Battle of the mirrorless monsters - Sony A7R vs Olympus OM-D E-M1

[toxotis70]

Hard for me to tell for sure in the Blunty video.

I'll do a test with my 14 (28), 28 (56) and 135 (270) mm lenses (as that's all I packed with me on this trip to NY). I'll do locked down, panning, tilting, handheld (but static), handheld with vertical movement, handheld with horizontal movement, and then some walk around hand held. Figure that also might be a decent test of the codec.

If there's anything else you want to see let me know!

 

 

I will wait for your shots !

 

Mostly interested in handheld shots , with camera  movement , walking etc.

Static shots are easy to stabilize , even with my sony a7.

[toxotis70]

A7R owner with no expereince with the olympus, so this is biased...

 

I agree that the A7R video is somewhat lacking in resolution in this day and age.  however apart from that, the camera is faultless.  No gimmics like image stabilisation and speed boosters can compete with a true full frame sensor in my opinion.  Particularly a 36mpx sensor like this.  If I need a long exposure or a steady shot I'll lock it to the tripod.  I can put a 50mm f1.4 planar on my A7R, set shutter to 1/50th sec and set auto iso bracketing to 200-3200 and take pictures in low light that are better than anything I could have taken with a Contax RTS, fast film and the same lens.  I could also walk into a studio and photograph a Ferrari with the A7R and the images would be good enough to be compared to the same images taken on all but the best medium format systems.  M4/3 is to me like a toy when it comes to still photography.  As an all out photographers camera I personally cannot see how anyone can look at m4/3.

 

this is true for stills, but here we are talking mostly for video...

[jurgen]

A7R owner with no expereince with the olympus, so this is biased...

 

I agree that the A7R video is somewhat lacking in resolution in this day and age.  however apart from that, the camera is faultless.  No gimmics like image stabilisation and speed boosters can compete with a true full frame sensor in my opinion.  Particularly a 36mpx sensor like this.  If I need a long exposure or a steady shot I'll lock it to the tripod.  I can put a 50mm f1.4 planar on my A7R, set shutter to 1/50th sec and set auto iso bracketing to 200-3200 and take pictures in low light that are better than anything I could have taken with a Contax RTS, fast film and the same lens.  I could also walk into a studio and photograph a Ferrari with the A7R and the images would be good enough to be compared to the same images taken on all but the best medium format systems.  M4/3 is to me like a toy when it comes to still photography.  As an all out photographers camera I personally cannot see how anyone can look at m4/3.

Man, I emphatically disagree on the point of M4/3. I think it's every bit as much a "photographer's camera" system as full frame or APS-C. Like all things, it's about what you need and how you want to shoot. Of course, full frame sensors will always have an advantage in terms of low light capability, etc. as compared to an M43 sensor under optimal studio conditions, but that doesn't mean M43 as a platform isn't good or even good enough. Full frame isn't "as good" as medium format. Medium format isn't "as good" as large.

Granted, at some point there's a line - iPhones probably aren't good enough for high end studio work, or for weddings, or night shoots, or any sort of specialized photography. But an M43 sensor (especially packed in something like a GH3 or an E-M1 body) is absolutely in the "acceptable" range for most if not all of that stuff.

They're good cameras, and many of them punch well above their weight.

[Fatalfury]

Interesting read regarding Sony A7 and Olympus E-M1:

 

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=85282.0

[ArturoMarinho]

I would like to know Andrew, if you´re launching an e-book in regard "open up a whole new world of possibilities A7r and A7 lenses", why so critic with your paragraph "lenses" here. A7r will be a whole new or a nightmare lenses world?

[nigelbb]

I don't have an EM-1 but do own an EM-5 & have shot quite a bit of video with it now so think that my experience is valid. What the Olympus 5-way IBIS excels at is stabilising hand held footage so it looks like it's on a tripod or at least a should rig. It's just amazing plus the size & weight even allows you to do this one handed so you can even be holding a video light in the other hand.

 

However the IS is no substitute for a Steadicam which gives a different sense of motion which is smoother & floatier. There can be an oddly rigid & robotic look to the footage when walking along.

 

Panning can be problematical as you can get stuttering which is similar to & for the same reason that you switch off the IS on a lens when on a tripod. As you move the IS tries to keep the image stable but then reaches a point where it cannot move anymore so has to jump & then start the process all over again.

 

Anticipation & gentle movements are the secret (just like when using a Steadicam).

