10 Reasons Why Olympus E-M5 Is Awesome For Street Photography

[@vincenttitus5458]

I was planning to buy my VERY FIRST CAMERA in 2024 with a tight budget, and after months of carefully planning and researching, I finally bought the EM-5 thanks to your videos and recommendations. Everything was well put together. Doesn't feel like a 12-year old camera at all. The body has a proper weather sealing, an EVF, and a 5-axis IS that you can't simply get from other camera brands at its price point. Definitely sticking with this camera for a lot of years. Hopefully I could save and buy primes from Olympus. Yet another great video Mr. Wong. Loving your contents!

[@TheFinickySir]

I had the same thought when I bought mine. With all its features, it really doesn't feel like a 12 year old camera.

[@robinwong]

Thanks for the kind words and yes, you do need to get some nice small prime lenses for the E-M5 to match!

[@ccioli]

With your videos you have the ability to put people who watch you in a good mood and make them want to go out and take pictures. You are great!

[@zenlife1200]

Bought mine new in 2014 and we're still a happy partnership 😃 I love the 1.8 primes

[@robinwong]

The F1.8 primes are perfect match for the E-M5!

[@leemoody9247]

I bought one a few weeks back. Great design and really fun camera. So nicely made

[@robinwong]

It is still a great camera today.

[@Don_Cuper]

@@robinwong Los consejos que necesitaba!!!!

[@Hannemanneke]

Thanks for this happy sharing Robin 😀👍 I have the EM10 and it’s a great camera so I guess the EM5 is pretty similar. And yes, a great camera for street photography 🥰

[@robinwong]

E-M10 is newer than E-M5 so it has newer features like silent shutter, Live Composite and Anti-Shock 0 sec (first curtain shutter).

[@Hannemanneke]

@ thanks a lot! 👍 Didn’t know that 😊

[@mattisulanto]

I have to stop watching your photo walks until I have a chance to come back to KL. It looks too nice and I miss nasi lemak as well😀

[@houghwhite411]

@@mattisulanto made me want to visit Petaling too tbh

[@robert_ivkovic74]

Matti, don't be so cruel with yourself... :D

[@lacsarlacsar3566]

nasi lemak is perfect Matti, itll help you gain 1-2 kg more at least :D

[@mattisulanto]

@@lacsarlacsar3566 I'd only eat it twice a week to keep my weight under control😀

[@lacsarlacsar3566]

@@mattisulanto ha, thatd motivate you to do more photowalks after having your weekly nasi lemak 😁

[@johnehman8685]

I still use mine and I’m very happy with it.

[@robinwong]

It is still a fantastic camera today

[@bobjohnson9597]

Bought Mine new, has been all over Asia including Malaysia and the Jungles of the Philippines. Never had any malfunctioning and how small and pro looking. I bought it after watching the camera store dunk it in a lake, then take pictures with it. Lols. Your always smiling and that makes me happy.

[@robinwong]

Thanks Bob appreciate the kind words. Yes, the reliability of Olympus cameras is quite inspiring. But I won't dunk it in the lake though! The most I would do is pour water onto it.

[@kiwigreenflame]

Thanks for that. The E-M5 is on my to-buy list for street work.

[@robinwong]

It is such an awesome camera for street shooting.

[@juliette-mansour]

Hi Robin, I hardly comment here. I usually comment on the live coffee chats instead. However, I wanted to buy you a coffee in appreciation and that's because I was about to sell my EM-5 today. You caught me just in time and reminded me why my quest for a solid M43 EDC street photography should include this camera. I plan to take it around with me over the next few weeks to give it another chance. I think I need to learn a bit more about it since I have very limited experience with the menus. I come from a film/Nikon DSLR/Fufjifilm/Ricoh background. I am very interested in M43 since last year when I bought the GX9. I love the rangefinder form of the GX9 but finding that 1. Olympus image quality feels wonderful to me and 2. I prefer the DSLR style like you!! Thank you!

