fuzzynormal

I'll try to upload some sloppy raw stuff I shot yesterday. Bad lighting, bad composition, bad exposures! That type of fast and dirty imaging will reveal shortcomings, and successes, much more than considered framing. I like close-ups of rosemary as much as the next guy, but that only shows a narrow capability.

​I'm not the commenter of whom you're asking that question, but I'll chime in anyway. As an owner of the EM5II all I can say is that the video capability is dated. Seems like it just should be better is all. It's not a disaster. It's not great. Video is "meh." That said, I'm still using it and accepting the consequences. Which, IMHO, aren't really that disappointing to me. I mean, I still use my 7D on shoots, so I'm not terribly particular about getting the latest and greatest IQ. What it comes down to in my case is that the 5-axis is a tool that greatly helps my type of shooting, so that trumps the limitations... I do just wish that I didn't have to wait until a camera finally comes out that does great IQ and 5-axis. Waiting is the disappointment. I wish it was Christmas morning and I got all the toys I wanted. Oly's video is a sweater from grandma. Nice, but not the thing you have fun with.

​No, on the contrary. I got no problem. The IQ of some cameras is far more advanced than others. I don't see this particular Oly debate happening here on EOSHD though. The consensus is pretty much, "Yeah, Oly's still not there yet. Too bad; wish they were." Which is kind of why I'm curious as to your earnestness. I'm not faulting you for your perceptions, nor would I discourage them. If you want to "rant," as you said you felt like you had to do, go for it. Don't let my comments dissuade. (after all, I do agree with everything you say regarding IQ) But, I am kind of surprised that you would want be so ardent about it here --as I think we're all kind of well aware of camera IQ and are more or less impartial about it. Ultimately, IQ does tend to be the dominant topic around these parts, for better or worse. If you're searching out some sort of debate as online recreation I think you'll probably get it here, but the rhetorical slant regarding cameras will come from a more specific perspective so try to keep that in mind.

Yeah. I guess that kind if it, really. It's the internet. It's all mostly wrong statements. Saying something in response and expressing an opinion is one thing, but no need to get overly worked up about it, IMHO.

If I had to guess, they can't take the name elsewhere but they can take themselves and their type of show elsewhere. If they really want to I'm sure they could figure out a way to underwrite the program independently. Or, an American network would love to spend their money on these guys doing their show. And they could still do it in the UK if they wanted. I'd be curious to see what intellectual property belongs to the BBC and what belongs to the gents at (formerly) Top Gear.

True dat. So close...

Well, I make a living doing video production. I'm not the most accomplished, but I get by. You're verbose about your opinion, but I can't quite comprehend the level of angst you have about a camera you never plan to purchase. The perceived threat that a particular stabization feature will interfere with sensor development? Well, okay, I do hear you saying that...but I don't quite get it. Feel free to rant though if it helps.

Cmon to the United States. Freemarket and lots of offensive tv here.

​I'm not going to deny this assertion at all. It's true! But, I will counter that having aggressive sharpness isn't always desirable. At least for me. Then again, I'm a guy that often shoots vintage lenses to purposefully degrade the IQ of my Gx7. Depends on what one is going for I guess. That said, I do need to run around with my Oly 12-40 2.8, run some tests with that glass, and see what shakes out. I think I'll try the natural setting at default.

I've been flying my EM5II on a cheap-o $30 stabilizer for a few days. I find it VERY useable for me. Impressively smooth drifting shots on the wider lenses. Trade off: Not the cleanest video on the market with the EM5II. 5-axis sensor shift overcompensation if too drastic of a pan. Have to stay disciplined with movement. Advantages: New cam and stabilizer for less than the cost of many gimbal rigs alone. Having another cam, especially the EM5II is a nice bonus. It all depends on what you're trying to do I suppose and the IQ you can accept. Really, if I wasn't a guy that can't seem to avoid "new-camera-syndrome," I probably could've just bought a used EM5 for less than $500 and made do quite well with that. Anyway, I know I mentioned this before, but it's always good to consider options for such a speciality kind of a shot. I mean, let's face it, not too many productions we're doing call for majority of fly-cam stuff. At least not for me. Typically, I'll sneak a few shots into my productions, but that's it.

