What to do about the Olympus Problem
“Micro Four Thirds is Dead” proclaimed Tony Northrup. Truth be told I haven’t watched the video and I probably won’t, because I’m done with talking about cameras. But I just had to say something on this subject. Never-the-less, for those that haven’t seen the video causing all this uproar in the Olympus communities, here it is:
My take? Micro Four Thirds is not dead. But it certainly is in a critical condition, no thanks to Olympus.
Hear me out…
In all of the Olympus Facebook groups, forums and communities that I am a part of I hear nothing but positivity when it comes to OM-D’s. Olympus photographers absolutely adore their cameras and so they should! Lightweight and compact with brilliant image quality. So why then, does someone like Tony Northrup declare Micro Four Thirds as a dead format? Why is it that everyone else in the photography industry seems to look at Micro Four Thirds as the red-headed stepchild or the wannabe digital camera brand? I loved my OM-D and defended Micro Four Third on a regular basis.
The Micro Four Thirds technology and sensor standard is actually pretty good! Sure, it has its limitations, as do all sensors, but if you ask me the issue lies with Olympus as a company - not the actual technology itself. Now, typically when we speak about Micro Four Thirds as a standard, we should be taking Panasonic along for the discussion too, but in all honesty ‘despite’ their Lumix range also utilising MFT, they’ve built an amazing reputation in the world of digital video which is still looked upon incredibly positively. They differentiated their primary use of the MFT Format and weren’t really ever playing the same game as Olympus. I think they get a pass here. Olympus however, do not.
Allow me to be pragmatic for a second…
From the outside looking in, that is; through the eyes of non-Olympus, Panasonic and Micro FourThirds users, it’s hard to see the attraction and lure of Micro Four Thirds for stills photography. Really, it is! Sure, its a small and lightweight system, but so is the Sony a7 series*. (Cue Uproar and arguments about how that isn’t true). *I agree - The Sony Alpha system isn’t as small, or as lightweight as what an OM-D offers and yes, I fully acknowledge that the lenses are massive and often and heavier than traditional DSLR lenses, but the thing is, Sony says the advantage of their system is lightweight and portability and so many people believe it. That’s a fact. Like it or not. Any camera brand can shout about lightweight enough and make it appear true. Consumers will believe what they hear and see in ads!
In this day and age; that being the age of fake news and tribes gathering themselves around their favoured brands and vehemently denying facts that don’t suit their belief (Olympus users are guilty of this too), if someone like Sony use these things as strap-lines in their marketing and enough people believe it, then the perception becomes the reality. (You could say the same for German cars and their apparent reputation for being reliable).
So, what we end up with is a market where people look at Sony, look at Olympus and see two systems; both small and lightweight (apparently), but one packing a Full Frame sensor. Combine that with the even more common perception that “Full Frame is for Pro’s” and we’re left with the common belief that the Sony surely, must be ‘the better camera to go for?’. Hence the reason Sony is currently killing it in the camera market and almost single-handedly set in motion arguably the largest disruption in the camera market since demise of film.
Why blame Olympus?
I work in IT and recently took on a new job. I moved from a monster of a Corporate to an Agile company. I don’t foresee the Corporate even existing in 10 years time, whereas my new company have recognised that disruptors can come from anywhere at any time and so they are seeking to be the disruptor. As David S Rose said; “Any company designed for success in the 20th century is doomed to failure in the 21st”. Loosely, David is talking about how a company can become inflexible and how their product-to-market lifecycle often becomes so long that in the middle of their next big development cycle, some other company comes in and smashes it out of the park with something else that makes their efforts totally obsolete. Like my previous corporate monster company.
Well, I see a lot of this same behaviour in Olympus. Not only in their awfully slow R&D cycles which are akin to companies pre-2000’s, but also the fact that even when they do release a new camera, it’s merely iterative and often in response to something from a year ago, meaning they play catchup.
You could argue that the iterative improvements and firmware updates massively improve the OM-D’s…but even on paper, do they really, even then, stack up against the competition in terms of performance? No. Olympus identified a need for a high performance yet compact camera and delivered it via Micro Four Thirds, but now the market has swung back toward wanting larger sensors again, as it always did. Whether this is driven by consumers or by manufacturers doesn’t really matter. Olympus are catering for their market, not the camera market in its entirety. This may well explain the partisan view of Micro Four Thirds and why those ‘in the circle’ love Olympus and those outside it scoff at the format.
Olympus is playing catchup again and all that most of us Olympus owners can legitimately argue is that our cameras are ‘Lightweight and portable’ or we resort to talking about how “it’s really all about preference at the end of the day” or, as I’ve seen so many times, we dismiss the fact that anyone may ever print larger than A4 and say that anything bigger than Micro Four Thirds is a waste.
Really? These are the best arguments we have to offer on behalf of Micro Four Thirds?
Us Micro Four Thirds owners are dismissive and have little in our arsenal to argue with. Sure, there are flaws in those other systems, but it often does help those fans of other cameras that their cameras can often track focus better, have a higher resolution or have better low light performance. Let’s be honest.
One camera to rule them all? Not any more.
That’s not the only issue though, whilst other camera manufacturers, much like manufacturers of cars, golf clubs, bicycles, computers, hell, even mobile network providers, have learnt to differentiate their products by purpose and have expanded their product range to play in as wide a market as possible, Olympus continues to confuse consumers by differentiating the OM-D range on price alone and appear to be pigeon-holing themselves as ‘That Micro Four Thirds Camera company’, rather than ‘that awesome camera company’.
