Rocking Steady with the Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mark II

In Hollywood, sequels are rarely better than the original. For camera buyers, it’s usually the opposite. When it comes to following-up a successful model, there’s a good chance you’re in for at least some useful improvements when the replacement arrives. Whether those improvements justify the asking price is another story.

Olympus is hoping for its own summer blockbuster with the OM-D EM-5 Mark II, a successor to 2012’s E-M5. The 2015 edition delivers several new features, including Wi-Fi, a high-resolution 2.36 million-dot EVF, new High Res Shot mode and a revamped five-axis image stabilization system that delivers a category-leading five stops of image compensation based on CIPA standards.

The E-M5 Mark II also features a 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor with an ISO range of 100 to 25,600. Shutter speeds top off at 1/8000 sec. mechanically or up to 1/16,000 sec. electronically. A 30-minute exposure is available in bulb mode. In addition to the EVF, there’s a 3-inch vari-angle touch screen display for framing stills and video.

With a new, five-axis stabilization system, the OM-D E-M5 Mark II can record nearly blur-free video while shooting.

Speaking of video, the Mark II records 1920 x 1080/60p video using IPB compression—a form of video compression that subtly eliminates video frames to save space on your memory card. Drop frame rates to 30 fps and you’ll enjoy a fairly high maximum bit rate of 77 Mbps shooting in ALL-I compression—a higher quality format that doesn’t erase frames. Cinema-like 24p and 25p frame rates are also available in ALL-I. There are plenty of other features on hand to help video shooters, including focus peaking available in a choice of four colors and three intensities. You can record time code and output footage via HDMI for external monitoring. There’s a mic input for external audio recording, but you’ll need to spring for the HLD-8G external grip ($129) for a headphone jack for audio monitoring.

The E-M5 Mark II costs $1,100 for the body.

IMAGE QUALITY

We tested the E-M5 Mark II in tandem with photographer David Patiño, who was shooting marketing images for a local salon using his Canon 5D Mark III when we delivered the Olympus. He grabbed the E-M5 Mark II at the end of his shoot to see how it would fare. On his 60-inch LCD TV, the images from the two cameras were nearly indistinguishable. In fact, the reds were snappier on the Olympus while fine details, like the stitching in fabric, were equally well resolved when we magnified images to 100 percent. We enjoyed excellent results through ISO 6,400, though noise crept in above that in JPEGs.

The E-M5 Mark II’s 16-megapixel sensor isn’t at the top of its class as far as resolution is concerned, but Olympus has incorporated a new trick that lets the sensor punch above its weight. A new High Res Shot mode leverages the image stabilizer to slightly shift the sensor by .5-pixel steps while the camera snaps eight shots. Those frames are compiled in camera to create a single, 40-megapixel image. RAW files, typically in the 14MB range, balloon to over 100MB and you’ll need a free plug-in for Adobe Photoshop to process them.

We shot with the mode and quickly learned that it’s super sensitive to motion—yours and your subject’s. It’s impossible to use handheld, and even on a tripod; it needs to be used with a timed delay so your hand is completely off the camera before the shutter fires as even the slightest vibration will cause blur.

DESIGN

The E-M5 Mark II is ready to take whatever nature throws at you. It’s water resistant, dust proof and, unlike its predecessor, confirmed freeze proof to a temperature of 14 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather-sealed, magnesium alloy build gives the Mark II a very durable feel, but it’s also quite slim, compact and lightweight. In fact, it’s so squat that the bottom half of our hand was constantly dangling off the bottom of the camera. “It’s almost too small for its own good,” was how Patiño aptly put it. The accessory grip we mentioned (the HLD-8G) not only provides audio monitoring but also gives the Mark II a firmer grip—we think many shooters will want the extra real estate.

WHAT WE LIKED

As mentioned, the image quality from the Mark II is excellent. The image stabilization is even more impressive. The five-axis system accurately compensates for basically any conceivable movement outside of throwing the camera into a dryer (note to Olympus: we didn’t do that).

In a series of exposures from 1/10 sec. down to 1/4 sec. handheld, the stabilization system was able to keep images almost entirely blur-free. At 1/4 sec. it was harder to maintain a completely blur-free image, but when we switched IS off, the image was a total washout.

It was even better in video.

We took the E-M5 Mark II for a stroll next to the Canon 7D Mark II with the EFS 18-135mm IS lens while recording HD video. The Olympus footage was notably smoother. You may not be able to abandon a Glidecam or similar rig in every scenario, but you can have a lot more confidence that videos shot with the E-M5 Mark II will hold up even under a fair amount of hand movement.

The 3-inch display pops out and swivels around, making it easy to frame video and, yes, take selfies. 

WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE

The on-screen menu system on the E-M5 Mark II can be a pain to navigate. There’s a welcome abundance of features on the camera, but getting at them in the menu takes too much scrolling and hunting around. The custom buttons help, but those are still a poor substitute for a more intuitive menu. Also, there’s no real-time exposure preview on the LCD except for white balance when you’re shooting stills.

HOW IT COMPARES

The E-M5 Mark II isn’t the fastest mirrorless on the market­—it trails models like Samsung’s pricier NX1 and Nikon’s new J5 in the burst department. It’s also missing some features, like 4K video and support for external recorders, which are increasingly prominent in this category. What’s more, the 16-megapixel sensor, while on par with models like Fujifilm’s X-T1, isn’t packing the pixels like many cameras in the $1,000-$1,300 price range. Still, only Sony’s a7 II can deliver a five-axis image stabilizer and that’s on a larger, heavier full frame body costing $600 more than the E-M5 Mark II. The E-M5 Mark II has better weather sealing than most competitors in its class, plus great still photo and HD video quality. A pop-out display, Wi-Fi and compact, versatile design make the Mark II a very solid sequel.