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Went to an EM1x Launch Event

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brianric said:
The only disappointment I had was not getting an answer if Olympus will be selling extra battery carriages as an accessory. When replacing batteries on a bike-a-thon I want to slide out old and slide in new fresh batteries as fast as possible without reloading the battery carriage in use.
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I really hope they do make these available as I would like a spare. If they get damaged out of the camera there will be no way to power the camera as the USB power requires at least one battery to be in place.
 
They told me they are trying to figure out which new lenses to offer. I expect replacements for telephoto FT lenses, primes and zooms.

Going to be a hell of a system.
 
zuikowesty said:
Thanks for the info. Although I'm not really interested in the EM-1X, as an E-M5 user, I appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Two things:

-interesting about the optical performance comment on the 50/2. I got a mint copy a year ago, and find it underwhelming, mainly because of terrible CA - red fringing on high contrast edges, and noticeably lower contrast than my 12-40. I now wonder if mine has a problem. I did try it on the E-M1ii at release and found it focussed fairly well, but use MF on my E-M5s.
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I haven't touched that lens in years. This is a good time to get it out, work with a bit, and see if it should continue to be part of the kit or, as Marie Kondo would say, be thanked for its service.
zuikowesty said:
-I found it interesting that you compared the 12-100 with the 40-150/2.8, and not the 12-40. I guess that's because you shoot more telephoto than I do. For me, the 12-100 seems like a near perfect combo, giving me wide to reasonable tele. Whenever I mount my 40-150R, I soon find I am limited by one or more of: limited close focus distance, not wide enough, or not long enough... For me, I think a 12-100 for general purpose, and a 75-300 for tele (or 100-400) would be a good fit.

I do hope the E-M5iii is not far off.
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I already have the 12-40, so I'm trying to decide what to add to my kit. The 40-150 would make sense as a 2 lens solution with f/2.8. On the other hand, to go out the door with just the 12-100 would make a more convenient, kit. Any thoughts?
 
Great to read all the comments. Went to Wex Photographic in London this afternoon, had 30 mins with the EM1X with the 12-100 and an Olympus rep.

No doubt that it is a superb camera to hold, I have an EM1.1, E-M5.2 and E-M10.2; whilst you can see they are all related the new model feels superior. Was also the first time I had encountered the lens.....have to get it, very impressive indeed, lightning-speed focusing.

Whilst the experience didn't convince me to become a buyer (I'm after an E-M1.2, also had some time with that, confirmed my decision), it does make the initial reactions to the camera seem massively overblown. You have to see to believe, and reserve judgement until then. Olympus marketing maybe doesn't make much noise, but on the basis of this experience it is very engaging and the better for it.

The Olympus rep I was with said that there wil be eight lenses released this year. I menioned the 12-200, there was no response....felt like a 'neither confirm or deny' moment. But looks like a busy year ahead, and one to look forward to.
 
G Dickson said:
Could you not just use an external USB power bank?
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Not practical as I'm switching from portrait to landscape back to portrait continuously. Power cord will get tangled up.
 
Jeff said:
I dragged along a bag of older FT lenses to try. The 150/2 is dynamite on the EM1x. It's more comfortable to use on the bigger body, focuses well, and is going to be a very usable match. They really should come out with that lens again with an updated focus motor ... it would be an amazing combo for youth sports, weddings, etc.
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I was very interested to hear that your 150mm F2 performed so well. My all-time favourite lens.

But I would warn any enthusiast thinking of finding one for their collection. Olympus no longer support it. The electronics suddenly failed on mine, focus unobtainable. Even MF does not work because it is focus by wire. It is now an optically perfect expensive lump!

My official Olympus agency tested it and they said "sorry, but Olympus no longer support this lens". I even wrote to Olympus Japan, but they did not reply.

Cheers,

Don
 
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The 50/2 was often cited as a reason for getting a 4/3 camera, it was that good. I have that lens, and have never experienced the problems you are reporting. Even though your lens appears to be "mint", I suspect it has a serious problem.
 
