Step Up Photography From Your Phone

If you really want to step up photography from your phone you need the OM-System OMD E-M10 Mark IV. So says the New York Times technical section Wirecutter.

Unwarranted Negative Bias Towards Small Sensor Cameras

Getting input from nontraditional photo sites is a good thing when reviewing cameras. Why? Because traditional camera sites are often published by techno nerds lusting for the biggest and “the best” based on specs. Many sites hosted by “professional photographers” are extremely biased against non-full-frame sensor cameras. These sites will suggest you need the best/most expensive gear. I’m here to say you don’t!

It’s equally biased in the camera stores. Beware when you ask, “What brand do you think we should buy?”. You’ll most likely get a biased opinion from a frustrated salesperson craving the most expensive gear. It happens all the time. Most guys and gals stuck behind the counter would actually rather be making a living shooting pictures. They’re often convinced that to do that, you have to have the absolute best, most expensive equipment. When asked they often pass their bias on to the consumer.

Wirecutter Says OMD E-M10 Best Mirrorless Camera

The New York Times technical page, Wirecutter, has just announced that “the OM-System OMD-EM10 is the Best Mirrorless Camera for most people.” In short, they say if you want to up your photo game from cell phone quality, the OMD E-M10 is the best way to start. They conducted over 220 hours of research and testing over the past seven years to come up with their recommendation of “the Olympus OMD E-M10 Mark IV—a versatile, high-performing mirrorless camera that’s available at a great price.” My only concern is that it’s a bit long in the tooth.

Wirecutter mentions, “Although the Olympus OMD E-M10 Mark IV doesn’t offer the absolute best image quality, it captures great-looking images and is a joy to use. But it really stands out from the mirrorless competition thanks to its compact, lightweight design and its low price.” The comment that “it doesn’t, offer the absolute best image quality” is typical of virtually all reviews of smaller sensor cameras. Yet, they never mention that with a little knowledge of post-processing with state-of-the-art software, this minor quality difference is not an issue. This comment that it doesn’t produce “the best” image quality is often a showstopper for many people. They think it’s a big deal when it’s not.

Printing Large and Wide

Micro Four Thirds cameras are just fine when it comes to getting your work published. No magazine can show any quality differences between full-frame and MFT cameras. The only possible issue some worry about is printing super large prints. And with the right software, that’s not a problem either. Every camera, even those with the largest full-frame sensors, needs software to print as large as 40×60 inches. The software I use today for gigantic prints is Topaz Gigapixel AI. Topaz Photo AI also has the option to upsize your photos. But Topaz Gigapixel is supposed to be THE product for best quality super large prints.

One Step Better

I’ve not tried the OMD E-M10. I’ve always hesitated to purchase anything but the top-of-the-line in the MFT category. Even the top of the line is very small and compact. For me, the better option is the OM-1 Mark ll. This model offers many more high-end features like built-in Split ND filters, better video options, AF Subject Detection, much faster frame rates, professional weather sealing, and more. In short, the OMD E-M10 is a nice choice for those wanting to step into a camera capable of producing much better results than their phone. But if it were me, I would simply move up to the OM-1 Mark ll. If any of you out there have shot OMD E-M10 I would love to hear your thoughts.