Olympus OM-D E-M1 Firmware Version 4.0 - Issues
I wrote earlier this week about the release of firmware version 4.0 for the diminutive Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the perks and additional features it's going to bring to our cameras. For that full list of additional features check out my post right here.
This version was announced back in September and not released until November 26th, so Olympus had us all waiting for this one. I would expect, having worked in software testing and IT for well over 10 years now, that the firmware was in development for a much longer period than many of us would have been aware of and of course during it's development it would have been tested thoroughly over and over to ensure it's stability. However it's not uncommon, even for the likes of Apple (as we all know!) that a new release has a couple of bugs here and there and we find ourselves downloading version 4.0.1 or 4.1.0 or some iteration of the update only a week later. After all it's only when it's in the hands of thousands of device users that you can really have every single little fine detail tested as we all use our cameras so differently!
Well, I've downloaded the firmware to my E-M1 and I must say so far; no issues! Now, despite the title of this post possibly alluding to there being some issues with the software - there don't appear to be any at this point. That's not to say however that I haven't come across a few little snags with the download / upgrade process myself and in the various Olympus Facebook groups. So, I thought I'd collate some of them here for you to have a look at so that if you haven't upgraded yet and have left others to test the water for you, here's what you may need to know.
Hiccups with the update
Whilst the update wasn't hard to install, I did have to do a little extra digging to get started because when I plugged my E-M1 in to my iMac I wasn't seeing version 4.0 as an available update within the Olympus Camera Updater Platform. Odd! Reading through some of the Facebook groups I saw quite a few people saying the same and adding that they were on Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 as well as, like myself using a Mac running El Capitan. So, the good news is (hear me out here) is that the issue with the updater not seeing the new firmware wasn't specific to one operating system.
My initial thought was to check out the Camera Updater site to see if there were any issues or to see if there was a new version of the updater itself - which there was!
So, my first step was to download the latest version of the Olympus Camera Updater. This was actually included however as part of the Olympus Image Viewer update. So I had to install that first. (Here's the link to that download: http://support.olympus-imaging.com/ov3download/index/). You need to have the serial number from the bottom of your E-M1 handy to do this.
I followed the simple install instructions. It gave me The revised version of the Camera Updater and I was set! I plugged in my E-M1 and I was away.
When you connect your E-M1 to your computer you are given a few options - the camera wants to know what you intend to do. I selected the highlighted option:
All Options Reset
So I went through the motions and updated my E-M1 to firmware version 4.0. It was impressively smooth and very fast to complete. However, everything had reset! I should have paid more attention and made a note of some of my settings, but after navigating through each and every setting in the menu's it was only about 5 minutes before I had everything just how I like it again: rear dial for the aperture, front dial for the shutter speed, Fn.1 for white balance, Fn.2 for the ISO and the 'lever' disabled. I make use of the directional buttons to adjust my focus point. I of course had to go through other settings as well, such as disabling the face autofocus detection, putting the EVF back to Mono etc. But it didn't take long at all.
Things to be aware of
One of the things I was really conscious of, having ran into this issue with my original OM-D E-M5 was that the USB cable supplied with the camera is the one you're going to need for the update. Although the port on the side of the camera is referred to as a Mini USB port (and it looks just like one too!) it's actually a slightly different version of the port that requires the Olympus-own USB cable. If you haven't got one for your E-M1 you're looking for the 'Olympus CB-USB8'. I daren't link to one on Amazon or eBay because i tend to be a little suspicious of their claims to be compatible with the E-M1. I prefer, as always, to buy the genuine accessories.
Silent Shooting - Shutter Speed Limitations
I remember reading somewhere, but now I can't remember, that the silent shutter mode is limited to a minimum shutter speed of 1/8th. I didn't think much of this, but my brain obviously had it's pen and notepad to hand and locked that information away for later use. So when fellow Olympus photographer Graham Jones got in touch to ask me if I knew why the E-M1 wasn't going any lower than 1/8th - I knew the answer. Just to be clear you can still shoot long exposures and what not using the regular mechanical shutter mode. It's just when you're using the electronic shutter in silent mode that the shutter speed won't go any lower than 1/8th. The advantage though is of course that the electronic shutter can go all the way to 1/16,000th of a second!
