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EVF resolution – the missing metricEvery review of every camera includes a specification for the electronic viewfinder — stated in megapixels, just like the sensor. And almost every review that mentions the OM System cameras notes, often critically, that the OM-3 and OM-5 have a 2.36MP EVF while Sony offers 9.44MP in its top bodies. The implication is that OM System is behind. In my …2026/04/29Camera marketplace2026-04-29 10:05:21
Giant OM1 I and II spreadsheets of my top photo settingsOM System cameras are among the most configurable cameras available, with somewhere between 400 and 500 individual menu settings on the OM-1 series alone. When you add four independent custom settings configurations, the number of potentially stored settings rises to around 2,000. Recording all of those in a form you can actually read — and understanding which ones you changed …2026/04/29Technique2026-04-29 06:20:00
OM and Sony wildlife zooms – 2026 summaryIn April 2026, I put up five posts describing some testing and analysis of OM Pro zooms with the OM1 Mk II camera. Four of those involved comparisons against the Sony A7V camera and the two main Sony wildlife zooms. Those posts were quite detailed, so in this summary article, I want to bring all the main conclusions about OM …2026/04/16Equipment analysis2026-04-16 10:27:00
Sony Zooms vs the 600mm f4 Prime—comparative image qualityIn a recent series of tests on systems for wildlife photography—primarily for birds in flight—I have only looked at zooms. However, these are regarded as the cheap and cheerful end of wildlife photography, with the “exotic” primes regarded as the creme de la creme. In this post, I want to compare the Sony Zooms vs the 600mm f4 GMaster prime …2026/04/15Equipment analysis2026-04-15 15:57:08
OM and Sony wildlife zooms – lens handlingI have recently posted several articles on the relative performance of OM and Sony wildlife zooms, covering focus accuracy, resolution, and dynamic range, based on actual test data. One thing that is difficult to convey is the experience of using these lenses in the field. This post uses data and dimensions to try to give a better idea of handling. …2026/04/13Equipment analysis2026-04-13 10:08:23
Dynamic Range and low-light noise – Sony vs OM zoomsIn previous posts, I have compared the focus accuracy and resolution of the Sony A7V and the two Sony wildlife Zooms, with the OM1 mk II and the two OM wildlife Pro Zooms. These have shown that the OM system gives little away to the bigger full-frame systems, particularly when weight and size are considered. The other key factor is …2026/04/12Equipment analysis2026-04-12 11:01:19
Resolution of OM vs Sony wildlife zoomsIn a previous post, I showed the results of testing focus accuracy for the Olympus Pro zooms and the two main Sony Wildlife zooms. The focus accuracy for all systems was excellent at over 90%, but the OM 50-200 f2.8 with the MC20 teleconverter produced the highest accuracy for a practical bird-in-flight lens. A key question that remains is: it …2026/04/11Equipment tests2026-04-11 16:55:22
OM vs Sony zooms: focus accuracy shootoutFollowing my detailed analysis of the focus accuracy of the 50-200mm f2.8 (Little White) and the 150-400mm f4.5 TC (Big White), I was interested in how these lenses stacked up against the best zooms that Sony had to offer. A few weeks after my initial tests, I returned to Gigrin Farm for a focus accuracy shootout between the best of …2026/04/11Equipment tests2026-04-11 11:06:51
Using FastRawViewer to cull thousands of imagesI have just returned from Costa Rica, where I took over 70,000 images. During the trip, I culled these to 7,500, and still have a long way to go. Just before that, I did extensive testing of the focus accuracy of various zoom lenses, involving 35,000 images. Before that, last November, on a trip to Sri Lanka, I took 17,000 …2026/04/10Photography insights, Technique2026-04-10 08:55:56
OM Pro Zooms – the effect of teleconverters, ISO and background on focus accuracyThe latest OM Pro zooms are the 50-200mm f2.8 (Little White) and the 150-400mm f4.5 TC (Big White). They are, in my opinion, and in the view of many, the greatest wildlife zooms available on any system. Last year, I purchased the Little White and have taken over 100,000 photographs with it in Cape Town (twice), Sri Lanka, and Costa …2026/04/09Equipment tests2026-04-09 10:46:52
Costa Rica Bird Photography 2026 – Itinerary and commentsI am writing this introduction in San Jose airport, Costa Rica, at the end of an epic 3-week bird photography trip. Along the way I met many extremely nice and interesting people, and exchanged tips and information with them. These included birding locations, travel tips and places to eat. Below I show my full itinerary for the trip along with …2026/04/03Photo shoots, Travel2026-04-03 15:25:12
Long exposure with OM computational photographyLong exposure (LE) photographs, particularly of seascapes, rivers or waterfalls, can create magical effects that allow you to express your creativity, and to show elements of the scene that the eye alone cannot discern. However, it is one of the most difficult photography techniques to master, and can be enormously frustrating. The traditional method to achieve long exposure times has …2025/03/08Technique2025-03-08 13:23:39
