And back to Canon again... again

I've been re-reading my blogposts from the last 10 years (yes, I really have been blogging for that long), and I think I've used the title of this particular post on at least three other occasions (apart from the extra 'again' at the end).

And yes, it's true. After about 2 years as an Olympus micro-four-thirds mirrorless user, I've once again moved camps and switched allegiances back to Canon DLSR's. "How come"? - I hear no one ask. Well, it's slightly bewildering to me as well, but let me explain as succinctly as I can....

I loved using my Olympus E-M1, and E-M5 II. They are truly outstanding cameras.I've extolled the virtues of said cameras on this blog (and in other guest posts) and will continue to do so. But, I have also written on this blog about my continued (and almost impossible to shake) love affair with the DLSR. And even though I've pretty much used them all, the one system I seem to keep coming back to, is Canon.

As the top dog in camera manufacturers (sales figures and Sony be damned), everyone loves to hate Canon. They have, as the saying goes, the furthest to fall. Yet in the same breath, almost everyone praises Canon's IQ and colour science. They just produce beautiful image files. Not to mention the ergonomics.

But I will - mention the ergonomics I mean. Because the ergonomics of a Canon enthusiast range to top end DLSR are exceptional. The large back control wheel and joystick combination on most of their cameras is ingenious. Best end user-experience bar none (IMHO). And this is where I think the Olympus E-M1 and E-M5 was let down a little - ergonomically. At least for me. Even with the grip attached, my E-M1 just didn't feel all that comfortable in the hand. Canon's DLSR's, however, certainly do (again, to me).

Also, looking back on my previous blogposts, I always seem to come to a crucial decision over camera systems when wedding season is approaching. I might not be a wedding shooter anymore, but it seems that this trend has continued. Because I have a wedding coming up - next weekend in fact (as I write this), and here I am, changing back to Canon just before I have a wedding to shoot.

I was quite happy - and would have been quite happy, to shoot the wedding with my Olympus E-M1. I had no intention of changing a week out from the big day. Honest. So why did I, and what changed my mind?

Last weekend, my wife and I had to go to Christchurch for a medical appointment. I was planning a trip to Photo and Video in Merivale to check out (drool over) the new Olympus E-M1x. Simple enough. But, literally the night before we were due to head off, I woke up at 4am with one thought in my mind - 'trade in your Olympus gear for a Canon DLSR before the wedding'. Try as I might, I couldn't get this thought out of my head, and I couldn't get back to sleep. I honestly hadn't thought about anything other than checking out the new E-M1x prior to waking at 4am - but there it was, and it wouldn't go away.

I've written previously about how, as a Christian, I believe God often leads me with my photography. Whether you believe this or not, I do believe that he is interested in all aspects of our lives. As a creative God, I feel his presence most deeply when I'm outside being creative myself. And I also believe that if the Holy Spirit prompts you at 4am, then you would do well to listen.

I eventually got up a couple of hours later and had a workout on the exercise bike. While cycling on the spot, I looked up Photo and Video's website to see what they had available in their second hand department. I had decided that if I couldn't walk away with an almost identical Canon kit after trading in my Olympus gear, then I wasn't interested (I was listening to God's prompting, but I'm not stupid! 😇). Not surprisingly (sorry God), they had everything I wanted in stock (second-hand) if I could get the right price for my trade-in.

I decided on a Canon 50D body (I already have a very well-used one on permanent loan) with a Sigma 17-50mm HSM OS f2.8 lens and Canon 430EX II flash. This would basically give me like-for-like (roughly), and actually get me a more comprehensive kit because I already have a Canon 10-22mm EF-S, Canon 90-300mm f4.5/5.6 USM and BG-E2 vertical grip for the 50D.

As mentioned earlier, I love the ergonomics of the 50D. It's the last of the pro-sumer magnesium-alloy bodied XXD cameras (released in 2008). From the 60D onwards they've changed the materials and control wheel design slightly, and I like it less. So it's the 15MP, magnesium alloyed 50D for me!

The 50D at Photo & Video was in good condition, with a low shutter count (just over 9000 actuation's), at a great price. The Canon 430EX II speedlite was similarly in good condition at a good price - and even more importantly, it looked like they were going to offer me a great deal on my Olympus kit (in absolute mint condition). So, much to my surprise (and growing excitement), the deal was almost done! And now to the lens...

