E-M1
& 4/3 System Lens
Thanks to my friend - Chunlun Lee who proofreaded this article for me. :-)
Preface
I've been using Olympus 4/3 E-System DSLR E-510 since the middle of 2007. As an Olympus camera user, I've been so used to take pictures with my stuff. But in the end of 2011, there was an accident which caused my E-510 to stop working. Instead of repairing it, I bought an E-400 from ebay and had been waiting for the new flagship from Olympus until this year.
4/3 and M4/3 System
Comparing to the 4/3 system, the M4/3 system has been greatly improved to the next step. The amazing E-M5 appeared in 2012, thanks to the new technology, it's fantastic in almost every aspect. The only remaining problem for old Olympus users is the focusing speed for the original 4/3 system lenses.
When E-M5 launched, Olympus made it clear that it was not the top model of M4/3 system OM-D series. After about one year, E-M1, the M4/3 system camera which effectively enhances the 4/3 system lens focusing speed, was released. It makes the 4/3 system lens focus effectively through the phase detection focus on the sensor. In the end, Olympus has lit up the road for the future of 4/3 System lenses.
E-M1 & E-510
For people who are fascinated with 4/3 system lenses, there are not too many options. The E-M1, equipped with so many new technologies, seems to be the only choice. I received my pre-ordered E-M1 with kit lens on the last day of October. My first impression of the camera is quite good. It's slightly smaller than E-510 but the grip is still acceptable. On the whole, it's a lean and compact camera which suits to my personal preferences. I couldn't wait to take photos with it and took it to "Taipei Baoan Temple" at that night. With 5-axis anti-shake technology and progressive high ISO, the results is quite awesome and so different from the old 4/3 system camera body.
E-M1 & M.ZD 12-40mm F2.8<br>
<br>
E-M1 & Panasonic 20mm F1.7
Handling
Photography is my hobby. I'm not a full-time photographer, so I only have very limited time to take photos. To get familiar with E-M1 as soon as possible, I took it with me everyday during the whole November. As a flagship in the entire system, the handling is much better than my old E-510. You can change the settings by the dual wheel and lever quickly, without entering the menu. It's a very different experience for me because this is my first time to have a flagship camera. The button size on E-M1 is moderate. I think Olympus should has noticed the criticism on E-M5 and made an adjustment. The body and grip are both smaller than E-510 but not a big problem. It feels very solid to grab in hand. If the E-M1 was smaller, it will be more difficult to handle.
By the way, E-M1 is my first camera with a flip-screen. It's very convenient for me to take some photos that I would give up due to the troublesome angle in past. I think it's also a plus on camera handling.
To shoot from low angle through the flip-screen
Adapting to the 4/3 System Lens
Unlike E-M5, which simulated the traditional SLR, the E-M1 has moved back to the DSLR exterior design. The most obvious difference is the larger grip helps user to grab the camera better when equipped with 4/3 system lenses. I have four 4/3 system lenses in hand. They are ZD 9-18mm F4-5.6、ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD、ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD and ZD 50mm F2 Macro. These lenses were reborn while the E-M1 came out to this world and I really look forward to seeing their performance on E-M1.
Focusing Speed
The most notable aspect of adapting to the 4/3 system lens on E-M1 is focusing speed. Comparing to the M4/3 camera body before E-M1, it's been improved a lot. You guys can see the footages about the real performance of“E-M1 and 4/3 system lens”on internet like youtube. According to the footages, the focusing speed of 4/3 system lens on E-M1 is slightly slower but much better in accuracy than the previous flagship E-5. The focusing speed of 4/3 system lens on E-M1 has qualified for me since I have a very limited experience on using 4/3 system camera body. I have just had used E510 & E-400, and never used E-30、E-3 or E-5. But I must say that I shoot mostly in slow speed. For someone who wants to take pictures on high speed or dynamic motion by E-M1 and 4/3 system lens, it might be more challenging for them.
