Overall Rating:
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Pros:
- + Extraordinary in-body image stabilisation system allows handholding at unprecedented shutter speeds
- + Class-leading continuous shooting performance
- + Impressive continuous autofocus and tracking
- + Superb build quality and handling
Cons:
- - Menus and configuration hugely over-complicated
- - Image quality lags behind APS-C peers
- - High price compared to its closest rivals
Manufacturer:
Manufacturer: OlympusAndy Westlake puts Olympus’s super-fast mirrorless flagship camera through its paces
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II review: 5-axis in-body IS
Olympus’s 5-axis in-body image stabilisation was already class leading, but it has been refined further to give a claimed 5.5 stops of benefit when using unstabilised lenses – the majority of Olympus’s range. Mount one of its recent optically stabilised lenses, such as the new M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO, and a Sync IS system comes into play, employing both in-body and in-lens systems together to give an extraordinary 6.5 stops of stabilisation.

100% crop from image above, handheld at 1 second
It’s difficult to overstate just how good the image stabilisation really is. The E-M1 II routinely enabled me to shoot at shutter speeds slower than any other camera, even using unstabilised lenses. At wideangle, it’s completely feasible to use speeds of a second or so. Just as impressively, I was also able to shoot at speeds around 1/15sec with the 40-150mm f/2.8 at its telephoto end.
Switch to the new 12-100mm f/4 IS and things get into completely unprecedented territory: up to 2 seconds at wideangle, and 1/6sec at telephoto; other systems would usually manage around 1/2sec and 1/30sec respectively. These aren’t occasional one-offs, either; the E-M1 II delivers time after time. Not every picture will be pixel sharp, but shoot a few replicates and one will. This opens up new options for using slow shutter speeds creatively.

100% crop from image above, handheld at 1.3 seconds
- Sensor: 20-million-pixel Four Thirds CMOS
- Output size: 5184 x 3188
- Lens mount: Micro Four Thirds
- Focal length magnification: 2x
- Shutter speeds (mechanical): 60sec - 1/8000sec + Bulb
- Shutter speeds (electronic): 60sec - 1/32000sec + Bulb
- ISO sensitivity: ISO 200-25,600 (standard), extendable to ISO 64
- Exposure modes: PASM, iAuto, Art, Movie
- Metering modes: Pattern, centre weighted, spot, spot highlight, spot shadow
- Exposure compensation: +/-5EV in 1/3 EV steps
- Continuous shooting (mechanical shutter): 15fps (focus fixed); 10fps with AF
- Continuous shooting (electronic shutter): 60fps (focus fixed); 18fps with AF
- Screen: 3in 1.-037-million-dot fully-articulated touschscreen
- Viewfinder: 2.36-million-dot, 0.74x magnification
- AF points: 121-point
- Video: Cinema 4K (4094 x 2160) 25fps 237Mbps
- External mic: 3.5mm stereo
- Memory card: 2x SD, SDHC, SDXC (1 UHS-II compatible)
- Power: BLH-1 Li-ion, 1720 mAh
- Battery life: 440 shots
- Dimensions: 134 x 91 x 67 mm
- Weight: 574g (including battery and card)