It was conceived as the most affordable camera in the Olympus OM-D premium line: with a relatively low price and dimensions, it had a unique set of characteristics, which it was very difficult for competitors to answer. Of course, the camera also had its drawbacks: a short series of shots at maximum speed, simple and undeveloped control functions using the touch screen, the lack of an access point mode for the Wi-Fi module and a decent weight. But in any case, the camera turned out to be extremely interesting.
A year and a half later, Olympus introduced the OM-D E-M10 Mark II, but the novelty was not a replacement for the first version, but an addition. On the company's website, the OM-D E-M10 and OM-D E-M10 Mark II are divided into different subgroups: the first is classified as a camera "for beginner photographers", the second - "for photo enthusiasts". Let this be the work of marketers, and the differences between the cameras are not cardinal, but there is a rational grain in this division, because the cost of OM-D E-M10 is now about 34 thousand rubles, while for OM-D E-M10 Mark II they ask much more - about 40 thousand rubles. And for this money you can already take the Sony Alpha a6000 (41-46 thousand rubles) or the miniature Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 (42 thousand rubles), which set an absolute record in autofocus tenacity in low light. Having added a little, you can already look closely at the Fujifilm X-T10, the prices for which at the moment in retail start at 47 thousand rubles.
The six thousand price difference between the Mark I and Mark II included a five-axis stabilizer instead of a three-axis one, a 2360k-dot viewfinder (same as on the E-M5 Mark II), 1080/60p video recording mode (versus 1080/30p for its predecessor) , a battery with a slightly increased capacity and support for SD UHS-II memory cards with a write speed of up to 250 MB / s, which should have a positive effect on the duration of continuous shooting.
Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II | |
|---|---|
| Image sensor | 4/3" MOS, 17.3×13.0mm |
| Effective number of points, MP | 16,1 |
| Image save format | Photo frame: JPEG (EXIF 2.2, DCF 2.0), RAW 12 bit, MPO |
| Video: MOV(MPEG‑4AVC/H.264), AVI (Motion JPEG) | |
| Bayonet | Micro 4/3 |
| Frame size in pixels | Photo frame: |
| 4608×3456, 3200×2400, 1280×960 | |
| Video: 1920×1080, 1280×720, 640×480 | |
| Sensitivity, units in ISO equivalent | 100-25600 in 1/3 steps, 1 EV |
| Exposure range, seconds | 1/4000 - 60 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 and 1 EV |
| Flash shutter speed sync: 1/250 | |
| Metering, modes of operation | Measurements in 324 zones; |
| multi, spot, center-weighted, shadow, highlight | |
| exposure compensation | + 5 EV in 1, 1/2, 1/3 steps |
| built-in flash | TTL, GN 8.2 @ ISO 200 |
| Self-timer, with | 1-30 seconds (up to 10 exposures) |
| Information storage device | SD, SDHC, SDXC(UHS-I/UHS-II) |
| LCD display | Tilting, 7.6 cm (3.0 in) 1037K-dot touchscreen display |
| Viewfinder | Color viewfinder with approx. 2,236k points |
| Interfaces | HDMI, USB, A/V output |
| Additionally | WiFi module |
| Nutrition | Li-ion battery BLS-50, 8.5 Wh |
| Dimensions, mm | 119.5 × 83.1 × 46.7 (excluding protrusions) |
| Weight, grams | 390 (incl. battery and memory card) |
| 342 (hull only) | |
| Current price | 40,000 rubles for the body version (without lens), from 48,000 rubles for the kit version (with complete optics) |
⇡ Contents of delivery
Traditionally, Olympus has quite a few delivery options that differ in camera colors and lenses. There are options that include lenses for 14-42mm (compact version with telescopic zoom), 14-150mm, and also includes both lenses. We were given a black modification for testing, the delivery set of which includes:
- Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14‑42mm 1:3.5‑5.6 EZ Pancake lens;
- shoulder strap;
- battery BLS‑50;
- charger BCS‑5;
- housing cover BC‑2;
- USB cable CB‑USB6;
- Olympus Viewer software;
- instruction;
- warranty card.
⇡ Appearance and usability
Olympus is justifiably proud of the appearance of its cameras - the company's designers are very talented in crossing retro style and modernity in them. Made in the "mirror" style, with a decorative "pentaprism" hump with an electronic viewfinder built into it, the camera looks very cool. Only the Fujifilm X-T10 can compete in terms of design with the OM-D E-M10 Mark II. Of course, the build quality of the metal body is excellent, there are no problems due to the fact that the camera was assembled in Vietnam.
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This is a compact and lightweight camera, which at the same time is very comfortable in the hand thanks to rubberized protrusions in the front and back of the case. It weighs about the same as its direct competitors, Fujifilm X-T10 and Sony Alpha a6000. But the little Panasonic DMC-GM5 is almost twice as light - when compared with it, all cameras in this segment look like giants.
On the front panel there is a mount and an autofocus assist lamp, which is also an indicator of the self-timer shutter.
There are changes on the back panel compared to the first E-M10. First of all, the disappearance of the power lever and the pop-up flash lock key is striking: the first was located in the lower right corner, so when working with the camera with one hand it was not so easy to reach it with your thumb; the second one was mounted too close to the protruding tilting display and was awkward to use. Both of these elements of the tested camera were reduced to one and transferred to the top panel.