Giant OM-3 photo settings spreadsheet and best settings files across 5 genresFollowing on from my earlier OM-1 settings post, here is a spreadsheet of my top OM-3 photo settings across 5 genres; landscape, birds in flight, street, macro and astro. As before, it contains a complete list of unique settings for each genre, with the logic for every non-standard setting explained. I also attach the actual photo settings files by genre …2025/03/03Equipment analysis2025-03-03 16:56:37
OM-3  – not just a hipster street camera?The new OM System OM-3 is the most powerful small digital camera on the market. It achieves this by shoehorning the sensor and imaging pipeline of the pro OM-1 Mark II into a new, small and elegant body. However, despite having the same range of functions as the OM-1, the new camera has fewer customisable buttons than the OM-1, has …2025/03/02Equipment analysis2025-03-02 07:42:56
Best lenses for the new OM-3 cameraThe new OM-3 from OM Systems was announced on 6th February 2025. This lovely new camera is a very careful modern rendering of the legendary OM film cameras which were trailblazers in their day, more than 50 years ago. It took me about 3 days from the announcement until I placed my order. The camera arrived today, and it is …2025/02/26Equipment analysis2025-02-26 19:00:35
Perfect long exposure with physical ND filtersLong exposure photographs, particularly of seascapes, rivers or waterfalls, can create magical effects that allow you to express your creativity, and to show elements of the scene that the eye alone cannot discern. However, it is one of the most difficult photography techniques to master, and can be enormously frustrating. Over the years, I have developed a simple methodology to …2025/01/12Technique2025-01-12 18:38:46
OM-1 settings for landscape and long exposure photographyThis is a companion to my settings for birds in flight (which are shown in detail here, and here). This time it’s my OM-1 landscape settings including long exposure photography. The OM-1 is an extremely sophisticated camera, with 400-500 settings that can be changed, and a multitude of computational features. These can all be saved into 4 custom settings, typically …2024/12/23Technique2024-12-23 11:47:12
On1 Photo Raw – I’m all inA while back, I got an email from a visitor to this site about On1 Photo Raw. She was frustrated with some annoying bugs in the product, and was thinking about switching to Lightroom, a product she did not have a lot of experience with. I have used both in tandem for a long time, and written about them, so …2024/12/01Photography insights2024-12-01 15:28:12
Matching the best camera system to the occasionBefore Covid, my primary photography genres were Birds in Flight and Street. Since then, my interests and skills have expanded to cover Landscape, Macro and Astro photography. I’m not a professional photographer, so I mostly take shots by travelling to a specific location for a specific purpose, either locally in the UK or on major planned trips abroad. Often the …2024/11/20Photography insights2024-11-20 18:26:59
OM1 vs R5, A1 and Z8: which is the best all-round system?In a separate post, I posed the question of what to take for the once-in-a-lifetime camera trip. Can one camera system be the best at all my photography genres – specifically, Birds in Flight (BIF), Landscape, Astro, Street and Macro? The OM Systems OM1 is a brilliant all-rounder, but some other cameras have more pixels for landscape, and (in principle) …2024/11/20Equipment analysis2024-11-20 17:06:20
OM5 custom settings explainedCustom settings are a very powerful feature of the OM1 and OM5 cameras. However, there are significant differences between the two cameras in their use. It has taken me a while to understand the differences, and how to use the OM5 custom settings to their best advantage. If you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is …2024/06/09Equipment analysis2024-06-09 11:07:44
OI share, OM1 and Pixel phones solutionOlympus/OM systems cameras have some exceptionally useful features when connected to smartphones. But there are major issues when using the OM1 camera and Google Pixel phones. This post explains why there are problems and shows how to ensure you can always connect your OM1 to your Pixel smartphone. If you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR …2024/06/08Equipment analysis2024-06-08 16:50:31
Hot pixels in OM1 and OM5 Long Exposure photographyIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. In an earlier post, I compared the performance of the Olympus OM1 to the Nikon Z7 for long exposure (LE) photography. My conclusions from that comparison were correct, but not the whole story. A …2024/05/21Equipment tests2024-05-21 16:59:37