Tongariro said:
Jeff said:
I dragged along a bag of older FT lenses to try. The 150/2 is dynamite on the EM1x. It's more comfortable to use on the bigger body, focuses well, and is going to be a very usable match. They really should come out with that lens again with an updated focus motor ... it would be an amazing combo for youth sports, weddings, etc.
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I was very interested to hear that your 150mm F2 performed so well. My all-time favourite lens.

But I would warn any enthusiast thinking of finding one for their collection. Olympus no longer support it. The electronics suddenly failed on mine, focus unobtainable. Even MF does not work because it is focus by wire. It is now an optically perfect expensive lump!

My official Olympus agency tested it and they said "sorry, but Olympus no longer support this lens". I even wrote to Olympus Japan, but they did not reply.

Cheers,

Don
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They still list it in the US as one that they repair but I agree that at this point in time purchasing the more expensive 4/3 lenses is not a good idea. I'm hopeful that the video leak at the Hamburg rollout of a 150 f2 PRO is not a mistake. With eight new lenses coming out this year things look promising, and bank account draining...!
 
zuikowesty said:
Thanks for the info. Although I'm not really interested in the EM-1X, as an E-M5 user, I appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Two things:

-interesting about the optical performance comment on the 50/2. I got a mint copy a year ago, and find it underwhelming, mainly because of terrible CA - red fringing on high contrast edges, and noticeably lower contrast than my 12-40. I now wonder if mine has a problem. I did try it on the E-M1ii at release and found it focussed fairly well, but use MF on my E-M5s.

-I found it interesting that you compared the 12-100 with the 40-150/2.8, and not the 12-40. I guess that's because you shoot more telephoto than I do. For me, the 12-100 seems like a near perfect combo, giving me wide to reasonable tele. Whenever I mount my 40-150R, I soon find I am limited by one or more of: limited close focus distance, not wide enough, or not long enough... For me, I think a 12-100 for general purpose, and a 75-300 for tele (or 100-400) would be a good fit.

I do hope the E-M5iii is not far off.
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Paul Auclair said:
Jeff said:
Skeeterbytes said:
Thanks for posting this--I'll piggyback my experience onto this thread instead of starting yet another. Despite my best intentions I failed to take any notes, so everything that follows depends on my really excellent, not so great memory.

The program I attended essentially echoes yours, hosted by a combination of Olympus employees from Japan and Pennsylvania, assisted by Mike's Cameras employees. They were all gracious, helpful and eager to get the gear into our hands. They had shooting stations demonstrating different features and settings for each were incorporated into the four custom modes. Plenty of cameras and lenses to mix and match. Indoors at night, so there were no outdoor shooting opportunities. When I had side conversations, notes were take. Yup, they're listening.

I tried the 1X with the 12-100 and with my 150/2.0.

The camera is smaller than I'd expected. In one hand with the Mkii and grip in the other there's little meaningful difference. The M1X comfort and layout and controls are better, significantly so. Having never complained about the rigidity of the Mkii with HLD9, but the beefy 1X metal chassis is immediately evident, moreso with a big lens like the 150. Hard to overstate how clever and well thought-out the new body is. By the session's end I was able to use most controls by touch.

This was my first encounter with the 12-100. It too is a lot smaller than I'd imagined. The dual IS is phenomenal. 7.5 stops? I won't argue--it's obviously very effective. I now understand why it's such a popular standard zoom. I didn't try the 300 last night; it's my only Oly IS lens.
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I did put my 300 on the body. Works just as well as you would expect.
Member said:
Some observations from the presentations and trial:

-It was made clear there will be additional subject modes added to the current three; which ones and when are unclear, I think they honestly don't know the sequence in which they'll be completed. Fair enough.

-The car racing mode zeros on the helmet for both open-wheel cars and motorcycles. It recognizes and tracks bicycles, which piqued my interest considerably because we have a pro race locally every year.

