fact that it will come in a lighter and more compact package, is a bonus. I've had 2 absolutely shitty years financially and perhaps more importantly, creatively. The work I have booked in this year is an absolute opportunity to make a massive dent in the latter and I really don;t wish to be going into it with compromise. Not 100% decided on lenses yet, but pretty sure it will be the Panasonic f1.7 pairing of the 10-25 and 25-50, plus the Olympus 17mm f1.8 for gimbal work. Just need to find some used versions of all the glass in good nick. EXTREMELY sad to see the S1H and S5 go. The S5 less so because despite it's excellent photo and video output (plus nice size and weight), I wasn't 100% happy with various other aspects. Great bit of kit, but not quite good enough for my needs. The S1H has been the best camera I have ever owned. For video at least. Could have been a bit smaller and lighter and the only real 'deal-breaking' issue for me has been the less than decent AF and the wrestling & fudging I have had to do to get around it. Obviously, the new boys have not arrived yet and won't until March, but they tick all the boxes for my needs and the only criticism I could level at this time is that they are maybe a little over-priced and something more like 1950 euros might have been more appropriate. I believe it's the right decision for me and my needs. The S1R is going to be a tougher one to replace, NOT THAT I AM LOOKING TO! By divorcing my video needs from my stills needs totally going forward, it does give me a few other options and my preferred one would be to keep it all 'in house' with 3 matching bodies and cross platform lenses. Absolutely zero rush though as anything that isn't the S1R would need to be a bloody good option!

Ask Fuji's X100. He/she/they will respond, "well I have one and I may be APSC, but I'm pretty dinky" 😬

Yup. We can chase that next bit of kit if what we have is preventing us in some way on a technical level, but the rest is 'the art'.

I think one of the problems MFT has is when they allow bodies or lenses to get too big because then folks cry, "but I can get a FF camera the same size!" often with higher spec and cheaper prices. With the shorter focal length 'pro' glass, there isn't much difference in size compared with FF equivalents, but when you get to the longer stuff, there is a much bigger difference. All I do know is that the appeal of MFT for me is when it's kept as compact and light as possible. Like Bruce Lee. I was thinking back earlier today that one of the 2 set ups I have enjoyed the most (not talking about ultimate quality of output or spec sheets, but the feeling I had using the kit) was: A pair of Fuji X Pro-1's with the original trinity lenses of 18mm, 35mm and 60mm. also A pair of OMD EM5 mkii's with the f1.8 trinity of 17mm, 45mm and 75mm. I want to get back to something like that, but with a requirement for a third body due to my hybrid capture work needs.

It's inevitable, but I agree and don't really see them as rivals. The GH line is a niche filmmakers dream. The OM-1 is clearly being marketed at folks who like adventure sports in extreme climes (or at least imagine they do, a bit like owners of 4WD vehicles in cities that never climb anything more than the occasional kerb) and wildlife people. I think the OM is also more hybrid/stills orientated whereas the GH's have always been about the video side of things really. I imagine as a result the OM is going to have much wider appeal all things being equal.

Another fun fact and that is as a child growing up in the 70’s, the original film OM-1 was my Dad’s camera.

I'd forgive it this factor if it has stellar AF. But, as I said in another thread, I'm becoming increasingly aware of the bloat in my own kit, - bodies, lenses as individual units and then as an entire kit to lug about, set up and use. I made a fundamental and somewhat risky choice around a decade ago to dump my full frame DSLR to go APSC mirrorless. I feel a decade on, I need to go through a change to get back to that ethos, - compact/light/nimble/gets out of the way for maximum creativity and minimal fumbling.

