Olympus OM-D E-M5II with 40-150 f/2.8 & 12-40 f/2.8 lenses

There are tons of review that get into all kinds of metrics on this camera from people who know a hell of a lot more than me so I'll spare the detailed review. Try Cameralabs or DP Review. Below is what I think of the camera.

Bought this setup wanting a compact system camera that gave the advantages of an SLR in a measurably small package. I can say I definitely got it. I owned Nikon stuff in the past and carrying a kit around involved a backpack. Now a shoulder bag is all I need for body and two lenses and a flash. It is definitely smaller. Crop factor on this camera is 2X so focal length is X2 making my 14-40 and 40-150 actually a 28-80 and 80-300

Image Quality

16 megapixels. High ISO seems good. Honestly though I don't get too hung up on image quality. Nowadays all cameras look pretty good for most stuff. I had Nikon D200 in the past and I own a Sony RX100MkII and it's better than both of them.

The image stabilization is pretty awesome for two reasons. First, it works really well. Second, it's in the camera body so it works with any lens. Seriously though, once you get uses to the IS you'll need it forever. I should point out too that unlike things like sharp focus and metering, this feature directly improves image quality no matter how good you are.

Bonus: It'll do a 40 megapixel image. It uses the image stabilization to shift the sensor around and get more info out of the scene being shot. Only good for static subjects and you need to use a tripod. I'm guessing this is a pixel peeper's wet dream. I've never used it but I hear it works well if you have a need for that.

Controls/Handling

It has all I need on the exterior and then some. Two dials and 4 function buttons including the one on the lens. Very customizable. I don't think you can do much better than this camera in this regard particularly given it's small size. Plus there's a switch that you can throw which will change the dial functions. On mine in Aperture priority I have aperture on the front and exp comp on the back. I throw the switch and now I've got ISO on the front white balance on the back. All without taking the camera from my eye. Controls are knurled well and buttons raised enough to allow for selection with little effort for use. Somebody did a lot of testing and "feel" to make sure the design was right and it shows. The bottom line is if you like to make camera adjustments to get a shot, they don't get much better than this especially considering the size of the camera.

The camera is nicely grippy with a perfectly placed little thumb wing on the back upper right corner which is essential when bringing the camera to eye. For a small camera it'c comfortable to hold in my hands which are about average size I would say.

All that being said, it should be law that the power button be on the right. Olympus put it on the top left so you can't throw it on with one hand. I hate grabbing the camera, going to shoot, realize I have it off and then dropping the camera to my other hand to turn it on. For all they did very right on this camera, this one thing is very wrong. Every time I have to do it I'm baffled. If nothing else, the fact that I tolerate this item shows just how great the rest of the camera is.

It's got a touch screen too that you can pick focus points and shoot with. The menu interface is kind of hokey from a touch point of view though. You can touch the items you want to change but you need to use the dials to change the setting. So it has a touch screen but the execution is kind of lame.

There's an app to that allows you to control the camera from your phone using WiFi to, import pics, etc. It works the way you would expect it to. Nothing ground breaking here.

Speed

Fast. It shoots 10 frames a second on S-AF. Turn on to shoot is fast but almost everything is now.

Focusing

Fast. As fast or faster than anything I've used. I think I get a decent hit rate when shooting my son at hockey in C-AF but it does hunt a bit. I do need to play with the continuous AF with tracking a little more. Online reviews indicate that there are better cameras in this regard.

Build Quality

This is where Olympus shines. Very refined. Build quality IMHO is as good as it gets.

The camera comes with a separate flash too. A pop up would be nice as anything that's separate could be misplaced or forgotten but Olympus made up for that by making it swivel and tilt. You can bounce it but remember it's still only pop up strength so don't expect it to replace a flash gun. Still it's weatherproofed and small so it's pretty cool.

The weatherproofing is really something worth having too. Making compromises for your environment or weather doesn't make for great shots. You can take this out and do what you want short of getting under water. Not worrying about your gear is definitely a good thing.

I just hate that f'ing power switch.

