Olympus OM-1 vs Panasonic G9 II - Which MFT camera for wildlife photography?

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

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[@erikwinberg809]

Fabian: Thank you for the comparison. I currently shoot the G9 ii and wanted to both confirm some of your points, and add some others. I've looked strongly at the OM 1, but was already invested in Panny glass, decided to stay with the G9 ii. 1. Buffer: G9 ii has an very deep buffer, but it is so so slow to clear. When you first encounter it you wonder if if your sd card has gone wrong. 2. Foreground-focus/Background-Focus: I've set my front buttons up the same way and it works well, especially when doing birds in foliage (Bird on Branch) 3. Power on Time: Extremely slow, especially if the camera has been sitting for a while (overnight). 4. Rear control dial on top deck: this dial is susceptible to rotating with the slightest touch. When I first heard reviewers mention it, I dismissed it, but it happens to me all the time. 5. Mixing Oly/Panny bodies and lenses: There was a lot of discussion on this back in 2018/19 when I first got into m43 gear. From what I recall Oly plays better with Panny glass than Panny with Oly glass. I've stayed with panny because I'm invested in their glass catalog, but wonder if its worth going over to an OM1 w/the 300 f4 pro. 6. Initial focus acquisition: I run a nikon d500 on the side, and it is very fast to initially acquire. G9 ii took some experimentation. Eventually I settled on setting my C2 custom to Animal/Bird, Body only, "One Area" (the variable sized square). It improved my keeper rate over the other settings I tried. It still doesn't quite match the d500, but its now consistent and predictable. 7. Subject in Cover: For birds in trees or bushes, where there are twigs, leaves in front of the subject the G9 ii will sometimes give a false "green" focus box confirming focus around the subject, but actually be focused on the twig in front or the leave in back (ever so slightly). Also the focus seems to continuously re calculate, changing the point of focus slightly. I've set my C1 for BOB using back button focus, a smaller one-area, animal/bird w/eye detect. If it gets eye lock, then its generally in focus. If not I revert back to my d500 ways and leverage the Back Button focus to walk the focus point onto something thats on the same focal plane as the subject. 8. Battery Life: it is shortish. I generally change out when I get to 2 bars because the battery collapses quickly after that. 9. Raw File Size: the raws generally run 40 Mb per file--I've looked, but have not found a setting for lossless compressed format. This slows down data transfer, processing, and hogs disk space. Not sure what the OM files look like. For all the negatives above, I have come to like and appreciate the G9 ii. Its as ugly as sin relative the sexy G9 i, but its functional. I miss my top panel LED showing me all my settings at a glance. The cluster of AF controls that you can reach with your thumb is nice, as are the buttons at the top with direct access to iso/wb/and ev adjustments. As you pointed out the third wheel on the back is nice. I've set the video start button on the top deck to access metering modes. As you noted, you can decouple AF from AE by using back button for AF, but I haven't looked to see if you can decouple AE from the shutter button. (I believe the OM1 has separate buttons for both AF and AE, which is nice) I've recently started experimenting shooting iso's above 3200, and have found in balance that shooting higher shutter speeds with accompanying higher ISO's give me better photos than artificially limiting the ISO to 3200 and either shooting a lower shutter, or under exposing the frame. I run DXO Photolab, which has great noise reduction, which you can "depower" in the advanced settings. If I was starting in bird photography completely new, with no video needs, I'd probably buy the OM1 mk i or ii.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, that’s very valuable

[@tommym6248]

I have a G9 as well and turned on “AF+MF Assist.” If the AF is focusing on something other than what I want it to when I half press the shutter, turning the MF ring will override the AF while punching in so I can adjust focus before the full press of the shutter. By the way, is the G9ii shutter button as over-sensitive as the one on the G9? I have several different cameras and I always will get a few misfires after switching back to the G9 before I retrain my finger. 😂

[@eelco6587]

