The Olympus OM-D E-M5 MkII. Why This Is My Go-To Camera For Most Uses, Especially For Macro.

[@gaoldias]

I have a Mark I that my wife bought me for my 50th birthday. It's the camera that got me back into photography in a more serious way so I'll never sell it but I do have my eyes open for a Mark II for the extra features that are missing on the Mark I. Nice video, Don.

[@dongummphotography]

Thank you for watching! I have really enjoyed the MkII!

[@chrisbrown6432]

I have a Olympus EM5 mark II and I think it is a fantastic camera. The images it produces are excellent.

[@dongummphotography]

Agreed! Thank you for watching!

[@Armin_alter_Mann]

I love this camera since 2018

[@IvanAgram]

That price was a steal!

[@WSS_the_OG]

These are rugged cameras with good image quality, and that IBIS is a bit of a game changer. My go-to is a step down (in some ways) from your E-M5.2; it's the E-M10.3s. I just love that thing. Even though it's not technically weather proof, I've taken it out on wet hikes and had no issues. It has image quality that I didn't expect (such good colour science, and as long as over-expose very slightly to raw, you can retrieve incredible amounts of detail), and it even manages video rather well. My only complaint is unreliable autofocus which is especially an issue when both my subject and I are moving independently (mostly an issue in video of course). For stills, AF is adequate, but again mostly as long as there's minimal depth movement; a subject moving rapidly towards or away from you is a problem. Phase Detect AF is one of those things that once you have it (which the E-M5.2 and E-M10 series are lacking), you really notice it when it's missing in a camera, almost like IBIS. But even so, unreliable AF (in certain conditions) aside, I really do love these cameras. They're lightweight, tough, and image quality is more than most people would ever need! With Phase Detect AF, these things would be just about perfect. They're quite a bargain. I'm a little nervous about the future of these with the change in ownership. Olympus doesn't exist anymore really (but I'll always call them Olympus), and it's re-branded as OM Systems, a name that has absolutely no ring to it whatsoever, haha. Time will tell if OM continues to provide the same quality at these affordable prices, and has a decent budget for R&D so they can innovate, not just iterate. I'm cautiously optimistic.

[@dongummphotography]

Thanks for watching! I don't shoot much in the way of moving subjects so the AF performance is okay for me. If I shot sports or something I would have to upgrade. I will always know them as Olympus and losing that brand recognition is probably a bad idea.

[@1957PLATO]

My first acquisition in M4/. Indeed a great little camera packed with all kinds of features. Image quality is fantastic. I bought a third party grip for it so that my pinky doesn’t fall off.

[@dongummphotography]

Thanks for watching!

[@alangamble3236]

Hi Don, I’m just revisiting this video as I have just added a near mint EM5 mkii to my MFT camera collection. Mine wasn’t such a great bargain as yours but the shutter count was just 1626, not bad for a camera that’s been around for a few years. I already have the EM5 mkiii and I am now in the throes of comparing. I have managed to get an Olympus hand grip for the Mkii and it certainly improves the handling. Incidentally I also got an Olympus hand grip for the EM10 mkii and that has transformed the handling to be my everyday camera. There are some great camera bargains to be had at the moment for the ‘older cameras’ all still very competent.

[@dongummphotography]

I agree! Some great bargains if you are willing to go back a generation or two and those cameras are still pretty amazing! I guess I need to search out a grip for my EM5 MkII. Thanks for n M watching and commenting!

[@alangamble3236]

@@dongummphotography my Oly 14-42 EZ lens just malfunctioned so I looked for a replacement. I came across an EPL7 being sold with that lens, not much info on the description but I took a chance and bought it for £200 gbp. Well it arrived and I checked the shutter activation….314! It was in mint condition. That left me with a dilemma as I already had an EPL8 which is well used , but I could not afford to keep both. I checked out the specs between both and they are very similar. I have therefore reluctantly decided to sell my EPL8 which has been a great ‘all use’ camera but the shutter count is nearing 12,000. I’m sure there is still a lot of life left in it.

[@dongummphotography]

@@alangamble3236 sounds like you found a great deal plus you'll make some back selling the EPL8! Nice!