Above the display is a viewfinder with a proximity sensor and diopter adjustment. Only the Fn1 programmable key remained in the upper right corner. A little lower are the keys to enter the main menu, change the display mode, as well as a four-way manipulator with an enter key in the center. Each of the keys of the manipulator can be programmed in the menu, which is very convenient. At the bottom edge are the buttons for playing and deleting pictures or video files.
top view
On the top edge is a pop-up flash hump, with a hot shoe at the base and built-in microphones on the sides. To the left, there is a programmable Fn3 key, as well as a lever for turning on the power and raising the flash. On the right side is a small round shooting mode selector, a movie-record key and a programmable Fn3 key, as well as a pair of command dials, one of which has a shutter button in the center. One can only find fault here with the placement of the video recording key, which is not so easy to get to because of the second control dial. You can get used to it, although, from a subjective point of view, it would be better to move the video record key to the empty center of the second control dial.
Below is nothing new: a tripod mount connector, as well as a door that hides the battery and memory card compartments.
The left side is empty, and on the right, under the rubber plug, the HDMI and USB / AV cable connectors are hidden.
The camera in this article is the latest in the OM-D line of mirrorless cameras, although it is no longer a novelty. We decided to test it so as not to lose sight of this important model. It belongs to the third generation of the younger model E-M10. Its undeniable advantage is its lightness and compactness, especially when combined with a pancake-type whale zoom lens. This form factor is great for shooting on a trip, on a city walk or a country picnic. If necessary, you can put almost any optics on the camera, and not only branded ones.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12‑40mm f/2.8 PRO Settings: ISO 6400, F5.6, 1/50s, 24.0mm equiv.
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III is equipped with the same 16MP sensor as many of the more expensive models in the line, it has the latest generation processor, it can shoot 4K video. However, the cost of the entry-level is usually not just less, it assumes a reduced set of functions and technical equipment. It will be interesting to know what these limitations are in this model, whether they affected the quality of shooting and how much.
Design, ergonomics, control
The construction of the E-M10 MARK III combines metal and composite materials, but the body feels solid and well built. Despite a very small protrusion in front, the camera lies securely and comfortably in the hand, you are not afraid to drop it. In the off state, when it is equipped with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm 1:3.5‑5.6 EZ Pancake whale zoom lens, the device is almost pocket-sized (of course, if it is a jacket pocket). When turned on, the lens moves forward by about 25 mm.
The E-M10 Mark III is available in two traditional Olympus mirrorless body styles: an all-black body that is sober and unobtrusive, and a smart, classic silver-black body that comes with a silver-colored lens.
The 3-inch LCD screen has a resolution of 1.04 million dots, which makes it possible to comfortably frame the scene and fairly accurately assess the quality of the picture. He is able to tilt down 45 degrees, and up - 100, which allows you to slightly move it away from the body and get a horizontal position. Such mobility of the screen provides comfortable shooting at different heights - both from ground level, and from the waist, and while holding the camera above your head.
The screen of the E-M10 Mark III is touch-sensitive, which makes many functions convenient. So, when viewing the footage, you can scroll through and scale the pictures, when setting up the camera, you can select options in the quick menu, filters and special functions by tapping, and when shooting, you can select the autofocus area, focus and shoot by tapping the screen in the right place.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 6400, F3.5, 1/60s, 28.0mm equiv.
The latter can be done, including imperceptibly, “from the belly”, by turning the screen to a horizontal position.
The second framing method is through an electronic viewfinder with not the highest resolution for today, 2.36 million dots and diopter correction. It displays all the same information as on the LCD screen: you can immediately see the effect of the settings, the main shooting parameters are shown, you can display auxiliary tools (grid, electronic level, histogram, focus peaking).
The OM-D E-M10 Mark III is equipped with a built-in flash. It is located above the lens, lifts and retracts manually. To raise it, use the power switch lever, and to lower it, press your finger from above.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 800, F4, 1/60s, 15.0mm equiv.
Like many compact cameras, it uses a combined battery and memory card compartment. The tripod threaded socket is not located far enough from its cover - the dimensions of the camera do not allow it to be otherwise. Therefore, when shooting with a tripod, the compartment will be blocked by the tripod plate.
On the top panel of the body, most of the controls are located on the right, within the reach of the right hand: the shooting mode dial, the shutter button, two control wheels, the movie recording button and the reprogrammable Fn2 function button. The power switch is located on the left, so turning on the camera with one hand will not work. There is also a shortcut button - depending on the shooting mode, it opens a context menu with settings, a list of filters, scene programs, and more.
In auto mode, this button calls up the shooting tips function. It is very useful for novice photographers who do not yet know how to adjust the brightness and color reproduction, blur the background, freeze motion.
Another reprogrammable button - Fn1 - is located above the thumb rest. All other camera controls are located on the rear panel. Their functions are hard-coded.
As in the older models of the OM-D E-M family, the most important settings are controlled by two control dials. One of them is combined with the shutter button.
Functions, settings, interfaces
Story programs
The camera offers six basic scene programs, each with several more precise options best suited to typical shooting situations.
Effect filters
To give pictures an unusual look right in the process of shooting, the effect filters available in the ART position of the selector dial will help.
Advanced photography mode
The camera offers an advanced photo mode that brings together several creative functions. To access it, a separate AP position is allocated on the mode dial. The list includes the following functions: Live Comp (collage in real time), Live Time for shooting fireworks and night landscapes with very slow shutter speeds, multiple exposure (two frames), HDR, mute shooting, panorama, perspective distortion correction, bracketing for exposure and focus.
Interfaces
Our camera has only two interfaces - micro-HDMI and micro-USB. They are located under a flexible plug on the right side of the case. The micro-HDMI interface will allow you to display photos and videos on a large TV screen. The USB port can be used to connect to a computer or printer, and to update camera and lens firmware. Unfortunately, it will not work to recharge the battery through it.
