Mark II
Andrew Fusek Peters gives his first impressions on the new OM-1 Mark II and M.Zuiko 150-600mm IS lens
I have in my hands the new and very versatile 150-600mm F5-6.3 and the first upgrade since the OM-1 came out two years ago – the OM-1 Mark II. The lens weighs just over 2.2kg, only 150g more than the 150-400mm, but gives an equivalent reach of 1200mm. The zoom is of the push-pull type and the various buttons can control how smooth this action is along with a useful focus limiter. My concern is not specificaton but performance and for that I need the OM-1 Mark II.
There is significant physical difference from the OM-1. I have sometimes found the recessed dials quite hard to use, especially in cold weather with thin gloves. OM has responded to feedback and the dials are now rubberised. This might seem a small detail, but out in the field when I am adjusting shutter speed or exposure compensation, these ‘grippier’ dials make a huge difference.
However, it’s under the hood that counts. I head out to a good spot for waxwings, and am happy to aim at the tops of the trees, where the first native 600mm lens for Micro Four Thirds gets me in close. What happens next is a revelation. The Bird AF is sticky as superglue. The AF and AI algorithms have been put on steroids. When a waxwing flies into the frame, it is instantly picked up.
As the days go by, I am aware that this ‘modded’ OM-1 enables me to get shots I did not think possible. The buffer is over twice as large, which means I can keep shooting in Pro Capture bursts and not be slowed down. Garden birds are a doddle and the flighty long-tailed tit comes out sharp as a pin. The eye-detect element (with Human now added into subject detection) simply does what it says on the tin. There are other new features to explore, like a superb in-built ND grad filter, but for now my bird photography has gone to another level.
