OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1X Review: The Action Photography Powerhouse

[@colourberry]

I sold my A7R2 and bought the E-M1X last week and absolutely love it. I cant fault it and even though I'm still learning to customise it and learn the muscle memory its effortless out of the box. I honestly think its the best camera on the market. I'm new to M4/3rds and love it.

[@BlaxkNobility]

Olympus does great gear the camera is truly unique in so many ways.

[@edwintam2349]

Wow! One of the rare review videos about the EM1X that acknowledges its supposedly limitations but recognizes its strengths.

[@vistek]

Thanks Edwin! We do our best to examine all aspects of the products we review. Thank you for your support!

[@TL-xw6fh]

This is a very well balanced review. Honest and straightforward assessment of a camera's capabilities, strengths and weaknesses, and I'm not even referring to this specific camera. It is so refreshing to watch this, compared to some of your American cousins who simply exaggerates every small details and rubbishes the camera without really trying. Thank you!

[@vistek]

Thank you t Lim! I do my best to be as balanced and realistic as possible. I also find really polarizing reviews frustrating, so I attempt to steer my reviews into the center, whenever possible. Thank you for your comment & support!

[@DriveLongRoad]

In order to show the true cost of a professional system, you should put together at least one typical set with the 3, 4 or 5 (or more) most important lenses that are always needed in your photo everyday life. A second camera should also be included. Starting with the wide-angle via a portrait lens, a reportage zoom and the long telephoto lenses usual in sports and nature. Then please look at the also always needed accessories such as batteries, charger, converter and whatever else is needed to small stuff. Then take a look at the weight, the volume and the scope and then the price of the whole equipment and compare it with other systems like APS-C or full format. On the bottom line, Olympus will be much better and much cheaper than any other candidate.

[@tkarlmann]

Great Review! Please expand on why you think other cameras are better for Weddings. I am prioritizing minimizing weight & bulk highly. Do you feel you need more resolution, more low light, etc. ? When I compare a low light photo and one taken with flash, well, flash wins every time (done properly). So, I accept that I would need to use flash sooner/more with E-M1x than with FF. Do you have clients that need to cover an entire wall of them cutting the cake, or what? I shoot for the Album.

[@vistek]

Hi tkarlmann - there are no hard and fast rules in this business, which I'm sure you know. However, knowing a good sum of wedding shooters, they all seem to profess the value of a full frame image. Especially on close up and wide shots - to be able to get the creamier bokeh. I don't shoot, and never have shot weddings - so this is purely anecdotal information I get from my friends, but the pattern emerges none the less. Some of them won't even consider APS-C. So - take that whole explanation for what it's worth.

[@gregs4163]

I shoot weddings with m4/3, I shot Nikon FF for years before switching and I am producing just as good if not better results now. There are way more benefits to m4/3 then negatives I don't miss FF at all!

[@tkarlmann]

@@gregs4163 Thank you for your informed reply -- albeit some 5-years later! What do you think about getting an E-M1x, used, for about $770, in 2024 -- for Weddings? I have a pair of OM-1's, but I think I like the Pro _look_ of the E-m1x, the built-in GPS, and the extra programmable buttons -- as well as having another Body. Also, what's up the E-M1x Manual? It's 686 pages long? I LIKE that!

[@palmerino1965]

Teoricamente è esagerata se utilizzassi ottiche fisse compatte, tipo i Zuiko 12mm, 17 o 25mm (splendido il 20mm f:1,4) il 45mm ed il 75mm. Ottimo invece con zoom luminosi od i fissi f:1,2. Inoltre nei matrimoni si scatta spesso in verticale e quindi questa fotocamera, pur un pochino pesante, sicuramente aiuta come ergonomia.

[@sergiodaguru]

Good well balanced review! But why would you still prefer a FF for weddings and landscape? DOF? Megapixel? Dynamic range?

[@vistek]

Hi Sergio, thanks for the great comment! Also a good question - I think it's a matter of personal taste and style. Every choice has a trade off. You can make amazing photos with any sensor size. So much so, that most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference. So it's up to you to decide what system you like the most. Very much a personal choice. Good luck!

[@hankroest6836]

0:40 two QUAD core processors, NOT dual core.

[@geraldundone]

Great video! I liked the pricing roundup. On that topic, though, don't you think it would be a bit more fair to price the a9 with the 70-200 f/4 vs the 2.8GM? I feel like the Olympus lens is more in line with the f/4 version of the Sony lens. Obviously the Sony combo would still be more money, but not quite as much more if you paired it with that cheaper lens. I like the 40-150, but I don't think it's 2.8GM level. What do you think? Also, with the 120p, is it that audio-less in-camera slowmo stuff, or is a true 120p? Seems like each company has a different definition of VFR 120. My gut tells me the highest proper framerate is 60p, but I figured I'd ask you since you actually played with it. 😃👍

[@vistek]

Gah, I need to block you from KZbin comments for uncovering the weaknesses in my process! ;) JK. All good points! Though I did want to keep all lenses at 2.8 to make the closest comparisons. Yes, an f4 sony lens would give you relatively the same DOF as a 2.8 on a MFT - but again, wanting to go with "best they offer" against each other, so people get a general sense of over-all pricing. You could play this game in infinite amount of ways to get an infinite number of response curves. In the end, I had to just choose something to attempt to illustrate my point. As for 120p - it's overcrank & conform. Not a true 120p. 60p is the fastest it will go while capturing audio. Honestly I could have used another week or two to really test out the camera. There were so many questions that I still wanted to answer for myself, but didn't have the chance.