The E-M10 Mark III is aimed at amateur photography. This is evidenced by the absence of a microphone input and a headphone output, which will not allow you to record sound when shooting video with studio quality and control the recording process by ear. For audio recording, only stereo microphones built into the top panel are provided.
Camera in action
First, let's talk about the readiness of the camera for shooting and other speed indicators. The turn-on time for the camera is within one second, during which the whale zoom lens also manages to extend. There is no shutter lag at all.
Focusing
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12‑40mm f/2.8 PRO Settings: ISO 200, F5.6, 1/200s, 68.0mm equiv.
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III uses contrast-type autofocus. The focus area covers almost the entire area of the frame and is divided into 121 (11 x 11) zones. In addition to the all-zone option, focusing is also provided on a group of nine zones (3 x 3) and one AF zone. In these two options, the area can be moved to the desired location using the navigation pad or by touching the screen.
Autofocus is fast and accurate in most cases. This is true for daytime shooting on the street, and for well-lit rooms, and for concert shooting.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Settings: ISO 1250, F4.9, 1/160s, 178.0mm equiv.
The exceptions are either situations with very low light, when the subject does not have contrasting details, or when both the subject and the background have equally contrasting details. For example, when shooting umbrellas of dried plants against the background of trees, the autofocus system experienced difficulties, but as soon as the AF frame was moved to the stem against the background of snow, the plant in the frame instantly became sharp.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Settings: ISO 200, F5.6, 1/500s, 184.0mm equiv.
The camera focuses well and accurately when shooting close-ups.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 1600, F5.6, 1/30s, 28.0mm equiv.
The image sensor is large enough to effectively blur the background (when using a whale pancake, it remains readable and recognizable) and achieve a shallow depth of field.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 400, F5.6, 1/40s, 42.0mm equiv.
Burst shooting
Continuous shooting is performed in two modes: fast and slow. In the first case, the speed is approximately 8.6 frames / s, in the second - 4.8 frames / s. Here you need to remember about one important limitation: when using the high-speed mode, focus, white balance and exposure are set according to the first picture of the series. That is, such continuous shooting will allow you to capture the phases of the movement of an object that is located at about the same distance from the photographer. But if the distance to it is constantly changing, then not all frames will turn out sharp, but only those that fit into the depth of field. Therefore, it makes sense to shoot on a covered aperture.
In our example of a fast skier shot at high speed at f/5.6, only the first three frames came out relatively sharp.
memory buffer
A sufficiently large memory buffer is required for successful continuous shooting. The specifications for the E-M10 Mark III show measured data using an SDHC UHS-II memory card. In this case, you can record pictures in JPG until the memory card is full, and in RAW up to 22 pictures without slowing down. Note that support for such cards is a professional feature.
We took our measurements with the more common SDHC UHS-I Class 3 card, which supports write speeds up to 40 MB/s, by removing the watch face.
E-M10 Mark III / OLYMPUS M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 800, F3.5, 1/60s, 28.0mm equiv.
In our case, without reducing the continuous shooting speed (8.6 frames / s), it was possible to take 37 pictures in JPG, then the speed decreased to 5-6 frames / s. 10 RAW versions of pictures were recorded while maintaining the speed, then it dropped to 2 frames / s. When recording images immediately in JPG and RAW, it was possible to take a quick series of 9 shots, after which the speed also became equal to 2 frames / s. That is, when using a modern fast map and shooting in JPG, it will be possible to capture the phases of a fairly long dynamic event.
autonomy
The manufacturer claims that it is possible to shoot up to 330 frames on a single charge of a standard BLS‑50 battery, if you shoot at 50% when cropping on the LCD screen (Live View) and use an image stabilizer. In practice, these data were confirmed at an evening photo session, where I shot using the screen almost all the time. However, we must remember that if you keep the camera in the cold, then the battery capacity quickly decreases. It is better to have a spare battery in a warm pocket, and if you are going on a long trip, then a couple of batteries will not be superfluous.
Practical shooting
Evening shooting in the city
The festive illumination of the New Year's Eve city is a great opportunity to take a lot of good pictures and at the same time check out a number of camera functions.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 800, F4, 1/60s, 28.0mm equiv.
Auto mode and special functions
At first, like most amateur photographers, I set the mode dial to "Auto" and started shooting without thinking about the settings.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 2000, F5, 1/60s, 25.0mm equiv.
Automation chooses the exposure correctly and not bad - the white balance in difficult lighting conditions, but it is reinsured, setting sufficiently short shutter speeds to ensure that blurring is eliminated. Because of this, of course, it increases the ISO, which inevitably increases the noise of the picture. So, to ensure a shutter speed of 1/60 second, the camera set ISO 2000, and quite noticeable digital noise appeared in the night sky. Often, automation raises the sensitivity to 4000-5000, if the Auto-ISO setting does not limit it in this.
Does the device have some simple function that allows you to take better quality night shots? Yes! This is one of the variants of the “Night shooting” story program - “Hand-held shooting”.
Unlike other versions of the program, this one allows you to not use a tripod. The camera takes a series of pictures and combines them into one resulting picture with higher quality than any of the single ones. Even when using the same ISO as in auto, this program produces a much neater picture, with virtually no digital noise and good detail.
We must pay tribute to the automation: when there is quite a lot of light, the auto mode produces a picture that is almost as good as that obtained in the Handheld Shooting program.
Another problem with night photography is the prohibitively high contrast caused by very bright lighting. Another special feature that can come in handy here is HDR. When using it, the camera also shoots a series and collects information in the final shot. HDR is capable of restoring information in the lightest areas, but sometimes you want to work with color reproduction later - it turns out to be more restrained than in auto mode.
