Olympus announce new flagship Micro Four Thirds camera – OM-D EM-1 Mark II and 2 new pro lenses

Written by Gary on September 20th, 2016

Olympus used Photokina to announce their new flagship professional model Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera – the E-M1 Mark II which they say improves upon the original model in nearly every aspect and leap frogs above APS-C cameras in terms of speed and value to the photographer.

I must say the specs to blow away the newly announced Canon EOS M5 mirrorless camera even if you don’t consider the amazing range of dedicated fast AF lenses available for Micro Four Thirds.

Specifications:

FASTER, MORE ACCURATE BURST MODE
- 18fps full size RAW with C-AF in electronic shutter mode
- 60fps full size RAW with locked S-AF in electronic shutter mode
- 2x more buffer capacity
- 3x faster internal write speed
- 50% faster start up time from camera switch on
PDAF area coverage now 81% greater than in Mark I, now covers ~80% of each frame dimension, up from 60%
3.3x more AF points – all 121 PDAF AF points are now cross-type and offer DUAL FAST AF with PDAF and CDAF which are used in every shooting mode.
new AF algorithm for much better subject tracking as well as in detecting subject from background even when background is close and of similar colour and texture
new “AF Cluster Display” can display the AF points being used to track the subject in real time
new “PRO Capture” can start capturing images as soon as you start to depress shutter and up to you depress shutter fully allowing lag free pre-capture of 14 RAW frames to reduce chance of missing a precise moment
new electronic viewfinder with faster 120 fps refresh rate and shorter 6msec reaction time giving crisp and smooth vision giving 60% faster response rate
as with Mark I, it is dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof with similar form factor
reliability improvements:
- new battery compartment
- new battery is longer lasting and charges faster
- improved grip which is more secure and offers better handling
- at last we get dual SD card slots and UHS compatibility
image quality:
- new 20Mp live MOS sensor with low power consumption and higher speed data read out and improved dynamic range and noise performance of 1 f stop better noise
- TruePic VIII double quad core image processor
- re-developed image stabilisation system now gives 5 axis Sync IS at up to 6.5EV stabilisation!
- 50/80mp HiRes shot with image blur of moving subject prevented using TruePic processor
  - should be awesome for high resolution tripod product shots or film scanning with less moire than with dSLRs
- 4K video up to 30P and Cinema 4K at 237Mbps quality
optional accessories include:
- HLD-9 / AC-5 battery holder grip with keypad for use in either landscape or portrait orientation
- RM-CB2 remote cable
- FL-900R weather sealed flash with GN 58 and compatible with 10fps sequential shooting
- STF Twin Flash for macro and 1st of kind to be weathersealed
- PT-EP14 underwater case
- improved Olympus PRO Service
  - next day delivery replacement unit for professionals if they choose additional paid Advanced or Elite level of service in selected countries
  - default Standard Plus level of service applies to all registered users
  - video hotline to help resolve issues before sending camera to repair

New PRO lenses:

Olympus mZD 25mm f/1.2 PRO

wide aperture standard lens for shallower depth of field and lovely bokeh as well as for low light work
weathersealed
manual focus clutch?
RRP $US1199?
see my wiki page for more details

Olympus mZD 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO

1st ever travel professional grade 8.3x zoom lens covering 24-200mm in full frame terms at constant wide aperture of f/4
optical IS for Sync IS at up to 6.5EV IS with the E-M1 MkII
weathersealed
manual focus clutch
close focus to 15cm adds macro capability
RRP $US1299?
see my wiki page for more details