I loved this camera. Served me well from 2013 to 2019. I never had major issues with the CAF. But it’s true, Olympus did a really great job by delivering incredible features and improvements via FW updates.
They’ve historically done a great job of continuously improving the software on cameras until the point there is a new body with improved hardware which then incorporates all those changes plus more features. Given how good the current cameras are, maybe this pattern slows / gets significantly reduced.
I've got several tens of thousands of mark I shots that are mostly of moving cars at motorsports events. Rather similar to your traffic tests! I cannot remember if a particular firmware made things dramatically better, I installed each update, but overall I have been quite pleased. It's now backup for an OM-1 which has the even smarter car detection algorithm. I use the 40-150 f2.8 pro, usually with the MC1.4 teleconverter. If anyone is buying a used E-M1 mk 1 don't do it without making sure the strap attachment point on the body, especially right side, is absolutely unmoving. They are known to come loose.
Hey Paul, thanks for checking out the video and for your comment. The E-M1 was a mirrorless ground breaker for sure. It really set the foundation for many of the great cameras we have today.
For the cost of a used Mk 1 you’re getting a great value. Obviously there are far better cameras on the market now if you need all the advanced AF modes etc but this is a really pleasing camera. If you’re on a budget, there are few better options. Good luck!
Thanks for making this, great to know how the firmware update improves performance. Also thanks for mentioning the shutter blackout, and how phase detect only works in the center cross area.
I have 2 original E-M1s, both bought used. I haven't really tried C-AF except with a 4/3 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 zoom with a Lumix adapter. You have motivated me to check my firmware and go try the C-AF with the MFT 75-300mm. I enjoy your videos, well done.
Thanks for checking out the video! They’re very good cameras but I was always disappointed with the C-AF. Let me know how you get on and whether your experience is the same as mine. It would be great to have some more data points! Thanks again.
It the back I wish had been retained my the Mkii , so I was never really drawn to the em1 or em5 variants. It was for this reason I kept to the em10 Mkii. The Olympus and OM System produce lovely cameras and they area joy to use . In fact , there is no one perfect camera , just different tools for different jobs . I am looking forward to see the results you are going to get comparing the mki to the Mkii . I found this a very interesting video . Thank you for the trouble of putting it together for us and sharing it .
Thanks for watching the video and the kind comment. I totally agree about having different tools for different jobs. I also have a Nikon Z6 which is great for low light. The E-M1 and siblings are less capable in those circumstances but make a great tool for longer focal lengths in a compact form factor when the lighting is better.
just orderd one yesterday on eBay. £170 for the E-M1 Classic is a steal. Ordered a 45mm and 25mm lenses with it. Entire collection was less than £400, lol....
My primary gear is Sony full frame, but I just picked up a clean E-m1 on MPB on a whim. It was my first real camera from a few years back. I immediately remembered the great in hand feel that is lacking in my Sonys. I plan to use it with a couple of mft and ft lenses as my walk-around camera. Even with it's modest specs it's a little de ja vu and I'm loving it.
I bought my first EM1 mki in 2020 and replaced it last year with a silver bodied EM1 mki as the rear dial was beginning to get unresponsive ( a common fault on earlier models I believe). The silver body has now over 35000 shutter activations . I mainly use it with vintage manual lenses and for stills as it’s size and handgrip are ideal. I have never tried it with continues focus but will now experiment. It certainly is a great value camera, thank you for your video.
have you any plans to do some more videos? this was really good, im going to buy an em1 mk1 off the back of this video and try one for myself!@@jonneave
Thank you for your test ... What everyone forgets, who may have a few years under their belt are the film days .The capability of that generation! Just remember the revolutionary Canon T90 !!! Fast forward to Digital times DSLR .One observation w/ M43 MANUFACTURERS is the ablity and economic balance to introduce digital upgrades to improve and sweeten the customer base with order models AND develop more sophisticated camera models. Let's fact the fact OM D E1 is Thriteen years old (Do you still have an iPhone that old I. Use ?) The manufacturers are walking a fine line to keep older models relevant while seeking new purchases ! In my opinion hats off to them ..Good job !
If you’re not shooting demanding fast moving action, many cameras from the last 8-10 years are very capable. My old E-M5 from 2012 was truly a game changer at the time with the main deficiency that it didn’t have PDAF. I may have to dust it off and take it for a spin!
Hello. I'm a new friend here from Singapore. I use an Olympus OMD EM5 mark I camera, the focus lock is very good and fast by using C-AF and S-AF, but when On face detection, the camera is very difficult to lock focus to still objects let alone moving objects.
