Have missed your Olympus reviews! Only recently picked up a 75mm. See why you can’t let that one go…! Best to you…

I can understand offloading gear you’re not using, it’s just getting depressing seeing most of the micro4/3 KZfaqrs going to bigger, heavier, more expensive systems, or even more inexplicably to aps-c Fuji. I own a Z6ii and micro4/3 gear, and have owned a 5D and D750 plus 35mm film cameras in the past, and I still think nothing beats my Olympus and Panasonic gear for usability, features, price, and of course size and weight. And the difference in image quality in my street photography is marginal at best between the two formats. But I’m not a pro… just offering the opinions of an avid amateur.

I was an early adopter of MFT, in my case Lumix, but I abandoned MFT for Canon, and eventually Sony. However, about a year and a half ago I started selling up my Canon gear with the intention of going full Sony, but I did try out a G9, loved it, and especially loved strengths compared to Sony - in particular 4K/6K Photo, stop-motion animation, stellar IBIS, lighter and cheaper lenses, better build quality, feel in the hand, and far better video support. As a result I fairly quickly migrated to MFT, bought some lenses, and the G9, and was incredibly glad that I still had my old MFT lenses from years ago. That saved me a ton of money, and going back to them was like a reunion with an old friend. I have kept my Sony gear and am very glad I had Nikkor manual glass, and Zeiss glass in Nikon mount that were adapted for the E mount, as it is a very simple matter to use those lenses adapted to MFT. I still have my Sony A7Sii and A7R ii for those moments that I need full frame, but I am finding I rarely use them. I do a lot of night photography and the G9 is a far better camera at night - great IBIS beats lower noise high ISO in getting sharp shots hand held at night. So, sorry to contradict conventional wisdom, but not everyone is switching from MFT to full frame, some of us are switching from full frame to MFT, and are very pleased with the usability of cameras like the G9, and I simply love MFT lenses, both Panasonic and Olympus, and third parties like Laowa, Leica, Sigma, and Voigtländer, as well as my adapted specialty glass from Nikon and Canon. For my needs I feel I have finally reached camera and lens Nirvana.

Sad to hear you're ditching the Olympus but understand it's a decision based on your professional needs but for myself who's just a hobbyist the Olympus system suits my needs so I won't be ditching it anytime soon as appreciate it's light compact lenses and cameras well that and it's stellar weather sealing and ibis.

OM-D/PEN Fs are artistic instruments like Leica RFs, they are not really industrial tools. I use the M10 mk 2 & Pen F with the Lumix Leica15mm F1.7, 25mm F1.4 & Oly 45mm F1.8 with the pancake zoom as travel/compact kit

I suspect that orders have dropped because many people don't think the Olympus looks like a professional camera. Everyone thinks that full-frame and larger is the right thing. It's a shame. But I'll stick with my MFT equipment.

I hear you. I have alway appreciated and respected your reviews as I do respect your decision now. I too have the mark ii and the 12-40 and 75mm. All the best

If I was doing mostly weddings and human portraits, I would probably be ditching my micro four thirds gear as well. However, for pet and equine photography, I don't need generally want a super shallow depth of field because it just blurs out the animal's face and body and I've heard of equine photographers having to quit because of back injuries after using a lot of big heavy cameras and lenses day in and day out, so the 40-150 f/2.8 Pro is a perfect optic for that. For real estate and landscape photography, the extra depth of field is kind of a bonus and the image stabilization is such that I often don't need a tripod for landscape photography, so it just saves a lot of weight when I have to go for a bit of a hike to get the shot. And for wildlife photography, having a smaller lens that I can handhold gives me a lot of additional flexibility. Sure, there's a lot of noise, but after I run my images through DXO Photolab, it's not even noticeable, even when I crop in a lot at ISO 6400 on my E-M1 Mark II and the Pro Capture feature allows me to capture images that I couldn't otherwise. Yes, the autofocus misses sometimes, and I've thought about getting a Sony RX10 IV just for birds in flight and other fast action wildlife situations, but it isn't terrible and it's only going to get better with the new flagship camera that will be announced in a couple of days, which I expect will be much more affordable than an R3, A1, or Z9. I usually get enough frames to choose from that I end up with enough usable images at 18 fps. When I do wish to take some outdoor portraits of humans, I can always grab the 75mm f/1.8, or better yet, my 56mm f/1.4. I'm actually thinking about selling the 75mm because I usually reach for the 56 instead. It's sharper in the corners wide open, it focuses closer, and I prefer the bayonet style lens hood. In fact, I've never used the lens hood for my 75mm. I know you can get better bokeh out of a full frame 105 f/1.4 or a 135 f/1.8, but since I don't often need to take human portraits professionally, that kind of expenditure just doesn't make sense.