Again, I was adamant that I didn't want to loose out on the quality that I had, so a constant f2.8 mid-range zoom to replace the outstanding Olympus Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 Pro was a must. Trouble is, these lenses don't tend to be cheap - even the third-party offerings. But the website indicated they had a couple of Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 lenses available, and a quick check of lens reviews for the Sigma on Youtube looked promising. To my surprise, however, the salesman helping me out with the deal (thanks Adam) reached in the case and pulled out a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC lens. I hadn't even considered a Tamron (it wasn't listed on their website), but what a beast! Attached to the 50D it's a monster of a lens - exceptionally well made, very heavy, and quite imposing. Almost - dare I say it - a little 'too' heavy? Yeah, I know - what did I expect. Isn't it what I wanted, after all? But I was coming from micro four thirds remember - and even I have my limits for weight in a camera 😳

Regardless, I was willing to take his advice, and so the deal was struck. An Olympus OM-D E-M1 with HLD-7 Grip and M.Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 Pro (plus camera remote release, spare battery and accessory flash) traded in for a Canon 50D with Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC lens and Canon 430EX II flashgun. Good deal!

That night, back at the Hotel, I checked over my 'new' Canon kit and started to set up the 50D how I like to shoot (I may do a post on that another time?). Looking over the Tamron, I was still impressed/surprised at the weight of the lens, but on closer inspection I thought I could detect quite a few blemishes on the front lens element. Nothing a quick clean wouldn't fix - I thought. But... on even closer inspection, it appeared to me that there was the start of some fungal blooming on the inside of the front lens elements. Not good!

Long story short - I returned the lens the next day, and swapped it for the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 that I thought I would go for in the first place. The Sigma is in pristine condition, has an even bigger front lens element (77mm rather than the 72mm of the Tamron), but is, in fact, lighter than the Tamron - and apparently a little sharper if the online reviews are to be believed. I am much happier with the Sigma lens over the Tamron - fungal issues of the Tamron aside. The Sigma just seems to be a better match with the Canon 50D. Quick example; the Tamron lens doesn't 'talk' to the Canon 430EZ flash for distance information when zooming the flash head, whereas the Sigma does. Go figure?

So yes, I've made the switch back to Canon - again. And, as I've written quite a few times on this blog, I couldn't be happier. With the 50D body and grip, Sigma 17-50mm f2.8, Canon 10-22mm EF-S, Canon 90-300mm f4.5/5.6 USM and Canon 430EZ II Speedlite, I've got a comprehensive system for the wedding this weekend (it's a 'freebie' for friends). I've even got a little store credit at Photo & Video left over than I might put to good use soon if/when a fast prime (nifty 50?) turns up in their second-hand department. I'm already thinking about possible future lens purchases (fast prime, macro, fisheye). Good times 👍     

 

Vlogging is HARD!

This year I’ve started vlogging on Youtube. I’ve only produced four vlogs so far (as of April 2019), so I’m hardly an expert (and probably never will be). But I do have a few thoughts on the initial experience, some on gear, and some on the technicalities of editing etc.

Firstly the gear. Because I’m just beginning, and don’t intend on becoming a ‘serious’ daily vlogger, I want to make use of the gear I’ve already got. I’m still not sure whether I’m going continue vlogging either, so really don’t want to pour a whole lot of money (that I don’t have) into expensive gear that I’m never going to use.

So, for my first vlog (which can be viewed here), I used a Canon 650D that I borrowed from work for the weekend. The 650D has a handy flip-out screen (almost essential) and Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel autofocusing. This allows the video to track focus on the subject in the viewfinder automatically, and also silently with an STM (Stepping Motor) lens attached. The 18-135mm lens that came with the 650D isn’t really wide enough for vlogging purposes when you are pointing the camera at yourself at arms-length, so I attached a Canon 10-22mm ultar-wide so I could fit everything in. Unfortunately, the 10-22mm isn’t an STM lens, and the constant focusing noise captured on the audio was an issue. To get around this I simply manual focused the 10-22mm and used an f8 aperture so that everything was going to be in focus.

And speaking of audio – anyone will tell you that good video with poor audio is a sure fire way to ruin your vlog. Fortunately, I purchased a Rhode Video Micro external microphone about a year ago for another project. I attached this to the hotshoe of the Canon 650D – which has an external microphone import – for superior audio.

I was pleased with the first vlog, but the 650D with Canon 10-22mm, Canon 18-135mm STM, tripod and Gorillapod added a whole new additional kit I had to carry around with me all afternoon. Quality was great, but weight really was an issue.

For my second vlog (posted here), I decided to lighten the load somewhat (and I no longer had the use of the Canon 650D) by using my Olympus Pen E-P3’s video mode. It shoots 1080i HD at 30fps, and I simply set it in movie mode and let the camera take care of everything. The E-P3 doesn’t have an external microphone input, so I had to use the internal microphone on the camera. Not ideal, but I built a DIY wind-shield for the E-P3 to reduce the wind-noise problem that internal microphones produce. It works surprisingly well, although it looks a bit like a Frankenstein’s monster!

For lenses, I actually used the Olympus 9mm Fisheye bodycap lens – a manual focus fixed aperture f8 lens that works surprisingly well for vlogging. The E-P3 doesn’t have a flippy-out screen so you can see yourself filming, but with the fisheye lens attached you just need the lens element pointing at you and you’re going to be in shot – guaranteed.

