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Olympus E-M5 Mark II - love and hate at first sight


Andrew Reid
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What a joke !! Was really interested in the camera but they are out now.

Quite unbelievable... So no one in their company no engineer no people no one actually realized they sell something worst than EM1 which is already shit in term of pure video quality???

they must be jokin. Or you got a wrong unit...

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It's a joke alright. Unbelievable that they let it out of the door with so much moire, aliasing, softness. The crop is massive in video mode too, more than E-M1 or GH4.

I'll have more to say in the full review, but right now I am disappointed in Olympus.

Like I said they clearly listened, timecode of all things!

It's a bit like being in a restaurant and your dish arrives with no sauce, so you send it back and they return it with the sauce but no chicken!

They are counting on us upgrading to a 4K E-M1 Mark II obviously but I am giving them a very clearly message. NO MORE OLYMPUS FOR ME! I don't care how good the stabilisation is. They are done.

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I don't know Andrew, I just got one today. Connects to my Atomos, no problem, shoots pretty clean video 422 clean HDMI out. So far the picture is lovely, takes fantastic stills (which is mostly what I got it for) Replaced my clunky 7D which served me well for 5 years. Its solid (metal solid) ,Yes its 1080, but 100% of my clients and shoots still in that area and where I make my money.  Won't replace my FS700 but Its a B camera with a Gimbal included for 999 USD, I believe its a winner. 

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Yikes, well that rules them out I guess. Tried the camera out in the store and loved the layout and EVF, but cannot get past the image quality of M43 and it looks like the haven't improved video either :/

I was disappointed too when first videos appears online. Though I really enjoyed my E-M5 but now i need to move on, i'm using a a7s and pushing the buy button for the NX1, i thinking that i gonna pass on M4/3 from now on.

You're both taking Olympus' poor video performance as proof of the entire m4/3 system sucking. Ever tried the GH4? BlackMagic Pocket?

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Is this written assuming firmware beyond 1.0 will not improve video greatly or that 1.0 should have included closer to max eventual video quality??  Seems Olympus is trying to do better on video with this camera and may just have some firmware work to get where they intend to be.

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How is the EVF poor? It's the same XGA unit found in the E-M1 and other high-end mirrorless cameras. I used it for a bit and liked what I saw.

The 5 axis stabilisation was amazing when I tried it. Maybe not the level of a 3 axis brushless gimbal but I definitely could use it handheld while moving slowly. Shame the video quality is not like its stills quality.

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I'm not striving for the best resolution, I'm striving for the best shot as fast as friggin' possible.  That means handheld, mobile, and steady.  

Yes, I want Olympus to compete in the video sharpness arena and, just like Andrew, I'm kind of upset they are not.  

But, when I'm honest, I know the low-end-corporate shoots do not require the latest and greatest 1080 image.  It was hard to pull the trigger on getting something IQ inferior, but for me the 5axis feature does make up for that shortcoming. 

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They are counting on us upgrading to a 4K E-M1 Mark II 

I wouldnt count on them counting on that though..

A quote from Olympus a couple of weeks ago.. "we understand that other manufacturers - Panasonic, Sony, Samsung - offering 4K mode, even in top-level models do not. They just need to create content for their TV. They need to sell 4K TVs. While the content in 4K very little, so they want to have on the market as much as possible models that can shoot in 4K. But we do not see great potential for 4K at the moment. Once the market is ready for it, we will make 4K."

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I'm not striving for the best resolution, I'm striving for the best shot as fast as friggin' possible.  That means handheld, mobile, and steady.  

Yes, I want Olympus to compete in the video sharpness arena and, just like Andrew, I'm kind of upset they are not.  

But, when I'm honest, I know the low-end-corporate shoots do not require the latest and greatest 1080 image.  It was hard to pull the trigger on getting something IQ inferior, but for me the 5axis feature does make up for that shortcoming. 

​I'm still sitting on the fence with this one.  I would like to hear about your experiences with the EM5-II.  I miss the Olympus for stills + IBIS for video since switching to LX-100 + GX7, however that is not a bad system either, however needing more external stabilisation.

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I'm in the same boat as \f13a.

I mainly shoot with the E-M1,almost always with SHG FT lenses and can't think shooting with something less stabilised for the type of work i'm doing.

I have also the LX100 and tested it @1080 side by side with the E-M1 did not impressed me at all but maybe it's just me.

Anyway, for now i'm a lot less interested to "downgrade" to the E-M5MkII.

 

 

 

 

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Same experience as I had with this camera. I was thrilled by the wonderfull stybelizer system, the new back screen and new features, seems like almost perfect camera. And then tested it in video... so soft, moire all over the place. Why??? How come they managed to downgrade video quality so much?

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Any chance to test it with any atomos recorder before sending it back. If the quality is good it could be a really awesome combo with the Ninja Star.

​I used with the Ninja star and the Ninja, no problems. Records at 30fps progressive 422. BTW there is a rumor that Olympus may unleash a much better video Res, perhaps 4K via Firmware. For all I need, It takes better pics than my GH4.

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If you want a Video Camera then your expectations are way too High within this price range. Go for a Canon C300 or FS700 or even the BMCC. Like the Lumix GH4 this is a fantastic little camera for impromptu shoots, pick up shots or B roll. In my case most, if not all of the content ends compressed for the web or even MPG files for playback on screens at corporations, I can assure you that 98% of the people that views the content never sees any difference (2K or 4K) much less they will be pixel peeking or moire peeking. Its all in your head. My suggestion is Spend less time jumping from one technology to another and more time creating content even better MAKING money for you. Six years ago I bought a Canon 7D when it came out and that thing shot over 90K through the years (not counting stills) However, the last 2 years it almost sat idle replaced by a FS700 that became the workhorse. For ENG, Spots and even Conventions, the reason was ergonomics and time. The Olympus is an amazing camera for its size and Price, just like the pocket cinema, It has moire? put a filter on it or tweak the settings, No Global shutter? DON'T Pan too fast.  I have shot with 75K sony Cameras that had Moire galore, not one person cared. Just my five cents.

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