New OM-1 MkII, questions

[Ross Dillon]

I've been a lifelong Nikon DSLR user, just bought the new OM-1 MkII. I did a ton of research and then did a rushed purchase when I realized a lot of the good deals were going away at the end of March. Haven't dug through the manual yet, so I missed some of the details. Plus, I'm realizing that a lot of my accessories are Nikon-specific and will also need to be replaced.

1) Didn't realize a battery charger was not included. I soon realized it recharges by cable while in the camera but it's been my experience that dedicated chargers are faster, and I've always been able to charge a battery separately while continuing to shoot and not be tethered to a power cord. Do folks typically buy a separate battery charger or just live with the in-camera charging? Pros/cons of each?

2) Intervalometer...does the OM-1 have that built in or will I need to purchase one? I have an old wired Vello model for my Nikon that I used on occasion, mostly night skies. If I need to buy one, what model do folks recommend that works with the OM-1?

3) Flash: Not sure of the value of the dinky little flash (GN9) that came with the camera...I have a Nikon SB-800 Speedlite that I really liked (GN125). Is there an equivalent Oly model folks recommend?

I'm sure I'll think of more...Thanks

 

[Will Rose]

1. Lots of people do both. Probably because the oem batteries and charger are way overpriced. The OM1 has quite good battery life. Once you have the camera for a while, you’ll have to decide for yourself if you can get through the day on one battery.

2. Yes it has an excellent one built in.

3. The bundled flash is ver convenient and tiny and lightweight. If you use flash a lot Godox makes some excellent compatible models.

I hope this helps…

 

[drj3]

I purchased the charger with one battery. The charger can charge two batteries simultaneously and you can use the AC adapter or a power bank with the charger. I have a 65W power bank which can charge the batteries in the charger in my camera bag or power the camera when needed.

I have the old Olympus FL 600R, but do not know what current flash would be equivalent to your Nikon.

 

[the bluesman]

I received a dual battery charger and spare battery with my first OM1, I to prefer a seperate battery charger

I use a Godox V1 Flash with my OM1 and its a good flash, the Godox V350 is also very good for a more compact solution, I use that one with my OM5 for Macro

You might just have to buy the seperate charger and spare battery, It's a shame OM Systems didn't have that promotion on when you got your OM1

 

[Ross Dillon]

I received a dual battery charger and spare battery with my first OM1, I to prefer a seperate battery charger

I use a Godox V1 Flash with my OM1 and its a good flash, the Godox V350 is also very good for a more compact solution, I use that one with my OM5 for Macro

You might just have to buy the seperate charger and spare battery, It's a shame OM Systems didn't have that promotion on when you got your OM1

Thanks.

I did get a second battery for free...and significant discounts on lenses (I ended up also buying 3 Pro lenses in addition to the 12-40 Kit lens)

 

[daddyo]

As someone else said the dual battery charger is overpriced, but very convenient. I coughed up the money, but am not sorry - it works very well, and pretty fast too.

When you get a chance to use some of the amazing built in features of your camera, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. The built in intervalometer works very well, and some of the other features like 'Live Composite', 'Live GND', 'Starry AF', and in-camera Focus Stacking are simply amazing.

As far as flash goes, that little flash that comes with the camera is actually very good for its size. Bump your ISO up to 800 and it really does a surprising job. That said, for serious flash work, I personally have two Nissin i60a flashes for m4/3's that I absolutely love. They are powerful, easy to use, and pretty compact compared to most other powerful flashes for m4/3's. Unfortunately, they are only available on the used market these days, but you could probably find a good clean used one from a used dealer or on eBay. Godox/Flashpoint V1 Pro for m4/3's is a great flash as well. Of course OM offers the Olympus FL-700WR, which is a good flash, but a bit pricey.

Welcome to OM/Olympus -- enjoy your new camera!

 

[gary0319]

I've been a lifelong Nikon DSLR user, just bought the new OM-1 MkII. I did a ton of research and then did a rushed purchase when I realized a lot of the good deals were going away at the end of March. Haven't dug through the manual yet, so I missed some of the details. Plus, I'm realizing that a lot of my accessories are Nikon-specific and will also need to be replaced.

1) Didn't realize a battery charger was not included. I soon realized it recharges by cable while in the camera but it's been my experience that dedicated chargers are faster, and I've always been able to charge a battery separately while continuing to shoot and not be tethered to a power cord. Do folks typically buy a separate battery charger or just live with the in-camera charging? Pros/cons of each?

2) Intervalometer...does the OM-1 have that built in or will I need to purchase one? I have an old wired Vello model for my Nikon that I used on occasion, mostly night skies. If I need to buy one, what model do folks recommend that works with the OM-1?

3) Flash: Not sure of the value of the dinky little flash (GN9) that came with the camera...I have a Nikon SB-800 Speedlite that I really liked (GN125). Is there an equivalent Oly model folks recommend?