-They included soccer during development and that's my main action subject. Field sports are clearly a priority and I expect further developments in this arena, paired with 150-400 developments. Oly wants to be on the sidelines with everybody else.

-C-AF center point priority I think will be game-changing. It promises to allow high responsiveness (C-AF lock +2) while keeping focus on the target. Currently we have a balancing act between responsiveness and jumping to unwanted targets. I inferred* this feature may down-migrate to the current camera (*standard disclaimer here). Add custom focus point patterns to my list of killer new features.

-HHHR works. At least my chimping showed perfectly sharp images on the back display (I have no image files from the session). One detail I didn't know: the camera evaluates all frames and discards any OOF images from the stack. Mind-boggling.

-In-camera ND is more than a parlor trick and I believe will be a nice feature for land and cityscape shooter.

-I probably could have sold my 150 SHG last night. Folks love the lens, including some Oly employees who had never handled one. Evidently they recently sold one to NASA who wanted one for some project. It felt right at home on the 1X, not unlike an E-5.
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Haha. I had the same experience. Ending up passing the EM1x/150 around to a few folks who all seemed taken with the combo. With totally silent Pro capture, this should be wicked good setup for larger wildlife shooting.
Member said:
-Heat management should accommodate both heavy stills shooting and extended 4k use. I asked this specifically, based on folks' experiences related here re. the M1ii. All that mass and space and the heat pipe should do the job,

-I like the EVF. Between greater magnification and high-frequency progressive scan it's distinctly better than the current camera. I had glasses, not my usual contact lenses, and could still see the entire frame. Getting outdoors and tracking action will be the acid test, I expect it to be good for this.

-Ships worldwide Feb 25.

There's more but that's what I can dredge up after my morning coffee. Truly enjoyed speaking with the various Oly employees and the fact they brought a devlopment engineer for the event shows me a new level of corporate engagement. They know they're in a huge fight for market share, they bring a distinctive strategy to that fight and have a unique path staked out with the m4/3 commitment, with an obvious belief that their path will successfully separate them from the rest of a very crowded pack. I think we're in for a blizzard of initiatives and products between now and 2020.

Cheers,

Rick
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Totally agreed. The Oly folks were excellent and were listening very carefully. For example, then mentioned that they had been seeing a lot of FT lenses dragged out to these events, and seemed genuinely interested on that was working out for folks.
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that (I hope) is good news. I hope it sends a clear message that 'we' still have these lenses and 'we' still have a strong desire to be able to 'most effectively' use them.

I am planning to attend a launch event but it is not until the beginning of march.

As I mainly use m4/3 for BIF/birding now I was planning to bring my most often used lens...4/300.

however for some strange reason I was going to bring along my 2/35-100. Not sure why as I have very rarely used that lens in the past 8 years (since testing my E5 against the EM5...hence relegating the E5 and all other 4/3 gear to pass their time in a camera bag or two).

maybe I have some deep seeded hope that we will some day be able to use these optically superb lenses with a body that is able to focus them really fast and accurately.
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I have many m4/3 lenses but when it comes down to panning from near to far and the crucial shots of the ring exchange and Kiss and there is no better lens than the 35-100 2.0 that I still always use for my Wedding photography wide open......My EM1MII shoots the lens better than any 4/3rd camera so I am very excited to see how the new X does....Since I always use the battery grip the built on one of the X with easy access of the 2 batteries is a great bonus for all of us that shot 4/3 lenses not counting the great new balance...I predict with the advent of this new body a lot more of us will be taking our bigger 4/3rd lenses for a new test drive....
 