Hi Fabian, Thanks for the comparison I have both the G9II and the OM-1MKII. With the OM-1 MK1 I struggled with AF a lot in video and also some situations like dense areas with tree branches. First I traded one of my OM-1's for the G9II mainly for video and also for some other features. What I noticed is the huge differences in raw file size. I even looked for the average file size of the Z8. Those 40mpx are even half the size of the Panasonic. This is the main reason the buffer struggles I think. Besides they probably didn't implement the quickest writing hardware in the G9II. I really hope they will find a way to apply some compression to the files without noticeable degradation. Because of the negative hype after the unexpected introduction of the OM1II, I was a bit sceptical if I would upgrade. After the camera vendor told me that the difference in AF was significant as he was able to test it before it was available. I got curious. As I own the 150-400mm I wanted the best AF performance available. So I eventually decided to upgrade. For me this was a worthy upgrade. The AF accuracy, speed and consistency is so much improved even at longer distance. Also in video AF is similar or better than the G9II. Something that was unthinkable with MKI. Some time before I considered moving to the Z8 and 800mm f6.3 for better AF. Eventually I am happy I didn’t had to switch systems and don’t feel any urge for it anymore.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Happy to hear that you enjoy your equipment

[@brucegraner5901]

Thanks for taking the time to do a comparison on these MFT cameras. The original Lumix G9 (OG9:) was greatly improved with its 2.4 firmware upgrade so I wouldn't be surprised to see similar advances with the G9 Mk2. As for the OM-1, it's probably responsible for many photographers giving the format a second look and I appreciate you doing the same.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks

[@guyracine7998]

Hi Fabian. Great comparison. I hesitated between the two and I bought the OM-1. Your video confirms I made the right choice for what I consider important. Thank you!

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks

[@veritas932]

one of the best review I've seen. You've talked in depth about the parameters that matters to me. I don't see this level of comparison in other reviews. Gave you a thumbs up and subscribed.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks

[@CostasKletsides]

Thank you for the detailed comparison. Great job!

[@Emerald_City_]

This is your first video I just watched, and I hurry to get my impressions over to you (I am not an expert videographer by any means but a lifelong media critic). Very nice! Very promising. From the very first moment on one feels that you have a lot of field experience and that's persuasive. Everything is clear laid out and methodical as you would expect from a German reviewer, but for that your charm and command of English are way above average so watching feels as a nice flow and not crowded or chocking with info. You've picked the right things to elaborate on. I'm sure it will only get better in the future. Two things that I missed (and would be a breeze for you to 'correct' the next time I guess) are more samples and a more outspoken conclusion,. It kind of hangs in the end. I'll certainly be coming back and enjoy your work!

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks a lot for your kind words and the feedback

[@tonigenes5816]

Nice comparison, Fabian ! Well done. Also good to know that banding issue is fixed or at least better with PureRaw 4.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks

[@2epete]

It’s refreshing seeing a fair comparison of m43 top cameras, although you’ll probably find the OM-1 Mk II addresses a few of you complaints with the Mk 1 making it the top m43 for still images. However, the G9II is still clearly the superior camera for video, OM/Olympus have never given the same attention to video features that Panasonic does. BTW, I found your Channel researching FF / APS-C for birding to see how it would compare to my Olympus gear, and you’ve provided a wealth of useful information! You’ve now got a loyal subscriber…

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@przybylskipawel]

@18:00 you are correct. OM-1 has probably the slowest of all the stacked sensors (8ms) whereas G9II together with Canon R6 II has probably the fastest non-stacked sensors.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks for confirming!

[@emudojo]

this was very detail and informative, I think the G9 might be the better option for me given I own mostly Panasonic glass and I want to shoot more video

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks and have fun!