Not disappointed, totally understand you. But funny that you give this message out on the day the new OMD-1 has been presented. And i really love what i saw, seems to be a great and Fun to use Camera! Greetings from Germany

Darren, I'm sad to see you leave Olympus. But I understand. I love my M43 system and cannot imagine parting with it. But I am an amateur photographer. And as you rightly point out, there's no room for sentimentality. When it's time to move on, it's time. Thank you for your amazing channel. I'm going to stay subscribed. Paul

For your kind of work makes sense. But I know a lot of people here in Germany migrating from FF to MFT. Specifically for Wildlife, Street and Macro. The FF hype is not so strong here in Europe.

I think that's a very open and honest assessment. Thanks Darren. Keep up the good work.

Interesting reasoning🤔. But...Interestingly, and ironically, Leica implemented the 24x36mm as a reduction of the chemical support format of the time of 60x90 and 60x60mm (medium format) to achieve smaller, discreet and easy to transport camera bodies... Which meant a great revolution in “analog” photography and blurring and equivalences in apertures/focals were not considered, with respect to "medium format", to consider it invalid in certain disciplines... It seems that the second revolution would be the reduction of dimensions of the old 35mm reel (24x36mm) to give way to the micro four thirds (a new standard open to all manufacturers). Then a question arises: why are most companies so stubborn in designing a sensor with the “classic” 24x36mm “invented” in its day by Leica? I think the answer is quite obvious: these manufacturers (the old acquaintances and the one that once bought Minolta) want to continue taking advantage of their investment in optical designs from the past... (it does not seem that they are seeking to do the photographer a great favor , because in the digital world you will have to carry equipment just as heavy as in the reel era). Furthermore, reducing the size of the traditional 24x36mm to an APS-C format or better yet to Four Thirds translates into being more respectful of the environment (which we like to boast about so much now) when developing photography equipment: because in this way it is possible to reduce the cost of materials (optical glass, metal, plastics...) to build photographic equipment, with the consequent energy savings and less waste in the future... My experience tells me that blur is a relative issue, as it is a different system, with the possibility of getting closer to the main subject, we only have to vary the focal length to achieve a creamy blur even with an f2.8, therefore it is a perfect system for portraiture without having to look for the f1.2. In addition, we can illuminate the scenes with a lower flash power and/or lower ISO... Personally, what I would have liked is for all manufacturers to have embraced the four-thirds format and, thus, be able to exchange bodies and lenses from all brands (a dream that we will obviously never see). Leica once joined the four-thirds system but its contribution was not relevant and I suppose it was difficult for it to give up its 24x36mm invention. It's a pity that Leica had not come up with the idea of ​​the Four Thirds and thus reinvented the universal format again...😁

Darren, thanks. You were one of the influences to me leaving FF & APS-C. You’ll get no hate from me at all. I don’t dislike FF or APS-C but where you have found you weren’t using MFT anymore, I had the same but in reverse. I’ll still eagerly watch your videos as you present well, know your stuff and are balanced in your views. So, no, not any hate from me, just appreciation and respect. Best wishes, whatever you use.