[@robinwong]

Thanks so much for the support, appreciate it. There isn't much to tinker about using the E-M5. It is a mini DSLR in terms of design, so you get to your settings very quickly from the twin dials, shooting in P, A, S or fully M (manual). I suggest customizing one of the buttons (I use the red record button) for direct ISO shortcut, so I have all the important parameters within my few fingers control. I find the quickest way around the AF is using the touch screen. I understand you may prefer to work with the EVF, even so, it is fairly quick to move the focusing boxes around using the up down left right buttons. Pretty much that is it!

[@mugilandag]

The OG EM-5 was truly the WOW camera back in the day when it was launched. I remember my friend who was shooting DSLR back then, traded for one of these at YL Camera.

[@robinwong]

It was a gamechanger!

[@jimrinaldi8357]

Robin, you rascal! I have this camera and have decided to trade up to the E-M1 Mkii. So I ordered the M1 two days ago with the plan to sell the E-M5 after my new camera arrives. Now you drop this video and it makes me want to keep the E-M5. Oh well, it is only a few hundred dollars. Now I need to add the 25mm lens.... Thanks a lot! Ihope soon to visit KL and buy you that cup of coffee in person. 😊

[@robinwong]

The E-M1 Mark II is a way superior camera in every technical aspect, but the E-M5 original is just smaller, and the tilt screen is such a joy to use for street shooting. I'd get one at a super low price if I can find one.

[@w0lfyovi294]

Excellent work. I never tried the original Oly E-M5 as my first Olympus camera was the Oly E-M5 Mark II.

[@robinwong]

The E-M5 Mark II is definitely a more refined and capable camera overall. However I miss the tilt screen in original E-M5.

[@bastian.michel]

It would be cool to see your editing process. Especially your approach to colors.

[@robinwong]

There is nothing special really. If I did a live stream with post processing, I think people will click away after 10 seconds. Basically, I did not change/adjust the original captured colors.

[@Fuzzypickle69357]

I would love this as well! This is something I really struggle with. Robin’s photos always look amazing!

[@JerimiahHam797]

Do you use OM Studio?

[@michaeleggleston266]

I have newer cameras but the original OMD EM5 is still fun to use. And great value for the price of used models.

[@robinwong]

Especially now, if the price is so cheap in the used market, it is a fantastic deal

[@davidhardy879]

I agree , Robin . The " Form Factor " gives this venerable champion a" Timeless " look . When I hold mine , I feel like I could be holding my old " Pentax ME Super . " film camera ! It just " feels right " in my rather small hands .

[@robinwong]

Yes, the design of the camera is also important, as it inspires us to pick it up and go out to shoot more

[@joecarey7123]

Agreed. I don't have an e-m5, but, if I want to shoot street, I use my old e-m1 for the tilting screen. The IQ and colour science is astonishing in these old models.

[@robinwong]

E-M1 is another marvelous camera from Olympus

[@zoltanvarga1967]

❤❤❤❤❤ My favorite camera! Thanks Robin!👍💯❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@robinwong]

Cheers

[@jongilmour211]

Great camera

[@robinwong]

Indeed it is

[@TheFinickySir]

I recently bought an E-M5 and have been using it as an everyday carry with the 14-42mm pancake lens. I have been using other cameras like my Canon G5 X for street photography, but now you have got me thinking. You are absolutely right. I should be using the E-M5 on the street because it is the best camera I have for that purpose. Thanks Robin!

[@robinwong]

E-M5 is just so awesome, and you will get different results, compared to the G5 X.

[@robert_ivkovic74]

Great video, Robin, thanks a lot! The photo of the shadows at 9:15 is my favorite. I have an OM-D E-M5 Mk II, using it with the very small Pana 12-32 and 35-100 lenses. Looking forward to buy a lightweight prime for lowlight situations.

[@robinwong]

Yeah getting smaller lenses for the E-M5 is the way to go!

[@BikecoffeePalembang]

This is what i need a compact small cam for street photography after a few months using old digicam for street & urban,

[@1957PLATO]

All good reasons and I agree, for street photography a tilt screen is better,

[@robinwong]

Oh yes, give me tilt screen any way

[@YriiPotikhonin1982]

Hi Robin! I watch your inspiring videos all the time! Thanks for the content.I changed Сanon to Olympus OM-D E-M5 mark II))) Now I'm enjoying photography and owning a beautiful camera! Greetings from Russia!