Image stabilization
Olympus mirrorless cameras are famous for their built-in sensor-shift stabilization. In the OM-D E-M10 Mark III model, it is five-axis, that is, it compensates for the vertical and horizontal vibrations of the camera, as well as its tilts and rotations around the axes.
The real advantage of such a system is best felt just during the evening and night shooting. In order to reduce digital noise, experienced photographers shoot in manual mode at slow shutter speeds in order to reduce the ISO value to almost a minimum. A good stabilizer allows you to do this without a tripod, shooting handheld. Let's check ours.
I started shooting with a kit zoom camera for the first time at safe shutter speeds, and then gradually made them longer and longer.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Settings: ISO 1600, F5, 1/25s, 132.0mm equiv.
It quickly became clear that a shutter speed of ⅛ seconds can be easily used at any focal lengths of a whale pancake.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 1000, F5.6, 1/8s, 28.0mm equiv.
Emboldened, I began to further lengthen the shutter speed, trying to reach a value at which ISO 100 would be enough for shooting. And such a shutter speed turned out to be a whole second! Of course, in order to get clear pictures at such a shutter speed, you had to focus properly.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 100, F8, 1s, 74.0mm equiv.
However, if you shoot from a non-standard angle, for example, from the bottom up, holding the camera at waist level, then it’s better to play it safe and take a shorter shutter speed, say, ¼ second.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 200, F6.3, 1/4s, 28.0mm equiv.
If we return to the record shutter speed of one second, it turns out that when shooting at not too large focal lengths, the effectiveness of the stabilization system reaches 5 exposure steps!
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 1600, F5.6, 1/5s, 20.0mm equiv.
Photo quality
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III uses a 4/3” (Four Thirds) Live MOS image sensor with 16.1 effective megapixels and a standard Bayer color filter. Paired with the sensor is the latest generation processor - TruePic VIII.
The camera, as a rule, sets the white balance and exposure correctly - there is no need to select a preset for the first parameter and enter a correction for the second. It is enough to select auto white balance and multi-zone (ESP) metering method in the settings.
To complete the picture with the quality of the photo image, let's consider the results of our traditional shooting at different ISOs, and then evaluate the dynamic range of the camera.
Digital noise and ISO
With the lower value of ISO, which is available to the camera's automation - ISO 200 - it is quite expected that we get a picture without any hint of digital noise.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Settings: ISO 200, F8, 1/25s, 74.0mm equiv. Download RAW
At ISO 400, the picture is almost the same, but at ISO 800, signs of luminance noise begin to appear in the midtones. But the rest of the image does not cause any complaints.
At ISO 1600 in the same midtones, usually the most problematic in terms of digital noise, the first signs of its color component appear. But in other areas, smooth tones, high detail and correct color reproduction are preserved. Such pictures can be printed on formats up to A3 +. At a value of 3200 in monotonous areas, the noise increases slightly, but slowly begins to “eat up” small, not very contrasting details. The ISO 3200 value should be considered the maximum for printing on A3 format.
At ISO 6400, noise increases slightly in monotonous areas, the saturation of bright colors begins to decrease, and contrast details are washed out. This value is still suitable for printing on A4. At ISO 12800, all of the above degradation processes are aggravated, but the picture can still be used for online publications if the resolution is reduced. At ISO 25600, the picture looks very dirty and loose due to strong digital noise, you can use this value only in a hopeless situation when you cannot get the desired exposure with other settings.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Settings: ISO 6400, F8, 1/1000s, 74.0mm equiv. Download RAW
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Settings: ISO 12800, F8, 1/1600s, 74.0mm equiv. Download RAW
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Settings: ISO 25600, F8, 1/3200s, 74.0mm equiv. Download RAW
Dynamic Range
Thanks to the availability of RAW versions of some of the problematic shots, the possibilities of expanding the dynamic range were evaluated during the conversion process.
As a result of processing, it became clear that it was possible to pull out details from the shadows, increasing the exposure by about 2.7 EV.
Working with another underexposed image, already taken at ISO 1600, showed that in this case, too, you can get a decent result with RAW conversion.
When shooting with back-to-back sunlight, a strong backlight was obtained, due to which the contrast decreased on the right side of the image, details in the clouds were lost.
The result of processing the RAW version with the settings Exposure -0.5, Contrast +25, Highlights -100, Shadows +100.
When working with overexposed shots, the camera has a decent headroom in the highlights, and it is even a little more than in the shadows - up to 3 EV.
white balance
When shooting in daylight, there are no problems getting the correct white balance.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Settings: ISO 200, F5.6, 1/800s, 108.0mm equiv.
Both cold and warm tones of the scenes being shot are correctly transmitted.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus Body Cap Lens 9mm f/8 Fisheye Settings: ISO 200, F8, 1/100s, 18.0mm equiv.
The i-Enchanced image style helps to enhance them a little - you can often do without additional processing in a photo editor.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus Body Cap Lens 9mm f/8 Fisheye Settings: ISO 200, F8, 1/250s, 18.0mm equiv.
In artificial light, automatics often leave JPGs with too warm colors.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ Settings: ISO 1000, F4, 1/60s, 28.0mm equiv.
For example, on Okhotny Ryad Square, I found several travel agency houses, in one of which I managed to make an interesting portrait in the dim light of incandescent lamps. Automatic left too much yellow, but after opening the RAW version of the image in the converter, it was enough to select the "Auto" option for white balance - and the result was very good. It remains to slightly adjust the saturation and contrast. Settings: ISO 1600, F2.8, 1/25s, 90.0mm equiv.