Best Olympus pro telephoto – surprising test resultsThe Olympus pro 150-400mm F4.5 zoom is described by many as the best telephoto lens ever made for wildlife photography. It costs an eyewatering £6500, however, and is not exactly compact. I have been contemplating getting it for several years. To finally decide, I did some extensive testing, comparing it to the two pro telephoto lenses I currently use. The …2024/05/10Equipment tests2024-05-10 15:50:48
Perfect exposure on the wing with the OM1Shooting birds in flight at high shutter speeds may require high ISOs when there is low light. This is often quoted as a drawback of the Olympus system, because of its smaller sensor. I don’t have this problem because I take care to expose the bird correctly, so shadows do not have to be pushed and highlights are not blown. …2024/05/02Technique2024-05-02 09:11:44
My OM1 birds in flight settingsThis is a description of my approach to the Olympus OM1 (any version) when shooting birds in flight (BIF). This is super technical and only intended for those owning an OM1 or thinking about it. This is a companion to my settings for landscape and long exposure photography. The OM1 is an extremely sophisticated camera, with 400-500 settings that can …2024/04/30Technique2024-04-30 11:03:33
Taking better birds in flight photosI started photographing birds in flight (BIF) in 2017 in Cape Town, having previously concentrated mainly on long exposure sea and river scapes, and street photography. I had heard that proficiency in BIF was hard and expensive, as it needed great technique plus expensive cameras and lenses for any kind of success. Seven years ago, this was very true. But …2024/04/27Technique2024-04-27 18:13:33
Taking and processing interesting* seascapesIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. In March 2024 I returned to our place in Noordhoek, Cape Town for the first time since 2019.  Circumstances like Covid and grandchildren had kept us away, and my main intention was to start …2024/04/20Technique2024-04-20 15:56:55
OM1 for Birds in Flight – as good as the A9?Is the Olympus OM1 a big improvement on the EM1x, and can it compete with cameras like the Sony A9? I got my spiffy new OM Digital Solutions OM1 camera in early March 2022, and have been wanting to try it out on some intensive bird in flight action. Once the half-term and having fun with Grandkids period was over, …2022/04/25Equipment tests2022-04-25 17:41:07
Getting the best from On1 Photo Raw and Lightroom ClassicIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. On1 Photo Raw is a post processing program that in my opinion exceeds the capabilities of Lightroom Classic in many ways. It’s become my default software for both birds in flight and landscape/seascape work. …2022/04/03Technique2022-04-03 16:01:18
Olympus OM1 compared to Nikon Z7 for long exposure photographyIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. I currently own both the Olympus OM1 and the Nikon Z7. Recently, while waiting for my OM1 to arrive, I spent a week in Cornwall doing long exposure photography of the sea and waterfalls …2022/03/30Equipment analysis, Equipment tests2022-03-30 16:25:34
Olympus OM1 equals Nikon Z7 in long exposure photography noise testsIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. In addition to birds in flight, I do a lot of long exposure photography of the sea and rivers. A good way to assess the long exposure performance of a camera is to take …2022/03/29Equipment tests2022-03-29 08:48:13
Why I prefer Olympus 4/3 to Sony full frame for Birds in FlightOver the last two years I have been trying to find the camera system that best meets my needs for birds in flight photography, particularly looking at Sony full frame and Olympus four thirds camera systems. I’ve written 10 posts with detailed information on this topic but to find a logical route through them is now something of a challenge …2022/03/12Featured Post, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2022-03-12 11:35:23
New Lightroom workflow for improved high frame rate bird photographyIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. Lightroom is a wonderful product, and I am wedded to it, but it does not provide a complete environment for post processing of high frame rate bird photography. In this post I describe a …2022/03/08Technique2022-03-08 18:52:18
Effect of teleconverters and light level on Olympus Pro lenses for for birds in flightIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. I have always wondered which Olympus Pro lens and teleconverter combination is best for birds in flight (BIF) in terms of focus accuracy. Last year I did some extended tests (over 11,000 shots) of …2022/03/07Equipment tests2022-03-07 13:16:33
EM1x test, great results with ProCapture and Bird AI trackingIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. Last year I did an EM1x test of Gannets landing at Bempton cliffs wildlife reserve in the UK using ProCapture and Bird recognition tracking, and got some great results. I took 4382 shots of …2022/03/07Equipment tests, Photo shoots2022-03-07 10:33:48
