The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II (Photo : Facebook)
The original Olympus E-M5 mirrorless camera first captured the attention of photographers through its sleek design and retro looks. The new E-M5 Mark II launched by Olympus aims to retain that appeal while upgrading its capabilities.
Design-wise, the Olympus E-M5 Mark II is just slightly bulkier than the original. The controls now include a dedicated HDR button at the top. Also, the display can now flip to the side and rotate, giving photographers a convenient way to shoot from unconventional angles.
Another feature that makes an encore appearance is the five-axis in-body stabilization. This enables photographers to capture relatively sharp images at 1/4 shutter speed.
For the E-M5 Mark II, Olympus upgraded the 16MP Micro Four-Thirds sensor to allow the camera to shoot 10 frames per second in single autofocus mode and 5 fps in continuous autofocus, and that is in RAW quality.
The biggest selling point of this Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens (EVIL) camera is its ability to produce 40 Megapixel images, but upon closer inspection by Gizmodo, people are advised:" don't expect to use the 41 megapixel mode for everyday handheld pictures."
The 40MP mode works by stitching together eight shots taken by the camera by shifting the sensor little by little. Thus, the aperture opens at a maximum f8 and the fastest shutter speed is 1/8. In this mode, the ISO is also maxed out at 1600. Translated, all those limitations mean you will need a tripod for that 40MP goodness.
In terms of video, the E-M5 Mark II lags behind the competition in that it doesn't have 4K capabilities. It is, however, able to shoot video at a 1080p resolution.
The Olympus E-M5 Mark II is priced at $1,099 and is expected to be released this month.
