The Olympus E-m1 mark ii Review in 2024 and 2025

Review Olympus e-m1 mark ii in 2024 and 2025

Review of the Olympus e-m1 ii in 2024 from a Daily User

Introduction:

I’ve been using the Olympus e-m1 mark ii for about 2 years now as my primary camera. I bought it from Map Camera (my favorite Japanese Ebay seller) well after the camera hit the market sometime around 2016. By that time, Olympus had already released the e-m1 mark iii and the e-m1x, and rumors were swirling that Olympus was selling off their camera division to the company now known as OM System. I purchased the camera for around $500 and I’ve used it almost every day since for work and play.

So, lets talk about whether I made the right decision and whether I would recommend an 8-year-old camera for photography and video in 2024.

Key Specs:

20 MP Micro Four Thirds sensor
28mm-100mm zoom lens with variable aperture of f1.8-f4.9
574g
3 inch fully articulating screen
Phase detect auto-focus
4k at 30 fps video
Excellent 5-axis image stabilization

Some of the Best Build Quality:

After 2 years of daily use, I can confidently say the Olympus e-m1 mark ii has excellent build quality. The only issue I’ve encountered is slight, and I do mean slight, loosening of the rubber around the grip. This won’t be a surprise to those of you familiar with Olympus’ reputation. This camera had the best weather sealing of any camera available at its launch and I wouldn’t hesitate to dump a cup of water on it in 2024.

The body is magnesium. It feels quality without being heavy. The buttons and dials are clicky and tactile to this day. The doors to the ports all still function properly. The bottom of my camera says it was made in Vietnam, but I would have believed them if they told me it was made in Tokyo.

When Size Mattered in Micro Four Thirds:

Many people have bemoaned the slow creep up in size of flagship micro four thirds cameras in recent years and I don’t blame them. The newer OM System OM-1 mark ii isn’t any smaller than Sony’s full frame A7 series, and Panasonic just swapped the sensor in the full-frame Lumix S5 mark ii to make the G9 mark ii.

The Olympus e-m1 mark ii was made when micro four thirds manufacturers still prioritized size. It is not as large or heavy as current models. Personally, I prefer the smaller body and I think it pairs well with Olympus’ small prime lenses, like the 12mm f/2, 17mm f/1.8, 25mm f/1.8, and the 42.5 f/1.8.

The e-m1 mark ii is a bit larger than my Olympus Pen-F, but it is more feature rich and half the price. The pictures below give you some idea of size relative to the Pen-F. If I swapped the lens on the Pen-F and put it on the e-m1 mark ii, the size difference would be far less pronounced.

Versatility - All Around Winner:

I believe the Olympus e-m1 mark ii is the perfect camera for the generalist photographer and videographer. This camera is, in my opinion, a jack of all trades, master of none. But I don’t mean that in a derogatory way.

I take photographs for personal reasons and the e-m1’s image quality is perfect for that purpose. It isn’t going to compete with newer, elite, high-resolution cameras, but it is good enough for 90% of people, even professionals doing paid work.

I also shoot video for work. I need high quality video, but I don’t need 4k Cinema DNG RAW or H.265 10-bit. I just need a consistently good looking 4k image, and the Olympus e-m1 mark ii delivers every time.

If you need cinema quality LOG video or 50MP stills, this isn’t your camera. If your needs are less niche, and you’re looking for a good all-around camera, this is one of the best deals on the market.

Auto Focus:

The Olympus e-m1 mark ii has phase detection auto focus, something other m4/3 cameras were lacking at the time. What’s more, the e-m1 mark ii received a huge firmware update when the e-m1x was launched, receiving the same autofocusing algorithms of the e-m1x even though the camera was several years old at that point (thanks Olympus).

In one word, I would say the e-m1 mark ii has “reliable” autofocus. Of course, it isn’t as good as Sony’s latest a7r V, but I have never needed more than what it offers.

Do note, I don’t shoot birds in flight or push the autofocus to the extremes. I use the e-m1 mark ii primarily for filming educational pieces to camera. I’ve filmed 100s of videos and the e-m1 mark ii has never lost focus on my face. The autofocus is absolutely good enough for street and travel photography.

I don’t think Olympus got as much credit as they should have for their autofocusing system.

Image Quality:

Let’s make this quick…

As I mentioned above, the image quality in stills mode is great, but don’t expect it to be elite.

You can do a lot with 20MPs, I wouldn’t let the lower resolution scare you away. I’m a heavy cropper, and I rarely run into a situation where I don’t have enough resolution to make a good image. If you’re considering the camera for capturing memories, 20MPs is good enough to last a lifetime.

The dynamic range is not as good as my Sony a7r ii, but it is still respectable. I regularly pull shadows and highlights +/- 3 stops.

As someone who shoots with full-frame, APSC-C, and m4/3, I’m confident in recommending the Olympus e-m1 mark ii’s image quality to all but the most demanding photographers.

Whatever you do, don’t let online reviewers convince you m4/3 image quality is unusable or that you MUST spend an extra $1000 for a “better” camera. Many professionals use the e-m1 mark ii, even in 2024.