This lightened the load considerably, and although the clarity of the video is not in the same league as the Canon, I reckon it’s good enough for vlogging with.

With my third vlog (here) I decided to do it on shooting with my Nikon D70 DLSR, which meant my main digital camera – the Olympus OM-D E-M1 was free to shoot some video. The E-M1 has more video options than the Pen E-P3, as well as an external mic output which meant I could use the Rhode Video Micro again. I took the vertical grip off the camera to lighten the load, and once again attached the 9mm Fisheye bodycap lens for the majority of the filming. I was very happy with this combination; not as light as the E-P3, but with better video quality – and not as heavy as the Canon 650D, with similar video quality. Almost perfect.

I say ‘almost’ because there’s no doubt that the autofocusing is superior with Canon’s dual pixel technology, and if I’m using the E-M1 as my vlogging camera, I can’t use it to shoot with! So there’s my main digital camera out of action!

On my last vlog (here), I shot entirely with the E-P3 again, since the subject of the video – my Nikon F4 – is already a heavy beast of a camera. Once again I wanted to go as light as possible, and once again I was reasonably happy with the compromises I made to capture the footage with the least amount of equipment and weight.

So I guess I’ve got a fairly decent handle on the equipment side of things and am happy with the video I’m capturing. So what about the other technical aspects of creating a vlog? What about the editing?

To be honest, most recently the editing has been an absolute nightmare – and a complete disaster! For my very first vlog I took it easy and used Microsoft Movie Maker. It worked fine, but I did feel limited and wanted to learn a more fully featured editing package. So I moved on to Da-Vinci Resolve 15 for my next two vlogs and really enjoyed the experience. But then came Vlog #4…

For whatever reason, when editing my fourth vlog, Da Vinci Resolve decided not to play nicely. I kept coming up with ‘video offline’ errors all through my edit, even though the video files were linked correctly and where they should be. I looked the problem up on-line, and saw numerous other people with the same issue. There were lots of ‘fixes’ for the problem mentioned, but I tried them all and none of them worked. After a week of this, I got so frustrated I gave up on Da-Vinci Resolve and downloaded Lightworks instead.

I then proceeded to edit the entire video again in Lightworks – only to discover that this time there was a problem with the audio not syncing properly. Again I looked this up on-line, and again I discovered it was a fairly common problem. Aaarrrgghhh.

So I uninstalled Lightworks, and tried again – this time with the old standby, Window’s Movie Maker. But there was one problem with Movie Maker right off the bat – it wouldn’t read the video files from the E-P3! Slightly undeterred, I eventually found a file conveter and converted the E-P3’s video files to something that Movie maker could read (apparently). Spent another night editing the vlog (again), got half-way through, and called it a night. A few days later I opened Movie maker again to continue editing the vlog, but Movie Maker wasn’t reading the converted files this time either! What the heck is going on!?

Was almost – not quite, but almost – ready to give in, having edited the vlog from scratch at least four times over a period of about two weeks! What changed my mind (about giving up) was seeing an advert for Adobe’s Premier Rush video editing trial. I have recently signed back up with Adobe’s photography plan on the Creative Cloud, and I discovered I could download Adobe’s Premier Rush video editing software and use it to upload 3 vlogs to Youtube. After you’ve used 3 uploads you have to then start paying monthly for it 😟

Ok, long story short (too late), I enjoyed using Premier Rush, and it worked perfectly. No ‘media offline, audio synching or video format issues whatsoever. Yahoo! Was a fairly simple programme to edit in to, after I got the hang of how it works. So I’m saved – for now. Just have to figure out what I’ll use after I’ve used my 3 uploads.

So – vlogging. Why bother? Well I’m not sure I have a definitive answer to that question yet. Depending on what you use to capture the video with, it can be a pain having to carry around a lot of extra kit. And even if you go light, it takes twice as long to shoot anything, and a whole heap of creative energy coming up with the video – B-roll, and pieces to-camera. And then there’s the extra files involved, the storage issues, and the video editing. Bit of a headache for someone who has never considered himself a video guy.

But, having said all that, I look back on the final edited video with a great sense of achievement and pride. I really enjoy being able to teach others through video – it’s a powerful medium that has, in many ways, surpassed the written word, especially on-line. Is it a pain in the ass to create all this content? Yes, it is. But, when it’s all created, uploaded and ‘live’ on Youtube, was it all worth it? Yes, I think it was.

Would love to hear your comments and feedback about your own vlogging experiences – and about my vlogs. Follow the links in this post to view them on Youtube and, as they say, please ‘Like’ and Subscribe to follow me and see more content as I produce it 😊

Olympus MCON-P02 Macro Converter - Initial impression

Macro photography is something I've only ever dabbled in briefly. This is despite owning more than a few macro lenses in my time. But macro lenses also tend to be viewed as quite 'specialist' optics, and therefore not a lens that you look to get early on when putting a kit together - unless, of course, you happen to be a dedicated macro specialist. Which I am not. I do, however, like to dabble...

