Is the Olympus E-M1X right for you?
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Our comprehensive Olympus E-M1X review is live if you’d like to dive deep into the camera’s image quality, handling and autofocus performance. But for a more straightforward take on the E-M1X, here’s how well-suited it is for a few popular photographic use cases:
- Sports and wildlife photography
- Landscape photography
- Wedding and event photography
- Portrait photography
- Video work
All photos by Dan Bracaglia unless noted otherwise
Sports and wildlife
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Fast burst shooting, reliable autofocus and controls that don’t require you to take your eye from the finder – these are just some of the things you’ll want from a camera if capturing peak action is your aim. The E-M1X is advertised as a professional-grade sports and wildlife camera and it mostly lives up to this billing. Plus it’s got an enormous family of telephoto lenses to complement its aspirations.
Many sports and wildlife photographers rely on continuous autofocus and the E-M1X can shoot up to 10 fps (mechanical shutter) and 18 fps (electronic shutter) in AF-C. Continuous autofocus performance is good, but other sports cameras like the Nikon D5 and Canon 1DX II offer slightly more reliable results. Still, subject tracking is impressively sticky and the camera’s buffer depth is also solid. If you’re okay with focus being locked after the first frame it can do 15 fps (mechanical shutter) and 60 fps (e-shutter) – just be aware that using the e-shutter can result in banding under certain lighting and rolling shutter (though this is fairly well-controlled).
The finder offers a fast refresh rate and minimal resolution loss while the shutter’s pressed, making it easy to follow fast-moving subjects
The camera’s ergonomics are excellent, full stop. I’s one of a handful of bodies on the market with built-in vertical controls. Whether shooting vertically or horizontally, dialing in settings can be done without removing your eye from the finder. Speaking of the finder, it’s not the highest-resolution nor does it offer the highest contrast on the market, but it does offer a fast refresh rate and only minimal resolution loss while the shutter’s pressed, making it easy to follow fast-moving subjects. The camera’s also got a tank-like build and IPX1-rated weather-sealing. The only thing truly missing from this pro-level body is a top plate info display.
Image quality is excellent for its sensor size – with lovely out-of-camera JPEGs – but it can’t match the resolution of higher-resolution cameras, limiting your ability to crop in post. Similarly, shadow noise at higher ISOs is more prevalent than on larger-sensor bodies – this also limits your ability to push the exposure in post.
Landscape photography
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High resolution is normally the name of the game when it comes to landscape photography, and we’re not going to pretend the E-M1X’s Four Thirds chips can match the resolution or image quality of larger sensors… on its own. But this camera has some tricks up its sleeve, including a 50MP hand-held high-resolution mode and an 80MP tripod-based high-resolution mode. The latter combines 8 images and even has the benefit of improved noise performance over a standalone file. However you’ll want to avoid scenes with a lot of movement when using either high-res mode.
The E-M1X also has some other nifty tricks landscape photographers will appreciate: there’s a ‘live ND’ filter for long exposure simulations and various in-camera time-lapse options. Sadly, the two can’t be combined.
In terms of ergonomics, the E-M1X is a bit of a beast to carry around for long periods of time. On the other hand, it’s got excellent weather-sealing and a tough build, so it’s doubtful the camera will let you down in nasty conditions. Plus a fully-articulating screen is great for high and low shots, and battery life is solid thanks to twin batteries.
Photo by Scott Everett
Wedding and event photography
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For those already invested in Micro Four Thirds, the E-M1X could be a great addition to your wedding or event shooting kit. Vertical controls are extremely handy for shooting portraits. And the camera’s Face Detect and Eye Detect both work with good reliability if your subject fills most of the frame. Wedding ceremonies are moments when the E-M1X’s truly-silent e-shutter could be invaluable. And we doubt you’ll be able to chew through both the camera’s batteries, even with a full day of shooting.
The E-M1X is compatible with Olympus’ flash system, however as of writing, there are no Olympus flash units that can fire an AF assist beam without triggering the strobe – something wedding and event photographers often rely on for precise autofocus in very dark scenarios. Still, the camera’s high-resolution modes can be handy for detail shots of say, a dress or the bridal bouquet.
Photo by Carey Rose
Portrait photography
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As with landscape photography, resolution is also an important factor for portrait photographers. So right off the bat, the E-M1X is at a disadvantage here over its larger-sensor competition. And don’t count on the high-res modes to save the day – these are intended for static subjects, not people. Still, vertical controls are handy for shooting in the traditional portraiture orientation and the E-M1X’s Face and Eye detect both work well.
We’re also fans of Olympus’ JPEG rendition of skin tones. Plus, if you’re shooting portraits using controlled lighting, shadow noise shouldn’t be an issue. There’s also a wide range of excellent portrait-appropriate glass available for this system.
Photo by Scott Everett
Video
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The E-M1X is a sports and action-oriented camera, so why use it for video? Here are a few compelling reasons: It can shoot good-looking Cinema 4K (24p only) as well as 1080/120p slow motion footage. It offers a fully-articulating touchscreen with sticky video AF. And the camera’s Sensor+Digital image stabilization offers the smoothest in-camera, hand-held shooting we’ve experienced (it does come with a slight crop, though).
Other call-outs include headphone and microphone ports, Flat profiles and Log capture. Sadly the latter is limited to 8-bit compared to 10-bit offered by some of its peers. This means you won’t get the same video dynamic range as say, a Panasonic Lumix GH5. Still, for more-casual filmmaking, without the need for a tripod or stabilization rig, the E-M1X can be a solid option.
The wrap
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The Olympus OM-D E-M1X is a sports and action camera that also happens to function quite well for a number of other photographic situation. However for most of these scenarios, unless you’re already invested in the system, there are other cameras that will likely serve you better for less money.
But back to sports and action. For way less money, the E-M1X shoots faster than even the most expensive sports cameras, like the Nikon D5 or Canon 1DX II, while offering similar ergonomics and build quality. It doesn’t quite offer the same level of autofocus reliability as these cameras, nor can it match the resolution/noise performance of their larger sensors. Still, it’s an outstanding choice for Micro Four Thirds shooters who want a no-compromise camera to point at fast-moving subjects. And if you end up also photographing portraits, landscapes, events or video, well, the camera will be able to handle that too.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
