UKH

Anyone using an Olympus EM5 (or 5ii) in the hills? How's it going?

I'm looking for a small robust camera with better IQ than my current Sony NEX6 + 16-50 kit lens, for hill walking / occasional mountaineering / landscapes / macro (wild flowers etc) / travel.

Any comments?

I keep posting this when the EM5 comes up as it think its a pretty good insight into what it can and does do in the hands of somebody who knows their stuff:

https://alpineexposures.com/phototips/tips-from-the-pros-which-camera-gear

I’ve got the Em5 as my climbing/work camera and it taken a real beating, it’s been soaking wet, dropped, frozen and generally abused, other than loosing the eye cup and having to ad a dab of glue to a control dial it’s still going strong. Picture quality is good enough to send off to photolibries and it’s small enough to clip to my harness.

Thanks - any lens recommendations?

Depends on which image motif you're after. For travel etc. either a smallish zoom like the 12-40 or a fixed focal like the 17 1.8. I personally do not like their pancake zoom because it moves electrically. Another option is the weatherproof 14-150 for an all in one at a larger size.

I would also have a look at the Panasonic side of M43 both for lenses and cameras. I think the weatherproof 12-60 is quite a perfect match for travel photography ( i wish I owned it) when paired with their current G9-M camera.

The Oly 25mm is a stunner and i rarely use anything else, the Panasonic 20mm makes for a very compact package too.

But as above, depends what you want to do with it.

I'd recommend the Olympus 12-40 for general landscape/travel, the Olympus 9-18 for climbing, scrambling and mountaineering.
The Panasonic 12-32 and 35-100/f4-5.6 can make a great 2 lens travel kit too. 

PS: I'm thinking of selling my E-M10 II  + grip + batteries, PM me if you're interested.

I have the Panasonic 15mm which is a great walkabout lens and makes for a compact set up

i also use the 12-40 Olympus and the Olympus 9-18.

in retrospect I think the 9-18mm with a 45mm prime would be the ideal mountain set up. 

Thats not taking away from the 12-40 it’s opticaly great and tough just I find that the focal length isn’t quite wide enough or long enough and I have the same issue with my full frame camera where I often take the wide zoom and telezoom but leave the midrange zoom or replace it with a 50mm prime

I've got the EM5ii with the 14-150 zoom lens, I have other lenses too but that tends to be the one I take to the mountains, with care the images are very good and you have to work within the limitations of the m4/3 system but I love it.

It lives clipped to my rucksack strap in all but the worst weather and has come with me up lots of alpine climbs including the Dent du Geant.

I have to admit that I own several Olympus film cameras so the look and feel of the EM5ii body felt very familiar to me whereas full frame just feels bloated.

Steve

I've just moved sideways from a big Canon dslr to an EM5 and really love it for taking climbing/mountaineering. It's not that much lighter than my old Canon but way less bulky which is almost more important for me.

I've paired it with the Olympus 9-18 super wide angle for general use and have the cheap 40-150mm zoom for a bit of versatility. 

What case are you using Steve? I've been looking for small one to clip to my rucksack/harness but I've not found anything I like yet.

I've just been to your website - I'm not surprised your camera has taken a beating, playing around on them oil rigs!

Thanks for the info.

Yep. EM5 Mark 2 as a replacement for Nikon high end DSLR kit (via several unsuccessful options from Sony, Fuji etc)  

Shot on the Oly 9-18 f4-5.6 for a while. Awesome compact lens and great for climbing. Hard to get shallow DOF though, obviously. 

Currently on the Panasonic 12-32 pancake which is ridiculously compact and surprising good for its size and price. Camera + body fits in the pocket of a jacket easily and is negligible clipped to a harness.

Case Luca is the Lowe Pro Apex 60 I think. With the 9-18 I had to do a bit of butchering to get a good fit bit with the 12-32 it’s easly big enough.

Only change I’d make is a compact fast prime for better DOF control. I guess something about 50mm FF equivalent. 

Can highly recommend the Panasonic 15mm lens, 30 mm equivlent.

Second the 15 mm. Sometimes the only lens I take.

No case it lives out in the weather!  the camera and lens is fairly well sealed and seems to be able to stand some exposure

I use a peak design capture clamped to my rucksack strap, but I am aware there are other smilar solutions.

Steve

Have been using the Olympus system for a couple of years now, first the em1 and then the em1ii. Have been very pleased with the system for both stills and video.

http://tv.thebmc.co.uk/videos/?channel=sea-cliff-climbing-skills

These films were all made using the mkii apart from the drone footage. Stabilisation is fantastic and the system is hugely robust in terms of weather sealing. My one criticism is low light performance but this is virtually negated by the lightness and small size of the system. 

James

Which lenses do you use James?

Olympus 9-18

olympus 12-40 f2.8

olympus 40-150 (cheap lens due to tiny size and weight)

panasonic 100-300ii

James

I use one. Many people (including me) find the eyecups are easily knocked off and lost if you carry it dangling around your neck on a strap. Genuine replacements are ridiculously expensive. Other than that I've never heard of anyone having trouble with the weathersealing. Mine's been out in winter and had snow all over it with no problems. Lenses - the 12-40 is my standard hillwalking lens but it's a bit big for Via ferrata (especially with the hood).  I use the 17mm f1.8 for that instead. I also carry the cheap 40-150 and 7.5mm fisheye. The 40-150 is a bit slow and non-contrasty once you've used one of the pro lenses but it's so cheap, light and useful. Fisheye is good for tight climbing & VF situations when necessary but the 9-18 may be more useful if you have the cash.

Macro - the 60mm macro is excellent, but bear in mind the 12-40 focusses very close and could be good enough for your needs.

Bear in mind there's potentially a mk3 coming out in the next year, at which point mk1s & 2s may see price drops.

I use an EM1 strapped to rucsac via the tripod screw with 12-40mm attached. I find weight / bulk manageable. Can't speak for the EM5 but obviously will be lighter / smaller. The 12-40 has seen some abuse with no adverse affects and is often the only lens I carry - highly recommend this lens if you can afford it

In reply:

anyone using the hi-res mode on the mk2?

Used it a couple of times, works fine on a stable tripod, but it turned a car going down a country lane into a train    I would only use it on landscapes, but you need a wind-free day or the forest tree-tops all blur, so not something I use much.

Edit - Actually, thinking about it, macro would be a good use of it.