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by E.J. Peiker on Wed Feb 16, 2022 12:31 pm
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The first camera announced by the new owner of Olympus:
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/om-sys ... ial-review

Uses a new sensor technology called quad-pixel bayer, a technology that has been used by some cell phones up to now.
 

by Scott Fairbairn on Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:38 pm
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I shot Olympus for a few years at the beginning of mirrorless. The thing that always held that system back was the autofocus, hopefully, they can stand with the best now, or at least be competitive. I still prefer my mark 2 for macro and stacking over full frame. The file size is good, the extra DOF from the lens/smaller sensor size is a nice plus, and the camera with the 60mm macro makes for a nice compact package.
 

by ChrisRoss on Thu Feb 17, 2022 11:26 pm
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It's an interesting upgrade and some of it sounds quite promising.  If it actually achieves the the promised 2 stops of noise and 1 stop of Dynamic range improvement it will be ahead of the Nikon APS-C sensors on noise and pretty close to matching them on dynamic range at least according to the DXO tests - hopefully DXO will test it before too long.

I have to agree it EM-1 MkII is great for macro stacking, set it up then hit the button and it blasts off the exposures.  The higher frame rates can only make this better.

I got my olympus setup to take underwater - it does great for that big sensors really don't have the same advantages underwater for most uses as you are often primarily strobe lit and housing big sensors and wide angle lenses is significantly more expensive and the systems and much heavier and bulkier.  I don't know if I'll get a housing for the OM-1 if I get one yet - it would cost me $3500 or so for a new housing on top of the camera.
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by DChan on Fri Feb 18, 2022 2:53 pm
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OM System OM-1: An adventurous camera and the right tool for the job

An article by Chris Niccolls of dpreview.com

Most importantly, though, a camera is a tool, and choosing the right camera means finding the right tool for the job....
Here's something you might not know about me. I'm a fly fisherman
Fishing goes hand in hand with weather and water. I need a camera system that can take abuse and handle rain and snow. Even on a clear day, I'm usually filming from beside the water or often standing right in it. When fishing from a drift boat, the oars bring in a surprising amount of water, and splashes are common. The E-M1 III has always stood up to any water thrown at it, and with the OM-1 having an even more rugged IP53 rating, I would have no concerns short of dropping it straight in the river.
I did leave the E-M1 III on the top of the back tire of a pickup truck. Let's not get into why. To make a long story short, I drove over the camera in hard, packed mud. Obviously, this is a one-off situation, well beyond any camera's rating. The lens was destroyed (a Panasonic Leica 12-60, sadly), but the camera survived, and surprisingly the lens mount was sound. I switched to another lens and was able to keep shooting without issue to this very day. Pretty impressive.
 

by DChan on Fri Feb 25, 2022 4:18 pm
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【CP+2022 OM SYSTEM スペシャルトークステージ】2月25日(金)19:00~ 写真家 菅原貴徳「進化した鳥認識AFで撮る日本の鳥たち」


About the bird detection AF of the O-M1. You can start from 52:37 if you want to.

Yes, it's in Japanese.
 

by DChan on Fri Mar 11, 2022 2:47 pm
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Out and About with the OM Systems OM1

Andy Rouse's review of the camera.
 

by Cynthia Crawford on Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:58 am
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I'm very interested in an affordable, quality , lighter weight camera and lens for birding. Have been watching Olympus-this new camera looks pretty good, but what lens(s) would possibly come close to my Nikon 500 5.6?  I mostly shoot with my D500,  and the 500- a great combo, but getting heavy for arthritic hands...Any thoughts about a new Olympus combo? Lightweight is my goal, image quality should be close to what I can get now, if possible. Eye detection and mirrorless could possibly help too.

Thanks!
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"If I Keep a Green Bough in My Heart, the Singing Bird Will Come"  Chinese Proverb
 

by DChan on Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:37 am
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Cynthia Crawford wrote:[snip] but what lens(s) would possibly come close to my Nikon 500 5.6?  I mostly shoot with my D500,  ...

Thanks!
Probably the 300 f4. It does well with TC 1.4 if you need to.
 

by Cynthia Crawford on Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:37 am
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DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:[snip] but what lens(s) would possibly come close to my Nikon 500 5.6?  I mostly shoot with my D500,  ...

