Oly EM1ii to Z6 tips

[Jswell]

I just ordered a Z6 that will hopefully arrive before the weekend. It is my first Nikon and couldn't be more excited to own one.
I'm coming from an Olympus EM1ii, could any users give me a few tips or pointers to bump up my learning curve?

 

[davidzvi]

Do you have Olympus or Panasonic zooms? They zoom in opposite directions. Panasonic are like Nikon, Olympus are like Canon. It's a little annoying, but you get use to it.

I find Olympus and Nikon bodies actually handle a lot a like in regard to the basic controls (P/A/S/M). Since those plus exposure comp and ISO are the things I change the most, I have no problem moving between them.

On your E-M1, did you have the direction pad controlling the AF point location? If you did than you probably won't have much trouble going to a joy stick control. Since I came from Nikon I changed the AF point control to the direction pad on every m4/3 body I've owned. I also actually find the customization sections of the menus reasonably similar (though the Olympus is deeper and more confusing than the mirror Nikons I owned).

 

[MNglass]

Like the Oly, turn on EFCS for SS below 1/2000. On the Nikon, if EFCS is on, the camera won't let you go above 1/2000 (I don't remember if the Oly had that limitation).

Silent shutter scanned the sensor about 4 times faster on the OLY (for general shooting I used it about 90% of the time). I've been using it on the Nikon but am a little more careful if there is motion in the frame.

While you can turn on the histogram in the EVF in the Nikon, for still shooting you don't have over or under exposure superimposed in the EVF (one of the few things I miss from the Oly).

The lenses also twist on/off in the opposite direction from the Oly. Took me forever to unlearn that muscle memory when I first started in M43, now I have to learn it back!

Enjoy that EVF.

Don't worry about pushing the ISO. Shadows lift much cleaner IMO.

Nikon IBIS is good, but not at the the level of the Oly EM1.ii.

Did you get a native S lens along with it?

 

[ijm5012]

I switched from the E-M1 II to the Z6, and am very happy with the switch.

If I were to give you one piece of advice, it would be "don't jump to premature conclusions". The Z6 will do things differently than the E-M1 II. There will be things you used to do/have configured on your E-M1 II that you can't do with the Z6 (i.e. live highlight/shadow warnings). You need to learn the new camera, learn the menu system, and set the camera up to your preferences.

It may take a bit, but in the long run I think you'll be happy with the switch. I know I am. Just out of curiosity, what type of subjects do you typically shoot, and why drove you to ditch the E-M1 II?

 

[Jswell]

Thank you for all the info. I used both some Oly and Panasonic lenses so hopefully won't take too long to break habits. It'll actually be nice to have all zooms function in the same direction. And I loved the joystick when I played with a Z recently, I didn't find touch screen selection on the EM1ii useful for my uses. The focus button for BBF and joystick on the Z just felt perfectly placed.

I'm switching somewhat due to FF curiosity, but I am mostly an adventure photographer and choosing the best light isn't always an option. It can be too dark, too bright, both at same time and am looking for a bit more flexibility in those harsh conditions. I would also like greater use of DOF, which will always be lacking in M43 (for better and worse). I also feel let down by the C-AF and while the Z6 may not be a d500 from what I have read it is better then the EM1ii. While I will miss the size of some lenses, most of my zoom needs will be just fine with f4 glass. I got the 24-70 S and a 70-200 f4. I'll had a few faster primes, really excited for the 20mm 1.8.

 

[ijm5012]

Thank you for all the info. I used both some Oly and Panasonic lenses so hopefully won't take too long to break habits. It'll actually be nice to have all zooms function in the same direction. And I loved the joystick when I played with a Z recently, I didn't find touch screen selection on the EM1ii useful for my uses. The focus button for BBF and joystick on the Z just felt perfectly placed.

I'm switching somewhat due to FF curiosity, but I am mostly an adventure photographer and choosing the best light isn't always an option. It can be too dark, too bright, both at same time and am looking for a bit more flexibility in those harsh conditions. I would also like greater use of DOF, which will always be lacking in M43 (for better and worse). I also feel let down by the C-AF and while the Z6 may not be a d500 from what I have read it is better then the EM1ii. While I will miss the size of some lenses, most of my zoom needs will be just fine with f4 glass. I got the 24-70 S and a 70-200 f4. I'll had a few faster primes, really excited for the 20mm 1.8.

Yes, the ergonomics of the Z6 are fantastic. I only use the AF-ON button, and the joystick is MUCH better than the rear-screen focus pad on the E-M1 II.

As far as highlight/shadow recovery, dynamic range, ISO performance, I think you will be very pleased. The greater DoF control is nice, but it isn't drastically different than what you get with m43 (unless you're shooting f/1.4 glass all the time, which is big, heavy, and expensive). C-AF is definitely better with the Z6 than the E-M1 II. I shot college T&F a few weeks ago with the Z6 and it did great. My biggest gripe with the Z6 is the longer blackout period when burst shooting. It can be a bit obtrusive, but the C-AF works so much better that it's a tradeoff I'm willing to make (plus I have two D500's when I really need them).

