Inquisitive

Here is a video on that Acratech https://youtu.be/JbUU45AwaPk it looks real interesting especially as I am a video/stills photographer. I bought there first ballhead years ago and still love it to this day they make solid but lightweight gear. The damping looks ok in the video but I'm sure it's not cheap

There is a modification for the EI-717 (sells under many names) that turns the head into an arca style clamp. It's probably the best inexpensive head out there. I bought mine off ebay with the conversion. The platform tightening screw is not ideal and when everything is said and done your probably better off just buying the head you like and getting a arca clamp to attach to it. As someone else said the lever release styles can avoid some issues you may hit with the normal locking knobs.

​There crop is greater than 2.4 already seems to be 2.5? Which is one of the things they need to change that crop is the same no matter what video stabilization mode.

Here is a interesting video no clue what he is saying but EM5 mk ii looks good here. Looks like it's 1080p 60 and Power OIS on the GH4. So interesting from quality and stabilization of course it's YT.

I stopped using the mode 1 and just used 2. With Mode 1 you would get some strangeness sometimes if you moved the wrong way. I like mode 2 better and found it better than mega OIS on my 14-140 Power OIS no clue. I just want them to reduce crop which I think they do mainly because of the mode 1 digital stabilization that I personally learned to shy away from.

​I kind of disagree it depends on what you are doing. I live in an area where the lighting conditions can change quickly especially on a cloudy windy day. You can press the ok button and than the front wheel gives you control of fstop. The problem is first you need to make sure it is in fstop mode first or you will have to change that mode after pressing the ok button first time. It will than only stay that way for a few seconds till it reverts back. An alternate work around though probably equally distasteful to some is put the camera in shutter priority auto and than the front dial is exposure compensation so you can respond much quicker but at a loss of total control.

@Bob LOL well I would have done the test but yes it is returned. Not really the kind to buy again and return would have never gotten it had they been open about the crop for one and other issues. Makes you wonder just how timid or questionable other reviewers were that I missed any of them mentioning these shortcomings. Both reviewers and Olympus not bothering to be open is what is making them deal with my return. Frankly I just don't know how they could have made some of the design decisions they did. What film maker would say sure block me from changing my settings while recording or go ahead and take 25% of my field of view without at least questioning that decision. @noa actually in reasonably steady hands and realizing the limits of IBIS it can be a steadycam replacement. IBIS is that good which is what makes me hate giving it up. That being said IBIS alone was not enough for me to overcome the other negatives I noted. I hope they will fix some things but do not trust them too. I think internal stabilization will be the future gimbals are to cumbersome try changing a setting or focus while on one of those rigs .

Feel free to learn about Sanity http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/2642/sanity-4-and-5.1/p1 Quote from the creator "what SANITY is about is top picture quality in ALL shooting modes with reasonable data rates and 100% reliability." That being said I read good things about Moon the thing is there is probably a hack to fit the needs of each individual project out there I liked Sanity for my simple needs. And yes the files are quite small I mentioned it!

Just back from returning mine. I don't think it's a terrible camera and kind of hated to see it go but there are many foibles that ruin it for me. I think we will see many coming available as refurbs on Ebay and price drops as well. Perhaps if it hits $750 I will buy it for stills and special video that IBIS would make possible. Or they can fix some of it's flaws and I'll be first back inline. My list for the open letter to Olympus is. The crop factor is to much: I love m4/3 form factor and was fine with the sensor size trade offs. Now you want to take another ~25% IBIS on or off with all that represents in the old equivalency debate. Moire: Not a total deal killer but mix it with the rest equals a no go for me. Very awkward settings control while recording: I pick manual mode because I want control your making it to hard and it's annoying. Video Quality: although workable could be should be better. Shadow noise and harder for me to explain there seems to be a bit of hit and miss going on with detail, lacks consistency. No clue why but in comparison my GH2 Hacked with Sanity seems to be far more consistent/dependable? Headphones: That headphone jack will cost me another $129 making this camera a bit expensive considering competition and where this camera sits specification wise. To be fair what's right The IBIS is just flat out amazing and that made it so hard to let go. All the settable buttons and customizations but than I hit record and you take it away from me It seems a very solid stills camera with many cool features but I'm looking for a video and stills in this day and age and I think that is one of M4/3s great potentials. Display and viewfinder are great High Res mode for me is meaningful and great though it seems not everyone cares . Almost forgot your new pro lenses are awesome it was even harder letting go of the 12-40 but without a camera with stabilization I can't justify keeping it. ​Bob feel free to continue your vitriol at the EM5 mk ii and for that matter me but please be accurate. If you are talking about my videos you took screen grabs from my GH2 was Hacked with Sanity, I also admitted to the error of putting curves on the EM5 that further flattened the image out and that's why it looks the way it does my bad. You presenting it as anything else is a deception on your part. That being said anyone can take the file put it in a editor bring up contrast and see the files are not hopeless . In fact some may wish to get a flatter file for grading my botched test would be better sample of that

I think I will be returning the EM5 mk ii not for one main reason but rather the sum total. The main reasons being the awkward way required to change fstop while recording, the crop factor 25% more than a GH2 IBIS on or off is to much for me, moire and shadow noise. I will keep an eye on it so if they upgrade firmware or the price comes down I will reevaluate. In fact if I had the excess money to afford 2 cameras I would keep it just for the IBIS alone it is that good and will be missed.

In auto they don't share that info but if I remember correctly it was indicating a starting point of f7.1. Perhaps just to continue to give Bob purpose in life I will do another test not side by side but just the scene he pulled stills from in manual mode same lens etc.

​Well actually I explained what I did wrong and why it needed the contrast adjustment. Other wise I think your crazy to go along with your rudeness you want to hate this camera fine. If there is a troll it is in the literal sense you I suggest therapy. In case you missed it: I have to admit to an error in my tests. The recent discussion on curves prompted me to double check. I had fiddled with the curves and forgot that's why my out of camera EM5 file was so flat and needed a contrast boost. The setting was probably +4/-4 or +3/-3 so my bad .

​I agree they need to fix it. That being said you can use the touch screen which totally sucks especially if your found of using viewfinder like me. That being said you can touch the ok menu button and the same side pop out comes out and when it does the dials will work. It takes a little long and wouldn't be to bad but it will go back to sleep on it's own.

I have to admit to an error in my tests. The recent discussion on curves prompted me to double check. I had fiddled with the curves and forgot that's why my out of camera EM5 file was so flat and needed a contrast boost. The setting was probably +4/-4 or +3/-3 so my bad .

​ Now we have a conversation look at the unedited footage at about 2:30 the tree trunk the GH2 is much more contrasty looked at both the YT and my file there comprable though yes YT added a little more contrast. Both cameras were set to -2 contrast the Em5 definitely needed more contrast which I gave it in post. Which is why the EM5 looks nasty in the unedited but far better in the edited contrast boost. So your right but the EM5 was the one suffering from contrast deprivation. As to the settings I posted them the GH2 all -2 but saturation -1 because I did realize it needed more saturation in comparison. I tend to not like to much saturation and I like the GH2 setup that way. The EM5 was -2 to contrast and saturation +1 to sharpening I can't lower contrast and saturation any further and probably would not give it a sharpening boost in the future probably leave at -2 out of camera. I did get a dropbox to send them too from someone who also wants to see them http://dropmefiles.com/WE90E looks like they will be up in a hour and a half. I do look forward to your comments as I took those waving leaves due to your comments on close up detail not being a fair comparison so I thought good point and did what I did for better or worse