In summary
Owners of Olympus OM-D EM-5 bodies will rightly see the E-M1 as a worthwhile upgrade option and/or extension to their existing kit – provided they are happy about its higher price tag. The new camera has just enough improvements entice many stills photographers, although not photographers who are more video orientated.
The added support for Four Thirds lenses in the AF system will make the E-M1 attractive to owners of Olympus’s older DSLR cameras. Stepping into place as the top model in Olympus’s line-up, the E-M1 replaces the E5, which will be the last DSLR the company makes. With higher resolution, a more sophisticated AF system and integrated Wi-Fi in a lighter body (which is also weatherproof), the E-M1 provides significant advantages over the three-year-old E5.
The arrival of the E-M1 has pushed the price of the OM-D E-M5 body down to around $900 (AU or US), which makes it a bargain in the current environment. However, Compact System Cameras are currently a growth category and Olympus has hinted at further developments in the OM-D range so, if you’re not in a rush to buy, it may be worth waiting to see what comes next.
This review supplements the detailed ‘First Look’ at the OM-D E-M1, which we published in September and focuses upon the new camera’s performance in our standard suite of tests with the new M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens, which is reviewed separately. We will also look at aspects of the camera that we weren’t able to assess when we had the pre-production unit last month.
Rating
Build9.0
Ease of use 8.5
Autofocusing 9.0
Still image quality JPEG 8.8
Still image quality RAW 9.0
Video 8.8
OVERALL 9.0
RRP: AU$1599, US$1400 (body only); AU$2399 with 12-40mm f/2.8 lens