Not just bodies, but lenses also, so when a company has both... Before I went L Mount, Olympus was my first choice, - the brand that came closest to my spec as an entire system. The only 2 deal-breakers for me were I wasn't 100% convinced with the low light capability and the lack of 10 bit 4k 60p. OM-1 addresses both of those issues, at least in regard to the video side of the equation. No other brand does. I've checked every single combo possible including all the non-native lenses and there is not a single system that checks every box. L Mount = AF + lenses Fuji = lens fails for video. Canon = overheating, real or artificial warnings...no thanks, plus the R6 and R5 are big plastic lumps (EOS R came last in my build/feel test 2 years ago). Expensive RF glass and I don't want to adapt. Sony = A7iv closest to my needs, but has a couple of negatives for me. Sigma = let's not go there. GREAT glass, niche cameras. Nikon = Internal video spec on the Z6ii Panasonic GH6 = Obviously I don't know the answer 100% but I suspect the AF will be improved, but still not great (but happy to eat any one of my various hats if it proves to be otherwise) and it seems it will be even more video-orientated and has been to the pie shop. The OM-1 on the other hand fits that ethos I was chasing when I went from chonky boy D3s's with big zooms to dinky X Pro1's with primes, ie, more compact, lighter, more nimble...and after some familiarity, allowed the kit to get out of the way allowing for more creativity. I felt towards the end of my time with Fuji, I was beginning to fight the system and fudging various things in order to simply make it work as best as I could. That's how I feel about the current L Mount set up I currently have...in regard to my specific needs, - it's getting bloated and I'm wrestling with it somewhat and having to come up with workarounds and aaaaaaaaaaargh, I might talk about kit a lot, but I actually don't really care about it as anything but as a tool. I just want 'it' to do what I need it to do. Nothing less and also nothing more, which is why I don't give a fig about 4k 120p or 8k or 100 frames per second stills. Hold on to see what the XH2 is? Much as I'd like to as I like Fuji as a brand, the same question comes back, - what about the lenses? I don't want to have to select something that isn't quite right, but the best option available. 4/3rds between Panny and Olympus, IMO has the best lens options by a mile such as: 17mm f1.2, 45mm f1.2, 10-25mm f1.7, 25-50mm f1.7 and equivalence be damned, but 35, 85, 20-50 and 50-100 would be a DREAM combo for my needs so; 34, 90, 20-50 and 50-100 is as close as is possible. I had forgotten about the Pen F, - one of my favourite cameras I never owned. I was shooting Olympus (EM5 mkii's) for video when I moved to France 6 years ago and was toying with Pen F's for stills, but went all in on Fuji for photo and video so it never happened. Could be of interest, but if...and it's still an if (though more likely than not likely) I move to OM for my video needs, I will have to test for stills because right now, I can't see much touching my S1R (other than similar level cameras, but it crushes my old XT3 easily). Around 50% postponements from 2020 and 2021 and the rest new bookings. It would probably have been around 25 totally new bookings without the postponements as I had to turn a lot away. My comfort zone is actually around 20-24 as each job is an average 12 days commitment; travel, attendance, office etc.

The only thing I can think of might be a higher res model...but then the OM-1 has both a handheld and tripod hi res mode so... They don't need a battery grip model as there is an additional battery grip available. So I don't know, - maybe the 'one and done' approach is all that is needed while they develop the OM-2 (speculation at a rumor site near you soon!) and depending on sales of this 'first' version? I've read a lot of comments on various channels now re. both OM-1 and GH6 and OK yes, the OM-1 has a slight current advantage in chatter terms because it's been officially launched whilst the GH6 has only been leaked (deliberately of course to counter some of the OM-1 chatter) and it doesn't matter whether it's a Panny or 'Olympus' focused or barnad agnostic channel, but there seems to be more love (and surprise) going in the OM-1 direction and less (and quite a bit of criticism) for the GH6? I'm surprised at my own reaction really which is (not GAS, but need related) in that the OM-1 ticks every single box for me regarding my video needs...and I mean EVERY single need) and I doubt the GH6 will and my current FF combo of S1H and S5 do not. Photography needs, not so sure and I don't think I could know the answer to that until I had tested myself so my S1R won't be going anywhere until that question was answered. So for now, the OM-1 has been marked 'potential' for my video needs. I'm still going to wait a few days and see what the GH6 is exactly, but the call I have to make is soldier on with a compromised system I cannot fully rely on (and have to fudge to get a result in my specific use case), or take the very narrow window of opportunity to start my next season of 33 booked jobs (after 2 years of drought) having removed all the compromise and fudging. I'm one of those people that hate change for the sake of change. I like and want as much consistency as I can get, but sometimes when you know you are just fighting the tide, it's better to take a hit and come back stronger. Decision not final, but mostly over the other side of the fence as things stand...

