The Olympus E-M1 is a Real Enthusiasts Camera!

Winter on Chicoteague Island, Virginia's Eastern Shore
A cold, clear, below freezing day on the bay between Chincoteague Island and Assateague Island
with Assateague Lighthouse in the background.
Olympus E-M1, Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 lens @ 100mm; 1/640th @ f/8; ISO200

The headline here is "The E-M1 is the camera I wish all my other cameras had been."

Recently, I have written quite a bit about the Olympus E-M1 as well as the Fujifilm X-T1.  In my last post, I opined that the X-T1 is a "photographer's camera."  I still believe that.  However, I believe the Olympus E-M1 is a true photographic "enthusiast's camera."  What is the difference?  I'm sure you have an idea in your mind of what that difference may be, but in my mind the fundamental difference is in the advanced feature set that is included with the E-M1 as opposed to the controls of the X-T1.

In my mind, the X-T1 is more of a basic camera that is enjoyed by photographers who just want to go out and make images.  It is not a fancy camera.  I think of photographers as contemplative, measured and deliberate in their image making.  No "running and gunning" or "spray and pray" types of photographing.  The X-T1 plays right into that because of the way the controls are set up and the basic feature set Fujifilm includes.  The camera is not overloaded with tons of options.  Being somewhat "old school" in its layout and feature set, the X-T1 makes me want to photograph in the same manner as I did using film.  Using the X-T1, I tended to use manual more than aperture or shutter priority exposure modes.  Also, I tended to use manual focus more than I have in any other digital SLR that I have owned or used.  That is what I mean by "old school."

On the other hand, the E-M1 has much more versatility, many more functions and features included, that the enthusiast, who not only wants to go out and deliberately make images can do so, but also with all the extra options can go out and experiment much more easily.  You may disagree, but that is how I see it.  By experiment, I mean that this camera makes me want to do more bracketing, engage features and functions that I normally wouldn't use on a regular basis such as using some of the Art filters.  This camera encourages me to use autofocus because it is so fast and reliable.  This camera is like a gazelle–it is fast and sure.  It excites me to use it and rewards me with images that are technically superb.

I wrote some things about the X-T1 that I will repeat here, and deservedly so, about the E-M1.  When you find something that "just works" the way you want it to work, you just want to use it everyday, handle it as an object to admire, and put it to work for you immediately.  The E-M1 is the kind of camera the one just appreciates being available for all of us to use.

The E-M1 is set up in every way–size, weight, construction, feel, quality, controls, handling, feature set, menu options–every way, to be very pleasurable to use and experience.  Whether it is hot, cold, wet, windy, dusty, whatever outside, the camera has performed flawlessly for me.  Even with gloves on my hands, I have been able to manipulate the controls.

The E-M1 is appreciated as would a finely made saw in the hands of a competent carpenter.  It is like flying the perfect airplane for a pilot who loves to soar above the rest.  It is like the sports car that effortlessly does all that is asked by the avid racer.  Using the E-M1 is like sailing across the water on a perfect day.  The camera does everything it is supposed to do in a very competent, efficient and smooth way.  It works in one's hands so naturally.  The E-M1, and I'll say it again like I've said it before, is the camera I wish all my other cameras over the past 44 years would have been.  It just fits in every way.

For balance, the camera is not perfect.  No camera is.  But it is as close to a perfect camera for me that I have yet found.  Thank you Olympus.  Shortcomings?  I've mentioned them before.  You can read about them in this post.   At this point, there are only two things that I really would like to have changed.  But, one of them, by definition, can't be changed.  I wish that the sensor would be APS-C sized and a 2:3 ratio.  I've talked about the 2:3 ratio in the past and why I prefer it.  But I don't want the change for better image quality, but for aesthetics and shallower depth of field when I want it minimized.  Even with the very fast M4/3 lenses, sometimes the depth of field is not quite where I would want it.  The other is I would like to have about 24mp.  That, as I have mentioned in the past, is my sweetspot.  But I would not want the extra pixels at the expense of image quality.  However, if the development of the technology continues as it has, I suspect that a sensor with more pixels will be available, with the same quality, in the next few years.  But those two niggles, don't take away from all the other attributes of the camera.


As for the lenses available, all of the ones I have owned and used have been terrific–and I'm kind of a stickler for quality.  I don't necessarily judge a lens solely on what others say about it, I try it for myself for a period of time and if I like the image quality if gives me, it is a keeper.  Right now my go-to lens is the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8.  This lens is as good as any Nikon or Canon lens I have owned in this focal length (equivalent) range.  A bonus is how close it will focus.  That negates having to carry a macro lens.  I don't do a lot of macro work, so this lens fills that limited need for me.  I am also using the Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 lens and that lens is a very nice piece of glass. I am very satisfied with its image quality. The new Panasonic 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is a great "walk around" lens that covers from very wide angle to medium telephoto.  I'm happy with this new version for general purpose work.  I am anxiously awaiting the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 to round out my kit.  Hopefully, we won't have to wait until 2015.  I want to dig deeply into that lens and its capabilities.  As good as the Fujifilm lenses are, the M4/3 lenses are just as good.

So there you have my opinion.  You may have a completely different opinion and that is okay.  There is lots of room for all kinds of differing experiences and opinions.  I just voiced mine.

For those of you who may be thinking that this post is sort of a "love letter" about the E-M1, I admit it is.  But from my perspective, after being an avid amateur and professional photographer for over 44 years, you have to have walked in my photographic shoes to understand what a marvelous machine this is compared to what I have used over my photographic career.  Things just get better for us photographers.

Again, thank you Olympus.  I can hardly wait for what you have in store for us in the future.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!

Dennis Mook

Many of my images can be found at www.dennismook.com.  Please pay it a visit.  I add new images regularly.  Thank you.


All content on this blog is © 2014 Dennis A. Mook.  All Rights Reserved.  Feel free to point to this blog from your website with full attribution.  Permission may be granted for commercial use.  Please contact Mr. Mook to discuss permission to reproduce the blog posts and/or images.