From Asia to Africa, from jungle to salt desert – my OM-D M1 Mark III camera has been with me on all my adventures since the end of 2018 and captures the special moments. Therefore, I was particularly pleased when, after several selective contacts in recent years, the request came from OM System (formerly Olympus) for a brand ambassador partnership. I didn’t have to think long about it! In the coming year, my posts will contain information about my settings and I will also share insights into my editing process from time to time. Disclaimer: The following sections will be a bit nerdy 😉
Why I chose the OM system
Whether sandy deserts, freezing winter nights with -30 degrees, heavy rain on mountain peaks or shaky train rides – the main argument for the OM system for me was and is the combination of light weight and weather sealing. The system is the only one certified in terms of waterproofing, which is absolutely important for me in sand, snow and rain. On long hikes or high altitude tours with additional mountain equipment, the weight is also quickly very relevant – and there my system is comfortable to wear. In addition, I love the great stabilization – some of my best shots are made from the rattling train and with my camera every shot just sits!
The intended use is decisive
OM Systems has specialized in the Micro Four-Third range with its cameras and thus places itself in a completely different niche than full-frame cameras. Micro Four-Third (MFT for short) is a designation for the installed sensor size in the camera. This sensor is smaller than APS-C or full-frame, so it offers a bit less space for image information. Therefore, in the dark, noise shows up a bit earlier than with a full-frame camera. However, with my new 17mm f1.2 PRO, very nice results can be achieved even in low light conditions. In addition, the new OM-1 camera also promises to have improved on the subject of light intensity – I’m currently waiting eagerly to finally hold the latest model in my hands!
Overall, it is therefore very important to weigh up for which purposes the camera is to be used. If you don’t want to carry your camera far or use it outside in all conditions, you can “afford” more weight and less weather sealing. I’ve tried both on my tours – full frame and my OM system – and my back and I quickly found that on 80-90% of my tours, I only ever pack the OM camera. Especially since it’s the only camera I dare to really use in rain and snow – while all my other photographer colleagues have long since packed their cameras waterproof.
Overview of my equipment
Over the years, I have accumulated a lot of equipment. Of course, I do not always carry all lenses with me, but choose depending on the purpose. Here a small overview of my equipment and the purposes, in the gallery in addition the pictures, which were made with it! My current camera is the OM-D M1 Mark III (580g including battery), before that I already used the predecessor OM-D M1 Mark II. With the current model, I especially appreciate that I can charge the camera via USB and Powerbar on the go. I am curious to see what improvements the latest model OM-1 offers, which I will receive soon. Depending on the situation, my camera is paired with the following lenses:
Tele range
In the telephoto range, my “standard lens”, which I love dearly and use most of the time, is the ED 40-150mm ƒ2.8 PRO plus 1.4x teleconverter. This gives me a focal length of 56-210mm, which corresponds to 112-420mm on full frame – but weighs only 875g (770g lens, 105g 1.4x converter). It has recently been supplemented with the ED 100-400mm ƒ5.0-6.3 (thanks to OM System at this point!), which I use specifically for wildlife photography. It’s significantly heavier at 1143g, but still light – comparable lenses for full-frame cameras weigh more than twice as much. On the other hand, when I want to go ultra-light, for example on multi-day tours, then my ED 14-150mm ƒ4.0-5.6 comes in the luggage – with 301g a true flyweight!
Fixed focal length
Also a few fixed focal lengths may not be missing. Some of my most beautiful portraits were taken with the ED 45mm ƒ1.8. With 127g the absolute flyweight among my lenses, yet small and inconspicuous – which has often brought me a clear advantage, for example, on markets in Asia, it seems so inconspicuous! The pictures are then anything but inconspicuous! In addition, I have a new ED 17mm ƒ1.2 PRO (410g) in my luggage, which gives me even more leeway in low-light situations.
Other lenses
Last but not least comes my absolute all-rounder: the ED 12-40mm ƒ2.8 PRO at 402g. This is my “always on” lens that I use for everything from portraits to landscape to simple macro shots. When I pack for the mountains, this as well as my 40-150mm is actually always with me! At the very end comes the ED 7-14mm ƒ2.8 PRO, because a wide angle must not be missing. With it I have already been able to make great shots in cities, but also panoramas or larger groups can be captured great with it.
My print shop
By the way, I have many of the images shown above available for purchase in my printshop, along with a few examples of prices. You can also find some examples at the end of this post. You can also check out many of my images on Instagram, almost any of which could soon be hanging on your wall 😉
Everything is printed at the Swiss print expert Printolino, a small manufactory near Lucerne. Besides the outstanding quality of the products, I was also convinced by the use of environmentally friendly ink and the cooperation with local suppliers. In addition, each image is checked by hand before shipping, so that you are sure to receive the best result. Take a look at my store:
Disclaimer: This article is part of my partnership with OM System. However, the content presented reflects my personal views and opinions.
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