The Olympus E-M1 is the latest addition to the Olympus compact system camera (CSC) line-up and it’s aimed at professional and enthusiast photographers. It doesn’t replace the Olympus OM-D E-M5, but sits above it. Until now the OM-D E-M5 has been largely referred to as the Olympus OM-D, but it seems we will have to get used to calling it the Olympus E-M5.
Olympus hopes that the new OM-D E-M1 will address the needs of Four Thirds users as well as enthusiast Micro Four Thirds users, because it has a dual autofocus system that is designed to work well with both types of lens.
Although Olympus’s earlier Micro Four Thirds cameras are compatible with Four Thirds lenses, the contrast detection autofocus system is very slow with the older design of lens.
The E-M1 has Olympus’s new Dual Fast AF system which combines contrast and phase detection systems. While we have seen this type of thing elsewhere, Olympus claims to use a different design from other manufacturers.
Some of the pixels on the E-M1’s 16MP sensor are actually half-photosites (pixels) with no colour filter. One row has left-half sites while another has right-half receptors. These two halves match up to create a phase detection focusing system which is used when Four Thirds lenses are mounted on the camera.
Olympus uses this approach because the photosites (strictly speaking pixels don’t exist on a sensor, just in an image) used for focusing don’t gather any image data. This means the information needs to be interpolated – just as it would with a dead pixel on the sensor.
In addition, like other compact system cameras, the E-M1 has a contrast detection AF system that uses information from the imaging sensor. This is used to drive the focus of Micro Four Thirds lenses on the E-M1. The camera automatically detects what type of lens is mounted and uses the appropriate AF system automatically.
When Micro Four Thirds lenses are used in continuous autofocus mode, both focusing methods are used as it increases the focusing speed.
The camera uses contrast detection in movie mode whether the lens is a Four Thirds or Micro Four Thirds optic.
Features
In a first for Olympus, the 16MP Live MOS sensor in the OM-D E-M1 has no low-pass filter over it. This should enable it to record more detail than the original Olympus OM-D, the OM-D E-M5.
In addition, we are told that new TruPic VII image processor has been calibrated to put the emphasis on detail visibility at the expense of a little noise.
Thanks to the new processing engine, lateral chromatic aberrations are corrected and sharpness optimisation according to the lens mounted and aperture selected (for Olympus lenses). This should enable users to get the best from their camera and lens combination.
Olympus claims that the E-M1 produces the best image quality from any Olympus digital camera, with less colour saturation loss at high sensitivities. We look forward to testing this claim in the near future.
As it’s a compact system camera, the Olympus E-M1 doesn’t have an optical viewfinder, but there’s an electronic one with 2,360,000 dots and 1.48x magnification. This magnification and dot-count should make it easier to see details than usual. Uniquely, in HDR preview mode this viewfinder is capable of showing the effect (there are two HDR modes, Natural and Artistic) as well as the image building up in Live Bulb mode.
This EVF can also use adaptive brightness technology to adjust it to the brightness of the environment and take the size of the photographer’s pupil into account. In bright light the EVF is brighter, while in dark conditions it’s darker. This is a default setting, but it can be switched off if users prefer.
A new feature called Colour Creator allows hue and saturation to be adjusted using a colour wheel that’s visible on screen and in the viewfinder. The effect is also previewed in the EVF and on the screen.
This can be combined with the Highlight and Shadow control to tailor images to users preferences or to create a particular style. These can be saved as part of the My Mode settings for future use.
Although the E-M1 uses the same 5-axis all mechanical Image Stabilisation (IS) system as the E-P5, it makes a small improvement in performance. However, new changes to the CIPA standard mean that this is now billed as a 4-stop correction rather than 5. Consequently, the camera can be handheld at shutter speeds up to 4 stops slower than without IS. That’s the equivalent of dropping from 1/125sec to 1/8sec.
Those more interested in freezing movement will appreciate the E-M1’s top shutter speed of 1/8000sec, just like the E-P5.
It’s also possible to shoot continuously with continuous AF at 6.5fps for 50 raw files, or at 10fps with single-AF mode selected for 41 raw files. We are told that the better housing around the shutter mechanism means that the E-M1 is quieter than the E-P5 in action.