Thanks!
Probably the 300 f4. It does well with TC 1.4 if you need to.
Oh, yes- I have that lens for Nikon, thanks. I'm looking for what might go well with the new Olympus O-M1.
Cynthia (Cindy) Crawford-Moderator, Photo & Digital Art
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"If I Keep a Green Bough in My Heart, the Singing Bird Will Come"  Chinese Proverb
 

by DChan on Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:26 pm
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Cynthia Crawford wrote:
DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:[snip] but what lens(s) would possibly come close to my Nikon 500 5.6?  I mostly shoot with my D500,  ...

Thanks!
Probably the 300 f4. It does well with TC 1.4 if you need to.
Oh, yes- I have that lens for Nikon, thanks. I'm looking for what might go well with the new Olympus O-M1.
I meant the Olympus M Zuiko ED 300 mm f4 IS Pro and Olympus own TC 1.4, i.e., Olympus MC-14.
 

by Cynthia Crawford on Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:29 pm
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DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:
DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:[snip] but what lens(s) would possibly come close to my Nikon 500 5.6?  I mostly shoot with my D500,  ...

Thanks!
Probably the 300 f4. It does well with TC 1.4 if you need to.
Oh, yes- I have that lens for Nikon, thanks. I'm looking for what might go well with the new Olympus O-M1.
I meant the Olympus M Zuiko ED 300 mm f4 IS Pro and Olympus own TC 1.4, i.e., Olympus MC-14.
Oh, OK-didn't realize that was an Oly lens. Not familiar with the brand. Thanks!
Cynthia (Cindy) Crawford-Moderator, Photo & Digital Art
web site: http://www.creaturekinships.net
"If I Keep a Green Bough in My Heart, the Singing Bird Will Come"  Chinese Proverb
 

by DChan on Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:35 pm
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Cynthia Crawford wrote:
DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:
DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:[snip] but what lens(s) would possibly come close to my Nikon 500 5.6?  I mostly shoot with my D500,  ...

Thanks!
Probably the 300 f4. It does well with TC 1.4 if you need to.
Oh, yes- I have that lens for Nikon, thanks. I'm looking for what might go well with the new Olympus O-M1.
I meant the Olympus M Zuiko ED 300 mm f4 IS Pro and Olympus own TC 1.4, i.e., Olympus MC-14.
Oh, OK-didn't realize that was an Oly lens. Not familiar with the brand. Thanks!
The longest Olympus lens now is the 150-400 mm f4.5 with built in 1.25 TC. Don't think that's what you're looking for though.

Go to Fredmiranda for images from those lenses.
 

by Cynthia Crawford on Tue Mar 15, 2022 3:54 pm
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DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:
DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:
DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:[snip] but what lens(s) would possibly come close to my Nikon 500 5.6?  I mostly shoot with my D500,  ...

Thanks!
Probably the 300 f4. It does well with TC 1.4 if you need to.
Oh, yes- I have that lens for Nikon, thanks. I'm looking for what might go well with the new Olympus O-M1.
I meant the Olympus M Zuiko ED 300 mm f4 IS Pro and Olympus own TC 1.4, i.e., Olympus MC-14.
Oh, OK-didn't realize that was an Oly lens. Not familiar with the brand. Thanks!
The longest Olympus lens now is the 150-400 mm f4.5 with built in 1.25 TC. Don't think that's what you're looking for though.

Go to Fredmiranda for images from those lenses.
Hmm- why not the 150-400 5/6.3. Cheaper and lighter than the 300....
Cynthia (Cindy) Crawford-Moderator, Photo & Digital Art
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"If I Keep a Green Bough in My Heart, the Singing Bird Will Come"  Chinese Proverb
 

by ricardo00 on Tue Mar 15, 2022 5:30 pm
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Cynthia Crawford wrote:
DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:
DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:
DChan wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:[snip] but what lens(s) would possibly come close to my Nikon 500 5.6?  I mostly shoot with my D500,  ...

Thanks!
Probably the 300 f4. It does well with TC 1.4 if you need to.
Oh, yes- I have that lens for Nikon, thanks. I'm looking for what might go well with the new Olympus O-M1.
I meant the Olympus M Zuiko ED 300 mm f4 IS Pro and Olympus own TC 1.4, i.e., Olympus MC-14.
Oh, OK-didn't realize that was an Oly lens. Not familiar with the brand. Thanks!
The longest Olympus lens now is the 150-400 mm f4.5 with built in 1.25 TC. Don't think that's what you're looking for though.