Focus Stacking - Compatible Lenses
I've seen a lot of people saying they can't get access to the Focus Stacking feature that was made available in this new release. This is basically (although, incredibly clever and massively useful) where your E-M1 will now take up to 100 photographs of an image at various focus points and your amazing E-M1 will stack them together and create one single image for you. This takes a lot of the heavy lifting away. I can't wait to use this feature; I'm going to go back and re-shoot my Macro Dandelions!
Anyway, the point of me mentioning this is that the focus stacking feature is only compatible with the Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro, the 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO and the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO. If you haven't got one of these three lenses then you're going to miss out I'm afraid.
I will write a post of my own on the Focus Stacking feature, but in my opinion, for now at least, the best write-up and review with some of the best example photographs to illustrate how this works is by Kazuo Unno over on the Olympus.com site. If it's a feature you're interested in you really should take a look.
Summary
Not that I'm any sort of authority on the matter at all, but as far as I can tell and from what I can see others saying online - it looks like Firmware Version 4.00 for your Olympus OM-D E-M1 is pretty stable. I'm keeping an eye on the usual places online because of course I want to be sure that my own camera continues to perform as perfectly as it has since the day It arrived. If I come across anything though I'll be sure to update you. The best way to keep up to date with information is to Subscribe to the blog - it'd be great to be able to share new content with you regularly. Join over 200 other subscribers today!
I can't wait to get back out on the streets of London again, this time shooting in silent mode. I know that it'll give me a lot more confidence to point my camera at people a little more directly, just like I can when I shoot my sleeping commuters series!
So if you're waiting for everyone else to test this release - consider it a thumbs up from me!
Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Motorsport
Hi All,
Only me! I haven't written for a about a month now due to wedding season being in full flow: Shooting, ordering and designing products, post processing and life in between has been keeping me away from this blog more than I'd have liked, but whilst I was away on a short family holiday I had an email from someone who tried their hand at shooting motor sports with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and wasn't totally pleased with the results.
Gavin Hall subsequently found my post on the subject, right here and got in touch with me via email to ask a few questions. I thought it would be a good idea to reply to Gavin's email here on the blog so you can see my thoughts on this and also for you to add your own comments below as well.
So, this blog post is for everyone, but written in response to Gavin:
In Gavin's email, he wrote:
Hi Michael,
Excellent blog - very well written. Just a quick question; Having come from a Nikon D90 (which bear in mind came out in 2008) I have to say that so far I’ve been rather frustrated with the EM-1’s auto focus when it comes to motor sport and airshows.
I’ve read all the advice I can find and am using what seems to be the recommended technique: Latest firmware, C-AF, 9 point block focus, continuous low speed continuous shooting etc. but the keeper rate is still very low. In many instances I’m getting better results with manual focus and focus peaking.
I’m more than happy to admit that this may be operator error but given a history of success with my old Nikon gear, I’d like to establish a couple of things. The lens I’ve been using for this type of thing is the Olympus 75-300 F4.8-6.7 II. (I have the 12-40 F2.8 Pro but haven’t tried it for action) Do you have any experience with this lens - is it known for being unsuited to fast moving subjects?
I know that you rave about the 40-150 F2.8 Pro - is this significantly better for AF tracking - and also initial lock on speed than other MFT lenses you’ve used? It is a very tempting piece of glass, but as my Dad pointed out the other day, for the same money as that lens alone, you could get a Canon EOS 70D and a 70-200 F4 L which would definitely track Motorsport well.
Another problem I had is whilst trying to focus on a distant aircraft, the lens hunted backwards and forwards, refusing to lock onto anything at all, including the clouds which were effectively at infinity.
