Photography News Issue 63

First look 24

Photography News | Issue 63 | photographynews.co.uk

Olympus OM-D E-M1X You probably spent last Christmas eating and drinking too much. On PN, we did that too but also got the chance to use a top-secret – and much-leaked – camera. In Olympus’ 100th year, the OM-D E-M1X is one of its most important launches ever – this is what we think of it so far

Specs

Prices £2799 body only Sensor

20.4-megapixels sensor working with two TruePic VIII processors Sensor format Live MOS Micro Four Thirds, 17.4 x13mm, 5184x3888 pixels, 12-bit Raw capture ISO range 200-25,600, expanded to ISO 64 Shutter range 60secs to 1/8000sec plus B, Live Continuous high: 15fps max up to 103 Raws. Silent continuous: 60fps max up to 49 Raws. Pro Capture: captures up to 35 previous frames, Pro Capture: High 60fps HighRes shot In JPEG 8160x6120pixels (50mp), Raw 10,368x7776 (80mp). Handheld High Res shot mode with electronic shutter: JPEG/Raw 8160x6120 (50mp). Metering system Multi-zone digital ESP with 324 zones, centre-weighted, spot, spot with highlight/shadow control Image stabiliser Five-axis, four modes, 7.5EV claimed benefit with 12-100mm f/4 Exposuremodes PASM Exposure compensation +/-5EV, bracketing up to seven frames Monitor 3in 1037k dots, touch control, vari-angle Viewfinder 0.83x, 2.36k dots, 120fps frame rate Focus points AF point customisation, intelligent subject tracking – aeroplanes, trains, motor sports Focus bracketing and focus stacking modes Face and eye detection – eye detect with nearer-eye, right-eye and left- eye priority Video 4K (up to 30fps), 1080p (up to 60fps) Connectivity Wi-Fi, USB-C, USB 3.0, Micro HDMI, Bluetooth Other key features Body is splash, dust and freeze proof, in-body image stabilisation Storagemedia Two SD slots, both UHS-II Power Two BLH-1 batteries – works with one. USB charging. Capacity up to 2580 shots Dimensions (wxhxd) 144.4x146.8x75.4mm Weight 997g body only with two BLH-1 cells and two cards Contact olympus.co.uk Bulb/Live Time up to 30mins, 1/250sec flash sync. Electronic shutter 60secs-1/32,000sec Drivemodes

Words and images by Will Cheung

The Micro Four Thirds (MFT) format is popular and widely accepted by pros, enthusiasts and family snappers alike. The MFT’s 17x13mm image size can deliver pro-level quality and there are significant practical benefits too. Cameras and lenses are so much smaller and there’s a x2 crop factor too, so a 300mm focal length lens on an MFT camera gives effective 600mm on 35mm format. Chat to anyone from the Olympus cameras team and the word ‘mobility’ pops up a lot and the practical benefit of this to sports and nature shooters is massive. It seems a contradiction then that Olympus’ newest offering, the OM-D E-M1X, is the biggest MFT camera we’ve seen to date. Our comments here are based on a pre-production sample and things might change when cameras get to the shops. The E-M1X is still noticeably smaller than the deep-bodied full- frame models from Canon and Nikon so it just about qualifies for the mobility tag. It is a rugged, pro-level camera with, according to Olympus, world leading dust, splash and freeze proofing. Significantly, it is the first MFT body to feature an integrated vertical grip with a set of replicated controls to make upright format shooting as convenient and as intuitive as horizontal shooting. Olympus was keen to emphasise that the E-M1X is the first of a new line of Olympus MFT cameras and it is aimed at sport and wildlife workers in particular. It will run alongside existing pro models like the OM-D E-M1 Mark II and its optional HLD-9 vertical power grip continues to be available. The E-M1X and E-M1 Mark II might be from two separate product lines, but they share the same 20.4-megapixel sensor; although the new model does have an updated coatingforimprovedlightsensitivity and works with a pair of TruPicVIII image processors. Having two

processors gives the E-M1X a superior, faster performance in key areas. There’s quicker start-up, faster recovery from sleep mode and support for two UHS-II SD card slots, and features like Subject Detection AF, High Res Shot mode and Live ND. More on these modes shortly, but it is worth spending a little time on the E-M1X body that houses two batteries that sit in an upright position. The benefit of two batteries – it can runonone – is one of shooting capacity not shooting speed and two fully charged BLH-1 cells have enough juice for over 2500 shots.

Usefully, cells can be charged via the camera’s USB C socket using a powerbank and LEDs indicate charging and extinguish when fully off. Using a PNY powerbank, charge of both cells from 25% charge to full took a couple of hours and the camera can be used at the same time. The E-M1X has a clean looking top-plate. The on/off switch is on the left side around the base of a control dial mode that has three function controls, drive/flash, bracketing and AF/AE settings. The dominant dial on the right side is the lockable exposure mode dial with four assignable custom settings plus the

Usefully, cells can be charged via the camera’s USB C socket using a powerbank