[@waynebeaumont3274]

I have the E-M5.3 and use in-camera focus stacking with the 30mm f3.5 macro. I've had pretty good luck doing it hand-held. Doing flower photography, the biggest problem I run into is wind.

[@dongummphotography]

The EM5.2 will also do stacking if you have the latest firmware. Subject movement is always an issue. Thanks for watching!

[@MegaAluchi]

And it is a weather sealed too. I was actually cosidering the Pen E-PL7 but it is not weather sealed as I like to shoot in then snow time sometimes. Thanks for the review

[@dongummphotography]

Thank you for watching!

[@benedictives9559]

Many thanks.

[@RonaldBrown59]

I still have mine, have owned since it first came out. Great video, and thanks for sharing.

[@dongummphotography]

Thanks for watching!

[@chanakarnorsuwan5896]

So good, thanks

[@Tom-yd5lg]

nice video, i have the same one with the Olympus extra Handle with shutter. This thing is great, the Kamera is safer in your Hand but it is not really bigger, try it! Greatings Tom from Germany

[@dongummphotography]

Thanks, I will have to look that up. Thanks for watching and commenting too!

[@smkunder1]

Great video, I have been in and out of M43 twice. I want to go back, but I worry where OM is headed

[@dongummphotography]

I guess that depends on what type of photography you are pursuing. OM Digital Solutions seems to be focusing on the wildlife, birding, and macro interests. That doesn't mean their products are not useful for other uses, but that seems to be where some of their focus is. I guess the question is whether the photography you do is best served by what Olympus is making or if something else would be better. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@ted356]

I just got a very nice used E-M5 Mark I, but I’m already looking for a Mark II. Haven’t even come close to using the Mark I to it’s full ability, but it seems like if I can find a deal like you got, have to get it. 😊

[@dongummphotography]

The MkII has some nice features if you can find one. I like them both however and used a MkI for a long time.

[@user-bh3ew6ii4g]

You should try the focus stacking handheld. Sometimes it doesn't work, but I'm surprised how often it does work, and it works well. I love mine. I can't get my flash to work though :(. maybe it's user error. So I'm looking for tutorials.

[@benauer3431]

The gen ii e-m series are good I have newer cameras with the 20mp sensor but e-10m ii is still my favorite in some ways. Just really nicely constructed and unlike the newer cameras where they crippled the 10 series relative to the 5 and 1 series in terms of the features and menu. it really is just the guts of the e-m5 ii in a different body with smaller evf, tilt screen, and fewer buttons

[@dongummphotography]

Thanks for watching! The EM5 MkII is really a great camera!

[@rmuns1262]

Do you find a big difference between the 20mp sensor and this em-5’s 16mp? I’m worried the resolution is too low for modern day.

[@silviasmucke]

Hi Don, I‘m looking for an Olympus camera for taking pictures of garden birds. Since it’s a hobby only, I want to keep the costs as low as possible while still getting satisfying results. Some people recommend the Olympus OM D E M1 ii. However, isn‘t there an older or even other Olympus camera suitable as well? I mainly capture the birds while they sit on a branch or the feeder. So far, I ‚ve used a Bridge camera and the Sony a6000 with Kit Zoom (however not enough reach). Would appreciate your opinion on this matter. Thank you so much in advance.

[@dongummphotography]

@silviasmucke The EM1 MkII would be a great choice. The EM5 MkII like I have would also be a good option and more affordable. The Olympus cameras are very popular with bird photographers. Their light weight and excellent image stabilization are a big plus, and the Olympus color science will produce beautiful images when shooting colorful birds. You would benefit from a longer focal length lens, something in the 300 to 400 millimeter range, and Olympus has some great options. Remember, with Micro Four Thirds cameras, the effective focal length is double. A 300mm lens on M4/3 is equivalent to a 600mm lens on a full frame camera. This is another reason Olympus cameras are popular with bird and wildlife photographers.

[@silviasmucke]

Thank you very much Don for taking your time to answer my question. You are very kind. Best wishes and greetings from Germany, Silvia

[@sbcwinn]

Many thanks!