Olympus MCON-P02

Olympus make two dedicated macro lenses for their micro four thirds cameras - a 30mm f3.5 and a 60mm f2.8. I 'may' end up getting one of them one day (the 60mm is especially tempting), but in the meantime, I need to consider other options.

Enter the Olympus MCON-P02 - a screw-on converter that increases the image magnification of certain M.Zuiko lenses. Most are primes (like the 45mm f1.8 or the 25mm f1.8 which are both lenses I may look at in the future), but it also works with one zoom lens - the 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 kit lens that came with my Pen E-P3.

I saw an MCON-P02 for sale recently on Trademe, and the seller had lowered the price for a quick sale. Good enough for me, I thought, and I snapped it up - mint, in box. It arrived a few days later, as advertised, although the box was a little worse for wear.

Olympus suggest that the MCON-P02 be used at the telephoto (42mm) end of the zoom range, giving you a close focusing distance of 22cm from the subject to the sensor - and a 0.38x magnification factor. They're all just numbers to me. What does that actually look like in practice?

Dandelion head. Olympus Pen E-P3 with 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 at 42mm. 1/800th @f8, ISO 400

The above image of a dandelion head is as close as I could get with using just the normal 42mm end of the zoom range. Olympus claim the closest focusing distance of the lens is 25cm, and although I didn't get out the ruler and measure it, this seems about right.

Dandelion Head Macro. Olympus EP-3 with M.Zuiko 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 with MCON-P02 Converter. 

The above shot is taken with the MCON-P02 attached. This time, minimum focusing distance has increased to 22cm. And although 3cm doesn't sound like a lot, in macro photography it can make quite a big difference. Both the images above are uncropped - as shot - straight out of camera. You are definitely receiving a magnification boost by adding the macro converter, although as previously stated, it's nowhere near dedicated macro lens 1:1 magnification.

Dandelion Head Macro 2. Olympus Pen E-P3 with 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 lens with MCON-P02 Converter.

At around NZ$145.00 new (as of March 2019), there are probably cheaper ways to increase the magnification of your lenses. Close-up filters for example. But since I didn't pay anywhere near $145.00 for my copy, I've probably come out on top. Would I buy one for full retail - no, I wouldn't. Will I use it a lot - no, I probably won't. But it's still a fraction of the cost of a dedicated macro lens. And it's probably worth every cent I paid for it in terms of the fun/experimentation factor it will bring to my photography. I'm already visualizing the fungi shots I'm going to try out with this combination in the next few months.

As I mentioned earlier, with macro photography every centimeter - heck, every millimeter - counts when you are shooting up close and personal. If the MCON-P02 can get me a few shots that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to get, then it's worth every measly penny I paid for it.

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks - Tourist for a day with the OM-D E-M1

Autumn has started here in New Zealand, and the weather has been glorious! This weekend just passed (as I write this), my darling wife and I decided to make the most of it, and go for a drive. We initially considered heading South to Hokitika, but then remembered that the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival was on. Far too many people heading that way!

So we decided to head North instead, to Punakaiki, and check out the Pancake Rocks Blowholes. The tides were favourable (high tide), the sun was shining, and there was really no wind to speak of. We arrived at around 2.00pm - not quite the middle of the day, but not too far from it. Not really the ideal conditions for award-winning photography!?  But that wasn't what this trip was about. It was just about us getting outside in the sunshine - playing 'tourist' for the afternoon, and seeing what sort of images we could get. What if this was the only opportunity we were ever going to have to take photos at the Blowholes (fortunately it's not)? What kind of images can you get in the middle of the afternoon if, as a tourist, this was your only chance? Let's see shall we....

Nikau Palm, Punakaiki. Olympus OM-D E-M1 with 12-40mm f2.8 Pro. 1/100th @ f5.6, ISO 100 (Low). Polarising filter

We were travelling 'light' - me with my E-M1 in a Lowpro Slingshot 100 (that can easily carry the 12-40mm f2.8 Pro, 40-150mm f4/5.6 and 8mm bodycap) and Joanna with the Pen E-P3 and 14-42mm kit lens. I kept the 12-40mm f2.8 lens on most of the time, with a polariser attached - but as you'll see later on, I did 'experiment' with the 8mm at the blowholes. This is exactly the sort of kit I would travel with - light, portable, but extremely high quality (yes, even the 8mm bodycap).