[@maximvasilyev8003]

Few month ago my wife asked me to give her a camera for a trip she planed to take soon. I understood that it is may be not a best idea to give her my E-M1X, so i bought E-M5 original in mint condition for $225. What a nice camera it is! I am in love with it now and when I go for any trip I prefer to take it with me as well. Specifically for that camera I bought few small Olympus lenses (and Panasonic 9mm). Enjoy to have on it OM 20mm f/1.4 Pro and 12-45mm f/4 Pro. Unfortunately many Olympus f/1.8 and Panasonic f/1.7 lenses not weather sealed. From my point of view they should produce weather sealed versions of these great lenses. That will bring much more demand on small weather sealed cameras like Olympus E-M5 line, OM-5 and Panasonic GX8, G85/95.

[@robinwong]

Agreed, I also don't understand why neither Panasonic nor OM System is updating their primes to be weather-sealed. That should be a priority.

[@hawkeyepierce4961]

Got this thing early this year with a grip and a battery grip. I use it often with Panaleica 25mm now, it's fun. The cam is a beauty.

[@robinwong]

That is the thing we miss these days in newer Micro Four Thirds gear - fun!

[@FDMedic78]

I have this model and I have no complaints. I don't use it as much as I would like. I have a lot of cameras. I have a few lenses for this camera. I mainly use it with the Lumix 25mm 1.7.

[@jimtipton8888]

As a Canon R5 owner, I approve this message. I might pick one of these up, just because it would be easy to pack during my day job.

[@azmanntoz]

I use the R5 at work. Impressive images but I have more fun using my Olympus and fujifilm cameras.

[@jimtipton8888]

@@azmanntoz The Fuji XT5 is another I'm intrigued by.

[@robinwong]

Definitely, smaller cameras are just more fun to work with! Easier to carry around too

[@aurupunk]

I was thinking about buying E-M5 III, but it has an articulatung screen. My next thought was M-10 IV, but it has no weather sealing. Oh well... Great videos

[@robinwong]

Get the original E-M5, you won't regret it

[@danthegeetarman]

Great video as always Robin!

[@robinwong]

Thanks

[@ВладимирДемидов-б9в]

I am having OMD E-M5 from 2012 (12 years is too much for digital camera :)) I am amatuer photographer, so I am using my camera not so hard. Now I am thinking about to change my camera for Olympus PEN-F. But it is just emotional desire - PEN-F is so beautiful and has much more possibilities for b/w mode. In other side my E-M5 is working good and I like it. And I can make b/w photos using it (I mean camera jpeg, so I don't like to correct photos on PC). I think your video helps me to make right decision. Thank you for your video, Robin!

[@edzardpiltz6348]

You're absolutely right. I don't know why so many people believe they need the latest and most expensive cameras to take good pictures. I like to shoot street on my e-pl10. The quality was so good, I dumped my Fuji for this😅

[@4mooncheese]

Great little camera. I don't use mine as much as I should as I lean toward the Pen-F for street photography. The E-M5 is definitely a great option for people who want to get into photography.

[@robinwong]

if only the PEN-F has tilt screen, it would have been perfect

[@4mooncheese]

@robinwong I actually prefer the fully articulating screen on the Pen F as I keep it closed for the most part for an EVF only experience. But for the most part I understand why one would prefer the tilt screen as it is less of a hassle.

[@patrickmcfadden1689]

Robin, always enjoy your product reviews. I just came back from 2 weeks in UK, most of my cameras I got used. I picked to take an EM10Miii on this trip and only 4 lenses and worked out great. Don't have the EM5 but almost got one from a pawn shop few weeks ago but there were way too many things broken on it that was not worth the investment and repair cost. The only feature I lack in all my cameras that the EM5 would provide is high res mode but I am not sure I would even use that.

[@robinwong]

The high res mode has a lot of limitations, your subject needs to be perfectly still, you need tripod to use it (hand-held option is not as good as tripod option) and so many other settings limitations, but if you can work around them, it can produce magical results. In real life practical use, quite limited if you ask me so you are not missing out much.

