Olympus OM-D E-M5

Review based on a production E-M5 running firmware v1.1

With the launch of the E-M5, Olympus harks back to one of its most fondly-remembered camera systems - the Olympus OM range of 35mm SLRs. The E-M5 is the first camera in an OM-Digital lineup that will run alongside the PEN series and, according to the company, its Four Thirds models. For reasons of clarity, it should be stated that this isn't a continuation of the old OM line - the OM-D models won't be SLRs and are based around Micro Four Thirds, not OM lens mounts. However, they do embody the spirit of the much-loved camera line - a small, well-built camera designed for enthusiasts. And, particularly in silver and black form, the E-M5 is one of best looking cameras we've encountered in some time.

It would be easy to dismiss the E-M5 as simply an upgraded E-P3 with a built-in viewfinder, but that would rather miss the point. Looked at another way, the E-M5 appears to be a synthesis of the best bits of recent Olympus cameras. It offers greater capability than the company's range-topping E-5 DSLR in a compact body with the classic styling of the OM range. It also echoes of the E-620 - the small, photographer-focused camera that, to us, made most sense of the Four Thirds concept. Its magnesium alloy body also manages to incorporate the same extensive weather sealing that the E-5 offered - complementing the similarly-sealed M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm 1:3.5-6.3 EZ lens the company announced in December 2011.

And it is small - actually slightly smaller than the diminutive OM-4Ti whose looks it apes. But, like that camera, it has plenty of external controls. Twin dials protrude from the front and rear of the narrow top-plate, giving direct access to the major shooting functions in a way that we always hoped the top-of-the-line PENs would. The early push by manufacturers to create beginner-friendly mirrorless cameras means it's still rare to find cameras that offer two good control dials when your hand is in a shooting grip.

The camera is built around a 16MP Four Thirds sensor, which all our testing suggests may well be the same one seen in Panasonic's DMC-G3. This can only be seen as a welcome step forward, as it's a much newer and more capable sensor. The sensor is combined with the company's latest, TruePic VI processor, which appears to bring the usual Olympus magic to the JPEGs. The company claims improved dynamic range and, with an newer sensor and better processing, it's reasonable to expect better performance in terms of noise. And, since dynamic range is the range between highlights and a specified noise level, this would be considered a boost in dynamic range.

The company has also totally reworked its built-in image stabilization system. The new design is described as 5-axis (translational movement vertically and horizontally, and rotational movement around 3 axes - shown below), in contrast to the previous system that only corrected for up/down and left/right rotation. If it works, the ability to correct for rotation around the lens axis caused by pressing the shutter button offers a clear advantage over in-lens stabilization systems. Meanwhile, correction for translational movements promises more effective stabilization for macro photography at high magnifications (like Canon's 'Hybrid IS'). The system continues to work in video. Although none of these systems is inherently original, this is the first camera we've seen to incorporate them all at once, we look at its effect on the performance page of this review.

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Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f1.8

Preview based on a pre-production M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75mm f1.8

With the new breed of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras becoming ever-more popular, manufacturers face a development dilemma. It's not enough to simply churn out camera bodies; to convince potential buyers you have an attractive system, it's essential to provide a decent range of lenses too. But lens systems are hard to establish; concentrate your design resources on affordable lenses for enthusiasts and you risk your system not appealing to the high-end users who are likesly to buy multiple lenses. Focus instead on high-end exotica, and you risk making the step up from the kit-zoom look too daunting (and expensive) for the majority of users.

Perhaps because there are two manufacturers involved, the Micro Four Thirds lens range has balanced the needs of these two audiences well - there are a handful of sub-$400 lenses for enthusiasts, with alternatives such as the recently-announced Panasonic Lumix Vario G 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH OIS and the Leica-branded Summilux DG 25mm F1.4 for the higher-end user. Now, as a counterpart to Olympus's comparatively affordable M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 portrait lens, comes its more lofty 75mm F1.8.

The 45mm F1.8 is a lovely lens precisely because it offers great image quality while offering an attractive balance of size, price and weight. However, its mainly plastic construction makes it clear that there are trade-offs being made. By contrast, the 75mm features very solid-feeling all-metal construction and those rarely-inexpensive words 'Made in Japan' etched into the body. Sure enough the 75mm is expected to sell for more than twice the price of the 45mm.

Olympus describes the 75mm as a 'high grade portrait lens.' With its 150mm-equivalent field of view it's a little bit longer than the traditional 85-135mm range, that was classically used for portraiture on 35mm cameras. Its minimum focusing distance of 0.84m means you can get pretty close to your subject, however the long effective focal length limits how close you can sensibly work with people (because your narrow field-of-view gives quite a tight crop when working close to your subject).

The F1.8 maximum aperture provides decent control over depth of field, too, offering the ability to blur-away distracting backgrounds and focus attention on your subject. In this respect it behaves much like a 100mm F2.4 lens would on an APS-C camera, or a 150mm F3.5 lens on full frame. This makes it an attractive proposition for its primary purpose of photographing people.

The lens needn't just be used for portraiture, though. Olympus suggests it will also be useful for stage, studio and indoor sports work, and we see little reason to disagree with this. A 150mm-equivalent lens is still a useful thing to have in many circumstances, especially if it's as portable as the Olympus.

Headline features 150mm-equivalent focal length F1.8 maximum aperture 'ZERO' optical coating to reduce internal reflection MSC Movie and Stills Compatible (quiet) focus system specifications Price • US $899.99 Maximum format size Four Thirds Focal length 75mm 35mm equivalent focal length 150mm Angle of view 16° Maximum aperture F1.8 Minimum aperture F22 Lens Construction • 10 elements in 9 groups
• 3 Extra-low dispersion glass elements
• 2 High Refractive Index glass elements Number of diaphragm blades 9, rounded Minimum focus • 0.84m / 2.76ft Maximum magnification • 0.1x (0.2x in 35mm terms) Minimum field size • 130 x 173mm Focus method Internal Filter thread • 58mm
• Does not rotate on focus Supplied accessories

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