Is a NEW E-M1 Mk2 worth in 2022 ?

faunagraphy wrote:

gursharan-info wrote:

Aberaeron wrote:

gursharan-info wrote:

After a lot of research, I've narrowed down my search to a micro four thirds camera. A brief backround is in this thread's first post.

I have zeroed in my search on the following options ordered by decreasing priority:

E-M1 Mark II: I am more leaned toward this camera as this camera will fulfill all my needs, plus the live composite option would make it easier to work with long exposures.
The issue is that I was not able to find a single used piece here in my area(checked electronics markets in 4 main cities in my state). Apart from Canon and Nikon, used cameras from other brands is almost non-existent here. I am getting a new one line with 12-40 F2.8 Pro lens for about $1700.
As e-m1 mark ii is already 5 yrs old, is it worth spending on a new one in 2022?

I might have already mentioned that I bought a new E-M1 MkII about ten months ago. Brand new it did not cost any more at the time as an used model from a store. It cost UK£620 delivered with warranty. It is undoubtedly a grey market example but was new in original box with all the expected extras including the flash. This was about half the price of a MkIII at the time. I have zero regrets. It is a great camera and will remain so for many years to come.

Can I get that shipped to India? Even with the added customs, it will be a bargain for me.

e-infin.com is a good and reliable place to buy grey market gear. Not sure if they ship to India but I think that they do.

Regarding having to pay for your partner's vacation ... say that you are going on a birding trip. You might be able to get away on your own.

Thanks Man..!! I will check this website and ask for shipping as well.

faunagraphy wrote:

Skeeterbytes wrote:

faunagraphy wrote:

Regarding having to pay for your partner's vacation ... say that you are going on a birding trip. You might be able to get away on your own.

"I have always wanted to photograph swamp birds, and now is my chance."

Something like that?

Cheers,

Rick

"And the only way to find them is to sit chest-deep in the swamp water before sunrise and say 'Psss psss pssss' until they show up. I'm so excited - want to come along?"

Well, that's a sneaky way to go
Would definitely try this trick someday when required

Henry Richardson wrote:

Gwynedd wrote:

E-M1 II has the worst EVF I've ever used, extremely washed out colours and low refresh rate. Otherwise it is a pretty good camera.

I bought one in October 2021 and here is my user review:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65760663

I mostly write about stuff I discover that is not mentioned in other reviews. I recommend reading my further posts in the thread where I provide more info as I discovered more things. I wrote extensively about the EVF problem and spent time figuring out what is likely wrong. Seems to be a firmware problem that Olympus never bothered fixing.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65986464

Here is a nice OM-1 review by someone who owns the E-M1 II, E-M1 III, and E-M1X. He really likes the OM-1 EVF:

https://www.oxbowphoto.com/articles/om-systems-om-1-for-wildlife-first-impressions-review

He writes this:

As for the new EVF - I’m in love. After looking through the EVF on the OM-1, it’s hard to imagine ever going back to the washed-out 2.3 MP panel on the E-M1 X or III. The previous EVF was not horrible by 2014 standards, but having seen multiple generations of flagship camera, it was clearly time for an upgrade. I can’t overemphasize how drastic an improvement it is being able to accurately judge focus, exposure, and to review photographs with the new screen. To me, this was one of the biggest reasons to upgrade. OM needed to ace the EVF with their new camera - and they did. Finally, an Olympus camera with a great EVF. That’s enough WOW for me!

I don't know what he means when he says "washed out", but I suspect a lot of it has to do with my much more careful, descriptive dislike after lots of investigation that I wrote about in this thread. Stuff such as this:

There is a problem with the E-M1 II EVF firmware that doesn't exist in any of my other Olympus bodies. The problem with the E-M1 II is not the EVF hardware (which is quite good), it is a bug/deficiency in the firmware that doesn't exist in the PEN-F (OLED), E-M10 II (OLED), E-M10 (TFT LCD), etc. Since the last firmware is 3.5 and the E-M1 II is no longer a current flagship model it is very unlikely that OMDS will fix this bug.