AF for birds in flight with the Sony A9 and the 200-600 zoomIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. In prior posts I have presented data about AF for birds in flight with the Sony A9 and the 200-600 zoom. I have shown that in challenging conditions , the system did not perform …2021/01/17Equipment analysis, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2021-01-17 11:04:37
Sony 200-600 zoom: 4 cameras, two lensesIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. This is a summary of all the work I have done on Sony cameras and the Sony 200-600 zoom lens in 2020. I tested 4 cameras and two copies of the lens. These tests …2021/01/16Equipment tests, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2021-01-16 12:23:57
Sony A9 focus accuracy – birds in flight hit rateIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. In this post I make a lens speed and noise comparison between the EM1x and the A9 across the whole range of lenses that a professional or high-level amateur might use, including matched pairs …2021/01/14Equipment tests, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2021-01-14 12:01:09
Sony a6400 for birds in flightWhat is the actual performance of Sony a6400 for birds in flight? The Sony A6400 and A6600 have been described by some as mini A9 cameras, inheriting many aspects of that camera’s advanced autofocus system. They also have the advantage of a crop sensor which gives you extra reach when shooting birds in flight. The A6400 in particular is also …2021/01/13Equipment tests, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2021-01-13 17:33:47
APSC vs Olympus noise and dynamic range -which is best?If you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. While many photographers are under the impression that the Olympus Pro cameras have poor noise quality, they do not think the same about APSC cameras or full frame cameras used in crop mode. Here …2021/01/12Equipment analysis, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2021-01-12 18:50:31
Post-processing workflow for birds in flightIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. I have developed a detailed workflow for post processing birds in flight images. TL;DR Post-processing BIF images requires a specialist workflow: triage (FastRawViewer), denoise (DxO), dynamic contrast (On1), and final curation (Lightroom). Batch operations …2021/01/10Technique2021-01-10 12:53:04
Noise and DR roundup for Sony A9 and EM1xIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. Many Olympus owners cannot accept that the noise and DR (dynamic range) of an EM1x camera can often be comparable to an A9. It seems to run counter to their own direct experience with …2021/01/07Equipment analysis, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2021-01-07 22:08:35
EM1x update on firmware 2 bird AF operation and settingsIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. If you are a happy user of an EM1x for birds in flight, you probably know a lot of the material in this post. But there are also a lot of things which are …2021/01/05Equipment analysis2021-01-05 17:15:43
Multi-lens speed and noise comparison of EM1x to Sony A9If you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. In this post I make a lens speed and noise comparison between the EM1x and the A9 across the whole range of lenses that a professional or high-level amateur might use, including matched pairs …2021/01/05Equipment analysis, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2021-01-05 13:33:14
EM1x and firmware 2 – great owl results with Pro CaptureIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. I recently tested the EM1x and firmware 2.0 at the Hawk Conservancy Trust (HCT). Shooting owls with the new bird AI tracking system and Pro Capture was a revelation. Here are some examples and …2020/12/27Photo shoots2020-12-27 12:29:07
Depth of field for birds in flight – good or bad?If you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. Many camera enthusiasts see the wide depth of field (DoF) inherent to Olympus cameras, as a disadvantage. In my humble opinion, wide DoF is a positive advantage for landscape photography, for street, and above …2020/12/23Equipment analysis2020-12-23 17:40:37
Dynamic Range on Olympus vs Sony cameras for birds in flightIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. In other articles I have compared focus accuracy and noise between the Sony A9 and Olympus EM1x cameras. This time I’ll look at Dynamic Range on Olympus vs Sony, specifically when photographing birds in …2020/12/22Equipment analysis, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2020-12-22 18:35:02
Noise on Olympus vs Sony cameras for birds in flightIf you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. Most Internet and YouTube pundits look only at the sensor performance when comparing image quality on the Olympus system with other cameras. But it is called a system for a reason. The cameras, lenses, …2020/12/21Equipment analysis, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2020-12-21 22:30:09
EM1x and new firmware 2.0 operation for birds in flightThis is a description of my approach to the EM1x and firmware 2.0 operation when shooting birds in flight. It’s not designed to be a fully comprehensive guide, but it does contain many tips I have learned to extract the very best out of this camera system. I am not going to describe the detail of installing and setting up …2020/12/20Technique2020-12-20 13:33:17
