Olympus EM-1 Mark II in 2022: A Review

[@MrTomLegit]

E-M1 MkII is still my primary camera for anything serious. It also is a weapon for macro. Being able to have more DOF without having to steps down so much plus IBIS is awesome for wildlife/insect macro.

[@GlobeHackers]

I've used many systems too, and I reach for this camera every time I go on a day trip. It's such a pleasure to use.

[@glennsak]

Olympus - I can't quit ya! Love my EM-1 Mk II so much, I'm getting the OM-1 (as soon as they are back in stock)!

[@ChubbyYoutuber]

I own the EM1 ii silver edition. It's still my main camera and good enough for my needs. I would easily recommend this in 2022!

[@martingreenberg870]

Thank you for this video. I had an EM5 and donated it to a fellow employee. I started using Panasonic. I love my GX 85 in G9. I don’t do a lot of video. I’m going to a workshop this month and I was looking for my G9 and couldn’t find it. Drat! I need another camera until I relocate the G9. I saw this video and decided rather than purchasing another genie to try the OMD one or mark two. I’ve been watching a craigslist seller trying to sell his EM1Mii. He was asking $550. I asked him if this was his best price, and he said yes. I kept watching craigslist and suddenly an EMD one mark two. Suddenly, this model became available for $400. I jumped on it, and I now own it! I agree with you about the Olympus color sites. I couldn’t believe the color quality from my EMD five. I expect the same with the mark two. I am now trying to configure it to the way I want to use it. This is always the most difficult time when I own a camera. Once it’s set up, I don’t have to think about using it. I am primarily a photographer. I do short video clips, so my quality of the video is the photography. I’ve heard and seen lots of good things about this camera and look forward to experiencing it. I think I made a good purchase. Thank you for your vide. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)

[@connormccaskill]

Couldn't agree more man. I LOVE Olympus SOOC colors. I picked up the expensive OM-1 camera and really like it! Still learning how to best use it but it basically gives me everything I've ever wanted from Olympus. I love it.

[@johnsmith-gs4qf]

Good video. I used to use a Panasonic G85 camera. The video was excellent, but many of my stills were blurry due to the poor auto-focus. I switched to an Olympus EM-1 Mark II (got used off Ebay for about $700) a couple of years ago and the auto-focus is amazing (the few blurry photos are due to my inexperience as a photographer, not the camera). I think the video quality of the Panasonic was a little better, but again the auto-focus on the video was more important to me than the slight image quality improvement. This Olympus is my favorite camera that I have ever owned, and I look forward to eventually getting a camera from OM Systems (when I can afford it!)

[@juanalvarado7794]

I was blown away when you said this video was recorded using a default mode on the camera 😂 it’s looks amazing and it looks graded. I’m sure it also had to do with your lighting, but look how great it looks with zero editing haha🥰

[@RonaldBrown59]

Great review, and thanks for sharing.

[@JustinReves]

You’re welcome! Thank you for the kind comment.

[@1957PLATO]

I don’t do video, only stills but I can tell you the marks II of Oly, em10, em5 and em1 are all stellar camera’s. I own Canon 5diii and the EM1 II is just as good, much lighter and very customizable.

[@JustinReves]

Yeah, my photos also turn out super duper nice on this. And it just feels like a pro camera with the features when you're shooting photos.

[@BobK58]

EM10.2 with the Panasonic 20mm/1.7 pancake lens is my favorite setup. I don't do video so the up/down flip screen is perfect for me. I hate having to flip the screen to the side on my EM1.2.

[@photoman3579]

In our local club my friend has the same cameras, he hasnt picked up the Canon since he got the EM1-2 !!

[@1957PLATO]

@@photoman3579 understandably. Of course the FF files are more flexible when you get your exposure wrong.

[@BrianSweeney1985]

How is the autofocus for moving subjects? How does it compare to the AF on moving subjects on the OM-5?

[@PedroDVC]

I was a Canon guy until I picked up an Em10 MarkIII... it was imediate love and sold everything Canon! the color from those pictures is out of this world... Olympus needs more love for sure!

[@kentvun]

What picture profile do you use for your video? do you adjust the contrast/saturation/sharpness? or do you use flat picture profile?

[@ReelFilm2016]

I purchased this camera (body only) and a pro lens (12-45) last year. No complaints. Love it. It is my only camera

[@JustinReves]

Yeah it’s so good!