I do not know whether they will fix the bug or not. But I don't they've denounced it from being a flagship model. I am saying this on the basis of recent firmware update 3.6(28 Feb 2022) and assuming that only flagships receive continuous updates.

Specifically the Auto Luminance setting is broken in this model. I dug into the problem and wrote about it in detail in the following 3 posts. You need to read them to understand what is wrong with the E-M1 II firmware and what the ramifications are:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65667502

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65721962

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65730373

For the last 5 years I have seen many posts from people expressing disappointment in the E-M1 II EVF, but no one investigated and went into detail like I did about what was wrong and narrowed it down like I did. Certainly the EVF is still very usable and the camera has many other great things going for it, but that just makes this Olympus blunder even more annoying.

If you read my 3 posts that I linked to in my review above you will see that for 2 months I have gone back and forth with Auto Luminance on and off. Neither one is really ideal and works well in all general photo taking conditions. When one is better the other may not be and vice versa. It seems to depend on lighting, subject, mix of light and dark, etc. that probably causes the Auto Luminance algorithm to make EVF adjustments. My PEN-F, E-M10 II, E-M10, and E-M5 do not have this unfortunate behavior. Over the years there have been many vague comments by users on this forum and other forums and also sometimes in reviews about how the E-M1 II EVF is not quite as good as some other Olympus bodies (not talking about size or resolution) (using probably all versions of the firmware). Usually things are said such as sort of washed out, low contrast, etc. No more detail or better description. No one bothered to look into it until I did. And I gave a much better description. Auto Luminance is dynamic so it is difficult to give a pat description because it changes its behavior depending on what the camera sees. I bet most people didn't even know there is an Auto Luminance and it is turned ON by default. Most never tried turning it off and experimenting. Probably no one had until me.

As you will see in the 3 posts I linked to, I said this was not a major problem and the camera is still very usable. And great in pretty much every other way. I hold the flagship to a higher standard though. It was US$2000 when it came out so much more expensive than the other models. The EVF should be at least as good as my E-M10, E-M10 II, and PEN-F. I am convinced this is a firmware problem with Auto Luminance. It just doesn't behave well all the time. Sometimes it does. It is a dynamic thing. It is as if they didn't tune it properly for the EVF panel, but did for the lower level cameras.

There were some updates to EVF in 3.1. I don't know if these are linked to the washed out colors.

Link: https://learnandsupport.getolympus.com/support/e-m1-mark-ii#section-download-software

E-M1 Mark II Version 3.0 --> 3.1

• Stability of operation when shooting still images has been improved.
• Stability of EVF operation when the camera is turned on has been improved.

Henry Richardson wrote:

Gwynedd wrote:

E-M1 II has the worst EVF I've ever used, extremely washed out colours and low refresh rate. Otherwise it is a pretty good camera.

I bought one in October 2021 and here is my user review:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65760663

I mostly write about stuff I discover that is not mentioned in other reviews. I recommend reading my further posts in the thread where I provide more info as I discovered more things. I wrote extensively about the EVF problem and spent time figuring out what is likely wrong. Seems to be a firmware problem that Olympus never bothered fixing.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65986464

Here is a nice OM-1 review by someone who owns the E-M1 II, E-M1 III, and E-M1X. He really likes the OM-1 EVF:

https://www.oxbowphoto.com/articles/om-systems-om-1-for-wildlife-first-impressions-review

He writes this:

As for the new EVF - I’m in love. After looking through the EVF on the OM-1, it’s hard to imagine ever going back to the washed-out 2.3 MP panel on the E-M1 X or III. The previous EVF was not horrible by 2014 standards, but having seen multiple generations of flagship camera, it was clearly time for an upgrade. I can’t overemphasize how drastic an improvement it is being able to accurately judge focus, exposure, and to review photographs with the new screen. To me, this was one of the biggest reasons to upgrade. OM needed to ace the EVF with their new camera - and they did. Finally, an Olympus camera with a great EVF. That’s enough WOW for me!

