Olympus' new flagship camera is geared for pros

The new Olympus OM-D E-M1(MSRP $1,399.99 body-only) is the company's new flagship mirrorless camera, and arguably their first model targeted toward professional users.

With the E-M1 — along with a wave of new, high-quality lenses — Olympus is hoping to catch the attention of working photographers — those whose necks and backs have paid the price in the quest for the perfect shot. Lightweight, weather-proofed, and built for serious photography, the E-M1 breezed through our performance tests as one of the best mirrorless cameras we've tested yet.

Fashioned from magnesium alloy, the E-M1 feels like it could easily withstand the rigors of pro use — and it sets a new high-water mark in the class for ergonomics. This new OM-D is as sculpted and toned as a Hollywood star. Its large, curved grip is big enough to securely support the camera, even with a large Four Thirds lens attached.

Yet, it's still small enough that the E-M1 remains reasonably compact. Compared with a full-frame DSLR from Canon, Nikon or Sony, the E-M1 looks downright diminutive. Armed with similar lenses, the E-M1 is more than 40% lighter than the Canon 5D Mark III. It'll make a big difference to any working photographer after a hard day's work.

Olympus applied its innovative new control-dial scheme to the E-M1 (first seen earlier this year in the PEN E-P5 model). On the camera's body are two large control wheels with a special toggle positioned by your thumb. Flick the toggle and the dials can change from one custom function setup to another. No other camera maker features such an inspired, yet simple, bit of control magic.

The designers at Olympus paid particular attention to the E-M1's overall layout and size of the buttons. It quickly becomes second nature to control the camera by feel alone. This aspect of the design is particularly important, since you'll want to have your eye fixed on the brilliant electronic viewfinder as much as possible. The less time the camera spends away from your face, the less likely you are to miss a crucial moment.

That viewfinder is a big, bright panel that's so well executed it just might change some photographers' opinions on the viability of EVFs compared with optical finders. Similarly, the 3-inch rear touchscreen is much sharper than other OLED screens we've seen — text is crisp, and your photos pop off the screen. Current OM-D owners will have a hard time going back to using the displays on their E-M5s after spending time with the E-M1. But all the pixels and vibrant colors in the world can't save the E-M1 from its bafflingly complex menu system. We've previously described the Olympus-designed menus as "byzantine," "confusing" and "frustrating." Even though all those adjectives still apply to the E-M1's menus, there's a silver lining: You may never love using them, but our experience shows that one can learn to tolerate the Olympus software.

Since this is a thoroughly modern compact system camera, the OM-D E-M1 can connect wirelessly to Android and iOS devices. The Olympus Image Share app connects to the camera and can act as a remote control or be used to wirelessly transfer images. Unfortunately, the iOS app won't support the E-M1 until next month, though the updated Android version is already hitting the Google Play Store. Olympus also opted to give the E-M1 the photo collage mode, all the art filters and other niceties we've come to expect from the marque.

The feature Olympus has stressed most in E-M1 promotional materials is the new autofocus system, a hybrid of two AF types that allows older Olympus lenses to focus nearly as fast as the new ones — and it's very, very quick overall. There are some limitations — phase-detection AF, the kind that tracks moving objects especially well, doesn't work in video mode. Contrast-detection autofocus does work in video, but you'll run into the familiar focus-hunting problems if your subject isn't standing still.

Users who prefer to use manual focus will be happy to know that the OM-D E-M1 features focus peaking — an outline appears around objects when they're in focus. The implementation is a little jittery, as the picture on the viewfinder slows down noticeably when the feature is turned on. Hopefully, Olympus can fix it with a simple firmware update.

With a packed field of great sub-$2,000 cameras to compete with, Olympus had to come out swinging with the E-M1. So it's no surprise that the company's engineers equipped it with one of the best sensors for its size that we've seen yet.

Olympus is known for its bright, vibrant colors and the E-M1 didn't disappoint in that regard. Shots look clean and clear even at high sensitivities (up to ISO 6400!), so it's well suited for low-light photography. That said, the E-M1's performance isn't quite on the same level as cameras with bigger sensors—including any proper DSLR. But, it's something most photographers (even at the pro level) will only notice in very extreme shooting conditions.

One area where the Olympus really holds its own is when it comes to continuous shooting. It can crank out 10 frames per second, maxing out at 43 total JPEG photos in our testing (and around 34 RAW shots).

Given how good every other facet of this camera is, Olympus still needs to improve its HD video capabilities. There was noticeable loss of detail in our test clips, as well as excessive noise. It's a stills camera, through and through.

Not only is the OM-D E-M1 a brilliant move from Olympus, it's a strong contender for our camera of the year. We think pros — at least those who are fed up with the weight and bulk of modern DSLRs — are going to love this camera. Matching pro build quality with the best Micro Four Thirds sensor we've seen yet, the E-M1 states its case and backs it up time and time again. The new matching M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens is also a big win for Olympus. It's a promise to pros penned in metal and glass — switch to Olympus, and expect more first-class equipment to come (starting with the complementary 40-150mm f/2.8).

More than the E-M1 alone, those professionals are going to fall in love with the system Olympus is building. Though the idea of a "pro" M43 system is still very much in its infancy, the E-M1 and 12-40mm f/2.8 are a strong down payment toward a bright future. We don't expect many deeply entrenched Canon and Nikon users to jump ship just yet, but newcomers will certainly be more likely to consider Olympus. It is, bar-none, the best stills-shooting experience within the Micro Four Thirds system, with image quality good enough for the working photographer. This camera is a loud and clear statement of intent from Olympus — mirrorless can be for pros, too.

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