Olympus E-M1X - is it worth $3000?

[thebrothersthre3]

54 minutes ago, EspenB said:

Do you see a lot of new camera and lens announcements from either Panasonic or Olympus these days?

If Panasonic gets to the GH6 eventually it will likely be priced like this "X" from Olympus. Or more.

The Pocket 4k just came out. Panasonic also just recently announced a new zoom lens. Panasonic is busy with its full frame stuff but I have a feeling later in the year the GH6 will be announced and will probably have a lot of features no other camera is offering. 

[Borbarad]

EM1x Hamburg Event  

Just been there.

150-400 F4.5

This lens is just a winner. The size comparison at dpreview is misleading. It is bigger then the 300mm but far less then you think. Definitely made for hand hold shooting. Mine!!!

EM1X

Now there is lot to talk about. If been a long time Olympus User since the E1, but switched to GH5 for Video and other improvements over the EM1

Now body Design. Everyone who had an E3 / E5 will smile. It’s smaller but you will recognise. Otherwise it’s spot on. I personal love the size, but I use powergrips. So, I really love the size and it’s way smaller in use compared to a D5 etc. Olympus done a great job here!

EVF

Now this one will be chocking . Compared with the GH5. The difference in resolution is noticeable. But the EM1x is faster, cleaner , more accurate. I would say for sports and action is the superior choice, otherwise I may give the EM1X a notch but not more.

Handheld Highres

This is awesome and definitely something a lot will use. It takes maybe a two three seconds to calculate. Very very usable.

LiveND

Seems great but a bummer that’s not for Video..

Else? Well you can charge from a powerbank.

AF

Well you couldn’t test CAF, but the way it was explained with the CAF tracking it looked like a big improvement. Tested the 300mm and it was a very very fast in AF front to back. It felt like a good jump in the right direction.

So for me, especially with the 150-400 this seems a no brainier price permitting...

For video folks it’s not the Camera. It just lacks compared to the GH5. It’s an outdoor action wildlife camera and for that I think it’s spot on. 

Yes there are areas for improvement but it does what it’s made for and once the price is about 2-2.5k it’s fairly reasonable. 

B

 

[DBounce]

1 hour ago, EspenB said:

Do you see a lot of new camera and lens announcements from either Panasonic or Olympus these days?

If Panasonic gets to the GH6 eventually it will likely be priced like this "X" from Olympus. Or more.

Good luck selling a $3k GH6. I cannot fathom what it would need to have to justify that price whilst keeping the smaller sensor. 

The time for M43 draws to an end. The smaller sensor held the promise of smaller bodies and lenses... but clearly that is not really holding true anymore. Sony’s Alpha series harkened the death of M43. With releases like the Nikon Z6 maintaining a full frame sensor and adding raw capabilities I believe the final blow might have been dealt. A new minimum sensor size standard has been set with the Fuji X-T3. APSC will still have a future, but there is no reason to go smaller. 

I believe Olympus was unwise to stay out of the L-Mount Alliance. 

[liork]

5 hours ago, DBounce said:

It's not a E-M1 II with a grip. In terms of the body it is greatly updated. The weather-sealing is top notch. It no doubt is a much tougher camera. Granted, it shares much of its electronics with the E-M1 II, but the body is a huge upgrade. That said, you would have to be a bit insane to want to plop down $3000 for this camera. From all accounts this camera is robust, but it is outdated in many important ways. While the image stabilization is amazing, the warping effect that it sometimes produces will be the gremlin that ruins the important must get shot for you. 

It's not hard to make the decision to pass on this one. I think this camera may be further proof that M43 is dying. They could have done something epic at this price point.... built in ND, Global shutter, Dual ISO, 120 fps 4k.... the body is certainly large enough; but all they did was to toughen the body and rehash some old tech. Pity. 

No, its not a "much tougher" camera comared to the E M1 II. You could wash the E M1 II in tap water and have no problem, you can go into water falls taking pictures, I had no problem doing that. Working in minus 10 Celcius degrees? Done that, No problem.

