After a decade of m43, I only recommend upgrading to FF.

Very helpful! I also use mostly the 300mm F4. I tried the 100-400mm in search of versatility, but the IQ is so inferior it isn't funny. So I hardly ever use that zoom. The 150-400 PRO lens just seems an outrageous self-indulgence, so I had hopes for this one. Even if it is a re-badged Sigma full frame lens. But you seem to shoot the same kind of subjects I do, and you've made your choice. I am influenced, and will stick with the stellar 300mm F4 for now.

Great video again Marc. Just a suggestion, but change the perch position, even if it’s only by a couple of meters if the stream allows. I’m not an expert but I do know that a Kingfisher loves a new perch. The perch as you said has been up for about six months & it may not be the Kingfishers favourite perch! If the bird is a regular on that stretch of water & passes the perch on a regular basis, don’t put the perch in until you are ready to shoot, set up your camera gear so all you have to do after setting up the perch is get into the hide. Hope it works & look forward to hearing your of your results. 👍

Hi Marc, loved the video & have just subscribed. 👏👍 Really liked the Kite & water images which I thought were the shots of the day. 👍👏👍

Nice film. Too much saturation in the pics, though. Keep it real, dude 😊

Your situation and take on it is exactly how I was feeling about this lens. I own the 300 and love it. I was not going to buy the new zoom but now they have dropped the price to $2k usd till at least Nov 3 here in the USA and at that price it looks just too good to pass up. I'll use it when day hiking and bring my 300 when going on early mornings or end of day opportunities. The macro capabilities of this new zoom look so good, I think it's going to be my new favorite lens for during the day when there is loads of light to work with...thank you for the all around excellent review of this lens. It actually looks amazing for the price they currently have it at :)

Just ordered mine today and got my £5 off. I usually hand hold my om-1 and 300 f4. I have a carbon monopod so I'm sure I'll use this.

OM1 is a heck of a nice camera. Love mine. Upgrades in the OM1.2 seem aimed right at me, so it is a significant upgrade for me. I enjoy it more than I thought possible (and my OM1 is now my second body). As with all equipment, it all depends on the needs of the individual. Cheers

I'm somewhat encouraged by your handhold demo. I tried this lens for 10 days, but I was using the push-pull zoom technique which meant I was holding the front of the lens with the lens fully extended. That was exhausting, but possibly using the traditional twist technique for zooming will make the lens more manageable.

Great video mate, thanks for sharing!

Nice video! Do you have any advice for davinci resolve?

First time I've seen you; quite impressed with what you impart and your straight-forward, low-key delivery.

Great video mate. Defo a worthwhile project I think. Interested to see how it goes👍👍

Hi Marc. Well that was different and not boring at all. I think you definitely have “proof of concept” but it seems like a lot of patience is required to get any results. Your assumptions regarding the winter may well be correct with birds more readily coming to food but don’t forget the hot soup and a fleece blanket to avoid hypothermia 😀 One of my local patch sites includes a church and cemetery (but your site looks huge compared with mine) and it is excellent for Red Foxes, Badgers, birds (including Green Woodpeckers 🙂), butterflies and dragonflies.

Not boring at all! And certainly worth the effort. I can imagine a nice frosty scene (or even a foggy one!) with some hungry wildlife making an appearance if you go back there in Nov/Dec. Enjoyed this because it was a bit different. That's always a good thing!

I love the image of the Jay bird in flight. Nice shot!!! A big LIKE for the video. Greetings from Singapore.

You need one camera with a telephoto lens to combat boredom and a second camera with a light barrier.

Good to see the start of a project. Looking forward to seeing it develop

Hi Marc, why don't you try the OI share app you will have more control of the camera settings.

I do quite a bit of wide angle (Olympis 12-40 2.8 and Panasonic 1.7) when I find turtles and snakes. It works really well with reptiles.

hi Marc Nice project, were you able to photograph the ghost of Olympus?😂😂😂

£1,650 for the Mark 2 at Panamoz…

I recently upgraded from the OM-1 to the OM-1 Mkll, and I have noticed a substantial improvement in bird detection and the camera's ability to acquire head and eye focus. I am getting a lot more shots where the eye and head are in sharp focus. The bird detection works so well that it even detects and focuses on Dragonflies in flight! I bought the Mkll primarily for the upgraded bird detection and AF, so I'm a happy camper.

Thanks Marc for another honest appraisal and review. I don't think there are enough improvements to persuade me to upgrade to the OM-1 MkII and, as you rightly say, finances are always a consideration. I am very happy with my OM-1 plus I still have much of its functionality to learn!

Garbage. It is NOT a gimbal. The Wemberely MH-100 or Lefoto MPG-1 are gimbals. This product produces zero stability over handheld except in the one use case of the vertical force when the weight of the camera is perfectly distributed underneath the monopod. Its ease of being detached also makes it dangerous for accidentally separation. I watched other demos and the photographers had to use various hand force to both keep the equipment connected and reduce movement at the ball head. Pure garbage.

