I’ve been doing a bunch of shooting lately with my new OM-1 and 150-400, and am finding myself very disappointed in the image quality. Unless the shooting situation is ideal, with lots of light and close to subject, the files lack critical sharpness, and appear very “muddy”. I have to work the hell out of them in Topaz Photo AI, and maybe even a bit additional sharpening in NIK to produce something that’s barely acceptable. Today I was shooting an owl and used a tripod, and fully expected the files to be great, and they were horrific. What could be wrong?
One setting I changed a while ago (due to a recommendation) was the “Image Stabilizer” setting in-camera (first menu tab; page 8). I forget what the default setting was (likely S-IS 1), but I’ve recently had it on S-IS Auto. Could that be the problem?
I’m very frustrated. I bumped into a friend today while shooting, and he uses the Fuji X-H2S with the Fuji 150-600, and the 1.4 TC, and really likes it; the results are sharp. I have to wonder now if I should have got that instead. 6 more MP and larger sensor might be enough to make a difference? I dunno. I’m starting to wonder if I should have kept my A1 and 200-600 with 1.4, but that was 2.5 lbs heavier than the OM kit.
I think that the 150-400 is a killer little lens, but the OM-1 just isn't cutting it.
I have a friend that recently switched from a Canon 5D mark II and Sigma 150-600 to Olympus OM-1 and 300mm F4 (first), and now 150-400mm.
He is very happy with the results and I can actually see the difference in quality between previous gear and current Olympus setup..
I also bought an OM-5 and 60mm 2.8 macro to replace my EOS R + 100 L macro setup and I am very happy. (didn't get to use it much lately, but that's a different story)
I think those that have far more experience with the new OM system (OM-1) can chimp in, because I have serious doubts that a top setup like the OM1 + 150-400 can't produce very good results..
Colin F wrote:
I’ve been doing a bunch of shooting lately with my new OM-1 and 150-400, and am finding myself very disappointed in the image quality. Unless the shooting situation is ideal, with lots of light and close to subject, the files lack critical sharpness, and appear very “muddy”. I have to work the hell out of them in Topaz Photo AI, and maybe even a bit additional sharpening in NIK to produce something that’s barely acceptable. Today I was shooting an owl and used a tripod, and fully expected the files to be great, and they were horrific. What could be wrong?
One setting I changed a while ago (due to a recommendation) was the “Image Stabilizer” setting in-camera (first menu tab; page 8). I forget what the default setting was (likely S-IS 1), but I’ve recently had it on S-IS Auto. Could that be the problem?
I’m very frustrated. I bumped into a friend today while shooting, and he uses the Fuji X-H2S with the Fuji 150-600, and the 1.4 TC, and really likes it; the results are sharp. I have to wonder now if I should have got that instead. 6 more MP and larger sensor might be enough to make a difference? I dunno. I’m starting to wonder if I should have kept my A1 and 200-600 with 1.4, but that was 2.5 lbs heavier than the OM kit.
I think that the 150-400 is a killer little lens, but the OM-1 just isn't cutting it.
That Fuji lens is f8 @600mm so the IQ will be even worse than your OM-1 because you’ll have to crank the iso to compensate.
Not sure what could be going on with your OM setup but try this (it’s something I’ve noticed). The hood seems to trap heat much longer than other hoods and results in slight heat distortion. This is especially impactful in the winter. Obviously this will depend on how cold it is and how long you are outside. Next time you go out try taking some shots with the hood off and on and see if you see a difference.
I have been following the 150-400 since its launch, being an ex Olympus user that had three zuiko SHG lenses. Olympus makes great lenses.
But the sensor area of the m4/3 sensor is a quarter of the full frame sensor area, so the 20,4 mp OM-1 would translate into an 81,6 mp full frame sensor. That pixel density is more demanding, and especially with higher iso, which is inherent to wildlife/birding, the visual sharpness decreases. I still remember the struggle with the small sensor size for landscapes.
