Swap G9 Mark II for OM-1 Mark II?

Sam Bennett said:

Steve Balcombe said:

Sam Bennett said:

Have you considered grabbing an OM-3 instead? It's a bit more video creation-friendly since it has a dedicated Photo/Video/S&Q dial, Video-specific Custom Modes, etc. It works very similarly to the OM-1 Mark II, shares the same battery, etc.

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Yes S&Q on the mode dial is one of the things I do like about the G9ii so it's good to see it on the OM-3. I wonder if we will see something similar on an OM-1 Mk3 sometime?

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It'll be interesting to see if they go there. They could consider the OM-1 "line" to be more about still photography, and the OM-3 more about hybrid photography so I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't come over.

Sam Bennett said:

Sam Bennett said:

Personally having the OM-1 Mark II + OM-3 has been a dream come true.

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For me it would have to be OM-1 and OM-1 II but for very similar reasons. I'd get the full benefits of the Mark II on the long lens, while the 'Mark I' is 100% fine for macro and close-up stuff because none of the Mark II benefits are relevant.

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Make sense! I personally love having two identical bodies when covering events (one for tele work, one for wide) so I definitely see the benefits there. Personally for me I think the Mark I + Mark II combo would drive me crazy though, because I love the OM-1 Mark II/OM-3 AF system and that sort of cognitive dissonance you get with two system can be distracting - that's one of the thing I don't like about the OM-1 + S5 II situation I have right now, but thankfully the S5 II's system is very similar, although not identical - particularly in how Subject Detect interacts with AF Areas.

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Also handy that the HLD10 bounces between them. No hard rule for me as to which body gets the big tele that day.

Rick

normanthecorgi said:

normanthecorgi said:

lokatz wrote:…….In case you're interested, I wrote an extensive comparison between the G9ii, when it came out, and the original OM-1, both for bird shooting purposes but with lots of side discussions of more generic uses. It can be found at https://thisbeautifulplanet.de/panasonic-g9ii-vs-omds-om-1-compared-for-bird-shooting.

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really nice review and comparison, an excellent response to this posts original question.

js

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Thank you!

If I'm going to be working with two cameras in the field, I'd definitely want the same or as similar as possible cameras. Juggling between an Oly and a Pana in that situation is a nightmare!

I'd say go for it.

One of the nice things about using the same brand for two cameras in the same kit is that the UI is consistent throughout. It's harder to switch between different UIs in the field.

One of the nice things about using Panasonic for both M43 and L-mount, for me, is that they have a very consistent UI (almost identical, with only deeper menu options being different, esp once they are set up to my liking). So, I don't have to re-train my brain each time I pick up one or the other systems. Using two OM bodies would give you the same advantage.

-J

Steve Balcombe said:

No Time To Lose said:

If the rumours are correct, then the OM-5 replacement is nearly here

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What was a rumour is now a leak, so it will definitely be here soon.

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Very prophetic

Steve Balcombe said:

Steve Balcombe said:

and the OM-1.3 looks to be due late 2025, early 2026.

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Whereas that is unfortunately at the speculation end of the rumour spectrum .

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From a rumour point of you there isn’t much, I agree. But, there rarely is - they seem pretty good at keeping their cards close to their chests. I did put together a case for an OM1.3 a few months ago:


I don’t think the OM5.2 changes this - if anything it reinforces my thinking - it still seems to me that the OM1 is likely to be the next release outside perhaps an EP/PEN. The question is timing and a small camera release would seem likely to push an OM-1 back.

I suppose there’s an outside chance of an OM-1X ahead of OM1.3 but that would be a very big step for OMS.

Whether to wait depends on how strong your urge is to act now vs how you would feel if I was right and a new camera came out early next year.

Or one half of it is. OM's unexpected £400 cashback from today made it possible to buy new from a well-respected retailer - still a little more than grey market but close enough.

But I still have the G9 Mark II. MPB's offer was fair but not enough to justify parting with it, so I've yet to decide what to do about that. I'll try not to let it become a 'shelf queen' .

Many thanks for all the advice!

Steve Balcombe said:

I've had an OM-1 since 2022, and last year I bought a G9 Mark II to use as a second body and for its video strengths. But I've hardly used it, and I'm beginning to think I should have gone for a second OM-1 (a Mark II). Carrying two bodies, one with a long lens and one with a macro, is something I did very effectively in my Canon days, but there is just too much difference between the OM and the Panasonic. Switching between bodies on the fly would be much more fluent with two OM-1s. And the OM-1's video capabilities are good enough for me. Don't get me wrong, the G9M2 is superb - it's switching, sometimes every few minutes, which is not.

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I ran into a similar problem when I purchased an E-M10iv as a secondary camera to my E-M1iii. The interface (Button placement and software menus) were different enough to make me regret getting the E-M10iv and wishing I had gotten a second E-M1iii.

I traded the E-M10iv for an OM-1 and although it's closer to an E-M1 than the E-M10 was I'm wondering if I still should have just gotten another E-M1iii. The BIG discount on the OM-1 mark 1 when the mark 2 came out is what persuaded me to get it instead.

Yes, the OM-1 does have some nifty new features over the E-M1iii but I like the ergonomics of the E-M1 better (especially the front dial and shutter release). 99% of the time I'm not using any of the new OM-1 features (except the upgraded viewfinder) and the image quality is for the most part identical.