Video and wireless capabilities
Video filming
The maximum video quality that the E-M10 Mark III offers is 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) and 30 fps. This video looks decent, the picture is clear, smooth and without jerks.
Download in original quality
When setting the resolution to Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), the frame rate can be raised to 60. But even on a Full HD monitor, a loss in resolution is visible compared to 4K video.
Download in original quality
When shooting video, stabilization works, and there is an option both with a matrix shift and with additional digital stabilization. Even with fairly fast camera movements, the picture changes smoothly, without jerks. You don't have to worry about ruining your video due to hand shake or sudden camera movement.
Download in original quality
Wireless connections
The camera is equipped with a Wi-Fi module, which provides an easy and convenient direct connection to mobile devices. To get started with the camera, you need to install the free Olympus Image Share mobile app on them. On the camera, after the “Connect to smartphone” command, the Wi-Fi module is turned on and it switches to the access point mode.
Once a smartphone is connected, the Olympus Image Share app provides access to functions such as remote shooting control, camera image import and editing, instruction manual upload and geotagging.
It is worth noting that when managing shooting from a smartphone, the application provides the photographer with maximum opportunities. It allows you to focus on the screen and not only change basic shooting parameters such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO and exposure compensation, but even select a shooting mode and apply effect filters.
conclusions
So, working with the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III camera for a month and analyzing the results obtained allow us to draw certain conclusions. This is a very good camera for daily shooting and capturing all the interesting moments of the trip. We note in particular that this is true for those photographers who attach great importance to comfort, and therefore to the weight and size of the camera and interchangeable lenses.
E-M10 Mark III / Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Settings: ISO 1250, F4.9, 1/160s, 184.0mm equiv.
The E-M10 Mark III produces very decent image quality, especially if you tinker with the settings a bit and start using smart features like handheld night shot or HDR. If you master the capabilities of the camera properly and use manual settings in combination with a highly effective stabilization system, you can get high-quality images even in difficult lighting conditions.
Of course, this baby cannot compete with full-frame multi-megapixel cameras in terms of quality. But it will give them a head start in the comfort of shooting while traveling light. The camera is small and light, especially with the stock M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑42mm 1:3.5‑5.6 EZ Pancake zoom lens. Olympus has many other compact and lightweight lenses in its arsenal that will fit perfectly with our model. Let me remind you that the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III is an entry-level camera in terms of positioning in the line. Therefore, she is deprived of some professional opportunities. There are no interfaces for high-quality audio recording, contrast (not hybrid) autofocus is used. During continuous shooting at high speed, focusing is performed only on the first frame. But it would be wrong to make higher demands on a camera with a cost of about 40 thousand rubles (let's not forget about the ruble exchange rate).
Pros:
- beautiful design, two colors;
- ergonomic, lightweight and compact body;
- high quality photos up to ISO 3200;
- convenient touch control;
- highly effective stabilization system;
- support for SDHC UHS-II memory cards;
- work with almost any interchangeable optics.
Minuses:
- contrast autofocus system, rather than a more efficient hybrid;
- tracking focus is not supported during continuous shooting at high speed;
- there are no interfaces for high-quality audio recording;
- Charging via USB is not implemented.
The Olympus OM-D series of compact interchangeable-lens mirrorless cameras (ILCs) has been acclaimed by users. The first model, the E-M10, is an affordable, quality device designed for those who are new to mirrorless and those who want to upgrade an older model. Today test Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II Camera Reviews
Olympus now has a sequel, and while the new Mark II doesn't break new ground, it's a very capable camera.
Retro, a commonly used word when describing modern camera design, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II looks like cameras from the 1970s, especially in the two-tone black and silver styling (camera also available in black and limited edition brown leather) .
The design is very thoughtful, like its predecessor. From the high-end OM-D series, the E-M10 II is the only affordable model, but this equipment has received a redesigned control layout. All large knurled circular scales (shooting mode dial, etc.) are located to the right of the retractable flash, and the on / off lever is to the left. The dials are large enough to be very convenient for touch adjustments when looking through the electronic viewfinder (EVF).
Speaking of EVF, the OLED screen has improved to 2.3M pixels, has excellent contrast ratio, and is smoother than the original E-M10's 1.44M pixels. If you're more into tilting shots on the 3-inch LCD touchscreen, you'll get 1.04 million pixels of resolution - not the best in its class, but still good.
Of course, the camera uses the Micro Four Thirds system, a mount that has inspired Olympus M.ZUIKO lenses over the years.
The camera is compact (4.7 x 3.3 x 1.9 inches, no lens) and even though it's an ILC, it's very light at just under 400 grams with battery and memory card. Adding a compact lens kit (costing about $600) doesn't add much weight to the entire package, so it's easy to carry around all day. Although the M.ZUIKO lens is very thin, 14-42mm f/3.5-f/5.6, it has 3x Micro Four Thirds optical zoom and equivalent focal length, 28-84mm range for 35mm format .
The E-M10 Mark II digital camera has all of the previously mentioned dials, plus a host of function keys with which to set it up. There are two function keys on the top panel and a third on the back. The top panel looks unnecessarily overloaded due to the large number of buttons and dials, as well as a stereo microphone, retractable flash and shoe. If you're new to Olympus, it's best to refer to the owner's manual for setup.
On the back is a tilting 3-inch LCD touchscreen, EVF with diopter control, a handy thumb extension, and a tiny mono speaker. There are also classic buttons (menu, info, delete, play) around the joystick with a central OK button. There is a USB and A/V connector on the right side, and a battery/SD memory card slot on the bottom. The battery is rated for 320 shots, enough for a full day of shooting.
