Skip to main content

The Olympus E-M1 Mark II’s awesome image stabilization could get even better

When it comes to image stabilization and autofocus performance, Olympus’ OM-D E-M1 Mark II is no slouch. The $2,000 flagship mirrorless camera is a technological tour de force, and counts 4K video and an impressive 60 FPS continuous shooting mode among its key features.

That was enough to earn a Digital Trends Editor’s Choice award, but apparently Olympus engineers think they can do even better, revealing that improvements to both stabilization and autofocus, among other things, could be coming via future firmware updates.

Recommended Videos

“Our [image stabilization] is becoming very, very sensitive. But we are not satisfied with the current performance and will continue to improve it,” said Olympus’ Hisashi Takeuchi in a recent interview with DPReview.

The stabilization system on the E-M1 Mark II already offers up to 6.5 stops of shake reduction when paired with an optically stabilized lens, such as the 12-100mm f/4 Pro. That Olympus believes it can improve upon this is intriguing, as the company clarified in an interview with Amateur Photographer back in September that 6.5 stops was a “theoretical limitation” due to the rotation of the earth. Breaking through this barrier with a simple firmware upgrade would be impressive, but Olympus did not detail how it plans to do so.

As for autofocus performance, Olympus wants to improve tracking speed, which will be beneficial for action sequences and shooting video. The firm is also considering adding the ability to change autofocus racking speed in video, allowing users to choose between rapid response or a slower, more natural focus change.

Olympus also hopes to address one of the complaints about the E-M1 Mark II: the inability to enter image playback while files are still being copied to the memory card. Especially when shooting high-speed bursts, it can take a considerable amount of time before all of the photos transfer from the camera’s buffer to the card. Allowing users to enter playback while this process is happening would make the camera feel faster.

While Olympus did not clarify when these improvements and new features would find their way into a firmware update, E-M1 Mark II owners will be happy to know that their investment is only going to improve from here on out.

Daven Mathies
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Daven is a contributing writer to the photography section. He has been with Digital Trends since 2016 and has been writing…
This is what happens ‘when you get two uber-geeks in space at the same time’
NASA's Don Pettit on the space station.



During NASA’s first-ever Twitch livestream from the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, current station inhabitant Don Pettit and recent returnee Matthew Dominick talked about what it’s like to live and work in a satellite 250 miles up.

Read more
The GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition is $100 off, but not for long
A person holding the GoPro HERO13 Creator Edition in front of the ocean.

Outdoor enthusiasts who want to buy a new action camera should go for the brand that popularized the product and look for GoPro deals. Best Buy has an offer that's going to be hard to refuse, as it features the GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition. From its original price of $600, it's down to just $500 as part of the retailer's Presidents' Day Sale. There are still a few days remaining before the $100 discount ends on February 17, but we highly recommend completing your purchase as soon as possible because stocks may run out before then.

Why you should buy the GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition
The star of the GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition is the GoPro Hero 13 Black, which is the latest version of the brand's popular line of action cameras. It's capable of recording video at up to 5.3K resolution, and you can grab photos of up to 24.7MP from your footage using the GoPro Quick app. The GoPro Hero 13 Black can also take videos that are slowed down by 13 times the normal speed, and it can last more than 5 hours on a single charge. The front and rear LCD screens will let you frame your shots perfectly, and the built-in buttons enable easy controls for lengthy sessions.

Read more
ISS astronaut shares epic photo of a ‘starry starry night’
Don Pettit's 'starry starry night' image captured from the space station.

 

Don Pettit's been snapping away in orbit again. This time, the NASA astronaut has captured a stunning image of the Milky Way from the International Space Station (ISS) . It also features Earth and city lights some 250 miles below the orbital outpost.

Read more