OM-D vs 5D Mk2 Test

[Timbukto]

They have complementary advantages...first the 5DMKII has PDAF which has certain advantages with very fast focusing lenses for sure, but its also a non-pro level PDAF system and therefore very bare bones. My E-PM2 touch shutter AF is absolutely amazing...no more getting terribly out of focus shots when I hand over my 5dMKII to a family member (happens almost all the time). If they can use an iPhone they can do spot on shallow DOF focusing on an E-PM2.

Yes I'd expect the Oly to do well if you are comparing f5.6 to f11 on the 24-105L. First of all however you can buy a cheap 50mm 1.8 and still get ridiculously good performance on a 5DMKII at f4-f5.6. I'm no landscape photog, but this is my stopped down $80 nifty fifty on a 5dMKII. In any case you are comparing apertures for which many lenses on the 5DMKII are already quite good at f2.8 and peak at f4. On the other hand MFT is no slouch, many lenses very strong wide-open...some even near peak wide-open. Almost no FX/EF prime lens will be anywhere close to peak performance especially on either FF or APS-C sensors.






I don't like the 24-105L for size/weight reasons alone as well as IMO actually being quite inferior to many non-L primes. I'd rather have the 40mm f2.8, 50mm 1.8, or 85mm 1.8, etc...

It is with these cheap non-L primes that even at f2.8 for many of them, MFT may start to struggle...a bit to replicate (basically they can't compete in DOF here and many primes are plenty sharp with low CA here). At f3.6-f4 many of these primes really start to peak in resolution, and exhibit no CA, etc.

However for travel, and family events, sometimes too much shallow DOF ruins the shot anyhow...

Finally EVF's do not replace OVFs for me at all so I take advantage of exploring different shooting/framing methodologies with either system. Touchscreen LCD with lightning fast and accurate focus anywhere capability is powerfully complementary to the rudimentary but fast and simple center point back button focus and recompose on the 5DMKII.

Happy with both systems...looking to pick up the 45mm 1.8 to see how it compares to my 85mm 1.8.

 

[Jolly Oly]

Binone wrote:

But, I wouldn't have the D800 and the heavy glass with me, so what's the point.

Exactly.

 

[Ulric]

marike6 wrote:

In a daylight image like your example, the differences will be less clear. But in low-light, there will be a much bigger advantage for the 5D2.

To put it in perspective, on DxOMark low-light score:

5D2 1815 ISO

EM5 826 ISO

So that's over a full stop better high ISO performance. With the 5D3 it's more than that, and with a camera like the D800 or D600, there is almost a 2 stop difference in high ISO performance. For many types of photography that is huge.

Let's play with the dxomark numbers. We want to take a picture at the highest iso setting that gets "excellent" results according to dxomark. To make this an apples to apples comparison, we also want approximately the same dof and fov.




For the e-m5 we use iso 826, 25 mm, f/4, 1/100 s. For the 5d2 we use iso 1815, 50 mm, f/8, 1/50 s. I wouldn't call that better performance.





On the other hand, let's open the 50 mm all the way up to 1.4. Then the e-m5 is a non-starter, since there is no 25/0.7 to put on the e-m5. So imho, any better low light performance of the 5d2 is due to the lenses, not the sensor.

 

[zxaar]

Jolly Oly wrote:

Binone wrote:

But, I wouldn't have the D800 and the heavy glass with me, so what's the point.

Exactly.

you two are pentax Q candidates.

 

[rrr_hhh]

Binone wrote:

I've got to add my 2 cents worth here. First of all, in my original post, IS was turned off in both cameras. I find the Oly IBIS to be great, but when I mount the camera on a tripod, it doesn't matter whether it has lens IS, or body IS - both get turned off.

I don't think that anyone was minimizing the value of IS. I've got a 13 x 19 print that was shot at 1/8 sec and is extremely sharp. It couldn't have been done without IS. If you're shooting static subjects - it's great. If the subject is moving, then you need good high ISO performance, and the benefit you get from 2 stops of dof with micro 4/3.

Did you activate the antishock on your E-M5 tripod shot ? I have found hat it can make quite a difference, because of shuttershock. I assume that you had mirror lock up on the 5D too ?

