OM-D E-M5 a huge disappointment for me...

I read many reviews before choosing the E-M5 as a camera to replace my aging Oly dslr's.  Upon spending a couple of weeks with it I find that this camera is fatally flawed for my use, and I just can not believe that this issue is not really addressed to the proper extent in reviews.

I shoot exclusively hand held and only available light.  I have a steady hand and regularly shoot sharp shots at shutter times that violate the rule of thumb using my dslr.  I am often shooting in the 1/8 to 1/200 range at base iso.  On the OM-D E-M5 I find that 90% of the shots I take are blurred in a systematic way or "doubled".  The degree or severity of the problem seems to be somewhat lens dependent.  Given these results I dug deeper and discovered the "shutter shock" problem which has been discussed here in various threads.  In my reading I found that setting an "anti-shock" delay is a method for reducing this problem, and in my testing it is an effective way to reduce, if not completely eliminate the problem. However, introducing a shutter lag on the order of fractions of a second reduces the performance and responsiveness of the camera in an unacceptable way.  I am just surprised that this issue is not a deal breaker for more users, or a significant issue for reviewers.  I guess many are content with using high iso to avoid the conditions that are most susceptible to shutter-shock, but to me it seems like a big compromise...

I am wondering, am I alone in being disappointed with the shutter-shock problems and the anti-shock delay solution?  I would be interested in other user's experiences.  The OM-D E-M5 is capable of delivering truly incredible image quality in a very compact package, but for me the anti-shock delay is a huge price to pay...

As you point out, the issue is lens-dependent. I currently use eight lenses with my E-M5. I have shutter-shock issues with two of them: the Olympus 75/1.8 and the Panasonic 100-300/4-5.6. With these two lenses, I prefer to use a shutter speed of about 1/200 or higher (which is about the same lower limit as I would have without stabilization with the 75 and with the zoom at the short end; towards the long end of the zoom, IBIS/OIS still helps to keep the shutter speed lower than could be expected without stabilization).

With the other six lenses I use (Samyang 7.5/3.5 FE, Olympus 12/2, Panasonic 20/1.7, Olympus 45/1.8, Panasonic 7-14/4, and Panasonic 14-45/3.5-5.6) I have no shutter-shock issues (if I use OIS rather than IBIS on the 14-45) and can enjoy shutter speeds up to three stops lower than those given by the standard 1/EFL rule (unless the subject moves too much).

As you might be aware, the E-M5 is not the only MFT body affected by shutter shock. The issue is hardly unknown when it comes to DSLRs either. Here is a very serious investigation (the most thorough I have seen) of shutter shock on the Pentax K-7:

http://www.falklumo.com/lumolabs/articles/k7shutter/index.html

A summary of the results is available here:

http://falklumo.blogspot.se/2010/07/lumolabs-shutter-induced-blur-with-slr.html

One might add that the loss of IQ by going from ISO 200 to ISO 400 is very small on the E-M5. The drop in DR is merely about 1/3 EV.

Obviously, we would all be happier if the shutter-shock issue wasn't there in the first place. But it's hardly an issue that makes the camera useless to me.

Shutter shock exists on all cameras with a mechanical shutter. On a dslr people generally do not notice it because the mirror slap gives much more vibration than the shutter shock.

I just have 1/8s shutter shock enabled. For me this completely eliminates the issue with my lenses. You may think that the 1/8s delay is unacceptable, but given the speed at which modern lenses focus (the 20mm f/1.8 is an exception with slower focus) the delay is easy enough to work with. The total delay from button press to shot being taken is still lower than with any digicam that's a few years old. I only had faster times with my dslr and ultra fast focusing lenses.

If you want the fastest possible response there currently is no alternative to the dslr with pdaf focusing and ultra-fast lenses, like Canon's USM lenses. The E-M5 is about as good as it gets in the mirrorless world and if this isn't good enough for you, go the dslr route until some time in the future the mechanical shutter gets eliminated completely (not in the half-baked way it is on the Panasonic GH3).

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Slowly learning to use the Olympus OM-D E-M5.
Public pictures at http://debra.zenfolio.com/.

I keep hearing about this and Anders explains it well in the previpost response, but I have yet to see it. And I've done a lot of low light shooting with the 75mm at shutter speeds well below his recommended 1/200 that are razor sharp. I suppose I may have had a few bad shots that I've tossed out with the bath water that may have had this, but I've never noticed it. The camera has been anything but a disappointment to me.

-Ray
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/20889767@N05/collections/72157626204295198/

If you haven't seen it mentioned in reviews, or read too many people complaining of it, then that must mean it's not an issue for the majority of people using the OMD. Personally I accept that you get vibration issues with any camera with a mechanical shutter and the OMD has been no better or worse than anything else I've used in this respect.

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Any problem on earth can be solved by a well aimed Pomegranate...
Tony
http://the-random-photographer.blogspot.com/

I've concluded that the E-M5 is not the weapon of choice for low light shooting of moving objects. This is where the my big Nikon D3s still carry the day with instant autofocus and way better focus tracking. I also much prefer a full frame body for shooting wide. The 12mm Oly is a very nice lens but I don't always want the perspective of a 12mm to get the FOV of a 24mm lens.

Having said that, I can't understand why you would be "hugely disappointed" by the E-M5. I've had it at Mardi Gras parades the last two evenings and got some great results in low light with the 75mm Oly lens. It can deliver but is a bit trickier than the Nikon Pro bodies. Overall, what a great little camera; it delivers marvelous results in a wide range of conditions.

