OM System announce the OM-5 this week. My thoughts on it. Also, my experience trying astrophotography.
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#OMSystem #Robtrek #Photography
23 Comments
I just bought a micro-usb to USB-C cable. Needs must! MY assumption now is that OM is focused on building profit. Which would be fair. So I wonder if the OM -1 was ready to launch as an Olympus and they saved money by keeping the name. OM-5: most changes at least expense. The hope is that any profit is put back into R&D/production. But all this misery at the OM-5 design is similar to the misery at the lack of change to the iPhone design. If the design is good, you need a good reason to change instead of focusing on the internals. But the menus… and the USB. Those really should have been the minimum, but I wonder if the supply chain/ chip crisis, which is on-going, influenced that. (E-PM2 user here – so this is a good upgrade for me!)
OM5 $1200 – Olympus OM EM5 mk II $900 = $400 wasted for essentially the same plastic camera. Buy the old model, and another lens and have the better deal. Personally, I am not into this OM system line, so far. I think it is winding down. Happy enough with me new Lumix GX-9 which was bought for $799 with the 12-60mm zoom — a better deal. In Olympus my metal build older cameras are OK. I will most likely, way down the road, to be going Canon APS-C which can use the battery and lenses I now have for the RP. Other option is the Fujifilm XE-4. – Loren Schwiderski
One might wait to see if the EM 10 mk iV goes for $499 or less when they begin to panic. Same sensor as the OM5.
Makes me happy I stopped waiting for the new om5 two months ago and went with the x100v
Thanks for a great livestream Rob.I enjoy reading the comments and opinions of the other users as well.Such a broad base of experience and knowledge amongst everyone ,and nice that you try to answer as many questions as possible.
Thanks for the livestream. I think OM Systems really made several mistakes, you mention most. Who cares about the IP weather sealing certification if the f1.8 lenses that make the most sense to use, are not weather-sealed. The key miss is not upgrading the menu system to the structure of the OM-1. Wait until those new target market customers hit the old menu system.
I have been telling OM Systems every since Olympus sold the camera part to them that they need to sell to ne people and expand the market. Specs sell to camera owners getting them to change brands or a buy a new camera. And no matter how much advertising most of the cameras people own are good enough now. The OM5 is selling the experience. That is the way to bring new people in. They will want to do things cell phones can't. They will buy the better experience. Expanding the market makes a healthier company. Which then gives them money to make the products we want. It is not the people who talk about what they want that matter. It is the people who have the money to actually buy cameras. The OM1 sold great as it was aimed at a market (professional wildlife shooters) who could afford the camera and lens. The OM1 and 150-400 made them a lot of money. They actually had a profit. Now they are targeting another market. The do everything camera for everyone is a saturated market with much comeptition and lower profits. I think the camera is right for OM Systems and the future. But maybe not the camera for me. Which is fine. This camera and lenses is targeted at cellphone users who are tired of buying a new phone every year when they can pay the same price and get something better. Vertical video is part of what the target market wants. Olympus made good cameras and then tried to find a market that wanted them. OM Systems finds a market and then makes the product that market wants. I think that is the way to grow. Early on when I posted about this and hot to advertise, they responded to my posts and I gave them my whole plan to grow the market. They appreciated an American's thoughts and are doing some of the things I said. Although I am waiting for th next camera to really push this concept. I have started companies (and then sold them because my thinig is not broing routine which is when the money is made). Some of the are still doing very well. One I started in 1980s was just sold and the people who worked for me that I turned if over to retired very well off. If they build cameras we want for us, they will sell to us and end up where Olympus did. We did not spend enough to support Olympus. We could not spport OM Systems either. That is why they are building new markets. They need to profit to continue. And they are not doing it by cheapening thigs and riding on the name. They are doing it with new quality products. That vertical video is big since most videos are used on cellphones and no one else is doing this yet. That will sell cameras to people who have never owned a camera before.
I use ISO 100 when the contrast is lower. It has a more linear cruve so will expand the dynamic contrast and give more detail. This only works when the total dynamic range is less than the width of the histogram. It is similar to using slide film vc print film in the old days.
BTW, carbon fiber expands and contracts more than metal with tempertaure changes. Which is not good with the tight tolerances of cameras. When I had a light weight carbon fiber teelescope built, I used a much larger tube to compensate for this. Although it is too heavy for me to use (because of tripod and counterweights) now occasionally someone sets it up for me and we take a few photos. Hope to fiind it a good home someday.
Just some thoughts on the new OM-5:
1) I think it's too bad for the reception it's getting as this is going to be a great little camera and highly in the spirits of M43, perhaps more than the OM-1.
2) They should have included some more "enthusiast" and some sort of unique selling point, a feature (other than size) that ONLY the OM-5 has (and vertical video is NOT it).
3) They removed the small flash that they gave with the E-M5 iii as part of the kit. That's being cheap.
4) I won't be upgrading to it from the E-M5 iii because there's simply not enough compelling reasons to do so (like the upgrade from the E-M1 ii to the iii version).
5) Why would anyone buy the OM-1 if the OM-5 had all the same features? That's what some were hoping for… I think everyone still thinks that this is 2016 and we should be getting new cameras that "blow away" the previous generation, but it's a very different environment. I do believe OM SYSTEM is rather well aligned with the market right now though. They're decreasing overheads and streamlining everything. Personally, I think we only "need" 3 levels of bodies: pro (OM-1), travel/enthusiast (OM-5), and damn-small and light (PEN Mini) (again, to accentuate the M43 system).
