Olympus OM-D E-M1X

by - August 30, 2019


Olympus OM-D E-M1X: Summary 
  • In a sense, it's a bigger, burlier, slightly more specialized version of the E-M1 Mark II. It's an OM-D camera tailormade primarily for sports, wildlife and other photographers use use long telephoto lenses. Sporting the same 20MP sensor as the E-M1 II, the overall image quality is very good, but mostly unchanged. However, improvements abound with regards to AF performance, especially with AF tracking. There's also more advanced video features. Yes it's big, and yes it's expensive, but the E-M1X offers high performance and improved operability while remaining true to the characteristic portability of a Micro Four Thirds system.

Olympus OM-D E-M1X: Specifications
  • Sensor: 20.4MP four thirds Live MOS
  • Image processor: 2x TruePic VIII
  • AF points: 121 cross-type on-chip phase detection
  • ISO range: Low to 25,600 (ISO200 base)
  • Max image size: 7,776 x 10,368
  • Metering modes: ESP, spot, centre weighted, highlight, shadow
  • Video: C4K at 24fps, 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 120fps
  • Viewfinder: EVF, 2.36m dots, 0.84x mag
  • Memory card: 2x UHS-II SD
  • LCD: 3-inch fully articulating touchscreen, 1037K dots
  • Max burst: 60fps
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
  • Size: 144.4mm x 146.8mm x 75.4mm (body only)
  • Weight: 849g (body only; 997g with 2x batteries and 2x SD cards)


Video Features
  • 4K (UHD, 30fps) and C4K (CINE, 24fps) video recording
  • OM-Log400
  • Different levels of IS
  • 120fps high-speed shooting in FullHD
  • Stereo microphones built-in
  • Mic and Headphone sockets
  • CINE 4K video is recorded at 4096 x 2160, at 24fps, giving a wider aspect ratio than 4K UHD video. 4K UHD video is recorded at 30, 25, or 24fps. OM400-log is designed to give a flat image, so that detail in shadows and highlights can be retained. Sound quality is said to be improved thanks to a new pre-amp.
Resolution  
  • Resolution at ISO 200 measures 1890 LP/PH (97 percent of the theoretical maximum).
  • Almost the same as the 2016 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark ii: 1891 LP/PH (97 percent of the theoretical maximum) at ISO 200.
  • Resolution measurements in images captured by the M1X remain approximately the same at ISO s up to and including ISO 3200: 1859 LP/PH (96 percent) at ISO 400, 1880 LP/PH (97 percent) at ISO 800, 96 percent (representing 1863 LP/PH) at ISO 1600, and 1847 LP/PH (85 percent) at ISO 3200.
  • Higher ISO s do less well: 1722 LP/PH (89 percent of theoretical maximum) at ISO 6400, dropping to 1313 LP/PH (68 percent) at the top native ISO of 25600.