I don't know what he means when he says "washed out", but I suspect a lot of it has to do with my much more careful, descriptive dislike after lots of investigation that I wrote about in this thread. Stuff such as this:

There is a problem with the E-M1 II EVF firmware that doesn't exist in any of my other Olympus bodies. The problem with the E-M1 II is not the EVF hardware (which is quite good), it is a bug/deficiency in the firmware that doesn't exist in the PEN-F (OLED), E-M10 II (OLED), E-M10 (TFT LCD), etc. Since the last firmware is 3.5 and the E-M1 II is no longer a current flagship model it is very unlikely that OMDS will fix this bug. Specifically the Auto Luminance setting is broken in this model. I dug into the problem and wrote about it in detail in the following 3 posts. You need to read them to understand what is wrong with the E-M1 II firmware and what the ramifications are:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65667502

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65721962

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65730373

For the last 5 years I have seen many posts from people expressing disappointment in the E-M1 II EVF, but no one investigated and went into detail like I did about what was wrong and narrowed it down like I did. Certainly the EVF is still very usable and the camera has many other great things going for it, but that just makes this Olympus blunder even more annoying.

If you read my 3 posts that I linked to in my review above you will see that for 2 months I have gone back and forth with Auto Luminance on and off. Neither one is really ideal and works well in all general photo taking conditions. When one is better the other may not be and vice versa. It seems to depend on lighting, subject, mix of light and dark, etc. that probably causes the Auto Luminance algorithm to make EVF adjustments. My PEN-F, E-M10 II, E-M10, and E-M5 do not have this unfortunate behavior. Over the years there have been many vague comments by users on this forum and other forums and also sometimes in reviews about how the E-M1 II EVF is not quite as good as some other Olympus bodies (not talking about size or resolution) (using probably all versions of the firmware). Usually things are said such as sort of washed out, low contrast, etc. No more detail or better description. No one bothered to look into it until I did. And I gave a much better description. Auto Luminance is dynamic so it is difficult to give a pat description because it changes its behavior depending on what the camera sees. I bet most people didn't even know there is an Auto Luminance and it is turned ON by default. Most never tried turning it off and experimenting. Probably no one had until me.

As you will see in the 3 posts I linked to, I said this was not a major problem and the camera is still very usable. And great in pretty much every other way. I hold the flagship to a higher standard though. It was US$2000 when it came out so much more expensive than the other models. The EVF should be at least as good as my E-M10, E-M10 II, and PEN-F. I am convinced this is a firmware problem with Auto Luminance. It just doesn't behave well all the time. Sometimes it does. It is a dynamic thing. It is as if they didn't tune it properly for the EVF panel, but did for the lower level cameras.

I haven’t had an E-M1 II for years now but I would be interested to hear from others about the auto luminance setting and whether it fixes their problems. For me the EVF is one of the key features in a camera and was one of the primary reasons I got rid of the E-M1 II. It would be amusing if it could have been solved with a toggle.

Gwynedd wrote:

Henry Richardson wrote:

Gwynedd wrote:

E-M1 II has the worst EVF I've ever used, extremely washed out colours and low refresh rate. Otherwise it is a pretty good camera.

I bought one in October 2021 and here is my user review:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65760663

I mostly write about stuff I discover that is not mentioned in other reviews. I recommend reading my further posts in the thread where I provide more info as I discovered more things. I wrote extensively about the EVF problem and spent time figuring out what is likely wrong. Seems to be a firmware problem that Olympus never bothered fixing.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65986464

Here is a nice OM-1 review by someone who owns the E-M1 II, E-M1 III, and E-M1X. He really likes the OM-1 EVF:

https://www.oxbowphoto.com/articles/om-systems-om-1-for-wildlife-first-impressions-review

He writes this:

As for the new EVF - I’m in love. After looking through the EVF on the OM-1, it’s hard to imagine ever going back to the washed-out 2.3 MP panel on the E-M1 X or III. The previous EVF was not horrible by 2014 standards, but having seen multiple generations of flagship camera, it was clearly time for an upgrade. I can’t overemphasize how drastic an improvement it is being able to accurately judge focus, exposure, and to review photographs with the new screen. To me, this was one of the biggest reasons to upgrade. OM needed to ace the EVF with their new camera - and they did. Finally, an Olympus camera with a great EVF. That’s enough WOW for me!

