The E-M5 in Black and Silver
My new Olympus OM-D E-M5 arrived this past Friday from Adorama. It had been on back-order so long, I had almost forgotten about it.
Let me start off by stating that this is definitely not a full-blown review, I’ll leave that to the many others out there in cyberspace, who certainly do a better job of this kind of thing. What I wish to convey, though, is the reasoning behind my purchase of this unit, from the perspective of someone who has already dabbled in the micro four-thirds world, and who has never been overly impressed with the cameras that came before it.
I own a Olympus EP-2 (that I won in a contest a number of years ago, when it was initially released.), and although I loved the “idea” of the digital Pen series, the execution failed to impress. The form-factor of the Pen is great, but – try as I might – I never liked the clip on viewfinder, and I absolutely hate taking shots via a camera’s rear LCD. It wasn’t the resolution of the viewfinder that put me off, but the “wonky” and delicate way it attached to the camera itself. Besides this critical flaw, the unit’s lack of image quality, relatively poor high-ISO performance, and very slow AF relegated it to infrequent use. I did, however, love the ability to use legacy glass – and enjoyed using it with my existing array of M mount lenses (and my Contax stuff too).
Fast forward to around the beginning of this current year, when I realized that I sorely needed something to travel with. I often head out on the road on a motorcycle, taking trips of varying length, and my existing digital gear didn’t quite fit with these types of excursions. My Canon gear is too bulky, and my Fuji X100 (which I absolutely love) is too limiting in terms of focal length and AF speed. So, I started to compile a list of candidates to better serve this purpose, and managed after a while to narrow my choices down to the following four models:
Fuji XPro 1
Like I mentioned before, I absolutely love my X100. The build quality, incredible hybrid view finder, and tremendous IQ are hard to argue with. But, this newer system is VERY expensive, and if I wanted to make this leap I would need to sell off my X100. I would have the benefit of utilizing my legacy lenses. At the end of the day, though, the issues with slow AF would still remain, and the lenses – albeit superb – would certainly lighten my wallet.
Sony NEX7
No issues with slow AF or marginal image quality here. Plus, I really became intrigued with the focus peaking features. Again, legacy lenses can be adapted readily, so this was a plus, but I had serious concerns about the lack of lenses available. What really did this one in, though, was the “Star Trek” like styling.
Canon G1X 
This was a serious consideration due to the wonderful on-camera controls and compact size. I have previously owned a G10, and the small sensor in that camera was one of the few faults I had with it. This camera was considerably less expensive than the others, so that was also something to consider. The larger sensor in the G1X rectified my concerns about image quality, but the lack of interchangeable lenses was a continuing concern. Add to that the less than stellar optical view finder, and it too, was out of the running.
Which brings me around to the answer to my search…
Olympus OM-D E-M5
Even though I had serious doubts about the Micro Four Thirds format, I had to consider this model. Initial reviews showed that the new sensor in this camera went a long way to rectifying Olympus’s previous problems with IQ and high ISO performance. The auto-focus was supposed to be extremely fast. The unit was both compact and stylish, plus it had the added benefit of being weather sealed (something none of the others in consideration had). The price pint was high, and availability was a legitimate concern, but it really seemed to address all of my core requirements.
Now, after having it in my hands over the weekend, I am very happy to state that it really was the best choice for my intended use. It is fast, compact and highly customizable. The image quality is improved, and the AF speed has definitely lived up to its advanced billing. The styling and functionality are superb, and even the little clip-on flash unit works well. It is an absolute perfect fit for my needs, with the added bonus of using it with legacy lenses.
In the end, I had to be willing to part with my Contax G2 film rig, and its incredible array of lenses, to fund this purchase, but I’m now glad I did. It took a while (over 3 months!) to get a hold of, but was definitely worth the wait.
There’s no way it will replace my Canon equipment for serious, professional work – but it will come in handy for limited street duty, and it is especially suited for my travel needs. If you are looking for pretty much the perfect digital camera that can be packed up and taken just about anywhere easily, but are unwilling to sacrifice lens interchangeability and image quality, then this is the perfect camera for you.
