Olympus E-M1 Review

Name: Olympus OM-D E-M1
Brand: Olympus

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Main Features

16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 25600

5-axis Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.00" Tilting Screen

2360k dot Electronic viewfinder

10.0fps continuous shooting

Built-in Wireless

497g. 130 x 94 x 63 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced by Olympus E-M1 II

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Olympus E-M1 Overview

Launched in October 2013 , Olympus OM-D E-M1 is a 16.0MP Pro Mirrorless camera with a Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor, built-in Image Stabilization, weather sealed body, Tilting touch screen and Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Olympus later replaced E-M1 with E-M1 II. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these cameras:
Compare Olympus OM-D E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II

Olympus E-M1 Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Lens Mount and Lenses
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Video
Other Features
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Olympus E-M1 is a member of Olympus's OM-D E-M1 series of cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this series and how their main specs have changed with each new version.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Olympus E-M1 III Compare	2020	20.0MP - Four Thirds	15.0 fps	134 x 91 x 69mm	580g
Olympus E-M1X Compare	2019	20.0MP - Four Thirds	15.0 fps	144 x 147 x 75mm	997g
Olympus E-M1 II Compare	2016	20.0MP - Four Thirds	15.0 fps	134 x 91 x 67mm	574g
Olympus E-M1	2013	16.0MP - Four Thirds	10.0 fps	130 x 94 x 63mm	497g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side by side:
Olympus E-M1 III vs E-M1X vs E-M1 II vs E-M1

Alternative Model names found for Olympus OM-D E-M1: E-M 1, EM1, EM 1, EM1, OMD E-M 1, OM-D EM1, OM-D EM 1, OM-D EM1, E-M1 Mark 1, E-M1 MK1 and E-M1 MKI.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Olympus E-M1 PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Olympus E-M1 review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi)

5-axis Image Stabilization

Articulating Screen

Touch Screen

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

Face Detection Focusing

25.600 Max ISO

81 Focus Points

1.037k dots LCD Resolution

1/8000s High Shutter Speed

10.0fps Shooting

497g Light Body

External Microphone Port

Environmental Sealing

Timelapse Recording

2360kdot Viewfinder Resolution

0.74x magnification - Large Viewfinder

Panorama Shooting

Flash Sync Port

High Shutter Life Expectancy - 150000 cycles

Focus Bracketing

Focus Stacking

Dual-axis Electronic Level

Remote control with a smartphone

Webcam Functionality

Report a correction

Buy Olympus E-M1 from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

Low Battery Life: 350 shots

Poor Low Light Performance

Not so wide AE Bracketing Range: ±2 EV

Report a correction

Olympus E-M1 Physical Specs

Olympus E-M1 weighs 497 g (1.10 lb / 17.53 oz) and has external dimensions of 130 x 94 x 63 mm (5.13 x 3.68 x 2.48″). Considering that the average weight of Mirrorless type cameras is 456g, its weight is about average in its class. With a thickness of 63mm, it also has an average thickness.

Weight Comparison

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Olympus E-M1

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Thickness Comparison

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Olympus E-M1

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Here is the front and top view image of Olympus E-M1 with the dimensions:

Front and Top View External Dimensions and Size of Olympus E-M1 Camera Body

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Olympus E-M1, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Olympus E-M1 Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Olympus E-M1 with its main competitors:

Olympus E-M1 Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs E-M1	Thickness	vs E-M1
Olympus E-M1 II Compare	574g	77g heavier	67mm	4mm thicker
Olympus E-M5 II Compare	469g	28g lighter	45mm	18mm thinner
Olympus E-M5 Compare	425g	72g lighter	43mm	20mm thinner
Olympus E-M10 II Compare	390g	107g lighter	47mm	16mm thinner
Olympus E-M10 III Compare	410g	87g lighter	50mm	13mm thinner
Olympus E-M10 Compare	396g	101g lighter	46mm	17mm thinner
Olympus E-M1 III Compare	580g	83g heavier	69mm	6mm thicker
Fujifilm X-T1 Compare	440g	57g lighter	47mm	16mm thinner

Weather Sealing

Olympus E-M1 has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera, providing resistance against the water and dust getting in to the camera. If you like outdoors photography and want to be able to use your camera in extreme conditions, Olympus E-M1 will serve you well. If you attach one of these Olympus E-M1 weather Sealed lenses to your camera, you will have a great all weather kit.

