Can the OM-1 Mark II Replace my Nikon Z8 Camera?

I reached a point where I decided that reducing the weight of the photography equipment that I carry would really help both me and my photography. While my Nikon Z8 mostly did what I wanted in a camera, carrying it and my lenses, one or two tripods, sometimes other gear for creating videos etc. was beginning to get in my way. As an outdoor landscape and wildlife photographer I also feel that it was taking away some of the enjoyment from my photography.

After much consideration and thinking about all possible options I decided I would purchase an OM System OM-1 Mark II camera with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II lens. My intention was to test the camera, take a few of my own images, evaluate the RAW files, create a print and come to a decision. My research suggested the camera would be a very capable tool for wildlife photography so, even though I hadn’t tried it, I was confident it was capable in terms of autofocus. My interest lay in the ergonomics of the camera, the menu system, image quality etc. Would this be a camera that I would only use on long difficult hikes when weight saving was a priority? Or, would I feel that the OM-1 Mark II (with a collection of lenses) would meet all my needs, help deliver the photographs that I want, and be good enough to produce high quality prints?

Capturing my first on-location photograph with the OM-1 Mark II camera and 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II lens.

Why did I choose the OM-1 Mark II? After looking at all options I really felt that this is a camera system which would suit my needs better than any other. I would of course save weight and size but there was more to it than that. As an outdoor photographer based in Scotland the weather sealing on OM System products really appealed to me as I am often caught in inclement weather conditions. I was aware that the camera offered a lot of customisation including the ability to setup four custom modes; as a wildlife and landscape photographer this is something that I felt could really benefit me. After studying the lenses which are available for the OM-1 Mark II I was certain that I could build a kit perfect for my own individual needs (I did mention the weather sealing already didn’t I?). Some of the lenses which caught my eye were:

• M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II

• M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO

• M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F4.0 IS PRO

• M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO

Should I want to go even lighter there are similar F4 lens options available to use instead of the F2.8 versions. Then, in addition to the above lenses, OM System announced the M.Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO which I feel would be a fantastic lens for both landscape and wildlife photography. While I don’t expect to own all these lenses I greatly appreciate the choice and I feel I can build up a kit that perfectly suits my own needs.

My first landscape photography photograph taken with the OM-1 Mark II.

So, having now used the OM-1 Mark II and done quite a lot of testing, and produced a print of the above photo - what do I think of it and what have I decided to do? I’ve created a detailed YouTube video with lots of information that you can watch here.

The Best Camera Settings for Landscape Photography

A question I often get asked is “What settings did you use to take that photograph?”. I understand the curiosity. However, I feel the important part of camera settings is to understand what they do and how to use them, rather than know the settings a photographer used for a specific image - the latter really won’t help anyone much.

Discussion around camera settings for landscape photography is mostly focused around the exposure triangle - ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed. We need to understand how each of these three settings influence our exposure but also how they control the overall appearance of the photographs we take. Our cameras have many settings but I also like to draw peoples attention to Focal Length when thinking about which Aperture to use. Focal Length, along with other factors, affects Depth of Field.

I talk through how I decided on the camera settings for this image here.

As a guideline, when taking landscape images I try to:

1. Keep ISO as low as possible to give me the best image quality

2. Use an Aperture which gives me the desired Depth of Field for the scene I’m photographing

3. Use a Shutter Speed which helps create my vision for the photograph (be it having all motion frozen and appear sharp, or show some movement e.g. in water)

4. Keep in mind the Exposure Triangle and adjust settings as necessary to create the correct exposure

If you see a photograph and the camera settings used are visible, there is often no useful information to be gained from knowing those settings which were used by the photographer. It may be interesting but for them to mean anything you’d have had to be there with the photographer, know which type of camera they used (e.g. full frame, medium format), where they focused, the distance in the scene, how fast any movement was (e.g. tree movement, water flow), what their vision was for the photograph, which filters were used (if any) and so on. It is also important to realise that a different combination of settings could have been used to produce another photograph of the same scene, taken at the same time, and to the end viewer it would look the same.

My advice is to learn what ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed do and I have a video which can help you do this. I talk through the settings I decided to use for a number of photographs and most importantly why I chose those settings. You can watch the video on my YouTube channel here.

From Canon 5D Mark IV to Fuji X-T3 - Why I Changed Camera

After using my Canon 5D Mark IV for over 3 years I decided it was time to change camera, and I purchased the Fuji X-T3. This wasn’t a decision I made lightly, and it was one I pondered over for many many months. The Canon 5D Mark IV is an excellent camera and with it I had a number of excellent lenses, unfortunately with that comes a lot of weight which isn’t ideal when walking long distances for landscape photography. Also mirrorless technology brings a lot of new features which I felt could benefit my photography, for example the EVF, seeing the histogram in the viewfinder and much more.

One of the first images I captured when testing the Fujifilm X-T3.

So eventually I bought the Fuji X-T3 and two lenses as my initial purchase and began a test period where I put the camera and these lenses through their paces. I wanted to ensure I would be happy with the camera and the quality of images it and the lenses produced. The short answer is that I am.

If you’d like to know the full details of my change, the lenses I’ve bought and why, what I think of the image quality and see some of the first images I captured with the Fuji X-T3 then you can watch my video on my YouTube channel here.