Athens from the areopagus hill - Olympus e-m1 mark ii

Video Quality - Good Enough for 90% of Users:

Olympus or OM System have never been known for their video chops. Olympus has always seemed content to position themselves as a stills-first company, and that does reflect in the Olympus e-m1 mark ii’s video options.

It shoots nice looking 1080p and 4k video (4k up to 30 fps), it even has an ALL-I compression option (up to 236 mbs, I believe). The internal video is 8-bit.

Nothing super fancy but it does produce nice looking video for those who just need a nice image straight out of camera. I have a YouTube channel with 50,000 subscribers which was built off the back of the e-m1 mark ii. Nobody has ever complained about the quality of the video.

I was never tempted to upgrade to another camera until the GH7 came out, but that camera is in a different league (you can’t buy those for $450 dollars like you can the e-m1 mark ii).

Image Stabilization - The Best in the Business:

The micro four thirds platform has had class leading image stabilization since the beginning of mirrorless cameras. The e-m1 mark ii is a refined system with absolutely excellent stabilization. Handheld long-exposures of 2 to 3 seconds are no problem and the video stabilization is miles ahead of many modern full-frame/apsc cameras launched in 2023 and 2024. You can walk with this camera and achieve gimbal like results. The micro jitters of other cameras don’t exist on this Olympus.

In my opinion, the image stabilization is the highlight of the e-m1 mark ii. For my use case, it is the most useful feature, allowing me to accomplish things I could never do with my other cameras.

Monastery in Vlore Albania - Olympus e-m1 mark ii

Lens Selection Cannot Be Overlooked:

While not a feature exclusive to the Olympus e-m1 mark ii, the Micro Four Thirds lens line up is mature and plentiful. If you want small primes to take advantage of the small cameras or you are looking for long premium telephotos, the m4/3 mount has you covered.

I recently bought a full frame L-mount camera, the Sigma FP (my review here), and while it is a great camera, the lens lineup leaves a lot to be desired. Having a relatively limited number of options in the L-Mount Alliance has made me appreciate what Micro Four Thirds has to offer.

Besides the large number of lens options, it should also be noted that Micro Four Thirds lenses are generally cheaper than comparable lenses for larger formats. Buying a premium m4/3 lens on the used market typically won’t cost you what a full-frame equivalent will, although the resale value of m4/3 glass has been steadily climbing in recent months.

I will list a few affiliate links to my favorite lenses:

Things to complain about:

The reason I’ve kept the Olympus e-m1 mark ii for 2 years is because I don’t have many complaints with it, but let me try to document a list of nit-picks.

The fully articulating screen is great for video but I much prefer a tilt screen for stills photography.
Low-light performance can’t compete with most full frame cameras. This is a result of physics due to the sensor being about 1/4 the size of a full-frame sensor.
No USB-C charging. It has a USB-C port but you can’t use it for power delivery, you’ll need the e-m1x or e-m1 mark iii for that.
When recording video, the camera caps the file size at 4gb. When the video file reaches 4gb, the camera automatically ends the clip and starts a new video file. This results in multiple video clips when recording a long video. This isn’t a big deal, but it can add a few extra steps to your editing process.
The Micro Four Thirds ecosystem is in trouble. While I don’t think Micro Four Thirds is dead, innovation, new bodies, and new lenses have become rarer and rarer in recent years. This is something to consider if you look at new camera gear as a long-term investment (5+ years). The GH7 from Panasonic has certainly breathed new life into m4/3, but the system needs more to thrive.

Price:

I regularly see the Olympus e-m1 mark ii selling in excellent condition for around $450 on Ebay. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend buying from MPB or other resellers because their prices are too high. There are very reputable Japanese Ebay sellers (like Map Camera) who will put one of these in your hand for under $500 all day long!

I don’t believe you can buy this camera new anymore (at least not direct from the manufacturer).

My Recommendation:

Would I recommend the Olympus e-m1 mark ii to an enthusiast or even a professional photographer? In a heart beat, yes!

At a used price of around $450 I don’t think you’ll find a comparable alternative. In my view, the Olympus e-m1 mark ii is the only budget camera (under $500) that doesn’t have any critical flaws for photo AND video shooters. It makes all the right compromises and exceeds as a great all-rounder. Many pros are still using this camera in 2024 and it isn’t difficult to see why. Olympus really nailed it when they released this beauty back in 2016. Eight years later it is still a great value for anyone who works with a camera.

Potential Alternatives:

Lumix G9 (mark i) - This camera is slightly more expensive than the Olympus e-m1 mark ii on the used market. It is a very capable stills camera. It outperforms the e-m1 mark ii handily in video (including uncropped 4k 60fps), but it has one critical flaw, the autofocus is contrast-detect only, and it is not nearly as reliable as the phase-detect system on the Olympus e-m1 mark ii.

Olympus e-m5 mark iii - A smaller body with a comparable feature set to the e-m1 mark ii. The e-m5 mark iii will cost you anywhere from $100-200 more on the used market.