Olympus always gave us impressive weather proof bodies, so I don't see any real E M1 X advantage in this area.

[noone]

I can see them selling a few to a small group of pro sports and wildlife shooters who use Canon DSLRs and have some decent long and expensive Canon glass (more so if they have also previously used M43 and know the benefits and limitations).       If you add a decent smart adapter (both focal reducer and non focal reducer), you get much more use out of your expensive lenses and can use them on FF, APSC and M43.     For some people (wild life shooters with big bank accounts and very expensive lenses), $3000 is not such a big amount to add a large increase in range.

For others, it doesn't make a lot of sense though there is a (slowly) growing number of professional photographers who are quite happy with M43.

Olympus does tend to put in a lot of value into their gear compared to Canon and Nikon (as do most of the smaller players).

Not for me.

Not a turkey though?

[Yurolov]

The camera is DOA. The rebates and price drops will be coming in thick and fast shortly. It clearly reeks of budgetary constraints. The problem for them is now that they have set the bar for their premium product at this level, you wouldn't expect anything to surpass it in the next 2 years. How outlandish would it be if they gave us a em5 iii with 4k 60p while their premium product is at 30p. 

I think panasonic saw what was coming and reacted. Unfortunately for Olympus they are looking the odd man out here.  

[webrunner5]

Yeah I agree, Olympus needed to hit a home run here. It looks like they may have struck out more than hit one over the fence. They have had to put a lot of money in this R&D, tooling, production wise, money I doubt they have. If it would have been ground breaking, well yeah, but just a warmed over E-M1 mk II in a new skin with zero gain on the video side, when video is the hot thing going, why?

[Andrew Reid]

3 hours ago, Borbarad said:

EM1x Hamburg Event  

Just been there.

150-400 F4.5

This lens is just a winner. The size comparison at dpreview is misleading. It is bigger then the 300mm but far less then you think. Definitely made for hand hold shooting. Mine!!!

EM1X

Now there is lot to talk about. If been a long time Olympus User since the E1, but switched to GH5 for Video and other improvements over the EM1

Now body Design. Everyone who had an E3 / E5 will smile. It’s smaller but you will recognise. Otherwise it’s spot on. I personal love the size, but I use powergrips. So, I really love the size and it’s way smaller in use compared to a D5 etc. Olympus done a great job here!

EVF

Now this one will be chocking . Compared with the GH5. The difference in resolution is noticeable. But the EM1x is faster, cleaner , more accurate. I would say for sports and action is the superior choice, otherwise I may give the EM1X a notch but not more.

Handheld Highres

This is awesome and definitely something a lot will use. It takes maybe a two three seconds to calculate. Very very usable.

LiveND

Seems great but a bummer that’s not for Video..

Else? Well you can charge from a powerbank.

AF

Well you couldn’t test CAF, but the way it was explained with the CAF tracking it looked like a big improvement. Tested the 300mm and it was a very very fast in AF front to back. It felt like a good jump in the right direction.

So for me, especially with the 150-400 this seems a no brainier price permitting...

For video folks it’s not the Camera. It just lacks compared to the GH5. It’s an outdoor action wildlife camera and for that I think it’s spot on. 

Yes there are areas for improvement but it does what it’s made for and once the price is about 2-2.5k it’s fairly reasonable. 

B

 

I agree with all this, yet I am still a tad disappointed with the camera. Maybe we are just ultra-spoilt.

Or maybe we are just not wildlife photographers!?

[webrunner5]

As I have said lately I would like to get back into Birding video wise, especially since I am moving back to Florida. But even discounting the money aspect of it, I don't see a lot of gains over the E-M1 mk II video wise, heck even photo wise to justify it. No wildlife holds still long enough for the Hi Res, at least very often, and the body doens't look any more larger than the E-M1 mk II with it's grip. Sure the new button layout would help, but unless you have money to spare I don't see it. Now the new lens, sure if it isn't a ton of money would be nice.