I think it will need a bit of time getting accustomed to the look of 81,6 mp full frame eq. and the lower degree of visual sharpness. I am especially impressed with the shots from the 150-400 at closer to medium distances. When I wanted to switch from the A1+200-600G, I thought hard about the OM-1+150-400, but I think the equivalent focal length talk is nonsensical, and the 150-400 is simply what it is: a 400mm lens at the long end with a 1.25TC built in. Since I really wanted a true 600mm lens, I decided to put up with the weight and size of the 600GM, because I do a fair bit of medium to longer distance shooting.
I am still looking for a lighter, smaller set-up to add, for e.g. travel, and next to the Sony 300GM, the Olympus 150-400 is still on my list. It can produce stunning images, but I can understand it may get frustrating if it is the only system you have. For longer reach and in lower light it just isn't the best choice.
Colin F wrote:
I’ve been doing a bunch of shooting lately with my new OM-1 and 150-400, and am finding myself very disappointed in the image quality. Unless the shooting situation is ideal, with lots of light and close to subject, the files lack critical sharpness, and appear very “muddy”. I have to work the hell out of them in Topaz Photo AI, and maybe even a bit additional sharpening in NIK to produce something that’s barely acceptable. Today I was shooting an owl and used a tripod, and fully expected the files to be great, and they were horrific. What could be wrong?
One setting I changed a while ago (due to a recommendation) was the “Image Stabilizer” setting in-camera (first menu tab; page 8). I forget what the default setting was (likely S-IS 1), but I’ve recently had it on S-IS Auto. Could that be the problem?
I’m very frustrated. I bumped into a friend today while shooting, and he uses the Fuji X-H2S with the Fuji 150-600, and the 1.4 TC, and really likes it; the results are sharp. I have to wonder now if I should have got that instead. 6 more MP and larger sensor might be enough to make a difference? I dunno. I’m starting to wonder if I should have kept my A1 and 200-600 with 1.4, but that was 2.5 lbs heavier than the OM kit.
I think that the 150-400 is a killer little lens, but the OM-1 just isn't cutting it.
What are you using to process your images? I think that is more likely the issue, as the OM 150-400 is every bit as sharp as the Sony 200-600, if not more so (especially once you add a TC or crop the Sony images to match the field of view).
I haven't used the latest iteration of Topaz AI, but did try every previous version and was never able to get results as good as DxO or even Lightroom.
The Fuji X-H2S and 150-600 are a touch lighter than the OM-1/150-400 combo, but if money was no object, I think I would choose the OM combo. I like the Fuji setup (which is my current system) because I just couldn't justify spending any more money than that for what I use the images for (and for what it's worth, my E-M1X and OM-1 wildlife images outsell my full-frame stuff by at least a 10 to 1 ratio, so the files seem to be good enough for stock use).
Colin F wrote:
I’ve been doing a bunch of shooting lately with my new OM-1 and 150-400, and am finding myself very disappointed in the image quality. Unless the shooting situation is ideal, with lots of light and close to subject, the files lack critical sharpness, and appear very “muddy”. I have to work the hell out of them in Topaz Photo AI, and maybe even a bit additional sharpening in NIK to produce something that’s barely acceptable. Today I was shooting an owl and used a tripod, and fully expected the files to be great, and they were horrific. What could be wrong?
One setting I changed a while ago (due to a recommendation) was the “Image Stabilizer” setting in-camera (first menu tab; page 8). I forget what the default setting was (likely S-IS 1), but I’ve recently had it on S-IS Auto. Could that be the problem?
I’m very frustrated. I bumped into a friend today while shooting, and he uses the Fuji X-H2S with the Fuji 150-600, and the 1.4 TC, and really likes it; the results are sharp. I have to wonder now if I should have got that instead. 6 more MP and larger sensor might be enough to make a difference? I dunno. I’m starting to wonder if I should have kept my A1 and 200-600 with 1.4, but that was 2.5 lbs heavier than the OM kit.
I think that the 150-400 is a killer little lens, but the OM-1 just isn't cutting it.