Their local whisky I’d pretty special, too!

I've heard several people mention that C-AF+Tracking has been removed, but it's still in the manual as an AF option for the OM-1 mk ii. I'm confused.

Also have the original OM-1. Although not a pro, I can afford an upgrade and AF improvements are always welcome, but it seems like a lot of money for a fairly small upgrade. Did you compare the Mk II to Mk I with the v. 1.7 firmware upgrade that came recently? I haven't upgraded yet so haven't seen any AF-improvements for myself.

Thanks

Hi Marc, thanks for the video. Is this review based on the new firmware updates for both cameras? I have the Mark 1 and with the 1.7 update I found AF, tracking and acquisition improved with the OM 100-400 but didn’t notice a difference with the 300 f4 pro. The 300 lens is great. Maybe reviews should include what lens were used. I still have lots to learn with the Mark 1 so not even tempted by the Mark 2.

Hi Mark. Can you go into a little more detail about being able to assign different autofocus functions to the shutter and AF-On buttons? From reading the Mark II manual, it looks like you can tell one to do the subject detection and the other to use just the autofocus target point. But if you are using all points to track the subject, then switching to all points only without tracking will just focus on the closest object. I was hoping to have one button assigned to a single or small point without tracking, but want to use all points for subject detection. Have you found a way to do that?

Very good review. I did trade in my OM-1 for the OM-1 MkII. I owned the OM-1 for a little over 2 years and now owned the OM-1 MkII for 6 months. I am pleased with the upgrade. Your re3view was right on. I wish I could have kept my OM-1 to be used as a second body but it took the money from trading it in along with trading in several lenses to help pay for the OM-1 MkII.

You forgot one point. The human autofocus is much better than the OM1. P.S.: I should know because from time to time I "have to" photograph family events.🤣

You're a hero of "comfort photography"

Hi Marc - Just wondered if you have updated your Mk1 to the 1.7 firmware? If so, interested to hear if you think it makes much difference in AF performance. I believe it only affects 'all-targets' mode, so may be of value for the birds in flight shots. Thanks for another helpful vid and keep up the good work. Cheers

I’m still learning my om1 and will be for the foreseeable future!

Hi Marc 👌🏻 video I am so lucky to have 2 OM-1 mark II bodies they’re great . I use one mainly for photography and the other is setup for or video. Up to now I am glad that I can do that, it saves time depending on what my goal is. If photography is your main goal, it does not matter much if one has a OM-1 mk 1 or mk 2, both are great and/or the upgrade of the mk 2 features are needed for your specific needs. It’s a fact that their are now great price offers for the OM-1 mark 1 ! Ton

I'm just here to say hello to OM Systems for telling me there was no way for me to try one in the UK 😂 Sorry Marc! But a free comment 😊

I just received my new MK-ii a couple of weeks ago. Was out today purposely shooting birds that were in tangles and behind twigs. My feeling is the bird detect and auto focus is improved. I was hesitant to upgrade myself but with $300 US discount along with 10% additional discount for MK I users I jumped in. I am not getting any younger so decided to treat myself while I am still able. Next Week will be on a pelagic trip so will be putting it to a real test. My MKi will be a backup and my dedicated macro setup. Cheers

hi Marc thank you for sharing your personal experiences with the `Om-1Mk II. Maybe Black Friday on November 29 will give you a nice offer. 'Until then you can save some nice money for it and you can make your move on Black Friday.😂👍🙏

not really jumping much, as one launches itself and hits you across the face, lol

8:56 ❤‍🔥

That was just ace Marc and an area of wildlife photography we don’t see very often or even at all. Think you maybe the first person to have made a video on it! 😀👍 the images you got were well worth getting wet for! Great stuff. 👍

Bloody hell Marc! Your dedication and commitment (risk-taking”!) to serve your KZbin subscribers is admirable. At least you and your camera survived to tell the tale. Double thumbs up 🙂 I loved the pantomime “it’s behind you” moment 😂 It also shows, yet again, the benefits of pro-capture with such an unpredictable subject.

Nice one Mark, not an easy task for sure but the boy did well! Must try that myself, lovely footage to 👍

Nice one Mark, loved the call at the start as I do like a Grouse. Vehicles make for great hides and give you those close encounters. Nice shots too. Miss my landy:-( great video 👍

A photo of a leaping salmon would be a nice birthday present for your uncle and will bring back memories he had with the family, resent and past. Would you be able to take photos with your drone?

Brilliant video Marc unbelievable how strong the salmon are to get back to their spawning ground 👍🏻👍🏻

That weather sealing was used to maximum effect haha. Nah, great shots, Marc! I want to get an underwater housing one day for my cameras to do some stream photography of fish and aquatic wildlife. Inspiring stuff, man!