Hi CheikoSairin! I hope it's warmer in Singapore than it is here in snowy NYC! I still have the E-M5 mk 1 and the mk 2. I found the S-AF very quick and very accurate. I never found the C-AF that reliable and face detect was pretty much unusable in large part due to the lack of phase detect autofocus. If you're not shooting action subjects, they are wonderful cameras! Thanks for checking out the video.
Great to come across this and see such an improvement in the C-AF - i wonder if at the time, it was really as bad as what all the reviews would have you believe? or if its an improvement via FW updates? the EM1 ergonomically is one of the best cameras iv ever come across, iv always toyed with the idea of buying one of these but have always been put off by the MFT sensor noise, i think im going to just buy one now because any noise these days that is THAT BAD can be greatly improved in post processing. The results here on this video show exactly what it can do! Been having a look tonight at the Panasonic G7 - comes with DFD, 4k video but no IBIS, however... is available at such a knock down price it might be worth a punt on one! Its like an FZ1000 without a fixed lens and with a larger sensor (MFT over 1" sensor). Recently i had sold an FZ1000 because i felt i needed a larger sensor and a bit more flexibility to change lenses etc, i bought a Canon M5 along with a 15-45mm, 55-200mm and a 22mm F2 - was a really nice little camera but for what i wanted to use it for (motorsports) i felt too small ergonomically and when pairing it with one of the EF USM lenses along with the EF-EFM adapter needed, the whole setup just felt too unbalanced, so iv sold the M5 and lenses and im now on the hunt for my next kit - really debating an EM1 or G7 to leave me enough £ towards some nice lenses!
Hi, Jonn - I actually have not pulled the trigger as yet, its winter here in the UK so im looking at trying to get something towards spring time for when motorsports events kick off again etc - absolutely leaning towards at LEAST buying a EM1 mk1 to try out!@@jonneave
So many choices! I guess with motor sport IBIS is less of a requirement given the speed of the action. But if you can spring for a G9 or an E-M1 ii you’d get a capable platform. The E-M1 iii isn’t significantly improved over the ii though the joystick is nice. Good luck!
Olympus were noted for continually developing the firmware of older models. Could be that the various updates to the firmware significantly improved the AF performance. I'm in the UK and you can pick up good used copies of the E-M1 for under GBP200 (I know because I did this a couple of years back) and to get a pro digital camera for that price...... It's a bargain
Hey Christopher, thanks for checking out the video and for taking the time to comment. It is an amazing camera for $260/£200 especially as the C-AF is now very usable for my uses. I’d be interested to see if other people have similar experiences with the camera. Thanks again.
I’ve been wanting to purchase an inexpensive backup camera to support my E-M1 Mark iii. I’ve been considering a pen series camera but the lack of a viewfinder concerns me. An E-M1 Mark I with just over 5,000 exposures, has been made available to me for $220 USD. Watching this video has me convinced that this purchase opportunity is a no brainer.
Difficult to argue against the value of the camera for $220! It’s a great camera with v solid ergonomics. And the 16MP sensor doesn’t lose by much to the 20MP one in the E-M1 iii. Enjoy!
to update the em1 firmware, which port must be connect to, the hdmi or the USB A/V out? i don t remember which one is the right one to use. the last firmware version i have is 4.4.
I picked up a used black version of the og E-M1from my local camera store and I love it (my 1st toe dip into the m4/3 pond) all I can say is I love it,so much easier to carry around for a photo walk than my Nikon D7000 series with a couple of bits of glass. I am now a convert,and as yet have found no reason to upgrade to a Mk2 or 3 🙂.
Hey Fujiuser, I’ve been in the µ4/3 pond for a dozen years and run the system in parallel with a Nikon Z6 system that I mainly use for low light. They’re both wonderful systems but its very difficult to beat the price/performance ratio of the OG E-M1 Mk 1 for most use cases. Thanks for checking out the video.
It’s a bargain. The IQ, ergonomics, customization and S-AF focus are amazing for the money. And with the firmware improvements, C-AF is more than decent. Enjoy your new camera!
Hi gaming, I've experienced this on other cameras. I tested whether I could bring up the shadows / lower the highlights to get very flat JPEGs to maximize the dynamic range seen by the sensor in the JPEGs. Anecdotally, I found the AF to be worse. I understand the AF module uses the data coming from the JPEG engine - this is what is displayed in the EVF/rear display. The more contrasty the JPEG render, the better the AF works in some situations. Thanks for the thoughts and for checking out the video!
