For different perspectives, photos and insights take a look at the other blogs, all are tagged with accordingly with Sony, Fujifilm and OM-systems tags.

So this will be about my choice or rather experience with both systems using them side to side and eventually made the maybe unpopular choice. Lets discuss or let me explain because if you talk about this than there are two camps shouting to each other that full frame is better and the future, the other side will shout its all about versatility and the ability to shoot and be flexible in any shooting condition. Rather get further and get the shot than give up halfway there.

I will break down this blog in a few sections, that will cover the strength and weaknesses, but I will not compare technical features like for like as that doens’t really matter in real life shooting conditions. So I will go from use case to use case in order to make some sense of my choice and do something different than every other blog out there. At least that is what I hope to achieve with this blog and my experiences.

To start I have used a few systems over the years from Sony DSLRs to mirrorless to Fujifilm and back, to m43 and back, but never tried Nikon or Canon. Don’t know why, no objections to both whatsoever but it never really fit me I guess. The last two years I shot with the excellent Sony A7riv and the A1 paired with the 200-600mm. Before this journey I was very happy with Fujifilm going from X-T2 to X-T3 and was waiting for a X-H2 variant, but it took too long. My preferences from architecture and landscape started to shift to nature and wildlife, especially birding. My curiosity got the better of me and wanted to try out the Sony combination.

When switching it was epic, full frame goodness megapixels to choose from and the ability to crop enlessly it seems. However all being equivalent, the newly OM-1 started to look good. Especially with the Olympus 300mmF4 pro lens. This lens was on my list when I dabbled in m43 in 2012 - 2014 but then the price and the system had not quite won me over. Fujifilm was there and everyone loved it, including me.

Well years later here we are. Back with Olympus or OM-Systems and with the excellent 300mm and the 150-400mm that is something else. Again price yes, but economics have changed - at least on my side. I will try to explain as I mentioned earlier per use case why m43 is a viable option for me and why since having the OM-1 the A1 stayed at home, most of the time. Still can’t believe it, but here we are. For reference I will only talk about OM-system, but obviously it used to be Olympus, so as I mention cameras or lenses I will use OM-system to simplify.

Birding

Let me start with my newly found genre in photography and that is birding. The thrill of getting that perfect shot of these small creatures is both frustrating and challenging as it is rewarding and in the end very statisfying when you get a new species photographed.

When birding from a single location, spot or hide, getting close to birds is quite easy. However when you are on foot and exploring nature as I am it’s not that easy to get really close. I mean, close in the sense of less than 10m. So in these cases to have more reach is very much welcomed. In this sense my Sony A1 and 200-600mm were sufficient, but needed a bit more reach. In that sense I reverted to the crop factor of 1,5x. That resulted in an equivalent 900mm F9,5 (ish) and a resolution of 22mpx. Coupled that with the weight of the total system being 3.1kg it’s kinda cumbersome on hikes.

So my quest began in search of something lighter. That started with the addition of the Sony 100-400GM, but in the end that resulted in a very expensive lens (which I owned) and less reach. So that was not the solution. As I found myself using the Sony 200-600mm still. So when the OM-1 was introduced (some called it the baby A1 - not so sure) I was again tempted into the m43 system. I was already a fan, but left the system for Fujifilm when the XT-1/2 came out with the 100-400mm lens, where at that time the 300mm Olympus was expensive and not readily available.

Now having the OM-1 I can say that in the end it doesn’t really matter, the A1 sometimes wins, other times the OM-1. However there are some real benefits of the OM-1 and the 300mmF4 lens. I will try to sum them up and remember these are benefits to me, someone else might disagree.

Weight - it’s definitely lighter, all in all about 1kg. Which to me is noticable, even when using a good strap the Sony is pulling on your shoulders and neck. The OM-system is not. Even now with the bigger OM-system 150-400F4.5 lens - which is heavier - it is still more manageable.
Size - so it’s not only lighter but the OM-system is also quite a bit smaller. Oke, not so much with the 150-400F4.5, but with the 300mmF4 it is. Yes it is different from Sony, but Sony does not have something similar, i.e. with that reach and weight.
Teleconverters - wait what? Yes teleconverters, I never had a decent image with the 1.4TC let alone the 2.0TC from Sony. Maybe it’s user error, but I tried several situations and it most of the time let me down. I must admit on a tripod it does work (the 1.4TC) but that is not always how I shoot. However the 1.4TC and 2.0TC from OM-system are really wonderful. Maybe the 2.0TC is even better than the 1.4TC. All in all sharpness take a small hit, AF doesn’t really with the 1.4TC and does a bit in speed (but more so with hunting) with the 2.0TC. But the results really impressed me - to the point that I could not really believe it - never saw such good TC images.
IBIS - shake it off - to quote a famous …. but really, the IBIS is of another level and can not touch Sony or any other system. Maybe the newer Nikon cameras come close if I look at what the can do. IBIS for me, when handholding is a real bonus.
Equivalence - oke here comes the most controversial topic of all and I will get some comments I guess, but I don’t care. It works for me .. so, here goes. Oh and here I mean ending up with the same looking photo/end result. Like I said, especially for birding, I want extra reach with a combo that is manageable. A 600mmF4 from Sony is too expensive and too big and heavy. So doing the math:
1. The Sony A1 50mpx with a 200-600F4.5-6.3 lens comes in cropped to a 900mm F9ish 22mpx image or resolution.
2. The OM-systems OM-1 with a 300mmF4 lens comes in at 600mm F8 20mpx not even close. However I can easily add the 1.4TC to the lens, without much compromise and get 840mm F11, so not that different. When I need even more reach I take the 150-400F4.5, now we have 800mm F9 20mpx image or resolution. So we are getting close. Than have the option of using the TCs, the equivalent F-stop gets a hit, but to my surprise the images don’t look that different, but you can call me bias on this last one.