The Pothole, Punakaiki. Olympus OM-D E-M1 with M.Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 Pro. 1/250th @ f6.3, ISO 100. Polarising filter

Because the day was so bright, I decided to leave the polarising filter on all day, and began by shooting with the E-M1's 'Low' ISO setting (ISO 100). The E-M1 shoots at ISO 200 at its lowest native setting, unless you unlock the 'low' option in the menu. This effectively gives you an ISO 100 image. Tests on-line and reviews I've seen indicate that ISO 100 does give a very 'clean' image, but you need to be careful not to blow out the highlights. Good advice at any and all ISO settings I would have thought. Considering the above images, ISO 100 (Low) looks pretty good to me!

Punakaiki Blowholes. Olympus OM-D E-M1 with 12-40mm f2.8 Pro. 1/400th @ f7.1, ISO 200. Grainy B&W Art filter

Because I was 'playing' tourist, I decided to 'play' with the Art filters in the camera as well. Grainy B&W has always been my favourite art filter (mode II with an orange filter - border added), although in such bright conditions it can be a bit tricky to get the exposure right. The filter is very high contrast and blows the highlights and shadows together very quickly. In the above image the sea spray has a few areas of blown out highlight detail - but this is very much the 'look' of this filter. Highlights and shadows can be controlled to a certain extent with the highlight/shadow curve adjustment controls built into the camera - but in such bright overhead light, you're fighting a loosing battle.

Punakaiki Blowholes 2. OM-D E-M1 with 12-40mm f2.8 Pro. 1/400th @ f7.1, ISO 200. Silver Effex Pro2.

Fortunately, since I shoot RAW, when you use the Art filters it creates two images - the Grainy Art filter as a jpeg, and the original RAW colour image. I used the RAW image of the same shot and processed it in Nik software's Silver Effex Pro2 - to get a similar black and white result. I actually like this image better, but of course you have to go through the whole processing of the image yourself - whereas with the Art filters, the camera does it all for you...

Thar She Blows! Olympus OM-D E-M1 with 8mm fisheye bodycap. 1/250th @f8, ISO 400.

The fun didn't stop with the Art filters either! Because of the high tide, the blowholes were putting on a decent display. But at the front of the railing, with the 12-40mm lens at 12mm (24mm equivalent in full frame), I wasn't getting enough of the scene in. Fortunately, I'd decided to throw my 8mm fisheye bodycap lens in the bag before leaving (it weighs practically nothing), and I'm so glad I did! I'm thrilled with the new perspective I was able to get of the blowholes, and I love the fisheye effect on the horizon. Hands-down my favourite image I've taken of the blowholes at Punakaiki.

E-M1 with 12-40mm f2.8 lens. 1/800th @f6.3 

We had a fantastic day wandering around the Pancake Rocks, being tourists for the day, and enjoying the beautiful weather and amazing scenery. The light was harsh - full on mid afternoon autumn sun - but we still managed to get some 'keeper' images that I would be happy to show off to friends and family - and one shot that I'd even consider printing and framing!

It just goes to show that good photos can be made at any time of the day, even if you find yourself at a once-in-a-lifetime location with less than ideal lighting conditions.

If your camera has art filters, and you've never used them, why not have a 'play'. You might stumble on a filter that you actually quite like. And remember, if you shoot in RAW mode, the camera will create two files; the original RAW file and a jpeg processed with the filter effect. So you can get the best of both worlds.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 (and micro four thirds in general) is a perfect travel camera. Small and lightweight - even with the all metal 12-40mm f2.8 Pro lens and battery grip attached - with excellent image quality, and packed full of advanced features. Even the Pen EP-3 was up to the task, and Joanna took some beautiful images on a super small and lightweight system.

Yours truly with the E-M1. Photo by Joanna Lorimer

Much has been said (and written) recently about the future of micro four thirds now that full-frame mirrorless cameras are all the rage. Some (so called) 'experts' have claimed that micro four thirds is already dead - but with the release of Olympus's E-M1x and their roadmap for future lens releases, I believe that nothing could be further from the truth.

Photographers have a real thing about size. Most truly believe that 'bigger is better'. I used to be one of them. But since moving to the OM-D E-M1, I don't believe I've 'compromised' on image quality one bit. I couldn't be happier, and intend to immerse myself even further into the system. I'd love an E-M1x, and hope to get one someday. But until then, I'll quite happily use my E-M1 (and maybe a MkII). For me, and I suspect for many other photographers, it still happens to be the ideal system.

Lorimer Photography: Vlog #1 - Coal Creek Falls, New Zealand

I can't believe it's actually happened! I've considered vlogging on photography for such a long time, but now I've actually done it!

I'd love you to check it out, 'Like', comment, and even Subscribe! But if you do, could I ask that you please go to Youtube and do it from there. Apparently if you watch it and 'Like' from the blog,Youtube rates it at -1, rather than a +1 since they don't like you watching videos on any platform other than their own? Go figure....

The new Olympus OM-D E-M1X - my thoughts.

