Olympus has introduced a new flagship Micro Four Thirds camera. The OM-D E-M1X features an impressive spec sheet and seems to be designed with a very specific photographer in mind.
The camera’s major claims to fame will certainly be its sequential shooting and stabilization capability. The camera is capable of 60 fps with focus and exposure locked at the first frame, but is still able to pump out 18 fps with focus and exposure adjustments. Along with the high speed sequential shooting, “pro capture mode” is also available, which captures 35 frames before the shutter is pressed. When it comes to stabilization, the camera offers 7.5 stops of compensation. To support that massive frame rate, the camera has an integrated battery grip with support for two batteries.
The sensor can produce 20.4 megapixel images, and can produce 80 megapixel images via “High Res Shot." Also new is “Handheld High Res Shot”, which allows handheld shots at an intermediate resolution of 50 megapixels.
Autofocus is handled by a 121 point, cross-type phase detection array built into the sensor. AI-powered algorithms are supposed to improve AF performance, enabling things like detecting the driver’s helmet in motorsports or airplanes and trains.
The viewfinder is suitably high performance, with 120 fps progressive readout and a .005 second latency. Industry-leading magnification of 0.83x should make for a pleasant viewing experience.
Durability shouldn’t be a concern, as multiple aspects of the camera are optimized for ruggedness. Olympus claims the camera exceeds IPX1 water resistance, along with sealed ports which keep the camera dust, splash, and freeze-proof. Olympus is promoting these durability improvements with a free two year extended warranty
Given the feature set, Olympus is targeting sports and wildlife photographers, to whom the high framerate and durable body should be very appealing. The integrated vertical grip, spec sheet, and emphasis on performance all seem to justify Olympus’s claim that this is a pro-grade camera. Some of the features, including the handheld high-resolution shooting and image stabilization mechanism are pronounced technical accomplishments.
The specs come at a cost, however, as the body isn’t exactly suited to the micro moniker. This may be a hidden benefit, as I expect this camera to be primarily used with telephoto lenses, and the larger body should offer a more balanced handling experience. Despite the larger body, a complete sports kit is eminently more portable. A comparable full frame kit with a 600mm f/4 lens will be much larger than the Olympus equivalent 300mm f/4, as well as quite a bit more expensive.
Overall, the camera appears to be a technical accomplishment and should be very appealing to many sports and action photographers. Micro Four Thirds shooters have a pro-grade sports camera, with a spec sheet that appears to be competitive with top cameras from Sony, Nikon, and Canon. It features a price to match, however. It'll be interesting to see the level of demand for a camera with this specific feature set, especially in the Micro Four Thirds market.
The E-M1X is priced at $2.999.99, and is currently available for preorder from B&H.
What is the sensor size?
baby duck
Micro 4/3, or as I like to say 1/4 full frame.
and full frame is a crop of medium format
Which specific "photographer" do you think it's for?
Same "insidey" parts managed by an improved processing ..8 bit video...it's put on a lot of weight and apparently charging extra for it.
$3000 4/3
HAHAHA
you so crazy olympus
Looking at this, I can't see a great market for it. However, I do hope that some of the technology trickles down to the smaller footprint m4/3 cameras.
Oh...it is MFT.....
tiny sensor big body. what were they smoking? i have panasonic and the size/weight of the cameras are one of m43's biggest strengths. this is an abomination.
>>A comparable full frame kit with a 600mm f/4 lens will be much larger than the Olympus equivalent 300mm f/4, as well as quite a bit more expensive<<
If you want to compare FOV and image quality, a 600mm f/4 on FF is equivalent to a 300mm f/2 with the same ISO setting on MFT. A 300mm f/2 will not be much smaller nor less expensive than a 600mm f/4.
It’s impressive and the screen is nice. But that much money for a tiny sensor? If they made this Full frame it would be a home run.
The screen is old...sub 3mil pix. You can buy more for less money
Next to my E-M10 Mk II. LOL!
Maitani had seen this in one of his nightmare
This camera is really quite special and a delight to work with! I have found it to be the perfect replacement for my 1Dx, especially when using the 300mm f/4 PRO (Hand-held!) in place of the 600 f/4L. Don’t get me wrong, the Canon gear was equally powerful, but a heavy beast for sure. If you are in the Charleston SC area, please contact me if you’d like to check it out. I can also show large printed samples (from the camera jpg’s, I still have no way to process the ORF raw files) that look stunning. This camera isn’t the right fit for everyone, but for those that need a kit that’ll hold up in extreme weather, handle sports and allow hand-held high res shooting, it does the job beautifully!
Quite special is right. That's the problem. It going to be a very limited market. I do hope some of this tech trickles down to at least an E-M5 sized body, and preferably an E-M10 sized body.