Is anyone exploring the Olympus OM-1 for birds and wildlife?

dwschmidt · Mar 24, 2022

faunagraphy said:
Czech photographer Petr Bambousek used to shoot the Olympus 300mm but switched to the Panasonic 200mm because he liked the focal length more. His review is worth a read.

Panasonic Leica 200mm/2.8 O.I.S. | Petr Bambousek | Wildlife Photography

www.sulasula.com

OM-1 in Ecuador (part 2) | Petr Bambousek | Wildlife Photography

www.sulasula.com

I do not own the 200mm - I would if 300mm wasn't my most-used focal length (I agree with Fsi that it has better rendering for out of focus areas). I have been shooting 300mm on Micro Four Thirds since I got into photography, starting with a Canon FD 300mm f4 S.S.C. 200mm is too short for me.

However, I do own the Panasonic 50-200 which comes close to the 200mm in terms of performance. In terms of AF speed, it's just as fast as the 300mm Pro. I find the 300mm slightly faster, but it's so close that it might be my bias. For a long time, I thought that the AF was slower on the Panasonic. It turns out that having the OIS on was slowing the AF ... ever since I turned it off, it's about as fast as the 300mm Pro.

However, as I've said, the 300mm Pro's OIS syncs with the camera's IBIS to make the excellent Olympus stabilization downright unreal. On paper, it provides a 1 stop advantage over IBIS alone, but I know for a fact that I get much better stabilization than I used to with my Canon 300mm f2.8L. What I mean is, on paper the 300mm f4 OIS + Olympus IBIS should be equal to the 300mm f2.8 used with the body's IBIS alone (since f2.8 has an inherent 1 stop advantage), but I find the f4 lens rock steady in low light, leading to sharper photos. Of course if you're shooting fast action in low light, the f2.8 lens will be better.

The 300mm Pro has some nice touches that would make me prefer it over the 200mm, even if FL weren't a factor. Olympus tests each focus motor individually, and only the best ones go into the 300mm Pro and 150-400 Pro. The 300mm Pro has 2 AF motors which make AF fast. I do not know about the Panasonic. It has an ARCA Swiss tripod foot. And an integrated lens hood. Also has a programmable button which I do not use. The Panasonic's button won't work with the OM-1.

Also, keep in mind that a 1.4x TC (included for free with the Panasonic 200mm) will bring it to 280mm f4. The 300mm Pro has an inherent reach advantage that means that it can go all the way to 1200mm equivalent whereas the Panasonic maxes out at 800mm. Even with the 1.4x TC, the 200mm is plenty sharp, but a bare 300mm will always be sharper.

Faunagraphy and all,
Thanks for the information you have been providing and for the links to Petr Bambousek's site. He has a lot of good info on lenses, the OM-1, and on his own photography. Again, this discussion has been helpful to me as I consider getting into M43 with the OM-1.

GrandNagus50 · Mar 24, 2022

Context sometimes is everything. I think Petr Bambousek's switch to the Panasonic/Leica 200 was predicated to a great extent on his acquisition of the 150-400mm zoom, which rendered the 300 f4 less essential. The 200 f2.8 became more valuable because of its fast aperture (2.8 vs 4.5 with the zoom).

I own both of these fixed focal lengths, and on my recent trip to Costa Rica I did the same thing he did, i.e., I brought the 200 for situations where a 2.8 aperture might be critical, e.g., at first light at the feeders at Selva Verde Lodge. I have no plans to sell my 300, however, as it's a fantastic lens that remains sharp even at 600mm f8 (with the Olympus 2x).

fsi22 · Mar 24, 2022

GrandNagus50 said:
Context sometimes is everything. I think Petr Bambousek's switch to the Panasonic/Leica 200 was predicated to a great extent on his acquisition of the 150-400mm zoom, which rendered the 300 f4 less essential. The 200 f2.8 became more valuable because of its fast aperture (2.8 vs 4.5 with the zoom).

