Jump to content

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Review


Andrew Reid
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Administrators

http://vimeo.com/46037469

Journey - by Andrew Reid

Does the new OM-D E-M5 manage to produce a GH2 style virtuoso performance in video mode?

I have to say there are some question marks over that - but as a stills camera it is now my absolute number one choice against some very tough competition - the 5D Mark III, Fuji X Pro 1 and Sony NEX 7.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

EOSHD Pro Color 5 for Sony cameras EOSHD Z LOG for Nikon CamerasEOSHD C-LOG and Film Profiles for All Canon DSLRs
  • Administrators

Someone (not anybody mentioned above) did actually hack the Olympus USB firmware update protocol and made some progress towards a hack. But no new info has surfaced since last month and the guy who did it was pretty anonymous! One should not expect a hacker to rescue every camera. This one is more a case of letting the issues be known to Olympus so they can do a proper firmware update.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the in camera stabilization adds a wonderful robotic quality. quite different to what I have seen with anything else. It is very robotic. Some of those shots are at the level of a very high budget car commercial. Very idyllic. What frame rate was this? colors are superb.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

the in camera stabilization adds a wonderful robotic quality. quite different to what I have seen with anything else. It is very robotic. Some of those shots are at the level of a very high budget car commercial. Very idyllic. What frame rate was this? colors are superb.




Thank you Rich. It was all shot at 30p but I used Twixtor in Premiere Pro CS5.5 to add some slow mo. Twixtor is so often so good that I find myself not needing 1080/60p or higher frame rates for most slow-motion sequences. The only area where it trips up is on very fast moving objects hurtling through the frame, or violent handheld camera work.

Feeding Twixtor 30p or better still 60p gives it more frames to estimate motion with so you get a better result than giving it 24p.

I prefer slow-mo to be smooth. Slow mo in 24p is somehow less satisfying.

That said I did miss 24p on the OM-D E-M5 and it was like shooting with the 5D Mark II prior to the 24p firmware update all over again! Wish they'd keep with the times a bit more. I wonder who they asked that advised them to put 30p on and no PAL frame rate? Focus group? Or nobody?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

that explains it. the 30p + twixtor, partnered with the hyper cinematic way it was shot + the very effective stabilization creates a very pleasing and fresh look. I am blown away by the sharpness of the f.95 lens + Isco 36 on the anamorphic shots. Amazing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Andrew, could you speak a little bit to the buffer performance on the stills side? One of the things I often miss on the GH2 (and even more so on the GH1) as compared to the mid-level APS-C Canon products (like the 50D or 7D) is the the buffer performance.


My understanding is that the 5DMkIII is an even better performer in that area so could you take a moment to address:

1) How many shots can you get in full-res with RAW+JPG in each before the buffer fills?

2) Is there a limit as to how many consecutive shots you can shoot in high speed burst mode in stills?

I like being able to keep shooting, even if the rate slows drastically after the buffer is filled, and some cameras do not let me do that.

When I am shooting concerts with a few cameras around my neck (often a 50D, GH2 and GH1) I often really notice this difference a lot and I would be curious to hear where the OM-D E-M5 lies in terms of that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its exciting to see how this camera has faired this year.
Would you feel confident in using this cam as a primary Timelapse cam then the MkII/MkIII?
Its great to hear the how good the stills are with this new IS. I don't know if i would sell my MkII though.
There is already a rumor of a new OM-D that will be above this. Very interested.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes when I used to shoot film you would have to plan the shot around how much unexposed film you had left !
and you ended up with loads of cans of short ends at the end of the shoot ! I have a garage full of them rotting away !
so digital is a luxury so many people are unaware of and take for granted!!
Don't forget you where stuck with one ASA film speed at a time - if you had say 5274 Vison 200T in the camera you couldn't just switch ISO like we do now on each scene!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

The main luxury of digital for me is that I can carry 10 memory cards in a shirt pocket and not pay for processing costs.

29 minute continuous clip is merely a bonus and if I were shooting an event I'd have more than one camera, because who wants to look at one shot for an hour straight? The 29 min limit is of zero concern to me, but I do think the tax law in Europe is a complete ass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Mike the GH2 does have Auto ISO in video mode, you just need to set your Creative Movie Mode shooting setting to P,S or A not M. I mean in the menus not on the dial - that should be set to movie mode.




Regarding Auto ISO, say you want 1/50 sec and F1.8 to be constant, but want Auto ISO to vary based on changes in lighting while shooting. I didn't think it was possible to achieve this with the GH2, correct?
Link to comment
Share on other sites


The main luxury of digital for me is that I can carry 10 memory cards in a shirt pocket and not pay for processing costs.



29 minute continuous clip is merely a bonus and if I were shooting an event I'd have more than one camera, because who wants to look at one shot for an hour straight? The 29 min limit is of zero concern to me, but I do think the tax law in Europe is a complete ass.




I'm with Andrew on this I dont think I've ever done a take longer than 6 mins in my career!
The talent usually makes a mistake before then!
A pocket full of memory cards is an amazing bonus ! no processing and telecine!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Regarding Auto ISO, say you want 1/50 sec and F1.8 to be constant, but want Auto ISO to vary based on changes in lighting while shooting. I didn't think it was possible to achieve this with the GH2, correct?




Now for that you would need to set it to Shutter Priority in the creative movie mode menu and use a lens with a manual aperture ring.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

I'm with Andrew on this I dont think I've ever done a take longer than 6 mins in my career!


The talent usually makes a mistake before then!


A pocket full of memory cards is an amazing bonus ! no processing and telecine!




In cinema a 6 minute continuous take is pretty epic so well done!! Children of Men had a great one. Hitchcock did a whole film - The Rope - as one take but he cheated, cutting on the 12 minute mark in a clever manner so nobody would notice.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's not forget "Russian Ark", comprised of a single 99 minute long shot that was shot digitally back in 2002, and where the camera guy had a backpack holding a hard drive to store the whole shot (something quite unique back then, I think).
I remember when I watched it while studying at film school, and was a fan of continuous takes (well, I still am, really).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice cimematography!
And nice renderings of color,
I guess you have seen the film "Drive"?
If you have not, watch it, it´s a fantastic film!

I really appreciate your information about new cameras
and your test footage is very nice too. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • EOSHD Pro Color 5 for All Sony cameras
    EOSHD C-LOG and Film Profiles for All Canon DSLRs
    EOSHD Dynamic Range Enhancer for H.264/H.265
×
×
  • Create New...