New OM systems (Olympus) OM-1 announced

3 hours ago, Phil Rudin said:

All things being equal the OM-1 appears to be the best M43 camera for underwater photography built to date. For the reasons Chris has listed above and several more including the best lens line the new OM-1 seems to be an excellent upgrade or entry into interchangeable lens mirrorless.

Nauticam has now announced the NA-OM1 housing at what seems an excellent price point of $2786.00US. By comparison the GH6 housing is $4503.00 and both provide a M24 bulkhead for HDMI 2.

 

And why would that be? The IQ is in line with all previous models and the bird AI or cat/dog AI are not going to matter underwater

For sure housing prices have gone to the roof so the current best approach is to sweat the equipment you have and buy nothing

The price of the GH6 housing is ridiculous but even more ridiculous is that the GH5V housing costs more

On 3/30/2022 at 2:23 PM, Interceptor121 said:

And why would that be? The IQ is in line with all previous models and the bird AI or cat/dog AI are not going to matter underwater

For sure housing prices have gone to the roof so the current best approach is to sweat the equipment you have and buy nothing

The price of the GH6 housing is ridiculous but even more ridiculous is that the GH5V housing costs more

First of all IQ is only marginally better than the ELP-10 and it will remain that way until Sony or others figures out how to make a 32-40MP M43 sensor work. If you are looking for significantly better IQ you can buy a Sony A7C which has much better IQ and auto focus accuracy.  The A7C with the 28-60 zoom cost less than the OM-1, has a smaller Nauticam housing and can shoot from 130 degrees to 1:1 with the WWL-1B and CMC-1. 

My point is not that I think the A7C is a better camera than the OM-1 but that I don't think most folks are buying the OM for IQ as much as for the other excellent improvements over EM-1 II/III. 

Let me list a few.

#1 without OM Systems Olympus would be dead and not only have they kept the brand alive they have raised then bar with two new excellent new lenses, a top of the line new OM-1 body, an IP-53 rating for weather sealing which is best in the industry and more.

#2 A much better battery 520 v. 420 base.

#3 better focusing system made possible by the stacked sensor which speeds-up everything allowing 1053 focus points rather than 121.

#4 I can't stress this enough, EVF of 5260 v. 2360 and LCD of 1620 v. 1037. these specs are higher than many over $4000.00 "pro" cameras. 

#5 I am not a video guy but I know that 4K at 60P in 10 bit makes this camera qualify as a hybrid stills/video choice. The EM-1 III 4K/30P is a bit antiquated at this point.

I wish that OM Systems would have added a base ISO of 100 or even ISO 50 with expansion. Going to ISO 102400 on an M43 sensor is not going to beat full frame but having a lower base ISO would add real value to the system.

I am not suggesting that every II or III owner needs to run out and switch systems but my original premise stands that OM-1 is the best M43 camera made for land or sea.  

On 4/1/2022 at 6:11 PM, Phil Rudin said:

First of all IQ is only marginally better than the ELP-10 and it will remain that way until Sony or others figures out how to make a 32-40MP M43 sensor work. If you are looking for significantly better IQ you can buy a Sony A7C which has much better IQ and auto focus accuracy.  The A7C with the 28-60 zoom cost less than the OM-1, has a smaller Nauticam housing and can shoot from 130 degrees to 1:1 with the WWL-1B and CMC-1. 

My point is not that I think the A7C is a better camera than the OM-1 but that I don't think most folks are buying the OM for IQ as much as for the other excellent improvements over EM-1 II/III. 

Let me list a few.

#1 without OM Systems Olympus would be dead and not only have they kept the brand alive they have raised then bar with two new excellent new lenses, a top of the line new OM-1 body, an IP-53 rating for weather sealing which is best in the industry and more.

OK and?

#2 A much better battery 520 v. 420 base.

Never had an issue unless you use the supplied flash in ttl to get to a whole day of diving

#3 better focusing system made possible by the stacked sensor which speeds-up everything allowing 1053 focus points rather than 121.