I'm sure I'll think of more...Thanks

Back when the original OM-1 was released , there wasn’t an external charger available, at all. So I was forced to do the in-camera charging. Eventually, I did get an external charger but found that the internal charging is much faster so I rarely use it. I have 3 batteries and only rarely do I even need the second for an entire day.

 

[UrbaneHobbit]

I, too, only have one battery for my OM-1. I plug the thing in after I get home, and it charges overnight and in the morning it is ready for a full day once again. A welcome improvement from juggling my two E-M1 IIs, four batteries, and two chargers, especially when traveling!

Another useful trick: I take my iPad mini on trips for review and culling. If I have an extremely active shooting day (typically with lots of video), I can charge the OM-1 between stops with the same USB-C cable I use for file transfer.

I will never buy another camera that does not support USB-C charging somehow. I wish NiteCore or one of the other battery manufacturers would make a BLS-50 with a built-in USB-C PD port. That might be the only exception. It's just so much better carrying the one cable instead of all the other charging infrastructure.

 

[john isaacs]

I've been a lifelong Nikon DSLR user, just bought the new OM-1 MkII. I did a ton of research and then did a rushed purchase when I realized a lot of the good deals were going away at the end of March. Haven't dug through the manual yet, so I missed some of the details. Plus, I'm realizing that a lot of my accessories are Nikon-specific and will also need to be replaced.

1) Didn't realize a battery charger was not included. I soon realized it recharges by cable while in the camera but it's been my experience that dedicated chargers are faster, and I've always been able to charge a battery separately while continuing to shoot and not be tethered to a power cord. Do folks typically buy a separate battery charger or just live with the in-camera charging? Pros/cons of each?

2) Intervalometer...does the OM-1 have that built in or will I need to purchase one? I have an old wired Vello model for my Nikon that I used on occasion, mostly night skies. If I need to buy one, what model do folks recommend that works with the OM-1?

3) Flash: Not sure of the value of the dinky little flash (GN9) that came with the camera...I have a Nikon SB-800 Speedlite that I really liked (GN125). Is there an equivalent Oly model folks recommend?

I'm sure I'll think of more...Thanks

I did get the dual battery charger, but I don't travel with it. Plugging the camera in works great, and the battery lasts all day for me. That's because I have 8sec backlight and eye elf set, and rarely use the LCD. I just plug the camera in when I get done with a day shooting. I carry one or two spare batteries, but rarely need them. If worried, by the charger.

Most Olympus cameras have Timelapse settings. You can't bracket with internal Timelapse, so I use an external trigger most of the time. I like the Pluto trigger, because I can set it up with my iPhone. PS. Read the manual.

The FL-LM3 is the flash that is made for modern Olympus cameras. I don't recommend getting an Olympus flash unless you feel the need for a weather resistant flash. I've shot in the rain with flash before, and just put a baggie over the flash with a rubber band to keep it on. I recommend Godox flashes these days, especially get one with TCM which allows you to do a TTL flash and then set the flash to manual with the power used for TTL. Then I can blast away with a focus bracket.

 

[Ross Dillon]

I purchased the charger with one battery. The charger can charge two batteries simultaneously and you can use the AC adapter or a power bank with the charger. I have a 65W power bank which can charge the batteries in the charger in my camera bag or power the camera when needed.

That's actually useful...I have several small power banks I could dedicate to this.

 

[EZGritz]

I'm happy with the cable for charging because I get 2,500 images out of one battery and I have a spare battery. I can charge a battery in the car or from a power bank so having power for the camera is never a problem.

 

[gary0319]

I'm happy with the cable for charging because I get 2,500 images out of one battery and I have a spare battery. I can charge a battery in the car or from a power bank so having power for the camera is never a problem.

I have 4 cameras, an iPad, iPhone, earbuds, remote speakers, and other battery operated devices......... ALL get recharged with USB in-device charging. There is nothing I use a battery charger for anymore. It's not surprising that camera manufacturers are not including chargers with their cameras. Modern camera batteries are meant to be charged in-camera, IMO.

 

[Ross Dillon]

I'm happy with the cable for charging because I get 2,500 images out of one battery and I have a spare battery. I can charge a battery in the car or from a power bank so having power for the camera is never a problem.

I have 4 cameras, an iPad, iPhone, earbuds, remote speakers, and other battery operated devices......... ALL get recharged with USB in-device charging. There is nothing I use a battery charger for anymore. It's not surprising that camera manufacturers are not including chargers with their cameras. Modern camera batteries are meant to be charged in-camera, IMO.

As do I. Problem is my charger only has so many outputs so I can’t recharge all of my devices at once…adding my camera to the mix just complicates things further

 

[gary0319]

I'm happy with the cable for charging because I get 2,500 images out of one battery and I have a spare battery. I can charge a battery in the car or from a power bank so having power for the camera is never a problem.

I have 4 cameras, an iPad, iPhone, earbuds, remote speakers, and other battery operated devices......... ALL get recharged with USB in-device charging. There is nothing I use a battery charger for anymore. It's not surprising that camera manufacturers are not including chargers with their cameras. Modern camera batteries are meant to be charged in-camera, IMO.

