Olympus OM-D E-M1X: the full Review

January 28, 2020

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The exercise in sports and nature photography has the requirement that not only large, solid cameras are needed, but also powerful telephoto lenses. The problem here is twofold. The equipment is heavy, but more expensive. Since not everyone has 15,000 euros or the back of a third rugby line, Olympus has a solution: its OM-D E-M1X and its Micro 4/3 optical fleet.

With its hybrid, Olympus is setting foot where a manufacturer other than Canon or Nikon has never been legitimate. Around the stadiums, only the EOS 1DX and other Nikon D5 exist, and when a Sony points its nose, it's an Alpha A9 with a traditional look. In the digital age, this is the first time that a brand, other than the two large, offers a device with interchangeable optics with this tank look incorporating the handle in vertical mode. And just for that, the OM-D E-M1X is an exceptional body.

Mister muscle

As small as they are, the OM-D E-M1 and OM-D E-M1 Mark II have a very good reputation for their solidity. The E-M1X obviously goes further, much further with its heavy magnesium alloy chassis, an even thicker chassis than the E-M1 Mark II and protected by even more seals.

The battery doors and memory cards are not only sealed against the elements, but also equipped with a locking mechanism which prevents any unwanted opening. No control (lever, button) is flush, so that a fall is unlikely to tear anything while the rigidity of the monobloc housing makes you want to plant nails with – even if, in all honesty , a hammer is still better suited.

This interior and exterior solidity comes at a price: that of weight. The E-M1 X is the heaviest case in the history of Micro 4/3 sensor devices with almost a kilogram on the scale – 997 grams to be exact. It's still 350 to 400 grams lighter than the monoblocks from Canon and Nikon, but it's also (and above all) optics that the equation tilts in favor of Olympus.

Optics, the other lethal weapon of the E-M1 X

Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of a professional who uses this kind of large format camera, like a PQR photographer. The traditional kit of such a professional consists of two boxes with a 24-70 mm on one and a 70-200 mm on the other, both opening at f / 2.8 if the photographer or the publication still has silver, f / 4 for a cheaper and lighter kit. The range 24 to 200 mm allowing to cover almost everything, from the fair of the retirement health home through the visit of the local deputy, the local living room, etc.

In the case of a professional SLR – Canon EOS 1DX Mark III or Nikon D5 – the complete manufacturer's kit weighs between 3.7 and 4.0 kg in f / 2.8 and between 2.7 and 3.0 kg in f / 4 . If the large format case of Olympus OM-D E-M1X, is a little lighter (between 300 and 400g less than the Canon and Nikon), it is with the optics that the bag really lightens: only 2, 26 kg f / 2.8 in kit version f / 2.8 (and with a narrower focal length of 300 mm as a bonus). And only 1.56 kg in f / 4, thanks to the impressive 12-100 mm f / 4 constant, a zoom to do everything almost impossible to achieve in full format.

– Olympus OM-D E-M1 X (0.997 kg) + ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO (0.382 kg) + ED 40-150mm f2.8 PRO (0.880 kg) = 2.26 kg for a focal range of 24 to 300 mm f / 2.8– Olympus OM-D E-M1 X (0.997 kg) + ED 12-100 mm f / 4 IS PRO (0.561kg) = 1.56 kg for a focal range of 24 to 200 mm f / 4

Canon EOS 1DX Mark II (1.34 kg) + EF 24-70mm f / 2.8L II USM (0.850 kg) + EF 70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II USM (1.490 kg) = 3.68 kg for a focal range of 24 to 200 mm f / 2.8Canon EOS 1DX Mark II (1.34 kg) + EF 24-70mm f / 4L IS USM (0.600 kg) + EF 70-200 mm f / 4L IS II USM (0.780 kg) = 2.72 kg for a focal range of 24 to 200 mm f / 4