I own both of these fixed focal lengths, and on my recent trip to Costa Rica I did the same thing he did, i.e., I brought the 200 for situations where a 2.8 aperture might be critical, e.g., at first light at the feeders at Selva Verde Lodge. I have no plans to sell my 300, however, as it's a fantastic lens that remains sharp even at 600mm f8 (with the Olympus 2x).

Petr actually moved a couple of years before the 150-400 was announced. He has talked about his move a few times and it’s exactly for the reasons @faunagraphy mentioned. Petr also spoke about his move on a DPReview thread when forum members started noticing he had stopped using the 300. He preferred the shorter focal length, he often found the 300 a bit too long and with the 200 he could add the 1.4x to get 280 f4.

The 150-400 made him switch from the 200. Where he was comfortable giving up the f2.8 for the flexibility.

santiago · Apr 3, 2022

arbitrage said:
I'm keeping an eye on it. A friend of mine is getting it and he has shot Olympus in the past but currently shoots two A1s. He won't beat around the bush and will let me know exactly where it stands. He will have the 300/4 but also the 150-400 fairly soon (he is next in line at his dealer of choice).

I'm eyeing it because I'd love ProCapture and a small, lightweight package in addition to my larger Sony kit. I'm a little hesitant about the EVF experience as it seems you only get blackout free at the really high FPS. Also even though it is a stacked sensor the read speed doesn't seem all that fast (more like the non-stacked R5 speed) so I'm not sure the EVF is really a live feed...may be a super fast 25-50FPS slideshow like the R5's 20FPS slideshow in ES.

@arbitrage, wil you kindly please update when you hear back from your friend?

arbitrage · Apr 3, 2022

santiago said:
@arbitrage, wil you kindly please update when you hear back from your friend?

Will do. He was away for 3 weeks and just returned to receive the OM-1/150-400. Not sure how soon he will get out shooting with the new kit. He is not someone who goes out every week/weekend.

faunagraphy · Apr 4, 2022

arbitrage said:
I'm eyeing it because I'd love ProCapture and a small, lightweight package in addition to my larger Sony kit. I'm a little hesitant about the EVF experience as it seems you only get blackout free at the really high FPS. Also even though it is a stacked sensor the read speed doesn't seem all that fast (more like the non-stacked R5 speed) so I'm not sure the EVF is really a live feed...may be a super fast 25-50FPS slideshow like the R5's 20FPS slideshow in ES.

The blackout-free EVF is available at 25 fps as well as 50 fps. 25 fps is of course fast, but not much faster than the 20 fps of the A9 series or the 18 fps of older OM-D's. I'm not sure why the sensor readout is slower, but it might have something to do with the fact that although it is a stacked sensor, it is a quad pixel sensor - essentially an 80 MP sensor with one lens for every 4 pixels on the sensor - the 4 pixels are used to gain directional information. With processing power and cooling limitations, I'm guessing that affects the readout speed.

You are correct that the 'live feed' is in fact a slideshow, but in my experience this does not impact user experience. I use ProCap-L to shoot BIFs on my older E-M1ii at 18fps. The E-M1ii does not have blackout-free EVF, but since ProCap is also displaying a running slideshow of buffered / clicked images, I am able to use ProCap to have a blackout-free experience and track action more easily. At 18 fps I find it indistinguishable from a live feed, so I'm sure that there would be no problems at 25 fps or 50 fps. I will hopefully be receiving my OM-1 this week!

GrandNagus50 · Apr 5, 2022

fsi22 said:
Petr actually moved a couple of years before the 150-400 was announced. He has talked about his move a few times and it’s exactly for the reasons @faunagraphy mentioned. Petr also spoke about his move on a DPReview thread when forum members started noticing he had stopped using the 300. He preferred the shorter focal length, he often found the 300 a bit too long and with the 200 he could add the 1.4x to get 280 f4.

The 150-400 made him switch from the 200. Where he was comfortable giving up the f2.8 for the flexibility.

