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| Autumn on Sparks Lane in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountain National Park (click to enlarge) Fuji X-T2, 16-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 47mm; 0.6 sec @ f/16; ISO 200 |
Before I get to that, what they have in common is that they both are excellent "picture taking" machines. Both do their job as well as could be expected. In fact, according to many, both exceed expectations. I believe if you don't get good images from either, take a look in the mirror. It is you. It is not the camera's fault. They both excel at making images. Both are excellently designed and engineered.
Here is what I believe is the fundamental difference. It is a difference in photographic philosophy of design.
The Fuji is a straightforward camera with intuitive controls which allows me to make images without having to stop and think about how to make setting changes. The camera is easy to figure out even if you have never laid hands on an owner's manual. Aperture ring, shutter speed dial, ISO dial, Q-menu, etc. Some, but not a great deal of extra functionality included in the way of lots of bells and whistles, whiz bang features, etc., just a great camera that gives me the opportunity to get the job of making photographs done easily. If the job doesn't get done, it is my fault, not the X-T2's. There is nothing about the camera which holds you back or slows you down. Add a lens line that is second to none, and you have a winning combination. As I said, wonderful execution of design and engineering of a digital camera for those who love to make images.
On the other hand, the Olympus is a camera which literally allows you to set its hundreds of settings in thousands of ways. I'm not kidding about thousands of ways. Do the math. It has more bells and whistles, more features, more ways to set up the camera and more abilities than any camera that I can think of. Olympus has thrown in everything but the kitchen sink, as the old saying goes. If you like bells and whistles, all sorts of features, more capabilities than I can remember to list, this is the camera for you. I am convinced there is nothing you can't do with this camera. And—it does everything very well. The only problem I have ever had with my Olympus cameras is that it has so many features I when I want to access a feature that I haven't used for a while, I can't remember how to set everything up unless I grab the user's manual and refresh my memory. Again, as with the Fuji, if you aren't making good images, it is not this camera. The camera and Olympus lenses are excellent.
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| Great Blue Heron resting on a small fishing boat in Poquoson Virginia (click to enlarge) Olympus E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm f/4 lens @ 80mm; 1/1000th sec. @ f/8; ISO 200 |
I believe you can't go wrong with either of these cameras. Which one of these you decide to buy and use depends upon what you are looking for in a camera. Either will allow you to unleash your creativity and produce wonderful images.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
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Dennis, Well said. I have both the EM1, XT1 and now XT2. Your observation is spot on. When I pick up the FUJI's, I know how it enables me to take images. When I pick up the EM1, I have to expend mental energy on remembering how to get it to do what I want, but it does more than the XT2. I prefer to, need to, spend mental energy on the composition of the image, so I also tend to use the Fuji. Not because it is better, but because it allows me to spend more energy on my role in creating the image.
ReplyDeleteYes, still evaluating the opportunity to upgrade to the EM1M2... but not in a big hurry. Thanks for this terrific article, and this site. Really appreciate your perspective.
Rudiger, thank you for the comment and kind words. The Olympus E-M1 was a good camera but I think the Mark II is even better. Still have a lot to think about when using it, but I think the image quality has improved over its predecessor as well as having lots of additional features added. I've found with time that I am better at remembering the settings and menus. I think a lot has to do when th me utilizing the C1-C3 custom banks. That is a first for me and I find it refreshing to be able to rotate one dial and change 20 settings simultaneously. Makes a big difference.
DeleteI cannot understand this. When you set up EM1 (and EM1 II) the way you want, why do you spend your energy to remember settings etc..? I hold my camera and take photos. You can set up the EM1 II just like a simple camera, and then you don't have to remember anything.
DeleteI think your confusion comes from using many systems. If you use Fuji for a long time, it takes time to go back to Olympus mentality.
Ertan, thank you for your comment. I photograph in a wide variety of circumstances and a wide variety of subjects. Setting the camera up for landscapes won't work well when I photograph flying eagles. Setting the camera up for travel photography doesn't work well for photographing speeding steam locomotives. Engaging "focus stacking" for macro and close-up work is different from utilizing the 50mp high resolution mode. Each circumstance has different requirements and, in order to fully exploit the E-M1 Mark II's capabilities, one has to first understand what features are available and second, how to properly engage and use those features. If I only photographed landscapes, it would be, as you say, easy to just set the camera, pull it to my eye and press the shutter. Unfortunately, I have a wide variety of photographic interests which causes me to have to set my camera specifically for each different situation.
DeleteI too have both cameras and I agree that your analysis of the Fuji and Olympus systems is spot on. As an image maker neither camera can be faulted...any shortcomings with the quality of the imagery is my fault. I struggle with the Olympus menu system. (Most complicated of any camera I've ever used) I have a printed copy of the full manual and a couple of "How to set your Olympus camera" guides and I find myself referring to them all the time. The Fuji is a simple joy to use. But I like the Olympus when I use the Live Composite and some of its other exclusive features. The EM1 mk2 with the 12-100 also makes a terrific travel package when you want to leave the heavy gear at home.