[@jonbarnard7186]

Nikon makes a 24-200, some zoom range, and I own it. I also own the Olympus 12-100. The Olympus lens kicks the Nikon's butt. It's just a great lens. It's faster and better made. The stabilization is fantastic on the EM1ii body. It also has that great focus clutch. It's the main reason I keep my EM1. I wish my Nikon 24-200 was as nice.

[@BrianQuan]

Hey Justin, Have you tried matching the footage from the EM1 MK II and an A7 III / A7C? Looking to grab one of these to replace my ZV-1

[@nirwanhassan3520]

check camera conspiracies for his comparison of the em1 mk2 and the a7s3

[@onlyonecannoli3952]

Did you know that if you press that button on the top right, it takes pictures?

[@AltCine]

I got a good few tips from you on this camera👍🏾👍🏾

[@JustinReves]

Awesome!

[@olafweyer859]

I have mine since 2018 using it in tropical climate. The EM-5 II (which I had two of consecutively) wouldn't survive (something with the battery compartment) but the EM-1-II is staying strong. I really love it.

[@FortressofSound]

You're a damn good salesman ha! About to do the same upgrade. Even without using one, some features the Em-1 has that Lumix lacks for my purposes (VFX, animation, & stop motion work): USB camera control with a PC, HDMI output stays on while recording (although I have not seen anyone mention this). 2 SD slots. HDMI output has 4:2:2 output. This is also a great upgrade because, dammit, I already spent a ton on lenses, and now I can use the same ones (even the non-stabilized vintage ones).

[@manolinvalen]

Good video! about the noisy mic imput ... did you try to turn off the power on option (in mic options)?

[@mich8261]

Funny, I was thinking “hockey jerseys… this guy must be Canadian” and then I heard “Sony zed v…” I just got a EM1 mark II from KEH as a trade. It’s meant to be a backup/complement to my wife’s OM-1, and will probably be my light camera option (to my Nikon D500). I really like the feel of this camera. It feels solid but also light

[@unbroken1010]

So the firmware fixed the pre amp noise? Was om 1 the only one with a mic jack?

[@amv2471]

Olympus color science is insane!!

[@fusionmaniagroup]

EM1 Mkii/ GH5/ ZEV10... if you had to get just one to shoot yourself close for a performance with camera in front of you, which one would you go for?

[@yudiherdiana4979]

I thought it's a technical review, but turns out he is preaching throughout the entire video

[@RumbaniNdhlovu]

Such a great video. I'm thinking about selling my OG Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and getting 2 of these, am I nuts? Or would that be the greatest move I can make? Also, has firmware removed the 30minute record limit on this camera yet?

[@TradeMarketOnlineEC]

what about the sound ?/

[@Newbrandcrow]

can you make another monitor video because my language changed but there is no way to turn it back to english

[@TreDeuce-qw3kv]

The trouble with Oly is the lens costs. Often twice the camera cost. That 12 - 100mm F4 is around $700 - $800,00 used.

[@AguilaDeOnix85]

It's my first camera that I've used with interchangeable lenses and I absolutely love it! I don't need insane amounts of megapixels. I like photographing birds, reptiles, and insects. The fact I can change from my 40-150 pro to my 60mm macro really quickly and move around easily with either is essential for the spontaneous photography I do.

[@JustinReves]

The compact size of both the cameras and lenses are another thing I didn’t mention. Makes it easy to take with you wherever you are going.

[@unbroken1010]

Any opinions on the mark 1 in 2022 ? I'm just interested in photos and mastering 1080p

[@nirwanhassan3520]

for still photography its really good but for videos even at 1080p go for the mark 2

[@hieunguyenvan6599]

em1 mark2 2016 camera with Fujifilm xs10, which product should be better?

[@IlyaAndreev-1]

color since is the key of Olympus !!!

[@carelocotv]

What about the bad quality sound with external MIC, I bougth one but I return this shit

[@imagenatura]

I have the e-m1 ii- it's great, except for slow-motion (but you can do that with AI and in post). Also, you can hack it and get it to record video indefinitely. I agree the best thing about M43 is the lenses. The 12-100 is a great lens, but it's "big" for M43. There's also the E-M5 iii which is basically a E-M1 ii in a smaller body. BTW none of my Olympus cameras have had problems with the jacks.

[@JustinReves]

Yeah it seems like I got the one in a million with an audio problem. But yes, the EM5 Mk III is sweet. It does 120fps too which is a nice plus.

[@Tigerex966]

How to hack?