Olympus E-M1 Lens Mount and Lenses

Olympus E-M1 has a Micro Four Thirds lens mount and currently there are 119 native lenses available for this mount. MFT is the most mature and versatile mount in the Mirrorles camera world. Olympus MFT lenses are known by their high optical quality and affordable prices. Other main contributor of the system, Panasonic also offers similarly well regarded lenses. Third party lens manufacturers also increase number of their offering and new manufacturers also jump in the wagon as the popularity of the system increases.

E-M1 also has a Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization system which means that all of these lenses will be stabilized when used on E-M1. Sensor based image stabilization is one of the most useful features that you can have in an ILC.

Weather Sealed Lenses for Olympus E-M1

There are 39 lenses with weather sealing for Olympus E-M1 that you can couple with its weather sealed body.

Here are some of the most popular Olympus E-M1 Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Olympus E-M1

Model	Focal Length equiv.	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
OM System 40-150mm F4.0 PRO	80-300mm	FourThirds	382gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH	50mm	FourThirds	125gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS	24-120mm	FourThirds	210gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS	200-800mm	FourThirds	1120gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS	100-400mm	FourThirds	655gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS	24-120mm	FourThirds	320gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH Power OIS	200-800mm	FourThirds	985gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ	28-84mm	FourThirds	91gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

Check our Olympus E-M1 Lenses page for more detailed lens search.

Olympus E-M1 Sensor and Photography Features

Olympus E-M1 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePIC VII processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. E-M1 has a native ISO range of 100 - 25600 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Olympus E-M1 is not the highest resolution Four Thirds camera. Panasonic GH6 with its 25.2MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic GH6 or take a look at Highest resolution Mirrorless cameras list.

Olympus E-M1 DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Olympus E-M1 sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 73 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Olympus E-M1 here.

Let's look at how the size of the Olympus E-M1's Four Thirds sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Olympus E-M1 Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Olympus E-M1 LCD and Viewfinder

Olympus E-M1 has a Tilting 3.00-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 1,037k dots. Tilting screens are more photography oriented while Fully articulated screens are highly preferred by videographers. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

LCD is Touch screen type, so you can change the settings and set the focus point with your fingertips.

Unfortunately Olympus OM-D E-M1 doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best Mirrorless Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.

E-M1 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder, making it easier to shoot in direct sunlight and in other situations where it might be difficult to view the LCD monitor. The viewfinder has a resolution of 2,360kdots and coverage of 100%. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later. The magnification ratio of the viewfinder is 0.74x (35mm equivalent).

Olympus E-M1 Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Olympus E-M1 features built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity ( 802.11b/g/n with smartphone connectivity) which lets you transfer your photos directly to compatible devices without any physical connection. One other feature that we like is the ability to use our smartphone as a remote to control our E-M1. You can change camera settings, release shutter, view LCD screen and tranfer files using remote control app.

You can connect E-M1 to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.

Olympus E-M1 Battery

Olympus E-M1 is powered by BLN-1 battery which provides a battery life of 350 shots according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Mirrorless type cameras is 377 shots, its battery life is about average in its class but it would still be wise to invest in some spare batteries for long photo trips.

Battery Life Comparison in Pro Mirrorless Cameras

Olympus E-M1

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Olympus E-M1X with its 870shots is the model with longest battery life among Pro Mirrorless cameras. Check the comparison of Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1X or take a look at Longest Battery Life Mirrorless cameras list.

Olympus E-M1 Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Olympus E-M1 II Compare	4096 x 2160	350shots	Yes	No	No
Olympus E-M5 II Compare	1920 x 1080	310shots	Yes	No	No
Olympus E-M5 Compare	1920 x 1080	360shots	No	No	No
Olympus E-M10 II Compare	1920 x 1080	320shots	Yes	No	No
Olympus E-M10 III Compare	3840 x 2160	330shots	Yes	No	No
Olympus E-M10 Compare	1920 x 1080	320shots	Yes	No	No
Olympus E-M1 III Compare	4096 x 2160	420shots	Yes	Yes	No
Fujifilm X-T1 Compare	1920 x 1080	350shots	Yes	No	No

Olympus E-M1 Video Features

With Olympus E-M1, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 30 fps and save in H.264 and Motion JPEG formats. Full HD resolution of Olympus E-M1 will be adequate in most of the situations. But if you are after the highest resolution videos available, see our list of Top Cameras with 4K (Ultra-HD) Video.
You can also consider its successor, the Olympus E-M1 II which features 4K video recording.

