It's Pretty Darn Sweet

[Greg Chappell]

The E-M5 is definitely the real deal. Not that I didn't already know this after all the reviews, but shooting with one is one sweet experience.

The shutter "sound" is as close to the E1 DSLR as I have heard since, well, I last used my E1. High quality stuff. The EVF is really nice. The one thing I failed to do today was, carry the VF2! I went to the arboretum and there were several instances where I would much rather have had a swing-up eyelevel finder for some really low level shooting rather than swinging out the back LCD. That won't happen again as I am no fan of shooting with a back LCD, even one as nice as this one.

The EVF stabilization using the 75-300 M. Zuiko is AMAZING. I have the camera set to enable finder stabilization on the half-press to save on battery power, and on the half press the world goes still at 300mm. Really, really still. The E-M5+75-300+the 10mm Kenko extension tube is one fine set for shooting closeups.









And the 75-300 really comes into its' own with the E-M5 for regular shooting without the tube.



These are some of the Chihuly glass displays currently at the arboretum through November..









Another Chihuly piece, captured with the 12-50 M. Zuiko..



The 12-50 works really sweet with the E-M5. It's nice being able to configure the function button on the lens for something other than the AF stop you are stuck with when using the lens on the Pen.

[boBBrennan]

....wonderful! I am so glad you have the camera because I read the stuff at DPR and learn nothing.

The IS sounds to be exactly what I need....

[Greg Chappell]

We need to get together again at another park or the like so you can give it a spin.

[ramcewan]

Great shots! The flowers a wonderful and the glass is really very nice too. Surprised to hear you missed having the vf-2

[Greg Chappell]

I only missed having the VF-2 for the low-angle shots where a swing up finder would have been useful, which was around 4-5 times during the day. I'm not a fan of composing/shooting with the back LCD.

I had not even tried the VF-2 with the E-M5 until I was home last night. When you plug it in the built-in VF is disabled and you use the button on the VF-2 for switching between the VF-2 view and the cameras' back LCD. Pretty slick. If you need a swing-up finder for low angle shooting it works like a modern-day version of a right-angle finder for a DSLR.

It also means the VF-2 has remained a viable accessory for 4 generations of Olympus bodies. Pretty darn good.

[folob]

Those are impressive !

I really like the mix between real plants and "fake" ones!

[James Emory]

The pics are indeed nice. But as far as IQ, the only thing I can see, at least with my monitor, is a little better color saturation and light control compared to photos you have taken with the E-P3. They look a little more like slides. Your work with the E-P3 was equally as impressive. I do realize the feature set of the M5 is remarkably better than any of the Pen series cameras, you can do so much more with it. Greg, YOU could take good pictures with a 100 dollar point and shoot.

[Steven R]

Just excellent!

[James Emory]

Greg, do post some pics of the Texas/Detroit ball game you mentioned you were taking the M5 to. The tigers are my team.

[Greg Chappell]

I figured you might be a Tigers fan . I'm just hoping it's not a game Verlander is scheduled to pitch.

That's the whole reason for going and buying the seat I did. Otherwise, at a game-time temperature of 100+ degrees, home on the couch sounds like a much better idea....

Twelve rows from the field should be a good spot to get some shots, assuming a clear field of view, which is never a guaranteed thing when attending a ballgame. Hopefully I won't be sitting behind some overzealous fan wearing antlers or a hat with beer bottles on top like I saw during Friday nights game on television.