Olympus has done nothing to encourage photographers to choose an OM-D over anything else on the market. They’ve not really even done anything to encourage existing Olympus owners to opt for an E-M5 over an E-M1? Is the E-M5 really just a poor man’s E-M1? If that’s the case, their effectively telling us that they really want us to buy the E-M1 and that the E-M5 is the compromising mid-range model that merely exists to occupy a set price-point.
Why not give the E-M5 a purpose and value proposition all of its own? (I'll come to this again, shortly)
At no point have Olympus put out an advert that speaks specifically and directly to a wedding photographer and said: “Hey, this OM-D E-M1ii can solve this problem”. Their best effort so far in this sense was to gun for the sports market, with much of the hype around the OM-D E-M1ii being about speed, accuracy and focusing. But even then, that was largely about playing catchup. Not many people really sat up and took notice. Again, to illustrate my point about disruptors and Olympus’ own slow R&D cycle, it was only months later that Sony released the A9 and all gazes were once again diverted towards the Full Frame Mirrorless market.
The right tools for the job
It used to be, in the days of Canon and Nikon’s utter dominance, that their camera ranges were linear. Both in terms of features, performance and price. Do you want the best camera for any job? Well, that would have been the range-topping Canon 1Dx or the Nikon D5 then, right?
This is absolutely no longer the case. However, Olympus continues to operate this model: As the feature-set increases, so does the price.
In the last few years or so the mainstream camera manufacturers have moved towards a focussed model approach. That being that you opt for a specific camera for a specific purpose.
Do you want Resolution? Then take a look at a Canon 5Dsr, a Nikon D850, a Sony A7Riii or the Fuji GFX then (I know, Fuji, right?!). Simple. Can Olympus compete here in this space? No! Market lost, Instantly. What does Olympus offer? A high res mode that can only be used in specific scenarios. That’s just not going to cut it.
Do you want low light? Great! Take a look a the Sony A7s, Canon try their best with the 5Div and Nikon offer us the D750. Can Olympus compete in the low-light game? No. Again, market opportunity lost!
What about the speed and accuracy of focusing? This is where it gets interesting, as this is an area that Olympus has tried to leverage for the EM-1. The problem is though, as good as it is, it still doesn’t stack up to the Sony A9, Canon 7Dii or 1Dx or the Nikon D5 or D500. Can Olympus compete in the speed game? At best, they can try, but they’re not genuine contenders right now. Argue all you like, but how many Olympus’s do we see pitch-side at The Olympics or top-end sports?
Olympus have become like a certain red and white, North London Football club - consistently aiming for ‘above average’ and ‘aspiring’ to 4th place, but never truly looking to be number 1. As Ricky Bobby said in Talladega Nights: “if you ain’t first, you’re last”.
So, where is it exactly that Olympus do win vs their competitors?
What’s the stand out factor, feature, on-paper spec or Unique Selling Point that makes would-be owners say “Man, I need that Olympus over camera x, y, z”? Which of those cameras from the lists above will an Olympus OM-D E-M1ii genuinely cause a photographer to choose the Micro Four Thirds option instead?
None.
Never has the old adage ‘Jack of all trades’ been more appropriate. That leads us back that argument about how the OM-D is small and lightweight. And that’s not terribly exciting, is it? Is that really all Olympus has to offer?
What’s the solution?
The Austin Mini. Originally produced in 1959. The aim was to be small and light. Remind you of a certain camera company? Regardless of whether you like Mini or not, today you can buy about 6 different variants of the mini; the ‘standard’ mini, the coupe, a soft-top, the club man and even a bloody 4x version! (This analogy is actually scarily appropriate!) The point is, the original Mini that was unleashed to the world is/was a totally different Mini from what we see today.
When modern Mini, as a company, saw found that 2 in every 5 cars sold in the UK was an SUV (or at least a larger vehicle, higher off the ground, akin to a 4x4), they got in on the game and made a model to take a slice of that pie. They leveraged the brand they had. The market went in one direction, Mini followed. They’re doing very well for themselves! If Mini had stubbornly stuck to their original ethos and refused to expand their range, I’m sure they’d still be a tidy little car company today. But ‘aspiring’ and ‘tidy little car company’ are oxymoron’s.
So why is Olympus not doing the same? Why are they so slow to react? Panasonic have just done it to great acclaim and they haven’t even officially released the S-Series yet. Sony saw that Canon and Nikon had a strangle hold on the camera market with their DSLR’s. All they really did was remove a mirror and launch the world’s first Full Frame Mirrorless Camera. It was heralded as revolutionary, when really, all they actually did was step to one side and use a different lane. They didn’t innovate! But they changed the game. Why? Because it omitted a mirror! Laugh all you want; but the big two have finally reacted as well and have launched their rather pitiful full frame mirrorless offerings.
Again, laugh all you want, but we all know that Canon and Nikon die-hards will sooner opt for something from their favoured brand than ‘step down’ to Olympus.
Olympus, without focus and by refusing to react quickly, are shrinking and missing their opportunities to pounce on a market that is in choppy water for the first time in decades. People don’t change camera systems often, but when they do, they usually go big. Olympus are missing a trick by not expanding their range or at least compelling people to look at the OM-D for a specific purpose.
An OM-D for this, an OM-D for that.
Here’s what I think Olympus really need to do; they need to at least start by looking at their cameras as tools that each have a different target market, rather than simply making a camera platform and then adding and removing parts to meet certain price points.
The fact is that with the smaller size sensor, you can’t make a single camera to rule them all. If you could, it would have been done far more successfully with a larger sensor already. The fact is we’re still in a time where the number of pixels vs the size of pixels requires some compromise. So heres what Olympus need to do (for starters):
The PEN-F
Make it the consumer camera that is customisable. Different coloured grips, accessories, cases and all that jazz. Make it the fun camera. The one that can be made so unique that you’ll find it hard to come by another photographer with the same-looking PEN-F as you! With it’s lack of dials (vs an OM-D) It’s optimised for full and semi-auto modes. So this camera, ultimately, is your point and shoot. It’s your street photography camera. It’s the camera that slots into your bag and takes up the smallest amount of space.
