thinking about buying Olympus e-m5 mark II

joanna7

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Hi there,

I am new on this forum. I have Canon 450d and I like it very much but seems old now and to be honest I am looking for something lighter now /my hands are not so stable anymore/.

I had canon 70d for a while but although it is very good camera it was too heavy.

Now I am considering Oly e-m5 mark 2.I have never had cs camera and only had long time ago compact camera made by Olympus.

I would appreciate advice .This camera is more then my budget but from reviews it seems to be interesting so maybe it is good to invest .

Joanna
 
Hi there,

I am new on this forum. I have Canon 450d and I like it very much but seems old now and to be honest I am looking for something lighter now /my hands are not so stable anymore/.

I had canon 70d for a while but although it is very good camera it was too heavy.

Now I am considering Oly e-m5 mark 2.I have never had cs camera and only had long time ago compact camera made by Olympus.

I would appreciate advice .This camera is more then my budget but from reviews it seems to be interesting so maybe it is good to invest .
Take a look at the EM-10. It has the same sensor, many of the same features, and is about half the price.


TEdolph
 
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I would second what Tedolph says. Consider also the EM10, or if you need the all-weather capabilities of the EM5 alternatively the original EM5 that is now often available with good discounts. It is still an excellent camera. I particularly like the sure footed exposure across a wide range of conditions and the very fast and reliable single frame focus. To cover available light events I would use it with two fast primes, the 17 and the 45mm Olympus lenses. The 17mm to shoot a couple across a table or a group and the 43 to get closer framed shots. Personally I often use the even smallert Olympus Pen E-P5 for this type of shooting at events. With all of them you can add a large Olympus flash for indirect lighting.
 
It looks like a nice camera, the other way to also lose some weight is by choosing prime lenses for the focal lengths you use most. Also make sure the camera feels comfortable in your hands, they probably offer grips if it doesn't.
 
Yes ,I will take a look at EM-10 ,but what also attract me to the new Olympus camera is stabilization,which supposed to be great:)

What about Olympus lenses ,which are reccomended /landscapes/?

I have never had in my hand this pancake lenses ,are they good?
 
Yes ,I will take a look at EM-10 ,but what also attract me to the new Olympus camera is stabilization,which supposed to be great:)
It is supposed to be great, but My E-M10's 3 axis stabilization is also very good, as good as most OS/VR/IS lenses I've used from other brands.
What about Olympus lenses ,which are reccomended /landscapes/?
Many of the Olympus M43 lenses are great, there are other great options from Panasonic and Sigma. I like the 12/2, 25/1.8, 45/1.8, and 12-40/2.8. I have heard great things about the 17/1.8, 75/1.8, and 40-150/2.8. Even the kit lenses are good by kit lens standards.
I have never had in my hand this pancake lenses ,are they good?
The Panasonic ones (14/2.5, 20/1.7) are very good. The Olympus 17/2.8 I would skip, but the other primes are small and light (event the 75/1.8 isn't bad, weight wise).
 
Yes ,I will take a look at EM-10 ,but what also attract me to the new Olympus camera is stabilization,which supposed to be great:)

What about Olympus lenses ,which are reccomended /landscapes/?


Same focal lengths as for full frame cameras. Just take the 2x crop factor into account.



As you know, most landscape photo's are taken stopped down, so almost any m4/3 lens will have adequate optical quality for landscapes unless you are really printing huge, e.g. 20" x 30" in which case you should be looking at full frame anyway.



Honestly, if I primarily wanted to shoot landscapes I would be looking at a camera with a 3:2 aspect sensor, not a 4:3 aspect sensor. The 4/3 sensor is a great portrait sensor for a lot of reasons. The 3:2 sensor is better for landscape work.
I have never had in my hand this pancake lenses ,are they good?


They are fine. People fuss about the Oly 17mm f/2.8 pancake lens but stopped down one or two stops and, like most lenses it is fine:






E-pl1, M.Zuiko 17mm, f/2.8





Tedolph
 
This camera is more then my budget but from reviews it seems to be interesting so maybe it is good to invest .
Any reason you're not looking for a deal on a Mark 1?
 
Actually I have not think of Olympus cameras so far ,maybe because I used canon and I have all canon lenses ,but from the moment I started to have problem a bit with my hands I started to look for something lighter and just found out review about this camera and sounded soooo good:).

I was thinking about M1 but it looks that M5 ii have better video options?