Feeling grumpy today so I will respond to this FWIW, acknowledging that Petr Bambousek does not (and should not) care what I think.
"My telephoto lens is too long," said no bird photographer, ever. I looked at Petr's pages and clearly, he puts a lot of effort into photographing flowers and plants, where perhaps a shorter, faster tele is preferable. But as someone who owns both the 300 and the 200, I will say unequivocally that if I had to go out in the field with just one or the other I would choose the Olympus 300 f4. Particularly if one uses an Olympus camera the advantages are clear. You get dual IS (which you don't get using a Panny lens on an Olympus body), you get ProCapture low, in which the camera focuses during the burst (with ProCapture high it does not). And with the 1.4x teleconverter you get a fantastic 420mm f5.6 optic. Petr himself notes the ergonomic klunkiness of the 200 f2.8, i.e., the screw-on hood and the icky tripod foot. But yes, that 200 is sharp! But so is the Olympus 300.

If one is heading out on a trip with the 150-400 zoom, the 200 makes sense as a second lens, as it is 1.5 stops faster. On my recent trip to Costa Rica I took the 200 and it came in handy in low light first thing in the morning (at feeders at Selva Verde Lodge, for example), and also at some hummingbird feeders where the birds were fearless and 200mm was just fine.

santiago · Apr 6, 2022

Does anybody know if there is an online retailer with OM-1 stock in the US? @faunagraphy are you getting yours soon and how long did you have to wait? I was planning to order from B&H, but it seems a lot of you use Roberts Camera, maybe they are the ones that will have some stock soon?

Many thanks as always!!!

arbitrage · Apr 6, 2022

santiago said:
Does anybody know if there is an online retailer with OM-1 stock in the US? @faunagraphy are you getting yours soon and how long did you have to wait? I was planning to order from B&H, but it seems a lot of you use Roberts Camera, maybe they are the ones that will have some stock soon?

Many thanks as always!!!

There is one from Amazon in Canada but it is 3rd party seller not fulfilled by Amazon. Also may not be accessible through the US site. You could try this link as it will probably try to open in on Amazon.com if you are located in the US.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09S5JBX56/

Barbara · Apr 6, 2022

I got one today from Cardinal Camera that I just ordered last week. You might try them.

andrewwx · Apr 6, 2022

santiago said:
Does anybody know if there is an online retailer with OM-1 stock in the US? @faunagraphy are you getting yours soon and how long did you have to wait? I was planning to order from B&H, but it seems a lot of you use Roberts Camera, maybe they are the ones that will have some stock soon?

Many thanks as always!!!

I ordered my camera from Roberts about a month ago and will receive it on Friday. Would’ve been a little sooner too actually but my shipping address had a problem. I don’t know how long it’ll take Robert to fill orders but I would almost guarantee they would be quicker than B/H.

good luck!

faunagraphy · Apr 7, 2022

santiago said:
Does anybody know if there is an online retailer with OM-1 stock in the US? @faunagraphy are you getting yours soon and how long did you have to wait? I was planning to order from B&H, but it seems a lot of you use Roberts Camera, maybe they are the ones that will have some stock soon?

Many thanks as always!!!

Hi Santiago,

Long story short, you can't go wrong with any major seller (B&H, Adorama, Roberts, Hunts etc) and it comes down to who has some in stock, what payment options they offer etc. I'd suggest that you call major retailers and ask if they have any in stock already, or when they're expecting some.

The reason why I ordered from Roberts was purely financial. Firstly, I wanted to order it within the preorder window because OMDS (parent company) was offering an extended 3 year warranty for preorders (I've never had any weather-sealed Olympus gear fail in any way, but still).

Secondly, since I do not make money from photography, I wanted to sell some of my existing redundant gear to pay for it. That happened to be my D500 and 300mm PF, which I was using to compensate for my E-M1ii's erratic autofocus, and this won't be an issue with the OM-1. Roberts was the only seller taking preorders without charging the card outright.