There are now consistent reports of AF problems in single point mode

#4 I can't stress this enough, EVF of 5260 v. 2360 and LCD of 1620 v. 1037. these specs are higher than many over $4000.00 "pro" cameras. 

Majority of underwater mirrorless users do not dive with a viewfinder but use the much lower resolution monitor

Remember that the actual resolution has to be divided by 3 so the current EVF is 1600x1200 pixels while the old one was 1024x768. Panasonic has had 1280x960 since few years and that is adequate

#5 I am not a video guy but I know that 4K at 60P in 10 bit makes this camera qualify as a hybrid stills/video choice. The EM-1 III 4K/30P is a bit antiquated at this point.

Video is average with this camera and the exposure tools are poor.

I wish that OM Systems would have added a base ISO of 100 or even ISO 50 with expansion. Going to ISO 102400 on an M43 sensor is not going to beat full frame but having a lower base ISO would add real value to the system.

That is not possible as they try to minimise noise they need to increase base gain. This camera is optimised for shadows and has less dynamic range than previous models marginally of course

I am not suggesting that every II or III owner needs to run out and switch systems but my original premise stands that OM-1 is the best M43 camera made for land or sea.  

Depends on what is your use case. Generally Olympus camera are favourite by bird shooters or small critters hunters. For all other use cases they do not offer any real advantage as they run short of DR and have issues of fixed pattern noise. I have used one so I know...

It seems that it does not go very well according to the latest Wetpixel article written by Charlie Gardiner, read the section "Our Thoughts", "OM System OM-1 for Underwater Photography and Videography" and "Conclusion">> https://www.uwphotographyguide.com/olympus-om-system-om-1-review

I think it would be interesting to mention the price of the housings of an MFT system and an FF system, not just the price of the camera.

2 hours ago, turandot said:

It seems that it does not go very well according to the latest Wetpixel article written by Charlie Gardiner, read the section "Our Thoughts", "OM System OM-1 for Underwater Photography and Videography" and "Conclusion">> https://www.uwphotographyguide.com/olympus-om-system-om-1-review

I think it would be interesting to mention the price of the housings of an MFT system and an FF system, not just the price of the camera.

Sounds very much like a desktop review - if you follow their link they say the EM-1 III is the best camera in m43 for photo use - they are basically saying don't buy it as it's expensive. 

5 hours ago, ChrisRoss said:

Sounds very much like a desktop review - if you follow their link they say the EM-1 III is the best camera in m43 for photo use - they are basically saying don't buy it as it's expensive. 

It does look like a desktop review

However at the end is all about what value you give to the features. It is not a step forward in terms of IQ although looking at measures black levels and fixed pattern noise that plagued Olympus PDAF models are now removed and this will be visible to some night shooters

The enhanced EVF only matters underwater if you use the EVF the LCD is the same, the higher frame rate matters pretty much nothing and the AI modes for autofocus also don't matter

So you can see where they are coming from. 

Personally with the current trend of underwater housing prices many people will not look to upgrade unless they really must

5 hours ago, ChrisRoss said:

they are basically saying don't buy it as it's expensive. 

Something that.... is completely false and I provide data:

• Sony A7C (Body Only) $1,799.99 + Nauticam Sony A7C Underwater Housing $3,508.00 = $5,307
• Olympus OM-1 (Body Only) $2,199.99 + Nauticam Olympus OM-1 Underwater Housing $2,786.00 = $4,985

Macro

• Sony 90mm Macro F2.8 FE OSS Lens +$1,099.99 + Nauticam 100 MACRO PORT 110 +$610 = $1,709.99
• Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm F2.8 Macro Lens +$499 + Nauticam N85 MACRO PORT 65 +$478 = $977

Wide Angle

• Sony 16-35mm F4 FE ZA OSS Lens +$1,349 + N100 Extension ring 30+50 (37401+37403) +$413+$433 + N100 180mm Optical glass wide angle port (37129) +$1,548.00  = $3,743
• Olympus 8mm Fisheye Pro Lens F1.8 +$999.99 + Olympus 8mm FE Pro (4" Dome 36132 + Port Extension 36620), +$910.00 = $1,909

Total Price with similar configuration (Macro+ Wide Angle Lens and Ports):

• Sony Setup (Camera + Housing + Lens + Ports = $5,307 + $1,709.99 + $3,743 = $10,760
• Olympus Setup (Camera + Housing + Lens + Ports) = $4,985 + $977 +$1,909 = $7,871

The price difference is $2,889, sorry... it is not more expensive, it is more cheaper.