I still use my M1, but mainly for streetphotography. Since it‘s weathersealed, as good IBIS, a usable EVF ( compared to my GX9, which drives me crazy) and a flip-up-screen. I can just say that my attempt of using the M5 II in CAF to catch flying birds was quite a failure.
I’ve not had the opportunity to shoot the GX-9 but the old GX-7 i had for some time had a pretty limited viewfinder even if it articulated. The E-M5.2 is a great little camera but relies on CDAF for C-AF and that is not effective for moving subjects. Thanks for taking the timing to comment.
Hey Andrew, that isnt my recent experience and is why I made the video. The E-M1.1 worked much better than I recalled. And the E-M1.2 and E-M1.3 aren’t that different from each other in C-AF performance from my fairly extensive usage running latest firmware. That said, neither works as well as my Nikon Z6 with the latest firmware and that camera has never been considered a top performer for moving subjects. I’ve never had much of an issue with it shooting indoor sports. Thanks for the comment.
@@jonneave not sure about that never tried EM1 mark 1 / 2 only notice a much better improvement of animal focusing from EM5 mark 3 to EM1 mark 3 you need some setup for that: low speed continuous shooting, change the focus frame, sensitivity, etc, for bird shooting, around 70-80% would be accurate (better if you use better lens)
I loved this camera. Served me well from 2013 to 2019. I never had major issues with the CAF. But it’s true, Olympus did a really great job by delivering incredible features and improvements via FW updates.
They’ve historically done a great job of continuously improving the software on cameras until the point there is a new body with improved hardware which then incorporates all those changes plus more features. Given how good the current cameras are, maybe this pattern slows / gets significantly reduced.
I've got several tens of thousands of mark I shots that are mostly of moving cars at motorsports events. Rather similar to your traffic tests! I cannot remember if a particular firmware made things dramatically better, I installed each update, but overall I have been quite pleased. It's now backup for an OM-1 which has the even smarter car detection algorithm. I use the 40-150 f2.8 pro, usually with the MC1.4 teleconverter.
If anyone is buying a used E-M1 mk 1 don't do it without making sure the strap attachment point on the body, especially right side, is absolutely unmoving. They are known to come loose.
Hey Paul, thanks for checking out the video and for your comment. The E-M1 was a mirrorless ground breaker for sure. It really set the foundation for many of the great cameras we have today.
Excellent video - thanks for sharing!
Thanks for checking out the video and the kind comment Thomas.
Thank you, these settings will come in handy.
Thanks for checking out the video!
More videos about EM1 mk1 please. This is a very informative video. Thanks for making this. Love it!
Many thanks! Is there anything in particular that you’ll like to see?
@@jonneave Does the specs still live up from its release? We're planning to purchase this camera.
For the cost of a used Mk 1 you’re getting a great value. Obviously there are far better cameras on the market now if you need all the advanced AF modes etc but this is a really pleasing camera. If you’re on a budget, there are few better options. Good luck!
Thanks for making this, great to know how the firmware update improves performance. Also thanks for mentioning the shutter blackout, and how phase detect only works in the center cross area.
Sorry for the late reply - thanks for checking out the video and taking the time to comment!
I have 2 original E-M1s, both bought used. I haven't really tried C-AF except with a 4/3 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 zoom with a Lumix adapter. You have motivated me to check my firmware and go try the C-AF with the MFT 75-300mm. I enjoy your videos, well done.
Thanks for checking out the video! They’re very good cameras but I was always disappointed with the C-AF. Let me know how you get on and whether your experience is the same as mine. It would be great to have some more data points! Thanks again.
It the back I wish had been retained my the Mkii , so I was never really drawn to the em1 or em5 variants. It was for this reason I kept to the em10 Mkii. The Olympus and OM System produce lovely cameras and they area joy to use . In fact , there is no one perfect camera , just different tools for different jobs .
I am looking forward to see the results you are going to get comparing the mki to the Mkii .
I found this a very interesting video . Thank you for the trouble of putting it together for us and sharing it .
Thanks for watching the video and the kind comment. I totally agree about having different tools for different jobs. I also have a Nikon Z6 which is great for low light. The E-M1 and siblings are less capable in those circumstances but make a great tool for longer focal lengths in a compact form factor when the lighting is better.
Balanced, well-investigated opinion of the camera's AF-C performance.
Thanks for checking out the video and the thoughtful comment. Have you had the opportunity to use C-AF on the mk 1 with the latest firmware? Best.
just orderd one yesterday on eBay. £170 for the E-M1 Classic is a steal. Ordered a 45mm and 25mm lenses with it. Entire collection was less than £400, lol....