I'd say that if someone wants online interaction to be part of their creative process, it really does't make any sense for someone else to chastise that artistic decision or be snarky about it. But, of course, this is the internet. I'm not sure, but I believe the 21st century inter webs is energized by the snarky fusion of a thousand suns. Or maybe the hormonal angst of 15 year old boys --which is much more powerful, I think.

Well, look, I bought one simply because the 5-axis. It will make some specific work I do a bit more practical and faster. That's the bottom line for me, but I think I'm a specific case. Regardless, there is a reason the IBIS is coveted. Even so, I don't see how it would really move the needle of the entire marketplace to preferring 5-axis over great IQ. Moreover, it's probably not something worth worrying about. People that are blindly brand loyal are a weird lot not to be trusted anyway. My 2cents. Obviously, we'd all like great video with 5axis, but I'm guessing for right now we can rely on Panasonic and Sony to deliver IQ before stabilization...and that's even assuming that 5-axis directly affects IQ, which may or may not be the engineering reality. I'll probably buy a Gh4 later this year; heck, right now it's only $100 more than a EM5II...

​Sure, that could happen. What you propose is a hypothetical possibility. I don't, however, think it's a realistic possibility. As for the Ex Tele on the GX7, I use vintage glass at maximum aperture for a lot of what I do. As such, I just stay away from the digital zoom with video. Yes, for some, it's perfectly useable, especially with new lenses stopped down a touch.

​I just think they're using older inferior sensor tech 'kuz it's cheaper --and they don't have the option business-wise to really do otherwise. Bottom lines, spreadsheets, and all that. I can't quite grasp your logic that Panasonic or some other competitor will devalue their IQ for stabilization. That line of thinking just seems...odd. But I'm not that much of a pixel peeper that I dismiss that 5-axis stabilization. I don't always need awesome resolution and sharpness to capture the video I want. Sometimes I need great steady shots shots fast and easy. On those occasions, looks like the EM5II will be my camera. I shot some documentary stuff with both the GX7 and EM5II tonight. Got some shots with the EM5II that I couldn't do with the GX7. Got some GX7 shots I couldn't do with the EM5II. No big deal. Although, I have to say, the GX7 IQ is crazy good for less than $500. I have a series coming up in which I need a third camera for static coverage. I'll be buying another GX7 for that. Plus, I really like the ergos on the Panasonic. So yeah, at this point I still prefer the GX7, but I could see warming to the EM5II, even with its limitations. It's just a tool. BTW, my shooting has revealed that the 2x mode on the EM5II is pretty much worthless. The IQ is way too compromised. I feel the same way about the Panasonic "Ex Tele." Also, an annoying quirk I ran into on the EM5II is that the record button fails to engage at times. Push push push push push...nothing. Why? Not sure yet. I think it might be because a dial or button might be activated by accident. (There's a lot of stuff on that camera body) And my fingers maybe are inadvertently doing something I'm unaware of. Additionally the EVF and LCD have both turned off simultaneously on occasion. Power cycle brings it back. Still buggy or user error? Who knows? Other issues: In the dark, improper exposure in M/S/A/P mode. Fine in movie mode. Weird. Lens auto focused during movie shooting --while in Manual focus mode, and this was with an Oly lens. Strange. Again, I may be creating some ignorant activations of things being kinda rusty on the Oly interface, but my impression is that it's bugs and kinks in the firmware. Don't recall these issues with the original EM5 when I used it. I'll end on a good note: The video compression is a lot more robust now. Seems to hold up well.

It's the "muted" selection with everything turned down, including sharpness. But, again, I'm just experimenting. The color balance is deliberately warm and it's over-exposed on purpose. Plus, the lens I was using has an adapter with a light leak. All that sort of fun stuff, messing around seeing what happens.

​I shoot manual, even with AF lenses, so I'm adjusting exposure via ISO and f-stop on just about every shot. Sometimes I'll slow down the shutter too for a little exposure help. Anyway, I'd like ISO and Shutter on the wheels, but there's plenty of customization options that make whatever you want to do kinda easy, if not ideal. I've got my cam customized so I never have to take my eye off the EVF to make anything happen. Not that I'm doing much now shooting-wise anyway, just farting around. Here's a bunch of truly random overexposed handheld shots straight from the camera uploaded to YT with a 1980's 24mm 2.8 lens. Some shots punched in with the 2x digital zoom. Not that these images tell you much about the M5II (except it's got moiré and we all knew that) but people like looking at random footage for no good reason and analyzing it completely out of context, so here's some more:

​Yeah. The Olympus can be operated a bunch of ways. Anyone actually making motion pictures with it and adjusting it that way, though; i.e.: having to break off a shot to access a basic exposure function? I'd suggest to customize/program your controls so you don't have to move your hands around.