Image Quality
Another feature of E-M1 is the sensor without the low-pass filter. To shoot with the 4/3 system lens, the image quality of E-M1 is quite awesome. The color management is also very "Olympus", bright and vivid. The pictures from E-M1 and 4/3 system lens even make you feel more clear overall. The crystal feeling is really outstanding compared to the E-510 with Panasonic LiveMOS or the E-400 with Kodak CCD.
It is worth mentioning that some users found the performance of long exposure at low ISO on E-M1 is worse than E-M5. For me, I have been satisfied with the result of the long exposure at low ISO by E-M1. Since the long exposure in low light environment has never been the strength of 4/3, M4/3 system, I don't argue on this part. To accept it or not, I think it depends on the judgment by individual user.
E-M1 & M.ZD 12-40mm F2.8 ISO100 F5.6 40s
Convenience
Opposite to the low ISO, the usage of high ISO of E-M1 is another concern. According to the result tested by some websites and users, I limited the highest auto-ISO to ISO3200. When the light condition is adequate in the daytime, the lower ISO can help reach the shutter speed requirements and provide fine image quality. On the other hand, when I need to shoot at night and pull up ISO to 3200, the result is still good enough and above average. I believe it's very convenient for everyone to take pictures in many situations in daily life.
Other improvement
For a user who shifted from E-510/E-400 to E-M1, the improvement is very significant. The auto white balance is quite smart. 5-axis anti-shake technique is very powerful and helpful. The bright electronic viewfinder allows users to frame conveniently and comfortably. Electronic level is useful when you need to keep horizontal. The Live time function could redefine long exposure experience completely. The wifi remote control also inspires you with more creative shooting techniques. These all are the advantages of E-M1.
Photos shot by 4/3 system lens
E-M1 is definitely in the top position of M4/3 system. However, there is a more important question that could it inherit the entire 4/3 system lens group smoothly? What will these lenses elaborate on E-M1? Could it also be served as a 4/3 system flagship? We got to know it. And here I'll provide my point of view after had been using my four 4/3 system lenses on E-M1 during a month.
ZD 9-18mm F4-5.6
ZD 9-18mm F4-5.6 is a standard grade ZD lens. Its performance on 4/3 system camera is satisfactory. It's a light and handy wide-angle lens. You won't feel too much weight when taking it with you. Thus it's one of my favorite lenses. The wide-angle perspective stays the same when attached on E-M1. But the image quality of the corners slide down very obviously. It's a serious problem and very different from the original 4/3 system. The image area not so far from the center has become blurry when aperture is fully open. The improvement is limited even downgrade to F8. It's acceptable when downgrade to F16. But the overall quality is not as good as F8 due to the diffraction phenomenon. Considering the image degradation of the corners, I mainly used this lens in F16. Therefore, it would be better to use it during a sunny day or on a tripod. If you happened to have this lens and would like to try to shoot some wide-angle pictures. Maybe it's not a bad idea to use it on E-M1.
ZD 50mm F2 Macro
ZD 50mm F2 Macro is a High Grade ZD lens, but it's considered to be a Super High Grade lenses by many 4/3 system users because of its superior performance. The soft and beautiful bokeh is also a great feature. In the past, the focusing speed of ZD 50mm F2 Macro was quite slow on 4/3 system cameras, but it becomes so fast on E-M1. Very impressive! I guess it may be the contribution of its F2.0 large aperture. The performance of ZD 50mm F2 Macro adapting on E-M1 is the best of my four 4/3 System lenses. The result shot by this lens is great and the image quality in corners doesn't drop even the aperture is fully open. Actually I didn't use this lens on E510 or E-400 too much. So its performance on E-M1 is a surprise just like a whole new world for me.
ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD
ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD also belong to the High Grade lens. Actually, I almost gave up testing it on E-M1. The reason is quite simple. I found the overall performance of M.ZD 12-40mm F2.8 is better than what I thought. When I got my E-M1 lens KIT, I took some pictures with M.ZD 12-40mm F2.8. The image quality is excellent and it's really a compact and light lens. Furthermore, the focusing speed of native M4/3 system lenses on E-M1 is better than 4/3 system lenses after all. These are the good reasons to give up ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD. In fact, my plan of E-M1 pre-order was originally for the body. I was wondering to adapt my ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD on it, but finally I decided to purchase the lens KIT. It was out of my plan and this case really gives me an unexpected surprise.