In case you have been living under a rock for the last few months, the big buzz around the micro four thirds community (as at January 2019) has been the release of Olympus’s newest camera, the E-M1X.

It seems that everyone has a new opinion about this new camera – and the future it heralds (or destroys) for micro four thirds as a system. Most of the Olympus faithful have embraced this new addition to the family with open arms (not really surprisingly), although there has been the occasional grumble. Most of the raised eyebrows have been over one issue – its size (and therefore weight) for a micro four thirds camera. With its built-in vertical grip housing two batteries, the E-M1X looks remarkably like a Canon EOS 1DX ‘mini-me’. The comparison is only heightened with the use of the 1X moniker.

So is it too big for a micro four thirds camera? Is the comparison with the Canon EOS 1DX fair? And am I excited about the new E-M1X?

First things first; is it too big for a micro four thirds camera? At almost 147mm high and 144mm wide, and with a weight of just 3 grams shy of 1kg (with batteries and an SD card included), I guess you could argue that it’s a tad big for a ‘micro’ system. But in reality, it all depends on how you like your cameras. I have argued for a very long time that Olympus’s micro four thirds offerings have actually been too small, even for someone like me with relatively small hands. I find the Pen cameras especially difficult to use comfortably, while I always attach a battery grip to my E-M cameras. In fact, I wouldn’t buy a micro four thirds camera to use as my main body if I couldn’t attach a battery grip. It has nothing to do with battery life, and all to do with ergonomics. So for me – no, the E-M1X isn’t ‘too big’ for a camera, micro four thirds or otherwise.

Camera comparison - from camerasize.com

In terms of the weight issue, let’s also put that into perspective. If we continue the Canon EOS 1DX comparison, the Olympus is 35% lighter than the 1.5kg Canon body. But things get even more enlightening when we start adding lenses. The Olympus E-M1X is being marketed as an ideal sports and wildlife camera (more on that later). What lenses do sports and wildlife photographers use most often? That’s right – super telephoto. At the moment, the longest lens Olympus has for the E-M1X is the 300mm f4 Pro (600mm f4 full-frame equivalent field of view). This will change in 2020 with the announcement recently of a 150-400mm f4.5 lens with built in 1.25x teleconverter (to increase the field of view out to an incredible 1000mm)! But that’s for the future. For now, we have the 300mm f4 Pro.

Cameras with lenses - from camerasize.com

If we compare the Olympus with the 300mm f4 Pro, with the Canon equivalent 600mm f4 L lens, the weight/size/cost argument becomes blatantly obvious in favor of micro four thirds. The Canon 1DX II with Canon 600mm f4 L lens attached is a whopping 5.4kgs, and costs an equally eye-watering $27,500NZ (as of 8.02.2019) as a total package! Ouch! The Olympus E-M1X, in comparison, has a total weight of 2.4kgs – less than half that of the Canon equivalent – and costs $8,800NZ in total. And do we really need to mention the size advantage anymore? The Olympus combo is actually hand-holdable – comfortably – especially with Olympus’s world-leading ibis (in body image stabilization). Try hand-holding the Canon combo for half an hour and getting sharp shots with it!

Maybe we should be comparing Apples with Apples instead? Ok, let’s look at Panasonic – the other micro four thirds partner. The Panasonic GH5 – with battery grip – weighs slightly more than the E-M1X, at 1.04kgs, yet nobody complains about the size and weight of the GH5. Ok, you can shave that down to 725 grams if you take the battery grip off. But if I had the GH5, I guarantee that the battery grip would be attached 99.9% of the time (I’m not a video guy).

So what about the Canon EOS 1DX comparison? Is it a fair comparison to make in terms of matching the two cameras spec for spec? Maybe. Maybe not. But I don’t really think that’s the point of the E-M1X. Much like the Nikon Z6 and Z7 cameras were released for Nikon shooters looking to go mirrorless, the Olympus E-M1X was released for the Olympus faithful – not necessarily to tempt Canon (or Nikon) users away from their own systems. Despite what many camera reviewers would have you believe, there is a large section of professional photographers using Olympus micro four thirds as their main camera system. The E-M1X is the camera for them. When they get these cameras in their hands, attach the 300mm f4 Pro, and actually start using them at sports events and for shooting wildlife, that’s when people using other systems will become curious. And on that note – please trust me – the smaller sensor on the E-M1X is NOT an issue. The 20MP sensor is more than capable of producing clean images at higher ISO’s, and you CAN get blurry backgrounds using smaller sensors. Get over it people!

E-M1X with M.Zuiko 40-150mm f2.8 Pro. Image: Olympus website.

