Olympus wants to shatter the belief that you need to use a full-frame camera in order to be a pro sports photographer.
Its answer, the OM-D E-M1X ($2,999, body only), is a mirrorless model with a smaller Micro Four Thirds imager, but built like a pro SLR.
Its design incorporates the integrated vertical grip preferred by many pro sport shooters, and dual processors add more advanced subject recognition and tracking to its autofocus system—for some subjects, at least.
But at $3,000 it has to compete against others with larger image sensors, as well as the much less expensive Olympus E-M1 Mark II, which offers similar image quality for about half the price.
Micro With a Grip
There's a feeling among some that mirrorless equals compact.
That can be true, but it doesn't have to be.
Models with full-frame sensors shave size and weight versus an SLR, but aside from some wide-angle designs, don't use lenses that are significantly smaller.
On the other hand, cameras like the Olympus PEN-F, when paired with a small prime or zoom, slide into a jacket pocket without trouble.
You won't be able to pull off the same trick with the E-M1X ($1,999.00 at Amazon) .
It's bigger than other Micro Four Thirds models (5.8 by 5.7 by 2.9 inches, HWD, 2.2 pounds), but smaller than a gripped SLR like the Nikon D5 (6.2 by 6.3 by 3.6 inches, 3.1 pounds).
Like the D5, the E-M1X incorporates an integrated vertical shooting grip.
And it's the grip that really sets the E-M1X apart from the E-M1 Mark II ($999.00 at Amazon) .
The E-M1X shares a lot of its imaging technology with the Mark II—it uses the same image sensor and a very similar (albeit slightly updated) autofocus system—but does offer some improvements.
Dual processors speed up operation and add better subject recognition for focus tracking (for certain subjects), and refinements to the in-body stabilization system add handheld high-resolution multi-shot capture.
As with the E-M1 Mark II, the E-M1X is sealed to protect it from dust and splashes, as long as you pair it with a lens that is also sealed.
I shot in a downpour without any problems, and have had good results using sealed Olympus cameras in rough conditions in the past, so I have no reason to think the E-M1X's sealing is anything less than robust.
As far as ratings go, Olympus states the E-M1X exceeds IPX1 standards.
To cement how much the company stresses weather protection, Olympus showed us a video of its internal testing process, in which the E-M1X was blasted by jets of water coming in from multiple directions.
In addition to protection when the lens is attached, Olympus states that the E-M1X does a better job keeping dust off the image sensor during lens changes.
It doesn't do the obvious—which is to keep the mechanical shutter curtains closed when the camera is powered down—but instead relies on improved protective coatings and the sensor-shift system to keep dust spots away.
As with any camera, sensor dust is something that requires long-term use to really evaluate.
Familiar Controls
The E-M1X will slide right into the hands of veteran E-M1 Mark II owners—especially if you already use the camera with an add-on grip.
There are four programmable buttons flanking the lens mount, but they only perform two functions.
One pair is for use with the camera in landscape orientation, and the other is for portrait shooting.
Controls are designed in a way so that they'll fall under your fingers at the same position regardless of the camera's orientation.
Top controls aren't duplicated.
A raised cylinder sits at the left of the top plate.
It has the On/Off switch integrated at its base, and three control buttons (Drive, Autofocus, Bracketing) on its top.
The hot shoe sits centered behind the lens mount, atop the EVF.
As with the E-M1 Mark II, the E-M1X doesn't include a built-in flash.
The Mode dial is in the familiar place, just to the right of the hot shoe.
It's a locking design, with the standard PASMB settings and four slots for Custom settings (C1, C2, C3, C4), and a dial for Movie mode.
You also get a Record button on the top to start videos in any mode, but switching to the Movie position allows you to have a separate bank of settings for video.
Other top buttons include ISO and EV compensation controls, and of course the shutter release, which is comfortably angled at the top of the handgrip, just above the front command dial.
The C banks are useful for photographers who have favorite settings for different subjects, and especially for events where you'll be switching between settings from shot to shot.
When photographing action you may want to program C1 with a very quick shutter speed to freeze motion, and C2 for a longer one when you want to introduce some intentional motion blur.