 

[Pimpleportrait]

I bought the OMD-EM5 only after the release of the 45f1.8 and the 75f1.8. There are those of us who buy our lenses and fit our cameras to them and those who do just the opposite.

In controlled lighting conditions, such as a studio, and when shooting at f4/f8 you'd struggle to see the difference, even more on print. I saw this myself in a Demo at a Camera show when the EM5 was released.

If you are looking at reducing weight for travel, go the EM5 route. Put a bright lens on, and you will not miss your FF. But try not to shoot in the Dark.

Cheers,

Ben

 

[Tenken777]

Totally agree with this assessment. I have a D800E and a D4 plus a whole slew of lenses for paid jobs, where I am not supposed to miss an important shot. I also have to bring out the heavy gear so people would take me seriously as a pro. But for leisure, I would rather bring 6 small (but good) m43 lenses with me on a trip then only 3 FF lenses. I have the 6 lenses packed in a small back pack and am pretty much covered in terms of FL from 14mm (7-14mm) to 600mm (100-300mm) with 2 fast primes for low light situations (25mm and 75mm). I simply can't do that with my FF gear without hauling a luggage. I'm not worried about not getting a shot so fast AF is not required (in fact I find CDAF better in nailing a focus than PDAF).

 

[Tenken777]

Here are some ISO 800 shots I made while at Disneyland, it was never my habit to go above ISO 800 because I'm a firm believer in using fast lenses and IBIS to counter the need for light. I'm actually quite surprised CDAF does a wonderful job even in low light!

 

[Binone]

Mirror lockup on the 5D - yes. Antishock on the OM-D no. I've only had the OM-D a short while and haven't quite figured out all of its features. This is one I don't know about. It would have been really nice if it came with a manual that one could actually read and understand. I just received the David Busch book, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

 

[Binone]

I've always been quite happy with the IQ from the 24-105 on the 5D2. I've got a 50 f/1.4 for the Canon, but wanted to compare both cameras as equally equipped as possible - using the equipment that I own. Since I don't have a 25mm prime for the OM, I did the comparison with the zoom lenses. Plus, the purpose of the exercise was for me to determine if there is a difference in IQ for the way that I use both systems. Since I use the 5D with the 24-105, that's the way I wanted to compare it.

I, too, have found the touch & shoot feature of the OM to be terrific. On the 5D I've always been pointing the center at the subject then recomposing. For my comparison, both cameras were focused on the exact same point and I see nothing in either image that indicates that the focus wasn't perfect.

When it comes to something like "fun to shoot with", the OM is, IMHO, the clear winner. But, then again, it's my new toy. What would make it a lot better is if Olympus put 1% of their design effort into getting someone to write a decent manual that went through the camera's capabilities and settings in a clear and concise manner that the average person could understand. The trend towards releasing more and more complex cameras, while at the same time eliminating a detailed manual, is shameful. But, since we keep buying the cameras, the manufacturers will keep saving the money it costs to publish a decent manual.

 

[Binone]

Terrific shots!

 

[NJHr]

I am very much an amateur but something very enticing about Canon FF is access to easily available secondhand lenses including speciality lenses which don't exist yet for mFT. Here are a couple I would love to try:

Loading…

www.ffordes.co.uk

Loading…

www.ffordes.co.uk

 

[rrr_hhh]

Binone wrote:

Mirror lockup on the 5D - yes. Antishock on the OM-D no. I've only had the OM-D a short while and haven't quite figured out all of its features. This is one I don't know about. It would have been really nice if it came with a manual that one could actually read and understand. I just received the David Busch book, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

You have to activate it in the cogwheel menu E, where it is the last item. You do it by choosing the delay you want. It goes from 1/8 th sec, up to 30 sec. at least, may be more ( I don't remember exactly). Once it is activated and you have chosen the suiting delay, you use the down arrow to select the antishock from the drive mode. After the usual drive modes you will see the same list of drive modes appearing a second time with a little losange icon : when you choose S plus the losange, you will get a single frame, with the shutter closing in advance. As long as you don't need to change that delay, you don't need to dig into the menu again. You can switch between the antishock and the normal mode by changing the drive mode (down arrow of the four ways controller, or the SCP, the super control panel)
The shutter does twice as much work on mirrorless cameras than on SLRs :

• at the start the shutter is open to allow live view so the shutter has to close first,
• the shutter reopen for the exposure duration,
• the shutter closes at the end of the exposure,
• finally, the shutter reopens to give you live view again.