I also was thinking about Fuji xt1 and also never had in my hands Fuji camera ,but somehow m5II attracted my attention. That`s why I am asking on this forum for advice ,especially people who know much better than me about this camera and photography as well.

And I am really grateful for you all to helping me with my decision:)
 
Actually I have not think of Olympus cameras so far ,maybe because I used canon and I have all canon lenses ,but from the moment I started to have problem a bit with my hands I started to look for something lighter and just found out review about this camera and sounded soooo good:).

I was thinking about M1 but it looks that M5 ii have better video options?

I also was thinking about Fuji xt1 and also never had in my hands Fuji camera ,but somehow m5II attracted my attention. That`s why I am asking on this forum for advice ,especially people who know much better than me about this camera and photography as well.

And I am really grateful for you all to helping me with my decision:)
Keep in mind that if you buy into the micro four thirds system, you can use Panasonic m4/3 lenses on an Olympus body, and vice versa. But, there are a couple of caveats.

Olympus cameras have in body stabilization (IBIS). Hence, any lens you put on the camera will be stabilized. As a result of this, none of the Olympus lenses have stabilization built in.

On the other hand, the Panasonic bodies (with the lone exception of the GX7) are NOT stabilized. Therefore, if you want stabilization when shooting with a Panasonic body you need to buy stabilized lenses. Panasonic lenses (other than the short primes, which do not need it) have stabilization built into the lenses.

What all this means is that if you buy an Olympus, any lens from either Panasonic or Olympus will be stabilized on your Olympus body. The same cannot be said of Panasonic cameras: if you want stabilization on a Panasonic camera, you need to buy a Panasonic lens that has it.

Back to your original question: the E-M10 is a very nice camera and is a lot cheaper than the E-M5 Mk II. If money is no object, then get the new E-M5. Otherwise, take a look at the E-M10, or as another poster suggested, the original E-M5.

As an aside: The E-M1 is Olympus' flagship camera but is a little larger and heaver than the other Oly cameras mentioned, so if you are after the lightest possible camera the E-M1 may be a bit too big for you.

The m4/3 lenses are for the most part quite good, and very light. There is a drop-down menu selection under "Lenses" at the top of the main DPReview screen. It is called Side by Side Lens Comparison. You can select the m4/3 lenses you are considering (along with equivalent Canon lenses) and see how the sizes and weights of the various lenses compare. Give it a try; I think you will be pleasantly surprised in how small and light many of the m4/3 lenses are.

By the way, there is a micro four thirds forum; if you were to pose your questions about micro four thirds gear there you will get more responses than here in the Beginners forum.
 
Thank you Tom for advice ,very helpful.I probably will go with e-m5 mark II , but still have to learn a bit more about micro four thirds.To be honest I do not know much about ,but this forum is very helpful.I am so glad I found it :)

The stabilization and the fact that camera and lenses are light is very important for me.

I am very grateful for all advice!!!
 
Thank you Tom for advice ,very helpful.I probably will go with e-m5 mark II , but still have to learn a bit more about micro four thirds.To be honest I do not know much about ,but this forum is very helpful.I am so glad I found it :)

The stabilization and the fact that camera and lenses are light is very important for me.

I am very grateful for all advice!!!
Why do you want to dump that much $$ into a body you will probably only have for five or six years? All the Olympus cameras have the same sensor, except the E-m1.

What does the EM-5 mark II have over the other models that you need?

The $600.00 you save will buy you one or two very nice lenses, and lenses are far more important than bodies.

TEdolph
 
To be honest ,I dont know much about Olympus cameras. I have read that this model have much improved video recording + better stabilization and that is probably why I just think about this one.

I also heard about Fuji Xt1, but also never used Fuji cameras before.I am just trying to make my mind .I know it is a lot of money ,considering that I do not have any lenses as well /I use canon camera /.And probably it will be good to go to the shop and find out how this camera feels in hands ,also the other ones mentioned before.
 
To be honest ,I dont know much about Olympus cameras. I have read that this model have much improved video recording + better stabilization and that is probably why I just think about this one.
Stabilization in all Olympus models is good. Video is only so-so. Panasonic is the king of video.
I also heard about Fuji Xt1, but also never used Fuji cameras before.I am just trying to make my mind .
More expensive and larger than m4/3, especially the lenses. Video is even worse than Olympus.
I know it is a lot of money ,considering that I do not have any lenses as well /I use canon camera /.
Then why not get an EOS M?