Go to Fredmiranda for images from those lenses.
Hmm- why not the 150-400 5/6.3. Cheaper and lighter than the 300....
  But f/6.3 versus f/4.5.  With a small sensor, the more light one lets in the better.  But heavier than your 500mm PF.  Would be interesting to try out (Lens Rentals is supposed to have one available to rent in mid-May).
 

by ChrisRoss on Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:07 pm
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Cynthia Crawford wrote:

Go to Fredmiranda for images from those lenses.
Hmm- why not the 150-400 5/6.3. Cheaper and lighter than the 300....

The Olympus 300mm f4 is impeccably sharp even wide open at f4.  The thing with smaller formats is that as well as the crop factor depth of field scales as well, so the Olympus 300mm f4 is really equivalent to a 600mm f8 on full frame.  It's not a super lightweight lens but is really quite well built. The 100-400 would be equivalent to 800mm f12.6 at the long end.   The effective aperture limits your ability to blur backgrounds.  If you could live with this the 100-400 could be a viable option.

With the 300mm f4 it is really quite feasible to shoot wide open, the extra DOF of the m43 format and the sharpness of the lens means shooting for example small birds at f4 quite feasible.  This also helps overcome the low light performance of the small sensor.  Shooting at f4 instead of f8 means for example shooting at ISO800 instead of ISO3200.

Because it focuses so close it also makes a fine dragonfly, butterfly and orchid lens.  Quite a few of the orchids I've been posting on the Flora and Macro forum are taken with the 300mm f4.

Hand holding is also really possible with the in body IS.  I took this shot with the 300 mm f4 wide open 1/13 @ f4 ISO800:

Eastern Yellow Robin

or this 1/30 @ f5.6, wide open with 1.4x :

Eastern Yellow Robin
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Last edited by ChrisRoss on Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
 

by Cynthia Crawford on Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:05 pm
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ChrisRoss wrote:

The Olympus 300mm f4 is impeccably sharp even wide open at f4.  The thing with smaller formats is that as well as the crop factor depth of field scales as well, so the Olympus 300mm f4 is really equivalent to a 600mm f8 on full frame.  It's not a super lightweight lens but is really quite well built. The 150-400 would be equivalent to 800mm f12.6 at the long end.   The effective aperture limits your ability to blur backgrounds.  If you could live with this the 100-400 could be a viable option.

With the 300mm f4 it is really quite feasible to shoot wide open, the extra DOF of the m43 format and the sharpness of the lens means shooting for example small birds at f4 quite feasible.  This also helps overcome the low light performance of the small sensor.  Shooting at f4 instead of f8 means for example shooting at ISO800 instead of ISO3200.

Because it focuses so close it also makes a fine dragonfly, butterfly and orchid lens.  Quite a few of the orchids I've been posting on the Flora and Macro forum are taken with the 300mm f4.

Hand holding is also really possible with the in body IS.  I took this shot with the 300 mm f4 wide open 1/13 @ f4 ISO800:

Eastern Yellow Robin

or this 1/30 @ f5.6, wide open with 1.4x :

Eastern Yellow Robin
Nice pictures, Chris. What ISO for the second one?
I can't imagine shooting at ISO 800 here! Unless mirrorless is a whole different ball game. We don't get much good light in Vermont.
What camera were you using?

I'd have to compare weights with the 300f/4 plus TC , VS my D500 + 500 f/5.6 (not to mention cost....). Still, I am leaning towards some sort of mirrorless....but not making any hasty decisions. Appreciate your input.
Cynthia (Cindy) Crawford-Moderator, Photo & Digital Art
web site: http://www.creaturekinships.net
"If I Keep a Green Bough in My Heart, the Singing Bird Will Come"  Chinese Proverb
 

by DChan on Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:48 pm
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Cynthia Crawford wrote: I'd have to compare weights with the 300f/4 plus TC , VS my D500 + 500 f/5.6 (not to mention cost....). Still, I am leaning towards some sort of mirrorless....but not making any hasty decisions. Appreciate your input.
Olympus 300 f4 is a bit shorter in length and diameter than the Nikon 500f5.6 but 0.05 lb heavier. It's full metal construction.

Nikon's 500 f5.6 minimum focus distance is 9.8 ft and Olympus's is 4.6 ft.
 

by ChrisRoss on Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:47 am
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Cynthia Crawford wrote: Nice pictures, Chris. What ISO for the second one?
I can't imagine shooting at ISO 800 here! Unless mirrorless is a whole different ball game. We don't get much good light in Vermont.
What camera were you using?

