omd em1

Using Four Thirds lenses with the Olympus OM-D E-M1: When are they suitable?

27/06/2014 By Mathieu

With the release of the flagship OM-D E-M1, Olympus put a definitive end to its Four Thirds DSLR line and a stop to rumours predicting a new model, the E-7. The main reason is because the E-M1 and its new autofocus system is capable of handling both MFT and FT lenses. As such, the company decided to take a risk and pour all its efforts into the MFT system.

I had the chance to briefly test the E-M1’s AF capabilities with the Zuiko lenses last year at Castle Leslie and my first impression was positive.

A Black & White Walk in the Mountains with the Olympus OM-D E-M1

08/04/2014 By Mathieu

Last weekend we spent Sunday afternoon in Mont Avic in the Valle d’Aosta region for our first “spring walk” in the Alps. It was my first real break after more than a month of non-stop work. That bit of fresh air and silence was exactly what I needed.

It was a little bit too early for coloured landscapes and nature shots. Snow was still present and the sky was cloudy for most of the day. As such I thought it would be an interesting opportunity to shoot in black and white and try the E-M1 JPGs in monochrome.

Hands-On with the Olympus OM-D E-M1: Autofocus with Four Thirds & Lumix lenses

22/09/2013 By Mathieu

Our OM-D E-M1 hands-on coverage:

Low-light performance – Olympus Europe interview – M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro lens – Autofocus

The new Olympus OM-D E-M1 represents a fusion of two distinct systems: Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds. Olympus did develop a new Four Thirds DSLR, the E-7, but then decided to drop the project when they realised they could incorporate the best parts of both systems into one single camera. The body remains compact but includes all the features we professionals need, and works seemlessly with all Olympus Zuiko and M.Zuiko lenses.

The New OM-D E-M1: Olympus’ Biggest Announcement of the Year

10/09/2013 By Heather

The secret was originally leaked when a hidden link to an unreleased Engadget video file was discovered, but now it’s become official: the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 is real and ready to hit stores in early October. Not only, but a new M.Zuiko PRO 12-40mm f/2.8 zoom will accompany its release, and a 40-150mm f/2.8 will follow in 2014.

Looking at the official specs, the new OM-D will be a beautiful mix between the previous OM-D E-M5 and the new Pen E-P5, seasoned with a few new features of its own.

Will the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 be the best MFT camera ever?

19/08/2013 By Mathieu

Update: 43rumors has posted some new pictures of the E-M1 with the new 12-40mm f/2.8 lens attached. I have to say that I like the design more now that I can see the body+lens combo. It looks very solid and well-built. We can clearly see now two Fn buttons in addition to the toggle on the rear. There is also a burst/HDR button and an AF area mode button on the top left of the camera. I can’t help but wonder if Olympus will release a black/silver version as well. The tech geek dreamer inside of me would have preferred a new version of the two f/2 constant aperture zoom lenses Olympus had for the Four Thirds DSLR system. It would have been a much more interesting alternative to the two f/2.8 Lumix zoom lenses and would also have attracted more professionals. It is probably something to do with Olympus trying to keep the lenses small enough for the body. Not only, but they are probably harder to design for the MFT system as well.

I wasn’t planning to write about the rumored OM-D E-M1 until the release became official, but then something unexpected happened yesterday. A video about a pre-production model of the new E-M1 that wasn’t supposed to be published was leaked from the Engadget website. In the video, an American representative from Olympus explains in great detail some of the new features and gives us an up-close look at the new camera.