E-M1 has a built-in Stereo microphone and a Mono speaker. Olympus E-M1 also has a port for an external microphone so you can record high quality sound with the help of an external microphone. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a headphone port though.

Olympus E-M1 Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Olympus E-M1 can shoot continuously at max speed of 10 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/8000 sec.

Flash

Unfortunately E-M1 doesn't have a built-in flash but it has a flash shoe for mounting external flashes.

Built-in Flash of Olympus E-M1

Focusing

Olympus E-M1 features both Contrast Detection and Phase Detection autofocus (AF) systems which ensures speed and accuracy of focusing in most situations. The AF system has 81 points to choose from.

Olympus E-M1 also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

Focus Stacking

Macro shooters will love Olympus E-M1's Focus Stacking feature. In this mode, E-M1 automatically composites multiple shots taken at different focal positions using focus bracketing to create a single image with maximum depth of field.

What type of Photography is Olympus E-M1 Good for?

In this section, we review and score Olympus E-M1 in 5 different photography areas.

Olympus E-M1 for Portrait Photography

Olympus E-M1 has a score of 63 for Portrait Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Portrait Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M1 for Portrait Photography

Olympus E-M1 for Street Photography

Olympus E-M1 has a score of 88 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen

Image Stabilization
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M1 for Street Photography

Olympus E-M1 for Sports Photography

Olympus E-M1 has a score of 70 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
81 Focus Points

Wireless Connection
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M1 for Sports Photography

Olympus E-M1 for Daily Photography

Olympus E-M1 has a score of 69 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Environmental Sealings
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body

497g
Body Thickness 63mm

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M1 for Daily Photography

Olympus E-M1 for Landscape Photography

Olympus E-M1 has a score of 39 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top Mirrorless Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theE-M1.

Live-view
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor

Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-M1 for Landscape Photography

Olympus E-M1 Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Olympus E-M1 compares with other Mirrorless cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Olympus E-M1 alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Olympus E-M1

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Olympus E-M1 amongst Camera Decision readers.

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Olympus E-M1 Alternatives in DSLR Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Olympus E-M1 with DSLR Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked DSLR cameras in Olympus E-M1's price range.

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Olympus E-M1 Conclusion and Scores

Currently, Olympus E-M1 has an Overall Score of 73/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Olympus OM-D E-M1 is ranked #87 out of 231 in Mirrorless cameras (Top 20 Mirrorless), and ranked #122 out of 1244 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

#122 out of 1244 in Top Ranking Cameras
#87 out of 231 in Top Ranking Mirrorless Cameras
#49 out of 60 in Top Ranking Pro Mirrorless Cameras
#20 out of 88 in Top Ranking Four Thirds Sensor Cameras
#20 out of 66 in Top Ranking MFT Lens Mount Cameras
#67 out of 366 in Largest Viewfinder Magnification Cameras (0.74x)
#52 out of 66 in Lightest Mirrorless Cameras with Four Thirds sensor(497g)
#50 out of 191 in Top Ranking Cameras with Tilting Screen

Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Frequently Asked Questions about Olympus E-M1

Does the Olympus E-M1 have Image Stabilization?
Does the Olympus E-M1 have RAW support?
Does the Olympus E-M1 have Weather Sealing?
Does the Olympus E-M1 have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Olympus E-M1?
What is the Sensor Size of Olympus E-M1?
is the Olympus E-M1 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Olympus E-M1 have Touch Screen?
Does the Olympus E-M1 have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Olympus E-M1?
What is the Weight of Olympus E-M1?
What are the Dimensions of Olympus E-M1?

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Olympus
Model	Olympus OM-D E-M1
Announced	2013-10-28
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Lenses	119
Focal Length Multiplier	2�
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Tilting
Screen Size	3.00"
Screen Resolution	1,037k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.74x
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	60s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/8000s
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync	1/320s
Flash Modes	Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), Manual
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	73
DxO Color Depth	23.0
DxO Dynamic Range	12.7
DxO Low Light ISO	757
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CMOS
Sensor Size	Four Thirds
Sensor Dimensions	17.3 x 13 mm
Sensor Area	224.90mm²
Sensor Resolution	16 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4608 x 3456
Max Native ISO	25,600
Min Native ISO	100
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	81
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	H.264, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	497g
Physical Dimensions	130 x 94 x 63mm
Battery Life	350 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	BLN-1
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage Slots	1