Always late to the game

[Future Assassin]

Wasn't really looking update my E5, maybe to a G85 but picked up a mint used EM1.1 for $600 CDN. Figure for that price I can look over even with no FAS.

[Daniel Bradley]

I loved the E-M1! The Mark II is more versatile, maybe more "professional", and it is even more suited to my needs, but the Mark I is a very capable camera. I would have no problems switching back if I had to.

[Future Assassin]

I loved the E-M1! The Mark II is more versatile, maybe more "professional", and it is even more suited to my needs, but the Mark I is a very capable camera. I would have no problems switching back if I had to.

Its more camera than I need and the E5 was doing fine (A bit bulky) but for $600 what the hell, thought it was a pretty good deal. No FAS does suck and will see it it'll get annoying not having it. The EVF is a bit weird, not sure if I'm going to like it but I guess one has no choice but to accept EVF. Now if Oly came up with an EM1 style in E1 body I'd be the first in like to get it. Still have my E1 and use it here and there.

[BobT]

I went from the E3 to the E-M1. It was a quantum leap. Actually I love the EVF. It does so much more once you get used to it.

[Michael Meissner]

Its more camera than I need and the E5 was doing fine (A bit bulky) but for $600 what the hell, thought it was a pretty good deal. No FAS does suck and will see it it'll get annoying not having it. The EVF is a bit weird, not sure if I'm going to like it but I guess one has no choice but to accept EVF. Now if Oly came up with an EM1 style in E1 body I'd be the first in like to get it. Still have my E1 and use it here and there.

My main complaint with Em1.1 viewfinder is you can't see parts of the viewfinder screen when wearing polarized sunglasses A secondary complaint is that like most Olympus cameras, the rubber hood on the viewfinder often comes off. Though I find having the FL-LM2 flash mounted does help preventing the hood from falling off.

If you have an android or apple smartphone with wifi, you could use the remote app. I find in practice that it is on the slow side, but if you have your camera mounted on a tripod, it can be useful to move the screen to wherever you want. Obviously, it will go through batteries faster on both camera and smartphone.

In the past, I would also recommend a live view device, such as the Phottix Hector Live View (which now seems to have dropped from the product line). I have a similar device from Yongnuo that looks like it is no longer for sale. However, on the modern cameras, the phone app trumps those:

• http://www.ebay.com/itm/141023633324...84.m1436.l2649

[griffljg]

My main complaint with Em1.1 viewfinder is you can't see parts of the viewfinder screen when wearing polarized sunglasses

I have the same problem. The EM1.2 isn't quite as bad, but the issue is still there and it is extremely irritating.

[Michael Meissner]

I have the same problem. The EM1.2 isn't quite as bad, but the issue is still there and it is extremely irritating.

Which is why in my last camera upgrade, I got the Panasonic G85 to complement the E-M1 mark 1. The G85 has an OLED viewfinder, and you can see it without problems with polarized sunglasses in either landscape or portrait orientation. It is a shame that the only Olympus cameras with OLED viewfinders (E-M10 mark II and Pen-F) are not weather sealed.

Note, most of the Olympus and Panasonic mirrorless cameras use a TFT LCD for the back display. However, these displays have their polarization distortion in portrait orientation, rather than landscape orientation. For me, I tend to use the LCD when the camera is on a tripod or in one of my steampunk cases, and there it is almost always in landscape orientation. My old Olympus TG-2 camera did have an OLED display instead of TFT LCD.

[Future Assassin]

So after messing around with the EM1 I must say I was totally wrong thinking that the camera body was way too small for my hands when I first handled it when it came out as I hate using my EPl1. Looking at and holding the the E5 after even playing around with the EM1/43 50-200mm I can defiantly get with the weight and size saving. The EFV although has lots of info display is going to take some time to get use to. Just feels so unnatural looking through it.

The focusing with the 43 12-60 and 50-200 is not bad and since I mostly shoot static objects I'll stick with the legacy glass.

[Guy Roberts]

Wasn't really looking update my E5, maybe to a G85 but picked up a mint used EM1.1 for $600 CDN. Figure for that price I can look over even with no FAS.

I bought my em1 from a friend who was moving to Sony ff. Prior to that I was using the e5. I love the portability and ergonomics of the em1 and added the grip which makes it fit better in my hands and gives more battery life. It is a great camera for hiking.
i can't say I notice much, if any, difference in image quality between the two, though I might be able to recover more detail in the highlites with the em1.
the elf is no problem to me as my glasses are not polarised.
Apart from the 12-40 I use legacy glass and if I have af issues I use mf with focus peaking which works fine.

[BobT]

So after messing around with the EM1 I must say I was totally wrong thinking that the camera body was way too small for my hands when I first handled it when it came out as I hate using my EPl1. Looking at and holding the the E5 after even playing around with the EM1/43 50-200mm I can defiantly get with the weight and size saving.

Of course I love the weight saving but despite not having particularly large hands, I do find the E-M1 not comfortable. My little finger on the right hand invariably slides under the camera and my thumb invariably trips the Fn1 button. I also find I have to be very careful with the toggle pad to avoid pressing OK. Adding the grip helps greatly but then one looses the compactness and it becomes awkward on the tripod. It's not a deal breaker though. I wonder if the MkII is better.

[zone6]

Congrats on the find. I'm even "later to the game," still shooting with an E-5.

Questions: What is FAS? And what is "focus peaking?" Sorry to be OT...

[Future Assassin]

Congrats on the find. I'm even "later to the game," still shooting with an E-5.

Questions: What is FAS? And what is "focus peaking?" Sorry to be OT...

Fully articulated screen, like the one on the E5. The Em1 Mk1 only has a flip-out screen. I've seeing several G85 for sale locally used so debating on selling the EM1 and getting the G85 as it has a FAS screen.

[Michael Meissner]

Fully articulated screen, like the one on the E5. The Em1 Mk1 only has a flip-out screen. I've seeing several G85 for sale locally used so debating on selling the EM1 and getting the G85 as it has a FAS screen.

As I mentioned up-thread, I bought a Panasonic G-85 to complement my E-M1 mark I and earlier E-M5 mark I. I started a dpreview thread about the nuts and bolts differences between the Panasonic and Olympus ways of doing things (mostly operational, not really image based):

• Initial thread: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/58680241
• Continuation thread: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59110694

Now, I find myself reaching for the E-M1 more often than the G85, even though the G85 is easier to use in direct sunlight. A big reason is at heart, I'm an Olympus shooter, and I've been tuned to using out of camera Olympus JPG colors.

One minor issue is the G85 seems more likely to blow highlights than the E-M1. I notice it most when I'm shooting outdoors, and people are wearing white shirts/blouses/etc., but I've also see it in low light settings. Since I shoot renaissance faires and steampunk events where people do wear white shirts, etc. it is kind of a drag having to concentrate on dialing in a negative EV to not blow the highlights. That being said, the G85 does have zebra patterns to indicate the problem areas. However, I like to wait for a decisive moment with the camera at my side, bring it up to my eye, shot, and put it down without a lot of fiddling. Here is the post where I compared images where I noticed the blowout:

• https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59671134

[Michael Meissner]

Congrats on the find. I'm even "later to the game," still shooting with an E-5.

Questions: What is FAS? And what is "focus peaking?" Sorry to be OT...

Others have answered what FAS is (fully articulated screen, like the E-5 has). Focus peaking was added to the E-M1 mark I via firmware update. It is an aid when manually focusing to find what areas are in focus (it outlines the things in focus with a false color):

• https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora...-focus-peaking
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZUz6MumiXw
• http://blog.martinbelan.com/2014/01/...pus-om-d-e-m1/