It’s not even a month since I expressed my 5 wishes for an OM System camera in 2024 and the OM-1 Mark II has already been unveiled. The OM-1 Mark II replaces the OM-1 and has both the same sensor and the same processor. Only the main memory has been increased, which has made some new features possible. However, I don’t want to go into the details of the new features here, as you can find them on many different websites. Nor do I want to write about quality or handling, as I have not yet held the camera in my hands. Instead, I want to look back and see which of my wishes have been fulfilled.
Ergonomics of the OM-1 Mark II
I have nothing to criticise about my OM-1 and in fact the OM-1 Mark II has not been given a new body. Let’s be honest, this is certainly also due to the development costs, which can be considerably reduced if the housing is not customised. Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that no customisation would have been necessary. Only small things have been adapted, such as the control dials for adjusting the aperture and exposure time. In addition, it is now possible to move the menu button from the left-hand side to the button for deleting images. This makes it easier to operate the OM-1 Mark II with one hand.
The Sensor
Has remained the same. As I wrote in my article a month ago, I didn’t see any need to adapt it here either. There are still some people who are disappointed. I have discussed the reasons why I don’t need a new sensor in detail. The real reason for OM Digitalsolutions is probably that they have ordered a certain number of sensors. OM Digitalsolution must first sell this quantity before they can install a new sensor.
The image stabilisation
Although the image stabilisation of the OM-1 was the market leader, and in my opinion no improvement was necessary, it has been improved once again. Whether this improvement can be felt in practice or whether this is just a marketing figure is something I cannot and do not want to judge here. The fact is that OM Digitalsolutions is still the market leader here and has the technology under control.
Combination of different functions
Unfortunately, no new features were introduced here. There is now a Live ND filter with 7 f-stops (made possible by more working memory). However, this still cannot be combined with Live Composite. It is also not possible to combine HDR with HighRes mode. Now you can argue that the camera now has 14-bit colour depth in HighRes mode. However, this is nowhere near what I need for panorama photography. The new grey gradient filter certainly can’t be combined with the HighRes mode either.
Autofocus of the OM-1 Mark II
The biggest change in the OM-1 Mark II compared to the OM-1 is probably the autofocus system. This was indeed one of the biggest weaknesses of the OM-1. Has OM Digitalsolutions done itself a favour with this? At first glance, certainly. The camera is now more competitive and will be better able to survive on the market. However, due to the few hardware changes, it is incomprehensible to owners of an OM-1 that the functionality has not been upgraded. OM Digitalsolutions is thus alienating many loyal customers. The future will show what effect this decision will have. The outcry in the social media is huge, to say the least.
Conclusion
Even though I see many of my wishes fulfilled, I will not buy the OM-1 Mark II. The price is far too high to justify the gradual improvements over the OM-1. Besides, I personally get on very well with the camera. That’s why I’ll sit back and wait to see what OMDS can really achieve on its own. However, if you still own an E-M1 Mark II or even an older camera, it’s certainly a good time to think about upgrading the camera.
I look forward to your thoughts and tips on what topics interest you. Leave a comment and I’ll be sure to reply.