Hi Darren! I appreciate all the work you do and your videos. Late last year I made the same decision and moved to Nikon with the Z 9 (and a backup Z fc). The image quality is steller and it works well for my studio-oriented work. However I quickly was reminded why I switched to M43 from 35mm. Anytime I have to leave the studio lugging around the Z 9 is not just harder, but a chore. I went out birding ("me time") with both the G9 and the Z yesterday and honestly the G9 gave me the images I'm keeping. It's not that it produces sharper results, or even tracks as well, but it does those things adequately while being SUPER fun and easy to hold. Now with the new Oly and Panny bodies releasing soon...I'm thinking I might even go back. Peace and best of luck to you!

I almost got rid of my M43 but it was DXO PhotoLab and DXO PureRaw with Deep Prime noise reduction that made me change my mind. I decided I just did not want to deal with selling my gear. DXO Deep Prime is edging on full frame high ISO. Also DXO restores loss color due to high ISO. I might buy full frame at some point but I'm only going to buy one or two lens. I have a decked out M43 system and that's a lot of lens and I don't want to spend that kind of money rebuilding another system as of now. For extra bokeh I use Luminar. It's good fur a few photos but full frame is better if you have to shoot a lot of super bokeh.

I thoroughly enjoyed your Olympus reviews. Sorry to see you go away from the micro four thirds. Gonna miss you but I am an Olympus user and have no interest in other systems. Stay safe and all the best to you in the future.

Darren, Olympus or m4/3 system in general never was and never will be the best choice for wedding/event photography. It has way to many limitations. It is great for travel photography due to compact size and weight. To me it was not a question if, but rather when you will realize it and abandon the system. Congratulations on a wise decision and good luck!

Sorry to see, but I understand. I have been tempted more than once to make the switch to FF but could never bring myself to do it. Few reasons. One, I am nowhere near the point of needing it. Two, I own 2 Olympus bodies. Om-1 and the E-m1 mark III along with 6 lenses. If I sold them all I might be able to get a new body and 2 used lenses in most FF systems. That's just stupid crazy $$$ for me. Another is size. Along with the big price comes the larger lenses. Like the canon 85 1.2. that thing is huge with a price tag to match it. I just bought the 75 1.8 due to your's and Robin Wongs praise. I think is the lens that will put my FF desire to rest. I already did some test shots and the separation and sharpness is amazing. $550 over $3,000 to shoot a 2nd system. No brainer. Sorry to see you go.

I was all in with the Olympus system and was debating getting the OM-1. In the end, I moved onto the Sony A7IV and Ricoh GR IIIx.

Only reason I got out is because they aren't innovating the system or listening to their fan base. Not much has changed since 2016 that's worth upgrading for. That's why I switched to Fuji. But you are right about the pen-f. Timeless

Daren, well I totally understand. I still have my Olympus gear. But, over the last couple of years I’ve bee shooting Fuji. The only thing that keeps me from selling my Olympus gear is the 75mm 1.8. I’ve not tried the Fuji 90mm. I, I don’t know if it could replace the 75 or not. I’ve been happy with all the Fuji lenses so far. I’m sure it’s a winner also.

Leica? I would have thought AF speed and accuracy would be important for your work?

Went the other way....Nikon DSLRs to Olympus MFT

No hate from me. The one thing I have been told for many years is the best camera out there is the one you have with you at the time you need it. The camera is just a tool, nothing more. There is so such great gear out there to choose from, and everything does something different. At my age (almost as old as dirt...) I find the MFT format best fit for me and will always be happy with my Olympus. After all, some people drive BMW, Porsche, Dodge, cars, pickups, SUVs, Jeeps, etc. It really depends on what the best fit is for you. Thanks for sharing! You helped me get to where I am today.

I feel ya. I'm so tempted to switch to Pentax APC. To me, they have the nicest rendering ever. I have the compact Pentax MX-1 and despite it's 12MP it's just pure magic.

They are not doing anything new. It's sad.. I was an Olympus user

Appreciate all your videos, man. Looking forward to see how you get on with the Leica camera you're looking at. You know you're going to get it! ;-)

Yep, totally understand. Did the same selling MFT, went for Nikon Z. The Z lenses are really something with sharpness pretty good up till the edges. I guess the larger mount really allows the engineering to push some limits. Always liked MFT but camera phones are getting so good it gets tougher and tougher to tell the difference in good / reasonable light. Only with FF I can immediately tell.

