Words & Photos: Warwick Soar
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 is a great mirrorless camera that has a beautiful compact retro look and feel. With its solid construction and weight, it felt stable and comfortable in my hand. Supplied in the bundle pack is a professional grade 12 mm to 40 mm 2.8 lens, with which I was able to get some sharp, rich images. ISOs higher than 1,600 start becoming a bit grainy, but still produce some amazing images at ISO 3,600. ISO 6,400 could be acceptable to some.
Photo by: Warwick Soar
I was extremely impressed by the super-fast auto focus that required a gentle touch of the shutter release button to achieve a half press. This took some getting used too though, as the feel of attaining half press isn't as distinctive as it is with the DSLRs I've become accustomed to.
Flip screen is excellent for those really low angles, where lying on the ground to see your composition would be uncomfortable or impossible. This feature also helps for the shorter photographer needing to get a shot overhead, or for those high angles that would need some sort of elevated platform with other cameras.
Reaching the various functions takes some getting used to, as the dials and interface are somewhat different from other manufactures. For those who find themselves at a dusty motocross event or rainy hike, this camera has the added bonus of being weather sealed. So no ducking for cover when the clouds burst overhead or a dust cloud envelopes you on the dirt track.
It's a great little camera for those who have reached the prosumer and pro level of photography. New photographers would be ok with the Auto setting and Art Filters on this camera, but its manual features would go to waste. For those looking for something on the entry level, the Olympus' team has introduced a range that will suit your needs.
Pros:
• Great image quality
• Weather proofed
• Awesome grip
• Great autofocus
• Great viewfinder and LCD screen
• DSLR-like feature set
Cons:
• Noise can be an issue at high ISOs
• Cost
• No second memory card slot