[@juanalvarado7794]

What’s your opinion of Fuji? They also have amazing colors and also the camera are the same size as Olympus.

[@JustinReves]

I like the idea of Fuji but only Fuji lenses for choice and I’ve heard that they just dont work as well for video. Haven’t personally used Fuji though. I love how photos look on them. Very, very few people I know use them for video.

[@motebike]

No 10bit 4.2.2 recording internally. That was the reason I never got it. Otherwise, an amazing camera.

[@allys911]

im trying to choose between the panasonic g7 and the olympus M10 Mark IV, mostly for taking videos and photos of travels/vacations. need some serious help, im torn. thoughts?

[@JustinReves]

They are both similar. G7 is getting pretty old now but it’s still solid. I think the M10 might be better in low light being it’s newer but I like the flip out screen on the G7. If it were me, I’d actually look at a used EM1 Mk II in this video. Should be similar price but you get full weather sealing (as long as the lens is too), way better autofocus, and the fully articulating flip out screen plus a bunch of other pro features. But the G7 and EM10 Mk IV are both good - you won’t go wrong with either.

[@RikuoNura383]

instead g7, better get g85 if you want to go panasonic route, already had weather sealing, better grip and videos

[@NTKcinema]

GREAT CAMERA. LOVE IT

[@silviuavramescu4616]

What about em 5 mk 2?

[@JustinReves]

EM5 Mk 2 doesn’t have good auto focus so it’s a no for me, but the EM5 Mk 3 is exceptional.

[@tjdultra6982]

Thank you for this video lol I was about to pull the trigger to switch to the new Canon EOS R7 as I believed that it would be more futureproofin' for video AND stills. Their EOS R flagship AF, CLog3, 4K 60p and 1080 120fps made me want to do it but then you reminded me of why I switched to Olympus many moons ago..THEIR LENS' VALUE! That was why I invested for the lens 12-40mm f2.8 PRO(a must have all-rounder) and the 40-150mm f2.8 PRO! I felt bad that if I switch I will only end up with an EOS R7 but with a cheap RF 24-105mm(non-L). Lol

[@cmartin_ok]

You mention firmware updates a few times but you don't say how easy Olympus make this. Just connect the camera to PC with the correct cable, start the Olympus software, select "check firmware" and follow the steps. No messing about with a separate specially formatted memory card, downloading files, unzipping them, copying them to the memory card in the right location etc etc, the Olympus way is simple, straightforward and almost foolproof (it's not defeated me yet across several models)

[@JustinReves]

Good point! I just couldn’t do it for a couple years because I was Mac based and it was only for PC.

[@OutRAjious]

12-100 ……..the F4 is ff equivalent to F8? is that really a good aperture ?

[@JJStCoBroadcast]

F4 is F4 whatever the size of the sensor. And 100mm is 100mm. The only difference is the crop factor.

[@photoman3579]

f4 is f4 on any sized sensor !! are you talking depth of field ??

[@JJStCoBroadcast]

I m talking about brightness. Depth of field deals with aperture AND focal length. Same aperture and focal lens give you the same depth of field, whatever the sensor. Physics of optic doesn't depend on the sensor. 12mm F4 gives you the same brightness and dof whatever the sensor.

[@OutRAjious]

@@photoman3579 yes

[@shiyangzhang110]

I thought u sold wanted to sell the 1.2?

[@JustinReves]

I was planning to sell it but then didn’t do any vlogging and the ZV-1 that I tried to replace it with did not look anywhere near as good so I kept it and just kept the audio on an external recorder. It just looks so good, I couldn’t part with it - and I didn’t want to sell someone this one with bad audio.

[@shiyangzhang110]

@@JustinReves yes, i sent the comment before the video reached ur explanation :-)

[@simonbennettalbertst]

Damn right. But people still whinge about the menus. Which is strange; once you learn them, you've learnt them! They're complicated because Olympus offers so much customisation.

[@art4kuwait]

Should you advise me t go to olympus after using sony a7iii is it useful for portrait and land scape and street photo /. No need for video

[@JustinReves]

Yup, I have an a7iii for my day job and I still love the Olympus. Olympus and Panasonic lenses are incredible and the smaller size make sure great for photos. I love how photos turn out on this camera too.

[@art4kuwait]

@@JustinReves i used in 2016 lumix lx100 and i loved the micro4third sensor so now i will go for olympus / thank you justin

[@JustinReves]

@@art4kuwait I also had that camera - was such an incredible little photo machine.