I love many aspects of the E-M1 and in other respects have been entirely pleased with it. However, this is a hobby for me so I’m loathe to spend money on the 40-150, only to find that actually the problem lay elsewhere all along.
Any thoughts you could share would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Kind regards
Gavin
Thanks Gavin for getting in touch with your questions. Today I want to try and touch on everything you mention in your email if I can and so I've broken it down to 4 main points:
- Settings
- Lens Choice and Investment
- Intended use with the photographs
- Comparisons to a DSLR and other cameras: In your email you talk about being able to pick up a 70D and a 70-200L f/4 for a cheaper price and that it would likely perform better, so I'm going to touch on some other reasonably priced alternatives too that would handle sports and action shooting.
Unfortunately I can't make any comparison's with Nikon cameras as I've only used a Nikon on two occasions and neither for motor sports. So for the sake of this article I'll write about my experience vs my old Canon equipment where needed.
1. Settings
Having the correct settings dialed in will only get you so far. You of course have to have a good technique as well. It's evident from your website that you've photographed motor sports before with some pretty successful panning photographs in your motor sports gallery. I would say that the images you have in your gallery don't have that critical sharpness that I would look for and that I have been able to achieve with my E-M1, so perhaps consider spending a day at the track panning and consider your shutter speed to perfect your technique. Working out what works for you as well as what doesn't is key. For example friends of mine are able to shoot down at 1/50th and still get sharp motor sports photographs! Mine are best at about 1/125th - 1/160th. I'm sure with some more practise though I'd be able to improve and shoot at 1/80th and maintain sharp photographs.
1/125th - f/10 - ISO100
My settings were simple but also differ from what you have said in your email:
- High Speed Continuous Shooting at 9fps
- Single, Center Focus Point manually selected
- Continuous Auto Focus mode
- Shutter Speed between 1/80th and 1/160th
- Aperture F/10 - f/13
- ISO was as low as I could possibly go with the given light (100 - 200)
- Image Stabilisation set for Horizontal panning
As I mention in my post 'A Day At The Race Track With The Olympus OM-D E-M1' my keeper rate was lower than I would have perhaps achieved with my sports-oriented and much-loved Canon 7D. I'm happy to acknowledge this. The 7D would have perhaps offered me 4 keepers out of a burst of 6 or 7, with the E-M1 only leaving me with 1 or 2 to choose from. But with motor sports (Particularly endurance racing!) The cars will be going around the track many, many times - You'll have plenty of chances to photograph them again. Besides, you only really need 1 keeper of each car, right?
Most importantly for me (and I'll talk about this further in below) is that I am still able to get tac-sharp, crisp, clean images using the E-M1. The keeper rate may matter more if I were a professional motor sports photographer.
The idea of using the center focus point only is not an Olympus-specific technique. This is something I did with my Canon 7D as well. By manually choosing the focus point and instead trying to keep the focus point on the car you're asking the camera to do less. I've found I've had better results with this technique.
One thing that was specific to the Olympus though was a change I had to make to my panning: I now found I could not pan when the car was further away giving me a reduced panning arc. The Olympus Micro Four Thirds System obviously, as I've shown, is able to track subjects moving parallel to you with little change in the distance between you and the subject, however I would agree that tracking subjects' who's distance to the camera changes suddenly is much harder. Football and field & team sports could possibly offer too much of a challenge for the current range of mirrorless cameras available and this is why you'll see any photographer in that arena only using the top DSLR camera bodies and lenses available. Unlike motor sports these other sports aren't as repetitive and so moments will only happen once. Margins are fine and so you need to be ready to capture everything. Rarely, if ever, do you get a second chance.
I've not photographed any aviation with the OM-D E-M1 and my 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO as yet, but I'm relatively confident they'd be fine. I may have to add the 1.4 teleconverter for a little more range, but the 40-150 performs superbly throughout it's entire focal range, as I'll mention in just a moment.