Honestly, I think f/4 zooms and f/1.8 primes are the way to go with the Z camera. They help keep the size and weight in check, while still fully exploiting the benefits of a FF sensor. I highly suggest getting an FTZ adapter and picking up some F-mount f/1.8 primes to use on the Z6. They're plentiful on the used market, affordable, and perform very very well.

 

[Jswell]

The FTZ is coming with the camera. Having it along with the entire Nikon lens world really puts them over the top. It's great that Z is built to high durability standards, too, which was a major turn off to Sony. Z feels like a tool, Sony A series feel like toys.

Really glad to hear about your success with C-AF. My excitement is building...

 

[MNglass]

Yes, the ergonomics of the Z6 are fantastic. I only use the AF-ON button, and the joystick is MUCH better than the rear-screen focus pad on the E-M1 II.

As far as highlight/shadow recovery, dynamic range, ISO performance, I think you will be very pleased. The greater DoF control is nice, but it isn't drastically different than what you get with m43 (unless you're shooting f/1.4 glass all the time, which is big, heavy, and expensive). C-AF is definitely better with the Z6 than the E-M1 II. I shot college T&F a few weeks ago with the Z6 and it did great. My biggest gripe with the Z6 is the longer blackout period when burst shooting. It can be a bit obtrusive, but the C-AF works so much better that it's a tradeoff I'm willing to make (plus I have two D500's when I really need them).

Honestly, I think f/4 zooms and f/1.8 primes are the way to go with the Z camera. They help keep the size and weight in check, while still fully exploiting the benefits of a FF sensor. I highly suggest getting an FTZ adapter and picking up some F-mount f/1.8 primes to use on the Z6. They're plentiful on the used market, affordable, and perform very very well.

Ian,
It may be worth repeating your starting set-up for getting good C-AF results. I think you posted them in another thread. They aren't intuitive but from your images I've seen they work.

 

[ijm5012]

Ian,
It may be worth repeating your starting set-up for getting good C-AF results. I think you posted them in another thread. They aren't intuitive but from your images I've seen they work.

• Map the AF-selection to one of the front two FN buttons, to allow fast and easy switching between modes and focus groups. Rear dial adjusts the AF mode (AF-S, AF-C, MF), and the front dial adjusts the AF group (single point, dynamic, auto area, etc.).
• Only use AF-ON. With the perfect placement on the Z6, I don't know why anyone would use the shutter release to activate AF
• For AF-S, use either single point and the joystick to place your AF point, or the Auto Area with face detection enabled.
• For AF-C, start with Dynamic. If the area is too big, go to single point. If you want to focus on faces, use Auto Area with face detection enabled.
• Set the "blocked shot response" to "1" for the fastest response for the AF system

I think that's about it. Once you get the camera set up properly, I think you'll find the AF system to be extremely competent. It is definitely better than what I experienced with the E-M1 II.

 

[davidzvi]

..... I highly suggest getting an FTZ adapter and picking up some F-mount f/1.8 primes to use on the Z6. They're plentiful on the used market, affordable, and perform very very well.

Remember to look for AF-S or AF-P F-mount lenses if you want them to auto focus on your Z6.

 

[Jswell]

Thanks for posting your C-AF settings. That will save some frustration and/or missed shots.

 

[nok513]

I've shifted from using the EM1 MkII and using the Z6 primarily to shoot my son's soccer games, and my stepdaughter's lacrosse games. Although I did get impressive shots with the Oly, I see difference in quality. I can pull shadows a lot better and since I only have a 70 - 300mm AF-P for my Z6, I get better crops than I did with the Oly. I've taken random shots around the house with both cameras and working with the Z is more pleasing. The EVF / rear screen on the Z is leaps and bounds above the EM1 MkII. The IBIS on EM1 is better, but the Z won't disappoint. The ISO range alone on the Z blows away what the EM1 can provide.

I still love the Oly and will probably keep it as a secondary, travel system. I'm having a hard time parting ways with it as it has features the Z doesn't have. I will be using the Z more to better acclimate myself to the controls and settings. I'm learning to use the Z; how far can I push exposure, ETTR limits, sports shooting (lower frame rate compared to Oly), etc. So far I've been happy with the results.

 

[MNglass]

I've shifted from using the EM1 MkII and using the Z6 primarily to shoot my son's soccer games, and my stepdaughter's lacrosse games. Although I did get impressive shots with the Oly, I see difference in quality. I can pull shadows a lot better and since I only have a 70 - 300mm AF-P for my Z6, I get better crops than I did with the Oly. I've taken random shots around the house with both cameras and working with the Z is more pleasing. The EVF / rear screen on the Z is leaps and bounds above the EM1 MkII. The IBIS on EM1 is better, but the Z won't disappoint. The ISO range alone on the Z blows away what the EM1 can provide.

I still love the Oly and will probably keep it as a secondary, travel system. I'm having a hard time parting ways with it as it has features the Z doesn't have. I will be using the Z more to better acclimate myself to the controls and settings. I'm learning to use the Z; how far can I push exposure, ETTR limits, sports shooting (lower frame rate compared to Oly), etc. So far I've been happy with the results.

Pretty much sums up my experience as well. That EM1.II is a gem of a camera but for my travel and landscape, the slight bump in resolution and the better DR are a better fit.