Olympus E-M5 off to Mexico

[PHIL RUDIN]

I got a black E-M5 thursday and left for Mexico Friday with a Pana 14 to 42 power zoom, 8mm fisheye and a Olympus 12mm to shoot top side while I am teaching at this years Digital Fiesta in Cozumel.
I was out with the zoom today and the lens works very well with the E-M5. I hope to see a housing by July/Aug. but will not be holding my breath. This is a great little camera I am using it with the vertical grip and like having a better grip on the camera in the hot sweaty conditions. I left the battery pack at home since I could not score a second battery. I really like the ease with which I can see the ART filter effects being applied in the EVF. I also have a Sony NEX-7, Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic GF-3 all with Nauticam housings. I see little difference between the EVF's on the NEX-7 and E-M5 other than to say the image in the E-M5 looks slightly larger to me than the NEX-7 which is almost as large a view as a full frame 35mm with optical viewfinder. After shooting OVF's for well over forty years I did not find the transition to be all that great. I hear others post that they hate it as soon as they try it for the first time. I guess it is a matter seeing the glass half full or half empty. I see the upsides like being able to see every change in settings as they are applied. Seeing as an example the effect of the art filters as soon they are applied. These are effects that can be added in Lightroom/photoshop but seeing them in camera both in still and video before taking the image is an upside to me.

I will report back when I get a housing and if you have questions about the camera I will try to get you an answer.

Phil Rudin

 

[AndyT]

Hi Phil

Thanks for posting this info.

I will be getting one of these cameras as well, mostly for topside use but may consider housing it later.

The Panasonoc 14-42 you mentioned - is that the compact version?
If so do you have any idea as to how it compares in terms of IQ with the Oly 14-42?

 

[Meyr]

As always Phil, cant wait for your underwater review of the EM5

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Hi Andy,

This is the compact lens, very small compared to the Oly 14-42 zoom. It has power zoom on the lens barrel and power focus which can be done from the lens barrel or just by AF on the camera. The down side for this lens U/W is that a new port would need to be made with a control for the zoom button. IQ. wise it is better than the Oly kit lens.

Panasonic is also being rumored to be about to release two new faster, more high end zooms more in the 12 to 50 or 60 range at around F/2.8.

I just sold my E-3 Seatool housing and 220mm dome to a guy in EU and plan to start using the E-M5 as my prime travel/top side camera. I will wait for a test housing to see if it will also become a prime U/W camera as well.

 

[derway]

Great news Phil! Thanks for the report. Great news about the pany lens rumors!

You know, seeing the effects of your settings changes, is often taken too far.

I can see the preview feature being useful for WB and contrast and such.

For example, shooting M mode, where you want to underexpose, and the whole screen or EVF becomes difficult to use for the most important feature - composing the photo.

This is especially true underwater, when always using a flash, and no camera can show us what the shot will flash exposure will look like, before hand, that I have ever seen.

How customizable is the 'wysiwyg' feature. I seem to remember on an epl2 you could at least turn it on or off...

Thanks!
Don

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Don't know what the "WYSIWYG" is o I can't help with that.

 

[cardog]

Don't know what the "WYSIWYG" is o I can't help with that.

What you see is what you get?

 

[ASA400]

Phil,

I'm seriously looking at this camera. How fast is the autofocus? I looked at the Nikon V1 which has a very fast autofocus, but the image quality just isn't there. I'm hoping that a third-party housing maker will make a housing for this camera, because the Olympus housing looks a bit odd. Any reason to hold off on buying the camera?

Jerry

 

[terson]

Jerry,
I too am looking at this camera and so far there has not been one negative review that I have seen, BUT,
I'm curious as to why you would say that the Olympus housing "looks a bit odd" when it hasn't even been released and no-one has seen one yet?
Bruce

 

[ASA400]

Bruce,

I've seen photos of it on the web. It's kind of a round housing and I'm concerned about the housing's buoyancy as well as it's handling characteristics. Also, it has a max depth of 45 meters (135 feet) while the aluminum housings seem to be 60 meters+. While 45 meters seems like a lot, I'm planning a trip to Truk and don't care to use the housing at or in excess of it's max depth.

Jerry