Olympus
Olympus takes the “micro” out of Micro Four Thirds with its OM-D E-M1X, a sibling to its great E-M1 Mark II that’s intended to catch the eyes of professional action and wildlife photographers as a light(er)-weight alternative to an SLR. While it’s not that light at more than 2 pounds (just under a kilogram), it’s still relatively compact for what it is — and more importantly, the lenses are much lighter and smaller than the APS-C or full-frame equivalents.
The OM-D E-M1X is essentially the E-M1 Mark II on steroids; physically bulked up with an integrated vertical grip that holds two batteries, two TruePic VIII image processors and a beefier image stabilizing sensor mount that’s rated for up to 7 stops of compensation (7.5 with an OIS lens that supports Olympus’ Sync IS hybrid stabilization).
Seven stops of stabilization is pretty impressive given that the best we’ve seen thus far is about 5.5. Depending upon what you shoot, that could mean the difference between having to tote a tripod or being able to leave it behind, or being able to shoot at a lower ISO than you’d otherwise have to.
Olympus
Olympus plans to ship the E-M1X by the end of February. It’s priced at $3,000 for the body, which converts to roughly £2,295 and AU$4,200.
The improved stabilization facilitates a handheld High Res Shot mode in addition to the existing tripod-requiring mode; handheld combines 16 shots to produce an 80-megapixel image. Olympus adds another multishot mode, Live ND Filter, which combines photos to simulate the effect of up to five stops of neutral-density light reduction, with the ability to preview the result.
Olympus
Of course, the control layout’s been adapted to the bigger body along with the needs of pros. For instance, the drive modes are now more easily accessible on the left shoulder, there are joysticks for manipulating focus areas (plus more AF-area coniguration options), and it now has a control lock switch. On board, it’s got a GPS, barometer, compass and more.
The dual SD card slots are now both UHS-II rather than just one of them, Wi-Fi’s been upped to 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) and the viewfinder offers a bit higher magnification. Plus, Olympus says the dust removal is 10 percent more efficient than previously, and the subject detection has also been improved.
The bigger body means that Olympus can just toss in a second battery to solve the big problem plaguing mirrorless cameras — awful battery life caused by power-draining viewfinders and sensor-shift stabilization mechanisms — while still using the same battery as the E-M1 II’s. Olympus will include two in the box, which is nice. The camera also jumps on the USB-C charging bandwagon, and the company claims it can charge both batteries in two hours.
Otherwise, the M1X has most of the same components and specificatons as the M1 II; most notably, the same 20-megapixel sensor and on-chip autofocus system, metering system, continuous-shooting rates and viewfinder.
Really, the only thing that makes me pause is the price. Paying so much for the small Four Thirds-size sensor incites a knee-jerk response when an APS-C Fujifilm X-T3 or M43 Panasonic Lumix G9 equipped with a vertical grip is about two-thirds the cost. The integrated grip does improve the weather resistance — the camera’s rated to IPX 1 even when you’re plugged into the ports — and the M1X is faster, but it’s the nuances of performance that will probably determine whether it’s worth the money.
A render of the upcoming 150-400mm lens.
Olympus
Along with the camera, Olympus made a development announcement for a new 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS Pro lens. It’s got a built-in teleconverter to stretch that out to 300-1,000mm, and with the upcoming MC-20 converter (expected this summer), that will jump to 600-2,000mm. Olympus didn’t provide any pricing or availability for the lens.