I still attach ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD to E-M1 to do the test shot because the focal length of 12-60mm is 1/3 longer than 12-40mm. When you just want to mount a lens on E-M1, ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD is a good choice. With the 2X digital teleconverter on E-M1, it will be a very a convenient travel lens. The performance of ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD on E-M1 is also good. The focusing speed and accuracy are not bad. The image quality of the corners also slides down but the situation is better than ZD 9-18mm F4-5.6. I suggest downgrad the aperture to at least F5.6 at 12mm, F8 at 60mm, and to improve the corner quality effectively. You don't have to worry about it if the corner was arranged to be part of bokeh. ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD is no doubt a High Grade lens after all, the central part of image is totally no problem.
ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD
ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD is my favorite 4/3 system lens. As a High Grade lens, ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD is better than ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD in all aspects. Its image quality, compact size, light weight, large aperture, reasonable price, all of them is excellent. It's difficult to find another comparable lens in other camera systems. I will say I can't give up 4/3 system just for this lens.
One of the telephoto lens characteristics is the narrow viewing angle. The feel of compression can create some unusual visual effects. There are lots of photos that touched my heart were shot by my ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD and E-510. Thus I was also very concerned about its performance when adapting to E-M1. I've been assured the answer by actually using it. The result shot by this lens on E-M1 is even better than the old 4/3 system camera. The image quality of corners slides down very mildly. I used to fix the aperture at F4. There's no big problem about the corner image quality at F4. Furthermore, the overall image quality is greatly improved due to the substantial evolution of E-M1. I believe it's good news for people who love this lens.
The timing to use art filter
Olympus equipped the art filters on camera starting from the 4/3 system E-30 to all M4/3 system cameras. These filter effects add more fun to enrich user experience. E-M1 is certainly no exception. In order to understand the real performance of ZD lenses, I shot pictures in normal mode during this period of adapting 4/3 system lenses on E-M1. But sometimes I just can't help to please myself by using these art filters. It really makes me happy, and I have some suggestion after doing so. Using these art filters usually causes the loss of details. Therefore, the timing to use them should be considered carefully. Despite the loss of some details, if one can enhance his pictures by using these art filters it would be appropriate.
Epilogue
Actually, I wrote a conclusion with my native language, but it's too complicated to translate into English because I made a metaphor from ancient poetry. Thus, I could just make the conclusion as briefly as I can here.
4/3 system has always been a very capable tool to meet my needs. But sometimes we can hear the criticism about the sensor size by people who has never use it. Honestly, it does matter, but not the whole part of a camera system. In fact, there is not a perfect camera system in this world. The weaknesses of X system might be the strengths of Y system, and vice versa.. So what we can do is to clarify our needs and understand the advantages and disadvantages of different systems. Then we can find the camera we really need. After that, all we have to do is to maximize the strengths and avoid the weaknesses of it. I believe the final results should not be too far from what we want.
As a top camera body of 4/3 and M4/3 system, E-M1 is very competent. I am very satisfied with it. For folks who still have 4/3 System High Grade or Super High Grade lenses in hand, will not regret to have an E-M1. It can fully utilize your existing resources and let you see more possibilities of ZD lens. If you're already a M4/3 system user, "Is it worth upgrading to E-M1?" will be a matter of debate. E-M1 is somewhat preparing for 4/3 system lens. If you do not have 4/3 System High Grade or Super High Grade lenses, maybe the E-M5 & M4/3 system lens can be very useful for you. I think "E-M5" or the "E-M1 MarkII" are both good options unless you have a strong demand for fixed-grip and some new features of E-M1. For someone who is totally new to photography or would like to try another camera system, E-M1 is certainly the best choice of 4/3 & M4/3 system now, except its price. Is it worth the price or not? It relates to the subjective judgment by individual. I think the answer should be reserved for the reader yourself. :)
Photos shot by Olympus E-M1 in 2013.11
回首頁 Back to Home 回攝影雜文目錄 Back to Home Back to Catalog
Thanks to my friend - Chunlun Lee who proofreaded this article for me. :-)
Preface
I've been using Olympus 4/3 E-System DSLR E-510 since the middle of 2007. As an Olympus camera user, I've been so used to take pictures with my stuff. But in the end of 2011, there was an accident which caused my E-510 to stop working. Instead of repairing it, I bought an E-400 from ebay and had been waiting for the new flagship from Olympus until this year.