Texture Loss
  • Texture reproduction results show MTF50 of 1561 LP/PH with 15.1 percent artifacts (ISO 200) at high contrast. Low-contrast areas are reproduced nearly as well: 1541 LP/PH with 22.8 percent artifacts at ISO 200.
  • Better than the OM-D E-M1 Mark II, which produced images with MTF50 of 1064 LP/PH at ISO 200 in high-contrast areas (12.3 percent artifacts), and 915 LP/PH MTF50 in low contrast with 9.9 percent artifacts.
  • Images made at ISO 400 using the M1X show an MTF50 of 1508 LP/PH with 15.8 percent artifacts in high-contrast parts of the scene, and in low-contrast areas, MTF50 of 1373 LP/PH with 26.7 percent artifacts
  • ISO 800: 1479 LP/PH with 21.0 percent artifacts in high contrast; 1465 LP/PH with 26.7 percent artifacts in low contrast.
  • At ISO 3200, MTF50 in high contrast areas is 1383 LP/PH with 29.9 percent artifacts, with 1342 LP/PH with 40.6 percent artifacts at low contrast.
  • From ISO 6400 and above, texture reproduction becomes poorer, with, for example 1161 LP/PH at ISO 6400 in high-contrast scenes (35.9 percent artifacts), and 1168 LP/PH in low contrast (57.7 percent artifacts).
  • In the OM-D E-M1 Mark II, texture reproduction at ISO 6400 shows MTF50 of 492 LP/PH (7.4 percent artifacts) in areas of high contrast, and 397 LP/PH with 0 percent artifacts in low contrast.
  • The OM-D E-M1X is, quite clearly, the most advanced camera Olympus has produced to date, and the spec sheet shows it to be taking the fight to its competitors, which is just as well given how much stronger the combined threat from established systems and newer ones showing plenty of of promise now is.
  • Unlike almost all of its peers, the camera has a 20.4MP Live MOS Four Thirds sensor, which is significantly smaller than full-frame types and smaller still than APS-C ones. The focus on sports and action shooting means resolution clearly isn't the priority, although it will be interesting to see just how much longer the 20MP barrier for sensors of his kind remains.

 Features 
  • The 20-megapixel OM-D E-M1X carries over many of the features of the E-M1 Mark II but adds the aforementioned built-in vertical battery grip with room for a pair of batteries (which are included).
  • Thanks to the grip, the E-M1X has a duplicated set of controls for shooting with the camera both horizontally and vertically, with the ability to lock certain controls in a given shooting position so you don’t accidentally trigger them.
  • The other notable enhancement is to image stabilization. The E-M1X can deliver a whopping 7.5 stops of image stabilization when paired with select Sync IS compatible lenses from Olympus. The company says that level of stabilization would deliver a crisp image with a 4-second shutter while shooting handheld (more on that below). Even without a Sync IS lens attached, the E-M1X can deliver 7 stops of shake correction.
  • The AF system has also been revamped with an AI algorithm that enables superior recognition of objects, including trains, cars and airplanes. When shooting things like motorcycles, the camera will automatically focus on where it believes the driver’s head should be. The AF system is powered by a pair of TruPic VIII processors. The E-M1X features 121 all cross-type phase-detect AF points that are accessible at any aperture.
  • The E-M1X carries over the E-M1’s blistering burst mode of 18 fps with AF tracking and a 60fps “Pro Shot” mode that can snap up to 35 images to buffer memory with a half-press of the shutter button. You’re also able to capture images at 10 fps in flicker-free mode with a mechanical shutter when shooting under fluorescent lights.
  • On the video front, the E-M1X can record cinema 4K/30p video or full HD at 120 fps. There’s an OM-Log400 profile for capturing a flatter file with more dynamic range. Also new is a Live ND mode for slow shutter shooting without an actual filter. The effect can be set at five levels and previewed through the display.
  • Like Olympus’s Tough cameras, the E-M1X is packed with several sensors including GPS, temperature, manometer and compass for adding more detailed metadata to your photos.
Design
  • Olympus claims the E-M1X is smaller and lighter than a full-frame DSLR with battery grip—it’s certainly much lighter than a Nikon D5 and Canon’s EOS-1D X Mark II. It is, however, larger and heftier than both the Sony a7R III and a9 with their grips attached. Still, given its comfortable and robustly weather-sealed construction, it’s not a burden to carry about.
  • Every button on the camera is re-assignable for a completely customizable exterior. We love that.
  • The camera’s viewfinder now offers a .83x magnification and a refresh rate of 120 fps—it’s crisp and easy to view, with minimal blackout even when shooting at high frame rates. You can also frame your scene through a 3-inch vari-angle touch display. Touch is not implemented throughout the entire camera menu, but it is enabled for a multitude of functions including AF area selection and size, magnification on playback, shutter release and more.
  • Aside from room for a second battery, the large E-M1X body has a pair of SD card slots and a USB-C port for in-camera battery charging and speedy image transfers.