It has been found that the first shutter closure can cause double or some blurry images, the critical speeds lying between 1/60 sec. to 1/200, depending on the lens and bodies. It could also disturb moderately long exposures.

 

[rrr_hhh]

Binone wrote:

I've always been quite happy with the IQ from the 24-105 on the 5D2. I've got a 50 f/1.4 for the Canon, but wanted to compare both cameras as equally equipped as possible - using the equipment that I own. Since I don't have a 25mm prime for the OM, I did the comparison with the zoom lenses. Plus, the purpose of the exercise was for me to determine if there is a difference in IQ for the way that I use both systems. Since I use the 5D with the 24-105, that's the way I wanted to compare it.

I, too, have found the touch & shoot feature of the OM to be terrific. On the 5D I've always been pointing the center at the subject then recomposing. For my comparison, both cameras were focused on the exact same point and I see nothing in either image that indicates that the focus wasn't perfect.

When it comes to something like "fun to shoot with", the OM is, IMHO, the clear winner. But, then again, it's my new toy. What would make it a lot better is if Olympus put 1% of their design effort into getting someone to write a decent manual that went through the camera's capabilities and settings in a clear and concise manner that the average person could understand. The trend towards releasing more and more complex cameras, while at the same time eliminating a detailed manual, is shameful. But, since we keep buying the cameras, the manufacturers will keep saving the money it costs to publish a decent manual.

Here is a link to a post in which I compiled several online ressources on how to configure the E-M5. Other ressources were added in the thread.

My all time favorite is the Gary Ayton's page on how to set the E-M5.

By the way, I'm a Canon 5D Mk1 owner, but it is sleeping in a cupboard. I'm still undecided whether I should sell it or not. The 24-105mm was my favorite lens, but I had a very bad copy of the 50mm F1.4.

 

[Binone]

Thanks for the advice - I'll give this a try. For my test, I used a remote trigger for both cameras.

 

[marike6]

Jolly Oly wrote:

Binone wrote:

But, I wouldn't have the D800 and the heavy glass with me, so what's the point.

Exactly.

Which is why I have a GH2 and an X-Pro1 as well. When I go out without my tripod (my tripod is a lot stronger than I am) I usually bring my X-Pro1 or if I want to shoot photos or make a video, my GH2. When I need the absolute best quality, I use my D800. But none of them are particularly heavy as I use mainly use small primes with my DSLR, and when I use a telephoto zoom, I have my tripod to do the heavy lifting.

 

[rrr_hhh]

Binone wrote:

Thanks for the advice - I'll give this a try. For my test, I used a remote trigger for both cameras.

You don't necessarily need a remote with the E-M5, you can combine the timer with the antishock.

I have checked the EXIF of your test pictures and they are well outside of the "dangerous" speeds zone. So no worries for your test.

 

[marike6]

Great post. Yes, the 5D2 with the 24-105L is a bit of a beast. Weight is one reason I use mostly small primes - 28 1.8m 50 1.8G, 85 1.8G, on my D800. With these lenses the camera is really a joy to shoot with. Have been looking at the Tamron 24-70 VC (mainly for the VC for video stuff) but I'm hesitant to add a 2 lb (.9 kg) lens that duplicates what I already have.

 

[rkhpedersen]

You can repeat your test with almost any system above 750 (€ or $ you pick) and sometimes lower, and you will have the same result when in good light. This is pretty common knowledge.

This has nothing to do with Canon vs Olympus or any other brand for that matter.

 

[Binone]

Perhaps it was useless to you because you know so much more than the rest of us, although that raises the question of why you bothered to read the OP. However, in very good light, like my examples, I can instantly tell the difference between images shot with my 5D2 and Canon's APS-C bodies, like the 40D, and T3i and any compact that I own, including a Sony RX100, although the Sony's close. I don't own any other equipment. So, as I stated in my OP, my objective was to determine if the OM-D could replace the 5D2 for some, or all, of what I shoot. If it was common knowledge that I could, then I wouldn't have bothered with the test. The answer, based on this test is, yes, I don't have to lug a ton of equipment to obtain identical results. I don't yet know the answer to that question for low light, and will conduct another "useless test" to determine that.