It's quicker to move the Mode dial one position than to move from 1/2,000-second to 1/15-second using a command dial, after all.
Do remember that the C settings are very sticky—if you make changes and power the camera down, it will revert to what is saved in the bank when you power back on.
This includes saved mode, shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings.
Rear controls are similar to the E-M1 Mark II, but not identical.
The Fn button is in the same place, just to right of the EVF, and is still surrounded by a toggle switch—but the switch now faces in the opposite direction, so it's much more comfortable to adjust.
It's pretty useful too—it can do a few different things, including changing what the main command dials do, or serving as the On/Off switch.
The latter is a nice touch, as I'm not a fan of having the On/Off switch at the top left—I prefer it to be accessible using my right hand.
The AEL/AFL button is just to right of the Fn switch, and the rear command dial sits to its right.
Both have counterpart controls on the vertical grip.
Also appearing twice is a small eight-way directional control.
It's new to the E-M1X, and as with controls we've seen in other pro cameras like the mirrorless Sony a9, its primary use is to move the active focus area.
It's a welcome addition, one that makes it just a little bit easier to move the focus box to the position where you want it.
The four-way controller, with the OK button at its center, is positioned just about mid height.
There's no reason to double it—it sits in roughly the same position regardless of how you hold the camera.
It's flanked by Info and Play buttons which, likewise, don't have vertical dopplegangers.
The remainder of the rear controls run in a row below the LCD, in the part of the camera that doesn't physically exist on the un-gripped E-M1 Mark II.
Menu, Delete, Card, and White Balance buttons are included, along with a lock switch to disable all vertical grip controls, or to lock down only the ones you set in the menu.
The latter function is called C-Lock, with the C standing for Custom.
The C-Lock isn't the only customizable control—if you dive into the menu you'll find the E-M1X is very configurable.
For the most part, I found myself pretty happy with the general controls and their layout.
Olympus has a strong on-screen menu to supplement them—it pops up when you press the OK button.
I would've liked to see some backlighting, as Nikon does with the buttons on the D5 and the D500, and wouldn't have minded an information LCD on the top plate, as you find on many other cameras aimed at professional users.
The LCD is the same as you get with the E-M1 Mark II.
It's a 3-inch panel with touch input support and a vari-angle design.
The screen is plenty sharp, at 1,037k dots, and bright.
We've seen larger screens with more densely packed pixels on some other cameras, but I don't find the E-M1X's display to be in any way deficient.
I'm not as happy with the EVF.
It's a good deal larger than that of the E-M1 Mark II—Olympus states the E-M1X EVF sports 0.83x magnification, which is up there with the largest we've seen in competing models.
It's big—about the same size as the EVF used by the Nikon Z 7—but it doesn't look nearly as good as the Z 7.
The underlying technology has a part to play—the E-M1X uses an LCD panel, while other cameras (including the Z 7) have moved to OLED technology.
The LCD doesn't show as much contrast, and softens noticeably while the camera is actively searching for focus.
Simply put, we expected a much better EVF in a camera that costs this much.
The E-M1X automatically switches between viewfinder and LCD.
But the eye sensor is just way too sensitive.
It switches away from the LCD often when using the camera at waist-level.
You can disable the automatic switching with a button, but I'd love to see Olympus give you the option to disable it when the LCD is swung out and away from the body.
There is one other odd behavior related to the EVF.
If you're reviewing images or navigating through menus on the rear LCD, but want to bring the camera to your eye to get a view through the EVF instead, the eye sensor drops you out of image review of the menu and into image capture mode.
It's a plus if you're trying to bring the camera to your eye for a quick shot, but an annoyance at all other times.
Connectivity and Power
The E-M1X has the standard cocktail of Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi communication options.
It works with the Olympus Image Share app (for Android and iOS devices) to transfer photos to your smart device and for remote control.
This is all old hat for Olympus at this point, and we don't have any bad things to say about the Wi-Fi system.
You'll have to go through an initial setup process, but once settings are locked in on the phone and camera side, it's a simple matter to start a wireless transfer.
The camera doesn't have an Ethernet port.
