Further Thoughts on Image Quality Difference Between a Full-Frame Nikon D800E and an Olympus E-M1

McDonald Creek and waterfall, Glacier National Park, Montana
Nikon D800E; Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR lens (click to enlarge)

In order to capture the detail in the snow, the whitewater and the dark trees, I
I had to choose my exposure carefully as the contrast was very high.
I was able to successfully pull all the detail out of the whitewater as well
as the shadows to balance this image because the D800E's
image sensor has such a high dynamic range.  I don't think I could have
achieved the same result with the E-M1 without taking multiple exposures
and then using HDR techniques to blend them together.
(click to enlarge)

Recently, I had been, again, looking at the differences between the images made with my Olympus E-M1 and my Nikon D800E using my best lenses for each.  What generated this further look was my intent to sell off all my Nikon gear and only keeping and using my M4/3 gear. Here are my thoughts.

Both camera systems are very capable of producing professional quality images.  In absolute terms, the Nikon, with a 36mp full frame sensor, is superior. It has to be.  The sensor is 3.84 times larger and it has more than twice the pixels.  That's physics.  (You are comparing 864 mm² X 225 mm²).

But in practical terms, the differences are less apparent.  I would estimate that for 90% of my needs, as well as most photographers' needs, M4/3 will fully serve every purpose.  I demonstrated that to myself in the real world by making very large custom prints using base ISO, same exposure, same field of view and mounted on the same tripod. The differences are minute.  I'm talking custom prints to the size of 20" X 24".  I can't comment on anything larger than that.  I really had to strain to see any differences at all.  Pixel peeping at its finest!  Looking at the images at arm's length, there were no discernible differences.  Let me give you a heads up.  The operative term here is base ISO.

But there are differences.  I'm not talking about resolution differences in images from the two cameras, but more subtle differences.  On my recent road trip, in my Nikon images, there were subtleties in color, contrast and gradation that were less apparent in the Olympus images.  With the Nikon images, I was able to pull a lot more detail out of the deep shadows and the bright highlights than I was with the Olympus.  In scenes with average contrast, good light and using a slow (base) ISO, there were no differences, however.  On the ones where the light and conditions were far less than ideal, the Nikon shone brightly, much more so than the E-M1.

I guess it is like the difference between a pro and journeyman.  A journeyman can produce wonderful images many times, but a pro can perfectly execute the images, create them consistently, on demand and under any circumstances.  That is what I felt the difference was with the two sensors.  The Nikon was a pro and I could consistently work "magic" with the images where the E-M1's sensor has some limitations in what I could get out of the raw image.  At higher ISOs, say 800 and above, there was more noticeable digital noise in the Olympus images than in the Nikon.  That is without any noise reduction applied. Judicious noise reduction can mostly, but not fully, equalize that difference.  A subtle loss of fine detail is the result in the E-M1 images.  Again, you really have to pixel peep to see it.

The D800E's sensor has more dynamic range than any digital camera and more than any film I have ever used.  I can't say that about the E-M1.  Again, physics.  I the past, where I would have taken multiple images and blended them together (an HDR-type of process but without being obvious) to capture all the detail of the image, I rarely now have to do that with the D800E.  An example of that is the image above.  There was a huge difference in the sunlit whitewater, especially the water going over the falls as well as the snow, and the deep shadows in the pine trees.  I was able to retain all the detail in the water as well as easily pull all of the detail out of the shadows using Lightroom 5.  I don't think the E-M1 would have been capable of doing that.  But that, to me, is expected.  Huge difference between the sensors and that is okay.  I can always make three very quick, handheld exposures, then blend them together.

The quality of the color is also different and I think I prefer the Nikon's color rendition better than the Olympus engine's color reproduction.  That is totally subjective on my part, but I like natural, subtle, full spectrum color , not overly saturated color.  In my opinion, the Nikon does that a bit better.  Olympus' colors are fine, but I just like Nikon's reproduction of the colors better.

After writing this, it is still all good news!  There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Olympus.  It is an amazing camera and I have no thoughts about selling it.  In fact, I'm patiently waiting for the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 lens to be introduced to add to my collection. The E-M1 is the camera I wish all my other cameras over the past 44 years would have been.  It is that good.  It is just different from my D800E.  But, I'm also not yet ready to sell the Nikon gear.  I love the image quality too much to let it go.

Wreck of the Peter Iredale, Ft. Stevens State Park, OR
Olympus E-M1, Panasonic 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6

As good as the M4/3 sensors are now, guess what?  They are only going to get better in the future!  They have only been around a few years now and the improvements we have already seen have been tremendous!  Higher ISOs with less noise, for one.  Almost infinite feature and programability, for another. Also, think about the cutting edge technology that is coming from Panasonic and Olympus.  The 5-axis image stabilization, for one.  Superior video (4K in the GH4) for little cost and putting PD focusing sensors on the imaging sensor for faster, hybrid focusing as others.  (I'm not sure who actually devised this technology, but the E-M1 has it and was the first or one of the first.)  Also, the steady increases in electronic viewfinder technology, which I absolutely love.

I'm hoping the next generation of M4/3 sensors will have a) a bit more dynamic range, b) less digital noise at high ISOs and c) 20-24mp, which is my sweet spot for digital photography.  (Now, before I submit any of my M4/3 images to the stock agency, I upsize them to 20-22mp, which has no visible effect on their quality, but gives them a bit more flexibility for marketing and use as well as me a bit more flexibility in cropping, if necessary.)  The future for M4/3 is bright and full of promise.  This all makes me wonder if one really needs to step up to an APS-C sensor sized camera when M4/3's progress in image quality has been so good?  Maybe not.

In my view, there is room for two separate and disparate camera systems in my life and photography.  I plan to take advantage of each system's strengths and enjoy using them both.

If you are a well disciplined photographer who uses excellent technique, you will never have any issues with the E-M1.  I bet you will love your images from portraits, to landscapes, to wildlife, to food, to street, to general travel and family photography.  If you shoot from the hip, run and gun or spray and pray, you probably will be unhappy with some of your images.  There isn't a lot of headroom to bring your images up to full frame quality when not exercising care.  Technology can only give you some room to cover your sloppiness.

In the end, I probably over analyze everything.  But that is just me.  The lesson I have taught myself in this further examination is to not be hasty in decisions but to come back to the thing that your are contemplating and examine it again and again to ensure you are making the right decision, based upon logic and not emotion.

For now, the Nikon gear stays.  At the same time, I look forward to using my M4/3 gear and am impatiently waiting for what's coming next!  I love them both!

Thanks for looking.

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.


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