I don't know what he means when he says "washed out", but I suspect a lot of it has to do with my much more careful, descriptive dislike after lots of investigation that I wrote about in this thread. Stuff such as this:

There is a problem with the E-M1 II EVF firmware that doesn't exist in any of my other Olympus bodies. The problem with the E-M1 II is not the EVF hardware (which is quite good), it is a bug/deficiency in the firmware that doesn't exist in the PEN-F (OLED), E-M10 II (OLED), E-M10 (TFT LCD), etc. Since the last firmware is 3.5 and the E-M1 II is no longer a current flagship model it is very unlikely that OMDS will fix this bug. Specifically the Auto Luminance setting is broken in this model. I dug into the problem and wrote about it in detail in the following 3 posts. You need to read them to understand what is wrong with the E-M1 II firmware and what the ramifications are:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65667502

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65721962

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65730373

For the last 5 years I have seen many posts from people expressing disappointment in the E-M1 II EVF, but no one investigated and went into detail like I did about what was wrong and narrowed it down like I did. Certainly the EVF is still very usable and the camera has many other great things going for it, but that just makes this Olympus blunder even more annoying.

If you read my 3 posts that I linked to in my review above you will see that for 2 months I have gone back and forth with Auto Luminance on and off. Neither one is really ideal and works well in all general photo taking conditions. When one is better the other may not be and vice versa. It seems to depend on lighting, subject, mix of light and dark, etc. that probably causes the Auto Luminance algorithm to make EVF adjustments. My PEN-F, E-M10 II, E-M10, and E-M5 do not have this unfortunate behavior. Over the years there have been many vague comments by users on this forum and other forums and also sometimes in reviews about how the E-M1 II EVF is not quite as good as some other Olympus bodies (not talking about size or resolution) (using probably all versions of the firmware). Usually things are said such as sort of washed out, low contrast, etc. No more detail or better description. No one bothered to look into it until I did. And I gave a much better description. Auto Luminance is dynamic so it is difficult to give a pat description because it changes its behavior depending on what the camera sees. I bet most people didn't even know there is an Auto Luminance and it is turned ON by default. Most never tried turning it off and experimenting. Probably no one had until me.

As you will see in the 3 posts I linked to, I said this was not a major problem and the camera is still very usable. And great in pretty much every other way. I hold the flagship to a higher standard though. It was US$2000 when it came out so much more expensive than the other models. The EVF should be at least as good as my E-M10, E-M10 II, and PEN-F. I am convinced this is a firmware problem with Auto Luminance. It just doesn't behave well all the time. Sometimes it does. It is a dynamic thing. It is as if they didn't tune it properly for the EVF panel, but did for the lower level cameras.

I haven’t had an E-M1 II for years now but I would be interested to hear from others about the auto luminance setting and whether it fixes their problems. For me the EVF is one of the key features in a camera and was one of the primary reasons I got rid of the E-M1 II. It would be amusing if it could have been solved with a toggle.

You are giving me post-purchase anxiety now. 😟
Yesterday I found a good deal for open-box e-m1 mark ii with 12-40 pro f2.8 for approx $1400. With bill, Olympus India Warranty, and I got to pay via 9 months no-cost (0% interest EMI). So I would not be using my savings.
Fingers crossed, I hope this anxiety doesn't turn into buyer's remorse

Go for it.

I got a used one a few weeks ago and it's just great overall.

d_chiesa wrote:

Go for it.

