Cameras, thinking of the om-5

Hi all,

Any om-5 users care to offer their wisdom please.

After a quite a lapse in time from owning a decent camera I am looking at options.

I do not want big and bulky so I am ruling out SLRs. I want it for travelling not cycling, mainly landscape but likely wildlife as well.

At the moment top of my list is the om-5, looks pretty good value with some cashback offers, specification wise the om-5 has some weather protection which is a bonus.

What are people’s thoughts?

I thought similar – my big camera has excellent image quality, bells and whistles and whatnot, but a pain to travel with so left at home except for photo-specific expeditions. i went for the OM-1 but similar rationale to you – small-ish (especially the lenses), weather-sealing, not hideously expensive (as such things go, especially with the current cashback), loads of lenses to choose from on MPB. I also considered Fujifilm XT-5, but the lenses are big and I don’t like the Fujifilm ergonomics (some people love it).

Micro 4 3rds sensor though? Might be fine but why not go for a bigger sensor apsc body. The Fujifilm X-T30 is pretty tiny but the controls will appeal to people with oldskool slr skills. I considered it and was tempted but just a wee bit too pricey. Got a Nikon Z50 instead, partly because the 16-50 kit lens is ridiculously compact. Might be a newer model coming out this year.

True – bigger sensor is good, and more pixels is more pixels. Difference is the lenses. MFT are much smaller rhan Fuji, and there are hardly any DX lenses for the Z50 so then you’re stuck with the full frame lenses.

Yeah, Nikon have a range of only 5 Z DX lenses, and the two kit lenses are amazing for what they are, the other 3 are a bit meh. Luckily there’s a good choice of 3rd party manufacturers eg Viltrox, Sigma, but also the likes of TT Artisans and 7 Artisans doing Z mount APSC lenses… some are MF only and the cheaper stuff is crap… But there’s quite a wide choice when you start looking. I’ve spent a few days just trying to narrow down my next lens choice

Shameless plug – my wife wants me to sell her Olympus E-M10 camera with 14-42 EZ lens. Not much used and a few years older so not worth a lot now.
I also have a Panasonic 100-300 micro 4/3 lens which gives a total range of 28-84 and then 200-600 in 35mm terms.
If you’re after a cheap way into trying out micro 4/3 let me know!

Cheers guys.

@DrJ do you have any particular favourite lenses to reccomend as a starter.

I was thinking the 12-45 f4. There is a 14-150 on cashback deals but 150 strikes me as mighty long for m43.

I’d probably also get a nice fast fixed focal length around the 28mm length.

If you’re looking for compact then the pancake lenses are likely the best option. You can either get little ones with electronic zoom or fixed like the Panasonic 20mm f1.7.
40-150 is largely comparable to 35mm 75-300 lenses, which are too long for normal shooting and not long enough for wildlife in my experience.
The Olympus pro lenses are fantastically made and lovely things but not small – you are heading back close to a standard SLR sized camera with that – also a slight size mismatch with a small body and quite a big stock lens.

I love the m43 system having been a previous canon apsc dslr user.

The lenses are relatively small even for the high end and the controls on the Olympus and now OMD bodies is superb.

I’ve got an Olympus 12-40 f2.8 and a Panasonic 100-300 MK2.  I highly recommend both.

I really wouldn’t be concerned with sensory size differences between m43 and apsc. Lenses, system, size, usability etc.. don’t get enough weight in reviews imo compared to nuisances of sensor performance that are ‘measured’ and overly assessed.

I had the 12-40 f2.8 with my E-M1 and it really is a lovely piece of kit. Not quite sure why you’d go for 12-45 f4 really, although it is a little lighter and smaller.
Panasonic 100-300 also a great lens.
Things may have improved since but if wildlife and particularly birds are your thing then I always struggled with fine autofocus when shooting birds or wildlife in either moving or complicated scenes (eg undergrowth in the way etc) and manual focus options are not at all easy to use.
Have since returned to Canon DSLR and 100-400 L lens and performance for wildlife and insects is incomparably better – but at the expense of size of course.

@DrJ do you have any particular favourite lenses to reccomend as a starter

I’ve gone for the f2.8 pro zoom set but I think there are good affordable alternatives. Check the micro four nerds YouTube channel. She often does lens roundups.

unless you are printing, the pixel count don’t matter so much. The camera thats comfy in your hands, doesnt make you feel self concious, and doesnt burden you (either by weight or fear of taking something so expensive out) will be the one that goes with you more places – and will get the shots.

Some of my best photos were taken when travelling over 20 year ago with what then was one of the first DSLRs plus stock lens, Canon 100-400 L and an ultra wide lens. Think it was 6mp. It was the lens and focus that made the shots. Obviously wouldn’t blow up huge but this is rarely necessary for most of us.

Some lenses half price with SUMMER24GB on the Olympus site. Code ends today.

Olympus em5iii here with the package zoom for travel. Fits in a pocket so easy to take with you. Plenty of m43 lenses available which all fit as standard.

Code ends today. I am going to be sensible and pass on that and hopefully pop in to Manchester this week in to wex or others and have a fondle.

There will be another code along shortly.

Also watch for the OM factory refurb stuff (on their website) – I recently got an older E-M1.3 from this with only 400 shutter counts and looked pristine for £630. Being factory refurb it comes with the standard 2 year OM warranty – which you bump to 2.5 years just by registering.

Hopefully off to have a play and try and resist today.

As for why I might go for the f4 zoom instead of the f2.8, purely price as it is on the cashback deal.

Enjoy the shopping.

I bought an f4 canon L series zoom cos it was a bit cheaper than the f2. 8. Haven’t stopped kicking myself for that decision.

Was that because of  inferior optics or the aperture?