As do I. Problem is my charger only has so many outputs so I can’t recharge all of my devices at once…adding my camera to the mix just complicates things further

Yup, definitely a 21st century dilemma.

 

[Michael Meissner]

I purchased the charger with one battery. The charger can charge two batteries simultaneously and you can use the AC adapter or a power bank with the charger. I have a 65W power bank which can charge the batteries in the charger in my camera bag or power the camera when needed.

That's actually useful...I have several small power banks I could dedicate to this.

Note, the power bank has to specifically support USB C-PD (power delivery) with a USB C plug. Regular power banks that only have USB A ports will only supply a slow charge.

I only have the OM-1 mark I, but the OM-1 mark I can use the more common power banks that provide 18 watts of power for fast charging even though the documentation says you need 27 watts. I would hope the OM-1 mark II can still use 18 watt power banks.

However, if you want to use a power bank to charge batteries with the BCX-1 charger, you need a power bank that provides at least 27 watts of power to do fast charging. At least 2 years ago, the majority of USB C-PD power banks were limited to 18-20 watts of output.

If you are doing something like video or time lapse photography, you can hook up a USB C-PD power source to the OM-1, and it will both power the camera from the power bank as well as charge the batteries in the camera and optional HLD-10 power grip. I found in practice that when the camera is being powered with USB C-PD, it charges the batteries at about 1/2 the level as if the camera is off.

 

[Michael Meissner]

Back when the original OM-1 was released , there wasn’t an external charger available, at all. So I was forced to do the in-camera charging. Eventually, I did get an external charger but found that the internal charging is much faster so I rarely use it. I have 3 batteries and only rarely do I even need the second for an entire day.

The charger was announced at the same time as the OM-1. Now of course back in the early days there were supply problems. By the time June came around and the OM-1 that I pre-ordered came in, I also got the BCX-1 charger at the same time. Back then, the only way to get a second battery was to order the charger + single battery kit. The first clone batteries came out in July, and it wasn't until October or November that you could order single BLX-1 batteries.

As far as I know, if you live in Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico, you can't get BLX-1 batteries that aren't shipped with the camera or BCX-1 charger due to shipping regulations (and OM not being able to deal with the paper work for shipping batteries).

 

[Michael Meissner]

I'm happy with the cable for charging because I get 2,500 images out of one battery and I have a spare battery. I can charge a battery in the car or from a power bank so having power for the camera is never a problem.

I have 4 cameras, an iPad, iPhone, earbuds, remote speakers, and other battery operated devices......... ALL get recharged with USB in-device charging. There is nothing I use a battery charger for anymore. It's not surprising that camera manufacturers are not including chargers with their cameras. Modern camera batteries are meant to be charged in-camera, IMO.

The problem is if you need 2 or more batteries in a day and don't use the HLD-10 grip (or if you need to use 3 or more batteries even with the grip). Last week I was at Disney World and on several days the battery in the grip was discharged and the camera started using the battery in the camera before I was done for the day.



Now, you can power the camera with a USB C-PD power bank and it will re-charge the batteries on the fly, but it can be ungainly to do the charging.



I did a video shoot where I wasn't sure how long the event would be, and I used:

• A smallrig OM-1 1/2 cage
• A smallrig battery holder
• A 20,000 mAh power bank
• An Olympus recorder/microphone

OM1 mark I with USB C-PD power bank

 

[Michael Meissner]

I'm happy with the cable for charging because I get 2,500 images out of one battery and I have a spare battery. I can charge a battery in the car or from a power bank so having power for the camera is never a problem.

I have 4 cameras, an iPad, iPhone, earbuds, remote speakers, and other battery operated devices......... ALL get recharged with USB in-device charging. There is nothing I use a battery charger for anymore. It's not surprising that camera manufacturers are not including chargers with their cameras. Modern camera batteries are meant to be charged in-camera, IMO.

As do I. Problem is my charger only has so many outputs so I can’t recharge all of my devices at once…adding my camera to the mix just complicates things further

I have the following on my watchlist at ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/256211209303

It can charge 9 devices at a time (4 USB C, 4 USB A, and wireless charging), though there are limits to the amount of charge when you are charging multiple devices.

 

[cr0100]

Amazon.com : Wasabi Power Dual USB Battery Charger for Olympus BLX-1 and Olympus OM System OM-1 : Electronics

Amazon.com : Wasabi Power Dual USB Battery Charger for Olympus BLX-1 and Olympus OM System OM-1 : Electronics

www.amazon.com

That said: So far, the battery lasts so long that it's no sweat at all to just plug it into a USB-C cable and it's all good after a couple of hours. Still: Nice to have the option.

 

[Ross Dillon]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2KVB5WF?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

That said: So far, the battery lasts so long that it's no sweat at all to just plug it into a USB-C cable and it's all good after a couple of hours. Still: Nice to have the option.

I've burned too many times with third party batteries and chargers. I try to stick with OEM whenever possible.