[@robtheaccountant]

Thanks Robin great video

[@leonfourie5717]

Got the OMD EM5 MK3 and like it alot.Small form factor and very light because of the Plastic composite it's made off.

[@robinwong]

I am fine with the plastic construction. I was working as a civil engineer, we were on construction sites. No one ever complained about plastic safety helmets and wished they were metal.

[@leonfourie5717]

Same here.The plastic construction of the camera were never a problem for me.Lots of cameras of other brands were plastic and nobody complained or sometimes not even noticed it.The problem with the tripod mount is mostly user error with very heavy lenses etc.

[@Chris23168]

Wasn't sure which lens to take to Europe. I think you just convinced me which would be easiest!

[@jameshchetwyndjr9739]

Nice shots

[@robinwong]

Thanks

[@christinecoughlan4699]

Thank you Robin👍🏼👌🏼🤝☘🌾🌻🌹, great video 👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼.

[@robinwong]

Cheers

[@alanneilson6811]

Hi Robin I totally agree a great camera for street photography it is go to EDC although usually a slightly wider lens can fit in my work bag and not take up to much space.

[@lacsarlacsar3566]

@@alanneilson6811 the lumix 14mm f2.5 is perfect for that.

[@robinwong]

Yeap, E-M5 is indeed a great everyday carry.

[@KevinBurns]

Great review on the E-M5 Robin...without extra hand grip / battery grip and twinned with say the Pancake 20mm or the 25mm you are using , then you have a great all round street shooter and light weight. I have used the original E-M5 in low light concert events and have been happy with the results with either 12-40 2.8 and 45mm 1.8, sure there might be some grain but nowadays with DxO Photolab you can shoot comfortably at high ISO

[@robinwong]

For concerts I don't mind the noise at all, they add to the organic, natural feeling of the images. Too clean of an image is not necessarily a good thing.

[@jean-gabrielclermont-tonne2475]

Salut Robin. I think that the very best cam for street is the EPL7 with the optionel viewfinder. Because you can change this viewfinder in a huge différent positions. ;))

[@robinwong]

Unfortunately the E-PL7 isn't weather-sealed, and it has 3-Axis IS instead of the more capable 5-Axis IS in the E-M5. Also, I like the twin dials control that allows me to access the important camera parameters more efficiently, compared to the single dial operation on E-PL7. I do think E-PL7 is great for street, I have mentioned this many times on my channel, but E-M5 has its place too.

[@bonjovi1612]

Dear Robin. I’ve finally got my hands on a M10ii. And it’s all your fault! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I’m sooo happy 😆

[@robinwong]

Glad you love the E-M10 Mark II

[@bebek_baik]

My cam!, correct that picture output is very good and easy scrolling dual command dial making taking pictures more faster.

[@robinwong]

Yeah, the images from the E-M5 is still quite good today. Love the twin dials control too

[@joostHut]

Very nice video Robin, I have the Pen EP-5 with vf 4 en OM 20 mm 1,4 for streetphotography.

[@daniel4210]

For me, it’s the e-m10 mark II that feels special and I keep coming back to. Even though it is not weather sealed something makes me always want to pick it up over my e-m5 mark ii that I got on the cheap or even the om5 that I got for free. Never tried the OG e-m5 though.

[@robinwong]

E-M5 Mark II had the swivel screen, which I did not quite like for street photography. I can understand the appeal for video shooters.

[@pictureeyecandy]

Love the one I have.

[@robinwong]

Awesome

[@simonatterbury]

Always wanted one.

[@robinwong]

Go get one! Should be super cheap in used market now

[@sasori-inoshishi]

I also love this camera. But I have large hands, and it's a bit hard to hold so I prefer to use the optional grip. It adds a considerable amount of weight, but I feel it's worth the trade-off.

[@robinwong]

No worries, use the camera any way you like

[@fajaragusSaputra]

I love this topic

[@robinwong]

Cheers

[@d.r.martin6301]

Pop a Lumix 12-32 on your EM5, and you have both a terrific street camera and a great value, as well. I love my EM5.

[@robinwong]

I shoot with primes mostly.