Thanks for your reviews Darren I did enjoy them. I've switched also .. but from Olympus to Panasonic. Thought your shots with the Pana Leica 8-18 were spectacular. All the best.

Have you tried the new one OM-1?

Use what you need to use for the job. Like my other "tools" my mountain bike for that purpose, road bike for that one. Motorcycles are worse. I have a 250 motard, 450 off-road, 125 scooter, 1250GS. I don't own a FF camera but can see where it would be a must have. I'll probably always keep a M43 camera and 1-2 lenses. IF they ever figure out how to use computational maping to make more light or sensors change M43 will take off.

I sold my M.Zuiko 75mm f1.8 a couple of years ago and still miss it terribly. Recently picked up a Fuji XT3 to dabble with and can’t decide whether I’ll keep that camera or go back to the 75mm f1.8 and perhaps a Pro f1.2 lens. Guess I’ll have to try one of the Fuji primes before deciding.

I can't say I'm surprised. I love my Panasonic, which usually wears the Oly 12-40 f/2.8 pro--I notice that's one of the two lenses you said you were keeping--but if I made my living with my camera, I think it would be very hard to justify not moving to full-frame 35mm or larger, given how much camera you can get for your money today.

One of the BEST Olympus gears reviewer on youtube.!!

I have the Oly ecosystem too. i'm really taking a hard look at selling also cuz it seems like Oly been stuck in the 20mp for so long. I'd rather go with a sony full frame mirrorless. Can you do a review on that system pls?

Thank you for great reviews!

I bought the Olympus 7-14 pro based on your review. I love it. I'm definitely not where you are professionally but now it just makes me want to go ahead and get the rest of them in that line. If you have any of the other lenses and that line let me know. I'm very interested to buy them. I'm using edelkrone stuff and would like to fill out the olympus line for my product shots. Big fan of you. Cheers

I’ve seen a lot of your videos, not only those about m43 gear, which I use, and the only thing I can say is I understand your decision. Not because the system isn’t good, but for the reason a professional photographer needs to use the camera each and every day. If you feel that way it’s perhaps time has arrived to take this decision. Do not worry about haters. If you keep some Olympus gear is because you still love the system. Thank you for sharing your feelings! 😉

It is completely logical, with the advent of smaller and lighter full-frame cameras and lenses, the space for NFT in the world is very limited. I myself also parted with it a few months ago, as long as I still get decent money for it. Leave the horse before it dies.

No hate here from this Olympus Person. You have to make sensible decisions as a businessperson; I think the healthiest advice you can give in that regard is to only have at hand what you will use. I use Olympus gear every day for my work so that’s what I have…but it makes sense for my use case. I have contemplated changing but I think MFT has some potential and is going in interesting directions (and can regain some market share once travel opens up again). Thank you for all the content you have produced on MFT in the past and I’m looking forward to your new explorations and evolution as a photographer.

Thank you for sharing! I'm a current full frame Sony user thinking about getting into the Olympus or Gh6 system for the weather sealing and the fantastic in body stabilization those systems offer (for video shooting). I'm gonna wait to see what Sony offers this year before deciding, and see what the Xh2 specs are. I just came from your Olympus 7-14 2.8 review and interested to see that lens didn't make your cut. Are there any specifics as to why? Will you try out the Omd1?

So much was remarkable about Olympus, they were pioneers at two times in photography history that I know of and I bought in both times. My affection for the brand continues, but technology marches on and many full frame cameras are doing what only Olympus used to do. Like you, I love the look of high resolution images from full frame and larger sensors. Not true that we only look at images on phones and tablets. I look at photos on my large high resolution monitor and love the experience. Look forward to seeing more about the Leica experience. I will take some convincing, but open to hearing what you have to say about it!

