Olympus OM-1 Problems & Workarounds

The Olympus OM System’s OM-1 camera has a number of shortcomings in the video recording aspect which are covered below with potential workarounds. These problems include colour inaccuracies, focus problems, and bad ergonomics as well as other less documented issues:

Olympus OM System’s OM-1 problems and issues

1. 10 frames per second using the mechanical shutter (vs. 15 frames per second on the older E-M1X camera). This problem can be somewhat mitigated by using the electronic shutter on the OM-1 since the OM-1 has less rolling shutter than the older models when using the silent electronic shutter.
2. AutoFocus is slower & less reliable in comparison to previous generation of Olympus cameras (such as Olympus OM-D E-M1X, E-M1 III, and E-M5 III). This problem is even worse in low light situations where the OM-1 really struggles to obtain focus. Also, using the punch in zoom to obtain focus makes the camera even struggle more. So the workaround is to increase lighting of the scene, or open the aperture further to let in more light, or slow down the shutter speed to let in more light (even if this is only temporary to obtain focus), and don’t use the punch in zoom when attempting to obtain focus.
3. Colours are less accurate than previous generation of Olympus cameras. The picture is more saturated and shadows and dark skin have a strong magenta tint. To workaround these problems two settings can be changed such as shifting the white balance as well as changing the saturation on the picture profile being used. Improving the image beyond these settings can be done via post processing.
4. Auto-white balance is substantially worse than the previous generation of Olympus cameras. The camera is able to select the correct auto white balance in sunny environments, however it struggles to set the correct white balance in cloudy, shadow, or mixed lighting situations which is something that the previous generation Olympus cameras could accomplish. To workaround this problem a custom white balance can be set manually however this also has a limitation in that the increments are in 200 Kelvin which is relatively large for the white balance to be set accurately.
   Another problem with the white balance is that it cannot be changed during video recording. So video recording needs to be stopped in order to change the white balance, then video recording can be resumed with the new settings. In order to workaround this problem the AWB lock feature can be used to lock the WB during video recording when AWB appears to have selected a good value.
5. There is no dual recording or sequential recording to the SD cards even though this is available for photography. To compensate for this shortcoming, it is possible to record simultaneously to an external device via HDMI while recording to the SD card at the same time.
6. There is no option to record video at 720p. To get around this you may do post processing or record to an external device with this capability instead. If storage capacity is a limiting factor then using lower frames may be a potential remedy.

Olympus OM-1 (OM System)

1. 10-bit video on the OM-1 has multiple problems. The 10bit 4K60 video is soft which I assume it because the camera is not oversampling the sensor. Using lower frame rates such as 25/30 should address this problem.
2. 4K60 10-bit video footage has really bad rolling shutter. Again, using lower frame rates or switching to 8-bit video seems to be the potential compromise if reduction of rolling shutter is important.
3. 10-bit video has no picture profiles. so it is only possible to record in Log or HLG when recording 10-bit video. Hence, post processing can address this shortcoming at the expense of having to spend more time or alternatively 8-bit video can be used. One more option is record externally using a device that allows applying colour profiles (LUTs) to the image while recording instead of doing this as part of the post processing workflow thereby saving time but with the disadvantage of requiring to carry more equipment and introducing more complexity.
4. Slowmotion quality is still bad even though it has improved from EM1X & EM1 mark III.

OM System RM-WR1 Wireless Remote Control

1. Shutter button customisation in video mode is not possible anymore but a separate record button exists which can be used. Also, the wireless remote control can be used to trigger video recording which I suspect is why the shutter button is no longer customisable.
2. ISO button doesn’t work during video recording just like previous generation of Olympus cameras. So the touch screen must be used for this functionality during video recording. Although this will cause the histogram to disappear which can be made visible again by iterating through the various views using the info button.
3. The ergonomics of the OM-1 is worse than the E-M1X and E-M1 mark III. In particular using the front and back dials is more difficult as well as the function lever and On/Off switch. This is mainly due to their placements and a reduction in their size. Even the labelling of SD card slots is less visible than it was on the E-M1X.
4. Menu navigation has become substantially more difficult due to two factors: placement of buttons and dials which are required for operating the menu as well as the new menu system requiring more button presses since the left arrow button can no longer be used to exit a menu hierarchy. So, to navigate and use the menu both hands and multiple fingers must be used in addition to needing to re-adjust the position of the hand in order to reach buttons/dials.
5. Some menus have been made worse such as separation of focus stacking and focus bracketing as well as HDR and Exposure bracketing.
6. Menu system text and background have less contrast, making it more difficult to see under certain lighting conditions or when the LCD brightness has been dimmed to save battery life.
7. The quick menu also known as the Super Control Panel has substantially less options than that of the previous generation of Olympus cameras. For example tone curve adjustment is no longer accessible via Super Control Panel or any menu on the camera. So the only way to access it is via assigning a shortcut button to the multi-function and scrolling through the options to use it as tone curve. Also, the tone curve is changed the numbers are not shown on the screen once the menu is exited unlike previous generation of Olympus cameras such as the OM-D E-M1X.
8. The touch screen Live Control menu no longer exists, although some settings can be directly accessed via touch screen such as ISO but the options are less than the Live Control Menu. Also, using touch screen makes the histogram disappear. When the histogram disappears it is possible to make it re-appear again by pressing the info button multiple times to loop through the various views.
9. Some camera settings cannot be changed during video recording, such as the tone curve, white balance, picture profile settings, and stabilisation. Although, exposure can be changed, AEL can be used as well as white balance lock, and Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO.
10. The battery grip for the OM-1 does not have a DC port for powering or charging the batteries in the camera which was available for the battery grip for the E-M1 II and E-M1 III, as well as on the E-M1X. The camera’s USB-C port can be used to charge the battery as well as to run the camera from it but that is not a seamless process and requires the camera to be restarted hence it is not a viable option during video recording similar to the Panasonic GH6.

OM system BCX-1 Battery Charger (Olympus)

1. When purchasing the OM-1 camera, a battery charger is not included even though the camera is relatively expensive. So the battery charger must be purchased separately, and it is very expensive (third party options exist for a fraction of the price). Also, when purchasing the battery charger, it doesn’t come with an adapter for it. So when you buy the battery charger, you are buying a partial product for a very very expensive price. This expensive battery charger has regressed from that of the E-M1X and E-M1 III as its LED turns off instead of turning green when batteries are full. So once the batteries are full the LEDs turn off which is the same state that the battery charger would be in if power is not being supplied to the charger whereas on the previous generation battery charger, the LED would be orange while charging and turn green when the battery is full hence there was no ambiguity about what state the charger and batteries are in. Also, the battery charger (BCX-1) is for two batteries which makes it bigger to carry in a bag whereas the E-M1X came with two separate chargers which made it more convenient for carrying in a bag. As the customers for micro four thirds cameras are keen on smaller size and lighter weight equipment for high portability. Since small size and light weight tends to be big selling points for micro four third cameras, having a large battery charger seems counter this benefit.