Olympus EM1X vs EM1 Mark III | M.Zuiko 300mm vs 40-150mm | 2021

[@SamuelRusu]

Please remember that this video is purely my opinion and experience I had with the gear. Tell me your story in the comments and which one do you prefer and why!

[@exif6839]

I have the EM1X mostly with 300/4 and 1,4 or 2,0 TC, then the EM1mk3 with 40-150/2,8 or 12-100/4, and additional the Fuji X100V for every day purposes. Love them all.

[@a1tim85]

Great stuff Sam. I don't think you need that backing soundtrack. It might be just me - I find it distracting. Otherwise I enjoyed your comparison story.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

I would go for E1X. In the shops in some parts of the world, right now, E1X that comes with built-in grip, is CHEAPER than the E1Mk3 alone. Add a grip to the E1Mk3's price, and one can get E1X with a nice lens next to it, or E1X and a used PEN camera, or E10 or similar. I think it is better to have two cameras (E1X + used E10) for the price of one (E1Mk3) - one for every occasion. I handled the E1X and is not nearly as bulky as any DSLR; in fact, it is about the same volume and weight as a good quality APS-C DSLR, but the weight is so much better distributed that it feels lighter and easier to use.

[@SamuelRusu]

If the price is right, M1X is a brilliant camera and you get a couple of extra features for less money so a bargain is a bargain!

[@smiffy5467]

Nice video Samuel but the music was distracting.....

[@SamuelRusu]

Apologies

[@petedraper5185]

I am fortunate to own an EM1X and an EM1 mark III, but I favour the EM1X. I also own a copy of the fabulous 300mm f4 + MC14 and MC20. I sold my 40 - 150mm f2.8, as I rarely used it below 150mm, and purchased a "mint" used PanaLeica 200mm f2.8 + TC14. I moved back to Olympus following a couple of years with Sony (A7III, A9 and A7R4). Olympus gear suits me more than any other.

[@SamuelRusu]

That is lovely to hear, Em1x is a great camera

[@LofiCorne-r]

I'm very happy that there is someone to do a proper tutorial on this amazing camera om-d Mark iii

[@SamuelRusu]

Thanks

[@travelmitmir]

I switched from the Olympus EM1 Mark III to the Olympus EM1X because my photography has changed. I use them with the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS Pro. For me this is the perfect combination. And internal GPS tracking is very important to me. I hope that this model will be further developed.

[@SamuelRusu]

That is an excellent point you made. I also believe that EM1X with the 150-400 is an ideal combination, features and also size. But for most amateur photographers the features that you mentioned are not that important. The video is purely my own opinion, I’m not a photography guru and I will never be!

[@travelmitmir]

@@SamuelRusu Hello Samuel, that's just my opinion 😀 and I will never become a photo guru either, ha ha. It is and remains a great hobby for me.

[@garybrown9719]

I love my new em1x I've given this a lot of thought 7.5mm laowa 12-100mm 100-400mm For a small set up em1 markiii 7.5mm laowa 17mm 14-150mm or 12-200mm 45mm or 75mm

[@SamuelRusu]

I loved the em1x too but the differences between the 1x and 1 mark III did not convinced me to change, YET!

[@garybrown9719]

@@SamuelRusu i have 2xl hands and i love the portrait orientation Battery life is awesome Cons Its hard to set down got to figure out how to support the protrusion comfortably it best with a long lens

[@furiousdoe7779]

Sam ..I use both and the 2.0 converter ..and even due to many converter changes I went to the 150-400 too , no regrets ..

[@SamuelRusu]

Not everyone can afford the 150-400 let’s be honest. That would be a dream lens

[@oneoldgit]

Love the 40-150 plus converter

[@SamuelRusu]

Indeed a great lens

[@catherinetremerryn]

I have the EM M1 iii and the 150 lens, which I bought with the x2 teleconverter - your comments regarding the teleconverter are so true. I must admit I was so disappointed with the quality of the photo using the converter that after watching yr video took it off my lens. The difference is incredible, thank you.

[@SamuelRusu]

I’m sorry to hear that, my thoughts with the tc are purely based on my experience with it. I have seen and heard opposite opinions about it but for me it’s too much loss of quality!

[@jurgenhoffmann8236]

Thanks for that brilliant analysis

[@neilbennett3883]

I’m with you Samuel I have the em1 mkll with 300 f4 pro and 1-4 TC and I won’t be changing anytime soon emlx is way to big which is the reason I ditched all my Nikon gear. I find the 1-4 Tc nice and sharp and gives me 840 mm full frame equivalent Stay safe and well. Neil

[@SamuelRusu]

Thank you Neil!

