Just got a used OM-D E-M1

[Victor Nguyen]

Hi R2R,

I just purchased a used OM-D E-M1. I am not too familiar with DSLR cameras but have heard great results with these mirrorless cameras for macro photography. They are small and efficient. I also have an Olympus 12-50mm EZ marco len (1:1 ratio). I know it's not the 60mm macro but I am saving up for this one.

Is there anyone else in here has this camera who can give me a few pointers? Maybe some readings that I can follow up. TIA guys.

 

[naoki]

I like macro photography of plants and insects, and E-M1 is amazing. Out of 10 or so digital cameras (Nikon, Olympus and Sony) I have, I use E-M1 most frequently because the control is quick and intuitive (in addition to the excellent lens and compactness). There are some occasions when I reach for bulky Nikon D800E or D2X (I think Nikon Speed light system is easier), but E-M1 can do most things well even though it is quite old. For macro, in-camera focus stacking of E-M1 is very convenient although it is limited to 8 frames.

I don't have 12-50mm, but 60mm macro is worth getting. For the extra magnification, I use 30mm macro (which has an impressive performance for the price), but if I were to have only one macro lens, I would definitely pay the extra for 60mm.

Well, I don't have any pointers, but you can gradually read the user manual. A lot of things can be customized with this camera, so it might take a bit of time for the camera to "fit" to your hands well.

 

[Victor Nguyen]

I like macro photography of plants and insects, and E-M1 is amazing. Out of 10 or so digital cameras (Nikon, Olympus and Sony) I have, I use E-M1 most frequently because the control is quick and intuitive (in addition to the excellent lens and compactness). There are some occasions when I reach for bulky Nikon D800E or D2X (I think Nikon Speed light system is easier), but E-M1 can do most things well even though it is quite old. For macro, in-camera focus stacking of E-M1 is very convenient although it is limited to 8 frames.

I don't have 12-50mm, but 60mm macro is worth getting. For the extra magnification, I use 30mm macro (which has an impressive performance for the price), but if I were to have only one macro lens, I would definitely pay the extra for 60mm.

Well, I don't have any pointers, but you can gradually read the user manual. A lot of things can be customized with this camera, so it might take a bit of time for the camera to "fit" to your hands well.

Thanks so much for your input. I definitely need to read up on the manual. I am excited to try the focus stacking.

 

[naoki]

It will only works for corals which doesn't move. You can do focus bracketing with your lens and stack them on a computer (which is more tedious, but makes better images). Here is the method which uses open-source softwares: https://patdavid.net/2013/01/focus-stacking-macro-photos-enfuse.html But for the in-camera focus stacking, you need to use one of 7 lenses: https://cs.olympus-imaging.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/qa/products/em1m2/#08 This info is for Mk II, but it is same for the original E-M1 as long as the firmware is up to date. With the limit of in-camera focus stacking, you do need to optimize the setting to minimize the halo effect. Also the focus differential setting needs to be set differently for different lens (e.g 30mm macro vs 60mm macro) and for different magnification. With 60mm macro, I start to notice the unsharpness caused by diffraction above f11 (lower than the full frame like D800E + AF-S 105mm microNikkor), so when I'm not using the stacking, I uses it around f11. But with the in-camera focus stack, lower f (wider open aperture) seems to make better image.