Olympus OM-E E-M10 Mark II in test

The OM-D E-M10 Mk II has a magnesium alloy housing.


Case & Operation


Olympus is optimizing its mid-range camera OM-D E-M10 Mk II with technology of the top models E-M1 and E-M5 Mk II. The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk II comes in a reworked housing OM-1. With the kit lens 3,5-5,6 / 14-42 mm it is to cost nearly 800 euros, the body alone about 600 euros. In this price class are also the DSLRs Canon 750D (price approx. 700/650 euro) as well as Nikon D5500 (price around 800/700 euro)


Searcher & Monitor


The fact that the mirrorless Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk II and the DSLRs Canon 750D and Nikon D5500 meet two worlds is clear as soon as one sees them next to each other. 120 x 83 x 47 mm and 390 g of the OM-D E-M10 Mk II occur against 132 x 101 x 78 mm and 555 g of the 750D. Nikons D5500 is 124 x 97 x 70 mm and 470 g slightly smaller than the 750D, but larger than the Olympus. While the OM-D E-M10 Mk II with its magnesium alloy housing is part of the metal fraction, the 750D's plastic body feels less valuable. The D5500, although also in the plastic case, conveys rather the solid, Nikon-typical familyfeel of the larger models.


Autofocus


In the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II, the unchanged 16-MP CMOS sensor operates without a low-pass filter, but with a new 5-axis sensor shift image stabilization and contrast AF, and the TruePic VII image processor. In the Canon 750D, the new 24-megapixel CMOS sensor in the APS-C format with low-pass filter is used. Special pixels should be supported by live view, supported by the Digic-6 processor, for fast focusing via phase detection on the sensor. The Nikon D5500 is equipped with the 24-MP sensor, which is known from the D5300, without a low-pass filter. The separate sensor module MultiCAM4800DX with phase detection is responsible for the autofocus. Everything is edited and coordinated by the current Expeed 4 image processor.


Exposure


16 megapixel resolution in the Micro Four Thirds format and 24 megapixels in the APSC format lead to nearly identical pixel sizes: 3.7? M (Canon), 3.9? M (Nikon) and 3.8? M (Olympus) . There are very similar starting conditions for noise and dynamics.


Large, rubber-reinforced handles provide a secure hold on the 750D and the D5500. The handle of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 II, on the other hand, is barely pronounced. If you want more grip, you can buy the new ECG-3 handle, the E-M10 does not fit. On the Olympus the right thumb is particularly good. There is no splash protection. However, all three of them wait with integrated mini-flashes (LZ 9, Olympus only LZ 4), which can also control external system flashes. The design of the upper side and the control elements contribute to the unique character of the E-M10 Mk II.


Like the E-M1, it has three dials to the right of the prism case, which contains the electronic viewfinder and mini pop-up flash. The main wheel also serves the exposure selection, plus two easily twistable wheels for the thumb and index finger. Three function buttons, one of which is the reprogrammable video start button, complete the offer. The space to the left of the prism is occupied by Olympus with the handy on / off switch, which also activates the flash. There is also a fourth function key. On their backs, there are various buttons for direct access to important functions as well as four-directional rockers with a central OK button on all three models.


The Canon 750D and Nikon D5500 are similar in their modern SLR look with a central exposure mode dial to the right of the prism bump for various manual and automatic modes, surrounded by function buttons for direct access, a setting knurled ring and a bare left shoulder. Due to the great variety of functions, the operation is often very menu-heavy.


The quality of a menu structure can not be measured, but as someone who has constantly to do with different cameras, I like the composition at Canon best, while Olympus interspersed by ever puzzles again and again. The main menu of the 750D is divided into four groups by differently colored riders. There are a maximum of seven sub-items.


Nikon and Olympus require more familiarization. In the recording and playback menu of the E-M10 M II, there are 19 entries on the first level, with a further 95 concealed in eleven categories, for example, the automatic exposure series are hidden in various variants. Fortunately, you can assign them (and other favorite features) for direct access to one of the function buttons. The desired type and variation can be given very nicely with the two setting wheels.


The Nikon D5500 has six main menu items behind which up to 22 sub-items can be hidden in 8-block lists for scrolling by key or touchscreen touch. During operation, all three cameras have a quick access key to abbreviations to the most important settings. In addition, the touch screen operation possible with all models simplifies the camera settings


With 750D and D5500 you can make important settings in the SLR mode even without live view by tapping the corresponding symbols. In addition, the AF point in live view mode can be selected and triggered at the fingertip. When playing, scrolling and zooming stored images is possible.


While the Canon 750D and the Nikon D5500 with their SLR prism searchers and an effective magnification of around 0.5x as well as a coverage of 95% of the image field rather fulfill the duty, the E-M10 Mk II shows the frills: It has an electronic OLED Searchers with 786 667 RGB pixels, 0.61x magnification and 100% image field. The color and contrast of the display convince, the jerking at pans or movements in the picture is minimal. Also color noise in low light is practically no topic


Image quality


An eye sensor provides the automatic switching between the electronic viewfinder and the LCD monitor for the E-M10 Mk II. The diopter correction is self-explanatory.