That’s a bargain! You’ll have a very capable system that can take some really nice images! Enjoy your new camera!
👍🏼👌🏼thank you.
You are welcome!
I love my EM1🥰
I don’t blame you! Lots to love. Thanks for checking out the video.
My primary gear is Sony full frame, but I just picked up a clean E-m1 on MPB on a whim. It was my first real camera from a few years back. I immediately remembered the great in hand feel that is lacking in my Sonys. I plan to use it with a couple of mft and ft lenses as my walk-around camera. Even with it's modest specs it's a little de ja vu and I'm loving it.
If you’re not doing anything crazy like super fast action or very low light photography, the E-M1 is a lovely little camera! I hope you enjoy it!
I bought my first EM1 mki in 2020 and replaced it last year with a silver bodied EM1 mki as the rear dial was beginning to get unresponsive ( a common fault on earlier models I believe). The silver body has now over 35000 shutter activations . I mainly use it with vintage manual lenses and for stills as it’s size and handgrip are ideal.
I have never tried it with continues focus but will now experiment. It certainly is a great value camera, thank you for your video.
Thanks for the comment Alan. It’s a great camera and at used prices it’s a bargain. Let me know how you get on with C-AF on the latest firmware.
have you any plans to do some more videos? this was really good, im going to buy an em1 mk1 off the back of this video and try one for myself!@@jonneave
Thank you for your test ... What everyone forgets, who may have a few years under their belt are the film days .The capability of that generation! Just remember the revolutionary Canon T90 !!! Fast forward to Digital times DSLR .One observation w/ M43 MANUFACTURERS is the ablity and economic balance to introduce digital upgrades to improve and sweeten the customer base with order models AND develop more sophisticated camera models. Let's fact the fact OM D E1 is Thriteen years old (Do you still have an iPhone that old I. Use ?) The manufacturers are walking a fine line to keep older models relevant while seeking new purchases ! In my opinion hats off to them ..Good job !
If you’re not shooting demanding fast moving action, many cameras from the last 8-10 years are very capable. My old E-M5 from 2012 was truly a game changer at the time with the main deficiency that it didn’t have PDAF. I may have to dust it off and take it for a spin!
I wish I had gotten mine fixed instead of selling it. I loved the size and tilt screen.
They are very capable cameras for sure!
Hello. I'm a new friend here from Singapore. I use an Olympus OMD EM5 mark I camera, the focus lock is very good and fast by using C-AF and S-AF, but when On face detection, the camera is very difficult to lock focus to still objects let alone moving objects.
Hi CheikoSairin! I hope it's warmer in Singapore than it is here in snowy NYC!
I still have the E-M5 mk 1 and the mk 2. I found the S-AF very quick and very accurate. I never found the C-AF that reliable and face detect was pretty much unusable in large part due to the lack of phase detect autofocus.
If you're not shooting action subjects, they are wonderful cameras!
Thanks for checking out the video.
You’re a camera detective!!
I have a feeling I have discovered something that everyone knew all along!
Great to come across this and see such an improvement in the C-AF - i wonder if at the time, it was really as bad as what all the reviews would have you believe? or if its an improvement via FW updates? the EM1 ergonomically is one of the best cameras iv ever come across, iv always toyed with the idea of buying one of these but have always been put off by the MFT sensor noise, i think im going to just buy one now because any noise these days that is THAT BAD can be greatly improved in post processing.
The results here on this video show exactly what it can do!
Been having a look tonight at the Panasonic G7 - comes with DFD, 4k video but no IBIS, however... is available at such a knock down price it might be worth a punt on one! Its like an FZ1000 without a fixed lens and with a larger sensor (MFT over 1" sensor).
Recently i had sold an FZ1000 because i felt i needed a larger sensor and a bit more flexibility to change lenses etc, i bought a Canon M5 along with a 15-45mm, 55-200mm and a 22mm F2 - was a really nice little camera but for what i wanted to use it for (motorsports) i felt too small ergonomically and when pairing it with one of the EF USM lenses along with the EF-EFM adapter needed, the whole setup just felt too unbalanced, so iv sold the M5 and lenses and im now on the hunt for my next kit - really debating an EM1 or G7 to leave me enough £ towards some nice lenses!
Which way did you go in the end?