Price-wise? Depends on your level of customisation at the point of ordering.
The OM-D E-M10 range
This is your basic interchangeable OM-D. Naturally, it would remain the cheapest of the bunch, but why else would you buy it instead of an E-M5? Well, how about this camera has a songle card slot and is aimed at ametuers? Why not put a 35mm f/1.8 on it as part of the package Ideal as a cheap and cheerful point and shoot to compete in the Canon G7 and Sony A6000 space. Give it 4k if you like, a fully articulating touch screen, WiFi and make it an awesome Vlogging camera.
It’s ability to track subjects for stills photography needn’t be amazing, but that’s the job of the other cameras in the range;
The OM-D EM-5 range
The video camera of the OM-D’s. Give it the perfect number of pixels optimised for 4k video. Design a battery grip that connects to a range of external recorders. Give it a fully articulating screen for pieces-to-camera. Allow it to shoot fully ungraded, S-Log video. Hire the guys at Panasonic that made their Lumix’s so darn good and make the E-M5 better!
Sure, it needs to be a capable still camera, but let’s be sure people know that still’s are it’s secondary function, as is often acknowledged with many of the Lumix cameras.
The OM-D E-M1 range
3 variants: low light version, resolution version and then a model designed specifically for and totally optimised for sports, wildlife and action (optimise resolution for best buffer speeds and focus tracking). In all three of these models lets forget about video. Much the opposite to the E-M5, let’s make no bones about it; videographers; this camera is not for you.
These E-M1’s will then have appeal to those that have a specific need. Landscape and Portrait photographers will have their OM-D’s with massive resolutions. Wedding photographers and those needing low-light will have their OM-D with great high-ISO capabilities and those needing an E-M1 for sports and action will get a system that can track as good as any Full Frame DSLR.
Let’s make it clear what each camera is for. You never know, you may well start sellng more cameras!
Summary
So, after Joe Edelman recently interviewed Aki Murata and discussed the current state of play, we received a commitment to Micro Four Thirds Development and an acknowledgement that Full Frame is wanted by the market, but that Olympus “[…]use our resources only on micro four-thirds, instead of developing a new system”.
Seems to me that Olympus were setup for success in the 20th century…
If Olympus aren’t shouting about their intention to develop, innovate and expand their systems, then chances are, much like most inflexible corporations, it’s because it’s either a) not already in their plans, b) because the company are moving in a different direction to the market or c) because it will simply take them so long to get there that when they arrive, they’ll be right where they are now: behind again and not relevant to what the market is asking for.
So, whilst those of you that celebrated and were happy to hear of the commitment to MFT in favour of the development of another system, I would posit this; your joy in Olympus' commitment to Micro Four Thirds serves only your own short term, selfish need for the format to be vindicated and validated. It serves your own need perfectly as it helps you to warrant your own purchasing decision in Micro Four Thirds.
As someone who genuinely loved my OM-D cameras, but found they simply were not as capable of delivering on the job as others available on the market, I tell you now that It is simply not in the interest of photography, the camera industry and certainly not in Olympus’ own interest to paint themselves into a corner. Which is what this commitment signals
The continued self-congratulatory high fives are simply celebrations of stagnation. Whether this is Olympus’ own choice as a company or because they are simply not setup for further innovation remains to be seen.
But right now, the writing is starting to appear on the wall, long-time fellow evangelists for Micro Four Thirds - Panasonic - have listened to the market and are reacting. Canon and Nikon (arguably more gigantic ships that are harder to steer in a new direction) have jumped into Full Frame mirrorless, and Sony continue to raise the on-paper specs of their cameras at such a rate that even the most dynamic of competitors are struggling. Where does that leave Olympus?
I’ll tell you: they have an old-fashioned business model and structure, a rapidly decreasing value proposition in a camera market that has clearly signalled that the new benchmark, standard sensor size is going to be 35mm digital / Full Frame.
Tony Northrup says “Micro Four Thirds is dead”. That’s clearly a headline to grab attention and get views. That I think we can all agree on. However, I think the discussion about turning off the life support machine is being had right now.
Closing question for debate:
So I would flip the debate and ask all those that were so pleased to hear that Olympus have no near-to-midterm plan to launch a Full Frame camera a single question: Why would Olympus committing to Full Frame be a bad thing?
Win an OM-D E-M1ii and 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens With Olympus Magazine
I'm very humbled and grateful to have been asked to write another feature for the Olympus Magazine, particularly in this, the 50th Edition! As always, the magazine is bursting with features, including my contribution for '5 Of the Best'. Best of all, though, in this edition, you could be in with a shout of winning an Olympus OM-D E-M1ii + M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO. How about that for a giveaway!
Want to listen to this post instead of reading? Great! You have 3 options:
- Head on over to iTunes, Subscribe, Leave some feedback and a review
- Don't like Apple? Then check out the Stitcher Radio Podcast App!
- Listen right here on the blog: Click play below on the audio player.
In my '5 of the best' feature, Olympus wanted me to share some of my thoughts on what it takes to be a wedding photographer as well as sharing my experiences in shooting with the Olympus range of cameras (hint: I love 'em! But you already knew that). I give a run-through of some of my kit and some tips on marketing and relationship building. So if you're thinking of getting started in wedding photography, this could well be the article for you.
The article features a picture of a rather chubby looking me too (of all the images OlympusUK had to choose from eh! ;) ) so if you want a laugh, be sure to stop by and take a look and have a read.
