OMD EM10 III - Need Your Reviews & Where to Buy in SG


TonyN

New Member
Mar 1, 2020
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TLDR; 1. Why noone posts here, is MFT that unpopular? 2. What's your pros and cons for Olympus (and if possible OMD EM10 series)? 3. Where do you buy your Olympus gears?

I currently own a Sony A7 m3, before that I owned APCS cameras, switching from Nikon to Fuji.

I travel frequently for work around SEA countries and love to throw a small camera in my backpack for spontaneous moments. That brought me to Olympus given their classic design, customisable knobs and affordability (thinking about buying the OMD EM10 m3). Beside I'm trying to convince my wife to pick up the hobby so that on our leisure trips she would use a such camera alongside me. Her biggest request are whether the camera LOOKS good and lightweightness!

However, being a newbie, I don't understand why the MFT community and specifically Olympus' is so quiet. So little discussions and happenings, should it be better to move this thread to the General Talk for more attention?

Are you guys shooting with Olympus daily? Could you give me a few pros and cons that you encounter in your daily shooting experience?

Thanks to my job I could buy photography gears cheaper from other countries (and get them serviced there if needed). I found that prices in Singapore is so much higher than other countries.

Take the OMD EM10 m3 + 14-42 kit:
- Singapore: SGD940 + promos 45f1.8 lens which I don't need. Imported no warranty: SGD725 Used: SGD900
- Vietnam: SGD731 equivalent
- Thailand: SGD624 equivalent

Am I looking at the wrong places? Where are you getting your gears? I'm exclusively buying from Cathay Photo before. I'm being stranded in Singapore given Coronavirus situation (I'm fine, just stop travelling to reduce the risks) and would love to buy the camera in Singapore to help cure the sadness!!!
 

OK I realised my mistake, moving this questions to the MFT forum :D
 

OK, so I posted in the wrong place (Olympus sub).

Keeping it short here, my needs:
- A backup to my FF which I could throw in my backpack when I travel for work and in my cloth bag when out eating/shopping/whatever daily shits that I do.
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Viewfinder
- Good, classic design that could be used as a accessory in the photo (for the wife)
- Easy access to functions with enough buttons and dials
- Good ergonomic

I found the OMD EM10 Mark III fitting the above. What do you think? Pros and cons of it?

Why is the price in Singapore is so high when compared to other countries (where due to work I could purchase and get service there):
- Singapore: SGD940 + promos 45f1.8 lens which I don't need. Imported no warranty: SGD725. Used: SGD900 with bundle lens.
- Vietnam: SGD731 equivalent
- Thailand: SGD624 equivalent

Where should I find the best deal for the machine?

To those saying MFT is doomed, please see that I don't really care about all the news, pixel peeping or have the need to prove supremacy. I like the Sigma FP though.
 

If you are looking for light and customizable, you have that Em5iii or theat EM10mk2. There are some limitations on the EM10mk3.

Where to buy?, I used to look at stuff in Funan Towers, and that shop near there. (Sorry, can't remember the name.)

And this section of the forum, you only get discourage to buy MFT stuff. Hence many of us have actually moved away to other places like FB and other forums that are more MFT friendly.
 

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Thanks for the reply. I prefer the EM10 iii knowing a few of its shortcoming but it's lightweight enough for my wife who has been shooting only with her phone. And it looks less geeky compared to the EM5 (she liked the EPL9 but I want an EVF whenever I use the camera). For my part my main camera is a Sony full frame already.

The Funan place might be Alan photos?

For the last point, I must agree with you that the users here seems to be more interested in flame wars than helping a fellow, sadly. :D

And the negative voices seems to be from some with very one-sided, short-sighted view. I felt like they are butt-hurted because they invested in MFT a lot but felt dissatisfied, changed system and turn on MFT! Or they are trying to push people out of CS. Either are quite sad and pathetic!

Come on Olympus users let me hear your voice!!!
 

Why dont you consider getting a used mFT system? Can take a look in the personal classifieds section.

There does not seem to be huge breakthrough in mFT sensors in recent years so I would think an older body would actually be better value for money. Assuming you do not need the latest features. For example a used EM1.2 seems like a much better option than a brand new EM1.3 - about half the price for not much less camera.
 

Yup I'm considering a used one. EM1 and EM5 are what I like. But I prefer EM10 for the lightweightness and it would be for my wife to use too. Thanks!
 

TonyN did say size, that Em1mk2 is big and heavy.

Why not have a look at that Pen-F. it comes with a EVF and it's not really geeky looking and it's small.
 

Do you need 4K video? If not, you could even consider an E-M10 mk II very cheaply on the used market.
 

PenF touched the price point of a main camera and is a tad heavier...
Thanks guys, I'm looking for a 2nd hand mk iii or mk ii.
 

APSC cameras' noise performance is already no good, and marginally acceptable for professional work. The MFT noise performance is even worst. Given the noise performance of MFT, how to justify buying MFT?
 

APSC cameras' noise performance is already no good, and marginally acceptable for professional work. The MFT noise performance is even worst. Given the noise performance of MFT, how to justify buying MFT?

