Updated on: July 3rd 2019
The flagship OM-D E-M1X is Olympus’ most advanced and expensive mirrorless camera to date, and it is also the first to adopt a design with a built-in vertical grip. The two-year-old OM-D E-M1 mark II has lost its front-runner title as a result, but retains its rightful place just a step below the new camera.
There are obvious differences between these two models, but also a lot of similarities when it comes to quality and performance.
After teasing the two cameras at Photokina last year, Panasonic has finally unveiled the full specifications of the Lumix S1 and S1R, the company’s first full-frame mirrorless cameras. Packed with advanced features for stills and video, they enter a very crowded market with their heads held high.
There are numerous products that we could compare them with, but it makes sense to start talking about these two models first. They have much in common, but there are also a few key differences that set them apart.
Since we had the chance to use them at the launch event in Barcelona, we decided to go beyond the format of our default comparison previews and offer you a more complete overview of our experience.
The E-M1 mark II was released in late 2016 and had impressive specifications for its time. The fast sensor readout, in addition to providing burst speeds of 60fps with the electronic shutter, also allowed for the implementation of interesting functions such as Pro Capture. The image stabilisation was state of the art and various features including the High Res Shot mode made the E-M1 II one of the most advanced mirrorless cameras at the time.
Not everything was perfect however. The autofocus, while improved compared to its predecessor, wasn’t the best in class, and many cameras that came soon after widened the performance gap. The Panasonic G9, for example, matched most of its specifications, and other products such as the Sony A9 (and Fujifilm X-T3 more recently) pushed the electronic shutter performance to new heights with the inclusion of a blackout-free live view. And although the 4K video quality was good, it wasn’t enough to attract serious filmmakers despite the stunning stabilisation.
Updated on: March 4th 2020
For the past couple of years, Canon has often been criticised for lacking innovation. Despite integrating interesting technology such as Dual Pixel CMOS, other brands tend to offer a wider variety of features for stills and video – and the slow growth of the EOS M mirrorless system hasn’t contributed to reducing the gap either.
In 2018, Canon unveiled a more serious competitor on the mirrorless and full-frame market: the EOS R. It marks the beginning of the RF line-up, a system that is still in its infancy but will most certainly propel Canon’s advancement in the future.
Updated on: March 4th 2020
Among all the exciting products we reviewed and compared in 2018, two really stood out from the crowd: the Fujifilm X-T3 and the Sony A7 III. The former replaces the already excellent X-T2 with improved autofocus and impressive video capabilities, whereas the latter is a well-priced camera that doesn’t force you to compromise when it comes to image quality and performance – a true synthesis of the best features Sony has developed over the past three years.