The G100 does look like a fine camera, but the video is seriously lacking: bad rolling shutter, no "real" IBIS, WAY too crop with the digital stabalization. I'm really not sure why they positioned it for vlogging as it has a really great viewfinder (probably the ONLY thing that's better than the E-M5 iii or the new OM-5. But, it does have some audio innovations. Also, the max mechanical shutter is only 1/500 and max sync speed is 1/50. I'd easily trade the viewfinder and slow mechanical shutter for IBIS and faster sensor readout. This would also allow it to have a flip-up screen. Lastly, the PDAF is seriously lacking for vlogging in 2022. I'd know how to get around it, but no your average newbie.
In my mind the OM5 should not have been a mix between the OM10 and the EM 1.3, nor a by-product of the OM1 either, but a device intended primarily for travel and street photography (like OM1 for sport and wildlife). The limits should have been related to its priority use and its compactness, and not to the desire to constrain it in relation to the flagship.
Overpriced OM-5. Should be at least $999 upon release.
Dang I really loved that episode especially your little rant part.
Leaving stuff from your astro tracker in your pockets. You sound like me now.
Thanks!
🎃 enjoyed the show and hearing your reflection on the various notable features and comments so far from others. Every new camera from Olympus has met with a mix of opinions and I think for most of us that have used tue cameras there have been very few disappointing purchases once we had some experience using a particular model in the real world. I think the OM-5 will probably be favorably experienced by the majority of buyers as was the OM-D E-M1 Mark III and the e-m5.2 and later. The main criticisms you expressed I agree are fair but small things in the overall market this camera is aimed at.
I think your observation about how it’s being marketed is spot on. This is pretty much the trend for all electronics these days. Customers are less interested in specs and more in the experience they might have with a particular piece of gear. Everything now is so sophisticated and capable compared to twenty years ago that the new customer is more attuned perhaps to what the experience will be like. They almost assume correctly that the device is more than capable and the limitations are going to be their own skill and also how enjoyable the experience of using the gear will promise to be.
The OM5 is probably not worth considering for those who own an EM5iii, but for those still using the 16mp cameras it might be a nice upgrade. It is slightly lighter in weight than the original EM5 and slightly larger (for those that complained about the size of the original). They do have a couple of moderately affordable weather sealed lenses (12-50mm macro and 14-150mm F4-5.6) so if they could add weather sealing to some of the cheaper plastic fast (1.8)primes they could create an affordable system for the casual photographer who doesn't want to invest in a lot of expensive heavy gear. There are a lot more amateur photographers than professionals.
Hi Rob, I think they should have named this camera OM-10. The OM-5 should be a new generation camera and not this cold coffee! I have the OM-1 and would love to have the OM-5 as my second new generation camera! They lost a great chance here and gave a very bad message
Maybe they want to turn the OM-5 into the basic line and soon launch a new OM-3 line, compact, metal, new sensor, new menu!!! dreaming doesn't cost even 1 cent! 🙂
I don't understand the worry about plastic. The OM-5 is the same alloy chassis as the EM5.3 right down to the tripod screw. This is a great tough little camera with some processor improvements and a small uplift to the sensor performance judging from the reviews. If I didn't already have an EM-5.3 I would buy one straight off. It would be nice to have the new OM-1 sensor but I presume that would add cost and probably weight. I love your patience, and you are allowed a small rant from time to time.
Honest and engaging as always.
I think that OM systems and Panasonic approach to ambassadorship is on the wrong track. The amount of time and energy that you, Robin, Peter, Jimmy and a few others put in to educating and showing your genuine enthusiasm for micro 4/3 is how I and many thousands of other amateurs learn about and buy their products. Professionals will do what they do as someone intelligently pointed out. We are their real customer base! So the simple act of sending you guys advance information, the latest products (even to keep) is a drop in the bucket for all the free publicity and sales it generates. Being afraid of constructive criticism is foolish thinking on their part. I hope they get to read this and act.
The OM-5 itself is really a good and versatile camera. But I feel it is more towards people who have already invested in M43 systems. To win new users starting out with photography, it needs to stand out among the competition. 3 yrs ago, EM-5 MK III was competing against Fuji XT-30, Panasonic G95, Sony A6400 in the price range. Today, the OM-5 is going up against previous generation big boys like the Nikon Z5, Panasonic S5, Canon EOS R, Panasonic G9 etc. It's just a different class of competition. Yet the OM-5 largely stays the same as the EM-5 MK III in its core, which would probably have a hard time winning.
If the OM5 uses the same sensor, body, battery, whatever as the EM5 MKIII, but adding more tools with true pic IX, then I want a smartguy who would be able to cook an unofficial/Or Official update of the main engine.(One of the first reasons I liked four third cameras back then, was their update capacity… Recently, these updates were very…light to say the least.)Imagine one moment, that for, lets say, a hundred bucks, I could update my EM5 in OM5… WoW! And since in general, nobody will need to change his EM5 mk III for an OM5, anyway, it is not a loss for OM System. Quite the opposite in my opinion. So much that I would not be surprised to find this possibility in their business strategy to gain market shares. It would also explain AND EXCUSE the fact that the sensor in the OM5 is the same… What do you think