Missed your mft reviews but confident you'll still produce great images and videos

Thanks, Darren! I am super happy switching from FF to MFT last year - after 16 years of Canon and Sony FF. Olympus just fits my bill better - which is a totally different use case than yours: Wildlife Photography and Outdoors. So, I guess for Wedding, Portraits, Real Estate and Studio FF and MF are the better choices. I just subscribed ;-)

I would have to give this video a 10/10

The day before the new OM :o

Man, I hope there are many more like you as it'll send lenses to rock-bottom prices and I'll sang them for my purposes.

I don't see any reason to change the system, until I see what the new OM Digital Solution company is doing in the next months. I would not quit but would not buy new gear, lenses etc. I hope they will have the same know-how like Olympus had. The new 20mm 1.4 lens is not that good.

Time to say goodbye to this channel then...

I started out on an Olympus E-M5 in 2012. I eventually got a E-M1 II, which I sold. 6 months ago, I got a Canon RP. I loved Olympus and was a fanboy. Published a bit of work with that gear. Sadly, I just couldn’t justify staying in the system. Sure, the RP doesn’t even come close to having the same set of features, but I’m mostly a purest shooter. The files are cleaner than anything I ever got on M43, particular indoors. The AF just works and is predictable. I hate to say it, but I’ve moved on too.

I was a huge fan of Olympus at the time. I bought the first EM1 with the 12-40 pro and, as you say, my favorite lens was the 75mm f1,8. I was able to make very good portraits with it. I had lots of lenses (40-150mm pro, 60mm macro, 9-18mm, 25mm f1,8, 45mm f1,8...) and I had fun with it. But the small sensor has its limitations. And after a while, I came back to Nikon. But for enthusiasts, Olympus's a very capable system.

I'm an Olympus fan for years. I own the EM-10 III and a EM-1 II with several lenses. For pro work though I still grap the D750 Nikon. Honestly, I love working with both systems.

Thanks for the video. I had an EM1x very nice camera. But you’re right, bigger sensors got less expensive and physics and the laws of light can’t be denied.

That’s not a true goodbye, with you keeping some gear. That said, I can’t blame you. I got the X-T4 recently and feel like I should sell my X-H1, but I can’t. I love that camera too much.

I’ve been considering the same but holding out for the new model announcement. They’re asking $2000+ USD which will make it $3500 here in Australia just for the body! The competition offers way more for that money. I can see a slow, disappointed mass exodus for those who aren’t fan boys. Panasonic sticking with its contrast AF for the GH6 are not helping themselves either.

Times change, your needs as a pro do. That's life. Keep your Pen F, you will find it feels very much like a Leica M. Enjoy the Leica experience, if you can afford the gear ,you will not be disappointed.

Life moves on Darren be happy 👍🏻

Interesting. I also used m43rds for many years but on a whim tried out the Fuji APS-C cameras and I am afraid never looked back. I was a Leica rangefinder shooter for many years (film and digital) and they are beautiful cameras to own and photograph with. I would say having experienced both systems that the sensor the in 50S and X-T4 are as good as any Leica sensor and that Fuji lenses, especially the new f1.4 lens for the APS-C system are as good as any Leica lens. However, there is definitely something about Leica rangefinder photography which is immensely satisfying if shooting for pleasure and I confess I regularly look at Leica kit. What holds me back is that for pro purposes, I just can't see using a Leica digital rangefinder and the SLRs are very heavy compared to other SLR bodies. If I want a heavy body then the Fuji GFX system is going to provide way better results. Just my two cents.

Happy New Year 2022 Professor Darren Miles ✍🏽 PPPPPP= Proper Planning Prevents Poor Project Performance... ✍🏽Watching👁👁 👩🏾‍💻 through your eyes ... excellent video 🗞 📰 One Journey🗺🌎🌍🌏 Let's Make It Count❗️

You think it's still possible to make a living as a real estate photog?

??????? ?

Disapointed!

Trader🤪🤪🤪🤪

You are getting very sleepy. You are going to drop all others and come to SONY> let it all go. Come over the the world of easy focus and extra sharp pictures.

Fair enogh. I do not like reviews from people that is not using the system. There is a camera system for everyone. Pick the tool that you fell is right. I will before long enjoy my new om system om-1 :-)