It's not something you find on a lot of models, but is expected on one marketed to pro sports shooters.
Photographers working the sidelines with the Canon 1D X Mark II, Nikon D5, or Sony a9 can jack into a network and instantly transfer photos back to an editor, who gets the best shots posted before halftime.
Olympus may be going after the pro market with the E-M1X, but it's not going after pros who need that level of functionality.
The camera does have GPS, along with a barometer, compass, and temperature sensor.
If you want more data about the conditions in which you captured a photo, the E-M1X has you covered.
The GPS offers the most obvious benefit—geotagging your images.
I don't have a lot of use for the other sensors, but you might.
The camera has a hot shoe and a PC Sync socket to communicate with external lighting equipment.
It also sports a 2.5mm remote jack, 3.5mm headphone and microphone connections, mini HDMI, and USB-C.
The USB-C port supports in-camera charging.
The E-M1X is powered by two batteries, and they charge and discharge in sequence rather than concurrently.
On-the-go charging via USB is very convenient, though I am puzzled as to why the camera can't function and charge simultaneously—it's a feature that would be appreciated for studio use and very long time lapses.
You can also charge batteries the old-fashioned way, in an external charger.
The E-M1X ships with two batteries and two chargers—all identical to the power accessories for the E-M1 Mark II.
If you shoot with both bodies you'll have the convenience of using the same power for both.
I would love for Olympus to have developed a multi-battery charger, but understand that the concept may be antiquated.
It's so easy to charge the batteries via USB, I didn't touch the wall charger during my time shooting with the E-M1X.
Olympus continues to use SD memory.
It's not alone in this class—Sony also uses SD in its a9.
Both of the camera's memory card slots support UHS-II transfer speeds, and while SD isn't as speedy as XQD or Cfast, the fastest cards can handle burst shooting at the E-M1X's modest 20MP resolution.
Autofocus System
In terms of speed, the E-M1X doesn't leave much to be desired.
It's quite responsive, with a quick 0.7-second startup speed and an autofocus system which acquires iniital focus and fires a shot in about 0.05-second.
In very dim light, focus acquisition slows to about 0.3-second with the aid of the on-camera focus assist light.
The E-M1X uses an improved version of the on-sensor, hybrid autofocus in the E-M1 Mark II.
There are some improvements, notably in the area of subject recognition.
Olympus has doubled the processing power, putting two quad-core CPUs inside instead of the single chip which powers the E-M1.
The extra power makes it possible for the E-M1X to identify certain subjects—airplanes, cars, and trains—in order to keep them in clearer focus, even if they're moving at the high speeds of which they are capable.
But you are still limited to tracking at the camera's lower drive speeds.
That's still 10fps with the mechanical shutter and 18fps with the fully electronic shutter.
You can push the camera to 15fps and 60fps, respectively, but focus is locked during the sequence.
You can enjoy Raw capture, even at 60fps, although only for very short durations.
In addition to standard burst shooting, the E-M1X retains the Pro Capture mode found in the E-M1 Mark II—it can continuously buffer action with a half-press of the shutter.
Pressing the shutter in all the way saves the buffer to memory and continues to capture action, so you can catch a moment even after it's passed.
The buffer holds about 60 frames when using the mechanical shutter, or about 50 frames when shooting at the top 60fps speed using the electronic shutter.
It's easy to fill it up quickly, and you will have to wait a bit for all of the images to commit to memory.
I tested with a 300MBps UHS-II card and noted a 30-second write time for simultaneous Raw+JPG capture and about 15 seconds for either Raw or JPG format on its own.
See How We Test Cameras
The E-M1X has special focus modes that recognizes different subjects—specifically trains, cars, and planes.
In its Motorsports mode, it does a better job tracking fast-moving cars than without it—a boon for photographers who specialize in photographing races and the like.
It will also recognize helmets, so if you're photographing motorcycles or Indy cars, the camera will strive to put the sharpest point of focus on the driver's head.
In addition to racing, the camera can recognize trains and airplanes in two other modes.
This feature only works when the camera is set to its slower continuous drive mode—10fps for the mechanical shutter and 18fps for the...