ReplyDeleteSame feelings here, I own a E-M5 Mk II, a X-Pro2 and a X100T, as you said it is a matter of philosophy of design. I usually prefer Olympus for video and teles due to its great IBIS feature and love that camera/lenses size and Fuji goes always with a prime 35f2 or 16f1.4, X100T when I want to go out really minimal, Fuji gives me more pleasure to shoot with but I believe that is a personal taste.
ReplyDeleteThe way I see these two cameras is that the Olympus is a better computer, while the Fuji is a better camera. The X-T2 has all the controls in the right spot (with maybe the only negative being the small joystick and the front left located focus dial - I would have preferred a rear located dial, and a larger joystick similar to the awesome GH5), while the E-M1 Mark II has all the features you might want to have in a camera. The problem I see with the E-M1 Mark II and any other Olympus is that they never get all the functions and buttons located in a way that is either intuitive or easy. The menu is a maze, and even with a decent amount of customizable buttons and levers, they still force you into specific configurations or force you into using the now cramped super control panel. With the X-T2 you do not need to think about how to get to the settings you need to get the shot, plain and simple. That is why I call it a better camera. Picture quality wise, they are both gorgeous machines, but they need to be analyzed as a system with their lens ecosystem. With their best glass they perform similarly in most scenarios, with the E-M1 shining in handheld landscape photography thanks to the amazing IS, and in tripod landscape photography thanks to the super resolution. The X-T2 instead shines in lower light actions, at higher shutter speed, where the IS does not give you any advantage. Also from a size standpoint, there is plenty of small and fast primes in the Fuji lineup, while we are still lacking good fast primes in the m43 side (where is a fast 17mm other than the manual CV 17.5?). The 25mm f1.2 might be awesome, but it is also pretty large compared to the 23mm f1.4 Fuji. Weather sealed, sure, but still large and unable to provide the same shallow DOF of the Fuji 23mm.
ReplyDeleteOf course there are so many more things that can be said in favor of one or the other system, but I am going to stop here. Overall, they are just awesome cameras -different- but capable of delivering top notch results.
I own both cameras and use both often, for me the difference is that I can rapidly reconfigure the EM1 by turning the dial from C1-C3. I use the Fuji only when I will not be jumping back and forth between very different scenarios. I am hoping that Fuji will bring the "C" setting from the GFX to their APS-C line as this would open up the possibilities of saved custom settings. We will see on that one.
ReplyDeleteI have a slightly different take on this topic. As a former X-T10 and X-T2 shooter, and now in the M43 camp, (currently Lumix G85 but moving soon to E-M1 mkii) I have a reasonable familiarity with both. Look at it this way. If you say, ok, I'm going to limit the features I use on the Oly to those that the I have on the Fuji. None of the extra stuff like focus stacking, live composite etc. Now, is the Oly more difficult to use than the Fuji? I don't think so. I believe that once set up properly, you will never need to go into the menus to match the features of the Fuji. They are pretty much available at your finger tips. Now if you want to use some of the advanced features on the Oly, things do get a little more "challenging". Not so with the Fuji, because they just aren't available with any amount of menu diving.
ReplyDeleteMy primary photographic needs are, travel, landscape, grand children, and the big one, birds. There were three things that the M43 offered that I couldn't get with Fuji that convinced me to move over. First no good one lens travel solution (just my opinion of course). While the 18-55 is a terrific lens, it is neither wide enough or long enough for a one lens solution. The 18-135 is long enough, but not wide enough nor fast enough. Neither of these lenses can match the dual image stabilization of the M43 system, where I have the choice of two 12-60mm lenses, several 14-140/150mm lenses as well as the Oly 12-100mm f4 which was my choice.
Second, while I understand that the Fuji analog interface encourages deliberate, thoughtful photography, there are many times,(birds, grand children and travel) where being able to make changes quickly, without taking the camera away from your eye, are essential. The analogue controls I found slow and because of their nature, can't be included in customs settings for quick changes. Third, I like all those cool features that Olympus offers but Fuji doesn't Like you, with time and repeated use, I am slowly (I'm old) committing the ones I use most, to memory.
The Fuji is a wonderful camera and image quality is to my eye, a bit better than the M43, but my experience with both has taught me that there is a lot more to enjoying my hobby than image quality. During the time I had both, it was the M43 that I consistently picked up. Just my 2 cents
James, thank you for your comment. I agree with everything you wrote—almost. The fundamental point of the post was, indeed, all of the extra features, settings and adjustments that are included as part of the Olympus E-M1 Mark II and not included with the Fuji X-T2. So, in my mind, I cannot disregard or limit the Olympus' features for argument's sake. That is the difference to me. Complexity, thousands of settings and tons of features versus a much simpler and straightforward camera. Both great, by the way. It would be like comparing a Ferrari to a Ford Focus. Forget the engine, suspension, transmission, build quality, etc. in the Ferrari and you have the same car, except you don't.
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