Olypmus EM-5 mark II

I’ve been looking longingly at the Olympus E-M5 Mark II since it was announced a few weeks ago and I’m still on the fence. At $1099 it’s basically a rugged version of the Panasonic GH3. However the E-M5 Mark II excels for me in one key feature, image stabilization. The 5-axis system is really interesting, but is that enough?

Right now a used Panasonic GH4 is selling for around $1100 to $1300, it’s a camera I own and a camera I really enjoy. The GH4 shoots in 4k, while the E-M5 Mark II is still hanging out at 1080p. I know that most footage ends up being delivered at 1080p and that I don’t really “need” 4k right now, but it’s still a feature I’ve grown accustom to and something I’ve been using more and more. I keep thinking, “man it would be nice to have the 5-axis image stabilization for hand held shooting”, but than I remember that I already manage to shoot hand held even without IS.

I’ve collected enough M4/3 lenses to make it worth it to me to invest in another M4/3 body. The question is, should it be a used Panasonic GH4 or a Olympus E-M5 Mark II? The E-M5 Mark II is already available for pre-order is expected to start shipping on the 27th. What do you guys think? Is the 5-axis image stabilization and rugged body enough to make the E-M5 Mark II a contender?

 

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