I got a used one a few weeks ago and it's just great overall.

Thanks. I've pulled the trigger. The camera is on its way..!! 

gursharan-info wrote:

After a lot of research, I've narrowed down my search to a micro four thirds camera. A brief backround is in this thread's first post.

My main goals are:

• A better travel companion than my iPhone 11 and my old Sony A100. Mostly pictures, but occasional vlogging should also be possible.
• Wildlife Photography. Macro and normal zoo work for now and proper birdwatching in the future when the budget allows for a telephoto zoom
• Having worked as a digital artist, I am also intrigued to do some light painting work and learn more about it. Something which I've longed to do, but failed most of the time with my limited setup of A100
• I intend to keep it as long as possible. Just like I've kept A100 and old Minolta glass till now.

I have zeroed in my search on the following options ordered by decreasing priority:

1. E-M1 Mark II: I am more leaned toward this camera as this camera will fulfill all my needs, plus the live composite option would make it easier to work with long exposures.
   The issue is that I was not able to find a single used piece here in my area(checked electronics markets in 4 main cities in my state). Apart from Canon and Nikon, used cameras from other brands is almost non-existent here. I am getting a new one line with 12-40 F2.8 Pro lens for about $1700.
   As e-m1 mark ii is already 5 yrs old, is it worth spending on a new one in 2022 ?
2. E-M5 Mark III: This is also a comparable option which is of a similar price in the Indian market. With a 12-45 F4 Pro, it retails at $1750. So to me, it seems a less lucrative option than E-M1.
   Is it costlier than E-M1 and comparatively less value for money?
3. Panasonic G9 : To me, G9 is almost the same as an E-M1.2, minus the live-composite option. In some cases, it is even better than E-M1, like 60p 4K video. It is also a little bit bigger in size, but that would not be an issue with my bigger-than-average hands. It is available with 12-60 F2.8-4 for about $1550
   Will I miss on features like live-composite if I chose the G9?
4. I have also considered smaller option like E-M10 Mark IV. Body only option is not available here, so I have to get with 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens. That with a separate 12-40 Pro lens is costing much more, $2200. Or E-10.4 with 14-150 be good enough as a starting point? That one is costing me $1250.

From what I've read in other comparison threads, it seems I won't go wrong with either of these options. It's just because of these singular points I am not able to decide on one. I plan to add Oly 40-150 / PL 45-150, Oly 60mm f2.8 Macro after 1-2 months. Next year, I plan to add PL 100-300mm / PL 100-400mm / Oly 100-400mm depending on the one unit I buy now.

Would love to hear from some users of these devices.

PS. For those who would suggest sites like ebay.com, it is very cumbersome to import in India now. The average import duty we are imposed is about 30%. And that also depends on the local customs officer. I've seen cases where customs officers demand as high as 50% of the declared price, just because they can. So, I opted not to go into that hassle.

Hi Gursharan, I also moved from A100and Minolta to m43. And have now owned the Em1-Mk2 for around 5 years.

There is no comparison, the Em1-Mk2 is so much better in every possible way. In fact it is so good that last year I bought a spare Em1-Mk2 just in case anything ever happened!

You can shoot at over 4 times higher ISO, 20megapixel files (in standard mode) compared to 10mp with the A100.  The images are sharper and far more detailed even with the standard lenses.

You get 100% view in the Em1-Mk2 viewfinder (I think the Sony only shows about 90% of what you are trying to photograph). The stabilisation is amazing.

The A100 (like many DSLR's) tends to not accurately focus with various lenses when trying to shoot macro. M43 cameras are extremely accurate in contrast detect mode, and lightning fast.

And of course as a system it is lighter and much smaller.

The Em1-Mk2 also has many special shooting modes many of which are unique. Plus in many years of use I fortunately have had no dust get on the sensor.

Like all modern cameras the Em1-Mk2 is a complex camera to learn, but the results are incredible.

The A100 was a marvel back in its day and very advanced, but it is light years behind in what an Em1-mk2 can achieve.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy one now.

