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Olympus' OM-D E-M1 has been one of our favorite mirrorless cameras since its introduction in 2013. It impressed us with its build quality, image quality, ridiculous amount of manual control (that's a compliment) and boatload of features. Three years later, it's still very competitive.
To say that Olympus has topped itself with the E-M1 Mark II is an understatement. The company told us that this camera was overdeveloped, and it shows. Its blazing dual quad-core processors allow for 60 fps burst shooting (18 fps w/continuous autofocus) and ridiculously fast image playback. Combine that with one of the most advanced autofocus systems we've seen and 5-axis in-body image stabilization – along with what made the original so impressive – and the Mark II is a force to be reckoned with.
One thing about the Mark II that makes us pause is its price. While its MSRP of $2000 is equal to that of Nikon's D500 and full-frame D750 (though, at time of publication, they are selling for $1800), and the Mark II's Four Thirds sensor is small in comparison to the D500 and other APS-C cameras and tiny versus full-framers.
Key Specifications
- 20MP Live MOS sensor
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization system
- 121-pt hybrid AF system
- 60 fps burst shooting (18 fps with continuous AF)
- Fully articulating 3" LCD display
- High-res electronic viewfinder
- Cinema (DCI) and UHD 4K video
- 50MP High-Res Shot mode
- Weather-sealed body
- USB 3 (Type-C)
Compared to Olympus E-M1 and Nikon D500
We are including the D500 here since it's target audience is in the same vein: those who want high-speed shooting and an advanced AF system. As mentioned above, they both have a similar MSRP.
| Olympus E-M1 II | Olympus E-M1 | Nikon D500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 20MP Four Thirds | 16MP Four Thirds | 21MP APS-C |
| ISO range (expanded) | 64 - 25600 | 100 - 25600 | 50 - 1640000 |
| Image stabilization | In-body (up to 5.5 stops*) | In-body (up to 4 stops) | Lens only |
| Autofocus system | 121-point hybrid | 81-point hybrid | 153-pt phase-detect |
| Burst mode (electronic) | 60 fps (AF-S) 18 fps (AF-C) | 11 fps (AF-S) | N/A |
| Burst mode (mechanical) | 15 fps (AF-S) 10 fps (AF-C) | 10 fps (AF-S, no IS) 6.5 fps (AF-C, no IS) | 10 fps |
| LCD | 3" fully articulating touchscreen | 3" tilting touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen |
| Viewfinder | 2.36M-dot EVF (0.74x equiv. mag) | Optical (0.67x equiv. mag) | |
| Flash | GN 9.1 external | GN 7 external | None |
| Video capture | DCI/UHD 4K (237Mbps) | 1080/30p (24Mbps) | UHD 4K (144Mbps) |
| Video output | 4:2:2 over HDMI | N/A | 4:2:2 over HDMI |
| I/O ports | Headphone, mic, remote, flash sync, USB 3, HDMI | Mic, remote, USB, HDMI | Headphone, mic, remote, flash sync, USB 3, HDMI |
| Storage | Dual SD (UHS-II/UHS-I) | SD (UHS-I) | SD + XQD |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes | Yes, with Bluetooth and NFC |
| Weather-sealed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (CIPA) | 440 shots | 350 shots | 1,240 shots |
| Dimensions | 134 x 91 x 69mm | 130 x 94 x 63mm | 147 x 115 x 81mm |
| Weight (CIPA) | 574g | 497g | 760g |
At the time of its launch Olympus also debuted a number of accessories to go along with the E-M1 Mark II. The one most people will likely purchase is the HLD-9 battery grip ($249), which doubles battery life and offers two control dials and two custom buttons. It also features a DC-in jack, so the battery can be charged right inside the grip via an outrageously priced AC adapter.
Also available is the powerful FL-900R external flash ($299), which has a guide number of 58m, built-in video lamp, wireless control and the ability to fire at 10 fps. The STF-8 Macro Flash Set ($479) has fully adjustable (and removable) left and right flashes, manual control down to 1/128 power and support for focus stacking. Both of these flashes are weather-sealed.
For those who want to take the camera underwater there's the PT-EP14 housing ($1299). It works down to 65m/196ft and numerous brackets, weights and arms are available. Naturally, you'll need a housing for whatever lens you attach.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| MSRP | $2000/£1850/€1999 body only, £2400/€2599 with 12-40mm F2.8 |
| Body type | |
| Body type | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Body material | Magnesium alloy |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 5184 x 3888 |
| Image ratio w:h | 4:3 |
| Effective pixels | 20 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 22 megapixels |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | TruePic VIII |
| Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 200-25600 (expands down to 64) |
| Boosted ISO (minimum) | 64 |
| White balance presets | 7 |
| Custom white balance | Yes (4 slots) |
| Image stabilization | Sensor-shift |
| Image stabilization notes | up to 5.5 stops of shake reduction |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| File format |
|
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus |
|
| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 121 |
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Focal length multiplier | 2× |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fully articulated |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 1,037,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Electronic |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74× |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360,000 |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed (electronic) | 1/32000 sec |
| Exposure modes |
|
| Built-in flash | No (FL-LM3 external flash included) |
| Flash range | 9.10 m (at ISO 100) |
| External flash | Yes (via hot shoe or flash sync port) |
| Flash modes | Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/250 sec |
| Continuous drive | 60.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) |
| Metering modes |
|
| Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | Yes |
| Videography features | |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Modes |
|
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (Micro-HDMI) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | Yes |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Remote control | Yes (wired or via smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | BLH-1 lithium-ion battery & charger |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 574 g (1.27 lb / 20.25 oz) |
| Dimensions | 134 x 91 x 67 mm (5.28 x 3.58 x 2.64″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | Yes |
| GPS | None |
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