– Nikon d5 (1.405 kg) + AF-S NIKKOR 24-70MM F / 2.8E ED VR (1.070 kg) + AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f / 2.8E FL ED VR (1.540 kg) = 4.02 kg for a focal range of 24 to 200 mm f / 2.8 – Nikon d5 (1.405 kg) + AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f / 4G ED VR (0.710 kg) + AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f / 4G ED VR (0.850 kg) = 2.97 kg for a focal range of 24 to 200 mm f / 4

Thus, in an f / 4 configuration, the flexibility of development around the small Micro 4/3 sensor makes it possible to reduce the set to a single lens and to halve the weight of the photo kit. And that's without even touching on the even lighter Panasonic-Leica sliding aperture zooms, or even super telephoto lenses. The 600 mm equivalent from Olympus, the Zuiko Pro 300 mm f / 4 IS weighs just 1.475 kg with the foot collar – and costs "only" 2500 euros – when the alternatives from Canon and Nikon weigh more than double (3.1 kg for the Canon, 3.8 kg for the Nikon) and are displayed at 14,000 euros. The "absolute" quality of the full format therefore has a price … and a weight.

Image quality: sufficient level largely achieved

Let's be clear: a 24 x 36 mm full-frame sensor will always offer a higher level of detail and better digital noise management than a small Micro 4/3 sensor, especially with equivalent image definition. The EM1-X displaying 20 Mpix as its two competitors with the sensor four times larger, it is obvious that the digital noise levels are higher – the maximum subjective threshold of optimum quality is rather around ISO 3200-6400 against 12.800 even ISO 25.600 for the other two. The dynamic range of the Olympus is also below a threshold – we recover slightly less in shadows and highlights.

But as evidenced by these images that range from ISO 200 to 2500, the sufficient image quality is more than achieved. This threshold beyond which it is necessary to analyze the images at 100% on a screen to discriminate portions of an image and try to characterize if it comes from a small or a large sensor.

Even in the case of detail recovery, the RAW files of the “small” CMOS 20 Mpix of the E-M1X allow Adobe Lightroom to do a very good job, as here on the head of the bear or on the Federal National Memorial Hall in New York.

In the case of this duck "portrait", the ISO 1600s do not significantly deteriorate the many details, however very fine, of its plumage. Thanks to the stabilization which pushes up to 7.5 speeds!

As for the color rendering, even the Jpegs out of the box are very good, as evidenced by these shots of New York in pleasant and natural tones. Only criticism: a tendency to overexposure probably to limit noise in the shadows and probably, too, because of the slightly weaker dynamic range of the small sensor. A simple highlight correction in Lightroom can catch burnt tones in a second.

Note also the excellent management of the white balance: the pictures in the New York subway are clean, with a light certainly yellow, but faithful to the atmosphere of this high place of the wild breeding of rats.

Dual processor for more power

As is often the case in monoblock cameras, an image processor is not enough. Just like Canon’s 1DX Mark II has two Digic 6s, the OM-D E-M1X is driven by two TruePic VIII chips. Chips which, like the sensor, are the subject of particular attention in terms of heat dissipation since the high image rate must not disturb the burst.

A burst that ranges from impressive – 18 fps with subject tracking – to demonic, with this mode at 60 fps in single AF. The tracking is also excellent, although it is more difficult than with an SLR because of the latency of the screen. Because in addition to the skills of the photographer – poor in terms of nature / sport photography with your servant – which makes the use of long focal lengths universally difficult, there is also the fact that the aging viewfinder (this is that of the E-M1 Mark II with a new optical block in front) is not as reactive as the latest generation viewfinders type Alpha A9.

Note that just like what Fujifilm does on some of its cases (especially medium format), the E-M1X can lend its image processing power to the computer. This requires developing the images in Olympus Workspace (free software from Olympus) and connecting the device to the computer. The software then uses the two image processors to speed up the rendering of image processing.

