Reviews |Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II can shoot full-res raw at 60fps

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II can shoot full-res raw at 60fps

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II: price, specs, release date confirmed
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Olympus has announced an update to its OM-D range at Photokina 2016, introducing the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II.

Chief among the new Olympus camera’s spec sheet are new high-performance capabilities that allow the OM-D Mark II to capture full resolution raw files at up to 18fps with the camera’s continuous autofocus mode.

Alternatively, photographers can capture full-resolution raw files at up to 60fps in full resolution in the camera’s S-AF mode.

Preaching the mantra that “image quality is not a feature; it is an expectation,” Olympus told the crowd at Photokina that the OM-D E-M1 Mark II boasts a new 20-megapixel Live Mos sensor that is optimised for low power consumption. Olympus says the new sensor also delivers better noise performance, a wider dynamic range and faster data readout speeds.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II also employs a revamped AF system. The new Olympus camera offers 121 AF points, all of which are cross-type, with on-chip phase detection and contrast AF. What’s more, the OM-D E-M1 Mark II uses all of these elements at all times, in any shooting mode.

The enhanced functionality of its AF system also comes with a new algorithm for detecting subjects that blend into the background.

A new Pro Capture mode is designed to help capture very precise moments. When activated, the camera will start taking full resolution images at the moment you press the shutter button and will do so until you release the button.

You’ll then have access to your image and up to 14 frames before the full shutter press in full resolution raw.

Olympus says the EVF is also improved over its predecessor. In fact, Olympus says it’s so good that some pros who tested it thought it was an optical viewfinder. The new OM-D E-M1 Mark II EVF offers  a response rate of 6ms and a  frame rate of 120fps.

The body design is now dust-proof, splash- and freeze-proof, with Olympus stating it wants photographers to take the camera to extreme environments.

However, the OM-D E-M1 Mark II’s biggest reliability improvements are on the inside, it says. The camera gets its speed from a new imaging engine, the TruePic VIII double quad-core image processor.

It boasts a completely new battery compartment with more capacity and a faster charge time. Plus, the batter lasts 40% longer.

Better ergonomics and more secure grips have been added so that the OM-D E-M1 Mark II works better with Olympus’s larger lenses.

Crucially, the OM-D E-M1 Mark II offers dual SD card slots and is UHS II compatible.

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