The Lenses

These lenses seem expensive (I'll explain later). The 14-40 f/2.8 is about $800 and the 40-150 f/2.8 is about $1900 here in Canada. That being said, they are as good or better than any lens I've owned or held. No plasticy sliding noises when zooming. Just silent perfectly and consistently damped. They remind me of my old Pentax primes. The bokeh on both looks nice to me, they focus fast a silently, they're weather sealed and they're image stabilized on the E-M5ii body. Image quality measurements I see form places like Photozone show they are great. If you can afford them you'll love them.

To put this in perspective, a Nikon or Canon 70-200 f/2.8 image stabilized is about $2500 for just the lens. The Nikon and Canon versions of a 28-80 f/2.8 start around $2000. Add a weather sealed Nikon or Canon camera body and the value of the Olympus gear becomes apparent.

Verdict

I can take this kit anywhere thanks to the weather sealing and the small package and I don'y feel I'm compromising on image quality.

Pros:

Good image quality
Image stabilization

Lots of external control
Weatherproofed
Nifty little flash
Small package

Cons:

The fucking power switch
Lenses are expensive, but really nice

Danielsson L5W Fly Reels

I am a klutz when it comes to steelheading as I do tend to fall in the river. My reels often get wet, dirty, iced up and I do little to maintain them other than a rinse and wipe. It is based on these experiences that I am reviewing this reel. I look forward to getting them salty but that has yet to happen.

The L5W series is Danielsson's high end, light duty reel. By light duty I'm referring to the drag and a focus on weight savings. That being said, for the fishing I do (Bass, Trout Steelhead, Salmon) they're more than enough. And honestly I don't know why I would need more than around 3-5lbs of drag on a fly reel although these will go higher than that.

I won't get into technical details that are already available at the Danielsson website regarding the design. They've summed up their product very well without getting too carried away, and being that I own two of their products, I can vouch for it's accuracy.

So here's what I like about them..

Heirloom Quality. Despite the abuse these reels have endured, they operate like the day they were bought. My LW 8Twelve is going on 7 years old and works like new. These were designed and assembled without compromise and with the act of fishing in mind. All stainless and aluminum and very high quality anodizing.

Very well sealed clutch, drag and bearings. The clutch bearing is sealed along with the drag. This is not always the case. Many clutch bearings in reels are exposed, even slightly, and can get wet. They will ultimately become contaminated over time if not serviced. No clutch means no drag. One doesn't matter without the other. Danielsson drags are sealed with the clutch and then they are tested in a pressure chamber to 100m. In 7 years, no water has got into the drag and clutch of my LW 8Twelve. None. I've checked.

I have another reel from a well know manufacturer that was only a little less money than the Danielsson. It had a "sealed" drag but the nut that held the shaft on was not stainless. It's rusted on and won't come off. Evidence of lack of testing during the design of this particular other reel.

Also if you remove the spool, nothing is exposed. Even disassembled, the clutch and drag sealing are not compromised. Take the spool off. Drop the reel and spool in the mud. Reassemble. No problem.

My favorite thing: The L5W 4Seven and 6Nine are the same reel with different size spools. My 4Seven was my 6wt reel for trout and bass. I bought a 6wt switch and needed an 8wt reel to accommodate a 6wt switch line. I just got a 6Nine spool for my birthday and now my one reel can service both rods. About $400 for the reel with two spools. That's cheap for a high end reel.

On the left is the 4Seven Spool with a 6wt weight foreward, on the rod is the 6Nine spooled with Airflo 5.5wt streamer switch line.

Issues I've had with other reels that Danielsson has designed around include locking up due to ice, free-spooling from fouled clutch bearings, drags ("sealed" ones)  that vary in retention force depending on how wet they are, poor drag adjustment range, etc.

Oh and regarding warranty. I've never had to use it. I've owned other reels that had great warranties but I prefer the one I don't need.

I can't think of anything else worth mentioning. Being able to tune the drag tension rate is pretty cool. They're light. They only come in gray. The drag is as smooth as any I've tried. The anodizing seems more durable than some I've seen.

Best reel I've used. Highly recommended.

CB

INTRO

I live in Windsor, Ontario and love fishing gear, tying flies, fishing and taking photos. This is my blog where I will document my fishing endeavors, post helpful info and hopefully engage like minded individuals..