Hold on, I have Albert on speed dial...

Well based on what I have seen/has been revealed so far, I prefer the OM-1. GH6 for the win for pure video almost certainly. For stills/hybrid use, probably the OM-1 based on what we know so far... Right now, I'd take the OM-1 system as it suits my needs better; a smaller, lighter, more compact package with great AF compared with a larger, heavier, less compact set up with unknown AF. Andrew might/probably has the answer regarding the latter already 🤐 I guess probably slightly more expensive GH6 bodies, but that wouldn't bother me too much in the overall scheme of things... The only real negative for me would be regarding stills. I don't care what anyone says but there is no way on Earth any M4/3 matches my FF 47mp S1R in that department. Can't deny physics!

Never mind the 500 subs or the open mouth thumbnail, I’m just a bit disappointed he didn’t demonstrate how to barn dance. #CottonEyeJoe

Coming from Fuji myself (XT3), not as good. For stills, no problemo…in fact there are several bonuses with stills for a camera having contrast detect. But for video, with static subjects or side to side movement, pretty OK and yes, native Panny lenses have an edge over Sigma. Reliable tracking forward or away from you. Forget it. Pretty crap. It CAN do it, but you don’t get to decide when those times are. Toss a coin up in the air and the probability of heads or tails is 50:50. That’s S5/S1 tracking as things stand for you.

How many PM's have you received asking if you can only just give them a few clues and they won't tell anybody honest/ Have you received mine?

There's a fella on YouTube who is pretty good with the ZV1 and possibly now ZV E10 and he reckons the HLG option is where it's at also and what I am currently using.

It's growing on me, I have to say... Just watched Chris Eyre-Walkers review...and I know he's somewhat biased being an Olympus ambassador and all that, but... First half, especially the picture review in the frozen North, I thought, nah. It's OK, but I wouldn't kick my full frame 47mp S1R out of bed for it. But then I watched his second project with the MTB and focus on video and really liked it. OK, it was shot with cinema primes and a crew of 7, but really really nice output. The talk is that the OM-1 is going to be the more stills orientated compared with the GH6...and the GH6 will probably have the video chops over the OM-1, but I think as things stand, I'd still be leaning more towards the OM-1 at this time for my hybrid needs.

One of my favourite ever lenses. Limited use, but superb results. There are some absolutely superb M4/3 lenses and that for me is the magic of the system, especially the longer you go.

It would be a bonus point in my eyes if the GH6 has the same/similar tilt screen as the S1H rather than a vloggers flip out. #bestLCDever

Identical to a T, except ZV1 for me. If I’d waited a year, I would have gone for your slightly bigger sibling, but as my use case is so limited, I’ll stick with it for this year.

Plus for the early adopters, your usual software hasn’t been updated 🤪🤨

Good job @jgharding I decided just a couple of days ago to bump up my ZV1 to gimbal duty for those occasions when I need reliable AF. Matching it to the S1H and S5 will be even harder I suspect, but it’s currently my best and only option so… I tried the S5 with small/light lens in the Crane M3 but it was pushing the limit really…not that I really know much (anything) about gimbals, but the ZV1 is a much better fit. And the results are always in focus which means I don’t wish to smash it to bits.

I don’t think simply fixing the AF situation alone would be enough. It would be a start, but then needs some shouting about as a brand/system. My fingers are crossed, but I’m not holding my breath. The ‘savior’ of the DFD could be computing power from what I understand…but that’s not something I know too much about. GH6 will be an indicator.