​It's the default stabilization on the original EM5. I shot this in 1080 30p about half a year ago with the Panasonic 100-300 lens. No, you couldn't do this with just the lens OIS and a Panasonic body. I had my GX7 on this trip too and when I tried to grab a few hand held shots with that, there was just way too much movement. Stabilizing those GX7 shots in post would not be practical. 600mm is a long, long way. As it was I had to lean my body against a solid object and then hold my breath. This way I could still the lens just enough to get a useable shot with Oly's 5-axis stabilizer working at its limit. ...And this is why I'm disappointed by the Oly video capabilities. That stabilizer is a killer feature. If their current video IQ was clean and didn't have the moire, they'd have a real competitive camera for the market. As it is, well, Andrew's OP sums it up best. All that said, I still got the EM5II. It fits for many of the gigs I do so it's a good tool for me.

​Yeah, I think it looks good too. That's shot with the original EM5. It's the Panasonic 100-300 lens at full zoom. So it would be a ff equivalent focal length over 600mm on the Oly. And yes, those are heat waves you're seeing in the shot. That's what happens shooting through those extreme distances. The atmosphere is bending the light. But the crazy thing to me is that I got that without a tripod @600mm. I mean, that's just nuts.

shallow DOF shot on the m5 is going to look "better" than, say, a f11 shot of a rooftop cityscape in Europe. Both examples are online. They show the potential and weakness of the camera. Point is, it's a decent cam, just could be stronger w/video. And it's not always what you shoot, but how you do it. So as mat33 is saying, you can make it work...or not. Here's a video exposing the cam's weakness: https://vimeo.com/119316833

It's a 600mm shot. That's kind of a long lens. The photons are traveling through a lot of atmosphere in a jungle, after a rain fall, at 95° Fahrenheit. And the posted resolution of the video is 846x468. Yes, I turn down the sharpening all the way. Pixel peeping on this shot? Not a good idea. Point of me posting this is that I got watchable video with a handheld camera and a 600mm focal length.

Here's what's frustrating: The video is old 7D quality. In 2015 Oly should be more competitive than that. But, the stabilization is a freaking great tool. Will decent video and Oly's 5-axis ever unite? One day, just not today. So, as we cry in all our collective internet tears, here's a clip that shows why we're longing for Oly to merge great video with great stabilization. It's not much by way of a good shot, but keep in mind it's shot HANDHELD at a 600mm FFEquiv focal length. Yes. 600mm. Handheld. This shot would be impossible otherwise: SPRK-150.mp4

Since I purchased this camera for specific gigs that I do often: run 'n gun small biz profiles for the web @30p, the question I'm asking myself right now is, "Should I return the M5II and go back to the original E-M5?" As a video camera there's not a lot of difference between the two...except about half the price. Sure, all the internet stuff raves about how the video quality is increased, and it is to an extent, but is it enough? Maybe. Maybe not. Again, just wish none of this was even a consideration. Such a shame it is.

​Yea! Lawsons. Strawberry custard sandwiches on white bread (no crust)

​Yeah, I get that, but there's always been a serious disconnect between the makers at Olympus and the marketing guys. So you know, you check out the video spec sheet on an upcoming cam and think, "Well, okay, maybe this time, let's hope!" I did. You did. That's the game, isn't it? With Olympus, you confront their reality of video. With Panasonic, now Sony, or even Nikon you get to kind of embrace the reality. I mean the A7s video is bonkers. But compare the numbers on the specification page and you're not going to read much difference. The spec sheets for 1080 are pretty similar across brands. As we know, the actual output is not. All that said, I'll be using it on low-end video work (not cinema ;-) so I can accept the shortcomings and utilize that one saving grace: 5-axis stabilization. Meh. I think we'd all love to be impressed by Oly and we just ain't.