Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II review

At a glance:

• £1,849.99 body only
• £2,399.99 with 12-40mm lens
• 20MP Four Thirds sensor
• Up to 60fps continuous shooting
• 5-axis in-body stabilisation
• 4K video recording
• Fully articulated touchscreen
• 2.36-million-dot EVF

From the front the camera is dominated by its prominent grip

At the Photokina trade show in September 2016, Olympus was one of several brands to announce it was developing a new flagship camera. Now the finished product has arrived, in the shape of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. But while the new model looks much like its predecessor, in reality it’s an entirely new camera, with some very impressive updates. But this comes at a high price: £1849.99 body only, or £2399.99 in a kit with the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens.

The E-M1 II resembles its predecessor but has a notably larger grip

Probably the biggest headline-grabber is its startling continuous-shooting capability, of up to 60 frames per second at full resolution. This is backed up by an upgraded autofocus system, which uses on-chip phase detection to provide 121 focus points covering most of the image area. Other updates include a fully articulated, rather than tilt-only touchscreen, twin SD card slots, and a larger, quicker-charging battery. Along with the tough, weather-sealed body, this all promises to make the E-M1 II an interesting choice for sports and action shooters.

However, these capabilities come at a high price: £1,849.99 body only, or £2,399.99 in a kit with the 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens. This is more than some hugely capable cameras such as the Fujifilm X-T2, Nikon D500 or Pentax K-1. So does the E-M1 II offer enough to justify its cost?

See also our Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II image samples gallery