Overview of Olympus system cameras

Well-balanced magnesium camera body with a large grip is equipped with reinforced protection against dust and moisture. The camera has one of the best electronic viewfinders with a large field of view and high resolution. Touch screen display provides an additional level of interaction with the powerful software core of the device, complementing the large number of external hardware controls compactly but conveniently placed on the small body.

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus OM-D E-M1

16.3 Megapixel 12-40mm F2.8 3″ 89 990 Dollars.

The OM-D E-M1 has allowed Olympus to regain an audience of professionals that was nearly lost years ago. The biggest stumbling block of the micro 4/3 system – the small format, which the E-M5 had shaken considerably – was removed from the path to the hearts of serious photographers. Compactness, ergonomics, well-thought-out construction and quality of execution, a wide stock of various optics which is constantly supplemented with very curious models, outweigh the lack of a shallow depth of field, low pixel resolution and practical unavailability of super-high light sensitivity.

Well-balanced magnesium camera body with large grip features enhanced dust and moisture protection. One of the best electronic viewfinders with long fields of view and high resolution. A touch screen display provides an additional level of interaction with the powerful hardware, complementing the large number of external hardware controls that are compact but conveniently packaged into a small body.

Vibration compensation on five axes, built in E-M1, is able to provide a clear picture when shooting with telephoto or at long shutter speeds, and can also suppress vibration in video recording qualitatively. What’s important is that the stabilization works quite effectively with any, even mechanical optics. To do this, select the appropriate lens focal length in the camera menu, as required to calculate the sensor’s oscillation amplitude.

The performance of the 4/3-inch format sensors has improved a great deal lately. Optimized quality image processing, noise reduction has become more effective, and the addition of phase auto focus sensors has ensured a serious camera speed and accuracy of point of focus.

In the last issue we celebrated the release of the new M-series professional lens. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm 1:2.8. With a 2x cropped factor, it has a field of view almost equivalent to a 24-70mm prime zoom – the base of any serious pro kit optic. Now it’s paired with a 40-150mm telezoom with a constant aperture of 2.8. The delights of a compact system are especially clear here. With comparable aperture ratio and design reliability, this lens offers greater magnification than comparable SLR optics, yet is significantly lighter and more compact.

Specifications:

Olympus OM-D E-M5

Olympus OM-D E-M5

16.1 Megapixel 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ 3″ 46,900 Dollars.

Rumor has it that the ancestor of the OM-D series, the E-M5, will soon have to be bid farewell as its production may be halted. For a camera that will celebrate three years of decent life on the photographic market this coming February, it’s no surprise. It’s clear that nothing is ever empty, and if the rumors are true, there’s a worthy replacement already brewing in the design department. However, even in light of the coming changes, the E-M5 deserves a better fate than to lie on a collector’s shelf, and is still quite relevant.

It beats the younger E-M10 by having an all-weather magnesium body, a well-proven 5-axis stabilizer, especially useful when shooting macro and video, and a jack for connecting external accessories. That said, wireless transmission and Wi-Fi control are unfamiliar to it, no built-in flash it comes with a simple and slightly more powerful external blitz . The pivoting screen is made with OLED technology, which indicates a high level of brightness and excellent readability in the sun, as well as low power consumption, but the resolution is inferior to the displays of more modern cameras.

It differs from the older representative of the series E-M5 in the absence of hybrid autofocus, although the algorithms of contrast pointing FAST AF work pretty fast here, a little less interesting and flexible hardware control, a simpler viewfinder and screen. The camera can take 9 shots per second instead of 10, and the difference is hardly noticeable.

A rugged camera with a great set of shooting functions, a system of fine-tuning of the control and behavior of electronics, fast and responsive enough in operation, equipped with one of the best stabilization systems, functioning when using mechanical optics and during video recording, with a quite affordable price tag – it’s worth thinking about. Included with the camera for this price is a motorized zoom, very useful for video shooting. In addition, it might be worth expecting a significant discount on this machine in the near future.

Specifications:

Olympus OM-D E-M10

Olympus OM-D E-M10

16.1 Megapixel 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 3″ 35 000 Dollars.

The E-M10 is supposed to attract those amateurs who haven’t yet plunged into the nitty-gritty of photography, but cannot rule out a deeper dive in the not-so-distant future. The challenge the camera makers faced was to make a more affordable product without compromising on quality.