New EM1x firmware 2.0 focus tests for Birds in Flight | mcaughtry.photoThe EM1x firmware 2.0 update now has the ability for the AF system to recognise and track birds. For all current and prospective EM1x owners, there is great interest in how effectively it works. Now it is available, I’ve done some testing at my usual locations to get some preliminary insights. If you would rather head straight to a concise …2020/12/19Equipment tests2020-12-19 13:29:05
Sony A9 vs Olympus E-M1x focus accuracy testsAll through the summer and autumn of 2020 I have been testing the Olympus E-M1x and E-M1iii with the 300mm and 40-150 plus TC against all the main Sony cameras (A9, A7r3, A7r4, A6400, plus 200-600 Sony 5.6-6.3). This has mostly been at the Hawk Conservancy Trust (HCT) in Hampshire, UK. The HTC birds are vultures, falcons, kestrels, owls, eagles …2020/12/15Equipment tests, Sony vs Olympus comparisons2020-12-15 14:54:11
Did YouTube damage the camera industry?YouTube has become the primary medium for potential camera buyers to get information. Manufacturers have recently focused their attention for new announcements almost exclusively on YouTube pundits. However YouTubers need specialised video features, and this has massively distorted development of of cameras for photography in recent years. Has this been a bad thing for photographers? If you would rather head …2020/11/21Camera marketplace2020-11-21 12:47:32
The lessons from owning too many camerasThe photography software that I use, Adobe Lightroom has a useful feature where you can see in tabular form which cameras, lenses, shutter speed, focal length etc you used. One day, I had every photograph selected and noticed that the camera list was pretty long. It turned out that I have used 56 different cameras since the early 2000s. This …2020/11/18Photography insights2020-11-18 11:42:10
The decline of the professional photographerIn the 20th century, when film was king and digital had not yet arrived, printed magazines such as Time, Newsweek, National Geographic, and the Sunday glossies were the primary means by which the general public saw great photographs. In the 21st century, magazine publishing has gone the same way as film emulsions, and the role and business model of the …2020/11/12Camera marketplace2020-11-12 17:50:33
The trials of being a Camera manufacturerTwo powerful trends are currently turning the established camera manufacturers inside out and upside down. These unique business conditions are creating a challenge for almost every manufacturer, and it is likely many will not survive. If you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the …2020/11/10Camera marketplace2020-11-10 11:29:21
How Sony became the Kodak of the 21st centuryIn the 20th century, the giant of photography was Kodak. In 1976, Kodak sold 90 percent of the photographic film in the US and 85 percent of the cameras; 10 years later it still employed 145,000 people. All cameras used photographic film in those days, most of them used Kodak. In 1975, Kodak invented the digital sensor, and over the …2020/11/09Camera marketplace2020-11-09 18:01:28
Are real cameras dead?Why have a camera as opposed to a smartphone? For most people, including me, the vast majority of photographs are taken with a smartphone. That includes just about every photograph of family, almost all travel photographs and almost every photograph of documents or meter readings etc. So why have a camera at all? If you would rather head straight to …2020/11/09Photography insights2020-11-09 12:15:12
The Sony AR74 and the Sony 200-600 f5.6-6.3 lens, a non-functional combination for birds in flight?I have taken approximately 2000 birds in flight shots with the Sony AR74 and the Sony 200-600 and obtained a miserably low number of in-focus images. Changing the lens has made almost no difference. Although some photographers have achieved apparently good results, many have experienced the same problems that I have found. For some owners, like me, this seems to …2020/05/24Equipment tests2020-05-24 17:50:55
State of the systemsHere’s an overview of state of the systems that I currently have, by usage type, together with the reasons I made those choices. If you would rather head straight to a concise summary, the TL;DR is at the foot of the page — or jump directly to the FAQ. People/Street photographs: Olympus E-M1 Mark iii with Olympus 75mm f-1.8. A …2020/04/24Photography insights2020-04-24 18:10:51
Is the ( Really Right Stuff) RRS BH 40 ball head worth the money?Quick background. Ball heads are an essential part of the tripod equation if you need to steady your camera for landscape, long exposure or portrait work. Really Right Stuff (RRS) established a reputation for their ball-heads as the best there is amongst the web-based photography pundits. They cost a small fortune, and don’t look wildly different from any other competitive …2015/05/03Equipment tests2015-05-03 10:08:45