Best wishes.

Gwynedd wrote:

Skeeterbytes wrote:

Gwynedd wrote:

Skeeterbytes wrote:

gursharan-info wrote:

Gwynedd wrote:

E-M1 II has the worst EVF I've ever used, extremely washed out colours and low refresh rate. Otherwise it is a pretty good camera. I would never buy a new one at this point though. Just look for a low shutter count used model.

Wooahh...!! That is literally new to me. I've heard in comparative like G9 has better EVF. But, I didn't realize that EVF of E-M1.2 is that bad.

Clearly a personal thing--never had an issue using it myself. Turning off auto-luminence and live view boost are first steps. Beyond that, the color balance and brightness can be custom set. There are other settings as well.

Cheers,

Rick

I only had it for about six months so I could have not been using it correctly but I have heard from others that they have found the evf disappointing. I’ve used a lot of cameras and I’ve never seen one that was less like the final image.

I think Oly contributed to the problem by splitting EVF settings and adjustments between two completely different parts of the menu. You have to know that and even then, chase them all down. Product of the menu evolving over time and until the OM1, not being blown up and redesigned.

Until I mastered it, viewfinder images looked light and desaturated compared to the back display and the actual image taken.

Cheers,

Rick

Good to know actually! Thanks. Those two problems were mine as well. I never had the same problems with my Pen-F interestingly, just the E-M1 II.

I think I recall that Olympus provided a firmware update which sorted out any early viewfinder issues. Initially mine was not quite as pleasant as my previous gx8, but afterwards it was very good.

-- hide signature --

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most.?
John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice

gursharan-info wrote:

d_chiesa wrote:

Go for it.

I got a used one a few weeks ago and it's just great overall.

Thanks. I've pulled the trigger. The camera is on its way..!!

Great news. It's a fabulous camera. I loved it so much that I saved up and bought a second one as a spare, just in case.

Henry Richardson wrote:

gursharan-info wrote:

Gwynedd wrote:

Henry Richardson wrote:

Gwynedd wrote:

E-M1 II has the worst EVF I've ever used, extremely washed out colours and low refresh rate. Otherwise it is a pretty good camera.

I bought one in October 2021 and here is my user review:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65760663

I mostly write about stuff I discover that is not mentioned in other reviews. I recommend reading my further posts in the thread where I provide more info as I discovered more things. I wrote extensively about the EVF problem and spent time figuring out what is likely wrong. Seems to be a firmware problem that Olympus never bothered fixing.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65986464

Here is a nice OM-1 review by someone who owns the E-M1 II, E-M1 III, and E-M1X. He really likes the OM-1 EVF:

https://www.oxbowphoto.com/articles/om-systems-om-1-for-wildlife-first-impressions-review

He writes this:

As for the new EVF - I’m in love. After looking through the EVF on the OM-1, it’s hard to imagine ever going back to the washed-out 2.3 MP panel on the E-M1 X or III. The previous EVF was not horrible by 2014 standards, but having seen multiple generations of flagship camera, it was clearly time for an upgrade. I can’t overemphasize how drastic an improvement it is being able to accurately judge focus, exposure, and to review photographs with the new screen. To me, this was one of the biggest reasons to upgrade. OM needed to ace the EVF with their new camera - and they did. Finally, an Olympus camera with a great EVF. That’s enough WOW for me!

I don't know what he means when he says "washed out", but I suspect a lot of it has to do with my much more careful, descriptive dislike after lots of investigation that I wrote about in this thread. Stuff such as this:

There is a problem with the E-M1 II EVF firmware that doesn't exist in any of my other Olympus bodies. The problem with the E-M1 II is not the EVF hardware (which is quite good), it is a bug/deficiency in the firmware that doesn't exist in the PEN-F (OLED), E-M10 II (OLED), E-M10 (TFT LCD), etc. Since the last firmware is 3.5 and the E-M1 II is no longer a current flagship model it is very unlikely that OMDS will fix this bug. Specifically the Auto Luminance setting is broken in this model. I dug into the problem and wrote about it in detail in the following 3 posts. You need to read them to understand what is wrong with the E-M1 II firmware and what the ramifications are:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65667502

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65721962

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65730373

For the last 5 years I have seen many posts from people expressing disappointment in the E-M1 II EVF, but no one investigated and went into detail like I did about what was wrong and narrowed it down like I did. Certainly the EVF is still very usable and the camera has many other great things going for it, but that just makes this Olympus blunder even more annoying.