[@Auvidor]

Did you use a V90 sd card in the G9-II? I know they are expensive, but it might make the whole process of emptying the buffer a whole lot faster. There are cheaper sd-cards with fancy speeds, but they all have moments where they slow down. Only V90 cards keep writing very fast without any breaks.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Good point. It was the fastest card I had, but it seems to be only a V60

[@przybylskipawel]

@22:00 Actually you can shoot 5.7K in 60p on G9II and you don't need external recording. G9II mops the floor with OM-1 in terms of video features.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Ah, I missed that. Thanks for mentioning

[@mondujar279]

Very good video. I have an OM1 and will also get the G9 mk ii for my wife. My problem is what tele lens to he with the G9. The 100-400 is a choice but I had one once before and I found it soft

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I liked the 300/4 Pro

[@narinthip3058]

Very nice comparison and very informative. Good job!

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks!

[@robb8773]

Did you test the OM-1 Mark I or II? It is more fair to test the Mark II of each brand....

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

The original OM-1 is already more expensive than the G9 II. Hence I‘m not sure if a comparison with the even more expensive OM-1 II would be fair

[@Travelingseniors-xt9yh]

For me when you may get one opportunity to shoot a "lifer", acquisition speed is THE most important requirement. OM1 is supposed to get a firmware upgrade soon so may help with tracking which would be great. Having said that with the fast frame rate I can usually have lots of images to choose from.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I hope the firmware update helps. The OM-1 II is significantly better

[@1UpBebop]

I tested the OM1 and loved it for photos... But I bought the G9II for its insane video quality. I really, really want OM Systems to throw the OM1 sensor into a more affordable/smaller body. It would be my dream to have the OM1 sensor in like the OM5 body. Much like what Sony does with the A7IV/A7C series, OM should give us a more compact and cheaper alternative to get that awesome sensor. It would become my every day carry immediately!

[@federicoalberto66]

Good comparison. Very objective indeed. Missed a reference to ProCapture and to 120fps pre focus shooting with electronic shutter using the OM-1. Does the G9II match these features?

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

The 120 fps are not with AF-C so for my situations almost useless. But both offer a preburst with af-c at a slower speed

[@moisescugat3948]

Hi Fabian. Several things. A double click in the screen of the om1 activates zoom. Another thing is that the dynamic range can be heavily different between mechanical shutter and electronic. And you didn’t test the electronic which would be the most used for birds. And… you obviously know that there is a new OM1 Mark2 with a BIG focusing and buffer improvement (among other things)

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks! It’s still not as nice as the normal two finger gesture, but it’s a workaround. I know now camera where the dynamic range is HIGHER in the electronic shutter, so I guess the test is fine. And yes, I do know about the Om1 Ii. But even the original om1 is already significantly more expensive than the panasonic g9 ii, so the om1 ii would not be a good comparison in my opinion

[@mirkoregina8733]

I have a pen-f but I would like to replace it with a definitive M43 mirrorless used for travel and family in addition to a professional all-round camera also valid for low light ceremonies...I'm undecided between om-1II or gh7...+ Em- 10 mIV instead of pen-f. What do you recommend?

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Hmm from the cameras you listed I have only used the OM-1 II, so it’s hard to give a recommendation

[@DmitryBrodsky007]

What I found with OM1 and 100-400 and especially 40-150/2.8 with and without 1.4TC is that it finds the bird instantly, often faster than Canon or Sony A1 would, so that part is exciting. However, bird tracking once the bird is on the move is another question, it goes in and out for focus often, but that’s been Olympus behavior for a long time. I use bird recognition mode. With that in mind, with 25-50fps, you still get respectable number of keepers. But whether one prefers a camera that finds the bird instantly but then does not track well, or a camera that may struggle to find a bird but once it does, it is attached to the bird and you are sure you will get amazing results of BIF, that’s a choice. I was shooting hummingbirds with my Canon R8 over the weekend, and on a very busy background with hummingbirds being so small, R8 would often struggle to find the bird that was flying and I missed a lot of shots, but when it found it, it stuck to it and you get shot after shot in focus. I have not tried Nikons after original Z6/Z7 so I don’t know how they would behave in similar conditions.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks for sharing your experiences

[@dkvinez]

