OM-DE-M1Xis oneofonlya
handfulofcamerasboastinga dualgrip,which
whileincreasingsizeandweightoffersa
numberofbenefits.Theseincludeimproved
handling,secondarycontrolswhenusingthe
camerain anuprightposition,alongwith
housingtwoBLH- 1 lithium-ionpacks, which
increasesbatterycapacitytoaround 800 shots.
A9VDCsocketonthegrip(alongwiththe
USB-C socket) allows in-camera charging.Handling 19 / 20
Easeofuse 15 / 20
Features 18 / 20
Performance 18 /2 0
Value 17 / 20Overall 87 / 100
O
LYMPUSCELEBRATESITS 100 th
anniversarylaterthisyearandhas
markedsuchamomentous
occasionwithitsmostadvanced
professionalcameraever.The
OM-DE-M1Xis thelargestandmost
expensivemirrorlessmodelyetandsits as the
newflagshipin therange,offeringplentyof
featuresthat,whilesuitedto allformsof
photography, willappealprimarilyto thosein
searchoftheultimateforspeed,namely
sports,actionandwildlifephotographers.
Witha body-onlypriceof£2,7 99 , the
OM-DE-M1Xis twicethecostof theOM-D
E-M1MarkII, whichit replacesas theflagship
model.But whileit sharescharacteristicswith
theoldercamera,it's a completelydifferent
beastwitha buildanda range of featuresthat
comparesfavourablywithothersimilar
specifiedprofessionalmodelsfromthelikes
ofCanon,NikonandSony.
Whilerelativelylargefora mirrorless
camera, the size of theOlympus comparesfavourablyagainstrivalDSLRs,whichare
bulkierandheavier.TheOlympuslookslikea
pro-DSLRthanksto thelargedual-gripthat
makesit easierto usethecamerawhenheld
in portraitformat.Thisgripoffersadualsetof
controlsandhousestwobatterypacksto
increaseshootingtime.At justshyof a kilo,it's
not as heavyasyoumight expectandthe
gripsprovide a verysecure,balancedand
comfortablehold.Thebodyfeelsincredibly
solidandOlympusclaimsthatit offersa
water-,dustandfreeze-proofprotection
that's superiorto anyothermodel.
Onedrawbackthatyou'llfindin the
camera's extensivespecificationis the
numberof buttonsthatyou'llneedtoget
yourheadaroundto makefulluseofwhat
theOlympushasto offer.Prettymuchevery
partofthebodyhasoneormorecontrols,so
it's definitelya camerarequiringa periodof
learningto establishitsoperation,evenif
you'reanexperiencedphotographer. Once
you get acquainted with the controls, you'llTheOlympusOM-D
E-M1Xis a classact,have
nodoubtofthat.It'srobust,
handleswellandoffersan
extensiverangeoffeatures.TheAFsystem
is excellentandtheoverallperformance
is verygood.Whileitsappealwon'tbe
universal,it's a verycapableproposition
forsportsandwildlifephotographers.
However,itslensrangedoesn'toffer
photographersin theseareasanywhere
nearasmanyoptionsasrivalsystems.VERDICT
CLOSESTRIVALS
ŔNIKON D5: Nikon's three-year-old flagship
still compares well with newer rivals. It has a
full-frame 20.8-megapixel CMOS sensor,
153-point AF system and 12fps drive. A popular
choice with sports pros but at £5,349 body only,
it'sfarmoreexpensivethantheOlympus.
Professionalfieldtestdate:October2016.
Ŕ CANON EOS-1DX MARK II: A very popular
DSLR with pro sports photographers since its
launch in 2016, the Canon boasts a
20.2-megapixel full-frame sensor, 61-point AF
and14fpsdrive.Around£5,000bodyonly.
Professionalfieldtestdate:May2016.
ŔNIKON D500: Launched alongside the
flagship D5, this 20.9-megapixel APS-C DSLR
shares many of the same features as the D5,
including the 153-point AF system and EXPEED
5 processor. These features, along with the
10fps drive and more affordable price tag
(£1,799 body only), has made it incredibly
popular model for sports.
Test date: August 2016. Test score: 94%.July 2019DigitalSLRPhotography 99
Exposure:1/500secat f/2.8(ISO 200 )