Ordering with Roberts allowed me to place a preorder and gave me time to sell some gear to fund this purchase before they sent an invoice. Those who ordered with B&H got their gear sooner, but B&H placed a hold on credit cards for a preorder which I did not want.

This is the first time that I've made a new purchase from Roberts although I've purchased plenty of gear from their used store (UsedPhotoPro), including my 300mm Pro lens, and have been very happy with their service.

Mine is arriving tomorrow - was supposed to arrive today but UPS decided to be UPS.

I placed my order a month ago, and Roberts got some in stock right away but were instructed to sell it to some selected pro photographers. The next batch came in a few weeks later and I got mine with it. @andrewwx placed his order on the same day and has perhaps received his already. EDIT: Just read his post.

faunagraphy · Apr 7, 2022

@santiago if you purchase the OM-1, I would recommend that you also check out the Micro Four Thirds forum on DPReview. It's very active (perhaps too active) but I learned a lot over there when I was new to the system. Mu-43.com and the MFT forum on Fred Miranda are also good resources, but the layout of the DPR forum works better for me. Also, DPR has (mercifully) refused to split this forum so far, unlike their Nikon/Sony/Canon forums which leave you confused about where to ask for advice.

Micro Four Thirds Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Expert news, reviews and videos of the latest digital cameras, lenses, accessories, and phones. Get answers to your questions in our photography forums.

www.dpreview.com

After you purchase the OM-1 (if you do), this video will serve as a useful guide to help you set up your camera:

Olympus / OM System regularly does live broadcasts and I actually downloaded that one.

Meanwhile, here's something to whet your appetite ... not as "useful" but still a good presentation by Andy Rouse, who I've been following since his Canon EF days:

santiago · Apr 8, 2022

Tha

faunagraphy said:
Hi Santiago,

Long story short, you can't go wrong with any major seller (B&H, Adorama, Roberts, Hunts etc) and it comes down to who has some in stock, what payment options they offer etc. I'd suggest that you call major retailers and ask if they have any in stock already, or when they're expecting some.

The reason why I ordered from Roberts was purely financial. Firstly, I wanted to order it within the preorder window because OMDS (parent company) was offering an extended 3 year warranty for preorders (I've never had any weather-sealed Olympus gear fail in any way, but still). Secondly, since I do not make money from photography, I wanted to sell some of my existing redundant gear to pay for it. That happened to be my D500 and 300mm PF, which I was using to compensate for my E-M1ii's erratic autofocus, and this won't be an issue with the OM-1. Roberts was the only seller taking preorders without charging the card outright.

Ordering with Roberts allowed me to place a preorder and gave me time to sell some gear to fund this purchase before they sent an invoice. Those who ordered with B&H got their gear sooner, but B&H placed a hold on credit cards for a preorder which I did not want.

This is the first time that I've made a new purchase from Roberts although I've purchased plenty of gear from their used store (UsedPhotoPro), including my 300mm Pro lens, and have been very happy with their service.

Mine is arriving tomorrow - was supposed to arrive today but UPS decided to be UPS.

I placed my order a month ago, and Roberts got some in stock right away but were instructed to sell it to some selected pro photographers. The next batch came in a few weeks later and I got mine with it. @andrewwx placed his order on the same day and has perhaps received his already. EDIT: Just read his post.

Thank you very much for the feedback! I hope it does finally arrive tomorrow and maybe you can share with us if it meets the BIF focus and other expectations once you have had a chance to test it...

riseform · Apr 8, 2022

I have the OM-1 kit arriving today and supposedly the 150-400 + TC lens tomorrow. This will be my first mirrorless experience which should be interesting coming from Pentax & the painfully slow DA 560 and my beloved Nikon D500 & 500PF. I made this leap of faith after meeting an Olympus ambassador (unrelated to any shop or promotion) who put my MFT concerns to rest and claims the OM-1 autofocus is on par with the A1 (having shot both). I will try and share photos and experience once I figure the camera out.