4/3 and M4/3 System
Comparing to the 4/3 system, the M4/3 system has been greatly improved to the next step. The amazing E-M5 appeared in 2012, thanks to the new technology, it's fantastic in almost every aspect. The only remaining problem for old Olympus users is the focusing speed for the original 4/3 system lenses.
When E-M5 launched, Olympus made it clear that it was not the top model of M4/3 system OM-D series. After about one year, E-M1, the M4/3 system camera which effectively enhances the 4/3 system lens focusing speed, was released. It makes the 4/3 system lens focus effectively through the phase detection focus on the sensor. In the end, Olympus has lit up the road for the future of 4/3 System lenses.
E-M1 & E-510
For people who are fascinated with 4/3 system lenses, there are not too many options. The E-M1, equipped with so many new technologies, seems to be the only choice. I received my pre-ordered E-M1 with kit lens on the last day of October. My first impression of the camera is quite good. It's slightly smaller than E-510 but the grip is still acceptable. On the whole, it's a lean and compact camera which suits to my personal preferences. I couldn't wait to take photos with it and took it to "Taipei Baoan Temple" at that night. With 5-axis anti-shake technology and progressive high ISO, the results is quite awesome and so different from the old 4/3 system camera body.
E-M1 & M.ZD 12-40mm F2.8<br>
<br>
E-M1 & Panasonic 20mm F1.7
Handling
Photography is my hobby. I'm not a full-time photographer, so I only have very limited time to take photos. To get familiar with E-M1 as soon as possible, I took it with me everyday during the whole November. As a flagship in the entire system, the handling is much better than my old E-510. You can change the settings by the dual wheel and lever quickly, without entering the menu. It's a very different experience for me because this is my first time to have a flagship camera. The button size on E-M1 is moderate. I think Olympus should has noticed the criticism on E-M5 and made an adjustment. The body and grip are both smaller than E-510 but not a big problem. It feels very solid to grab in hand. If the E-M1 was smaller, it will be more difficult to handle.
By the way, E-M1 is my first camera with a flip-screen. It's very convenient for me to take some photos that I would give up due to the troublesome angle in past. I think it's also a plus on camera handling.
To shoot from low angle through the flip-screen
Adapting to the 4/3 System Lens
Unlike E-M5, which simulated the traditional SLR, the E-M1 has moved back to the DSLR exterior design. The most obvious difference is the larger grip helps user to grab the camera better when equipped with 4/3 system lenses. I have four 4/3 system lenses in hand. They are ZD 9-18mm F4-5.6、ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD、ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD and ZD 50mm F2 Macro. These lenses were reborn while the E-M1 came out to this world and I really look forward to seeing their performance on E-M1.
Focusing Speed
The most notable aspect of adapting to the 4/3 system lens on E-M1 is focusing speed. Comparing to the M4/3 camera body before E-M1, it's been improved a lot. You guys can see the footages about the real performance of“E-M1 and 4/3 system lens”on internet like youtube. According to the footages, the focusing speed of 4/3 system lens on E-M1 is slightly slower but much better in accuracy than the previous flagship E-5. The focusing speed of 4/3 system lens on E-M1 has qualified for me since I have a very limited experience on using 4/3 system camera body. I have just had used E510 & E-400, and never used E-30、E-3 or E-5. But I must say that I shoot mostly in slow speed. For someone who wants to take pictures on high speed or dynamic motion by E-M1 and 4/3 system lens, it might be more challenging for them.
Image Quality
Another feature of E-M1 is the sensor without the low-pass filter. To shoot with the 4/3 system lens, the image quality of E-M1 is quite awesome. The color management is also very "Olympus", bright and vivid. The pictures from E-M1 and 4/3 system lens even make you feel more clear overall. The crystal feeling is really outstanding compared to the E-510 with Panasonic LiveMOS or the E-400 with Kodak CCD.
