Any Olympus OM-D EM-5 owners out there? Should I get one?

Hi guys...

So right now I have a 5Dc, a 5D2 and an S100. I'm selling the 5Dc (with grip and extra batteries)...with how much I'm hoping to get for the set, I should be a few hundred bucks short of being able to afford an Olympus OM-D EM5, a camera that's intrigued me since it was announced.

Would I regret buying it? I really just want a new toy to play with. I've never owned a mirrorless and would love to monkey with one, and I picked the OM-D because the pictures that I've seen come out of it look stunning, I loooooove that it's fully weather-sealed (I refuse to take my 5D2 or the S100 out in the rain), and I'm a massive fan of cameras that have user-programmable buttons and dials, of which the OM-D has a bunch, love the sensor-shift image stabilization...lastly​, I think the OM-D has the best design of any mirrorless on the market (all black, please!)

I'm a little unsure about the EVF, but since no mirrorless has OVF, I'm okay with it just having a VF at all!

Is this a camera that I would enjoy using and playing around with, while yielding shots I could print in a reasonably large (I don't know...11x14 or whatever that size is) size and be happy with? I'm thinking it could replace the 5D2 + 16-35L II on shorter trips or ones where I know it may rain, etc, while leaving the S100 as my go-to guy for when I don't feel like carrying a camera and simply want something to slap in my pocket.

Thanks in advance!
Tamas

I have had mine since June and I love it. I use it for most of my street photography as well as for any kind of travel. Went to NYC some weeks ago and loved the fact that I had 4 lenses with me (I like primes) plus my x100 all in a small messenger bag. I walked for 16 hours a day and never felt it on my back at the end of the day.

There are many quality lenses available for M43 and they are all very small and good quality.The AF is slower compared to a DSLR but nothing that you can't work around.

With a 2.0 crop it is harder to find good uwa lenses, my preference is the Oly 12mm which gives me 24mm equivalent and I would love to go wider without having to resort to a fisheye lens but I don't think that's possible. That and the weaker battery life are really the old two downsides I have found.

I probably use my E-M5 and my x100 80% of the time now with the DSLR being used more for serious outings, sunset/sunrise stuff with long exposures etc. Not because the mirrorless cameras couldn't handle it, just out of habit.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: In regards to viewfinder; I never use mine . I am almost 100% using the touch-n-focus backscreen which I really enjoy.

Thanks...quick question...do all M4/3 lenses work on all M4/3 bodies? Like can I get a Panasonic M4/3 lens and toss it on an Olympus?

Yeah, I'm looking at getting it with the 12-50mm (I love wide angle stuff, and even the 12 is pretty limiting, the 14-42 wouldn't do)...but sadly by the time I get it to Canada in my hands I'm looking at about $1,500...so I think I'm going to wait a year or two until they drop in price...$1,500 would be enough to sell all my gear, toss that money on top and switch over to a Nikon D800, plus a couple of high-end lenses...maybe whenever they come out with a replacement for the OM-D EM5, the current gen will drop in price on the used market

All M4/3 lenses work as far as I know. I have the Pano 20mm (dog ass slow to focus but cheap and beautiful color rendition), Oly 12mm, Lumix 25mm, Oly 45 and Oly 12-50 kit less.

Awesome, thanks! And all functions (aperture, AF) work with all lenses?

M43 is a standard, so all lenses will fully work. While not as good as an OVF, the current crop of EVF's are quite usable. I find the ability to access the menu via the EVF to be quite useful as it saves me from having to put on my reading glasses in order to read the rear LCD.

^^^ awesome, thanks...I'm not sold on EVFs yet (I've been shooting OVFs for 20+ years), but I think given time I could get used to it...

It's great to know that the lenses interchange between brands...wish DSLRs were like that!

LowriderS10 wrote in post #15027167
Awesome, thanks! And all functions (aperture, AF) work with all lenses?

Yes, the difference is in image stabilization. On Oly lenses/cameras the IS is in the camera so the lens does not have IS. On Pano it is in the lens. At least that's the way I have understood it. I guess that means that if you buy a Pano camera you will not have any IS if you buy Oly lenses. Not sure what the impact is the other way. I haven't noticed anything in particular when using my Pano/Lumix lenses.

You can read more here - http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Micro_Four_Thir​ds_system

BrianS wrote in post #15031583
Yes, the difference is in image stabilization. On Oly lenses/cameras the IS is in the camera so the lens does not have IS. On Pano it is in the lens. At least that's the way I have understood it. I guess that means that if you buy a Pano camera you will not have any IS if you buy Oly lenses. Not sure what the impact is the other way. I haven't noticed anything in particular when using my Pano/Lumix lenses.

You can read more here - http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Micro_Four_Thir​ds_system

The most recent line of Olympus m4/3 bodies just announced at Photokina have an option to prioritize panny lenses' IS over in-body IS, so I guess in-lens stabilization is preferable to in-body. Not sure how much of a difference there is. Of course, any stabilization is better than none . Looking to pick up an OM-D E-M5 soon myself, can't wait!

BrianS wrote in post #15031583
Yes, the difference is in image stabilization. On Oly lenses/cameras the IS is in the camera so the lens does not have IS. On Pano it is in the lens. At least that's the way I have understood it. I guess that means that if you buy a Pano camera you will not have any IS if you buy Oly lenses. Not sure what the impact is the other way. I haven't noticed anything in particular when using my Pano/Lumix lenses.

You can read more here - http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Micro_Four_Thir​ds_system

Thanks, yeah I'm only looking at in-body stabilized systems for now just so that I'll always have stabilization, and if the lens has it too, then great. I'm sure the body has an option to turn stabilization off and then you can use the lens's IS instead.

DenZ wrote in post #15032667
The most recent line of Olympus m4/3 bodies just announced at Photokina have an option to prioritize panny lenses' IS over in-body IS, so I guess in-lens stabilization is preferable to in-body. Not sure how much of a difference there is. Of course, any stabilization is better than none . Looking to pick up an OM-D E-M5 soon myself, can't wait!

Arrrrghhh...well...I sold my 5Dc (with the Canon BG-E4 grip and a handful of genuine Canon batteries) for the asking price yesterday...so technically I have the money for an OM-D with the 12-50...but I don't think I can justify it...

LowriderS10 wrote in post #15032828
Thanks, yeah I'm only looking at in-body stabilized systems for now just so that I'll always have stabilization, and if the lens has it too, then great. I'm sure the body has an option to turn stabilization off and then you can use the lens's IS instead.

Arrrrghhh...well...I sold my 5Dc (with the Canon BG-E4 grip and a handful of genuine Canon batteries) for the asking price yesterday...so technically I have the money for an OM-D with the 12-50...but I don't think I can justify it...

I have sold my 5dc and looking for a omd om5 now in Turkey. Possibly I will have my friend buy it for me since he will visit his Gf in US soon.

onurrus wrote in post #15144150
I have sold my 5dc and looking for a omd om5 now in Turkey. Possibly I will have my friend buy it for me since he will visit his Gf in US soon.

Nice...let me know how you like it!!

LowriderS10 wrote in post #15144631
Nice...let me know how you like it!!

It will take time for him to come back but I will write here about my experiences when I got it

in the process of selling my 7D to fund a new OMD, I'm very excited to play with it! Still keeping my 5Dc for real jobs.....for the time being

noohoggin1 wrote in post #15197453
in the process of selling my 7D to fund a new OMD, I'm very excited to play with it! Still keeping my 5Dc for real jobs.....for the time being

Wicked!!! Let me know how you like it