100% cropped screen grab from Lightroom - this is a little soft for me (see the edges of the numbers and decals on the car)
1/80th - f/13 - ISO100
One thing I have certainly learnt over the years though is that if there is that if there is a photographic niche where the margin between a successful photograph and an average photograph - it's sports and wildlife (moving subjects)
Perhaps this is where some of your frustration begins? Having said that however for the best results and to give yourself every chance of success you have to use the best glass on your camera...
2. Lens Choice and Investment
This part could easily warrant a blog post all of it's own...
I learned a long time ago that if you don't buy the top of the range lenses your photographs will only suffer for it (of course there are exceptions to this). Often, I believe that you can get by with a lesser-camera and better glass, but not necessarily the other way round.
I remember purchasing a handful or pre-owned EF-S Canon Lenses (for crop sensor bodies) with variable aperture and inevitably, after much frustration, went out and bought the lenses I should have bought in the first place anyway meaning I bought twice! Now I'm not suggesting that without the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO you won't be able to get good photographs at all, but it will certainly help your cause, your keeper rate and in the long-run and your finances.
The Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO is a marvel of a lens when it comes to it's ability to resolve detail, even at it's longest focal length of 150mm.
Not since my very early Canon days (during my first foray in to photography) have I used anything less than top end glass and so it's hard for me to honestly quantify and compare how much better the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO is than the lens you used, the Olympus 75-300 F4.8-6.7 II. My guess though is that the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO is much, much better. From past experience low and middle-range lenses have issues with softness at the extreme ends of their focus (75 and 300 in this case) and they're also prone to hunting and tracking back and forth trying to achieve that focus. This is because the motors inside those lower-end lenses are constantly trying to arrange and manage the groups of glass (elements) inside the lens to maintain and achieve focus. Logic would dictate that a cheaper lens would use cheaper components and therefore it wouldn't be able to perform to the same standard as higher quality, pro-grade lens.
1/160th - f/11 - ISO100
In addition, the variable aperture nature of the 75-300mm 4.8 - 6.7 - for me at least - is such a hindrance when it comes to shooting sports. I remember that the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 for example was sharper at f/4 than it was at f/2.8, so knowing that the aperture also affects the sharpness and then not being in full control of the aperture as the lens zooms simply doesn't sit well with me.
It used to be (particularly with Canon kit lenses) that they just weren't as sharp as the pro grade lenses. Whilst that isn't' the case necessarily with Olympus Lenses (they're all pretty sharp!) the difference is still that the pro grade lenses are high-performance tools that are sharper and work faster.
I've seen nothing but rave reviews about the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO elsewhere and in my experience it just doesn't have an issue with keeping up with what the E-M1 asks it to focus on. It is after all a Professional grade lens. Perhaps see if you can get one from Olympus on loan using the 'Test & WOW' service and take it to a track?
Put it this way though - the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO from Olympus was, in my mind, every bit as good as my old Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM ii - a lens considered by many to be the best in class of lenses in that category available today for a DSLR. I owned them side by side for only a month before i decided to commit and I sold up the Canon gear and moved to Olympus. Not because I'm a fan boy, but because of the performance and experience.
Another thing to mention though, rather than me just saying 'Buy the best lens you can' is that you do have to take into account that a great lens will nearly always out-last any camera body you own.
Look at any sports photographer - they're likely to have a massive prime (such as the Canon 400mm f/2.8 or a 600mm f/4) that they've had for 5 years or more, whereas in that time they've probably had a handful of camera bodies. The same can be said of the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO: yes it's a relatively expensive lens, but as long as I shoot with Olympus camera's it's a lens I'll own and use owing to it's versatility and it's quality. If you look at the cost of the lens in the same way you view the cost of a body, then often the costs won't stack up or be justifiable; Firstly - a good lens will hold it's value when you come to sell it, whereas a the value of a camera body simply plummets from the moment you own it. Secondly, A lens is easily worth twice as much as you'll often have a good one twice as long, not to mention it will do your images justice. It is after all the glass that makes the difference.