Screen and Viewfinder 

  • The E-M1X has a fully articulating touchscreen, making it useful for composing from virtually any angle you can think of.
  • You can use it to set various functions including the autofocus point, as well as the options in the quick menu. The number of buttons on the camera makes it ideal for a button-and-screen combo attack when changing settings – or, if you prefer, you could ignore the touch functionality altogether.

 High Res Shot Mode
  • Olympus has also improved its High Res Shot mode for the OM-D E-M1X. There’s now an 80Mp Tripod mode and a 50Mp Handheld High Res Shot mode. The latter uses the natural camera shake to supply the sensor movement and creates a composite from 16 images.
  • The in-camera Focus Stacking mode has been improved by enabling the composite to be made from between 3 and 15 images. In addition, the crop which results from the change in the focus distance is shown in the viewfinder before you take the first shot.

 Image Stabiliser
  • Olympus’s 5-axis Image Stabiliser (IS) is the best around. It’s enabled me to use exposures of 2 or 3 seconds when hand-holding the OM-D E-M1 II with a wide-angle lens. However, the OM-D E-M1X has a new gyro sensor and this has improved the IS performance. Olympus claims it gives 7.5EV shutter speed compensation with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO at a focal length of 100mm (35mm equivalent: 200mm). That’s the highest figure we’ve seen to date.
  • Helpfully, the IS also works in video mode and you can also adjust the level of stabilisation that’s applied.


 Video
  • Like the OM-D E-M1 II, the E-M1X is capable of shooting Cinema 4K (4096 x 2160) video. However, it also has OM-Log400 mode that results in flatter footage that has more scope for grading.
  • In addition, Full HD footage can be shot at up to 120fps (frames per second) for slow-motion playback.
  • And as I mentioned earlier, the 5-axis IS is available, along with electronic stabilization to help produce smoother movies.
  • Shooting C4K video, or continuous still at high frame rates can generate a lot of heat. To help deal with that, Olympus has built-in a heat pipe to conduct heat away from the sensor and ensure reliability.

Connectivity and Power
  • The E-M1X has the standard cocktail of Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi communication options. It works with the Olympus Image Share app (for Android and iOS devices) to transfer photos to your smart device and for remote control. This is all old hat for Olympus at this point, and we don't have any bad things to say about the Wi-Fi system. You'll have to go through an initial setup process, but once settings are locked in on the phone and camera side, it's a simple matter to start a wireless transfer.
  • The camera doesn't have an Ethernet port. It's not something you find on a lot of models, but is expected in one marketed to pro sports shooters. Photographers working the sidelines with the Canon 1D X Mark II, Nikon D5, or Sony a9 can jack into a network and instantly transfer photos back to an editor, who gets the best shots posted before halftime. Olympus may be going after the pro market with the E-M1X, but it's not going after pros who need that level of functionality.
  • The camera does have GPS, along with a barometer, compass, and temperature sensor. If you want more data about the conditions in which you captured a photo, the E-M1X has you covered. The GPS offers the most obvious benefit—geotagging your images. I don't have a lot of use for the other sensors, but you might.
  • The camera has a hot shoe and a PC Sync socket to communicate with external lighting equipment. It also sports a 2.5mm remote jack, 3.5mm headphone and microphone connections, mini HDMI, and USB-C.


 Autofocus System 

  • I've only had access to beta firmware to this point, so I can't speak to the performance of the final product. But I can talk about what the E-M1X is capable of on paper. Its autofocus system is improved versus the E-M1 Mark II, but not dramatically so. Instead of adding focus points or improving burst speed, Olympus has concentrated on improvements in regard to subject recognition.
  • So the top speed, for tracking, is still 10fps using the mechanical shutter and 18fps using the electronic shutter. You can push the camera to 15fps and 60fps, respectively, but focus is locked during the sequence. You can enjoy Raw capture, even at 60fps, although only for very short duration's.

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