CAMERA TEST
Joshua Waller reviews the new OM System OM-1 Mark II, with a number of new updates, including the world’s first in-camera Live Grad ND filter
The new OM System OM-1 Mark II is the firm’s latest flagship camera, updating the original OM-1. With high-speed continuous shooting, a weathersealed body and new computational features, is this the most advanced and best ‘Olympus’ camera ever made?
At first glance, the OM System OM-1 Mark II doesn’t look very different to the original OM-1. However, there are a number of updates to be found, including rubber-coated command dials to aid with handling.
Features
It only seems like yesterday that the OM-1 was first announced, but it’s actually been nearly two years. If you know all about the OM-1 already, then much of this new model will be familiar, so let’s start with the changes introduced in the Mark II.
New features include the world’s first Live Graduated ND filter, which is built into the camera. The LiveND filter has also been improved with an added stop, making 7 stops in total. In addition, high-resolution multi-shot mode now supports 14-bit raw shooting.
For fans of continuous shooting the buffer is now double the size, allowing for up to 213 raw shots at 120 frames per second, and up to 256 raws when shooting at 50fps with continuous AF. The AF system has also been improved with better tracking as well as better AF during video. Subject detection was already quite impressive with cars, planes, trains, birds, and dogs and cats covered, but now human detection has been added.
There are a number of other improvements, including in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) which now can compensate for up to 8.5 steps. The command dials have been improved, with a rubber coating to aid grip, and the blackout-free continuous shooting has been improved as well.
However, the core specifications of the camera remain the same. There’s still the ultra-high-speed 20MP Four Thirds sensor, which uses a Stacked BSI CMOS design. This allows full-resolution shooting at 120fps with fixed AF, or 50fps with continuous AF. This is still among the fastest cameras in the world; in comparison, the Nikon Z 8 and Z 9 switch to 11MP JPEG when shooting at 120fps (albeit with AF). If you want this speed at higher resolution, you’ll need to look at the 24MP Sony A9 III, with 120fps and continuous AF. Just be aware the price is t