You can use your Canon DSLR lenses on it.
And probably it will be good to go to the shop and find out how this camera feels in hands ,also the other ones mentioned before.
Yes.

TEdolph
 
Why not canon eos m?

probably is strange that not canon ,but I want to try something different than canon this time.I still keep my old Canon 450d ,and I have compact canon s120 /which I had to send to repair twice/, and I had canon 70d for a while / great video recording/ but much too heavy.

So just probably need some change, why not Olympus then?:)
 
Why not canon eos m?

probably is strange that not canon ,but I want to try something different than canon this time.I still keep my old Canon 450d ,and I have compact canon s120 /which I had to send to repair twice/, and I had canon 70d for a while / great video recording/ but much too heavy.

So just probably need some change, why not Olympus then?:)
Here is what DPR had to say about the EOS M3, and the lack of native lenses for it. I really haven't kept up with this camera; the lack of lenses was a turn off for me when the first one was announced. Thus, if you disagree with the following, don't shoot me: I'm only the messenger.

(DPR impressions follows)

"While feature access has changed in dramatic style, the lens range hasn't – and everyone knows that enthusiasts look at a camera's lens range before the camera itself. I am certain there are plenty of photographers who bought a Fujifilm X-T1 because they wanted to use the XF 56mm f/1.2, or those who invested in a Micro Four Thirds body to be able to use the Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2. Canon's EF-M range really doesn't have anything to compare with these fine optics and the hypnotic draw they constitute for enthusiast photographers.

We have had it drummed into us since 1987 that the EOS system is about optical quality. In more recent years Canon's digital EOS range has been about the combination of that optical quality, Canon's homemade CMOS sensors, and the speed and accuracy of the system's autofocus. By contrast, autofocus in the M was shockingly poor.

Canon representatives cross their fingers behind their back when they explain that every desirable focal range is covered in the EOS M range, with zooms that take us from 11mm to 200mm (18-320mm in 35mm terms). Anything else, they go on to make clear, can be hooked in from the EF-S and EF ranges on the end of the EF-EOS M adapter. It is easy to read in their eyes that they too wish they had nice fast primes to talk about, zooms with a usable aperture range and that they didn't have to suggest mounting massive lenses to a tiny body that is supposed to be part of a tiny system.

But Canon has only four EF-M lenses in its range - one is a standard kit zoom that compares with every other standard kit zoom in the world, and two are zoom lenses with maximum apertures that start at f/4 and f/4.5. The only lens that anyone might conceivably think interesting enough to pay any attention to at all is the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM. And that magic gateway to the EF range, the EF-EOS M adapter, is not very easy to come by at all.

Canon's pitch that the EOS M3 is aimed at the enthusiast photographer only makes the EF-M lens range look even more inadequate. Which retailer will stock an enthusiast camera that has no lenses to sell with it, and which enthusiast will buy a camera body without looking to see what lenses will support it? If Canon does want to make the EOS M system a success it should have introduced appropriate lenses with the M3, and if that wasn't possible to have used the resources it devoted to the camera to producing the lenses instead.

If Canon does have lenses on the way it needs to get them out fast, or the body will be considered old by the time they arrive."
 
Thank you Tom for advice ,very helpful.I probably will go with e-m5 mark II , but still have to learn a bit more about micro four thirds.To be honest I do not know much about ,but this forum is very helpful.I am so glad I found it :)

The stabilization and the fact that camera and lenses are light is very important for me.

I am very grateful for all advice!!!
Glad to be of service. If you decide to go with any of the Olympus cameras, I think you will be pleased.

In the interest of full disclosure: a number of people don't like the Olympus menu system. The basic issue is that Olympus allows the user to change a huge amount of settings in their cameras, and customize them to suit their individual preferences down to a gnat's eyelash. All that flexibility comes at a price: there are page after page of menu settings (with options and sub-options) that you can go in and tweak to your heart's desire. IMHO it's not that they are contradictory or confusing; there is just a heck of a lot of stuff there.

However, the good news is that there is also something called the Super Control Panel. It's a one page graphic / grid that you can call up on the LCD screen with one push of a button. It provides quick access to the settings you are likely to change frequently. And of course, the control wheels and function buttons on the OMD cameras allow fast access to the settings you have them assigned to.

Here is a link that explains the super control panel:

Olympus Super Control Panel Explained
 

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