Gone is the familiar Olympus branding, but this is still the OM-1, the OM System OM-1, Mark II.
Headline points:
- Minimal external design changes apart from grippier rubberised adjustment wheels
- Unchanged sensor and Imaging Engine (TruePic X), but buffer RAM has been doubled
- Significant Continuous AF reliability improvements through revised algorithms
- AI-powered human person detection added
- Selection of subject when several are identified now possible
- Blackout-free sequential shooting at lower frame rates now available
- In body image stabilisation (IBIS) improved by 20% to 8.5 stops
- Menu button function can now be relocated to right-hand side for single-handed operation
- 14-bit RAW now available from high res shooting modes
- Live ND digital neutral density filter mode extended by an extra stop to ND128
- Landscape photographers targeted by new Live GND graduated filter tool
- Faster focus stacking and bracketing
- Vertical ‘mobile phone’ aspect video shooting for posting to social media is now supported
- Availability end of February
- Pricing: camera body €2,399.00, £2,199.99, bundle kit with 12-40mm f/2.8 II €2,999.00, £2,699.99
Autofocus
OM System say the OM-1 Mark II has improved subject identification abilities and continuous autofocus is more reliable than before – all thanks to improved algorithms and AI models. No information was available regarding single point AF reliability, which some have reported. But overall, AF has been improved.
Live ND and Live GND
You can now darken your digital Live ND filter by a further stop, to ND128. On top of that, digital ND filtration in graduated (Live GND) form is now available. You have touch-screen control over the position and angle of the graduated ND filter, up to GND8. There are Soft, Medium, and Hard filters to choose from. Live GND can’t be used at the same time as Live ND or ProCapture.
14-bit RAW
Only when using 50 and 80 megapixel high res shot modes, but 14-bit RAW files can now be produced. These modes already reduced noise and increased dynamic range and now, with the digital headroom extension to 14 bits you can work with up to three times as many levels of tone.
Less waiting
With the doubled buffer memory, there is less chance of stalling your camera when shooting at extremely high sequential rates and having to wait while the buffer empties. Computational algorithms have also been optimised so waits after focus stacking and bracketing have been reduced.
OM System’s strategy for the OM-1 Mark II
I sensed that OM System are being realistic and aren’t producing the OM-1 Mark II to persuade existing OM-1 users to upgrade, although, no doubt, some will. The OM-1 Mark II is an incremental upgrade to the original OM-1, after all it is only two years since the OM-1 was originally launched. But a fresher OM-1 should help to maintain the attraction of the system in the eyes of those looking to switch to Micro Four Thirds.
So what about existing OM-1 users? Logically, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to think that functions endowed to the OM-1 Mark II through software improvements, might be headed their way to the original OM-1, via a firmware update. I raised this very question and was given a clear – “there are no plans” response. I was given a vague impression that some of the improvements did depend, to a degree, on the limited internal upgrades, like the increased buffer memory.
But this is a tricky point for OM System. It’s not unusual for firmware updates to accompany the launch of new lenses, for example, so we probably can expect updates in the future, but whether or not the original OM-1 will get some or any of the Mark II functionality upgrades, remains a moot point.
The E-Group forum.
We run a busy and friendly discussion forum dedicated to Olympus/OM System and Micro Four Thirds. There will sure to be a lot of discussion on this week’s news – you can find the forum here.
Finally, here is a gallery of official OM System product imagery for you to explore:
