We shot sports activities with the OM System OM-1

M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm F2.8 Professional @ 120mm | F2.8 | 1/800 | ISO 12,800 (darkened ~1.0EV) Processed utilizing Adobe Digital camera Uncooked (Luminance NR 15) Picture: Richard Butler

The OM-1 has generated quite a lot of curiosity on the location, however I’ve seen a variety of feedback suggesting it is a minor replace to the final OM-D E-M1 fashions. To a level that is comprehensible, its most distinguished options – topic recognition AF, a spread of multi-shot computational modes and a (nominally) 20MP sensor – sound acquainted. Nevertheless it’s a digicam primarily based on a Stacked CMOS sensor, and one which makes use of 4 sub-pixels to ship X-type part detection AF throughout the entire body.

Stacked CMOS (the subsequent era of chip design, constructing from BSI know-how) has been central to the efficiency of the most recent pro-grade sports activities cameras from Sony, Canon and Nikon. And, whereas the OM-1 does not supply fairly such spectacular readout speeds (presumably as a result of it is studying out 4 photodiodes per pixel: 80 million in all), its fast burst charges make it the quickest digicam we have ever examined.

What do you do to get a way of the capabilities of a digicam that may shoot at full decision, with full autofocus, at as much as 50 frames per second? Sports activities and wildlife capturing are the plain reply.

So I requested native Main League Rugby membership the Seattle Seawolves if I might head right down to shoot a recreation. ‘Certain,’ they stated. Which appeared very best till I noticed that the final dwelling match in Seattle for the subsequent three weeks was a Friday evening recreation, which means capturing a Micro 4 Thirds digicam beneath distinctly difficult floodlights.

M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm F2.8 Professional @ 40mm | F2.8 | 1/800 | ISO 10,000 (darkened ~0.7EV) Processed utilizing Adobe Digital camera Uncooked (Luminance NR 15) Picture: Richard Butler

Was there even any level? Was I simply going to finish up losing my Friday evening, get no respectable footage after which get accused of setting the digicam as much as fail, if I wrote about my expertise?

Then I remembered I had some photographs taken beneath the lights at Starfire Stadium, so I might examine what exposures I might wanted. By means of a technique of heretical darkish magic/utility of geometry and physics, I noticed I might shoot the sport at F2.8, 1/800th and ISO 6400. Not very best, however definitely price a attempt.

Digital camera setup

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Based mostly on this sequence, “+1” sensitivity could be just a little too reactive: the digicam has refocused on the ball because it passes via my chosen AF zone.

Regardless of the brand new menus, the OM-1’s AF setup could be very acquainted from the E-M1 fashions. I stay barely upset that not all of the digicam’s AF capabilities might be managed with the 2-position Fn lever on the again of the digicam, however there are some considerate (and helpful) touches to be discovered.

Like most professional sports activities cameras, the OM-1 offers you the choice to pick out totally different AF space shapes and totally different AF positions for when the digicam’s in a portrait or panorama orientation, which was vastly helpful as I discovered myself rotating the digicam consistently all through the evening. By half-time, I needed I might introduced the vertical grip.

One other actually intelligent possibility is the power to set face + eye detection precedence to at least one or each of the shutter and AF-On buttons. This meant I might use the shutter button to prioritize faces, if I had a single participant operating in direction of me, or ‘back-button’ AF if I wished to make use of my chosen AF space to concentrate on a participant’s physique (and keep away from the chance of the digicam being distracted by different faces within the scene). I discovered it to be an efficient option to shoot.

However I did not actually find yourself capturing this manner for lengthy. As a substitute I wished to see whether or not the digicam’s ProCapture pre-buffering mode (and 50fps capturing) would compensate for my nonetheless growing skill to anticipate when vital moments had been about to occur. I set AF to the again button in order that I might mash it right down to hold the motion beneath my AF level in focus, then used the shutter button to provoke pre-buffering as quickly as I assumed one thing may be about to occur.