Oh, and whilst you're there why not enter the competition to win your own Olympus OM-D E-M1ii + M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens.
The UK Photography Show - March 18th - March 21st
This weekend (Saturday 18th to Tuesday 21st is) the UK Photography Show, the UK's largest Photography trade event. I will be there, of course. I'm heading up on the Tuesday to see David Alan-Harvey give his talk on the superstage. I'm excited about that! I will otherwise be having a mooch around the Olympus stand and the Guild of Photgraphers booth and getting my cameras cleaned for free :). I'll also be there to catch up with my good friend and fellow photographer Paul Griffiths. We'll be doing some blogging and vlogging.
It's become very much a social event too since it's inception. This will be the 4th time I've been to the show, missing a year.
If you want to meet up though and discuss photography, cameras or even cycling, then get in touch with me today by email: Michael@RammellPhotography.com. Or, use the contact form if you prefer
London Photo Walk - April 30th
Lastly, I just wanted to remind you that my totally FREE London photowalk is taking place this year on April 30th, starting out in Carnaby Street. Sign up now to make sure I have your details so that I can keep you posted about any possible changes to the plan or itinerary.
There isn't a limit to the number of people that can attend as it's a public place, however I would just ask that you register so I can contact you should I need to. You can register right here on the site
On that note, I have had a few emails from people who have signed up asking when they would receive confirmation of their place on the photo walk. Well, if that's you and you've signed up and you're wondering if your place is secured - then yes! You're coming. Just turn up at the meeting place on the day and say hi, just so we don't leave you behind. Again, details on how to register, the route and the meeting place can all be found over on the events page
The Camera Aspects Show
Lastly, in my quest to produce as much content as time will allow me, I've joined forces with my good friend Paul Griffiths to get a project off the ground that we've been discussing for the best part of 18 months now. 'The Camera Aspects Show' is now live.
If you're thinking you may have heard the name Paul Griffiths before, it's likely you've come across Pauls show and blog: Photography Live & Uncut.
The idea behind the show is that Paul and I will meet on a weekly basis to discuss all things photography, from gear to business and everything in between. We'll be recording the episodes live on location in London, using the various bars and restaurants that we like. We've already recorded and posted episode 1 up online to YouTube. The audio version will also be available shortly through iTunes and Stitcher Radio too.
Don't worry though folks, the Camera Aspects Show doesn't mean that this blog is ending, it's just another feather in my cap.
Otherwise, that's all for now. Be sure to head on over to iTunes and Stitcher and subscribe, just search for my name 'Michael Rammell' or use the links right here in the post. Oh, and please do check out my YouTube channel too. I've finally got that into a decent shape and I'm posting VLOG's every couple of days, so if you want to know more about me and what I'm up to regularly, check out that channel:
My Three Favourite Olympus Lenses
It's been a few weeks since I've managed to sit at my desk and write for the blog, but in that time over 50 of you have subscribed! Thank you to all you newcomers and subscribers.
The reason for the absence was largely because I've been so busy and focused on shooting weddings. The wedding season here in the UK typically runs from April to September and this year has been my most hectic yet! With me shooting nearly every weekend and then post processing during the week, I've had to shuffle a few regular tasks around and give priority to the wedding work, naturally. I also had a bit of an accident where I was knocked off my bicycle too. Many evening's were taken up with Physio to get my shoulder back to a good place, when I would have perhaps otherwise been writing. So all in all, a busy schedule meant something had to give.
At every wedding my Olympus OM-D E-M1 has been on-hand and has worked flawlessly every time.
But, over the course of the weddings I have shot this year I've tried to refine what equipment I've had with me in the bag over my shoulder (and what equipment gets left in the other bag in the car). Despite using Olympus gear I still have to lug around a fair bit of kit including no less than 2 light stands that each reach up to 9 feet, a 40" Octabox, reflectors, flashes and constant lights. So, suffice to say the lighter my camera bag can be the better. It's for this reason I decided looked at which lenses I've used the most; those lenses that have earned a permanent place in the bag. I've even sold a couple of lenses as a result of this exercise too, including my 12-40mm f/2.8 and my 25mm f/1.8. More on that later in this post...
Although my need to reflect upon which lenses I favoured most was borne out of my desire to work with only the essential lenses at weddings, I do feel that this list actually represents my favourite all-round lenses for any type of shooting situation. So, if you're not a wedding photographer, this post will still hold true for you too...Enjoy!
1: 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO
The 7-14mm f/2.8 is the newest addition to my lens bag and a lens that I anticipated for such a long time before its' release. As a wedding photographer and a keen landscape photographer too, an ultra wide angle like this makes up 1 of 3 of the 'Holy Trinity' of lenses; that being an ultra wide, a standard zoom and a telephoto zoom. In my favourite three here, I include 2 of the 3 lenses from that trio (with the 12-40mm f/2.8 missing out).
The 7-14m is an absolutely amazing lens and scores very highly in every department: the build quality is second to non, its' super sharpness and ability to focus well in low-light make this lens very versatile.
The effective field of view becomes a 14-28mm on an Micro Four Thirds sensor. It's a focal range that can help you to produce some massively creative and interesting photographs, results that perhaps a slightly less wide lens just couldn't offer (the 12-40mm f/2.8 for example). Here are a couple of shots I've made during 2016 using this lens.
As with all wide angles, the key is often to pay attention to those things that need to be excluded from the frame, as much as what you manage to capture within it. Owing to the extremely wide field of view it's not uncommon that you'll find things sneaking into the frame that would have perhaps been outside of the frame were you shooting with a standard zoom or something slightly less wide.
