Review: OM System OM-1 Mark II

Think Micro Four-Thirds and you probably think about OM System, formerly called Olympus.

The brand has a strong pedigree in the crop sensor camera game and in 2022 introduced the OM-1, the brand’s all-singing flagship camera that offered blistering frame rates and a truckload of computational features.

The OM-1 attracted praise for its pro-build and ease of use, reinvigorating interest in the Micro Four-Thirds sector, and it was a camera we really enjoyed using as well.

Fast forward nearly two years and the replacement has arrived, but rather than a whole new camera, the Mark II is more of a refinement. Let’s take a look at this facelift model, which has an RRP of $3,799, to see what’s been improved.

The build

First up, let’s talk about the design, which is almost exactly the same as the original OM-1.

The only differences found on the Mark II are a new name plate (OM System instead of Olympus), and there’s a change in design to the dials - gone are the plastic versions and in their place or much nicer ‘rubbery-style’ dials, which will make it much easier to change settings if you are using gloves.

That said, the original OM-1 was a pretty comprehensive body to begin with, offering an extreme level of weather protection to keep moisture and dust at bay, while delivering an ergonomic build and a sensible layout of buttons.

Tipping the scales at just 599g, the body was lightweight, but robust enough to take the knocks of everyday use.

On the inside

So, if the body is pretty much the same, what else is new? Well, it’s inside the camera where things have really changed and perhaps the biggest new feature is the introduction of a Live Graduated ND filter. That’s right, you may well be able to finally ditch those expensive and awkward glass filters as the Mark II now offers this feature in-camera.

The feature works well and users can use the LCD to drag a horizon line over the area of the scene where they want the ND grad effect to work. The angle of the horizon can be adjusted using the dials so that you can fine-tune it in and there’s more settings too.

For example, you can change the type of graduations, choosing between Soft, Medium or Hard, and the strength of ND grad can be adjusted too, with photographers selecting from GND2, GND4 and GND8.

From my testing, these different levels of filtration should be enough for most photographers, but if you are greeted with an extremely high-contrast lighting scene - such as a strong sunset or sunrise where the sky is much, much brighter than the foreground - then you may still need some physical grad filtration.

That said, the feature works incredibly well and is certainly an adequate safety net for those photographers who have ventured out without packing any glass filters.

It is computational features like the Live GND mode that OM System does very well and one of the other computational features has also been improved.

The Live ND, which can artificially extend the shutter speed so users can capture long exposures has been improved and now offers ND128 - that’s 7-stops of exposure you are buying back without needing to add a physical ND filter in front of your lens and that’s pretty damn impressive.

Autofocus

The new Mark II offers the same blistering frame rates, enabling wildlife and sports photographers to shoot 50 frames per second with full AF/AE or up to a whopping 120 frames per second with locked autofocus.

While the original OM-1 had a buffer of 90 frames, this Mark II increases this dramatically to over 200 frames in one go.

But it’s the autofocus system that sees a major improvement, with the AF far better at picking up fast moving subjects in the frame and now identifies humans, even if they are facing away from the camera.

I shoot a lot of bird photography and can confirm the Mark II is way, way better at locking onto feathered subjects, even if they are partially obscured by branches or other objects that could flummox regular AF systems.

Image quality

Although the 20-megapixel MFT sensor is the same as the original OM-1 - which will be somewhat of a disappointment to some photographers - the image quality does receive a bump, both in general photography and even more so when the High Res Shot mode is engaged.

As a reminder; the High Res mode enables photographers to capture a single high res file (50-megapixel handheld or 80-megapixel when used on a tripod) and the Mark II enables users to capture these files in 14-bit RAW format, up from 12-bit RAW; and while that may sound like an inconsequential upgrade, it’s the equivalent of three times the tonal range.

Another incremental but important improvement is the In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS), which has seen a boost from 7.5 to 8.5 stops to help banish camera shake.

In the hands, the Mark II is an engaging camera to take out into the field. Many will look past the OM System cameras in favour of APS-C or full-frame options, but Micro Four-Thirds does bring certain benefits, particularly the 2x crop factor, which will appeal to wildlife photographers looking to capture subjects from a distance that would be scared away if you got too close.

The small and lightweight dimensions of OM System gear is also a big plus and there aren’t many photographers out there who would choose to carry heavier gear when given the choice.

Also launched alongside the OM-1 Mark II was the 150-600mm F5-6.3 IS lens, which is the perfect optic to explain the benefits of the Micro Four-Thirds system.

With an equivalent focal length of 300-1200mm, the creative opportunities this lens and camera combo can bring are incredible and despite the new lens weighing around 2kg, the full-frame versions would be ginormous in comparison.

What’s more, the lens works with OM Systems 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, extending the maximum focal length to a mind-blowing 2400mm.

This could widen the appeal of the system to travel or astrophotographers, all looking to take advantage of the extraordinary focal length to capture new images.

The wrap-up

The OM-1 Mark II is definitely an evolution rather than a revolution, and OM System has spent a lot of time improving the most important areas that made the original OM-1 such a big hit.

Have they gone far enough, and could they have done more? Maybe. At the same time, the lower resolution offered by this camera will still draw complaints, but then again, if resolution is the biggest factor in your decision to buy a camera, then Micro Four-Thirds likely isn’t the right format for you anyway.

No, this system is squarely aimed at wildlife and nature photographers seeking a lightweight system that can offer lightning quick burst mode, impressive autofocus and some clever computational features - all while not weighing you down, both physically and financially.

Remember, the OM-1 Mark II remains incredible value for money given the professional build, weather protection and high level of features.

A massive leap forward? Not quite, but a good step forward that will certainly please existing OM system users and may well convert others to the Micro Four-Thirds gang. ❂

The results

Final word

More images