It is a very totally different manner of capturing, in comparison with hovering on the shutter, attempting to preempt the motion by a break up second while you’re assured one thing is taking place, however I received extra used to it because the night went on. By the tip of the evening I feel it was rising the variety of photographs I received of the important thing moments, somewhat than of the break up seconds following the important thing moments.

Within the long-run, I believe I will swap to the 25 or 50 fps burst mode, as soon as I be taught to anticipate the motion higher, however ProCapture is certainly a helpful assist software to have as I get there.

Autofocus impressions

M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm F2.8 Professional @ 150mm | F2.8 | 1/800 | ISO 5000 (lightened ~0.3EV) Processed utilizing Adobe Digital camera Uncooked (Luminance NR 15) Picture: Richard Butler

OMDS stated it hasn’t carried out any work on the digicam’s C-AF+Monitoring mode, and rugby is not one of many topic varieties the digicam has been skilled to acknowledge, which left me capturing utilizing a Small or Cross fashion AF space and attempting to manually hold that time over the motion. Alongside the OM-1 I used to be capturing with the Nikon Z9 and ended up utilizing a really comparable setup on that digicam, too.

And, whereas it took some getting used to utilizing ProCapture, I ended up being impressed with the OM-1’s hit charge. I bumped C-AF sensitivity as much as +1, to deal with the truth that my focus distance would want to shortly change distance because the ball was handed from participant to participant, however to reduce the chance of the digicam leaping to concentrate on anybody who wandered between my focus level and the motion.

M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm F2.8 Professional @ 150mm | F2.8 | 1/800 | ISO 6400 Processed utilizing Adobe Digital camera Uncooked (Luminance NR 15) Picture: Richard Butler

I’ve not examined each one of many 1608 photos I shot over the course of the match, on the pixel degree, however my basic impression is that the OM-1 did extraordinarily effectively. 25 fps is greater than sufficient for many conditions, although it was enjoyable to have the ability to often interact the total 50 fps mode (somewhat frustratingly, there is no fast option to swap).

This wasn’t supposed as a full check of the OM-1, extra of an opportunity to familiarize myself with the digicam, however capturing alongside the Nikon, I used to be impressed how effectively it did. I feel it is the picture banding, that I could not fairly get rid of, that ended up giving a somewhat offputting flickering impact (no matter LV Anti-Flicker setting), however that is the primary manner by which the OM-1 felt much less confidence-inspiring than the Nikon (that, in contrast, has probably the greatest EVFs for sports activities).

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The AF system is not flawless: on this occasion, the AF level jumps from the lifted participant on the left in Picture 3, all the best way to the other aspect of the chosen AF zone (above the on-rushing NOLA participant’s head) on Picture 4, and loses focus because it does so, which means picture 6 is not actually targeted on something.

Its slower digital shutter readout means it is most likely much less effectively suited the to the flickering lights of Starfire Stadium, however these circumstances had been at all times prone to push the OM-1 fairly laborious. As I say, this is not supposed as a complete evaluation of the digicam, nevertheless it’s left a really constructive first impression.

The mix on the left (Nikon Z9 + 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 S) has an inventory worth of $8200. It gives a lot increased decision, just a little extra attain and a nicer viewfinder expertise beneath the difficult lights at Starfire. It weighs 2695g (5.9 lbs). The mix on the correct (OM-1 + 40-150mm F2.8) has an inventory worth of $3800, can shoot at twice the pace and gives comparable picture high quality, when considered on the identical scale. It weighs 1479g (3.2 lbs). In an ideal world, I might have remembered to seize the battery grip for the OM-1, nevertheless it did not really feel fully outclassed by its pro-targeted rival.

It is no Z9, nevertheless it’s additionally not a $5500 digicam, and it appears to carry out manner past what the value distinction would recommend. Chris and Jordan are planning to check alongside the R3, and I hope to check in higher mild, within the coming weeks. However from this expertise the OM-1 feels extra like a smaller, more-attainable different to professional sports activities gear, somewhat than some incremental evolution of the Olympus-era flagships.

All gallery photos processed from Uncooked in-camera, with lightness adjusted to match ISO 6400 photos.