And all the new AF modes look like a worse nightmare than the Canon 1d mk III I had. That would suck.

[Mako Sports]

Olympus trying to take that biggest camera flop award away from Canon. ?

MFT is dead..

[webrunner5]

https://***URL not allowed***/olympus-omd-em1x-announced-impression-hands-review/

[seattledv]

1 hour ago, webrunner5 said:

As I have said lately I would like to get back into Birding video wise, especially since I am moving back to Florida.

If you have not seen this Webrunner5...take a look at what Mark Smith did with a Sony a9 while shooting birds in Florida...

 

[webrunner5]

There is just an incredible amount of beautiful birds in Florida. And a lot of other types of wildlife also. The Everglades is just a breathtaking, amazing place to go also. I am looking forward to being back. Going to the Saint Petersburg area this time. I am getting too old for the heat in the summer in the Keys, my favorite place.

[Borbarad]

2 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

I agree with all this, yet I am still a tad disappointed with the camera. Maybe we are just ultra-spoilt.

Or maybe we are just not wildlife photographers!?

Well...  the biggest bummer in that is no 4K 60.und that’s what I complain at the event 

however, ignoring the chitchat going on everywhere this the best I’ve seen so far and after the event I would definitely agree a few statements ( ignoring CAF and Video as not tested)

 

B

 

[Borbarad]

thats more for you guys

 

B

[DBounce]

1 hour ago, Mako Sports said:

Olympus trying to take that biggest camera flop award away from Canon. ?

MFT is dead..

A flop? Canon just released the EOS R and are already number two for mirrorless worldwide,  and just took the number one spot in Japan.  Not bad for a flop.

[Mako Sports]

7 minutes ago, DBounce said:

A flop? Canon just released the EOS R and are already number two for mirrorless worldwide,  and just took the number one spot in Japan.  Not bad for a flop.

tbf the only people that think the EOS R wasn't a flop is Canon shooters. Being number 2 makes sense as Canon has the largest pool of owners. The reason its number one in Japan is because of the brand name. Canon is the ONLY brand that could release the EOS R and still have it sell moderately well, imagine if the S1, A7III, or Z6 had the exact same specs as the EOS R.

Its the same scenario when talking about Leica or Apple.. @ me when Canon Mirrorless is Number 1 in a large market like North America or the EU.

[DBounce]

12 minutes ago, Mako Sports said:

imagine if the S1, A7III, or Z6 had the exact same specs as the EOS R.

Its the same scenario when talking about Leica or Apple.. @ me when Canon Mirrorless is Number 1 in a large market like North America or the EU.

Funny, I never ask about specs when I go to the movies.  I'm more interested in the image than specs. But if that's your thing have at it. But after having used all of the top contenders,  I can tell you the canon just plain looks more cinematic... regardless of specs. Also usability wise,  it's by far the easiest to shoot with. 

[Mako Sports]

9 minutes ago, DBounce said:

I can tell you the canon just plain looks more cinematic... regardless of specs. Also usability wise,  it's by far the easiest to shoot with. 

I agree, the final image is the most important but maybe i'm old school in believing a camera has nothing to do with creating cinematic images.

Story, lighting, sound and audio, lens choice, costume, and set design is what determines if something is "cinematic" for me. 

But hey if the EOS R works for you, more power to you. You don't need me to justify your purchase.

[DBounce]

44 minutes ago, Mako Sports said:

I agree, the final image is the most important but maybe i'm old school in believing a camera has nothing to do with creating cinematic images.

Story, lighting, sound and audio, lens choice, costume, and set design is what determines if something is "cinematic" for me. 

But hey if the EOS R works for you, more power to you. You don't need me to justify your purchase.

No doubt those things are very important.  But for most users that are purchasing a camera for a couple thousand dollars they are likely also using said camera for personal use... or at minimum operating as a one man band. And where that is the case easy operation and fast results becomes a practical necessity.