It is worth mentioning that some users found the performance of long exposure at low ISO on E-M1 is worse than E-M5. For me, I have been satisfied with the result of the long exposure at low ISO by E-M1. Since the long exposure in low light environment has never been the strength of 4/3, M4/3 system, I don't argue on this part. To accept it or not, I think it depends on the judgment by individual user.
E-M1 & M.ZD 12-40mm F2.8 ISO100 F5.6 40s
Convenience
Opposite to the low ISO, the usage of high ISO of E-M1 is another concern. According to the result tested by some websites and users, I limited the highest auto-ISO to ISO3200. When the light condition is adequate in the daytime, the lower ISO can help reach the shutter speed requirements and provide fine image quality. On the other hand, when I need to shoot at night and pull up ISO to 3200, the result is still good enough and above average. I believe it's very convenient for everyone to take pictures in many situations in daily life.
Other improvement
For a user who shifted from E-510/E-400 to E-M1, the improvement is very significant. The auto white balance is quite smart. 5-axis anti-shake technique is very powerful and helpful. The bright electronic viewfinder allows users to frame conveniently and comfortably. Electronic level is useful when you need to keep horizontal. The Live time function could redefine long exposure experience completely. The wifi remote control also inspires you with more creative shooting techniques. These all are the advantages of E-M1.
Photos shot by 4/3 system lens
E-M1 is definitely in the top position of M4/3 system. However, there is a more important question that could it inherit the entire 4/3 system lens group smoothly? What will these lenses elaborate on E-M1? Could it also be served as a 4/3 system flagship? We got to know it. And here I'll provide my point of view after had been using my four 4/3 system lenses on E-M1 during a month.
ZD 9-18mm F4-5.6
ZD 9-18mm F4-5.6 is a standard grade ZD lens. Its performance on 4/3 system camera is satisfactory. It's a light and handy wide-angle lens. You won't feel too much weight when taking it with you. Thus it's one of my favorite lenses. The wide-angle perspective stays the same when attached on E-M1. But the image quality of the corners slide down very obviously. It's a serious problem and very different from the original 4/3 system. The image area not so far from the center has become blurry when aperture is fully open. The improvement is limited even downgrade to F8. It's acceptable when downgrade to F16. But the overall quality is not as good as F8 due to the diffraction phenomenon. Considering the image degradation of the corners, I mainly used this lens in F16. Therefore, it would be better to use it during a sunny day or on a tripod. If you happened to have this lens and would like to try to shoot some wide-angle pictures. Maybe it's not a bad idea to use it on E-M1.
ZD 50mm F2 Macro
ZD 50mm F2 Macro is a High Grade ZD lens, but it's considered to be a Super High Grade lenses by many 4/3 system users because of its superior performance. The soft and beautiful bokeh is also a great feature. In the past, the focusing speed of ZD 50mm F2 Macro was quite slow on 4/3 system cameras, but it becomes so fast on E-M1. Very impressive! I guess it may be the contribution of its F2.0 large aperture. The performance of ZD 50mm F2 Macro adapting on E-M1 is the best of my four 4/3 System lenses. The result shot by this lens is great and the image quality in corners doesn't drop even the aperture is fully open. Actually I didn't use this lens on E510 or E-400 too much. So its performance on E-M1 is a surprise just like a whole new world for me.
ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD
ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD also belong to the High Grade lens. Actually, I almost gave up testing it on E-M1. The reason is quite simple. I found the overall performance of M.ZD 12-40mm F2.8 is better than what I thought. When I got my E-M1 lens KIT, I took some pictures with M.ZD 12-40mm F2.8. The image quality is excellent and it's really a compact and light lens. Furthermore, the focusing speed of native M4/3 system lenses on E-M1 is better than 4/3 system lenses after all. These are the good reasons to give up ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD. In fact, my plan of E-M1 pre-order was originally for the body. I was wondering to adapt my ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD on it, but finally I decided to purchase the lens KIT. It was out of my plan and this case really gives me an unexpected surprise.
