Olympus OM-D E-M5 review

For professionals and photography enthusiasts alike, crossing the line between a DSLR and Micro Four Thirds camera has always been a bit of a compromise. The pioneers of the Micro Four Thirds category, Panasonic and Olympus, have been consistently improving their cameras with more advanced and prosumer features. Last year, Olympus launched the PEN EP-3 Micro Four Thirds camera which was one of the best in its class. This year, the company has gone one step further with the OM-D E-M5, a camera which brings with it fond memories of Olympus's highly successful OM range of film SLR cameras.

Look and build

One of the most significant features of a Micro Four Thirds camera is its compact size. The mirrorless design enables the camera to lose more than a couple of inches on the body and consequently, even the lenses are altered. The OM-D E-M5 retains this compact form factor but it isn't as slim as the PEN cameras. But this camera is water resistant and dust-proof, making it one of the more durable Micro Four Thirds cameras launched by the company.

Drawing inspiration from rangefinder cameras, the OM-D E-M5 sports classic looks with all the functionality of a modern day DSLR. Unlike other rangefinder inspired cameras like the Fujifilm X100, the E-M5 brings with it an array of manual and automatic controls to make shooting a far easier experience.

Olympus sent me an all-black unit for review, but my favourite version is the more classic black and silver model. On the top panel you'll find not one but three different control dials, all designed to make manual shooting a far easier experience. The mode dial which is conventionally located on the top right has been moved to the top left.

On the top right are two dials, one to adjust shutter speed/exposure and the other for aperture. There is also a dedicated video button and a Function button, which by default brings up the Highlight/Shadow adjust feature. Below them are two additional buttons, a secondary Function button and a Playback button. Both these buttons are quite flimsy and tiny and can require more than a single press to activate. I felt that the Playback button could have been made more prominent, given its importance.

Next to the viewfinder on the right side you'll find the Menu, Info, Delete and toggle power switch. The customary dial most of us are used to has been replaced by four navigation buttons which don't bring up the usual shortcuts for Flash, Macro, etc. An improvement over the PEN EP-3 is that the E-M5 includes both an LCD viewfinder and an electronic viewfinder. The electronic viewfinder protrudes quite prominently over the top of the camera and over it is a hotshoe on which an external flash can be attached (the E-M5 does not have a built-in flash). This is also where Olympus' proprietary Accessory Port 2 is located that allows you to hook up a range of Olympus accessories. The electronic viewfinder is one of the best I've used so far, even allowing for a short review period so you don't have to take your eye off the camera. There's a proximity sensor as well which gets activated when you bring your eye close to the viewfinder.

The 3-inch LCD panel has a resolution of 610 k dots and is tiltable. It is also touch-enabled and you can program it to touch to focus or touch to shoot. It's really responsive and didn't require more than a light press to activate. The E-M5 can also be fitted in with an external battery grip which locks in to the bottom of the camera. It can be separated into two to fit both landscape and portrait shooting and has a compartment to fit in an additional battery.

User interface

The E-M5 features an extensive menu for adjusting settings but your task is made easier by the quick menu which pops up when you press the OK button in the centre of the navigation controls. From here you can adjust Flash, ISO, White Balance, Shooting Mode, Aspect Ratio, Resolution, etc.

It's a bit confusing to navigate through this menu at first but I got used to it within a few hours of using the camera. I did find that some functions were more complicated than usual, for example adjusting Kelvin in White Balance requires you to press the Info button to change it instead of just a press of the OK button.

As was the case with the PEN cameras, you can use various Image Tones and Art Filters in Manual modes as well. In addition to Olympus' usual Art Filters, the E-M5 also includes a new Key Line filter which converts your photos into a cartoon style. Scene modes are aplenty and feature the usual bunch including a Fisheye, Wide-Angle, Panorama and 3D mode.

The kit lens that ships with the camera is a Micro Four Thirds M. Zuiko 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 one. The lens features both optical and digital zoom which can be adjusted by pulling back the focus ring. A Macro button is located on the left side which can be depressed before the ring is pulled back to enable Macro shooting.

Shooting

The E-M5 features a 16-megapixel Live MOS Micro Four Thirds sensor with 5-axis sensor shift image stablisation. This means that in addition to vertical and horizontal shake, the camera also compensates for rotational shake, ideal for shooting movie or any kind of hand-held motion shooting.

While I rarely used the Scene modes except to try the Fisheye effect, which wasn't very impressive, the Art Filters are an interesting way to play with photos. Apart from the Diorama mode which I felt was particularly versatile, the Grainy Film mode which goes one step ahead of plain ol' Black and White to give photos a vintage look was my favourite.

Shooting in Manual was made convenient by the two dials which are within easy reach. The E-M5 is by far one of the fastest focussing cameras I've used with a maximum speed of 9fps, taking less than a second to focus and shoot.

I did notice that it had some trouble focussing in areas where there was too much contrast or too many layers, for example, any type of foliage, and I would often have to press the shutter button repeatedly for the camera to do its job.

Low light shooting was quite good and the camera has an ISO range of 100-25,600. ISO up to 1,600 was relatively grain free. When used with a 45mm f/1.8 pancake lens low light shooting becomes an absolute delight.

Macro Mode is extremely effective and allows focussing almost right up to the subject and gave me some stunning results.

A new feature Olympus has integrated is the Live Bulb mode, which displays changes on the LCD when you're using long exposures, allowing you to release the shutter when you think you've got the result you want.

Our verdict

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is in my opinion the most advanced Micro Four Thirds camera currently available. It's definitely a step up from Olympus' PEN range of cameras but serious photographers will still prefer DSLRs for their more professional needs.

Despite its capabilities, the steep pricing of the OM-D E-M5 might be a deterrent for many considering you can get a decent Canon or Nikon DSLR for half the amount.

Love: Retro looks, excellent performance

Hate: Flimsy buttons, steep price tag

Rs 66,990 (only body), Rs 77,990 (with 12-50mm kit lens)

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