The 7-14mm pairs up wonderfully with the OM-D E-M1 in particular with matching build quality and performance. Thanks to its constant f/2.8 aperture it's a fast lens too, meaning it can be used in many situations only adding to its versatility.
I've used the 7-14mm f/2.8 at weddings and find that the wider shots tend to give a feeling of grandeur to a scene. Think of large staircases and shots from low down on the ground - that wide angle perspective can help to give a feeling of huge by exaggerating things near the edge of the frame and stretching things out to make them look taller or wider (not a good thing with people mind you!) I wouldn't typically use the lens close up to a person unless I was intentionally looking to distort them. These two images show my typical use of a wide angle:
The wide field of view also allows a photographer to capture more in the frame when you have less room to work with, making this especially useful in situations where another lens would have simply too narrow a field of view.
As with many wide angles, flaring can be an issue if you shoot into a light source, but with this 7-14mm I embrace this. The flare and behavior of the light as it bounces around inside the elements can create a wonderful effect. For example (not an award winning image with that wonky horizon):
Another trait of many wide angles and something that the nature of the Micro Four Thirds format 'enhances' is that it is susceptible to chromatic aberration, but with software like Adobe Lightroom, I rarely, if ever, consider CA an issue at all as it is so easily removed with only a few clicks. No layers or masks required!
2: 17mm f/1.8
The 17mm f/1.8 is the only prime lens to make it into my top three favourites, which is actually odd for me when I think about it because I feel that the Olympus bodies work especially well when paired with a prime. It really was a close call between the three primes I do use regularly; the 17mm, the 45mm f/1.8 and the 60mm f/2.8 macro. But, ultimately, the compact size of the 17mm, coupled with its stunning build quality wins it for me.
With build quality you would expect from a lens upwards of £600 and sharpness that you have come to know from some of the most premium glass, the 17mm f/1.8 is an absolute bargain as well as a lens for many occasions. I am an advocate of the saying 'You get what you pay for', but so often is the case with Micro Four Thirds you actually get more than you pay (this is especially true in the case of the 45mm f/1.8 which just missed out on my top 3. I'll come to that later).
The effective field of view equates to 34mm which is a focal range I feel really comfortable using. I've traditionally enjoyed a 50mm prime among my favorite lenses, but with the 4:3 aspect ratio of the MFT sensors I just feel sometimes that a photograph made with a 50mm field of view can sometimes feel rather square, whereas I much prefer a wider frame. It's for this reason that I sold my 25mm f/1.8 lens. It may not be an accurate thing to say, but the 17mm pairs up very well with the E-M1 and gives for a superb result. It's just how I 'feel'.
You'll find that much of the work here on my website, in my street portfolio, was actually shot with the 17mm. Again owing to it's size it is often the only lens I'll take to the streets of London with me.
The 17mm f/1.8 also has other features that really do help this lens to take the 'prime lens crown' (in my opinion) over the others from Olympus. Such as the fact that the minimum focusing distance is just 25cm (or about 10 inches if you prefer). This means you can get nice and close to subjects. When I'm shooting things like wedding cakes and details with this lens this technique can give for wonderful shallow depth of field whilst at the same time not giving that Macro look, which is a look I find works for me.
Another benefit that makes this lens great is the very small front element. The size of the glass on the front of this lens is actually very tiny! Traditionally we expect the front element to be pretty much the same diameter as the lens itself, but because of the 17mm's near-pinhole size element, it means it's sturdy and tough and you don't find yourself constantly covering the front of the lens or worrying about it getting scratched. That makes this lens tough and ideal for many applications (street, weddings etc). Handy!
3: The 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO
The final lens to make it in to my top 3 favorite micro four thirds lenses is my favorite of them all. For me the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO is something of a marvel: It packs the equivalent of 80-300mm in the size of a lens that is about the same as a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8.
I've written a full review of the 40-150mm f/2.8 right here on the blog. For my full thoughts and for more details about this lens you can check out that review too, but the fact is, in summary, this lens is fast to focus, sharp, has great IQ and the ability to resolve detail even at the farthest end. It's built like a tank but isn't too heavy. It features a clever retractable lens hood design. It doesn't hunt back and forth to achieve focus and performs as well as any premium telephoto lens you would expect to pick up for £2,500, even though a savvy shopper can pick one of these up for around £1,200 - £1,300 brand new.
At both ends of its zoom range, it does a great job. The first image of the three below is at 40mm. The second image is at 97mm and the third image at 140m
In addition, the 40-150mm f/2.8 was designed alongside and to work specifically with the 1.4x teleconverter. So, if you want more reach - you can get it without sacrificing much (if anything) in the way of image quality or lens performance. Sure, as with all extenders you lose some depth of field and the 40-150mm f/2.8 quickly becomes a f/4, but, with that extra that you gain it can often be a trade-off well worth making.
The 40-150mm f/2.8 makes it as my favourite in the top 3 because it was the lens that finally sealed the OM-D deal for me. It was when I tested this lens I was convinced that it had what it took to work as a replacement for my previous all-time favorite lens; the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM II (considered to be possibly the best telephoto lens in the standard telephoto lens class!).
Whether I'm at the back of a church photographing the first kiss, in a low light situation photographing a newlywed's first dance, in a forest photographing deer, track-side photographing motor sports or even making a studio lit portrait, the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO is a lens that will take all of those situations in its stride whilst feeling great to handle and use at the same time.
If I had to rescue one lens from a fire, it would be the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO.