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Jeff said:
James Pilcher said:
Jeff said:
They did have a deal if you ordered at the show. The deal included two extra batteries (total of four), a dual battery charger, and an additional 2 years of Olympus warranty (total of three years). That sealed the deal for me so I order a copy.
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Olympus-branded dual battery charger? Just curious.
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No, it's a third-party charger with a micro USB port on the charger itself. The CameraMall people were pitching it as an option to charge while on the road using a car USB port. The Olympus people seemed familiar with it, but it definitely wasn't an Olympus branded device.
Jeff said:
I'll keep an eye out for this deal at my local camera store.
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They say this directly, but I think the Olympus backpack was from Olympus, and the other bits were offered by the store. I can't swear to that, but it did seem like both sides were kicking in something to sweeten the deal.
Jeff said:
Jeff said:
I'm still wrestling with what lenses to add to the kit. I have the 300/4, 12-40/2.8 pro, and some of the f/1.8 primes. I tried out the 40-150/2.8 pro and the 12-100/4 pro. Either would be a sweet addition. The 12-100 would likely be on the camera 90% of the time, but gives up a stop and a little on the long end.

Right now I'm thinking of adding the 12-100/4 for most shooting, and the 17/1.2 to cover lower light settings.
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I have four Pro lenses: 8mm f/1.8, 12-40mm f/2.8, 25mm f/1.2, 40-150mm f/2.8 + TC. It seems the E-M1X will be a great addition to my Pen F. I have considered the 12-100mm f/4 and the two remaining f/1.2 primes. Alas, cash is in short supply. :-(

The more reports I read and view (videos), the more interesting the camera gets. The oft-rumored Pen F II has my attention too.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA
Living above life at 9100 ft
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How much do you use the 25/1.2? Any thoughts about the pros and cons of the 25 vs the 17/1.2?
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For the time being, my 25mm f/1.2 is attached almost permanently to my Pen F. I’m enjoying it immensely. I purchased it about three months ago. I have no regrets so far.

Big Pen F problem: It misses autofocus on the Pen F a lot when wide open @ f/1.2. I resort to manual focus and have no problems then. Fortunately, this is not a problem for me and my typicaly style of photography as I wait for either an E-M1X or a Pen F II to arrive in my kit. The results from this lens can be sublime.

Compared to a 17mm f/1.2? Can’t help you there, although I’m tempted by the slightly wider FOV.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA
Living above life at 9100 ft
 
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James Pilcher said:
Jeff said:
How much do you use the 25/1.2? Any thoughts about the pros and cons of the 25 vs the 17/1.2?
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For the time being, my 25mm f/1.2 is attached almost permanently to my Pen F. I’m enjoying it immensely. I purchased it about three months ago. I have no regrets so far.

Big Pen F problem: It misses autofocus on the Pen F a lot when wide open @ f/1.2. I resort to manual focus and have no problems then. Fortunately, this is not a problem for me and my typicaly style of photography as I wait for either an E-M1X or a Pen F II to arrive in my kit. The results from this lens can be sublime.

Compared to a 17mm f/1.2? Can’t help you there, although I’m tempted by the slightly wider FOV.
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17/1.2 is my most recent purchase and I love it as a go-to prime. Already have the 25 and 45 1.8s and the 20/1.7 and a gap until the 12/2, so the 17 slots in well. So sharp and surprisingly close minimum focus.

If you think of it as the wide end of normal then it can fit a lot of needs. My favorite film compact has a 35/2.8 and this reminds me of it. 4k video with it wide open looks pretty neat.

Cheers,

Rick
 
Another follow up from ACE VA.

I closed my store early an drove in really bad rain 45 miles to the Ace Event in VA last Tuesday.

As it was late ,indoors, and very bad weather,though I wanted to, it was ridiculous to bring any of my SHGs to try out.I basically had seen the presentation B&H filmed online ,was curious, and just wanted to get my hands on it and FEEL the body to see how well it "fit" . I did not pay any attention to the video table or the Pro Capture Table. I am happy to hear others have tried the SHG's as I am so reluctant to part with them...

When the presentation ended I went right for the body with the 40-150 Pro and played for a short while, and really liked how well it balanced and handled--OOOOH! I Played with he menus a little, conversed with one of the reps, and because I had a bad drive home ahead , I left. I have the EM-1Mk1 skipped The Mk11, but I be ordering one as soon as funding allows ;-)

I wish Olympus luck with this EM-1X offering!