Once again, the OM-D E-M1X is inferior to the Canon EOS 1DX Mark II and other Nikon D5, as much on the presence of digital noise in high sensitivities, as in tracking accuracy of the subject (because of the electronic viewfinder especially). But the level of performance is largely at "sufficient level" for professional use. For half the price and half the weight.

Freehand multishot, the parade of the small sensor

Olympus is a small photo brand compared to the giants that are Sony, Canon, Nikon and even Panasonic. The brand does not have the product portfolio – and engineers – to satisfy all photographic uses. In its configuration, it needs to use tricks to try to meet the needs of everyone. For the image definition, limited by the smallness of the Micro 4/3 sensor and the small number of suppliers, Olympus therefore wily.

The 50 megapixel image you can see above details does not come from a medium format camera, but rather from the E-M1X with a 20 Mpix sensor. While still having the 80 Mpix multishot mode on the E-M1 Mark II tripod we mentioned earlier, the E-M1X also has a brand new mode capable of shooting and combining multiple images by show of hands. Compared to 80 Mpix mode, the advantage is obviously flexibility since it is not blocked on the tripod.

If you absolutely must avoid moving subjects – yes, even the leaves – functionality is a blessing for still lifes, calm landscapes and other packshots quickly shot in the studio. And it also demonstrates the incredible mastery of sensor displacement by Olympus engineers – a mastery reinforced by the small size of the sensor, less difficult to control than a 24x36mm. The promise of this functionality was made by Olympus in February 2015 during the launch of the OM-D E-M5 Mark II which inaugurated the function on tripod (in a lower definition because of the lesser definition of the time) and the OM-D E-M1X shows that Olympus keeps its technological promises. Hopefully the function is available in cheaper boxes!

Plethora of functions

If it is a notch below the monoblocks of Canon and Nikon in terms of high sensitivities and subject tracking, the E-M1X however has the advantages of hybrids. Namely a panel of integrated “digital” functionalities. The most important is the multishoot mode detailed below, but added to this is a plethora of advanced functions, whether it is stabilized 4K DCI (cinema) ehealth, the simulation of variable neutral density filter unprecedented in the world of photography, the built-in focus stacking (up to 15 images with different focus combined) or the electronic burst at 60 fps.

Not enough to let go of their D5 and 1DX Mark II to OG photographers, but more than enough to seduce photographers with a wider range of uses than just sports photos.

Powerful, but not very "smart"

The lines that follow do not only concern the E-M1X, but all current cameras, both consumer and professional series. These cameras all make great images, but are – luckily some will exclaim – dependent on the photographer to determine certain elements, in particular with regard to speed. If we approach this subject it is that the E-M1X is a speed camera: its AF is formidable, its tracking of the subject very good … but the camera is "stupid". Beast, like all cameras.

Look at this picture of John the duck (the name has been changed to preserve the anonymity of the palmiped), you will notice that it is blurred. Because like many water birds, John moves and the speed of 1 / 640s that the P mode of the camera automatically selected is not fast enough to freeze the action. The problem ? Simply that the device should be smart enough to analyze the subject on which the continuous AF maintains. And push the speed to 1 / 1250th or even 1 / 2000th to ensure the sharpness, which is largely feasible since at 1 / 640th the camera is only 400 ISO – there is room to increase sensitivities . It’s this kind of intelligence that we see happening in smartphones, this kind of intelligence that Sony and the others want to add by "AI". But which is not yet really at the heart of the devices.

You could argue that you should have checked the speed when you set off. Certainly, but your servant was shooting another subject just before. And it may be a story of vision, but the real work of the photographer remains, in our opinion, the frame. In any case, without throwing stone at the E-M1X specifically, we can only regret that such a jewel of 2999 euros equipped, in this case, with a 300 mm f / 4 (equivalent 600 mm) at 2499 euros does not yet have the intelligence of a smartphone …

However, the battle is not lost since Olympus promises updates improving the recognition of subjects for AF tracking, especially in animal fields. Hopefully Olympus will keep its promises as it did for the multireshot Hires.

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