Other lenses in my bag
I also have the following lenses in my kit bag and to be honest I love them all, but I find myself reaching for these lenses slightly less than those above that I've written about. Either because the above three lenses tend to be what I favor, or, in the case of the 45mm and 60mm Macro; they're a bit more specialist in their purpose and only suit certain scenarios:
- Olympus 45mm f/1.8
- Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro
- Olympus 9mm f/8 Body Cap Lens (not really a lens, as such, in my opinion. But handy to have on the backup body at all times)
It's only now I list my lenses that I realise over time I have really reduced what I have in my bag. This has been really effective in helping me to choose the correct lens for the right scene. It's great to have a lens for every occasion but be wary - that can often paralyze you with too much to choose from.
Lenses I've Sold
I've recently sold both my 25mm f/1.8 and my 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO. Before I wrap this up I'm sure people will want to know why I sold my 25mm and 12-40mm lenses
25mm f/1.8
I mentioned earlier that I wasn't a fan of the 50mm field of view on the Micro Four Thirds System. Despite this when I made the switch over to Olympus I picked up the 25mm f/1.8. I felt that at the time that every photographer should have a 50mm equivalent in their lens bag. I owned that for about a year but found that I hardly used it, and when I did I wished I was instead using the 17mm f/1.8 instead for that slightly wider field of view. In comparison with the 17mm f/1.8, which is a very dense and somewhat heavy lens for its size, the 25mm felt plastic, too light and quite cheap in the hand (only when compared directly, but I think this speaks more to the quality of the build of the 17mm f/1.8, rather than anything negative about the 25mm f/1.8). I've never exactly had an issue getting in closer to a subject either and for that reason, the 17mm f/1.8 always seemed to be my preference. Don't get me wrong, the 25mm f/1.8 Isn't a bad lens. I just prefer the 17mm f/1.8 instead.
12-40mm f/2.8 PRO
The 12-40mm f/2.8 I appreciate is a highly popular lens for many Micro Four Thirds photographers. It's 24-80mm effective focal range make this an incredibly versatile lens. Couple that with the build quality we've all come to know and love of M.Zuiko PRO lenses and you have a sturdy lens ready for many situations. It does however just miss out being on my favourites list because I find the effective depth of field on offer (f/5.6 throughout the range) at this focal range just doesn't produce that same separation as some of the f/1.8 primes that sit in that same focal range (that being the 17mm f/1.8 for example). At a longer focal range, such as with the 40-150mm you can create better separation between subject and background whilst maintaining a preferred, tighter composition too. For that reason with the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO the effective focal range is fine and you can still get that wonderful soft background that we've all come to know and love from a telephoto lens. I've found that whenever I'm shooting something and need that little bit of versatility, I will often reach for the 7-14mm f/2.8, the 17mm f/1.8 or even the 45mm f/1.8. My poor old 12-40mm f/2.8 rarely got a look-in.
In case you weren't aware, the crop factor of the MFT sensor is x2. As most of us may be aware that affects the effective focal range; with lenses such as the 40-150mm becoming an effective 80-300mm and the 12-40mm becoming a 24-80mm for example. What everyone may not know though is that focal range is not the only thing affected by the crop factor of the MFT sensor. The aperture of a lense is also effected too. However, there is a caveat to this. Firstly, the f/2.8 aperture is doubled and so works out at f/5.6 (2.8 x 2 = 5.6. Furthermore an f/1.8 has a depth of field equivalent to f/3.6). The reason then that these lenses are still advertised as 35mm film form (17mm f/1.8 and 12-40mm f/2.8) is because those lenses and apertures are still accurately representative of the speed of the lense. I.e they let in the same amount of light as other f/1.8 lenses. In simple terms, they have the ability to let in light, directly representative of their aperture, but a depth of field of twice of that.
Conclusion
Thanks to Olympus putting the stabilization in to the body, Olympus lenses are all about optics, leaving the camera the job of steadying your scene. I believe that the stabilization on offer inside the OM-D bodies is the best available and the lenses are reaping the benefits of this. Because they don't need to feature those additional motors and parts the lenses are smaller and lighter. This, coupled with the sensor size of course means that they are smaller even still!
Olympus, unlike Canon and Nikon have one sensor standard and make lenses specifically for that one sensor size. As such M.ZUIKO lenses are designed to work in perfect harmony without any need to compromise or have any sort of change to their design to take another sensor in to account. Square Peg - Square hole!
So, whilst pretty much all of Olympus' lenses are absolutely superb, I've picked out my three favorites based on how much I find myself reaching for to the results I get. My switch to Olympus was of course motivated by the superb OM-D range, but those bodies would be nothing without stunning glass to mount to them.
What are your favorite lenses?
So, what are your favourite lenses? I've chosen all Olympus lenses here in my list, but that's not to say that I couldn't make use of those lenses on offer from Panasonic too! Post your comments and thoughts below and let me know what you find yourself reaching for when you head out shooting.
Olympus Service and Support - A Review
Back in September 2013 Olympus released the fantastic OM-D E-M1 into the world. The Micro Four Thirds camera packs features that many professional photographers desire; chunky dials, ergonomic handling, weather sealing, fast and accurate auto focus and so much more. Combine the E-M1 with almost any of the M.Zuiko lenses and you're looking at a system that will easily tackle most professional assignments.
In fact, you don't have to look too far around the internet to see that many professional wedding and portrait photographers have already moved from one of the big DSLR brands to Olympus (myself included), in search of a smaller, compact system that maintains that high level of all-round performance. Without doubt Olympus launched the E-M1 as a serious camera. A camera for the professional photographer.
However, it's one thing for a combination of a great camera and lens system to meet the demands of the pro photographer, but what about manufacturer service, repair and support and all those things that a pro will need to keep them shooting should the worst happen?
Today I want to share with you the story of what happened when I sent my E-M1 off to Olympus for repair, including how I registered the repair, the correspondence I received, timelines and of course the end result.