My tools and toys - The Olympus OM-D E-M5 and E-M1 surrounded by my favourite primes and pro zooms.
It is worth noting though that for me I also photograph weddings and portraits too, so my lenses are tools as much as they are toys and therefore I take this in to account when making my purchases. Which neatly leads to the next point from your email:
3. Intended use with the photographs
I make money from my photography and as a result my gear does, in my opinion, have to be of a professional standard. But because I have those requirements I can justify buying the PRO lenses.
If however, I wasn't making any income at all from photography I know that my wife would certainly not be as relaxed as she is about me spending what is (let's be honest) vast amounts of money on a camera for a hobby. If you're photographing motor sports as an enthusiast and for your own personal enjoyment and pleasure then this does put an entirely different light on this subject. Now, the only thing pushing you and motivating you to look at better lenses and equipment is you and your own desire for better photographs - not a client or customer requirement or need.
Be cautious - the internet and all the big name photographers will tell you that every new camera is a great investment and will make your photography infinitely better. My move to Olympus was, on paper at least, a downgrade in performance. Or at least that what's people told me: smaller sensor, not-professional, can't do big prints, can't shoot low light, doesn't track very well blah, blah, blah - that list went on. Which is why I wrote a post called 'Why Olympus'. If I am able to produce the same (or as I like to believe) a better standard of work with an apparently lesser camera, then surely that means I'm a better photographer than I was before, right?
Maybe that is true. But I also believe that the Olympus OM-D E-M1 is a better camera than many realise and it certainly performs well, well above the specs on the adverts.
My move was justified because I proved that the camera could perform in all of the circumstances I needed it too. I acknowledge it's differences and limitations vs my old Canon DLSR (note that keeper rate I mentioned at the start for example) and accepted that. But if you're a professional sports photographer and need a higher keeper rate - perhaps this isn't the camera for you.
For me, it was good enough at everything I did for pleasure and better at what made me money. As such - my requirement for a professional camera was met by the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and so it was a feasible and justifiable move. For you, as a motor sports photographer, this may not be the case.
Don't force yourself to use a camera just because you like it, or want to like it. What matters at the end of the day is the photographs, right? if you're making better images on the Nikon then stick with that. It's whatever works for you, in the same way that the Olympus just works for me.
4. Alternative Camera / Lens Setups
Invariably photographers shoot many things and so my desire for one system of cameras and lenses was neatly fulfilled by the OM-D E-M1 and the M.Zuiko lenses. I can now shoot everything from landscapes, portraits, motor sports, wildlife, weddings, engagement shoots and the kids around the house. I have a lens for all situations. But if you're looking for a setup as a motor sports thoroughbred then you have plenty of options. In fact, I'd probably still point you back towards a DSLR for motor sports:
- Pre-owned Canon 7D - circa £400
- Canon 70D - circa £7,00
- Pre-owned Canon 70-200 f/2.8 (mark 1) - circa £1,000
- Canon 70-200 f/4 - circa £1,000
(Please note that I have no affiliation with MBP Photographic, whose website I have linked to above for the reference pricing, it's just that they sell both new and pre-owned equipment).
For as little as £1,400 you could pick up a Canon Camera and Lens combo that is arguably more suited to motor sports, as per above. I would argue though that for the best images you should look for the best lens. Perhaps a New Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM ii at around £1,500.
I'm sold on Olympus and know what it can do for me. But if you want the best motor sports bang for your buck I won't tell anyone that you absolutely have to go the Olympus route and that it's the best for motor sports. Because it's not. But I prefer it and I enjoy using it more. Yes, there is a huge element of preference involved here - we've not even mentioned Nikon! - but the fact is the Olympus is more than capable of being able to shoot great motor sports photographs; hopefully as I've demonstrated at Silverstone and Le Mans 2015.