[@wikicamara]

I've been using this camera since 2015, and it has proven to be a reliable companion throughout numerous trips and family events. However, one aspect that occasionally disappoints is its autofocus, particularly in dynamic situations like capturing children in motion. I had hoped that subsequent models would match the reliability of the Mark II, making an upgrade worthwhile. Unfortunately, it seems that Olympus/OM System tends to recycle older technology in their newer releases, leaving users like myself concerned about future-proofing and the potential for meaningful firmware updates. This recycling of technology feels like a short-sighted strategy that may ultimately limit the innovation and advancement of their products.

[@dongummphotography]

As I understand it, there have been improvements in the autofocus methodology and other areas. I saw a post today about a new firmware update for the OM1. All that being said, new equipment is a big investment so one should investigate new equipment before buying. I have always been a fan of Olympus cameras but maybe looking at Panasonic Lumix gear might be a consideration.

[@wikicamara]

@@dongummphotography totally agree. Panasonic though has not been well known for good autofocus; they just recently upgraded it to a hybrid solution. I was considering the OM5 but honestly: keeping old menu system, old processor and less sturdy build quality compared to the EM5 MarkII tank it's not worth spending 1.5k.

[@dongummphotography]

@@wikicamara I agree, which is why I just keep using my EM5 MkII.

[@836dmar]

Great video. How about sharing some of your other hobbies. I too have a LOT of interests pulling me in many directions and competing for disposable income.

[@dongummphotography]

I guess my most attended to hobbies in addition to digital photography would include building and repairing stringed musical instruments as well as playing them, wood carving, film photography using vintage cameras and pinhole cameras. I also dabble in dutch oven cooking not to mention making videos for a couple of youtube channels. Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@bigwar5192]

Love all your content, super helpful. You mentioned that you were able to find this body unboxed. Would you mind sharing where you found it? I’m in the market and having a hard time finding a decent model.

[@dongummphotography]

It was just an item listed on ebay, not a store with a supply of them. I just kept searching and watching until I found a good one.

[@bigwar5192]

@@dongummphotography thank you sir! Again love all the content.

[@beameup64]

Great camera, only downside is the flip-out screen (I prefer the E-M1s tilt screen).

[@dongummphotography]

@beameup64 I agree on the screen, except when you are trying to take vertical shots at ground level, then the flip out screen is nice to have

[@test40323]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Is focus stacking like computational photography as in the iPhones? Do you see a merging of technologies?

[@dongummphotography]

I think computational photography is another level. Focusing stacking is a process of taking multiple pictures, each one with the focus advanced slightly and then the images are combined to create an image with great depth of field.

[@PMS1950]

Still trying to master my OM 1 mk 11 with limited success. It has a tendency to expose frames without my permission and I can't discover why! Luckily I'm fortunate in possessing a delightful Pen F, which is an absolute joy and reminds me of my Leica M3 - a camera that accompanied me as a wedding photographer during the 1960s /70s. The Leica had its faults and could be bit of a bug##r to load and so I always had a brace of Minoltas as backup. Thoroughly enjoy your videos, which help to keep me in touch with this 'Brave New world' of digital photography, which has a few positives - I'm sure??

[@dongummphotography]

Thanks for watching! I also used to use M Leicas. I had an M3 and an M4-2. The Pen cameras have a similar feel. This is one of the reasons I like them. Maybe you should have Olympus look at your EM1 MkII to see what is going on.

[@AaronFait]

Hi Don. I have an issue on my EM5 mark II. Basically between shootings when I lay the camera away of the eye it enters a sort of stand-by or sleep mode, the screen goes black and it takes 2-3 seconds to come back. Why is that? I can avoid it only if I keep half-pressing the shoot button. How do I make in between shooting and waking of the camera immediate?? Thanks

[@dongummphotography]

There should be settings for sleep time in the menus. I pressed the menu button, scrolled down to the gears icon. From that menu went to the Disp/spkr/PC menu. From that menu which is menu D, scroll down to the 3rd page and you will find sleep and auto power off setting. Check those. There are also settings for the camera detecting your eye at the viewfinder. If you have the screen turned over to protect it, the camera may be switching to the screen but you can't see it. You can find that on Menu J under EVF Auto Switch

[@AaronFait]

@@dongummphotography will check this and let you know! Thanks! You don’t know how many moments I’m afraid to miss due to this glitch

[@benedictives9559]

Need your input please! My Em5 ii arbitrarily shuts off when in video mode (after 5,10,20 secs) and has become almost unreliable. I am at my wits end. I have cleaned contacts with lens, changed SD cards. I don't know what to do anymore. You know this camera well... any ideas? Thx

[@dongummphotography]

I had an EM5 MkI do that. I ordered new batteries and it quit happening. I can't say that is what is wrong with yours but it is worth trying. Failing that, doing a factory reset might be worth trying.