How did I break my E-M1?
I dropped my E-M1 the morning after my first wedding of 2016. The bride and groom put me up at the venue overnight as it was a little far from home and was an early start on the wedding day. I was loading my bags in to my car to head home. My E-M1 was inside the top of my Case Logic backpack, alongside all my lenses, when my bag slipped off my shoulder and crashed to the ground.
My E-M1 didn't have a lens attached when this happened (I never pack my gear away like that!) and the bag evidently cushioned the fall, but from a height of about 4 feet, it was enough that the impact took out some of the buttons on the shoulder of the E-M1:
It bothered me, of course, but at a glance everything seemed to be working, but when I got home I found that the touch screen wouldn't work to focus, none of the function buttons worked and neither did the directional buttons around the 'OK' button. All pretty important features and somewhat key to the way I personally operate my camera. It was a disaster!
My first thought was to see how long it took other people to have theirs repaired - I had a shoot the very next weekend and then my diary became rapidly busier every week after with wedding season truly kicking off here in the UK.
Most people were positive enough to say that the turnaround time was 5 working days, meaning it could be returned that same week if shipped on a Monday, which I found quite reasonable. So, I set about registering for the repair ASAP to get my E-M1 sent off first thing on Monday morning.
Register for Olympus Service Plus
I registered my E-M1 for Olympus Service Plus back when I purchased the camera in 2015. Doing so extends your warranty by 6 months and makes the registration process for arranging a repair much quicker. If you haven't already registered your OM-D for service plus, grab the serial number and head over to the Olympus Service Plus website now. If you bought your E-M1 from a reputable dealer and it was brand new, you should have had a leaflet inside the box to notify you about Service Plus.
(If you're from outside the UK you can click the location button at the top right corner of the page and select your own Locale)
How do I get my OM-D Repaired?
Once you have your details setup for Service Plus, head on over the the Olympus Service Portal. From here you can follow your nose to register for the repair, but effectively you will need to:
- Enter your country of residence
- Enter your serial number
- Enter the date you purchased your E-M1
- Make use of the drop downs and pre-populated options to best categorise your issue. You can upload images and there is also a comments box too
- Print off the label and affix to a box.
- Pad and protect your E-M1 well and ship it off to the address given to you as part of the process
I didn't upload any images at all and I didn't leave any comments. For this issue I simply selected 'Keypad Problems' > 'Broken' > 'Constantly' and then submitted this.
If you perhaps dropped a camera and a lens, you can also add another product at this stage too. Save paying for two shipping costs, send them off together.
I got an email with a repair registration number and a link to a tracking page. I saved this in my favorites and checked the status every day!
Where does my OM-D go to get Repaired?
I can only speak about my own experience from the UK, but the instructions I printed were to send to an intermediary address, which then freight-forwarded to Portugal for the repair to take place. At this stage the only tracking information I had was that provided to me from Royal Mail as I chose to ship mine off Royal Mail Tracked, Signed for delivery. This was both to ensure prompt delivery, but also because I was shipping a £1,000 camera! The only reason I know the eventual end destination was Portugal was because I later received tracking information for the return of my camera. The return originated in Lisbon.
How long does an Olympus Camera Repair Take?
Olympus Service Plus registered repairs are said to take 3 days (not including the shipping time). It says so on the Service Plus website. I would say in my case this was about right - in fact the time it spent under the 'in progress' status (being repaired) was only about a day and a half in total. My own E-M1 arrived at Olympus' freight forwarding address on Tuesday and was then at the Olympus repair center (Lisbon) on Wednesday morning. I was able to see this because I used the repair status checker and it showed my E-M1 as 'received'. Olympus then stated that they were working on the repair on Thursday afternoon. Then on Friday morning my repair ticket was updated to say that the repair was complete and that the camera was being shipped back. Very prompt.
Given that it was now a Friday afternoon and that not much in the way of shipping happens over the weekend, I was at that point setting my own expectations to see my E-M1 again on Wednesday. (meaning it would have been 8 working days including shipping) and I was exactly right. Although, I did miss the delivery initially as they tried to deliver earlier than I had expected.
I received a text message from DHL to say that they were going to deliver on the 20th (Wednesday) and so I made plans to be at home on that day to take receipt of the delivery. But, on the 19th (Tuesday) I received a message to say that they had tried to delivery but I wasn't in. Darn. Okay, well that's my fault. If I had continued to track the delivery online I would have seen that it was out for delivery and rushed home. So, it was then re-delivered the next day and I was happy!
My E-M1 was back in my possession on Wednesday. 8 days after me leaving it at my local Post Office in the UK. But it's not fair to say 8 days as It was me that should have kept an eye on the shipment. So in total: 4 days shipping, 3 days with Olympus. 7 Days for the complete repair and return of the camera!
The return was handled by DHL. Whilst there are a few couriers that operate within Europe now that offer some great tracking services, I'm of the opinion that none of them rival what tools DHL offer recipients (and senders) to track their parcels. When I received an email from DHL to say that they had my camera, I was updated at every turn, every barcode scan and every pickup of where my parcel was. It was fantastic!
How much does it cost / Was the damage covered by warranty?
The damage, seeing as it was my fault was not covered by the warranty. This is made abundantly clear in the warranty regulations on the service website. That said, I didn't pay a penny. My Olympus was returned as good as new (more on that in a minute) free of charge. In all fairness if I had received a phone call to tell me that it was evident the camera had been dropped and there was going to be a charge for the repair work, I would have held up my hands and said 'fine' and accepted those costs. But on this occasion Olympus repaired the camera no questions asked...