Comparative specifications
| Fujifilm X-T3 | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Olympus OM-D E-M1X | Panasonic Lumix G9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor effective resolution | 26MP X-Trans BSI CMOS 4 14-bit | 20.4MP Live MOS 12-bit | 20.4MP Live MOS 12-bit | 20.3MP Live MOS 12-bit |
| Sensor size | 23.5 x 15.6mm | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.4 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
| Focal-length multiplier | 1.5x | 2.0x | 2.0x | 2.0x |
| OLPF | No | No | No | No |
| Sensitivity range | ISO 80 (exp)/ISO 160 (exp)/200 – ISO 12800/51200 (exp) | ISO 64 (exp)/200 – ISO 25600 | ISO 64 (exp)/200 – ISO 25600 | ISO 100 (exp)/ISO 200 – ISO 25600 |
| Burst shooting | 11fps 145 JPEG/42 raw (20fps with e-shutter) | 18fps (electronic shutter) 10fps (mechanical shutter) (60fps with fixed AE/AF and electronic shutter) |
18fps (electronic shutter) 10fps (mechanical shutter) (60fps with fixed AE/AF and electronic shutter) 49 raw/49 JPEG |
20fps (with e-shutter); 9fps (with mechanical shutter) 600 JPEG/60 raw (With fixed focus and exposure, 60fps with e-shutter and 12fps with mechanical shutter) |
| Viewfinder (mag/ effective mag) | OLED EVF 3.7m million dots 100% coverage 1.1x/0.75x | EVF 2.36 million dots 100% coverage 1.3x – 1.48x/ 0.65x- 0.74x | EVF 2.4 million dots 100% coverage 1.48x – 1.65x/ 0.74x- 0.83x | OLED EVF 3.7 million dots 100% coverage 1.66x/0.83x |
| Hot shoe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus | 2.2-million-point phase-detection AF, 91-area contrast AF | 121-point cross-type phase detection AF, 121-point contrast AF | 121-point all cross-type phase detection AF, 121-point contrast AF | 225-area DFD Contrast AF |
| AF sensitivity | -3 to n/a EV | n/a | -6 – 20 EV | -4 – 18 EV |
| Shutter speed | 1/8,000 to 30 sec. (1/32,000 sec. with electronic shutter); bulb to 60 min; 1/250 sec. x-sync | 60 – 1/8000 sec. (1/32,000 with electronic shutter); bulb to 30 minutes; 1/250 sec. x-sync (Super FP to 1/8,000) | 60 – 1/8,000 sec. (1/32,000 with electronic shutter); bulb to 30 minutes; 1/250 sec. x-sync (Super FP to 1/8,000) | 1/8,000 to 60 sec. (1/32,000 electronic); bulb to 60 minutes; 1/250 sec. x-sync |
| Shutter durability (actuations) | n/a | 200,000 | 400,000 | 200,000 |
| Metering | 256 zones | 324 area | 324 area | 1,728 zone |
| Metering sensitivity | n/a | -2 – 20 EV | -2 – 20 EV | 0 – 18 EV |
| Best video | H.265 QuickTime MOV C4K/60p @400Mbps; H.264 QuickTime MOV UHD/30p, 25p, 24p at 400Mbps | H.264 QuickTime MOV C4K/24p @ 237Mbps; UHD/30p, 25p, 24p @ 102Mbps; 1080/60p, 50p, 25p, 24p @ 202Mbps | H.264 QuickTime MOV C4K/24p @ 237Mbps; UHD/30p, 25p, 24p @ 102Mbps; 1080/120p | H.264 MP4 UHD/60p @ 150Mbps ; 1080/60p, 50p, 25p, 24p; 1080/180fps |
| Audio | Stereo; mic input, headphone jack | Stereo; mic input | Stereo; mic input, headphone jack | Stereo, mic input, headphones |
| Manual aperture and shutter in video | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum best-quality recording time per clip | 20 min. | 29 min. | 29 min. | 10 min. |
| Clean HDMI out | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IS | Optical | Sensor shift 5 axis, IS Sync | Sensor shift 5 axis, IS Sync | Dual IS 2 (5 axis) |
| Display | 3 in/.7.5 cm Multiangle tilting touch 1.04 million dots | 3 in./7.5 cm Articulated touchscreen 1.04m dots | 3 in./7.5 cm Articulated touchscreen 1.04m dots | 3 in./7.5cm Articulated touchscreen 1.04m dots |
| Memory slots | 2 x SDXC UHS-III, V90 | 2 x SDXC (1 x UHS-II) | 2 x SDXC (1 x UHS-II) | 2 x SDXC UHS-II U3 |
| Wireless connection | Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth | Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) | Wi-Fi (802.11ac) | Wi-Fi (802.11ac), Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Flash | Yes | Included add-on | No | No |
| Wireless flash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (CIPA rating) | 390 shots (1,260mAh) | 440 shots (1,720mAh) | 870 shots (2 x 1,720mAh batteries) | 380 shots (1,860mAh) |
| Size (WHD) | 5.2 x 3.7 x 2.3 in.; 133 × 93 × 59mm | 5.3 x 3.6 x 2.7 in.; 134 x 91 x 69mm | 5.7 x 5.8 x 3.0 in.; 144 x 147 x 75mm | 5.4 x 3.8 x 3.6 in.; 137 x 97 x 92mm |
| Body operating weight | 19 oz. (est.), 539g (est.) | 20.2 oz., 574g | 35.2 oz. (est.), 997g (est) | 23.2 oz. (est.), 658g (est.) |
| Mfr. price (body only) | $1,400; £1,350; AU$2,200 (est.) | $1,700; £1,500; AU$2,800 | $3,000 | $1,300; £1,500; AU$2,500 |
| Release date | Sept. 2018 | Dec. 2016 | Feb. 2019 | Jan. 2018 |
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