The live view monitor of 750D and D5500 must be activated and deactivated, which can be audibly heard by the sound of the folding mirror. The 750D and D5500 are more flexible than the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk II with the touch-screen LCD monitors. The monitor can be tilted 90 ° upwards or 45 ° downwards after folding out of the case . The monitor's diagonal measurement is 3 inches for Olympus and Canon, and 3.22 for Nikon. The resolution is at all 345 667 RGB pixels. When the sun is shining, everyone is glad that the camera has a viewfinder, especially as all three monitors are reflected.


Deadleaves


The variously extensive monitor information can be accessed via Info buttons on all three models. The symbols and fonts, as well as the monitor image, are clearly recognizable even if the view is not quite straightforward. While the fade-out of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk II is preselected in the viewfinder as on the monitor, the SLRs viewfinder display only the default info.


The touchscreen operation is possible in live view mode and when using the viewfinder. The video function with maximum HD resolution 1920 x 1080 and 60p / 50p (NTSC / PAL) with Nikon and Olympus as well as with 30p / 25p with Canon can be started with E-M10 Mk II and D5500 each with its own button .


The 750D has its own position for the main switch. In the video mode, the recording is started as usual on the shutter button. 4K video does not film any of the three cameras, but the E-M10 MkII makes time-lapse video in 4K resolution - four times more than the E-M10.


Edge lift


Noise, dynamics & color


Lesetipp


Conclusion


All three candidates offer an integrated WLAN function with corresponding apps. The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk II simplifies communication using QR code, the 750D offers NFC convenience and Nikon "WPS per touch print"


In the autofocus, all candidates rely on different concepts. In the Olympus OM-D E-M10 II, a contrast AF is used, which covers most of the image with 81 measurement fields. Spot-AF and the grouping of measurement points to a free-placeable 9-block are also possible. The AF also reacts without phase detection support with 0.22 / 0.28 s and thus faster than 750D and D5500. On the Olympus OM-E E-M10 one can use E-lenses while maintaining the system functions, but with reduced AF speed. This works better with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and its hybrid AF. Olympus works with pure contrast AF on the sensor, while Canon and Nikon use different systems depending on the selected mode.


In "normal" SLR operation with viewfinder, the 750D uses phase detection with 19 AF fields, all of which are equipped with cross sensors. The D5500 autofocus operates with 39 measurement fields, including 9 cross sensors.


If you shoot with a live-view image - with Canon and Nikon with a mirror-up mirror - the sensor contrast AF is the best choice in all cameras. There are several measurement field layouts. The Canon 750D also uses a contrast AF with flexible wide field or spot metering as well as face detection and AF tracking for the live view and video autofocus. Unlike Canon's APS-C top models, the 750D does not have a dual-pixel structure for the Live View AF. With its contrast AF, special pixels are designed to help the live autofocus live view with the support of the Digic-6 processor. There was not much to remember about the measurement.


If the values ​​of 0.47 / 0.61 s in the Phasdetektion-AF already no gloss performance, it is 0.99 / 0.97 s in the live view even less. A STM lens with a stepping motor, which is used for comparison, halved these AFZs. Also the D5500 does not record a speed record. With its 0.61 / 0.71 s for phase detection AF, the autofocus still reacts somewhat slower than in the 750D. The Contrast AF in Live View mode takes 1.2 seconds. For continuous-tracking AF movies, the D5500 interferes with pumping and focussing noise.


Even the continuous live-view AF of the 750D does not go very quickly to the factory. The best thing, if not perfect, is the continuous AF of the E-M10 Mk II.


The basic offer for exposure control is the same for all three models. On the one hand there are options with automatic or manually preselectable motif programs, on the other P, S, A and M with manual choices and effects.


The E-M10 Mk II features include "Live Bulb / Time", "Silent" mode with electronic shutter, the "Keystone" correction of falling lines and a "light / shadow correction" for the gradation curve. The "Color Designer" changes color matching and saturation.


The Olympus OM-E E-M10 Mk II offers extensive bracketing capabilities. Automatic exposure series can be made with different brightness, white balance and ISO values, ART filters and focus settings. The focus is gradually removed from the initial position. The images are later compiled into the consistently sharp photo.


The ISO speed ranges from 100 to 25,600, the shutter speeds of the Olympus from 1 / 4,000 to 60 s. The electronic shutter allows 1 / 16,000 s. The shortest X sync time is 1/250 s, short-time synchronization is up to 1 / 4,000 s possible. The image stabilizer is improved. The sensor-shift mechanism of the Olympus works around five axes. The continuous image speed reaches 8.2 B / s (28 in series) in JPEG mode, 8.5 B / s (12 in series) in RAW mode. The switch-on delay is slightly longer with 1.7 s. This can make 750D and D5500 better.