But as a rule (not specific to Olympus) go for the best glass possible.
Other Photographers shooting great motor sports photography:
For years a good photographer friend of mine of mine, Neil Graham, shot 'only' on a Canon 60D (a crop-sensor Canon DSLR sporting only 9 focus points and shooting at up to 5 frames per second! The work that Neil was able to produce with that camera absolutely astounded me time after time. (check out Neil's work over at his website). For me Neil is a great example of a photographer who is able to get the most out of a camera through a practiced technique, despite any apparent lack of ability of the camera.
You may also want to check out John Rourke's Work - The Director and Photographer of Adrenal Media - The Official Photographic Agency for the FIA WEC (Le Mans Series Governing Body). John shoots with a number of cameras, but frequently talks about and shares some absolutely amazing photographs made with his Fuji mirrorless cameras! John is proving that these cameras are capable of performing in the professional arena. It's worth noting also that on paper (and it's somewhat acknowledged too) that the Fuji isn't quite as capable as the Olympus when it comes to Auto Focus
Free Motor Sports Desktop Wallpapers
I was fortunate enough to be at Silverstone here in the UK a few weeks back to see (and photograph) the cars from the World Endurance Championship race around the track! I didn't get to photograph the race itself, which was on the Sunday, but I was there alongside the track on Saturday as the cars had free-practise and competed in qualifying for the race the next day.
I was putting the Olympus OM-D E-M1 through it's paces in preparation of the Le Mans 24 Hours in June, which I'll be attending with my good friend Neil Graham!
As is becoming the custom for me I thought I'd make a small selection of these images available as high-res desktop backgrounds. Enjoy!
All of these photographs are available as hi-res downloads in their native format and are 2560 pixels on the longest edge (suitable for most Macs and widescreen laptops and monitors). You can click each image to preview at a larger size, but to download each photograph and ensure you get the highest quality file click the 'Download Here' link beneath each photograph. Alternatively, you can click to enlarge, right click on the image and then choose 'Save As'.
All of these photographs were made using an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless Camera and the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 ED PRO Lens
1. Aston Martin Vantage V8
2. Porsche 911 RSR
3. Porsche 911 RSR
4. BMW Z4
5. Ferrari 458 Italia
6. Audi R18 e-tron Quattro
Copyright Notice
Please enjoy these photographs. But be kind: Do not edit these photographs and claim them as your own. Don't sell them without my permission. Do not use commercially without contacting me @ michael@rammellphotography.com
All works are Creative Commons Licensed:
6hrs Silverstone 2015 Desktop Background Series by Michael Rammell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at www.michaelrammell.com.
A day at the race track with the Olympus OM-D E-M1
My photographic calendar remains as busy as ever, with my most recent outing taking me to the Silverstone race circuit here in the UK to photograph the World Endurance Championship Qualifying and Practice races.
Was the Olympus Micro Four Thirds system up to the task? Read on to find out...
One area of uncertainty
Before I get into this post in detail I want to just set out what my expectations of the Olympus were. When making my switch to Olympus I thought that there were perhaps certain photographic niche's it just wouldn't be as capable of when pitted against a DSLR. That's not to say I didn't think it wouldn't be able to handle them, but more that it would be more of a challenge to wield the E-M1 and achieve the same results. The OM-D E-M1 is arguably the most capable of all of the mirrorless offerings (from all manufacturers), especially in terms of auto focus speed and accuracy, but having come from the world of Canon DSLR's a small part of me still worried that it wouldn't deliver the same quality when it came to motor sports and wildlife purely because of the pace of the subjects. This trip to Silverstone was both perfect practice for The Le Mans 24 Hour Race in June and also a great opportunity to put the Olympus through it's paces.
So, Did the Olympus Perform?
The short answer: Hell yes!
Any fears I had instantly vanished after panning with the first few cars. It locked on focus, stayed with the car and gave me a couple of keepers right off the bat.