First of all they made the camera lighter and more compact, while retaining the metal in the construction of the body and individual elements. If in older models there is no built-in flash, and its lack is made up for with a miniature blitz going to the kit, the E-M10 has got all “in one bottle”.

As far as amateur photographic equipment is concerned, each manufacturer decides in its own way about the balance of performance and price. Olympus felt that the E-M10 buyer doesn’t need exceptional reliability, fast frame rate and burst mode, lots of knobs and wheels although, unlike some other amateur cameras, it has both wheels for exposure . It’s a shame it doesn’t have a five-axis IS system. Vibration compensation system here uses traditional technology.

With all this, the E-M10 has almost the entire range of software functions, specific tools for setting shooting parameters, as well as the older models. Simply till the time they can quietly lay in the tabs of the system menu, not stirring under hands of the unprepared user.

The touch screen is the same as the one on the E-M1 and there’s a built-in Wi-Fi module with the original QR-code to quickly set up the connection.

Olympus PEN E-P5

Olympus PEN E-P5

16.3 Megapixel 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 3″ 39,900 Dollars.

Despite being relatively compact, the E-P5 is almost as good as the older and junior members of the O-MD family. It has no all-weather protection, but thanks to a magnesium case, metal controls, high quality workmanship and finish looks and feels in the hands of this unit solid and reliable. The small size has not affected the camera’s ability to operate quickly and accurately with its advanced settings and manual modes. Here they worked out an interesting control system 2×2, when using two wheels and one lever you can adjust simultaneously four parameters, such as shutter speed, aperture, sensitivity and white balance. E-P5 leaders in interface customization, where they’re already the undisputed leaders, have gone one step further by letting you reassign even individual settings of the mode dial.

The presence of a five-axis stabilization system automatically puts this unit above the E-M10, providing more options when using telephoto, low-light shooting and video recording. Here for the first time was used a mechanical shutter capable of working ultra-short shutter speeds of 1/8000 seconds, which allows you to use a large aperture in bright light without special filters.

The E-P5 is also worth choosing over an O-MD if a photographer isn’t used to using the viewfinder and compactness is one of the main criteria for choosing a camera. Finally, if you want to see through the eyepiece, you can add an electronic viewfinder by installing it in the “hot shoe”.

Specifications:

Olympus PEN E-PL7

Olympus PEN E-PL7

16.1 Megapixel 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 3″ 24 000 Dollars.

We mentioned earlier that Olympus would likely drop its low-end PEN Mini series cameras and that the mid-range E-PL would become the low-end model in the line. The new E-PL7 is even closer in spirit to the PEN and O-MD lineup, though it has a lower starting price than the previous Lite.

The usual Olympus 16-megapixel sensor is paired with the more powerful seventh-generation Venus Engine. Still no phase detection AF sensor in the sensor, but sharpness by contrast and the number of active zones in the frame have improved.

Visually, the E-PL7 looks more like the flagship PEN E-P5 and O-MD series cameras than its predecessors. Leather-like textured trim not only on the grip but also on most of the front of the camera. The camera is most appealing in what is known as the silver version, where the grip and trim are in black and the base and top are in metallic gray. The controls have swapped, so now all the key functions can be operated with the right thumb. Shooting parameters wheel moved under the index finger, to use much more convenient than the ring around the navigation key, used in previous Mini and Lite cameras.

The camera’s built-in blitz is no longer available and can be replaced by a Miniature External Flash with a Guide Number of 7. It’s powered by the camera itself through an accessory port located under the “hot shoe”. Accordingly, you can install a variety of optional add-ons like a macro light, adapter for an external microphone, optical or electronic viewfinder, including the magnificent VF-4. The latter, however, costs half the price of the camera itself.

The most noticeable design feature of the E-PL7 is the touch screen with tilt adjustment mechanism. As before, it can swivel to take self-portraits. Only if before it went up 170 degrees and was partially obscured by the top panel of the camera, now it goes down all the way 180 degrees. You can see the whole picture on it. The special self-portrait mode that detects faces in the frame and sets the focus point according to them is automatically activated when you rotate it to the extreme position.