Olympus' OM-D E-M1 has been one of our favorite mirrorless cameras since its introduction in 2013. It impressed us with its build quality, image quality, ridiculous amount of manual control (that's a compliment) and boatload of features.
Three years later, it's still very competitive.
To say that Olympus has topped itself with the E-M1 Mark II is an understatement. The company told us that this camera was overdeveloped, and it shows. Its blazing dual quad-core processors allow for 60 fps burst shooting (18 fps w/continuous autofocus) and ridiculously fast image playback. Combine that with one of the most advanced autofocus systems we've seen and 5-axis in-body image stabilization – along with what made the original so impressive – and the Mark II is a force to be reckoned with.
One thing about the Mark II that makes us pause is its price. Its MSRP of $2000 is higher than that of Nikon's D500 and full-frame D750 (both are $1800), and the Mark II's Four Thirds sensor is small in comparison to the D500 and other APS-C cameras and tiny versus full-framers.
Key Specifications
20MP Live MOS sensor
5-axis in-body image stabilization system
121-pt hybrid AF system
60 fps burst shooting (18 fps with continuous AF)
Fully articulating 3" LCD display
High-res electronic viewfinder
Cinema (DCI) and UHD 4K video
50MP High-Res Shot mode
Weather-sealed body
USB 3 (Type-C)
Compared to Olympus E-M1 and Nikon D500
We are including the D500 here since it's target audience is in the same vein: those who want high-speed shooting and an advanced AF system. As mentioned above, they both have a similar MSRP.
Olympus E-M1 II
Olympus E-M1
Nikon D500
Sensor
20MP Four Thirds
16MP Four Thirds
21MP APS-C
ISO range (expanded)
64-25,600
100-25,600
50-1,640,000
Image stabilization
In-body (up to 5. 5 stops*)
In-body (up to 4 stops)
Lens only
Autofocus system
121-point hybrid
81-point hybrid
153-pt phase-detect
Burst mode (electronic)
60 fps (AF-S)
18 fps (AF-C)
11 fps (AF-S)
N/A
Burst mode (mechanical)
15 fps (AF-S)
10 fps (AF-C)
10 fps (AF-S, no IS)
6. 5 fps (AF-C, no IS)
10 fps
LCD
3" fully articulating touchscreen
3" tilting touchscreen
3. 2" tilting touchscreen
Viewfinder
2. 36M-dot EVF (0. 74x equiv. mag)
Optical
(0. 67x equiv. mag)
Flash
GN 9. 1 external
GN 7 external
None
Video capture
DCI/UHD 4K (237Mbps)
1080/30p (24Mbps)
UHD 4K (144Mbps)
Video output
4:2:2 over HDMI
N/A
4:2:2 over HDMI
I/O ports
Headphone, mic, remote, flash sync, USB 3, HDMI
Mic, remote, USB, HDMI
Headphone, mic, remote, flash sync, USB 3, HDMI
Storage
Dual SD (UHS-II/UHS-I)
SD (UHS-I)
SD + XQD
Wireless
Yes
Yes
Yes, with Bluetooth and NFC
Weather-sealed
Yes
Yes
Yes
Battery life (CIPA)
440 shots
350 shots
1,240 shots
Dimensions
134 x 91 x 69mm
130 x 94 x 63mm
147 x 115 x 81mm
Weight (CIPA)
574g
497g
760g
* 6. 5 stops with Olympus 12-100mm lens
Accessories
$(document). ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({"containerId":"embeddedSampleGallery_5394800926","galleryId":"5394800926","isEmbeddedWidget":true,"standalone":false,"selectedImageIndex":0,"startInCommentsView":false,"isMobile":false}) });
At the time of its launch Olympus also debuted a number of accessories to go along with the E-M1 Mark II. The one most people will likely purchase is the HLD-9 battery grip ($249), which doubles battery life and offers two control dials and two custom buttons. It also features a DC-in jack, so the battery can be charged right inside the grip via an outrageously priced AC adapter.
Also available is the powerful FL-900R external flash ($299), which has a guide number of 58m, built-in video lamp, wireless control and the ability to fire at 10 fps. The STF-8 Macro Flash Set ($479) has fully adjustable (and removable) left and right flashes, manual control down to 1/128 power and support for focus stacking. Both of these flashes are weather-sealed.
For those who want to take the camera underwater there's the PT-EP14 housing ($1299). It works down to 65m/196ft and numerous brackets, weights and arms are available. Naturally, you'll need a housing for whatever lens you attach.
. dpreview.com2016-11-24 18:13