[cojocaru27]

Nigelbb, i also have an m5 camera and i tried to shot with it and i am telling you it is not just about the is, i think the camera suffers a lot of video encoding and aliasing. Would you be kind and share with us some of your video with m5. Mine you can find here:

 

cheers.

[nigelbb]

Nigelbb, i also have an m5 camera and i tried to shot with it and i am telling you it is not just about the is, i think the camera suffers a lot of video encoding and aliasing. Would you be kind and share with us some of your video with m5. Mine you can find here:

 

cheers.

 

Sorry I am not sure what point you are trying to make.

 

Vadim Sukharevski (aka Vadim Action) is a wedding videographer in Israel who shots some amazing stuff with OM-D E-M5 (he also uses GH2). Some of his films are OM-D only e.g.

[cojocaru27]

i am talking about this. I think the main video problem on the omd m5 and now on the m1 olso, is the bit rate.

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[nigelbb]

i am talking about this. I think the main video problem on the omd m5 and now on the m1 olso, is the bit rate.

 

The bit rate is good enough most of the time. I am not shooting for broadcast in fact now mostly for the web & the freedom with the OM-D is fabulous. No rigging. No cage. Just a tiny little lightweight camera that fits in your pocket. It would be nice to have better low light performance but the maximum ISO3200 is clean & noise free. It would be nice to have a bit more resolution a better CODEC and higher bit rate but even without all those things it's a fabulous camera.

 

If you want 24p/25p/50p a better CODEC & higher bit rate but without the IBIS then the Panasonic G6 is a great companion camera for the OM-D & can be found at crazy cheap prices on eBay here in the UK. There has been a special deal on the G6 plus 14-140mm lens  for £549 including cash back while the lens alone costs £499. People are buying the package just for the lens & selling the camera for under £300.

[ntblowz]

No wonder I start seeing Panasonic G6 body on ebay for only $400ish from UK seller just recently, is because of the promo..

 

 

 

If you want 24p/25p/50p a better CODEC & higher bit rate but without the IBIS then the Panasonic G6 is a great companion camera for the OM-D & can be found at crazy cheap prices on eBay here in the UK. There has been a special deal on the G6 plus 14-140mm lens  for £549 including cash back while the lens alone costs £499. People are buying the package just for the lens & selling the camera for under £300.

[tosvus]

I think that is a bit of a harsh conclusion to come to. IBIS is not going to fix jerky movements. (there are limits to how much the sensor can shift (or lens in OIS lenses). Get a stabilizer for moving shots. Secondly, since this is a very wide lens, there is clearly some distraction from the distortion that is happening. I haven't tested the EM-1 myself, but if Andrew is saying the video is good, I take his word for it. I'm more concerned about the recent discovery he made about the phase detection strips showing up in footage...

 

i have seen a lot of videos with em1 and internal IS and if there is any camera movement is UGLY ... see for youself.

 

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And this is with wide angle lens!

 

The only time i would use the internal IS , would be only for static themes and there i could use my monopod with my A7 and RX10.

 

Its not very professional looking at all the results in video of EM1's stabilization (elastic distortion) ... good only for small movements, nothing else.

Try it for example with oly 45mm 1.8 while you are walking... and you will see what i am saying!

 

also, as i remeber in video mode you CANT change everyrthing when you prees REC. 

Is that enough for you ?

 

Focus peaking is laggy in video mode also , you cant change  the colour nor the intensity of it , not usable for me.

 

EM1 is very good camera for photos but not for video... please!

[Andrew Reid]

Walking with IBIS over rough terrain in a forrest is simply asking too much of it! It replaces a tripod and a shoulder rig and an EVF loupe (use the internal one)... a ton of gear you don't need any more if using the E-M1.

 

Let's see a tripod vs no-tripod vs IBIS comparison, for locked down shots. This is there the 5 axis IBIS is special.

[jurgen]

Okay, so I took some test shots over the weekend with my sister's E-M1 using an outrageously soft Canon FD lens in bad light around her house (it's 41 degress below freezing in upstate NY right now), trying to recreate the "sensor wobble" seen in the forest video. Couldn't do it. Panning, tilting, walking, trying to be a human jib with her dogs, couldn't make it happen. Now, I got a lot of "bad" footage, but I couldn't recreate that particular problem. The one thing I didn't have the room to do was run, which I'll try at some point now that I'm back in Texas.

I will get some footage up this week for those asking for proof. I ordered an E-M1 last night, so it should be here tomorrow!