Olympus has had a lot of success with its Art Modes and the E-M1 introduces a new mode, Diorama II, which as well as allowing you to have the sharp area around the focus point, can be used with vertical format images.
It would strange for a new camera not to have Wi-Fi connectivity built-in now and the E-M1 doesn’t disappoint as it has the same system as is in the E-P5. However, in a slight upgrade, this enables remote shooting via Olympus’s (upgraded) smartphone app in all exposure modes with control over exposure and white balance.
In addition, the image can be seen forming on the screen of the smartphone during long exposure captured using Live Bulb mode.
Build and handling
According to Olympus, the E-M1 is not intended to be the smallest camera available, but to be a good size for serious use. It’s a very similar size to the OM-D E-M5, but the front and rear grips have changed shape.
The thumb grip on the back of the E-M1 is less pronounced than it is on the E-M5, but the front grip is bigger, giving a better, more comfortable hold. It feels very secure in your hand.
Sometimes big is taken to mean tough, but the diminutive E-M1 is also pretty durable. It feels nicely built and has seals to ensure that it stays dust and splash-proof. It is also guaranteed to work at temperatures down to -10C. Helpfully, all current Olympus lenses are freeze-proof.
Like the E-M5, the E-M1 has a 3-inch tilting touchscreen, but the dot-count has been boosted from 610,000 to 103,700,000 dots. It provides a very clear view with plenty of detail. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is also very impressive and with natural colours (depending upon the camera settings), good contrast and lots of detail visible.
Disappointingly, Olympus has resisted the option to make the main menu navigable by touch, so you have to use the physical controls. It would be nice to have the choice of touch or button and dial controls. Like the original OM-D and the PEN E-P5, a Super Control Panel can be used with the touchscreen to make changes to key settings, such as white balance and metering.
The control layout of the E-M1 has some significant differences from that of the E-M5. As you hold the camera for use, the mode dial is on the right of the top-plate instead of the left. Meanwhile, the left-side has two semi-circular buttons on a shallow column which looks a bit like the film rewind unit on an old film camera – without the flip-up handle. The front-most button gives access to the drive mode and HDR options, while the rear one is used to access the metering and focusing options.
When the HDR button is pressed, the up and down navigation controls scroll through the HDR options while the left and right controls run through the drive options. It’s a similar arrangement with the AF and metering button, with the up/down controls scrolling through the metering options and the left/right controls navigating the focusing settings.
Pressing and holding the button immediately behind the shutter release while rotating the rear dial scrolls through the Shadow and Highlight, Colour Creator, Magnify and Image Aspect modes. Once you’ve selected the mode you want, pressing the button again brings up the controls or options.
We’ll need to use a full production sample before we can pass final judgement, but the E-M1 seems a very comfortable camera to hold and use with everything within convenient reach.
Performance
Having only used a preproduction sample of the E-M1 we can’t say for certain what the image quality is like, but the early signs are very positive. Olympus knows a thing or two about image quality and we have been very impressed with what it has achieved with its Pen series and the OM-D E-M5. It is unlikely to say that the E-M1 produces the best image quality of any Olympus digital camera without some good cause.
It will be very interesting to see how much can be accomplished with the new sensor design (without an anti-aliasing filter) and improved processing engine, bearing in mind that the camera has the same pixel count as the E-M5.
We anticipate seeing more detail across the image frame and a little more noise visible in high sensitivity shots. Olympus is also promising less loss of colour saturation at the higher sensitivity settings.
Olympus’s recent compact system cameras can generally be relied upon to produce images with good colour, white balance and exposure. We’ll be very surprised if that changes with the E-M1, but naturally we’ll test it fully when get a production sample in.
Early verdict
Olympus sees the OM-D E-M1 as the replacement to the E-5, the last high-end SLR the company made. It’s hoping that it will convert diehard SLR users to switch to a lighter, more portable camera.
On the face of it, Olympus may get its way: the E-M1 has a comprehensive featureset and its handling seems well thought through. Of course we’ll only know for sure once we’ve been able to shoot extensively with a full-production sample.
The E-M1 will be available from mid-October 2013. Prices start at £1,299 (AUD$1,599) for the body only and £1,949 (AUD$2,399) for a kit including the new M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 12-40mm 1:2.8 lens announced at the same time.
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