Great review! Any chance you’re going to review the Fuji X-H2S, especially regarding its autofocus capabilities? It seems it might be an interesting alternative.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I don’t have access to a fuji at the moment

[@henrikw377]

Great video and comparison, thanks! The EVF blackout of the G9II is an absolute dealbreaker for me, and I don't know how they aim to fix it with a non-stacked sensor. What a shame, so much potential otherwise.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks! Let’s hope they manage to fix the EVF lag

[@henrikw377]

@@FabianFoppNaturephotography But how? I mean, I know you're not the camera engineer, but how do they fix it with a non-stacked sensor when you only get actual black-out free shooting on stacked sensors? It's better than Panasonic is honest with what can and can't be done rather than lie and overpromise...

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Ah sorry! I talked about the lag. I can live with the blackout (even though it’s not ideal) but the evf-lag is a nightmare and they mentioned that they are working on a fix

[@henrikw377]

@@FabianFoppNaturephotography and I'm an idiot as I also meant the lag :D OK, let's hope for the best. I read some statements that the lag is only there in 120 fps on the evf and that it's fine in 60 fps. If they fix the lag, this could be a stills contender to the OM-1.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I actually never tried the 60fps mode

[@PaleHROse]

Nice work

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks

[@gozoomdaddy]

Funny another video comparing to FF I say must be pretty good if we have to reference FF throughout the video !

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

It’s always nice to keep a perspective and reference

[@CZOV]

Thanks.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

😊

[@BronzeHarbour]

I am happy Nikon FF shooter. Not sure why I keep seeing these MFT videos, somehow these cameras are so attractive. Noticed you also use both MFT and FF, is there a main reason?

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

The MFT was just for testing. I prefer fullframe

[@BronzeHarbour]

@@FabianFoppNaturephotography would you work professionally with MFT, or the preference for FF has a different reason?

[@jrschwaller]

Surprised you found G9ii would not take any more images after the initial 200. I have found that releasing shutter and repressing allow more images to be taken…until buffer is again full…at full FPS, not ‘trickle’ rate. Wait short time, redo…another burst available.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Maybe my v60 card was a bit too slow

[@letni9506]

I prefer many things the Panasonic offers but for bird photography the OM 1 just goes better with the 300 F4 +tc and that's my favourite combo.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Enjoy

[@dasaen]

I think the advantage of panasonic is on the budget gear. It really gets the gold medal of stabilization there, considering that it’s a decent hybrid camera, it really is hard to beat the price. I don’t think I’ll upgrade from the original g9, but definitely will if they do a gh that has something like 30mp 😂 poor mft lenses are put to the test at that resolution.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I found the stabilisation of the om-1 or my canon gear better

[@dasaen]

@@FabianFoppNaturephotography I meant on the entry level lenses, most panasonic lenses in the 150-400usd range have dual IS, OM system has it better with the pro ones but just not in the budget lenses. I’m glad to hear that about canon, been saving up for a canon RP (or r50? I forget which one is their entry level full frame with ibis xD) for landscapes.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

The RP lacks IBIS, so from my experience it’s rather on par with the G9 II and 200/2.8. but Canon with IBIS (eg R5 + RF100-500) are clearly superior

[@Luka_Film]

Меню и настройки фото и видео ртделені друг от друга в Олимпусе и есть рычаг переключения.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Where is this switch lever?

[@ulflundh5813]

Very good 👍

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks

[@tkarlmann]

OM-1 all the way!

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I hope you are happy with it

[@tkarlmann]

@@FabianFoppNaturephotography Why wouldn't I be?

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I don’t know. I know many people that are happy with it, I just hope you enjoy yours as well 😊

[@dannyvayner]

The only thing I wish is that my OM-1 would have power on/off switch on a right side. Everything else pleases me so far.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Luckily that’s nothing major

[@_systemd]

you can map it there w the function lever. works well for me tho originally i was worried to loose the previous functionality. i dont need it. possibly see peter bambousek's pdf guide for om-1 setup.

