My OM-D Family increases

As I start to enjoy getting back into the Olympus OM-D micro four thirds system more and more, my desire for putting together a more nimble 'travel' kit has increased.

Now don't get me wrong, the OM-D E-M1 is by no means a bulky or heavy camera. But I prefer to shoot it with the grip attached. Which does add to the bulk and weight. When I'm about to leave the house for a stroll around the neighborhood, reaching for the E-M1 with grip attached and carrying that around just on the 'off chance' that I might get an image, isn't all that appealing. Yes I can (and do) take the grip off and go without - slimming down the camera considerably. But it's a bit of a faff when I just want to grab-and-go. So I end up not taking a camera at all.

Hence my desire for a more nimble travel/walk-about kit.

In the past, this would have meant looking at something like the Olympus Pen E-P3. I think I've owned this camera twice in my photography career, and I have a love-hate relationship with it. I've written about the E-P3 before on this blog - the last time was here and here. 

I love the look of the Pen series, and especially the E-P3. It's just a gorgeous camera. Beautifully designed and crafted. A joy to own - which is probably why I've had two of them. The E-P3 is also the point at which Olympus got the autofocus on the Pen series right. Prior to the E-P3, the contrast detect AF of the Pen series was fairly slow. With the E-P3 they sorted that out well and truly.

But (isn't there always a 'but'), I really dislike shooting without a dedicated viewfinder. And that's putting it mildly. Having to use the LCD screen to compose and shoot on the Pen's is a real killjoy to the way I like to shoot. Sadly. But there it is. So as much as I am attracted to the aesthetic of the Pen series, I don't find them much fun to shoot with. Small, and light, and great for travel. but not much fun.

Having said all that, I still considered getting one. For two reasons. a) the aforementioned size and weight, ideal for compact travel shooting. And b) the price is right. Nice, minty Pen bodies come up fairly often, usually for a very good price (the exception being the digital Pen F).

But just as I was considering my next Pen purchase, I saw an online auction for a mint condition OM-D E-M10, at a fantastic price. Why hadn't I considered the E-M10 before? It is, in fact, the perfect solution to my desire for a smaller OM-D 'travel' camera. So yeah, I got one 😁 

I didn't pull the trigger right away though. I 'ummd and 'arrrd' for a few days while I mulled the decision over in my tiny brain. Why the hesitation? Well, I know I'm about to contradict everything I've just said about wanting to get a smaller travel camera. But I hesitated because I was worried that the E-M10 might be a bit too small? Yeah, I know, I'm a complicated creature...

But one of the things I've learnt about myself over the years, is that I don't like cameras that are 'too' small. On the one hand I want small and light. And on the other I want something chunky enough so as not to be too fiddley! Told you I was complicated.

So what made up my mind about the E-M10? Simple. I brought the extra grip attachment, the ECG-1 for it before I even brought the camera. And I'm hoping that this will be the difference between having a 'useable' small travel camera, and it feeling too small as to be not enjoyable to use (for me).

I know the OM-D E-M10 is a small camera. That's the point. That's what I'm looking for. But I also know that my tolerance for 'too small' on a camera is fairly low. For me, the OM-D E-M5 was too small, until I attached the grip. And then it was just right. And yes, I know, the E-M10 is even smaller. Hence the ECG-1 grip.

I have, however, in the last few years, redefined my definition of "too small" in a camera system somewhat. Before moving back to the Olympus OM-D E-M1, I was rocking a couple of Fujifilm XE rangefinder-style bodies (with the Fuji grips attached), and really enjoying them. I didn't find them too small at all. Although I think they might actually be a bit bigger than the E-M10? (Actually, I've just Googled it, and it's so close as to be negligible). So my definition of 'small' in a camera my be evolving somewhat?

In any case, the addition of the ECG-1 to the Olympus OM-D E-M10 will be crucial in my enjoyment of the camera, and I wouldn't have purchased it without the grip as well. Even Robin Wong, in his review of the E-M10, claimed that the ECG-1 grip was an essential, must-have accessory for better handling. If it's good enough for Robin, it's good enough for me!

As for the rest of the specs associated with the E-M10 - well, they tick all the right boxes for me as far as I'm concerned. Same 16MP sensor and processing engine as in the E-M1 - check. This means there will be consistency of images between both cameras, if I end up shooting them together. The E-M10 also has the same menu system (which is good as far as I'm concerned), has 3-axis IS (good enough for me), the same tilting LCD screen as the E-M1, and more than good enough AF, sequential shooting and video (not that I'll use the video features). In most respects, it is exactly what it's meant to be - a baby E-M1 with the same image quality that will slot in perfectly with my existing kit. What more could I have asked for?

Well, actually, it would have been nice if they had shared the same battery, but I understand why this isn't the case. Smaller body, smaller battery - still same number of images per battery. Fair enough.

I'm very excited about adding the Olympus OM-D E-M10 to my micro four thirds family. I think it will work in perfectly with the E-M1, and I can't wait to shoot with it. Expect an 'initial thoughts' post on this blog when I do.