To be fare in the end the results are not that different, however the resolution due to sharper lenses (also more expensive on m43 I know) together with the IBIS the OM-1 has better resolution most of the times.

When having low light high ISO the balance shifts to the Sony. However with the new noise removal tools it’s not that big of a deal. Therefore not a issue for me as well.

Also the AF system of the A1 although not as detailed as the OM-1 is at the moment, I still think the AF in most situations of the Sony wins. However I find that bird-eye-AF of the Sony is hit and miss (needs to find the eyes - there it struggles the most) but the OM-1 isn’t full proof at all. When doing AF-c and tracking the Sony also shines, big time.

So for birding in my mind the OM-system beat the Sony where it comes to flexibility, TC usage, IBIS and weight, but what about other genres?

Hiking and outdoor

So this one is quite easy. The lens selection and the size and weight are in favour of the OM-system combo. Yes you will loose DoF, but I don’t really need that. However the F1.2 lenses of OM-system somewhat make up for that.

Currently working with the Panasonic 8-16mmF2.8-4, OM-system 12-40F2.8 and OM-systems 40-150F2.8 I have a killer combo. And if I need more I can take the OM-system 17mmF1.2 or the really good and cheap Simga 56mmF1.4. Reach? No problem, the OM-system 300mmF4 is still manageable and light enough to bring in certain cases. I would not have done that with the Sony 200-600. Although the Sony 100-400GM could be that lens.

OM-system OM-1 | Panasonic 8-18mmF2.8-4.0

So all in all I am quite happy here and again the IBIS is a real game changer for me when it comes to leaving the tripod at home and just go out in nature and explore.

Landscapes

My old love, landscapes. So this is a genre where 50mpx really outshines the 20mpx of the OM-system cameras. Nothing against that. It is what it is. However like I said I shifted towards nature and birding photography more and more.

So can you shoot landscape with OM-system, absolutely not! Just kidding off-course you can! Here again the IBIS helps and the excellent lenses do as well. If you want higher dynamic range or resolution here is a good sensor shift (hand-holdable) shooting setting that will give you 50mpx. However in the end it’s not the same.

I must admit while it is not the same I genuinely get perfect photos and am quite amazed what the OM-system cameras can do. So yes a bit bias, but in the greater scheme of things it’s all equal. I don’t sell billboard photos, need more lightweight and flexibility not to mention the better weather sealing on OM-system cameras maybe? I never had any issue with rain or dust with any system as long as you take care of your equipment. One thing many is that the Sony had a bit more dust on the sensor, but its also bigger… so…

General

The last category general photography, everything else from kids, city, street, sport etc. photography. It can hold its own. Yes for sports it is not the best in the world, but in that case you would revert to Sony or Canon I guess. But for everyday photography, even DoF portraiture there is a solution in the OM-system or m43 world.

I must admit with the F1.2 lenses from OM-system or the Sigma 56mmF1.4 I do not miss the DoF in many cases. Again I do not shoot commercial anymore. Nor do assignments or portraiture, so I am good!

To conclude

There are things to like and to dislike. For me a smaller set or bigger one with the 150-400mm I now have the flexibility that I was looking for. Yes the flexibility I could have had with the 100-400GM and the 200-600G lenses from Sony, but adding other lenses as well and the somewhat disappointing IBIS and the size and weight together made for a switch I did not really expected but did in the end.

Should everyone do this, no off-course not, I think I had a pretty good trade in deal, but you loose money. The thing is, I was lucky to try this out, evaluate and move forward. In the end I have now more keepers, am more flexible when going out on a hike (even family hikes the 300mmF4 doesn’t get in the way) and are thus enjoying photography more.

I would have liked a higher resolution sensor to be able to have a bit more room when cropping and recomposing afterwards, but nothings perfect right. I guess there will be people agreeing and disagreeing with all of this, but in the end its all about the enjoyment of photography and I think I got that back a bit.

Moving on from full frame Sony A1 goodness to OM-1 reach and versatility of m43

Birding

Hiking and outdoor

Landscapes

General

To conclude

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