Tag: Olympus OM-D E-M1X

Press Release: Development of firmware that enables the RAW video data output from Olympus Mirrorless Cameras to the ATOMOS NINJA V HDR Monitor Recorder

https://shop.olympus.com.au/news/post/development-firmware-atomos

Or in other words, Olympus OM-D E-M1X and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Micro Four Thirds cameras will be able to record Apple’s ProRes Raw video footage via the Atomos Ninja V 5-inch monitor/recorder in late 2020. 

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III with Atomos Ninja V 5-inch monitor/recorder.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III with Atomos Ninja V 5-inch monitor/recorder.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III with Atomos Ninja V 5-inch monitor/recorder.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens.
Olympus OM-D E-M1X with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens.

Development of Video Raw Output Firmware With Atomos

September 15, 2020

Development of firmware that enables the RAW video data output from Olympus Mirrorless Cameras to the ATOMOS NINJA V HDR Monitor Recorder

Olympus is pleased to announce the development of firmware that enables output of RAW video data output from Olympus OM-D E-M1X and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III mirrorless cameras to the ATOMOS NINJA V HDR monitor recorder. Development is underway in collaboration with ATOMOS. Data is recorded to the ATOMOS NINJA V as Apple ProRes RAW for flexible image editing. This lends greater flexibility to professional video production post-processing tasks such as adjusting exposure and colour grading recorded footage. The firmware is scheduled for release in summer 2020.

Olympus will continue supporting authentic video production and further improve hand-held high-definition video recording via compact, lightweight system thanks to unrivalled portability and powerful in-body 5-axis image stabilisation.

About ATOMOS

Atomos exists to help creative professionals cut through technology barriers by creating easy to use, cutting-edge 4K and HD Apple ProRes monitor/recorders. These products give video professionals a faster, higher quality and more affordable production system, whether they create for social media, YouTube, TV or cinema. Atomos continues to demonstrate its commitment to putting users first through continual innovation at amazing price points. The company developed the AtomOS operating system dedicated to video recording with an elegant and intuitive touchscreen user interface and was also the first to implement the professional Apple ProRes RAW format for recording with cinema cameras. Atomos is based in Australia with offices in the USA, Japan, China, UK and Germany and has a worldwide distribution partner network.

ATOMOS website: www.atomos.com

Commentary

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American-Australian cinematographer and Director of Photography John Brawley’s lens kit in 2018. Note the Olympus Micro Four Thirds lenses. Image courtesy of John Brawley.

I am yet to have the pleasure of trying out the Olympus OM-D E-M1X and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and so have no experience-based opinion to share about their video capabilities.

Until now Olympus has concentrated on developing its cameras for stills photographers rather than videographers but flagging sales and changing perceptions about hybrid cameras appear to have tipped the balance.

So much so that Atomos and Olympus has just announced this completely unexpected turnabout, with the result that the Olympus OM-D E-M1X and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II can now be regarded as serious video production cameras.

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The Olympus M.Zuiko Pro professional prime and zoom lens collection as of late 2017, all with manual clutch focus, invaluable for fast, accurate and repeatable manual focusing as well as linear focus-by-wire and autofocus. Image courtesy of Olympus Global.

I do have an experience-based opinion about Olympus’ M.Zuiko Pro professional-quality Micro Four Thirds prime and zoom lenses – they are just one feature short of perfect, missing only an aperture ring that can be set to de-clicked or clicked.

Otherwise they are amazing and if I had the means to purchase every one of them, as cinematographer John Brawley clearly does, then I would do so.

The lenses’ manual clutch focus capability via a retractable focusing ring is their strongpoint, allowing easy focus-pulling for video and deadly accurate manual-focusing when making documentary photographs in available darkness.

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Olympus lens roadmap of July 2020. Image courtesy of Olympus Global.

One item in the lens roadmap that Olympus released earlier this year has grabbed my attention, the coming M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4.0 Pro with its focal length range equivalent to 16-50mm in the 35mm sensor format.