[@nikinsolanki1230]

Thank you, nice video, I'm using last 2 years olympus om d em1 m ii both video & photo but I'm trying video production in wedding problem with c af it's lost subject to the moving camera , I loved my lumix 25 mm f 1.4 it's my favorite lens for video, my firmware is 3.0

[@motebike]

Still is an amazing camera. The one caveat, it does only 8bit 4.2.0 in video. It's the only major downside for me.

[@davidcoote8395]

Love my OM-D1 mk2 and use it with the 12-100 f4 & 40-150 f2.8. Don’t do much video, mainly stills of birds and general walking around.

[@photoman3579]

The 300mm f4 is amazing just amazing !! so sharp and clear

[@craigroethler1495]

Yep, image quality and color science are just great. Thanks for getting the word out.

[@ThomasParis]

The 12-100 has no right to be THIS good. I mean it's a super zoom but a great performer? Nothing like it in other mounts... Well, Nikon does have a 24-120 but the oly goes to 200mm-e...

[@fernandomastrolorito2343]

ok sono d'accordo con te ma solo in parte. olympus dal lato fotografico ha una scienza colore veramente eccellente e devo dirti che è migliorata nella markIII. Il micro quattro terzi ha sicuramente dei vantaggi per la compattezza ma anche per la stragrande maggioranza di brand di produzione. Zuiko è semplicemente magnifica è posso confermarti che l'accoppiata con olympus è magica il dettaglio e le cromie sono veramente uniche.se poi vuoi sbavare è possibile utilizzare leica senza perdere un rene per i costi. poi vengono le note stonate col video è qui io ti dico lascia perdere non si può pensare ad un video pro con Olympus, qui le cromie, le saturazioni ecc diventano strane ma diventa complicato anche l'uso dell'apparecchio per chi ha esigenze di velocità.E qui enta in gioco panasonic che viceversa dal canto fotografico.... (nel micro quattro terzi.. tranne per la g9 che non conosco a fondo..) è meglio lasciar perdere . invece dal canto video si apre tutto un mondo meraviglioso... è vero non ha un autofocus perfetto ma chi lo ha? Personalmente non ho mai avuto problemi di fuoco fino a rovinarmi il video.. si sono sempre comportate bene..anzi per le varie modalità di tipologie di fuoco ti adatti e si adatta facilmente al tuo lavoro. le tipologie di compressioni video sono veramente tantissime e non ultima con la gh6 pro res in camera.. ( forse personalmente non la userò mai ) ma cavolo! avere la possibilità di farlo ti apre anche nuove possibilità. La scienza del colore nel video panasonic per me è veramente al top. non voglio ripetermi col parco ottiche e tutte le possibilità ecc. volevo solo aggiungere una riflessione e poi chiudo perchè sono troppo lungo. molte volte o non diamo i tempi giusti alla apparecchiature i quali ci sembrano subito vecchi per esigenze di mercato.. le quali aziende non hanno neanche i tempi per testare i prodotti e li rilasciano con firmweare beta e il consumatore diventa un betatester il chè non è che mi dia un fastidio particolare ma ci resto malissimo se l'azienda abbandona l'apparecchio per passare al nuovo e molte volte lo peggiora per velocizzare l'uscita, quando basterebbe un firmweare per migliorare il vecchio prodotto. saluti

[@snugsonblitz]

Convincing video

[@kennynvake4hve584]

Had one, and sold it...and regret it now every minute. Looking for another used one...sure my G95 does a good job, b u t.......I still like my EM-1 mark ii...My EM-5 mark ii is getting me by but still want the em-1 mark ii...

[@richardgorski23]

SUb Standard EVF.

[@fernanddurler4709]

Could we see your work ….

[@unbroken1010]

I'm pissed I bought a pretty much new mark 3 for 700. The motherboard failed 3 months later. Now I got send it to olympus for a 300 dollar fix. At least they flat rate repairs.

[@OutingJournal]

Bad Video COLORS, Super Artificial Sharpen from OLYMPUS

[@JustinReves]

Couldn’t disagree more.

[@aeiplanner]

Huh? Absolute nonsense!

[@KodakPhotoPrinter]

Hello Justin! This is Kodak Photo Printer. The videos you make are very entertaining, and we are interested in working with you. If you are interested in a collaboration, could you please provide your email address? If you have any questions, let us know. Thank you! 🙂