I was looking forward to reviewing this camera but upon removing it from the camera bag and holding it in my hands I knew that I wouldn’t like it. It's TOO small. Using the tiny buttons and touchscreen controls while holding the camera is frustrating. I'm not a large man. I have small hands. Yet, I could barely use this camera. If it weren't for the $750 price tag I might think that Panasonic designed this camera for children. Wealthy children.
Panasonic Lumix GM1 | Apple iPhone5 | iPhone 5 back camera 4.12mm f/2.4 | f/2.4 | ISO 50
The 12-35mm Lumix lens was equally disappointing. It has no manual focus ring. I had no way to test the quality of the focus peaking feature. This is my fault. Lensrentals.com offers other µ4/3 lenses that do have a focus ring. But I suspect using manual focus while holding this tiny camera would be frustrating. Did I already mention, I think the camera is too small?
Panasonic Lumix GM1 + Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-23 F3.5-5.6 @ 32mm, ISO 200, 1/1600 sec at &ƒ/5.6
I spent almost 30 minutes online trying to figure out how to configure the Wi-Fi functions. Panasonic has three iOS apps in the iTunes store. At first, I couldn't figure out which one I needed until after reading a few online forums. But once I got the right app it took me a lot of attempts before my iPhone successfully connected to the camera. The software is slow. The performance was jerky.
Panasonic Lumix GM1 + Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-23 F3.5-5.6 @ 32mm, ISO 200, 1/1600 sec at &ƒ/5.6
I used the app to control the Lumix GM1 but after an hour I still didn't know how to shoot an image and wirelessly transfer to my iPhone or iMac. I had this figured out on the second day of the rental but by then I was so frustrated with the GM1 I didn’t feel like using it for anything except snapshots.
Panasonic Lumix GM1 + Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-23 F3.5-5.6 @ 32mm, ISO 200, 1/1250 sec at &ƒ/8.0
I had the whole weekend with the GM1 but my first feelings never went away. This camera is TOO small. I'm not sure why Panasonic made this. It feels too much like a point-n-shoot. On the upside though, the GM1 does capture high-quality images. The ones shown here were taken last Sunday while my son and I picked up our produce from the Honey Brook Farm CSA in Pennington.
Panasonic Lumix GM1 + Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-23 F3.5-5.6 @ 32mm, ISO 200, 1/1600 sec at &ƒ/5.6
I took advantage of a borrowlenses.com Independence Day deal to rent an Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH zoom lens (Equivalent to 24-70mm). Over 6 days starting July 1st I used the camera and lens in a variety of situations. I loved the kit and didn't want to send it back. It took photos that looked excellent on a computer screen but still something felt lacking.
I had intended to use the kit to shoot some fireworks photos but is a rush didn't read the manual. In my defence, I received the package from FedEx that same night. However, I didn't get the OM-D E-M1 to pair with my iPhone via wi-fi and opted to shoot fireworks on my Nikon. I did get a few late evening photos of the open fields and my family, which was a good test of the low-light ability of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 as you can see the camera performed admirably.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1⁄400 sec at f/3.2Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1/3200s at ƒ/2.8 on 1 July, 2014Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1⁄800 sec at f/2.8Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 12mm, ISO 200, 1⁄160 sec at f//10
Since I had the camera the week, I got to experiment with the various features and menus. The E-M1 has an overwhelming number of menu options. It seemed daunting at first, but the different on-camera prompts helped me find my way through them. Unlike the Fujifilm X-T1 which has a lot of manual control knobs, the E-M1 is more like my Nikon. Changing camera settings required me to stare at the read LCD while turning a camera dial. It's not a failing of the E-M1. This is how most DSLR cameras work. I like the knobs and dials of the Fujifilm X-T1 more.
I had a chance to shoot flowers, food, and people during the six days. The µ 4⁄3 12-35 mm lens present the same field of view as a 24-70mm lens on a 35mm FF camera -- just wide enough for some landscape and groups photos but close enough for portrait shots.
The lens and the camera took excellent shots, but I felt that I did not like the quality of the background blur (booked). Something didn't feel right.
I experimented with the focus packing mode. The results were mixed, but I think the failure was in my skill, not the camera. It's something that if I had more time with the camera, I could get better at.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPHOlympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPHOlympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1/2000s at ƒ/2.8 on 5 July, 2014Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPHOlympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 35mm, ISO 2000, 1/80s at ƒ/8 on 3 July, 2014Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1/200s at ƒ/2.8 on 6 July, 2014
Most of the reviews I have read about mirror-less cameras complain that auto-focus isn't quite up to par with a DSLR. While there is some truth to that, I think most of the criticism is hogwash. I used the continuous autofocus mode with object tracking and was able to nail action shots just fine. I didn't test the camera in high-speed sports situations, but in my experience, for most consumers, the camera will perform well.
These are action shots of my kids having fun at the Community Park Pool in Princeton.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 27mm, ISO 200, 1/4000s at ƒ/2.8 on 6 July, 2014Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1/200s at ƒ/9 on 6 July, 2014Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1⁄160 sec at f/8.0Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH @35mm, ISO 500, 1/60s at ƒ/4 on 6 July, 2014
As I mentioned the bokeh was not attractive.
As with the Fujifilm X-T1, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 has built-in wi-fi and iOS software. Using the Olympus Image Share app I connected the E-M1 to my iPhone. I was able to control the E-M1 and snap some photos as well as download images to my iPhone (or iPad). I don't recall the details, but I feel the Fujifilm app was easier to set up and use, especially when it came to geotagging.
I think all new DSLR must include a Wi-Fi option. I loved taking photos, downloading to my iPhone, making slight adjustments in Photogene, and sharing them on social media. With my Nikon D5100, I use an Eye-Fi Mobi card to do the same trick but having it built-in to the camera means I can use any brand of SD card and access to a higher capacity.
So the OM-D E-M1 is a capable camera. That's my opinion. With the Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH zoom lens, the entire kit gets quite expensive. More expensive than the X-T1 with a similar lens. The X-T1 body is slightly smaller and lighter (without lens) and, in my opinion, produces better results. However, the E-M1 would be on my main camera if I owned micro 4⁄3 lenses.
