News OM-wards and upwards The eagerly awaited first camera fromOM System is here. What better way to celebrate, than with the flagship OM-1?
The high-capacity BLX-1 is good enough for 520 shots, and the camera can be used during charging with a suitable power bank. The OM-1 is available to order now, with body price of £1999.99. The body with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II lens is £2499.99. The HLD-10 power battery holder is £319.99, with extra BLX-1 li-ion rechargeable batteries at £79.99 each omsystem.com
Video shooters are well catered for. Smooth, high-definition results are possible with 4K/60p recording, and Full HD is attainable up to 240fps. The camera supports H.264 (8-bit), H.265 (10-bit) and OM-Log which allows better capture of highlight/shadow details. With an external recorder, Raw output at 12- bit 4:4:4 is possible. Other features include dual SD UHS-II card slots, SSWF dust reduction system, five on-camera rating categories, Starry Sky AF, independent AE-L and AF-ON buttons, electronic shutter flash sync at 1/100sec and a new battery.
The Olympus imaging division was acquired by OM Digital Solutions last year. It promptly announced that the Olympus brand was no more, and future products would be sold under the OM System name. However, its first camera does bear, for the final time, the Olympus moniker – in homage to the OM-1 film camera introduced exactly 50 years ago, which changed SLR photography forever. The OM System OM-1 is a top-end Micro Four Thirds format camera, and its tiny body is packed with cutting-edge imaging technology. At its heart is a 20.4-megapixel stacked BSI Live MOS sensor, working with the latest TruePic X image processor. It’s three times faster than that found in any previous Olympus camera. With the benefit of a back-side illuminated sensor and improved processing technology, noise performance is said to be 2EV better than previous models, with 1EV gain in dynamic range. Native top ISO is 25,600, expandable to 102,400. The five-axis in-body sync image stabiliser can give up to 8EV of
phase-detection data, including colour and contrast information, to give improved subject recognition, detection and tracking. This is up to three times faster – and twice as accurate – compared with existing Olympus models. Face/eye priority autofocus has seen some significant benefits, too. Action photographers will also appreciate the OM-1, with sequential shooting and Pro Capture giving up to 50fps full-resolution shooting with AE/AF tracking. With fixed AE/ AF, this increases to 120fps. These shooting speeds are achieved without any image blackout, which you can enjoy through the new EVF, with its 5.76 million dot resolution and 120fps refresh rate. The OM-1 is compact and lightweight, but also super-rugged, with the body meeting the IP53 dust and splash proof standard. It’s the world’s only IP53 camera system, and two new lenses have been introduced that meet the same standard (see below for details). Camera and lenses will continue working perfectly all the way down to -10°C.
SLICK LOOKS The OM System OM-1 boasts a tidy top-plate
benefit, depending on the lens used, and a new handheld assist feature makes it possible to shoot at slow shutter speeds for effects that would usually need a tripod. Handheld High Res Shot mode takes about five seconds to merge images, giving 50-megapixel results. And, if you have a support handy, Tripod High Res Shot mode turns in 80-megapixel images. Focus stacking, HDR shooting and Live ND can all be utilised with a handheld camera. The camera’s AF system employs a new, world-first Cross Quad Pixel AF, with 1053 phase detection points across the whole image frame. AI autofocus uses four-direction,
AGOOD VIEW The OM-1 has a 5.76m dot EVF for a really detailed perspective
Leading the way
Offering a useful telezoom range in a portable package is the M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4 Pro, with a constant f/4 maximum aperture throughout its zoom range – 80-300mm equivalent in the 35mm format. It measures just 12.4cm, weighing in at 382g. Minimum focus is 70cm and focus stacking supported. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II costs £899.99 and the 40-150mm f/4 Pro £799.99, with both available to order now.
The OM System OM-1 meets the IP53 dust and splash proof standard; to make the most of that, two lenses were introduced at the same standard, promising leading optical performance. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II is f/2.8 throughout its range, and has 14 elements in nine groups, including one DSA lens to keep size down but maintain performance. An MSC mechanism supports high-speed, silent AF, and focusing is possible to 20cm.
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