Olympus OMD E1 Mk III
Last summer I decided to look into a mirrorless system. I had noticed that I wasn’t photographing my family and documenting our lives like I used to… because my Nikon equipment, while an impressive collection, had grown to be very big and heavy. I’m a camera snob. I want the best. But having the best equipment in the world doesn’t matter if I have to leave it at home because it’s too cumbersome to bring it along. After a lot of research and debate, I decided to purchase an Olympus 4/3 mirrorless system.
After weeks of anticipation it finally arrived on my doorstep…. and I didn’t love it. I found that it wasn’t terribly intuitive. The menu systems were extensive and confusing. Even the dials turned the opposite way of what I was used to. There was definitely a steep learning curve, and I almost returned it. I’m very happy that I stuck it out and kept it.
Because it’s a micro 4/3 system, with a smaller sensor than Nikon’s full frame, what I was most worried about was the low light capability: it’s true that it can’t compare to a full frame at high ISOs. However, the in-body stabilization is one of the best on the market, which allows me to shoot handheld at a slow shutter speed. Noise is usually not a problem, and definitely fixable in post.
Pleased with the low light performance and the noise in this photo of our pup, Nola
The camera itself was small, beautiful and felt good in the hand. Olympus has a fantastic pro lens line-up, of which I’ve acquired quite a few over the course of the year. Not only are they sharp and fast, they are less than half the size and weight of comparable Nikon lenses. My system is small and compact, and the image quality leaves nothing to be desired. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this system professionally, but I still just love my Nikon so much that this will be my personal camera.
So when Olympus announced a new upgraded version of my camera, and I was absolutely not going to buy it. No way. Nope. But maybe I’d just take a quick peek at it anyway. It has a faster auto-focus, and new neat features, like starry night and handheld high resolution imaging, not to mention the built in ND filter. Yep, you guessed it: it was enough of an upgrade for me to trade in the 1.2 for the 1.3. I’ve had for a day and a half, and I haven’t scratched the surface of what it can do, and I’m completely in love. I paired it with the 300mm f4 pro (which is 600mm on a 35mm camera) and together they are a dream team. Tack sharp and fast, just how I like it.
I don’t regret my decision to upgrade at all. This is a great little camera, and I plan on taking full advantage of all it can do.
What camera do you use to document your life, and what do you like/dislike about it? Do you have an actual camera or do you just use your phone?