David
 
MShot said:
I think you have a bad copy of the 50/2. I love the one I have.
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Yes, maybe I will post a few samples to get an opinion on another thread. I pulled it out to get some video of hummingbirds at the feeder the other day, and the results were disappointing. Thanks
 
rodriguezPhoto said:
Tongariro said:
Jeff said:
I dragged along a bag of older FT lenses to try. The 150/2 is dynamite on the EM1x. It's more comfortable to use on the bigger body, focuses well, and is going to be a very usable match. They really should come out with that lens again with an updated focus motor ... it would be an amazing combo for youth sports, weddings, etc.
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I was very interested to hear that your 150mm F2 performed so well. My all-time favourite lens.

But I would warn any enthusiast thinking of finding one for their collection. Olympus no longer support it. The electronics suddenly failed on mine, focus unobtainable. Even MF does not work because it is focus by wire. It is now an optically perfect expensive lump!

My official Olympus agency tested it and they said "sorry, but Olympus no longer support this lens". I even wrote to Olympus Japan, but they did not reply.

Cheers,

Don
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They still list it in the US as one that they repair but I agree that at this point in time purchasing the more expensive 4/3 lenses is not a good idea. I'm hopeful that the video leak at the Hamburg rollout of a 150 f2 PRO is not a mistake. With eight new lenses coming out this year things look promising, and bank account draining...!
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Hi.

After I was told electronic parts were no longer procurable, I contacted Olympus USA, and they said freight the lens to them to fix. I was not confident that their reply was any more informed than a standard response email, so I asked again explaining what I had been told here. They replied to say that they had now looked into it, and indeed electronics could not be replaced. I presume they can make mechanical or optical fixes maybe. I don't know if it's the same case for the other 4/3 lenses.

This has put me right off buying top quality expensive lenses, at least Olympus ones.

Cheers,

Don
 
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Tongariro said:
rodriguezPhoto said:
Tongariro said:
Jeff said:
I dragged along a bag of older FT lenses to try. The 150/2 is dynamite on the EM1x. It's more comfortable to use on the bigger body, focuses well, and is going to be a very usable match. They really should come out with that lens again with an updated focus motor ... it would be an amazing combo for youth sports, weddings, etc.
Click to expand...
I was very interested to hear that your 150mm F2 performed so well. My all-time favourite lens.

But I would warn any enthusiast thinking of finding one for their collection. Olympus no longer support it. The electronics suddenly failed on mine, focus unobtainable. Even MF does not work because it is focus by wire. It is now an optically perfect expensive lump!

My official Olympus agency tested it and they said "sorry, but Olympus no longer support this lens". I even wrote to Olympus Japan, but they did not reply.

Cheers,

Don
Click to expand...
They still list it in the US as one that they repair but I agree that at this point in time purchasing the more expensive 4/3 lenses is not a good idea. I'm hopeful that the video leak at the Hamburg rollout of a 150 f2 PRO is not a mistake. With eight new lenses coming out this year things look promising, and bank account draining...!
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Hi.

After I was told electronic parts were no longer procurable, I contacted Olympus USA, and they said freight the lens to them to fix. I was not confident that their reply was any more informed than a standard response email, so I asked again explaining what I had been told here. They replied to say that they had now looked into it, and indeed electronics could not be replaced. I presume they can make mechanical or optical fixes maybe. I don't know if it's the same case for the other 4/3 lenses.

This has put me right off buying top quality expensive lenses, at least Olympus ones.
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Definitely a fool’s errand to buy any Four-Thirds glass today. Even SWD motors for the somewhat common 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD are no longer available so parts for the more extremely limited, extremely expensive production models are going to be even more short supply/gone.

Not sure why anyone would expect otherwise when Olympus said, long ago, they were no longer supported. If you can get a model cheap enough today or bought one years ago and got your money’s-worth out of it, the time you have “left” that it works correctly is, well, what you’ve got.

--
"There's shadows in life, baby.." Jack Horner- Boogie Nights
 
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