As it seems you haven't been able read my posts, I suggest you go back and read post #3, just scroll maybe twice and you would find it.

If you don't think MFT is for you, why bother in MFT forum?

However, if you do care about MFT new buyers like me, some advice about where to get the bestest of deals would be awesome.

After all the search on Carousell and CS I found I could get some imported sets to SG BNIB, use them for 3 months and sell at no loss! Well, damn this corona virus isn't it? :)
 

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AUD’s getting hammered. Not sure if they send overseas but here:
On today’s exchange it’s $560 SGD but I don’t think you’d be able to claim that 25mm f/1.8 as it’s via redemption. Plus you have to worry about GST and postage fees.
But if you have fam/friends in Oz and don’t mind waiting it out, it’s a very good deal and they can claim the lens for you.
 

Tony, when you buy any new Olympus lens or camera, you can join the Olympus Club,
when you register your product. (I think it is $80 for 2 years of workshop + $250 vouchers).
Olympus Singapore has weekly workshops on various topics eg. Portraits, Macro, Birding etc.
(before and after the Covid-19 saga). I attended the workshops on most Saturdays
and learnt quite a lot :)

At one of the workshop, you can ask the workshop leader to include you into the telegram chat,
which is very active for Olympus users discussing various issues they face.

There is also a Facebook Group which you can apply to join, just search for olympus.
It is lead by LP Wong. Many Olympus users share their photos there for constructive
comments In facebook app, groups, search for Club Olympus Singapore.
Hope the above helps.


p.s. The Olympus Club Workshops, Facebook Group and Telegram Chat are all very conducive
to learn how to learn to use our Olympus gear as there are no flamers lashing out all the limitations of Olympus.
In fact, the Olympus staff and workshop leaders are very open minded and totally welcome me to use
our Panasonic MFT gears too during their workshops.

Thanks for the reply. I prefer the EM10 iii knowing a few of its shortcoming but it's lightweight enough for my wife who has been shooting only with her phone. And it looks less geeky compared to the EM5 (she liked the EPL9 but I want an EVF whenever I use the camera). For my part my main camera is a Sony full frame already.

The Funan place might be Alan photos?

For the last point, I must agree with you that the users here seems to be more interested in flame wars than helping a fellow, sadly. :D

And the negative voices seems to be from some with very one-sided, short-sighted view. I felt like they are butt-hurted because they invested in MFT a lot but felt dissatisfied, changed system and turn on MFT! Or they are trying to push people out of CS. Either are quite sad and pathetic!

Come on Olympus users let me hear your voice!!!
 

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Thanks guys. Love the effort you made. Really appreciate and felt quite heartwarming after all the negative posts in this subforum.
I settled for a cheap EM10 II and have had the camera next to me for the last few days. The size and lightweight make it a joy to use. The price make me less worried about protecting the gear and just shoot away! Felt great!
 

Tony, when you buy any new Olympus lens or camera, you can join the Olympus Club,
when you register your product. (I think it is $80 for 2 years of workshop + $250 vouchers).
Olympus Singapore has weekly workshops on various topics eg. Portraits, Macro, Birding etc.
(before and after the Covid-19 saga). I attended the workshops on most Saturdays
and learnt quite a lot :)

At one of the workshop, you can ask the workshop leader to include you into the telegram chat,
which is very active for Olympus users discussing various issues they face.

There is also a Facebook Group which you can apply to join, just search for olympus.
It is lead by LP Wong. Many Olympus users share their photos there for constructive
comments In facebook app, groups, search for Club Olympus Singapore.
Hope the above helps.


p.s. The Olympus Club Workshops, Facebook Group and Telegram Chat are all very conducive
to learn how to learn to use our Olympus gear as there are no flamers lashing out all the limitations of Olympus.
In fact, the Olympus staff and workshop leaders are very open minded and totally welcome me to use
our Panasonic MFT gears too during their workshops.

Truly hope this corona time will pass soon. I'm joining the FB groups but also will linger here because I just like the old-age feeling of a BB board!
 

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Welcome to the Oly family. Glad you took the 10mk2. it's got more features that you will like.
 

Thanks for the welcoming message. I had a fun shootout today between the EM10 m2 and my Sony a7m3 which costed 10+ times more. Great value for money!

Just a quick fun one, no flash, no tripod, no dripper, just handholding a bag of water (+ red ink) and let the droplets fall from my left hand, remote control app on my right hand. The Olympus shutter function is way faster than the Sony which has preview which creates serious lagging!

Sony - albeit nicer bokeh and less noise, Sony's shutter remote app is a pain in the ass.
73658



Oly
73659



Oly - not too bad even after cropping - no flash, just high ISO and small aperture, it was raining too :D
73660



Sony - way better in noise control. MF is a b*tch to get right working with no tripod, and a crappy app.
73661


It was lots of fun!

One thing about the Oly, I switched to MF, made things out of focus and saw round nice bokeh in the EVF, however when I shoot, the image come out with much smaller bokeh and the photo seemed way more in focus. Any idea?
 

You have on the kit lens for the EM10? You have to remember that Oly is X2 crop and that DoF is almost double.