I am sure each of you have a different set of priorities when choosing an underwater system and not all buyers are upgrading from the old EM-1 I/II/III cameras so some of the differences in the new OM-1 are quite ahead of those older cameras.

OM-1 II/III EVF 2.36M dot new OM-1 5.76M (higher than Z-9, equal to EOS-R5 and Sony A7R IV)

OM-1 II/III LCD 1.03M dot new OM-1 1.62M dot (higher than GH-6)

OM-1 II/III focus points 121 new OM-1 1,053. 

Just these three things seem like substantial gains over the OM-1 II to OM-1 III upgrades. 

Regarding image quality M43 be it 20MP or 25MP is just not going to out preform a larger sensor.

No need to go full frame if image quality is what you are looking for above all else even an entry level camera like the Sony A6400 outperforms II/III in RAW, JPAG and high/low ISO performance. 

The bottom line is the image quality is what it is and not likely to change much but overall the EM-1/OM-1 line of cameras are exceptional in so many others ways that it is unlikely they will go away anytime soon. 

4 minutes ago, Phil Rudin said:

I am sure each of you have a different set of priorities when choosing an underwater system and not all buyers are upgrading from the old EM-1 I/II/III cameras so some of the differences in the new OM-1 are quite ahead of those older cameras.

OM-1 II/III EVF 2.36M dot new OM-1 5.76M (higher than Z-9, equal to EOS-R5 and Sony A7R IV)

OM-1 II/III LCD 1.03M dot new OM-1 1.62M dot (higher than GH-6)

OM-1 II/III focus points 121 new OM-1 1,053. 

Just these three things seem like substantial gains over the OM-1 II to OM-1 III upgrades. 

Regarding image quality M43 be it 20MP or 25MP is just not going to out preform a larger sensor.

No need to go full frame if image quality is what you are looking for above all else even an entry level camera like the Sony A6400 outperforms II/III in RAW, JPAG and high/low ISO performance. 

The bottom line is the image quality is what it is and not likely to change much but overall the EM-1/OM-1 line of cameras are exceptional in so many others ways that it is unlikely they will go away anytime soon. 

 

I think you got some of your facts wrong for example the display resolution LCD is not higher than the GH5M2/6 but the EVF is

I would agree that compared to Olympus older camera the whole display section has improved a lot and that was a big weakness in my opinion

The focus points only matter in all areas and you don't typically use that without subject detection. Most users in fact prefer much smaller focus area. It does apparently focus better but then there are reports of people struggling with the simplest single af

Personally I think the OM-1 is a camera that is mostly looking at the market of existing Olympus users and perhaps some bird shooters on land. I do not see a large appeal outside those two areas and I would not think it is an interesting entry level camera for anyone. 

But at the end the fact is that there are no OM-1 in stock and in most markets the promised date is June/July indicating they really run a trial more than a pre-order campaign so right now unless you have a camera there are unlikely to be many more users for a few months

1 hour ago, Phil Rudin said:

I am sure each of you have a different set of priorities when choosing an underwater system and not all buyers are upgrading from the old EM-1 I/II/III cameras so some of the differences in the new OM-1 are quite ahead of those older cameras.

Correct! You are right.

I don't mean only the OM1 model or the equipment update, but the use of MFT system in general. There are other MFT models valid for underwater photography such as E-PL10, E-M10 Mark IV, E-M5 Mark III, GH5 or GH6 with prices and weights contained. It is not normal to pay more than 10,000 - 12000 dollars for an underwater photography equipment to upload 4 photos to Instagram or Facebook. Are we crazy or what?

You also wouldn't pay for an OM1.

Also, let's not forget some things that a Sony A6400 doesn't do, such as maximum flash sync speed. Remember that it is 1/160 or that your body is not sealed like an EM5.3.

