By contributing editor Chuck Fadely in New York:
PhotoPlus Expo 2013: Olympus OM-D E-M1 micro four thirds camera has in-body stabilization from Chuck Fadely on Vimeo.
Updated with frame rate and lack of peaking in movie mode.
If still photos are still a priority and you’re looking to lighten your load, there are a number of new choices this year. The Sony A7, Panasonic GX7, and the Olympus OM-D E-M1 all promise a kinder, gentler, and lighter load on your back.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 has generated a lot of favorable reports from pro photographers we’ve talked to. It’s built pro tough, it’s small, light, and ergonomically good, and it shoots great still images. We stopped by the Olympus booth at PhotoPlus Expo in New York to see what they’ve done with the video parts of the camera – an area in which Olympus has lagged behind competitors.
The OM-D E-M1 has in-body, multi-axis image stabilization they say works in movie mode. This means you get stabilization with any lens you can adapt to the body. They’ve finally put in a mic jack with limited controls, and they have focus peaking, but it doesn’t work in movie mode! And they only have one video frame rate: 30p. So they’ve definitely upped their game in the video department but still have a long way to go.
Olympus have a number of killer lenses for the micro four thirds bodies – including a new 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens that’s the 35mm equivalent of 24-80mm. My two favorite lenses are the 12mm f/2.0 and the 45mm f/1.8. Those two tiny lenses and this body would fit in a small belt pack and cover most situations.