[@geraldundone]

@@vistek Thanks for the answer. Good to know. And yeah, not trying to be overly critical, I think your comparison was valid. It's tough when it comes to M43 lenses, because there is never anything that perfect to compare them with. Bizarre little animals.

[@vistek]

Bizarre little animals indeed!

[@frankfeng2701]

I'd compare the EM1x with A9 with 70-300 G, Fuji X-H1 with 55-200, and most importantly, Panasonic G9 or GH5 with 50-200, to more objectively see if EM1x is fairly priced and spec'ed.

[@Red35Photography]

Nice video and finally one is focus on what the camera can do! To Gerald, Olympus HS (slow mo) is not true 120 and no audio and no CAF. You can record in either FHD at 30p or 60p playback. But nice to have, and I like slow mo and before EM1X, I will have to use my iPhone for that or the over-heating Sony RX100V. Also, totally agreed with your comment on CAF in video, I've seen a huge improvement over my EM1 II the I used to vlog with too. Great to see your sample footage to confirm. My test is rather random on the street in my upcoming vlog, all filmed in the EM1X.

[@PhotoBob]

Great job with this review!

[@geraldbraun6267]

The hi rez will yield increased detail and clarity and allow better printing. What would FF give us? Let's see- how about increased detail and clarity and allow better printing. But the hi rez will not substitute for FF?

[@dannygo4230]

ha ha ..... "I think the camera is metering of the white dome" (such an OBVIOUS back lighting situation, where exposure compensation is needed often with ANY camera system) .... "most of my shots were under exposed" ... I thought the one of the benefit of mirror less cameras is that you can see the image as you are taking the photos (duh :-o).

[@nicholasjohnson2149]

Could you please do your reviews in 4K? All the photos and videos look terrible considering KZbin's 1080p encoding.

[@vistek]

Hi Nicholas - thanks for your comment. I understand fully your point. However, we often produces these videos under extremely tight timelines, and the export time for 4K extends beyond what time we usually have. A video like this can take 8 or more hours to export in 4K and if there is an error or mistake, that's simply too much time for changes and re-export. Also the vast majority of viewers are watching on 1080p monitors, or mobile devices of even less resolution. We do shoot all of these videos in 4K, but then export to 1080. Despite the cacophony of criticisms on the internet, I have yet to see an improvement at the 1080p level when watching a 4K video (at 1080) on youtube - versus a 4K acquired video, uploaded to 1080 with a decent bit-rate. When discussing the resolution power of a camera - particularly video, then I make every effort to upload at 4K, time permitting. Thanks again for your comment, and I hope my explanation answers why a 4K video is not always possible, or necessary.

[@lateralridge]

olympus had this Live ND for long time, Em5mii, just take waterfall in a hires shot. u can simulate it.

[@richardewlliams9864]

This sounds alot like my Lumix G9

[@Stefan1968ful]

Nice camera. Unfortunately equipped with a tiny, tiny sensor and sold at a horribly high price. Not worth, the alternatives in the Full Frame arena are much more attractive.

[@williamblackwell9558]

All the bells and whistles this camera has will not make up for the small sensor with the big price.

[@bobdrawbaugh4207]

No it’s not you it’s Olympus CAF tracking. It never been good doesn’t look like it’s any better in this camera. Disappointing!

[@gregs4163]

This is a known bug and is fixed in the release firmware, he was using pre-release firmware.

[@vreeke777]

Pictures look terrible

[@mirovida66]

You are comparing a f2.8 full frame lens to a f2.8 on a m43. TOTALLY WRONG!!! There is a 2 stop difference in Aperture size between the 2 formats. Find a f5.6 FF lens and then compare the specs and weight difference.

[@gregs4163]

No aperture is aperture regardless of sensor size the only difference is the apparent DOF you still get the light gathering ability.

[@TL-xw6fh]

Just confirms that you have no idea what you are talking about. Do you take any photographs with a camera, of just with your Samsung S4?

[@liborkrupica5686]

F4 on MFT or FF is still F4, You don't change it to F8 because it is a different format. !!!! Yes DOF is another issue but I don't see it as a problem on distant shots, for closeup there is some difference which can be addressed.

[@sergiodaguru]

Well he is right you have to multiply the aperture, Sony has a 70-300 4.5-5.6, which I had when I shot Sony, it’s not at the same level as The Olympus. It is soft over 200mm, the barbell extends when zoomed out and the IQ is sharper and more pleasing in the Olympus

[@arkon6084]

Pro cameras don't have these problems...

[@TL-xw6fh]

Really???? Please explain.