The Olympus OMD EM-1 – Shooting weddings & Personal work with the MFT system
Iv’e recently been asked by a few photographers on my thoughts about shooting weddings with the Olympus OMD EM-1. Having been using the micro four thirds system for 2 years now I thought i’d share some of my favourite images from the Olympus system. This is not a full in depth review about the camera. The camera has been out for long enough now so there are loads of reviews already out there and who will do it much better than i possibly could. You’ll have undoubtably heard or read why a particular photographer ditched their heavy DSLR kit in favour of the smaller, lighter MFTs kit. Like many before me, lugging around two canons and the heavy glass that accompanies it was impacting on my health in late 2013. After numerous trips to my GP it materialised that after a 12 hour day carrying the canon equipment around it was this that was causing my severe abdominal pain. Back in 2013, the only real cameras i considered switching too were the OMD EM5 or the Fuji X-E1. Nothing else was available. Sadly neither lived up to my expectations and the EVF in both cameras was a huge disappointment. The good news though was that rumours were spreading of a new Olympus camera and so i decided to wait.
As a wedding photographer i’m regularly working in some of the most challenging situations with regards to low light. With the canon 5D MK2 I was accustomed to how well the camera would perform in low light and using high iso. My main concern was, could a sensor half the size of that of a full frame camera produce the images i required especially at high ISO. With the canon i would regularly shoot at iso 3200, anything higher was a no no as the noise produced by the MK2 was simply to much. With this is in mind I purchased the fast primes for the EM-1, the 12mm, 45mm and 75mm . Previously, i’d worked with zooms so my approach to everyday shooting had to change and i can say it transformed the way i worked and the images i was producing. Having said all that iv’e now added the new 40-150 pro 2.8 to the collection along with the 12-40mm 2.8
Two years on i still have the system, and for the most time i love the EM-1. Here’s a selection of my favourite photo’s shot with the EM-1. Enjoy
Taken with the 12mm. iso 1250, 500 sec @f2
Taken with the 45mm, iso 800, 160 sec @ f2.8
Taken with the 45mm, iso 320, 100 sec @ f1.8
Taken with the 75mm, iso 1250, 160 sec @f1.8
Taken with the 75mm, iso 1250, 160 sec @ f2
Gary,
Love the shots! I’ve also ditched my Canon setup for an OMD, I’m currently building out my kit now and am aiming for a similar setup as yours but with the 15mm 1.7 instead of the 12mm.