I'd have to compare weights with the 300f/4 plus TC , VS my D500 + 500 f/5.6 (not to mention cost....). Still, I am leaning towards some sort of mirrorless....but not making any hasty decisions. Appreciate your input.
It's also ISO800, both taken with EM-1 MkII.  Mirrorless can save a little weight on the camera but only by going to a smaller sensor is it possible to make the lenses a little lighter.  The 300mm f4 unfortunately doesn't save much weight being more or less the same weight as the PF500mm.  The 100-400 is 300 gr lighter (0.6 lb).  The new OM-1 is 0.5 lb lighter than the D500.

The EM-1 II is a very close match for the D500 in terms of measured image quality - noise and DR, not quite as good but close.  I was able to get these shots as this bird sits very still in between flitting around. 

The light for these shots was quite low under rainforest canopy.  You can see the very low shutter speeds and these were hand held - won't work for all birds but will for many.  Also I went back to the raw file to confirm, there is no noise reduction on these images.

Looking at your shots I see you shoot at f5.6 quite often, shooting at f4 instead will get from ISO3200 to 1600 and I would guess bringing the shutter speed down half to one stop would have you close to ISO800.  Though the 300mm f4 is 600mm equivalent while you have 750mm equivalent with the 500mm on the D500.  You have to think like this to get you back in the same ballpark as you were with the APS-C sensor, the sensor in the EM-1 II is good but it is still gathering less light than the APS-C sensor does.
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by ricardo00 on Wed Mar 16, 2022 4:27 pm
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ChrisRoss wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote: Nice pictures, Chris. What ISO for the second one?
I can't imagine shooting at ISO 800 here! Unless mirrorless is a whole different ball game. We don't get much good light in Vermont.
What camera were you using?

I'd have to compare weights with the 300f/4 plus TC , VS my D500 + 500 f/5.6 (not to mention cost....). Still, I am leaning towards some sort of mirrorless....but not making any hasty decisions. Appreciate your input.
It's also ISO800, both taken with EM-1 MkII.  Mirrorless can save a little weight on the camera but only by going to a smaller sensor is it possible to make the lenses a little lighter.  The 300mm f4 unfortunately doesn't save much weight being more or less the same weight as the PF500mm.  The 100-400 is 300 gr lighter (0.6 lb).  The new OM-1 is 0.5 lb lighter than the D500.

The EM-1 II is a very close match for the D500 in terms of measured image quality - noise and DR, not quite as good but close.  I was able to get these shots as this bird sits very still in between flitting around. 

The light for these shots was quite low under rainforest canopy.  You can see the very low shutter speeds and these were hand held - won't work for all birds but will for many.  Also I went back to the raw file to confirm, there is no noise reduction on these images.

Looking at your shots I see you shoot at f5.6 quite often, shooting at f4 instead will get from ISO3200 to 1600 and I would guess bringing the shutter speed down half to one stop would have you close to ISO800.  Though the 300mm f4 is 600mm equivalent while you have 750mm equivalent with the 500mm on the D500.  You have to think like this to get you back in the same ballpark as you were with the APS-C sensor, the sensor in the EM-1 II is good but it is still gathering less light than the APS-C sensor does.
  Very nicely explained and thought out, Chris.  Personally, I can't imagine shooting the subjects I am after at those shutter speeds.  But your shots are exquisite.  Definitely shows the advantages of the micro 4/3 system.  Just curious, what are your thoughts on the 150-400mm Olympus lens with the built in TC?  And the "pro-Capture"?
 

by ChrisRoss on Wed Mar 16, 2022 6:31 pm
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ricardo00 wrote:
  Very nicely explained and thought out, Chris.  Personally, I can't imagine shooting the subjects I am after at those shutter speeds.  But your shots are exquisite.  Definitely shows the advantages of the micro 4/3 system.  Just curious, what are your thoughts on the 150-400mm Olympus lens with the built in TC?  And the "pro-Capture"?

Thanks Ricardo.  You can't use those shutter speeds all the time, but it's nice to be able to use them when you can. The main point of using them as examples is to show what is possible with very low light levels.

The 150-400 seems like a great lens but very pricey I really can't see myself getting one as the 300 with a TC does most of what I need.  Only experimented briefly with pro-capture, I don't do a lot of shooting that could take advantage of it.
Chris Ross
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http://www.aus-natural.com   Instagram: @ausnaturalimages  Now offering Fine Art printing Services
 

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