[@seanb480]

E-M5 seems to get more love than the E-M10 (I have Mark II), but I know when I see the praise for the E-M5, its rain-exposed brother is basically the same unit, and slightly smaller. :)

[@ph5740]

Love this video! Robin, what would you say should be the key factors between this and the original EM1 ? Second-hand prices are almost the same on EM5 and EM1

[@robinwong]

E-M1 is newer and has better construction, better AF system, Live Composite, Silent Shutter, a few other features missing from E-M5. However, the E-M5 is smaller, and somehow it does look nicer in my opinion. E-M1 looks more serious and professional.

[@williammoskovitz7772]

Great video !!!! I own an EM10 MarkII and an original EM!. Both stunning little cameras. I noticed in the video that all of the picture were taken at ISO 200. Question... Did you use auto ISO or just set the camera to ISO 200 to take the shots ??

[@robinwong]

I set the cameras to ISO200. Even if you set it to Auto ISO, it will pick ISO200.

[@williammoskovitz7772]

@@robinwong Robin: Thanks so much for answering my question !!!! You have AWESOME videos !!!!!!

[@charliegreen1989]

Looks great for Street, just wish OM Systems would release a Pen-F.

[@robinwong]

Olympus already released a PEN-F. It did not do well unfortunately.

[@jamesdewar9757]

Great video Robin, I picked one of these up a few months back and love it but I’m finding it tricky find the correct firmware updates for it .

[@robinwong]

At the moment of writing this comment, the latest firmware for E-M5 is 2.3, released December 2018.

[@jamesdewar9757]

@ thanks so much for your help 👍

[@jamesdewar9757]

@@robinwong Hi Robin can you suggest where I can download the updates, Thanks again

[@WSS_the_OG]

Oh the venerable OG E-M5. I must pick one of these up because I currently use the E-M10.4 which is not weather proof (but it's pretty great when it's not raining!). Is the IQ of the E-M5.1 better than that of the E-M10.4, or similar enough not to notice? BTW 100% agree about the over-processing of smart phone cameras which is why I prefer to use a "real" camera (but the cell-phone does have its uses). Thanks Robin for another enjoyable video.

[@robinwong]

E-M10 Mark IV is using the PEN-F's 20MP image sensor, which is a tad better than the one used in E-M5 original, but not as good as the 20MP sensor in the E-M1 Mark II (about one stop high ISO/dynamic range advantage, according to DXOMark). E-M5 should give very similar results to the E-M10 Mark IV, unless you really pixel peep.

[@WSS_the_OG]

@@robinwong Thanks for the detailed info Robin.

[@vermis8344]

I bought an app that allowed me to shoot raw on my phone, and couldn't believe the terrible quality of the DNG files! It definitely didn't make me want to ditch my dedicated cameras.

[@MoarenaZ]

I have the E M1mII and the Pen-F and I cannot tell you if there is any difference in dinamic range in my daily photography (in Pen-F the monochrome 2 or the art grainy film II are the best B&W filters I try in any Olympus and Fujifilm cameras!)

[@stuartmcnair6696]

I put the 12mm f/2 on it and fixed focus distance at hyperfocal (

[@robinwong]

Why hyperfocal though, the AF is so good

[@immAginando-or3qx]

Hi, in your opinion which version is better for natural color rendering (skin tones in particular) directly from the camera? The OM-D M5 mkI or the mkII? Thank you for your work which is very useful.

[@ChristopherBonis]

Hey Robin! Beautiful shots, as always. I’m sure you get this question a lot, but I’m just wondering what program you use to process/edit the RAW images? Thanks!

[@robinwong]

Thanks for the kind words. Capture One Pro.

[@henriarmand2301]

robin have u experienced any shutter porblems? Ive recently had this problem and idk how to fix it without spending a hefty fee. Your help is much appreciated

[@numbersix8919]

Still have mine and looking for another in very good condition. Those videocentric screens are awkward at best.

[@robinwong]

Yes, we need more cameras with tilt screen!

[@bigmac7076]

Hi Is the em5 mk3 higher end model compare to em10 mk3?

