Shooting sports: PEN E-PM2 vs EM5ii/EM1

Nicholas Johnson wrote:

I'm fairly happy with my $100 refurb EPM2 but after buying those beautiful Oly primes I am seeing general softness even with good technique and shutter speeds twice the rule. I'm thinking shutter shock and I'd like a body that has been engineered with no shock in mind.

I also have the opportunity to shoot my kids sports (soccer, baseball, tennis) or people getting dragged behind a boat. Soccer is incredibly tough as the subject distance is changing and the whole scene is chaotic. Here the C-AF on the EPM2 is so wrong. Just always. Hunting, breathing, sharp background or sharp foreground but the subject in the middle is a disaster.

I'm not surprised--Oly has only recently corralled CAF and using it solely with a back display, especially outdoors, is the pathway to less than ideal shooting conditions. The OM-Ds are the first cameras I've had any success with CAF. And outdoors, an EVF is simply mandatory.

The question becomes is there anything in the EM5 (original since people have experience, or the II) that makes it better at C-AF than the cheapest m43 with the same sensor. My understanding is that the EM1's PDAF only works on legacy 43 lenses and since I have no desire to buy any its not really on my radar.

Majority opinion, and the DPR review function table, is that the E-M1 combines CDAF and PDAF for all lenses in CAF, not just 4/3 lenses. I can vouch that it works for soccer.

In case you couldn't tell I'm in the market for a new body. The EM5ii is at the top of my list for sharp stills and super stabilized video. I just wish I could do C-AF with my current lenses (40-150/5.6R) and not either give up or buy into another system.

The kit 40-150 is too slow for sports. Due to the modest apertures it can't isolate the action sufficiently and it also prevents using really high shutter speeds, which is an important component of success. It might be okay for tennis or a lone player on a field, but amongst the chaos and clutter of team sports it is the wrong lens. No matter what system you choose, you'll need to budget for fast glass.

Can the OM-Ds shoot sports? Absolutely. The E-M1 and 5ii are better suited because of the 1/8000 shutter, and the M1's CDAF and PDAF allow for very good CAF. I won't comment on the 5ii's capabilities without some real user experience. They're shipping so we'll know pretty soon. The M5 does work but is a half-step behind the M1 (I own both).

In general, prefer shutter speeds above 1/1000 for soccer--trade ISO for speed always. Several soccer shots are in my DPR gallery, including several with the E-M1.

E-M1+ZD35-100

Oops, the one below is from an E-5!

Cheers,

Rick