BIF | Flickr

jeffnles1 · Apr 8, 2022

riseform said:
I have the OM-1 kit arriving today and supposedly the 150-400 + TC lens tomorrow. This will be my first mirrorless experience which should be interesting coming from Pentax & the painfully slow DA 560 and my beloved Nikon D500 & 500PF. I made this leap of faith after meeting an Olympus ambassador (unrelated to any shop or promotion) who put my MFT concerns to rest and claims the OM-1 autofocus is on par with the A1 (having shot both). I will try and share photos and experience once I figure the camera out.

BIF | Flickr

looking forward to seeing your photos and reading about your thoughts. I'm still interested in this Olympus / OM System ecosystem.

faunagraphy · Apr 8, 2022

riseform said:
I have the OM-1 kit arriving today and supposedly the 150-400 + TC lens tomorrow.

How long did you have to wait for the 150-400? I've heard that there's a one year waiting period currently.

This will be my first mirrorless experience which should be interesting coming from Pentax & the painfully slow DA 560 and my beloved Nikon D500 & 500PF. I made this leap of faith after meeting an Olympus ambassador (unrelated to any shop or promotion) who put my MFT concerns to rest and claims the OM-1 autofocus is on par with the A1 (having shot both). I will try and share photos and experience once I figure the camera out.

BIF | Flickr

I also recently sold my D500 to dive all-in on Micro Four Thirds. Although I have been a MFT shooter since 2013 ... my E-M1ii however was erratic with AF and tended to focus on the background. I used to have to use the programmable AF limiter (a very useful feature!) so that it would stay with the bird, and even then only a little over half of my photos would be sharp. I would still get more keepers overall than with the D500 thanks to the 18fps frame rate, but I used to switch to the D500 when I absolutely needed reliable AF.

So I would generally use the E-M1ii for BIFs and for extreme reach, but for situations like a swallow splashing on the water, or flying just above the ground, I would switch to the D500.

With the OM-1 they've finally sorted out their AF issues to the point that it meets my needs. Apparently the A1 still has better tracking but the OM-1 is close, plus has a significantly higher frame rate and costs $4300 less ... what's not to like?

Olympus has never had the best AF algorithm and it has remained unchanged for the OM-1, but with subject tracking and high processing power, they've finally been able to find a 'brute force' solution to AF reliability issues. Apparently, the camera locates the bird in every single frame (at 50 fps) and focuses on it rather than actually tracking it. Well, so long as it works ...

fsi22 · Apr 8, 2022

faunagraphy said:
I also recently sold my D500 to dive all-in on Micro Four Thirds. Although I have been a MFT shooter since 2013 ... my E-M1ii however was erratic with AF and tended to focus on the background. I used to have to use the programmable AF limiter (a very useful feature!) so that it would stay with the bird, and even then only a little over half of my photos would be sharp. I would still get more keepers overall than with the D500 thanks to the 18fps frame rate, but I used to switch to the D500 when I absolutely needed reliable AF.

So I would generally use the E-M1ii for BIFs and for extreme reach, but for situations like a swallow splashing on the water, or flying just above the ground, I would switch to the D500.

With the OM-1 they've finally sorted out their AF issues to the point that it meets my needs. Apparently the A1 still has better tracking but the OM-1 is close, plus has a significantly higher frame rate and costs $4300 less ... what's not to like?

Olympus has never had the best AF algorithm and it has remained unchanged for the OM-1, but with subject tracking and high processing power, they've finally been able to find a 'brute force' solution to AF reliability issues. Apparently, the camera locates the bird in every single frame (at 50 fps) and focuses on it rather than actually tracking it. Well, so long as it works ...

I still take both cameras out when shooting, have always ended up just using the OM-1.

Been using the OM-1 for over a month, and it’s Ai abilitiies have led to a frustration free time. Even when birds are flying behind poles, branches or other birds. It doesn’t struggle.