[@MarcoBeda]

Ciao Robin e grazie per tutti i tuoi contenuti... vorrei chiederti aiuto per due cose su om1 ii. Utilizzando iso auto in modalità manuale la fotocamera va sotto I 200 iso anche se sono impostati come minimo....è normale? Poi vorrei sapere se c'è modo di visualizzare il peaking anche con ottiche manuali. Grazie

[@WobRock]

Very nice video as always! How do this compare to the Om-d 10.2?

[@robinwong]

I believe you are talking about E-M10 Mark II. Short answer - E-M5 has weather-sealing, magnesium alloy (better build), E-M10 Mark II has newer features like updated AF, Live Composite, Silent Shutter, built in flash.

[@WobRock]

@robinwong thank you very much, yes this is the one I currently own but it shows sign of tiredness. So I will better consider other om system to upgrade as getting weather sealed

[@pmcbMadeInIreland]

Great reasons and pics. It’s a magical camera. A little baffled as to why anyone would need anything else at this level. Peerless.

[@robinwong]

Yeah the E-M5 is quite amazing even for today

[@elenapasquini3795]

hello, I would like to know if you think it is a good idea to get this camera as a very first time photographer. I have never used lenses but I want to start and try. It seems so, but really any reassurance and tips on how to use it?

[@deepsudeep]

I have the same camera but it came with the Olympus 12-50mm lens. I never get good images with the zoom so I wonder if its wise to switch to this lens for its compactness..

[@leonfourie5717]

I am sure the optics of the only 25mm f1.8 will render better images.Just need to zoom using your feet.

[@robinwong]

The Olympus 12-50mm is a superb lens. I have made several videos about it, feel free to check them out.

[@silviuavramescu4616]

Hope will OM system suport street photography like wild life 😁

[@robinwong]

Same here

[@Lainer1]

I actually prefer Olympus lenses to the Fuji X lenses. I've owned both systems. Though Dynamic range is much less the lenses really make up for it. I also prefer the colors coming out of Olympus better than Fuji. Even the Ricoh GR has better color to me than Fuji.

[@houghwhite411]

Do you think olympus 25mm f1.8 is bread and butter of EM series?

[@vincenttitus5458]

I think it really depends on what style/function you're into when looking into focal lengths with Micro Four Thirds. I'm not a professional photographer nor a "prime" owner of lenses. However, I do recommend sticking with Olympus lenses paired with Olympus bodies for best compatibility. I saw a forum explaining that using the pancake lens of Panasonic 20mm f1.7 with an Olympus body gives some sort of banding issues.

[@robinwong]

My bread and butter, as I have always mentioned, is the 45mm F1.8.

[@krimke881]

The camera is weather sealed, with the right lens. Also, how long does it last from production date? I haven't seen any tests on that =)

[@robinwong]

There are too many tests on that, what do you mean you have not seen any?

[@fernandofernandes7332]

Portugal esse modelo e de 20 mega pixel

[@takuan650]

Sweet looking camera and I wanted to buy this one many years ago because of its size. When I handled it in the shop I found the ergonomics unacceptable. Tiny buttons in a cramped space, simply horrible. I bought a Pentax K5IIs instead and still use it occasionally.

[@robinwong]

I don't think the ergonomics are "unacceptable". It takes some time to get used to, and once you have, you won't go back to bigger heavier clunkier cameras ever again. No looking back for me.

[@XEXILExXx]

PSA, I've had the camera for a little over a year. It's a great camera, but on my last trip, I lost 100+ photos. I don't know why or how, I looked it up and it's an issue that has affected others but I don't think it's a common one. Just something to think about. Maybe someone can enlighten me as to why. I will probably sell it given that problem.

[@robinwong]

What do you mean you lost 100 photos? The only reason I can think of is a corrupted SD card. If so, that is not a camera problem. That is a storage problem, so different issue to solve altogether.

[@XEXILExXx]

Its possible it could be the SD card, or the camera didn't write to it properly. If you put the SD card in the computer there are more than 100 photos that are black frames, but before and after that section are good photos. @robinwong

[@Steve-b54]

Thank you Robin great video.

[@edzardpiltz6348]

You're absolutely right. I don't know why so many people believe they need the latest and most expensive cameras to take good pictures. I like to shoot street on my e-pl10. The quality was so good, I dumped my Fuji for this😅

[@robinwong]

E-PL10 is so awesome!