The closest current M. Zuiko Pro lens to this is the M. Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro while the Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric is Panasonic’s closest lens in focal length terms.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens. Image courtesy of Olympus Global.
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric wide to standard zoom lens. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro standard zoom lens. Image courtesy of Olympus Global.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro prime lens.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro prime lens. Image courtesy of Olympus Global.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro prime lens.
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Patent document diagram for coming Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4.0 Pro superwide-to-standard zoom lens.

Those lenses’ 35mm equivalences are 14-28mm and 20-50mm respectively, but the downside of the M. Zuiko Pro 7-14mm f/2.8 is its protruding convex front element that mitigates against screw-in neutral density and protective filters.

An Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4.0 Pro superwide-to-standard zoom lens would be tempting as a replacement for my beloved M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro daily-carry lens, though I would supplement it with an M. Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro for available darkness work or an M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro for extra reach and portrait photography.

Links

Matt Seuss: Goodbye Sony! It wasn’t you, it was Olympus. Why I Switched, Part 1

https://mattsuess.com/goodbye-sony-wasnt-you-was-olympus-why-i-switched-part-1

…So I’ve been shooting with full-frame cameras for 17 years now and here we are in 2019, when full-frame cameras are taking over the popularity contest and Sony in particular has been killing it in well earned reviews, why would I even consider switching to micro four-thirds – a sensor size that is tiny compared to a full-frame sensor? Why would I leave the Sony a7R3 with it’s 42MP (and just announced Sony a7R4 60MP camera) and switch to the Olympus OM-D E-M1X and it’s tiny 20MP sensor?…

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Olympus OM-D E-M1X Micro Four Thirds mirrorless digital camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens, equivalent in the 35mm sensor format to 80mm to 30mm.

View this post on Instagram

And so it begins – my switch from Sony full-frame to @getolympus micro four-thirds – with the arrival yesterday of just the beginning of my Olympus collection. First up – the awesome OM-D E-M1X camera and M.Zuiko 12-100mm f4 Pro lens. In addition to the great features and image quality of this camera, the ergonomics and feel of this camera body are the best I’ve seen in many, many years – probably going way back to the film days with my Nikon F4. It is a far better feel than any digital camera I’ve used or owned, and there are lot of cameras on that list since I switched to digital full-time back in 1999! A lot of people have been asking me why I’m switching, and I’ll be going into depth on that in blog posts coming later this month so stay tuned! But in the meantime scroll through my Facebook posts through the beginning of April to get an idea 😉. #getolympus #omdem1x #micro43 #micro43rds #micro43photography  #m43 #bozemanphotographer #mzuiko12100mm #mzuiko12100mmf4ispro

A post shared by Matt Suess Photography (@mattsuessphoto) on

Commentary

The Micro Four Thirds sensor system co-founded by Olympus and Panasonic over a decade ago is particularly well-suited to documentary photography and moviemaking as well as to the wildlife photography practised by Matt Seuss.

Recent M43 cameras like the Olympus OM-D E-M1X and Panasonic’s DMC-G9 with their multi-exposure high-resolution modes have become attractive to landscape photographers needing to produce big, really big, prints and I look forward to high res evolving rapidly so it is more applicable to in-studio and on-location portraiture as well.

Meanwhile I applaud Mr Seuss’ choice to invest in Olympus’ excellent M.Zuiko Pro prime and zoom lenses for M43 cameras including those made by Olympus and Panasonic as well as Blackmagic Design on its Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Olympus’ M.Zuiko Pro lenses are excellent for stills and video, especially due to their manual clutch focus mechanism with hard stops at each end, a feature I wish to see on all lenses for cameras in all sensor formats from now on.

It has been good to see Panasonic finally get the memo on manual clutch focus with their first M43 attempt at including it as a key feature on the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric zoom, a lens I have been hoping would eventually appear ever since I invested in the Micro Four Thirds system.

Links

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Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric wide to standard zoom lens.

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