If you read my 3 posts that I linked to in my review above you will see that for 2 months I have gone back and forth with Auto Luminance on and off. Neither one is really ideal and works well in all general photo taking conditions. When one is better the other may not be and vice versa. It seems to depend on lighting, subject, mix of light and dark, etc. that probably causes the Auto Luminance algorithm to make EVF adjustments. My PEN-F, E-M10 II, E-M10, and E-M5 do not have this unfortunate behavior. Over the years there have been many vague comments by users on this forum and other forums and also sometimes in reviews about how the E-M1 II EVF is not quite as good as some other Olympus bodies (not talking about size or resolution) (using probably all versions of the firmware). Usually things are said such as sort of washed out, low contrast, etc. No more detail or better description. No one bothered to look into it until I did. And I gave a much better description. Auto Luminance is dynamic so it is difficult to give a pat description because it changes its behavior depending on what the camera sees. I bet most people didn't even know there is an Auto Luminance and it is turned ON by default. Most never tried turning it off and experimenting. Probably no one had until me.

As you will see in the 3 posts I linked to, I said this was not a major problem and the camera is still very usable. And great in pretty much every other way. I hold the flagship to a higher standard though. It was US$2000 when it came out so much more expensive than the other models. The EVF should be at least as good as my E-M10, E-M10 II, and PEN-F. I am convinced this is a firmware problem with Auto Luminance. It just doesn't behave well all the time. Sometimes it does. It is a dynamic thing. It is as if they didn't tune it properly for the EVF panel, but did for the lower level cameras.

I haven’t had an E-M1 II for years now but I would be interested to hear from others about the auto luminance setting and whether it fixes their problems. For me the EVF is one of the key features in a camera and was one of the primary reasons I got rid of the E-M1 II. It would be amusing if it could have been solved with a toggle.

You are giving me post-purchase anxiety now. 😟
Yesterday I found a good deal for open-box e-m1 mark ii with 12-40 pro f2.8 for approx $1400. With bill, Olympus India Warranty, and I got to pay via 9 months no-cost (0% interest EMI). So I would not be using my savings.
Fingers crossed, I hope this anxiety doesn't turn into buyer's remorse

See this:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66144915

I suppose you didn't read it before.

Yes, I read it before. I was just saying sarcastically as you had re-iterated the issue of EVF. I am sure I won't regret, as I am very good at compensating.

Adrian Harris wrote:

gursharan-info wrote:

After a lot of research, I've narrowed down my search to a micro four thirds camera. A brief backround is in this thread's first post.

My main goals are:

• A better travel companion than my iPhone 11 and my old Sony A100. Mostly pictures, but occasional vlogging should also be possible.
• Wildlife Photography. Macro and normal zoo work for now and proper birdwatching in the future when the budget allows for a telephoto zoom
• Having worked as a digital artist, I am also intrigued to do some light painting work and learn more about it. Something which I've longed to do, but failed most of the time with my limited setup of A100
• I intend to keep it as long as possible. Just like I've kept A100 and old Minolta glass till now.