Collin,
Make sure you are shooting with your gear adjusted to the ambient temperature. The lens hood on the 150-400mm is substantial in size and could be retaining warm air while the outside temps are cold, causing thermal distortion just in front of the front element. There are a number of articles and a few videos regarding this problem with all long tele lenses - not just OM. I recently was getting some somewhat soft images with my Oly 100-400mm (I don't own the 150-400mm -- wish I did!). Then it occurred to me that I was grabbing bird shots at my feeder with my camera/lens not adequately adjusted to the cold temps outside -- with the lens hood on.
I went out the other morning to catch some quick shots of some Bluejays with overcast skies and very cold temps. I took the lens hood off and got the following shot which is tack sharp -- no mud. While I definitely am a firm believer in lens hoods, this issue can be a problem.
Clearly people are getting some amazing, sharp images from the combo you have -- so either you have a specific gear problem, or it could be something like this temperature/lens hood issue.
Just a thought.
Greg
OM-1 OLYMPUS M.100-400mm F5.0-6.3 lens400mmf/6.31/800s1000 ISO-0.3 EV
I took my OM-1 and 150-400 to Africa along with my R5 and some L lenses. I get astoundingly sharp pics with the OM-1. As good or better than the R5.
Settings: C-AF, S-IS Auto, evaluative metering.
Google Petr Bambousek and go through his website. If that doesn’t convince anyone of the OM-1 and lenses capabilities nothing will. He writes about his excursions. He also sells a setup manual that I use but I make tweaks for my style. I think it’s $25. Between that and gleaning setting discussions from here and other forums I have no worries. The point is excellent results are possible.
palmor wrote:
The hood seems to trap heat much longer than other hoods and results in slight heat distortion. This is especially impactful in the winter. Obviously this will depend on how cold it is and how long you are outside.
Yes, I'm fully aware of that. I just got back from a week in Alberta, and it was -40 Celsius. I got out of the vehicle every time to shoot, and removed the hood.
molson wrote:
What are you using to process your images? I think that is more likely the issue...
It isn't the processing, because when I view the images from the day to do my culling, I'm using the "OM Workspace" software, and the files are simply and obviously terrible. I do get the odd one that is good, but again, all the stars have to be aligned just right for that to happen.
Colin F wrote:
It isn't the processing, because when I view the images from the day to do my culling, I'm using the "OM Workspace" software, and the files are simply and obviously terrible. I do get the odd one that is good, but again, all the stars have to be aligned just right for that to happen.
I've never used the Olympus Workspace software, so I can't comment on that.
I can usually get my images looking pretty good with 3 or 4 pre-set clicks and usually a bit of white setting slider adjustment in LR, and then either use the LR "enhance" feature or send the file to DxO PureRAW 2 for noise reduction and back to LR.
The difficulty in trying to troubleshoot image quality issues is whether something I think is good might be considered terrible by other people... and vice versa, I suppose.
(roughly a 50% crop)
OM-1OLYMPUS M.150-400mm F4.5 TC lens500mmf/6.31/1000s200 ISO-0.3 EV
This is probably the worst-case scenario I shot with my OM-1. Crappy light, ISO 6400, 2x teleconverter for 1600mm equivalent AOV, and cropped about 30% from the original frame. It's not great, but I don't think it's really terrible either...
OM-1M.150-400mm F4.5 + MC-20 lens800mmf/9.01/3200s6400 ISO0.0 EV
^^^ Yes, I know it's capable, but perplexed as to why my images from yesterday (with 2X TC) were so terrible given that I was shooting on a tripod at a dead-still subject (owl). I was able to drop the shutter speed to very low levels to achieve low ISO, and even did bursts in case there was any movement. I also tried stopping down to various aperture levels because of the TC, but there were no sharp files. The camera & lens had certainly acclimatized to the cooler temp's over the 2-3 hours.
So I was wondering if someone might know about the S-IS Auto vs S-IS 1 settings.
No one I have followed nor any of the forums I have studied suggest auto IS should be used. Mostly IS-1 and sometimes 2. There is a stickiness setting that can help too depending on subject.
Colin F wrote:
Yes, I'm fully aware of that. I just got back from a week in Alberta, and it was -40 Celsius. I got out of the vehicle every time to shoot, and removed the hood.