Finally, am I excited about the new E-M1X? Does a bear you-know-what in the woods? Of course I am! I’m not a professional photographer, and I don’t shoot a lot of sports and/or wildlife. But in many, many ways, the E-M1X is the micro four thirds camera I’ve been waiting for since I got into the system. When I heard early on this it was likely to have a built-in vertical grip I wasn’t concerned or alarmed like many others – I was ecstatic!

I’m a landscape photographer (predominantly), and even for me, the E-M1X has many advantages that has me gagging to own the camera. Hand-held hi-res shot for one. When Olympus first introduced hi-res mode on the E-M5 MkII many people said ‘great, but if only it could be done hand-held’. Enter the E-M1X. The 20MP sensor, while not new, is certainly an upgrade to my E-M1’s 16MP, so I’ll take it. And for us landscape photographers, the new live ND filter simulation mode looks very exciting. To top it all off, its weather sealing is off the chart better than any other camera ever made, as is the ibis.

Yet in the end, what it all comes down to for us non-professionals is the bottom line – the cost. Alas, I feel that the E-M1X is a camera I will probably never own. At over $5,100NZ body only at time of release, it’s a camera I can neither afford, not justify affording. ‘Sigh’. And I thought the E-M1 MkII was expensive!?

Maybe, just maybe, in ten years’ time, when they are up to the E-M1X Mk3 or 4, I might find a used Mk1 that I can afford? Or maybe I’ll win the Lottery in the meantime (better buy a ticket then)? Lottery winning aside, the E-M1X is a camera that I will have to lust after from afar. And lust I will…

Waterfall photography at Coal Creek Falls

The beginning of the Coal Creek Falls walk in Runanga

I don't do a lot of waterfall photography, despite having a beautiful waterfall literally 10 minutes drive (and then a half hour walk) from my front door!

Coal Creek Falls is an impressive waterfall, situated in the small township of Runanga. It's a very easy walk, on a well maintained track, although a couple of sections of the walk are slightly steep - and if it's been raining a lot some sections can be rather muddy. But solid footwear and a little up-hill huffing and puffing will see you right.

The other well-known local waterfalls - Dorothy Falls and Carew Falls - are a little further away. About a 45 minute and an hours drive away respectively. I have photographed all three of them, but Coal Creek Falls happens to be my favourite of the three.

So why don't I shoot waterfalls more often? Well, I think there's two main reasons. First, it requires very overcast conditions to get the best out of an image - and I don't tend to shoot in overcast conditions. And second, to take a really good waterfall image requires some very specific gear. Gear I don't generally have. Namely, a high grade neutral density (ND) filter (more on that later).

Backlit Fern. E-M1 with 12-40mm Pro. 1/50th @ f2.8

Perhaps, if I'm honest, there's possibly one other reason why I have struggled shooting at Coal Creek Falls. I'm scared of it.

Seven years ago (in 2012), while on a photoshoot, I fell into the water at the falls and completely destroyed my Canon 5D and 24-105mm lens (see the post here). I was completely distraught, my home insurance didn't cover the cost of a new camera, and thus began the arduous task (for me) of searching for a new camera system. So Coal Creek Falls and I don't get on all that well. Especially since the best place to photograph them is, once again, out in the creek itself. Trust me when I say, those damn rocks are slippery!

Don't get me wrong, I have taken photos at the Coal Creek Walk often. I've just never really ever taken a good photo of the waterfall itself. But this year, I plan to change all that.

So far this year (just one month into it), I've gotten up early every Saturday morning to go out and take photos. For the first two weekends I've concentrated on medium format film with my Bronica ETRS. But last weekend (as I write this), I decided to shoot with my E-M1 and go to the Falls. A quick check on a weather app suggested that conditions would be favourable (overcast), so I was hopeful of getting my best shots ever from Coal Creek.

Tree Ferns. E-M1 with 12-40mm Pro. 1/50th @ f2.8

As mentioned, it's an easy half-hour walk through native forest to get to the falls, and there's plenty of opportunity to take some great images along the track. At certain times of the year it's a popular spot for fungi photography, as well as offering numerous flora and the occasional friendly bird. I've stopped to photograph something along the way numerous times and been joined by an inquisitive robin who will hop around very close by, unperturbed by human visitors.

Forest areas can be tricky to photograph in, since the interior lighting can be quite low. But if you look for shafts of light, and can isolate subjects and shoot wide open (at f2.8 or thereabouts), then you can get away with still shooting hand-held. Not that using a tripod isn't an option on such an easy walking track. I've set up a tripod many times and there's always plenty of room for other walkers to go around you so that you're not holding up traffic. There are also one or two places along the walk where it's safe to get away from the track and scramble down to the waters edge to take some images from the creek itself.

Macro lenses come into their own in woodland locations, even if the end-goal is a more traditional landscape waterfall shot. Densely wooded areas can feel quite overwhelming, so train yourself to pick out the small details among the vastness. A single fern frond or section of bush can often tell a more compelling story than trying to capture an entire grove of trees. To be honest, I don't actually own a macro lens (I may have to rectify that in the future), but find that I can often get 'close enough' using the 40mm end of my 12-40mm zoom lens.