I have zeroed in my search on the following options ordered by decreasing priority:

1. E-M1 Mark II: I am more leaned toward this camera as this camera will fulfill all my needs, plus the live composite option would make it easier to work with long exposures.
   The issue is that I was not able to find a single used piece here in my area(checked electronics markets in 4 main cities in my state). Apart from Canon and Nikon, used cameras from other brands is almost non-existent here. I am getting a new one line with 12-40 F2.8 Pro lens for about $1700.
   As e-m1 mark ii is already 5 yrs old, is it worth spending on a new one in 2022 ?
2. E-M5 Mark III: This is also a comparable option which is of a similar price in the Indian market. With a 12-45 F4 Pro, it retails at $1750. So to me, it seems a less lucrative option than E-M1.
   Is it costlier than E-M1 and comparatively less value for money?
3. Panasonic G9 : To me, G9 is almost the same as an E-M1.2, minus the live-composite option. In some cases, it is even better than E-M1, like 60p 4K video. It is also a little bit bigger in size, but that would not be an issue with my bigger-than-average hands. It is available with 12-60 F2.8-4 for about $1550
   Will I miss on features like live-composite if I chose the G9?
4. I have also considered smaller option like E-M10 Mark IV. Body only option is not available here, so I have to get with 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens. That with a separate 12-40 Pro lens is costing much more, $2200. Or E-10.4 with 14-150 be good enough as a starting point? That one is costing me $1250.

From what I've read in other comparison threads, it seems I won't go wrong with either of these options. It's just because of these singular points I am not able to decide on one. I plan to add Oly 40-150 / PL 45-150, Oly 60mm f2.8 Macro after 1-2 months. Next year, I plan to add PL 100-300mm / PL 100-400mm / Oly 100-400mm depending on the one unit I buy now.

Would love to hear from some users of these devices.

PS. For those who would suggest sites like ebay.com, it is very cumbersome to import in India now. The average import duty we are imposed is about 30%. And that also depends on the local customs officer. I've seen cases where customs officers demand as high as 50% of the declared price, just because they can. So, I opted not to go into that hassle.

Hi Gursharan, I also moved from A100and Minolta to m43. And have now owned the Em1-Mk2 for around 5 years.

There is no comparison, the Em1-Mk2 is so much better in every possible way. In fact it is so good that last year I bought a spare Em1-Mk2 just in case anything ever happened!

You can shoot at over 4 times higher ISO, 20megapixel files (in standard mode) compared to 10mp with the A100. The images are sharper and far more detailed even with the standard lenses.

You get 100% view in the Em1-Mk2 viewfinder (I think the Sony only shows about 90% of what you are trying to photograph). The stabilisation is amazing.

The A100 (like many DSLR's) tends to not accurately focus with various lenses when trying to shoot macro. M43 cameras are extremely accurate in contrast detect mode, and lightning fast.

And of course as a system it is lighter and much smaller.

The Em1-Mk2 also has many special shooting modes many of which are unique. Plus in many years of use I fortunately have had no dust get on the sensor.

Like all modern cameras the Em1-Mk2 is a complex camera to learn, but the results are incredible.

The A100 was a marvel back in its day and very advanced, but it is light years behind in what an Em1-mk2 can achieve.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy one now.

Best wishes.

Good to see someone with the same track. You are the first person (among many) who has transitioned with same camera systems as mine. 
As you said, I am sure I would enjoy using the camera. Can't wait to get it in my hands and post my experience

Aberaeron wrote:

Gwynedd wrote:

E-M1 II has the worst EVF I've ever used, extremely washed out colours and low refresh rate. Otherwise it is a pretty good camera. I would never buy a new one at this point though. Just look for a low shutter count used model.

I don’t understand why your viewfinder is so different to mine. My camera is a late built one and has the latest firmware no doubt, but its EVF is on a par with my E-M10 Mkii and only bettered in my portfolio by the Leica Q2. It is far and away better than my Sony A7iii’s EVF.

Is it possible that Olympus improved the EVF during its production cycle and in the tun-up to the launch of the E-M1 Mkiii? Or is it simply a matter of adjusting the EVF colour, saturation and contrast to taste?

I am getting an almost new one, with a warranty. So, I assume that my copy would also be a late built one. I will also post my experience here for you comparison, once it arrives.