The Canon 750D exposes between 1 / 4,000 and 30 s and has 1/200 s as the shortest X sync time. The exposure metering of the 750D combines 7,560 pixels to 63 exposure fields. A flicker detection ensures that the camera triggers in a light phase when the light from fluorescent tubes is lit. The automatic contrast adjustment helps with contrasting motifs. The automatic ISO values ​​of the D5500 (100 - 6,400) can be expanded up to 25 600. For JPEG and RAW, the 750D creates up to 4 fps, 10 of them as JPEGs, 8 as RAW.


Similarly fast with up to 5 fps the Nikon series shooting mode that saves JPEGs until the card is full, or up to 21 RAWs. Also the D5500 exposes with ISO 100 - 25,600. Numerous options from variable image styles to Active D-Lighting also ensure a lot of design freedom. In addition, the D5500 offers a wide range of options for editing in the camera.


The measurements show that the Olympus OM-D E-M10 has not changed much compared to the Olympus OM-D E-M10 - as with the same 16 MP image sensor without an upstream low-pass filter. It is striking that the new model at ISO 200 with 1,623 LP / BH is about 100 lines below the predecessor, the Nyquist border fully erotically. At ISO 400 it is about 1535 LP / BH and with ISO 800 with 1,439 LP / BH even about 200 lines less. From ISO 6.400, there are no significant differences to the E-M10.


At the resolution, the Nikon has a lot more to offer with 2.056 LP / BH at the limit of the Nyquist resolution, while the Canon with 1.753 LP / BH is only slightly higher resolution than the Olympus. The Nikon is already at ISO 400 at 1.786 LP / BH, and up to ISO 6400 750D and D5500 are about the same level just before the E-M10 Mk II.


In the case of the DL cross curves, the D550 remains moderate. The displayed contrasts are not significant above the output contrast of the motif with the value 1. The restrained signal processing promises natural reproduction without artificial color contrasts as well as from IS0 400 moderate artefacts. The similar dead-leave values ​​for low as well as high contrast (921/891 at ISO 100) also favor homogeneous image representation and good fine-tuning.


The dead-beave cross-curves of the Canon 750D show an increase of the color contrasts at ISO 100 up to the value 1 and a long-drawn course. The drop at higher sensitivities corresponds to the usual.


Olympus does not approach the DLCross values ​​of the APS-C models, but the distance is particularly moderate to Nikon. The lower sensor resolution leads to a slightly lower detail drawing. Particularly with ISO 100, the distance DL-Cross High to Dead-Leaves-Cross Low is noticeable - thus less resolution with low-contrast details. Basically, the curve is similar to that of the slightly more aggressive Canon tuning than that of Nikon.


The 750D provides a distinct and wide edge lift for a crisp image impression. However, this is at the expense of fine drawing and details. With the Nikon D5500 the readings for the overshoot and the undershoot behavior remain moderate, which contributes to the balanced image impression, even if lower contrast and higher sensitivities are lost some edge sharpness. Similar to the Canon, the Nikon goes to work, which emphasizes the edges, especially on the dark side, without becoming overall as aggressive as the 750D.


In the case of noise, the E-M10 Mk II operates up to ISO 1,600 with VN values ​​up to 1.3 and increases from 1.8 for ISO 3200 to 2.4 for ISO 6400. 750D and D5500 are up to ISO 800 (1.7) and 1.600 (1.8) respectively with higher 1s values ​​and are in the range of VN 2 and more, where it is slowly disturbing.


The dynamics of the E-M10 Mk II are up to ISO 1,600 with values ​​of 11 EV ahead. It also decreases slowly to EV 7.7 at ISO 25 600 at 9.7 EV for ISO 3.200. 750D and D5500 do not keep with EV values ​​around 9 EV up to ISO 1,600. In addition, the dynamics gradually decrease from EV 8 to 6.3 or 6 EV at the highest ISO value.


In terms of color accuracy, the E-M10 Mk II and the D5500 are playing around 12 in the same league, the 750D with values ​​in the range 10.5 just below. All three models showed no major abnormalities. Deviations in reddish and purple areas were visible in the laboratory. The 750D promises the lowest color deviation with continuous? E values ​​in the middle to upper 10 range. For the E-M10 Mk II and D5500, they were around 12. However, this difference was hardly noticeable in the practical test recordings.


All three models offer convincing picture quality at a very fair price and enable the photographer to enter a top system with relatively little money at a high level. However, you have to make cuts with features like case and viewfinder.


Looking at only the image quality, Canon and Nikon have a small lead. In addition, the Nikon at ISO 100 delivers an enormous resolution and overtakes the competition in this point. However, the Nikon autofocus is the slowest, and so the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II with the fastest AF brings the decisive points for their tight victory. For its compact housing, OLED viewfinder and five-axis image stabilizer, it has other advantages. Optical viewfinder and grip are, however, the advantages of the SLR cameras from Canon and Nikon.


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