Anticipating behaviour (an important component of knowing our photographic subjects) is one of the three most important factors that contributes to us being successful bird and nature photographers. In my view, it is the most important factor.
Category Archives: Micro 4/3 (OM-D/M.Zuiko)
Personal ISO Limit
Setting a personal ISO limit for our bird-in-flight photography takes some experimentation in the field and in post processing. I’ve found that my personal ISO limit can shift over time as I get more accustomed with my camera gear and how to work with my files in post. This article shares twelve new images from some additional high ISO testing I did this weekend. It also discusses where I’ve currently set my personal ISO limit for my OM-D E-M1X when photographing birds-in-flight.
Compatibility and Differentiation
It is interesting to consider camera product compatibility and differentiation, as sometimes these factors can work at cross purposes. There are photographers who feel that OMDS should make its proprietary computational photography technologies compatible with lenses from other manufacturers. And, that OMDS should expand the compatibility of these technologies further down its own product line to include less expensive lenses.
Some other photographers are upset that Canon appears to be ready to bar third party lens manufacturers from using its new camera mount and suing them if they attempt to reverse engineer the design. Some folks wonder if this could eventually lead to third party lens manufacturers disappearing down the road.
Gear Purchase Decisions
Gear purchase decisions can be complex, and can have significant financial impacts if we don’t take the time to think things through. Taking a longer term view, like 10 year purchase decisions, are actions that we seldom do as photographers. Like many folks I typically had a 3-5 year perspective when buying camera gear. I had fallen into the ‘incrementalism’ trap by thinking that if a sufficient number of incremental improvements in specifications occurred it would make upgrading equipment every 3 to 5 years logical and worthwhile.
Conjoint Analysis
This article discusses conjoint analysis and how this research technique may have been used by OMDS to determine the features in the new OM-5 camera. Some folks are up in arms about certain attributes of the OM-5. Like using the same sensor as in the E-M1 Mark III, maintaining the older menu, and using an older USB Micro connector. As is often the case, the wish list that consumers may have for a new product can be totally unrealistic given business realities. It is prudent to remember that no camera is perfect, and that all things photographic come with some kind of trade-off.
Emerging From Darkness
It can be an enjoyable creative experiment to produce a series of images in keeping with a theme like Emerging From Darkness. Using a mirrorless camera system for this type of creative execution is ideal since we can see how our images will look in real time without any guesswork. Obviously this is important when purposely underexposing images.
Osprey Mid-Air Shake
This article features 5 consecutive images of an osprey mid-air shake which were captured during a recent visit to Hendrie Valley. A few additional photographs that were shot after the osprey mid-air shake are also included.
Dragonfly Tussle
This article features five consecutive images of a dragonfly tussle that occurred during an August 2022 visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG). I had been photographing dragonflies taking off and landing on some of the pond plants at the RBG when this interaction transpired.
OM-5 Strategic Intent
When a company introduces a new product like OMDS’s new OM-5, it is always an interesting exercise to ponder their strategic intent. Some folks that I respect like Robin Wong, had a decidedly negative reaction to the OM-5. You may want to rewind this video and watch it from the start.
Suffice to say that I don’t agree at all with Robin’s product focused assessment of why the Olympus Imaging Division failed. Nor do I agree at all with his assessment of the OM-5.
As we all know, the Olympus Imaging Division ultimately was transferred to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) and re-emerged as OM Digital Solutions (OMDS).
OM-5 Introduced
Today, the new OM-5 was introduced by OM Digital Systems. As regular readers know, this is not a gear review website so we will not be doing any kind of a review on this new camera. Below you will find some links to various videos about the new OM-5 camera.