It certainly is different than shooting with a DSLR though (and I'll talk about all of that and more in a minute). If you're not used to a mirrorless camera you will need to practice. Although it achieved everything I wanted it to, I did find a few quirks that took some getting used to though and I'm going to use this post to talk about it's strength's and weaknesses as a camera for motor sports and fast-paced action.
Sample photographs
To start this post let's take a look at some sample photographs, before going through the settings used to achieve them:
(Click any of these images to view them in light box mode):
Settings & Gear Used
My settings varied only slightly depending on where we were standing around the track and the available light. All of the images you'll see in this post were photographed using the Olympus OM-D E-M1 running firmware version 3.0. The lens was the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO
My settings were as follows:
- A nice slow shutter speed between 1/80th and 1/160th with as low an ISO as possible. Which, on this day wasn't too much of an issue because it was a bright day. So much so that an ND filter would have been useful.
- Seeing as I didn't have an ND for my 40-150 though, my aperture remained between f/11 - f/13 to reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor.
- ISO 100-200 depending on cloud cover
- I used single focus point, manually selected. The focus point would either be the very centre point, or, one to the left or right depending on the area of the track we stood.
- Camera set to spot metering
- The In-Body Image Stabilisation on mode 3, which is for horizontal panning.
- The camera was set to Continuous Autofocus (C-AF)
- High Speed shooting at 9 frames per second.
- I had the HLD-7 Battery grip fitted for the extra battery capacity and to balance the camera & lens neatly.
- I use 32Gb Lexar Professional SD Cards with a 600x / 90Mb write speed
- I shot handheld and did not use a monopod. I personally find them cumbersome and restrictive. When I was in Le Mans in 2013 I found I was losing more shots when using the monopod. I do however see the practicality; panning for a few hours handheld was exhausting on the arms!
The Olympus' weight difference was a godsend here. I didn't have that same ache as before when shooting with a DSLR, allowing me to hold the camera more steady and to shoot for longer. A bonus by-product of the cameras size and weight!
Why such a slow shutter speed?
The slow shutter speed records motion in the wheels and also allows you to blur the background as you pan. Shooting much faster than 1/250th and the car begins to appear almost stationary with static wheels and an almost-static appearance to the background. When you start shooting at 1/1000th it almost looks as though the cars are simply parked on the track. So, to purvey a sense of speed slow your shutter. The slower shutter speeds whilst panning does of course require some practice!
There was something of a trade off to be had in these settings though. Those shot at 1/160th and 1/125th were marginally sharper, but those shot at 1/80th had a far blurrier and more pleasing background; the panning effect was more prevalent. It's noticeable if you're a pixel-peeper, but it's a matter of preference as to which you prefer. I personally feel those cars captured at 1/80th have a more dramatic feel and a sense of speed. It's up to you to decide which you prefer. Here are a couple of 100% cropped screen grabs from Lightroom. The yellow and red Ferrari is 1/160th. The blue and orange Porsche is 1/80th.
(you can open these as a light box to inspect a larger image. Pay attention to the edges of the numbers on the side of each car for a comparison)
Firmware Version 3.0
At the start of this post I mentioned I was using Firmware version 3.0 for my Olympus OM-D E-M1. If you're not running this already you ought to update as soon as you can. It's known to be stable and I personally haven't seen any bugs at all, but version 3.0 is more than just a patch - it's an enhancement!
Once updated to 3.0 your E-M1 will go from shooting 6.5 frames per second to 9 frames per second in continuous auto focus. Impressively, at that frame rate the E-M1 will be making use of 37 on-chip phase-detect auto focus points. This gives fantastic tracking ability and makes it even more suited to motorsports and fast moving subjects.