[@dongummphotography]

Thinking about this, it could also be caused by a bad memory card.

[@d.r.martin6301]

I have the Mk I and like it a lot. But I don't care for the EVF, re. manual focus; rather coarse. It's good to hear the Mk II's is better. But is the EVF clear enough to reliably focus manual lenses?

[@dongummphotography]

Thanks for watching! The focus peaking feature in the MkII makes manual focus easy. Even without it, focus in the new viewfinder is much easier.

[@d.r.martin6301]

@@dongummphotography Thanks, just what I was hoping to hear.

[@Akacoodo]

Hello sir what lens do you use for your camera?

[@dongummphotography]

Thanks for watching, I use a number of lenses including an Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II R, Olympus 40-150mm f4-5.6 R, Olympus 17mm f2.8, Olympus 30mm f3.5 Macro, Panasonic 20mm f1.7, an SLR Magic 8mm f4 and a number of vintage lenses.

[@mumenraider]

Did you happen to have get hands on OM D E Mk1 . Prices are similar to Om 5 mk II . Was confused between them

[@dongummphotography]

I have used the EM5 Mk1 but not the EM1 MkI.

[@Strravigor]

Tanks, is it really better than the em10 mark 2 ?

[@dongummphotography]

@Strravigor the em5 mkii has more features, including weather sealing and focus stacking, among others.

[@Strravigor]

@@dongummphotography is it limited at 30 mn video shooting ?

[@dongummphotography]

@Strravigor to be honest, I don't know. I use mine for video, but I never shoot a scene that long at one time.

[@Strravigor]

@@dongummphotography it is for concert video

[@broekbos]

i have the om5 MkII limited edition Titanium. This camera is beautiful. It's a strong camera, but the door of the battery pack is not strong. I learn some things of this video. I try the flash for making macro photo's. I have also the 60 mm 2.8 macro objectief. I like also the viewfinder. It's beter than the om 1MkII. I have also the om 10 mkII. This camera makes sharp sometimes oversharp photo's. I like the om5mkII the photo's are not to sharp. Maybe this camera makes therefore better photo's then the om5mkIII. The handeling is also better.

[@dongummphotography]

The EM5 is one of my favorite cameras! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@samanimeguy23]

I'd love to get one...but have the MK 1....not happy with the battery though...

[@dongummphotography]

The mark II adds a lot of functionality over the MkI. I am glad I upgraded. Thanks for watching!

[@zayacz123]

It was my 1st Olympus camera. I was convinced I needed one by the late KZbinr, David Thorpe. I now have it, an EM 1 Mark 2, and an OM 1. David, in addition to creating videos, wrote books about Olympus and Panasonic MFT cameras detailing the best settings he discovered. Here’s one of his videos. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHq5gnedp52Gh6s Thank you for sharing your experiences.

[@dongummphotography]

Thanks for watching! I followed David as well and enjoyed his videos.

[@alangamble3236]

I miss David’s brilliant videos and his great sense of humour

[@AbbasBinYounas]

Same here! I myself was hooked on Olympus after having watched enough David Thorpe videos. Rip Mr Thorpe

[@constastar1660]

2m 2.5l w 181E182l

[@constastar1660]

33E34c

[@OutRAjious]

Just got the em5 mk3 finding my way around. I’m going to say these cameras would be great for girls ….. small camera, small hands and i don’t care what anyone calls me for pointing that out… let’s see if I get slammed or banned …)

[@dongummphotography]

It took me a bit to get used to their diminutive size but one I was accustomed to it I really like them. Thanks for watching!

[@NiekkieNick]

Same here! Too many hobbies and no time to work! 😂 Thinking of getting a nice used one!

[@handel1111]

better build quality than mkiii for sure