Hi, Jonn - I actually have not pulled the trigger as yet, its winter here in the UK so im looking at trying to get something towards spring time for when motorsports events kick off again etc - absolutely leaning towards at LEAST buying a EM1 mk1 to try out!@@jonneave
So many choices! I guess with motor sport IBIS is less of a requirement given the speed of the action. But if you can spring for a G9 or an E-M1 ii you’d get a capable platform. The E-M1 iii isn’t significantly improved over the ii though the joystick is nice. Good luck!
Olympus were noted for continually developing the firmware of older models. Could be that the various updates to the firmware significantly improved the AF performance. I'm in the UK and you can pick up good used copies of the E-M1 for under GBP200 (I know because I did this a couple of years back) and to get a pro digital camera for that price...... It's a bargain
Hey Christopher, thanks for checking out the video and for taking the time to comment. It is an amazing camera for $260/£200 especially as the C-AF is now very usable for my uses.
I’d be interested to see if other people have similar experiences with the camera. Thanks again.
I’ve been wanting to purchase an inexpensive backup camera to support my E-M1 Mark iii. I’ve been considering a pen series camera but the lack of a viewfinder concerns me. An E-M1 Mark I with just over 5,000 exposures, has been made available to me for $220 USD. Watching this video has me convinced that this purchase opportunity is a no brainer.
Difficult to argue against the value of the camera for $220! It’s a great camera with v solid ergonomics. And the 16MP sensor doesn’t lose by much to the 20MP one in the E-M1 iii. Enjoy!
to update the em1 firmware, which port must be connect to, the hdmi or the USB A/V out?
i don t remember which one is the right one to use. the last firmware version i have is 4.4.
I updated mine with Olympus Workspace and the USB cable that came with the camera. My OM-D EM1 mark 1 is on firmware release 4.6
I picked up a used black version of the og E-M1from my local camera store and I love it (my 1st toe dip into the m4/3 pond) all I can say is I love it,so much easier to carry around for a photo walk than my Nikon D7000 series with a couple of bits of glass. I am now a convert,and as yet have found no reason to upgrade to a Mk2 or 3 🙂.
Hey Fujiuser, I’ve been in the µ4/3 pond for a dozen years and run the system in parallel with a Nikon Z6 system that I mainly use for low light. They’re both wonderful systems but its very difficult to beat the price/performance ratio of the OG E-M1 Mk 1 for most use cases. Thanks for checking out the video.
I just got one of these because they are so cheap, and I don't regret it. I am assuming the continuous autofocus is better due to a software update.
It’s a bargain. The IQ, ergonomics, customization and S-AF focus are amazing for the money. And with the firmware improvements, C-AF is more than decent. Enjoy your new camera!
I read of you use the vivid color profile the C-AF works better. Vivid has more contrast.
Hi gaming, I've experienced this on other cameras.
I tested whether I could bring up the shadows / lower the highlights to get very flat JPEGs to maximize the dynamic range seen by the sensor in the JPEGs.
Anecdotally, I found the AF to be worse. I understand the AF module uses the data coming from the JPEG engine - this is what is displayed in the EVF/rear display. The more contrasty the JPEG render, the better the AF works in some situations.
Thanks for the thoughts and for checking out the video!
I still use my M1, but mainly for streetphotography. Since it‘s weathersealed, as good IBIS, a usable EVF ( compared to my GX9, which drives me crazy) and a flip-up-screen.
I can just say that my attempt of using the M5 II in CAF to catch flying birds was quite a failure.
I’ve not had the opportunity to shoot the GX-9 but the old GX-7 i had for some time had a pretty limited viewfinder even if it articulated. The E-M5.2 is a great little camera but relies on CDAF for C-AF and that is not effective for moving subjects. Thanks for taking the timing to comment.
it's bad until mark 3, an acceptable accuracy and focus speed
Hey Andrew, that isnt my recent experience and is why I made the video. The E-M1.1 worked much better than I recalled. And the E-M1.2 and E-M1.3 aren’t that different from each other in C-AF performance from my fairly extensive usage running latest firmware. That said, neither works as well as my Nikon Z6 with the latest firmware and that camera has never been considered a top performer for moving subjects. I’ve never had much of an issue with it shooting indoor sports. Thanks for the comment.
@@jonneave not sure about that
never tried EM1 mark 1 / 2
only notice a much better improvement of animal focusing from EM5 mark 3 to EM1 mark 3
you need some setup for that: low speed continuous shooting, change the focus frame, sensitivity, etc, for bird shooting, around 70-80% would be accurate (better if you use better lens)
Thanks for the insight Andrew. I think 70% on the E-M1.3 is about right for many moving subjects. Thanks again.