I still attach ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD to E-M1 to do the test shot because the focal length of 12-60mm is 1/3 longer than 12-40mm. When you just want to mount a lens on E-M1, ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD is a good choice. With the 2X digital teleconverter on E-M1, it will be a very a convenient travel lens. The performance of ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD on E-M1 is also good. The focusing speed and accuracy are not bad. The image quality of the corners also slides down but the situation is better than ZD 9-18mm F4-5.6. I suggest downgrad the aperture to at least F5.6 at 12mm, F8 at 60mm, and to improve the corner quality effectively. You don't have to worry about it if the corner was arranged to be part of bokeh. ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD is no doubt a High Grade lens after all, the central part of image is totally no problem.
ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD
ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD is my favorite 4/3 system lens. As a High Grade lens, ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD is better than ZD 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD in all aspects. Its image quality, compact size, light weight, large aperture, reasonable price, all of them is excellent. It's difficult to find another comparable lens in other camera systems. I will say I can't give up 4/3 system just for this lens.
One of the telephoto lens characteristics is the narrow viewing angle. The feel of compression can create some unusual visual effects. There are lots of photos that touched my heart were shot by my ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD and E-510. Thus I was also very concerned about its performance when adapting to E-M1. I've been assured the answer by actually using it. The result shot by this lens on E-M1 is even better than the old 4/3 system camera. The image quality of corners slides down very mildly. I used to fix the aperture at F4. There's no big problem about the corner image quality at F4. Furthermore, the overall image quality is greatly improved due to the substantial evolution of E-M1. I believe it's good news for people who love this lens.
The timing to use art filter
Olympus equipped the art filters on camera starting from the 4/3 system E-30 to all M4/3 system cameras. These filter effects add more fun to enrich user experience. E-M1 is certainly no exception. In order to understand the real performance of ZD lenses, I shot pictures in normal mode during this period of adapting 4/3 system lenses on E-M1. But sometimes I just can't help to please myself by using these art filters. It really makes me happy, and I have some suggestion after doing so. Using these art filters usually causes the loss of details. Therefore, the timing to use them should be considered carefully. Despite the loss of some details, if one can enhance his pictures by using these art filters it would be appropriate.
Epilogue
Actually, I wrote a conclusion with my native language, but it's too complicated to translate into English because I made a metaphor from ancient poetry. Thus, I could just make the conclusion as briefly as I can here.
4/3 system has always been a very capable tool to meet my needs. But sometimes we can hear the criticism about the sensor size by people who has never use it. Honestly, it does matter, but not the whole part of a camera system. In fact, there is not a perfect camera system in this world. The weaknesses of X system might be the strengths of Y system, and vice versa.. So what we can do is to clarify our needs and understand the advantages and disadvantages of different systems. Then we can find the camera we really need. After that, all we have to do is to maximize the strengths and avoid the weaknesses of it. I believe the final results should not be too far from what we want.
As a top camera body of 4/3 and M4/3 system, E-M1 is very competent. I am very satisfied with it. For folks who still have 4/3 System High Grade or Super High Grade lenses in hand, will not regret to have an E-M1. It can fully utilize your existing resources and let you see more possibilities of ZD lens. If you're already a M4/3 system user, "Is it worth upgrading to E-M1?" will be a matter of debate. E-M1 is somewhat preparing for 4/3 system lens. If you do not have 4/3 System High Grade or Super High Grade lenses, maybe the E-M5 & M4/3 system lens can be very useful for you. I think "E-M5" or the "E-M1 MarkII" are both good options unless you have a strong demand for fixed-grip and some new features of E-M1. For someone who is totally new to photography or would like to try another camera system, E-M1 is certainly the best choice of 4/3 & M4/3 system now, except its price. Is it worth the price or not? It relates to the subjective judgment by individual. I think the answer should be reserved for the reader yourself. :)
Photos shot by Olympus E-M1 in 2013.11
回首頁 Back to Home 回攝影雜文目錄 Back to Home Back to Catalog