[@bellasvistas3463]

Very timely for me. I have been looking at some of my recent Photographs, with EM1 MK2 and 40 to 150 & 2c as well as the 300mm with 2x. Focus seemed off a bit. I will try using F-13 I had been using F-11. I used the 300mm alone on a mink 400 iso F-9 1/200 sec. Seems a touch soft but it was a bit overcast. What do you think is the best that you can handhold the 300 mm

[@SamuelRusu]

I always shoot my 300mm wide open, very rarely I stop down the aperture. I was able to get tack sharp photos of a Robin at 1/15th of a second. I think that keeping your firmware up to date and practice are the best ways to improve your photography

[@kamilrakowski23]

Great vlog and great choice. Remember that the electronic shutter is always sharper than the mechanical shutter. Rolling shutter for most cases is hard to notice. I sold m1x and bought m1miii, because m1miii has much better face and eye detection and is smaller. I also have m1mii. Honestly, I would buy a super cheap m1mii(40%less than m1miiii- in Denmark, Poland, Germany) for wildlife.One more reason why I got rid of m1x. I've used the m1x for motorsport before cov19. Unfortunately, this is almost impossible righ now. For motorcycle and car tracking, this camera is unbelievable!! I think the bird algorithm will be improved. Now it's not even comparable to motorcycle/car tracking. In M1miii I only miss two slots for uhs2 cards, as in m1x. About the mc20 teleconverter. For me, the problem is also that the ibis suffers a lot from it. Mc14 gives some benefits. The photo taken with the mc14 is sharper than the crop from the photo taken with lens itself without teleconverter. Regards

[@SamuelRusu]

Thank you for your comment Kamil. I also think that the M1X is a more suited camera for the new 150-400 given the size but, as well as this video, this is only my personal opinion

[@radiobread2012]

Hi Sam just watched your video which i enjoyed! I have just bought an EM1X in excellent condition (like new) from MPB for £699.. it's a bit of a beast! but i love it.. not worried about the bird focusing they're too fast for me! I have found changing the batteries a breeze plus i can charge them in camera via USB C..

[@etchd_]

Great work mate! two great lenses!

[@SamuelRusu]

Thank you!

[@dandanu2526]

To avoid back pain, I will opt for em 1 MKiii:)))

[@giannimoisson4000]

It's clear, simple et precise, a perfect video.

[@SamuelRusu]

Thank you Gianni

[@robertk4444]

Great video. Thank you. I am looking for a video camera with best image stabilization. Maybe now Olympus is such camera.

[@Kopetefish]

I love my E-M1 III and I totally agree with you regarding the add-on grip. You can have a small camera when you want it and get the grip if you need it or want more battery life. Have you had a chance to try the bird detection on the Lumix G9? It's a lot cheaper than the E-M1X and maybe it would make a nice second body?

[@SamuelRusu]

I haven’t got a chance to get my hands on a Panasonic but that is a good idea. Would be nice if I can try one out!

[@MiaogisTeas]

Wait, the HLD-9 works with the E-M1 MIII?

[@SamuelRusu]

Yes

[@TheJcGlobal]

M1 markiii or X-T3

[@SamuelRusu]

Thanks

[@davejsullivan]

You really don't need the background music.

[@SamuelRusu]

Apologies

[@davejsullivan]

@@SamuelRusu Good video- the music was just distracting to me. Keep up the good work!

[@RichMadeKnives]

You never mentioned that the E-M1X has a better viewfinder with higher magnification (0.83x vs 0.74×) and dual UHS-II slots where the Mark III has one slower SD card slot. So there are some actual spec/hardware differences between the cameras.

[@SamuelRusu]

Thank you

[@tonymckeage1028]

Great Camera Vlog, thanks for sharing

[@SamuelRusu]

Thank you

[@davelock3166]

Hi Samuel, I bought the M1x and to be honest, I would be just as happy with the Mk3. The bird focus is hit and miss. I am not totally sold on it. A group cluster would be better, I think. With the development of Olympus cameras, maybe the two processors will be an advantage, if the company utilise them in future image software development? 1200mm is too much with the 2x converter. Particularly over distance. The 1.4 is great, and does not impede image quality, I think. Andy Rouse is achieving stunning images of insects with the 300mm at the moment.

[@SamuelRusu]

It is a nice feature but not a reliable one yet, I think! I still prefer my joystick to move my small focus point around hahah!