IMHO, the E-M5 is a pretty decent weapon but realize it's an assault rifle and not a tank.

Regards,

Brent

Dare I say that had you got the Lumix G5 you'd have access to an electronic shutter option, plus a built in flash, superior ergonomics and handling plus a few other benefits.

I agree. All cameras can do that.

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Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
God is the tangential point between zero and infinity.
Aleo Photo Site

My experience is quite the opposite, I'm coming from a 5dmk2 & 7d combo. I took the OM-D to a wedding 5 months ago as a second camera, and that was that. If it wasn't for the om-d-II/E-7/something new pro-like upcoming, plus lack of availability of the 35-100mm panny in my country, i would have gone full mirrorless by now. I'm NOT a 'Oly fanboy' the OM-D is my first digital Olympus camera.

So, back to your issue: After having taken some 5-6000 frames with the OM-D i can say there's no perceptible shutter shock-worse than expected. If you come from another system, maybe you need to change your technique, as i found out i had to do myself. There's also the issue of lenses, i get excellent results with my primes, and the panny 14-42, but not with the OM-D kit lens.

I have never touched the shutter shock setting, as a matter of fact I've forgotten that it exists til I read your post

agree shutter shock is serious issue but to say that "camera is fatally flawed" is an exaggeration.

lens and camera dependent - not only the OMD problem. I had terrific shutter shock issues with the Olympus 40-150mm on my OMD, which I replaced with a Panasonic 45-175 lens, known for the same issues with Panasonic bodies. Now that notoriously bad Panasonic lens works fantastic with my Olympus body.

Anyone who says this is a non issue has been (so far) lucky and have never experienced it or have nothing against anti-shock delay which is, imo, improvisation. I'm with you that manufacturers should take better measures to counter that issue in the fist place, via hardware or via software - without any additional user actions.

The worst thing about it is - it looks to me that way - there is no rule about affected camera-lens combinations in which this issue can occur. Some user has problems with OMD + Panny 12-35, and some don't. Others, but only some, has issues with fantastic 75mm f1.8.. You can find a lot of examples when someone said that just third or fourth copy of the same XY lens was good. How is that possible ?

I tried to gather some infos about it in this thread but was left without responses - I guess like Papillon said for majority of users it's not a big issue after all.

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cheers
JO
http://kresimir.smugmug.com

My NEX_3 has a major problem with Shutter Shock too, but my new 5R does not.

Here's a DxO review: Sony NEX-5R vs Olympus OM-D E-M5

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Publications/DxOMark-Reviews/Sony-NEX-5-R-A-new-Sony-NEX-5N/Comparisons

Faulty OM-D?  There was a recent thread that suggested a few things to check:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/50722377

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nt=No text

I haven't been troubled by it, but I'm usually not using longer lenses than the 45, and as others have pointed out the problem seems exacerbated with longer focal lengths. I'm very interested in what lenses you've had this problem with, nolaalon?

I shoot with the OM-D and the:

12-60

12-50

70-300

60mm macro

8mm Pana fisheye

I regularly do shutters between 1" and 1/200s.

No issues with shutter shock here on any of my lenses.

Help me with this one.  I do not understand your comment above.

How is the perspective of a 24 mm lens on a 1x sensor different from that of a 12 mm lens on a 2x sensor holding camera to subject distance constant?  Clearly the FOV is the same and the DOF is different.  My understanding of perspective is that it is simple geometry dictated by viewing position independent of lens.

Thanks for clarification.

Lee

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http://photographicaLee.smugmug.com/

I do not have any issues with 'shutter shock' on either of my E-M5's -- regardless of lens used.

After reading all kinds of posts on this issue, it is my belief that the IBIS system in the E-M5 is so sensitive that those who have very steady hand holding technique tend to be the ones who experience this the most.

I believe that those with really good hand holding technique create a situation much like mounting the camera on a tripod, but there is just enough movement to cause the IBIS to correct when it's not needed, causing the blurred or double image.

Those like me who tend to be a bit shaky when hand holding, have no problem because the IBIS is doing just what it is supposed to do.

Perhaps you are trying too hard to hold the camera steady when hand holding:-) -- or perhaps I am entirely wrong on this. All I know is that I can't seem to make it happen, but it is clearly a real issue for some shooters.

God Bless,

Greg

www.imagismphotos.com

www.mccroskery.zenfolio.com

www.pbase.com//daddyo

Ray, some of us seem to be lucky, same situation here: no problems with shutter shock, love to shoot the 75/1.8 at shutter speeds slower than 1/200. I check my images at 100% before deleting and while i have a blurred one from time to time, this is due to motion blur or my own bad handling.

But there are others having the problem and if the 1/8s delay doesn't wotk for them for whatever reason, there is no other fix except mybe trying to hold and handle the camera differently.

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www.acahaya.com

Exchange your camera ​right now​. ​You shouldn't be experiencing this even remotely to the degree you've described. I see a shutter shock double image ​maybe​ once every other month. If you're seeing it all the time, then something is very wrong with your camera.

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--Mike

Admittedly my low light shots haven't been at more than 45mm (the prime) or 50mm (the kit 12-50 - not a bad lens but replaced with the 12-35).  However, I've never noticed the problem.  I recently shot a low light event for a pro photographer (Nikon user) who was receiving an honor.  We didn't notice anything.  (EM5 and 12-35 in that case; wished I'd brought a second body and longer lens as well, though.)

The main advantage of the camera, as usual, were its inconspicuous appearance, low noise at up to 1600, and very good SAF.

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W Alex Stewart