I'm not suggesting that your E-M1 will be repaired for free without any questions raised if you've dropped yours too, but I get no special treatment from Olympus. I'm not sponsored or endorsed by them in anyway (although hey Olympus, if you're reading this, get in touch). This is pure, unbiased, quality customer service from them, I can assure you of that!
What was the repair work like?
As mentioned the camera feels just like new now.. All of the dials feel slightly tighter and the camera itself feels solid in a new way (i can't quite describe it). It sort of feels like all of the screws, inside and out, have had a good old tighten!
I also had a small 'scuff' between the two top dials that I make use of for shutter speed and aperture. (This was an older mark, not something that happened as part of the drop that caused the E-M1 to break). It was deep enough to get down to the aluminium. I covered this at the time with some black crayon to fill the deep scuff and then a black sharpie to conceal it (not so that I could hide it from Olympus, but because it was only superficial and I wanted my camera to look smart). When I received my E-M1 back there was no sign of this scuff. Although I did a decent job of disguising it, i knew it was there and it's visible if you know to look for it. But the camera I received back showed nothing. I can only assume therefore that plate has been replaced in it's entirety! I even had to check the serial number on the bottom of my E-M1 was the same as the one I had sent away. It was!
Furthermore, my E-M1 was spotlessly clean inside and out. I keep my cameras clean as it is, but this had clearly been given a VIP valet service! Not a spec of dust inside any of the hinged flaps, for example where the SD cards are inserted and the battery compartment.
In addition, when I shipped off my E-M1 i removed everything that was removable except the eye cup, through fear that it would come back with pieces missing. So, I removed the hot shoe covers, the flash sync port cover, and even the rubber cap that covers the bronze pins at the bottom of the E-M1 to connect it to the battery grip. When my camera was returned all of these parts had been replaced...outstanding.
The box was returned well padded and protected. Inside my E-M1 was returned in a brand new official Olympus OM-D E-M1 branded black box, like you get when you buy one new. Inside the box was a very nice, very premium, black Olympus Lens Cloth and even a hand signed letter from the technician responsible for the repair of my beloved E-M1 (Thanks José!)
![FullSizeRender[1].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a9c726e4b020866945fd95/1461691892785-PP90WLX78QLNEHWY8O3J/FullSizeRender%5B1%5D.jpg)
![FullSizeRender[2].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a9c726e4b020866945fd95/1461691895305-HIBFUUUMCH1EGD5BP8JE/FullSizeRender%5B2%5D.jpg)
![FullSizeRender[3].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a9c726e4b020866945fd95/1461691896168-1UWX02DH7PQG04IOS4XT/FullSizeRender%5B3%5D.jpg)
In short; Olympus did everything to ensure that this camera was repaired fully and returned in as timely a fashion as possible. And, (this is always important when it comes to customer service) I remained up to date throughout the entire process by both Olympus and the courier that they chose to use, giving me peace of mind that my E-M1 wasn't somewhere in Europe in some dusty factory getting lost on a shelf among old spare parts for old cameras.
Can I get a loan camera?
As far as I can see Olympus don't, at this time at least, offer a loan camera as part of the repair service arrangement. Which is something of a shame I will admit. However, before shipping my camera off I got in touch with Olympus Ambassador and all-round nice guy Neil Buchan-Grant to see if he could put me in touch with someone at Olympus who possibly help arrange some sort of loan. I would clarify that I do have a backup body, but I wasn't keen on shooting for a client with just the one camera on me. Neil put in contact with Claire Voyle, who I also happened to follow on Facebook & Instagram, so I got in touch. There weren't any E-M1's available at the time, but I was reminded that Olympus have the 'Test & Wow' service, whereby you can get your hands on Olympus cameras and lenses for a few days at a time. As the name suggests it's sort of intended as something of a try-before-you-by arrangement, but in truth it would serve just as well as a means to fill a short term gap. I didn't make use of Test & Wow as it would have meant that I'd have to go to the London Park Camera store to collect and then again once my 3 day loan period was up to drop it off again. If however I had a wedding that weekend my E-M1 was away, I would have done this. It's only 45 minutes to Central from my home in Virginia Water and then another 15 minutes to the store.
So, with enough planning and if you're local enough to a good Olympus retailer, you could quite effectively fill a short term need with something from the Test & Wow service whilst your work horse is our for repair.
Conclusion
I've been convinced for the longest of times that if you're looking for a smaller mirrorless camera as a replacement (or even to compliment) your DSLR gear, then an Olympus OM-D is the way to go. I've said that in many posts right here in my blog. But, if one of the things holding you back and tying you to your Canon or Nikon is a concern about the level of professional support available to you as an Olympus owner that genuinely shouldn't be something you now fear losing.
Sure, they won't necessarily lend you a camera as a replacement for your own whilst your OM-D is in for repair (although as mentioned you could make use of the 'Test & Wow' service if time permits), but you could also argue that the cost of the E-M1 in comparison to a Canon or Nikon Body could mean you could afford a third body: a backup for your backup, meaning you're hopefully never in a situation where you're down to just one camera body.
In short, if you're a professional wedding or portrait photographer, or shoot a discipline that you are happy the OM-D range can tackle - you can now make the switch. Olympus will have you covered should your workhorse take too much of a beating and need to for repairs. Ultimately, you won't be left guessing when your camera is coming back and you'll have some control over the process. Olympus will do right by you so you can continue to produce stunning work for your clients.
With 3 year warranties as standard and an extra 6 months on offer to those who register their E-M1's to Service Plus (for free), the reasons to pick up an OM-D E-M1 are boundless! That sort of warranty will likely out-last the length of time you own that camera as a professional photographer. Now that's peace of mind.
Well done Olympus and thank you for returning my E-M1 as good as new! (And thanks again to José for the outstanding work!)