What's Included
The O-MD E-M10 II comes with a 14-42mm F/3.5-F/5.6 M.ZUIKO lens. Also in the box is a battery, a charger with a power cord, a USB cable, a strap, and caps. Olympus provides a basic 30 page starter manual; the full version is on the included CD, which also contains Olympus Viewer 3, a software for processing images and RAW files. The camera has built-in Wi-Fi, and you can also download Olympus Image Share, an app for Android or iOS.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II specifications, performance and usage
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 II features a proven 16.1-megapixel Micro Four Thirds chip paired with a TruePic VII processor. It is one of the main components in the Olympus range, providing quality photographs for many years. In the new model, the frame rate was increased to 8.5 per second, in the first E-M10 this parameter was 8 frames per second. It's hardly a startling change, more importantly, it's a very responsive camera that focuses very quickly thanks to the 81-area multiple autofocus system.
The quality of the photos is quite good, the pictures are clear and with rich colors. The E-M10 II features creative effects to enhance the quality of your photos; besides Dramatic Tone, there are 13 other artistic filters.
One of the new features is a built-in 5-axis image stabilizer, rather than the 3-axis one of the previous model. This is especially true when shooting scenes of swaying objects when you are standing on firm ground.
As already noted, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II is a very responsive camera, dropping to 4 frames per second at 8.5 fps in Continuous AF. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 of a second, and the mechanism itself is quite noisy when shooting in bursts. Fortunately, Olympus has provided a silent mode. Maximum electronic shutter speed 1/16,000 second.
Video recording performed by OM-D E-M10 Mark II is also quite good quality, pleases with color accuracy and fast focusing. The maximum resolution is Full HD 1080/60p, however clips are prone to distortion when panned quickly. Other camera manufacturers are now offering video in 4K, the standard - which is a higher quality resolution. The material captured in this way can be scaled up to Full HD video, which is of better quality. 4K will most likely be part of the next generation of O-MD cameras, but the E-M10 II doesn't have that feature at the moment.
The camera has a native ISO range of 200-25,600, but this can be lowered to 100. Many newer mirrorless cameras have a range of 51,200 in the settings, but this is really just a marketing ploy, since images taken at such high settings have color distortion. Using the maximum setting of 25,600 with the E-M10 Mark II doesn't make sense, as you'll be quite comfortable shooting at ISO 4000, and even 6400 if you don't intend to enlarge your photos too drastically.
The camera has built-in Wi-Fi, and when tested with a Samsung Galaxy S5, the Olympus Image Share app connected seamlessly. Olympus uses a QR code process that appears on the camera's LCD and can be checked using a smartphone app. The software provides the basics, such as remote control of the camera, adding geotagging, editing images, and, of course, sending pictures to your smartphone. Compared to earlier generations of cameras, modern models have finally improved the quality of wireless communication.
Outcome
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II can be recommended to those who want to move to affordable mirrorless cameras or owners of older cameras who want to upgrade. This model doesn't have any of the new 2016 camera specs (like 4K), but it does have everything you need in a new camera.
Of course, I would like it to have higher video quality, but Full HD 1080 / 60p is not the worst option. With that said, Sony's A6000, a comparable mirrorless model that sells for almost the same price, but has a larger APS-C sensor (24.3MP) than the OM-D E-M10 Mark II, is worth looking into when choosing the best camera. Olympus may not have broken any barriers in terms of upgrades, but it should be noted that one of the pluses of the E-M10 II is that it's a very thin camera.
After the release of the Sony A99 mark II, I spent a lot of time thinking, as it was time to decide on the main Sony mount - A or E? The cost of new high-aperture Sony lenses did not add optimism, the existing stock of high-quality optics for Minolta A was already self-sufficient and practically did not require investments, which simplified the decision. As a result, the Sony A6000, sel 1018f4, sel2470f4Z and 70200f4G went to a new owner, I ordered an updated 99 and enjoyed the new camera (I will make a separate post later about my experience with it).
But - winter has come, and with it it's time to think that it would be illogical to carry / leave expensive optics and a camera in a car at sub-zero temperatures for the sake of a possible random shot, constantly carrying a bag weighing 5 plus kilograms is not easy, but doing without the camera is completely - already weaned.
And the question arose about buying a pocket camera "for every laziness." I came up with a list of what I would like to have in this camera and began to compare it with offers on the market at the end of October 2017:
1. Price. I decided to limit the search ceiling to 999 USD (60,000 rubles) per camera. In the end, I just need an additional camera to my four full-frame cameras. And to grow another full-fledged system "camera + park of optics" worth two, three, four, etc. hundreds of thousands of rubles did not plan.
2. Weight and size. The new camera had to fit in the inside pocket of a winter jacket. Along with the lens.
3. Matrix stabilizer. Having used it for a couple of years on Olympus e-m5, and then on Sony a99mII, I realized that there is no point in buying cameras without it. The absence of a stabilizer in the camera now only says that we are seeing a somewhat outdated model or a greedy / lazy manufacturer.
4. Ability to change optics. There are many interesting digital compacts on the market with rather large sensors - up to a full frame - but at the same time, the lenses installed have a fixed focal length. Or a zoom lens - but a maximum matrix of 0.52 inches. Fix does not fit by definition - it makes no sense to artificially limit yourself in the choice of plots. And small-matrix zoom cameras are good, but I shoot too often in low light, which imposes its requirements on the physical size of the matrix. Yes, and their mass-dimensional parameters are usually quite large.
5. The presence of a built-in viewfinder. It is pointless to argue about the advantages of the built-in viewfinder in sunny weather over the view on the screen. And if it's convenient, then it's necessary.