[@chetanunindracusin664]

My though I had both of them for me use mk3 for in town but go in the wood must be X /2 fast card slots better balance with long lens 300 or 150-400 but for mk3 40-150and smaller len good luck ps. Brid detected work great with standing brid not moving cluster work the best for flying and mode M auto iso+ pro capture done

[@andy_elliott]

A quick-release L bracket, for me, gives the perfect camera size on my Em1 Mkiii, allowing a firm purchase for my little finger. The one I got on eBay is Arca Swiss compatible and also has a normal tripod thread. Normally I take off the 'L' side vertical attachment.

[@SamuelRusu]

The grip is really good on the M1 Mark III, it can always be enhanced with various options like the L bracket or the battery grip

[@ridealongwithrandy]

BTW, I have the 2x TC and am going to sell it, will only use the 1.4x TC

[@fsi2210]

I own both. I like the X for the battery life and comfort in portrait mode but the III is a better all around camera. Starry sky af and for people face eye af on the III is much better than on the X. I haven't found bird af consistent enough and not being able to change between birds makes it not useful if there are a few birds in a scene..

[@michaelhall2709]

Don’t use all your focus points in your setup and you will be able to select the bird to focus on using the bird AI.

[@oneoldgit]

Adding a battery grip makes the size difference much less.

[@SamuelRusu]

Even with the grip the em1 3 is smaller

[@angelisone]

The Olympus OM-D EM-1X Kim II is coming out in 2025. It will have a much better viewfinder & 40M+ sensor.

[@SamuelRusu]

40MP would be overkill on a M3/4 sensor

[@angelisone]

@@SamuelRusu Only to beginners & amateurs. No one say 20meg sensor is an overkill on those tiny cellphones. For example, they just lied by saying a One Inch sensor when it is not even close of being that.

[@SamuelRusu]

@@angelisone it’s the opposite! Cram lots of MP in a small sensor and low light performance will be even worse

[@angelisone]

@@SamuelRusu You buy a good flash or monolight. It's very common that beginners always want HSS, AF, built-in light meter & don't know or simply can't afford a light.

[@SamuelRusu]

That is true but I’m referring strictly to my type of photography: wildlife

[@raytbrown2]

Nice vid - but you take toooooo long to make a point.

[@SamuelRusu]

It is what it is

[@Jwitherow1964]

I thought this was a lens comparison

[@MikeJones-ue7lu]

I too was disappointed with 2x converter and 40 -150 as the images were too soft. I wanted 300mm for occasional bird photography but couldn’t justify £2000 on one focal length. Eventually I tried the lumix 100-300 mm and it worked a treat being much lighter than Panasonic Leica 100-400 and the image quality difference at 300mm was negligible in my opinion.

[@SamuelRusu]

It is known to lose some quality when using TC. Unfortunately for me it is a bit too much quality

[@Birdmanphotography]

Great video, I will stick with my Canon 5 d. but you did make me thing. never a good thing ;)

[@SamuelRusu]

I had the 5D with 500L hehe still prefer Olympus

[@ridealongwithrandy]

Really not a fair comparison using a 2x TC on the 40-150 vs naked 300 f4. In my experience, the 40-150 is as sharp as the 300. I shoot dual X's for my wildlife, BIF, desert landscapes. I also shoot with Nikon's and challenge anybody to really tell the difference between my X's and the Nikon's. Check my bird album on Flickr using the same handle as youtube. Cheers!

[@opariz1976]

Dear Samuel, in combination of 300mm with mc20 use f13. After denoise it with DXO Prime And sharpen with Topaz Sharpen AI. Or also use DXO PureRAW. You will get razor sharp result. You can see it on my FB page if you want. My name there is Ol Par. Before these helpers And f13 i also was suffering a lot with blurry images. With mc20 And 300mm

[@SamuelRusu]

In uk I probably get 4 days a year so sunny that I could use f13 and then I have to run the photos through a ton of editing software...I understand it is a way to get sharp photos but it’s too much!

[@tonigenes5816]

Just avoid to shoot with 300mm+MC-20 when is hot outside ! When is colder than 20', you will get sharp images at F/8.0. Do not use cheap UV filters in front of the lens. It will also affect IQ when MC-20 is mounted. You do not have to use F/13 to get sharp images. I always shoot wide open (F/8.0) and get good results.

[@richardewlliams9864]

I have a hard time watching reviews once I hear someone say "eye-so" (I S O) We don't say "you-sa" (U S A)? Or do we?

[@SamuelRusu]

We also don’t say “trash” we say “rubbish” :)