THE OLYMPUS OM-D EM1 MARK II

It takes more than just headline grabbing specs on paper to make a great underwater camera system, and the E-M1 Mark II does many of the less obvious things right. The “2×2” dial and button structure doubles the functionality of the control dials and assignable push buttons. Typically these dials control shutter speed and aperture when shooting in manual mode, but with a flick of the 2×2 lever they are reassigned to other parameters (like ISO and Exposure Compensation, as an example). The control dials provide the easiest way to access frequently used camera settings directly, and Olympus has doubled their usefulness!

It seems to be a trend among camera makers to sacrifice battery life and handling in an effort to to reduce overall size. Olympus didn’t make this mistake with E-M1 Mark II. The substantial hand grip provides exceptional handling, even with larger lenses, and makes space to accommodate a large battery that offers an exceptional 440 shots per charge (based on the CIPA rating, and many more are likely in real world use).

Also new, and notable, is a high bitrate UHD (4K) video recording mode coupled with very capable image stabilization. The camera offers HDMI output to an external monitor, providing an upgraded display for framing, exposure check, and focus confirmation.

KEY CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS

• 20MP Live MOS sensor
• 5-axis in-body image stabilization system
• 121-pt hybrid AF system
• 60 fps burst shooting (18 fps with continuous AF, 10 fps with flash)
• Fully articulating 3″ LCD display
• High-res electronic viewfinder
• Cinema (DCI) and UHD 4K video
• 50MP High-Res Shot mode
• Weather-sealed body
• USB 3 (Type-C)