You are correct 121 I put in the wrong examples and have made the change, thanks for pointing that out.

Totally disagree about the market being mainly for current Olympus users. My experience is that M43 buyers upgrading come from current Olympus users but lots of Full frame and APS-C users want to downsize and lots of consumer compact users are looking to move to an interchangeable lens system and pick M43. I moved to 43 and then M43 as my first digital cameras. Most of the folks that ask me about the move up from cameras like RX-100 have M43 at or near the top of the short list.

Regarding availability, I think this is a trend across all camera lines. I ordered a newly announced Sony lens in March that won't start shipping until late June. Not likely to see many available OM-1 housings before June/July anyway.

I won't quibble over the focus point difference and I see that you don't disagree over the under $1000.00 Sony A6400 having better image quality.

2 minutes ago, turandot said:

 

Correct! You are right.

I don't mean only the OM1 model or the equipment update, but the use of MFT system in general. There are other MFT models valid for underwater photography such as E-PL10, E-M10 Mark IV, E-M5 Mark III, GH5 or GH6 with prices and weights contained. It is not normal to pay more than 10,000 - 12000 dollars for an underwater photography equipment to upload 4 photos to Instagram or Facebook. Are we crazy or what?

You also wouldn't pay for an OM1

I would agree with that. For two trips per year is really a big expense

However if you shoot on land it is not. During lockdown I have gone past 10,000 images per year and those are the ones I do not delete and 90% are land

Even with 4 trips per year of one week I would not get to 10,000 shots perhaps because I also do a lot of video so am not a good example

However now I run two / three big video projects per year on land, I am part of a camera club and enter club competitions (land) and also go underwater I finally make the most of my investment in housing and especially ports. My GH5M2 and GH5 first have really been around shooting all sorts and the consideration does it go in a housing is still essential but I own other two bodies that I do not house

Joe Blog shooting 2 underwater trips per year and no land will not have a case for anything else than a compact or a second hand entry level MFT

11 minutes ago, turandot said:

 

Correct! You are right.

I don't mean only the OM1 model or the equipment update, but the use of MFT system in general. There are other MFT models valid for underwater photography such as E-PL10, E-M10 Mark IV, E-M5 Mark III, GH5 or GH6 with prices and weights contained. It is not normal to pay more than 10,000 - 12000 dollars for an underwater photography equipment to upload 4 photos to Instagram or Facebook. Are we crazy or what?

You also wouldn't pay for an OM1

I totally agree about other less expensive M43 systems like the EPL-10 and AOI housing I reviewed recently. AOI have now announced a housing for EM-1 III and I would not be surprised if they announce one for OM-1 in the coming months. 

I agree with comments of Interceptor121 and Phil Rudin, but I do not agree at all with the author of the article and with statements as simple as "it is more expensive" because mainly.... it's a lie.

MFT users are a little tired of the treatment we receive in underwater photography by some media channels and users.I don't think the quality of a photograph has to do with the "pixels" of the sensor or the pixels of the EVF, terrestrial photography and underwater photography has to do with the creativity of the photographer.

18 minutes ago, turandot said:

I agree with comments of Interceptor121 and Phil Rudin, but I do not agree at all with the author of the article and with statements as simple as "it is more expensive" because mainly.... it's a lie.

MFT users are a little tired of the treatment we receive in underwater photography by some media channels and users.I don't think the quality of a photograph has to do with the "pixels" of the sensor or the pixels of the EVF, terrestrial photography and underwater photography has to do with the creativity of the photographer.

I think MFT users should not worry about comparisons it is getting boring 

I also do not think that the website had an issue with the format they were just giving a stab at the OM-1 vs olympus

ultimately time will tell

11 hours ago, ChrisRoss said:

Sounds very much like a desktop review

You have been far too polite...

I totally agree about other less expensive M43 systems like the EPL-10 and AOI housing I reviewed recently. AOI have now announced a housing for EM-1 III and I would not be surprised if they announce one for OM-1 in the coming months. 

And AOI just announced one! AOI UH-OM1 its on their facebook page.

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