6. The presence of a folding screen. It was the folding screen that was the reason for buying at one time (in 2012) a system camera - Sony A77. More opportunities to build interesting shots - it's convenient. Convenient - necessary.
7. The presence of a touch screen. 2017 is in the yard. Selecting the focus point on the screen is, in my opinion, the best solution. Well, if it is duplicated by a convenient joystick (winter, gloves). But our winter is not all year round, so you can just touch the screen.
8. The presence of built-in wifi. I have used remote control of the camera more than once in completely different situations. And the speed of transferring photos wirelessly to a tablet / smartphone is a big plus. So again the formula - "Convenient, necessary, we will look for."
I looked through the candidates from what is available in Vladivostok. Almost all modern cameras, regardless of manufacturer, have a set of these functions. The spirit of the times and the formed wishes of consumers. The difference is only in cost. I went to the store and went to the tactile test. I twisted One camera, the second, the third - well, the turn came to the hero of today's review - Olympus om-d e-m10 mark II.
Price. At the time of writing the review, the camera can be purchased at the CSN with a whale 14-42mm 3.5-5.6 IIR for 36999. The silver version is similar. The price is practically the same relative to other large networks, and the same as in the main Olympus online store (but in the official store.olympus.com.ru, the unpainted version of the second ten costs 10,000 more expensive - mysticism). The version with a more modern "blinozoom" 14-42mm EZ is 4,000 rubles more expensive. But the very philosophy of the electrozoom is alien to me, I’m used to twisting my hands, understanding what is happening and within what limits - therefore I didn’t consider it. Again - the 14-42IIR has 7 aperture blades, the pancake has only five. And - this difference is noticeable, especially when shooting at night on point light sources.
Weight and size. The camera is very light - weight with battery and memory card is only 390 grams. But at the same time, because of the metal case, it does not feel fragile or cheap. Everything is very high quality and tightly assembled. Solid and accurate camera. Size - only 120x83x47 mm. Fits in the palm of your hand.
Third. Stabilizer. Five-axis. Officially - 4 steps EV. In fact, 1/15 on the EGF 100 mm from the hands. It seemed weaker than the stabilizer in the top five - Olympus om-d e-m5. Slightly, but weaker. But - added settings options for the stabilizer.
The rest of the camera selection factors in Olympus are there and work flawlessly. The touchscreen is responsive and fast, the viewfinder is good, and the wireless connections are functional enough.
Optics. Available now whale 14-42 and previously purchased (just in case) 40-150 4-5.6. I plan to buy a fast portrait prime - most likely Olympus 45 1.8 - the pictures taken with this small but beautiful lens are very impressive.
About what we liked about the Olympus e-m10 m2:
He is beautiful.
Like it or not, things are defined as beautiful and harmonious. And in this case, the camera definitely coincided with my ideas about beauty. Strict, concise, but at the same time very comfortable design, coupled with excellent materials.
He's comfortable.
Special thanks to the developers for the high settings drums. I have big hands. And it is difficult to manage cameras with slurred disks. I remember well the winter night shooting with the first Sony A7 - constantly frozen hands, because it was unrealistic to change anything in the settings while wearing gloves.
But on this crumb, the control dials are beyond praise. Ribbed, large, with a deep notch. By the way, in the recently released third version of the m10, the drums were cut and made ordinary-slurred. So - I'm glad that everything is in order with them here.
Please note - an inconspicuous button to the right of the front dial made it possible to obtain a very convenient camera setup algorithm. Perhaps in this, the small m10m2 is even more convenient than my favorite Fujifilm XT-2. In the camera settings, we assign the ISO / WB selection to the Fn2 button - and we get instant access to the main shooting parameters. Aperture / shutter speed / ISO and a bonus - white balance. Two fingers. It is unrealistically convenient (there is something to compare with).
There are similar settings in the Fujifilm XT-20, but - twists) They are the most convenient on Olympus that they turned before.
Hi's fast.
I bought a camera so that I could start shooting at any time. Always ready, always at hand. No matter what attracted attention - a flower blooming in November
Or an electrician repairing the track lighting, and you are driving at a speed of 80 km / h and there is no time to stop, take out a big black camera and shoot - but there is a second and a half to pick up the baby and press the shutter,
Or the light of lanterns in the dead of night - by the way, ISO 6400
or the beautiful sky over the bridge on the way to work
Or rose hips against the blue sky
in general - with its main function for me in it, it copes perfectly and in any situations. Real "Impression Catcher"
Disadvantages:
So far, only one has noticed - the location of the power button is unusual - you need to use both hands.
Updated:
In the best traditions of Olympus, the battery indicator is completely uninformative. Two positions - "Fully charged, I'm bursting with energy that overwhelms me" and "That's it, you have a couple of minutes - I'm switching off." Here, either develop the skills of telepathic non-contact measurement of the remaining power, or order a pair of batteries from DSTE on aliexpress. Why not original? Because the price of 15% of the cost of the camera for native batteries is somewhat overpriced. Although this is already my second Olympus camera, and it's time to get used to the habit of this manufacturer to goof on the little things - such as lens hoods, which they offer to buy separately, asking for a piece of plastic 15-20% of the cost of the lens itself).
But - the habit of never turning off the camera until there is a chance to photograph something, and keeping it with the appropriate settings in sleep mode eliminates this disadvantage.
Later I will update the post - when I work with Olympus branded chips - focus bracketing and Live Composite mode.
