Capture Long-Exposure. No Tripod Required

Imagine being able to take sharp, long-exposure shots without the burden of carrying around a tripod – that dream is now a reality with Olympus’ newest addition to its expanding mirrorless lineup, the OM-D E-M1 Mark II. With its new 6.5-stop stabilization, exposures as long as five or six seconds long can be captured with ease. The camera comes equipped with 4K video capture, built-in Wi-Fi as well as a mechanical shooting speed of 15 fps and 60 fps in electronic mode – making it the fastest burst shutter rate on the market today. However, the real star of the show is the camera’s advanced 5-Axis Image Stabilization system – giving photographers the ability to capture sharp images at slow speeds.

Before getting to the main feature of this camera, first thing I’d like to point out is the design and build-quality of the camera. The E-M1 Mark II’s mirrorless design allows for the photographer to take advantage of its capabilities without the burden of lugging around heavy equipment. At a price point of $2,000, this is camera is also built for professionals and high enthusiasts who demand a durable piece of equipment. The design is similar to that of other Olympus cameras with top of the camera body being littered with buttons and dials for basic functions such as shooting mode, a headphone jack, function dials, ISO ranging from 64 to 25,600 and white balance adjustments. The LCD screen on the back of the camera tilts and swivels and the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) behind the lens allows for more accurate framing while taking pictures. From personal experiences of owning an Olympus OM-D point-and-shoot, I can say that Olympus has done a fantastic job with its electronic viewfinders as well as the design and build-quality of its OM-D lineup and the E-M1 Mark II is no exception has remained consistently on par with the competition.

However, for those who enjoy night photography, having to carry around a tripod to get crisp-looking night shots can be a real challenge. As an amateur photographer myself, I enjoy taking night cityscape shots but without a tripod, I struggle to keep my hands still enough to get a decent shot – even at high ISOs. With that being said, the stabilization system on this camera is good…really good. The sample shots taken from Petapixel highlight just how unbelievably good this image stabilization really is. At ISO 64 and an aperture at f/9, to get a properly exposed night shot like this would require a shutter speed of at least 8-10 seconds and a tripod to prevent blurriness. This photograph, taken without the use of a tripod, has a recorded shutter speed of 5 seconds and zoomed in at 100x magnification, corners are still very sharp. Simply put, I’m blown away by this system. 

Despite the camera’s phenomenal stabilization system, the E-M1 Mark II does have its downfalls. For starters, the camera’s price is pretty steep when you take into account the camera’s lack of a full-frame sensor (compare the Canon 6D which costs $700 less and has a full-frame sensor of equal resolution) and most devices still aren’t capable of supporting 4K video which means this is (currently) not the best camera for video-capture and playback. All things aside, I think this is a fantastic camera and a great value. Yes it is pretty pricey for a mirrorless camera but it performs well. Its lightning fast shutter speed and versatility as a tool for photographers easily make it a candidate for being one of the year’s best cameras.

Canon's Best 5D Yet?

Let's go back to the 2012 launch of Canon’s 5D Mark III which ultimately, turned out to be one of the company’s best-selling cameras…ever. Just this past month, the company announced a successor to the Mark III, the Canon 5D Mark IV. The Mark IV brings a couple of new features to the table; for starters, the camera now has a touch screen on the back, a new 30 full-frame megapixel sensor, built-in GPS, 4K video and NFC – just to name a few. With a burst frame rate of 7 fps, the camera is also ideal for sports photographers. However, at a price of over $3,000, this camera is not for amateur DSLR users. This is a very serious camera, with very serious capabilities. With that being said – if you take full advantage of what the camera has to offer – this 5D Mark IV, in my opinion, is worth the upgrade from the 5D Mark III.

Let’s start with one of the biggest upgrades since the 5D Mark III and that is the new 30 megapixel sensor. The Mark IV is built around a new 30.4 megapixel CMOS sensor and Canon’s latest and greatest Digic 6+ processor. Canon also incorporated the auto-focus system from its bigger, more expensive brother, the 1D X Mark II, containing over 60 AF points. I think this was a very smart move by Canon since the 1D X, which is geared more towards professional sports photographers and costs almost twice as much, because consumers now have a more affordable option if they’re looking for just as stellar image quality without the burst shooting capabilities. What this translates to is a high-resolution sensor that produces stunning images accompanied by one of the quickest auto-focusing systems I've seen on a Canon DSLR.

The other highlight feature of the new Mark IV would have to be 4K video. We’re living in a day and age where 1080p isn’t good enough anymore. Many compact cameras and other competitor DSLRs have 4K recording capabilities – even Apple's latest iPhone can record 4K video. Canon’s decision to implement 4K video in its latest flagship wasn’t merely a coincidence, but a wise business decision. With that being said, the 4K video on this DSLR was mediocre (see sample video below). Colors were saturated and natural looking but low-light performance left me feeling underwhelmed. The AF system does an effective job of keeping everything looking smooth but for a camera that costs over $3,000, I’ve been more impressed with Sony’s R-series.

Despite the lackluster 4K video experience, I still think this is a fantastic tool for photographers. Most consumers in this particular market will be buying the camera for the 30 megapixel sensor and sharp stills rather than the video capabilities; therefore I don’t see the video performance as a reason to not buy the camera. Sure, there are other options from Canon, Nikon, and even Sony that may be excellent cameras but as an all-purpose DSLR and for the price caliber, the 5D Mark IV will not disappoint.