Removing the hood doesn't do any good if the entire lens is constantly being subjected to temperature fluctuations. Was the heat running in the vehicle you were getting in and out of? I drive around with the windows open in winter.
I'm very pleased with the OM-1 results using 300mm f4 and f2.8. The camera is certainly capable of capturing good images.
jeffbuzz wrote:
Removing the hood doesn't do any good if the entire lens is constantly being subjected to temperature fluctuations. Was the heat running in the vehicle you were getting in and out of?
Yes, but it wasn't super warm inside the vehicle, the camera was cool to the touch, but yes, there was still quite a drop in temperature from that to outside. Not sure how long it takes for the lens temp to reach an unaffected level.
I drive around with the windows open in winter.
Yes, but you can't do that in -40 C for very long, unless you want to die.
I'm very pleased with the OM-1 results using 300mm f4 and f2.8. The camera is certainly capable of capturing good images.
Yes, I agree, which is why I'm perplexed by its present performance. Perhaps it will turn out to be that Auto IS setting.
re: OM-1 and 150-400
I immediately received higher keeper rates (number of critically sharp images per burst) once I switched from Auto-ISO to IS-1 with, and without, the TC2.0 attached.
(i've posted numerous times, with images, about this at a different site if you're interested)
*iirc the manual states for Auto-ISO that the IS system may or may not apply IS to any/all of the multiple axes. I took that decision making process away from the camera.
Still, I normally reserve the 2.0CT for brighter conditions....the brighter the more keepers.
When I find that temperature differences are at play in degrading IQ (even beginning at -15C at times) I also remove the lens hood (either in that car before stepping out and/or simply taking it off and sliding it over my wrist to hold onto while outside shooting). the best results I get in cold temps are when I'm out walking the trails. doing car/drive-by photography in the cold is almost always a guaranteed low keeper unless i get out of the car and stay out of it for a good long while (ie. found a perched Great Gray owl)
I found that IQ results (keeper rates are low) in these car drive-by conditions rarely impress and I assume that I am simply not allowing enough time for acclimation (even with the lens hood off).
---all of the Topaz products (Denoise Ai, Sharpen Ai, and Photo Ai) I've used and upgraded time and time again for the past few years were always hit and miss...adding/enhancing artifacts, randomly smearing here and there. I've used nothing but Lr Denoise since it came out and it has never failed me once.
I like to see your owl samples as I would darn year bet they are suffering from heat distortion issues.
Colin F wrote:
Yes, but it wasn't super warm inside the vehicle, the camera was cool to the touch, but yes, there was still quite a drop in temperature from that to outside. Not sure how long it takes for the lens temp to reach an unaffected level.
Yes, but you can't do that in -40 C for very long, unless you want to die.
Yes, I agree, which is why I'm perplexed by its present performance. Perhaps it will turn out to be that Auto IS setting.
friend (a much more experienced camera operator than myself) and I were shooting (handheld), side by side, a Pygmy owl a couple/few weeks ago. we both have an OM-1 and the 150-400. we were outside of the vehicle the entire time (I had on the 2.0 TC as well as the littlest owl was also 70 meters from us...darned happy the sun was out for nearly the entire time).
another camera operator was shooting from inside a parked car about 20' away from us...i saw the heat billowing out the same window that her long lens was also pointed out of. it was only about -12C.
so...we also found two wolves, a great horned owl, and 4 great gray owls.
yes, i had thousands of burst images to go through.
i had only just begun going through the two GGO we found first thing in the morning on the way out (we were going for the Pygmy) and he called me to say all of his Pygmy shots were garbage. I asked him how the hell he determined (looked through them all already). He did not reply. I assumed he wasn't shooting burst sequences as long as mine.
anyhoo...he was so upset by the days results that he said he was shelving photography for a while (because during the day he kept looking at my in focus at long distance shots and he had none of the same).
-a few days later he called to say there was a couple IS settings he found that were wrong. I asked but he did not say. Also while we were out there he noticed he had human face detection on.
i had plenty of keepers (to my standards) of the day with the 2.0 on. one never knows.