[@aleksivahapassi]

I tried the om1 in hand and the ergonomics were horrible. Also the front dial was super stucky / not smooth. G9ii all the way.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I also preferred the dials of the G9 ii

[@stefanostefani4273]

Om1 Is the best ergonomics and much more. And now, Om1 II Is the perfect camera.

[@esterix101]

@@stefanostefani4273 lol only if you have 150 - 400 PRO lens else any cheaper system will blow IQ out of om1 earth. Every photo gallery, including om1 photos are horrible.

[@stefanostefani4273]

@@esterix101 hahaha so you look at photo galleries to judge a cam? ok, good

[@esterix101]

@@stefanostefani4273 lol, point of cameras is to make amazing photos. Not to brag how much you spent on camera body. No one use OM1 for real. Only hobbiest like you who think it's sharp and amazing

[@gregm6894]

The problem is that this is a comparison between the latest Panasonic 'flagship', but not OM System's latest 'flagship'.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

No but the OM-1 II is much more expensive. Therefore this seemed fairer to me. But maybe the perfect comparison doesn’t exist

[@GeorgeSazo]

OM1 mk2 is a true flagship in micro 4/3. There is no Panasonic that can come close.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I‘m working on a OM-1 II review

[@macwestcanon]

why are these bodies so big? whats the point of small sensor if no size difference ?

[@JoeMaranophotography]

Try wildlife or action photography with a tiny body or try recording 4k at 120fps with a tiny camera....these two cameras are their flagship cameras, if you want small and light you need the flagships to arrive and then the tech to filter down to the smaller bodies :) The advantage is in the lenses.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I don’t like tiny cameras with big lenses

[@macwestcanon]

@@FabianFoppNaturephotography no just tiny sensors. lol

[@paulplus3830]

Well, in case of the Pana, it's probably cost reasons, because it's the body of the full frame Pana as well. Benefits are, that you have plenty of space for sensor shift stabilization and the camera will not overheat easily when filming. The smaller sensor will also result in way smaller lenses and so I personally don't mind or care about the body size.

[@letni9506]

It's a camera for people who most likely have a smaller everyday body but want a more feature packed, high spec m43 camera too Often to use with the bigger lenses like the 40-150 2.8 or the big telephoto lenses. I don't think this will be the only body most people own. It's good to have a choice. Much like full frame cameras, as you up the specs they get bigger. Z5 Vs Z9 for example.

[@davidlawrence7540]

Just double tap on the screen to zoom in on the OM-1.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks! Still no workaround for the menu unfortunately

[@ViktorSv-fc1gf]

The selection is simple - if you already have Panasonic lenses, you should buy Panasonic camera body. If you have Olympus lenses, you should buy Olympus camera body. If you have a mix of lenses from both makers, you should get both camera bodies, Panasonic and Olympus. If you have no lenses, do not buy any, use your smartphone instead. 😂

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I don’t think a smartphone can compete with these cameras and lenses 😉

[@ViktorSv-fc1gf]

@@FabianFoppNaturephotography Correct. However as I said, professional and enthusiast photographers already have an equipment and should make their selection based on what they have (as you know, the IS in Olympus lenses wont synchronize with IS in Panasonic bodies and vise-versa, and not native lenses may have performance and many other issues). However if photographers do not have any equipment, they are not professionals or enthusiast photographers, and they should not buy any of those cameras, should use their phone instead. If they realized at some moment that phone is not enough, and they decide to progress to the next level, they should not enter micro 4/3 world (it is lovely, but dead-end system), rather should buy full frame cameras.

[@clausmannsperger4432]

G9ii is too big. The om 1 fits Perfect in hands

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I guess that’s personal preference 😊

[@Luka_Film]

Olympus RIP

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

It’s OM-System now

[@alangibson3293]

The answer to this question is whichever you want to use. All dependent on the user. The camera is just a tool.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Sure, but it makes sense to pick to one to fit your needs best.