By comparison, the Canon 7dii shoots at 10 frames per second and whilst it does sport 65 cross-type phase detect points, that number can vary depending on the lens you're using. Anotherr consideration again is the difference in price too:
Canon 7Dii: £1,500 body only
Olympus OM-D E-M1: £899 Body Only
Changing Weather Conditions
One thing that any sports photographer will tell you is that the camera has to be able to stand up to the elements, as well as get great quality photographs of course. For the purpose of this post the weather on the day couldn't have been better. When we arrived it was very cold and very wet with the rain pouring steadily. We didn't stop shooting though. My good friend Neil Graham was there with his Canon 7D Mark ii and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM and we both stayed out in the rain with our gear getting wet. It didn't affect the performance of the cameras at all. E-M1 and Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO as a camera for all conditions.
Later in the day the sun made an appearance and it actually started to get quite warm. Once again the E-M1 and 40-150mm Pro lens from Olympus proving that they are tools for the pro, as much as toys for the enthusiast. Don't think that the Olympus is just a fair-weather camera!
Battery Life
I hear people regularly talking about battery life on the Olympus (mirrorless cameras in general) being poor. Whilst I would agree that they don't have the stamina of a DSLR battery I'm finding them perfectly acceptable. I use only Official Olympus batteries (the BLN-1) in my cameras and only changed batteries once during the day. I had the Olympus HLD-7 Grip fitted and so my setup for the day had 2 batteries in at all times. I managed to shoot a little over 2500 shots on the first 2 batteries before they required changing. I then went on to shoot the same again on the second pair of batteries before we left for the day.
I personally was very surprised to achieve this many shots, especially as I was using such a high fps, but it did occur to me that I didn't ever review or delete any of my photographs as I worked, mainly because I don't feel the need to, but secondly because I can see the shot I just made in the EVF. All settings were changed using the dials and buttons and never the LCD.
I also always use my batteries to the last drop: I'll wait for my camera to turn itself off through lack of power before changing batteries. This also ensures they're fully drained before I place them back in their chargers (Again, official Olympus chargers too).
Keeper Rate
I'll be honest here and say that my keeper rate probably wasn't as high as it would have been on my old Canon 7D, which was my go-to camera for this sort of application. Of a burst of 5 or 6 shots at 1/80th perhaps 2 frames were sharp enough to be considered keepers. I'd say that back when I was shooting with the Canon DSLR the keeper from 5 or 6 was more likely to be around 4 per burst.
Although this wasn't too much of an issue, because of course you only need the one shot in focus of each car, it does go to show the very fine margin's between the systems. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 was still able to achieve the same end result, but it just dropped a few more frames.
Having said that, the last time I photographed motor sports of this kind was at Le Mans in 2013, so the technique required to pan with the cars wasn't practiced, whereas i had the best part of 3 days before the last race to get my technique down.
Conclusion
So, is this the camera you should buy if you're going to shoot motor sports? The answer is a matter of preference and priority. There are lots of cameras on the market that will do what you've seen in this post, and some of them better, but I'm yet to see a better and more capable mirrorless system than this. So if it's specifically mirrorless you're after, the Olympus as both a body and lens system, is surely the winner.
It works for me and it works damn well too. As i've shown this excellent system can track, pan, shoot at super fast 9 frames per second and handle much more than many people realise. The E-M1 and 40-150mm f/2.8 pro come together to form a DSLR-beater. The E-M1 is a middle weight camera with a super heavy weight punch, but as is so often now-a-days people judge a book by it's cover, or rather a camera by the size of it's sensor, which is a real shame.
Small-sensor syndrome often causes people to overlook the Olympus in favour of the Fuji system or even Sony, but in all honesty those cameras just don't hold a candle to the OM-D E-M1 and the range of Olympus lenses on offer.
Showing that the E-M1 is more than just a small camera will lead some to say "Jack of all trades, master of non", but if you want to know the truth all you have to do is pick up one of the cameras from the OM-D range to believe what they're capable of.
For me, I'll use this for motor sports, wildlife, weddings, portraits and pretty much anything I need to shoot. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 has well and truly snatched the crown from my Canon DSLR's, which are long gone now. The more I use this camera and the Olympus lenses, the better it gets.
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