Finally had a chance to take the E-M1.2 out for a spin today. Went for a quick walk in the local wildlife refuge. The camera performed very well. The biggest thing I missed was having a smaller focus point like Canon's spot focus point. That really helps when trying to zero in on birds through branches. I have mapped the magnify function to one of the custom buttons, so I gave that a try instead. While it worked well enough, it is a bit difficult to use in practice because you lose sight of the overall composition. Maybe not a big deal for static subjects, but when you are tracking a moving subject around the frame, it becomes a bit more difficult.
The following images are uncropped, with just some basic sharpening and no noise reduction. Still playing around with the camera's metering and exposure to see how much leeway there is in the highlights for ETTR.
Great shot MM. Thanks.
Which focus points pattern did you use?
The reason I ask is that with my E-M1.1 I had a hard time getting shots of birds or small planes straight overhead unless I managed to initially point directly at them and avoid focus hunting.
With the E-M1.2, all focus points active and C-AF Silent low it's quite different. Pointing at the sky, if anything is up there at all, the appearance of green focus points is a good indicator to take a shot, even if I can't see the subject with my eyes through the EVF, like extremely far and high flying flocks of migrating cranes. The same with cruising relatively low flying small airplanes. The E-M1.2 simply locks on without pretty much any focus hunting.
The real test will come for me in a few weeks when the Turkey Vultures return to their roost in Bandelier National Monument. When approaching their roost directly overhead, flying fairly low and fast, focus hunting was always a problem in the past with fairly long tele lenses. I hope the E-M1.2 with the 40-150/2.8 Pro will do much netter.
K-H I used (should say use) the single green point.
The same point I wish was much smaller
Speaking of focus points that's about all I ever use is the center point. Occasionally with the
Canon I'll go up to single with the minimal surround (I think for 5 total).
So no matter how many points the cameras has I stick with that single point....even with the
a99ii with something close to 400 points. I guess I'm squandering them
mitesh wrote:
Finally had a chance to take the E-M1.2 out for a spin today. Went for a quick walk in the local wildlife refuge. The camera performed very well. The biggest thing I missed was having a smaller focus point like Canon's spot focus point. That really helps when trying to zero in on birds through branches. I have mapped the magnify function to one of the custom buttons, so I gave that a try instead. While it worked well enough, it is a bit difficult to use in practice because you lose sight of the overall composition. Maybe not a big deal for static subjects, but when you are tracking a moving subject around the frame, it becomes a bit more difficult.
The following images are uncropped, with just some basic sharpening and no noise reduction. Still playing around with the camera's metering and exposure to see how much leeway there is in the highlights for ETTR. ...Show more →
Great captures Mitesh. I'd love love love to see a Cottonmouth.
Great finch image MM. Thanks.
I have not seen that kind here in the mountains of Northern New Mexico.
It looks like the Cedar Waxwings and Bluebirds may have moved on.
The many Robins are still here, as are the local birds, Juncos, House Finches, and Sparrows.
K-H when I walked out of the hospital this morning I looked up into a tree and saw at least 40 Waxwings! I only had my HX80 with me but still great to see them.....but way up the tree, impossible to get a straight on shot....but I will take a longer lens for tomorrow morning. I bet they'll be gone soon.
K-H I'll send you a Flickr link when I post it up..just remember it's with the HX80 and it can only do so much.
But I did bring in a bigger Sony for tomorrow morning if they are still here, fingers crossed.
jeffp3456 wrote:
I use both and I would say that if you push your camera to the extremes the mk2 will be worth it. So that bird is in the shadows of a bush and hopping around, at iso1600 and up the mk2 will show its value. If you dont usually stress your camera with extremes then the mk1 is just fine, I have only really noticed the difference in image quality when I am backed into the corner. Of course if you need ridiculous frame rates or 4k then mk2 otherwise in normal circumstances (iso 800 and below) i don't see much if any differences. ...Show more →
k-h.a.w wrote:
Wilbus please let me add, the biggest and most important improvement of the E-M1.2 for me is its ability to focus without focus hunting. Although there are other notable improvements over the E-M1 they pale in comparison. I would start with such a solid and dependable camera in the understanding that it would allow me to skip the next camera generation down the road and concentrate on lenses I want. The E-M1.2 is that good with its IBIS and stabilized 4K video.
If you want the highest tele performance, the m43 300/4 Pro is it. It offers critical sharpness and noticeably loses that with the MC-14 its 1.4x Teleconverter. For me an even more useful tele prime is little tuna, the 43 super high grade (SHG) 150/2.0 lens that requires an 43 to m43 adapter. In the US little tuna with adapter cost wise is similar to the 300/4 Pro and offers the same fast and dependable focusing ability on the E-M1.2.
I cannot speak to the PL 100-400 as I do not have any experience with it.
Well, to get rid of some focus hunting would be great! I don't experience it that often though since I don't shoot wildlife. I can't say it's a big problem for me with portraits and certainly not with landscapes. I think I will wait maybe a year or so and see where the prices land (or if there are any good offers) and then maybe upgrade. Or just wait till Mk III. I've only had my Mk I for a year and a half and it's still going strong. Hopefully the next generation might add even more in terms of pure image quality!
Well, to get rid of some focus hunting would be great! I don't experience it that often though since I don't shoot wildlife. I can't say it's a big problem for me with portraits and certainly not with landscapes. I think I will wait maybe a year or so and see where the prices land (or if there are any good offers) and then maybe upgrade. Or just wait till Mk III. I've only had my Mk I for a year and a half and it's still going strong. Hopefully the next generation might add even more in terms of pure image quality!
Hard for me to judge-