Leaf Litter. OM-D E-M1 with Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 Pro. 1/13th sec @ f2.8 (hand held). ISO 100

Zoomed right in at 40mm (80mm equivalent focal length on 35mm), and shooting wide open at f2.8, the shutter speed in the forest was still only 1/13th sec. Yes, I could have bumped up the ISO to 800 or so to increase the shutter speed - especially since I was hand-holding. But I wanted to keep the ISO as low as possible (even to the point of shooting in the extended Low ISO 100 setting on the E-M1), and I was fairly confident that the amazing ibis (in body image stabilization) of the Olympus would still give me an acceptably sharp hand-held shot at these speeds. I took three or four shots of the same image just to be sure, but I needn't of bothered - they were all sharp where I had focused (on the central leaf).

HDR Tree. E-M1 with 12-40mm f2.8. 1/25th @ f4

Another technique I tried out on the E-M1 this time around was the in-camera HDR. This is easy to access with a button press on the top left of the camera, but it's something I have rarely ever used.

Looking through the evf (electronic viewfinder) of the camera at certain scenes, I could tell that the dynamic range (range of light from dark to bright) was too great for the sensor to capture with just one image. In this scenario, taking several images with different exposures and blending them together later on in Photoshop will yield a single image that can capture all light in the scene (hence HDR - high dynamic range - photography). This has become a very popular (if not highly controversial) technique used by landscape photographers who routinely find themselves shooting scenes with a high dynamic range. There are other ways around this (using filters in certain parts of the scene to lower the contrast), but HDR photography has become so popular that it's being built right into the cameras themselves.

Traditionally, to do HDR means setting your camera on a tripod and taking several exposures of the same scene, at various exposures, so that when you 'blend' them together later on in software they all match up seamlessly. This, of course, facilitates using a tripod each and every time, and setting up the camera specifically to shoot several bracketed exposures. Quite a bit of faffing about.

With the in-camera HDR on the E-M1 (and other cameras), you can avoid all of this and hand-hold the camera as it shoots a series of exposures very quickly, and then blends them together in the camera. If you are shooting in RAW, two images will be saved on the card; the first RAW image you took, and the final camera-generated HDR Jpeg. The final result isn't perfect - the tree above still has some blocked-up shadows, and the contrast needs to be tweaked later on the computer. But the result is quite impressive given how dark the shadows were and how bright the highlights when I was capturing the scene. And all hand-held!

Fallen Log. Olympus OM-D E-M1 with Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 Pro. 1/13th @ f4.5. Polarising filter. ISO 200.

My end-goal on this excursion was to take the best image of the Coal Creek Falls that I had ever taken. To that end, I had worn my waders (gumboots here in NZ) so that I could walk into the creek for the best vantage points. This also meant that along the way, I was confident enough to go off the beaten track and explore some of the edges of the bank. The above image is one that I never would have taken if I had been wearing trainers and had stuck to the track.

Coal Creek Falls. OM-D E-M1 with Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 Pro. 2.5secs @ f8. ISO 200. Variable ND

The above image is my second favourite image from the day. It's certainly one of the better ones I've taken of Coal Creek Falls, but on shooting it I came to two conclusions. First, it's really an evening location, and not a morning one. I had gone out on this particular morning because it was overcast conditions - ideal for minimising reflections in the water. However, by the time I got to the falls, the weather had brightened considerably, and the sun was up almost right on top of the waterfall. Damn. A polarising filter helped - but the glare from the sun was too much for it - as you can see above.

And second, a variable ND filter is practically useless, and don't buy one! They are a great idea in theory, and are basically two polarising filters sandwiched together. When you rotate them, they gradually decrease the amount of light going through the lens, and therefore lower the exposure. So good so far. But, when they are facing the light (as they were in this case), the more you rotate it the funkier it gets in terms of weird polarising shifts and blacked out areas of the image! When I rotated past around 3 seconds of filtration, the results were unusable. So it's back to the drawing board for ND filters.

Coal Creek Falls 2. OM-D E-M1 with Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 lens. 6 secs @ f5.6. ISO 200. Variable ND filter

This is my favourite shot of the morning - and yes, my favourite shot I've ever taken of Coal Creek Falls. But it's still not great. I've had to crop in a lot to get rid of those funky polarising effects, and done some fairly major post-processing work to get the image to where I like it. It's OK, but it's not amazing! And I know I can do much better.

Next time I'll go in the evening. Next time I won't use a variable ND filter (I'll use a dedicated slotted filter with my Cokin system instead). And next time I'll be able to shoot with a polarising filter as well, to minimise the reflection on the waters surface even more. I'm close this time - but no cigar.