After Olympus rebranded to the name OM System, the camera company rolled out its first flagship micro four-thirds mirrorless camera. And no matter what you call it, in essence, it’s still an Olympus.
At the heart of the new OM System OM-1 II is a new 20 MP BSI stacked micro-four thirds Live MOS sensor with the venerable TruePic X image processor.
Image Credit – OM System
Coupled with the five-axis in-body image stabilization, the OM-1 II is capable of smoothing out up to 8.5 stops of camera shake when using IS-enabled lenses.
The OM-1 II also has a 7-stop digital graduated neutral density feature which has been expanded to ND 128 and can enable the shooter to select portions of the image frame and apply the neutral density factor much like a graduated ND filter.
Image Credit – OM System
Dubbed Live GND, this new feature enables content creators to bake in effects and see their effect in real-time through the camera’s 5.76 million dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder or the 3.0 inch, 1.62 million dot swiveled touchscreen LCD, and then adjust the exposure to their liking.
The OM-1 II also has AI-based Cross Quad Pixel autofocus which offers subject recognition for humans, birds, cats and dogs, airplanes, cars, and motorcycles.
The subject recognition has been optimized to be faster and more accurate while locking onto a subject and tracking it throughout the image scene.
The OM-1 II also has a quiver of computational photography modes that can apply image processing in-camera for even greater effect.
The 80 MP Tripod High Res Shot and 50 MP Handheld High Res Shot Modes, alongside Focus Stacking and Live Composite modes, offer a variety of improved image processing for high-performance sports photography or even for adjusting focus after the image has been taken.
Image Credit – OM System
Pro Camera mode takes advantage of the OM-1 II’s expanded image buffer, which can record up to 99 frames in a pre-release configuration and can capture up to 120 frames per second in burst with fixed autofocus and exposure, or 50 fps in AF/AE tracking.
On the video side of the equation, the OM-1 II can capture 14-bit raw 4K video at up to 60 frames per second.
The camera has both DCI and UHD 4K video recording and can capture Full HD video at up to 240 frames per second for slow-motion playback. In a nod to mobile content creators, the camera also supports vertical video recording, as well as supporting use as a webcam for live streaming and Zoom-like meetings.
The OMS OM-1 II is built with a rugged construction that garners the camera an impressive IP53 rating for being dustproof, splashproof, and even freeze-proof to a temperature of 14° F. The camera’s ergonomic dials have been reshaped and coated with an all-weather rubber coating to give the photographer a better grip.
The electronic viewfinder has an anti-fog coating with a magnification of .83x, and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Lastly, the camera has Dual UHS-II SD Card Slots.
OM System also announced a new M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS super-telephoto lens, which offers an equivalent 35mm focal length of 300-1200mm.
With an effective 7-stop image stabilization that is compatible with the OM-1 II’s 5-axis IS through IS Sync, the lens can make an image rock solid against any camera shake at a great distance. The lens can also be paired with the OMS MC-20 2x Teleconverter for a maximum focal reach of 2400mm.
There is also a new OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 II Micro Four Thirds Lens. Designed for both still image and video photography, this wide-angle zoom is compact and lightweight and has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 18-36mm. Its autofocus motors have been redesigned to provide smooth, quiet, and fast performance.
Pricing and availability
The OM System OM-1 II is available for preorder at a retail price of $2399 (body only) or $2999.99 with a 12-40mm f2.8 kit lens.
The OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Micro Four Thirds Lens is available for preorder at an MSRP of just under $2700. The OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 II Micro Four Thirds Lens is also available for preorder for $699.99.
The estimated shipping date for all three OMS products is scheduled for February 26, 2024.
[source: OM System]
Order links:
OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II Mirrorless Camera, body only (B&H)
OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II Mirrorless Camera with 12-40mm f/2.8 Lens (B&H)
OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Micro Four Thirds Lens (B&H)
OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 II Micro Four Thirds Lens (B&H)
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