Update 11/16/2017
About tracking autofocus
Today I had a chance to check the work of tracking autofocus. Once again I was glad to buy this smart and compact camera. - I drove into a car service for repair and maintenance of a car - and in the yard there is such a young and positive plush miracle.
Tracking autofocus (C-AF TR mode) works very confidently - a miss of 10 percent, but the dog also moved around the frame completely randomly, from corner to corner of the picture, now approaching, then running away. So the test passed for my needs.
About focus bracketing
I thought about checking another mode that this camera has - the focus bracketing mode.
A few words about the regime itself. So, when setting up focus bracketing, the camera takes a predetermined number of frames (from 2 to 999) with a set focus deviation (from a conventional unit to nine). Those. set, for example, 12 frames in increments of 2 - you pressed the shutter button and the camera takes 12 images continuously with the maximum possible speed for the current settings. Each time refocusing a little further from the frame. Then you transfer these raves to a computer, open them in Photoshop, press Auto Merge Layers - and you get a picture in which everything is in focus from edge to edge.
I figured out the theory, set the settings in the camera, came home - and at home there was a chic dinner. I decided to take a picture of a work of culinary art, reached into my pocket, pointed the camera - shutter - and I thought - "Something the preview does not work for a long time ..." It turned out that while I was thinking my thought, the camera took 19 frames and saved them. Previously, in the camera menu, I assigned focus bracketing to the Fn3 key - and accidentally pressed it when taking out the camera. In general, it turned out to be a random non-synthetic test of this mode.
The first shot from the series is the usual small depth of field.
Camera Olympus E-M10 Mark II presented to us for a test by the representative office of the company in Russia, for which we want to sincerely thank them. The set was also good, including the legendary Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 portrait lens, which is considered one of the best lenses on the market in general, and the moderate wide-angle M.Zuiko 17mm f1.8. Given the need for system cameras with a small matrix in good optics, this is very important.
The body of the camera is made of die-cast magnesium rather than screwed plates, so its strength really gives confidence in the camera. This can be seen in operation, nothing creaks, does not play and does not sway. At the same time, this is the smallest camera in the OM-D line, which belongs to the company's premium segment.
The matrix here has the same resolution as in the predecessor and as in the top five of the second version. The manufacturer himself does not reveal the secret in which camera a similar one is used, but, judging by the results of independent tests, the matrices in the first version of the E-M10, the second version of the E-M5 and in our test subject are the same. But the stabilizer has changed for the better. It has clearly been updated, and significantly. Even according to the manufacturer's specifications, it now works in five axes, however, it is inferior in efficiency to a similar solution in the top five. The stabilization efficiency here is at the level of 3 steps.
The matrix itself gives a good sharp picture, however, with the ability to save no more than 12-bit. The latter, however, is relevant only for the professional segment, when it comes to serious studio shooting and flexible work with halftones. If we talk about the picture, in general, then it is inferior to modern cameras with larger matrices only in terms of noise, but not in terms of color reproduction.
But the ergonomics of the camera is on top. On the one hand, there seems to be a lack of a toggle switch that allows two wheels to control four shooting parameters, however, this is an ambiguous question and not needed by all photographers. A number of distinctive features of older models are also missing here - such as moisture protection of the case or "adult" five-axis stabilization (in particular, in the new five it gives an advantage one step more).
The camera is made in a metal case, it is completely cast here, and not screwed from plates, which gives it very serious advantages.
At the same time, the case is also functional, and although the camera belongs to the economy class, it is made very stylishly. Plastic elements are applied to the metal, which, nevertheless, look very high quality. As a consequence of the metal body, there are no backlashes between the elements, and this body gives confidence in handling. Interestingly, the company, while trying to make the camera compact, has not forgotten about people with large hands and, as a result, fingers. All buttons and controls are large. There are two control dials, which for convenience are made high and large so that they are easy to twist. However, this can also be considered as a disadvantage, because it is also very easy to accidentally rotate this disk, since they rotate quite freely, while the rotation is inevitably purely random. I constantly notice that the Olympus camera on/off switch is located away from the shutter button, which, in my opinion, is inconvenient. Here, at least the toggle switch was made large, and turning it on with one finger of the left hand is not difficult - the left, because it is located on the opposite side of the ledge for the right hand. Stretching across the entire body with your thumb is extremely uncomfortable. If you do not consider this as a hindrance to efficiency, then you need to keep the camera constantly on, which eats up its batteries. However, the power management is pretty well done, as the camera intelligently goes to sleep and comes back just as quickly.
For efficiency, there is a good touch screen that flips down 45° and up 90°. Yes, you can’t shoot yourself, but it’s very easy to shoot urban scenes right in the city crowd. In most cases, the photographer here needs either tracking autofocus, or the ability to quickly select the focus point right on the screen. The second option is implemented very well here, by poking at the right place on the screen, and in this way you can conduct continuous shooting with tracking even without the absence of it, although it is here and works well not only in photos, but also in video.
Somewhat upset artificial limitations, such as the missing plug for an external microphone, which is not compensated even by external knobs. In the end, the good video we have here, thanks to the market-standard HD1080 60 progressive frame rate, effective IS, and the presence of power zoom lenses, is eaten up by this feature alone, effectively forcing the user to look higher, which is often not the case. , because the same user starts to look already to the side. It is clear, after all, that timecode synchronization with voice recorders is only an intermediate solution, not suitable for operational work with video.
Advantages
- effective stabilizer
- good matrix
- fast autofocus
- good video
Flaws
- no microphone jack
- high price
- the screen does not recline 180°
Characteristics
- image stabilization with any lens
- cast metal housing without moisture protection
- good viewfinder
- compact body
Test images from the camera can be viewed below or downloaded in full size.
