Not because it was hard to find, but because it didn’t exist yet. I had a dream of leaving the clunky SLR at home and still be able to get professional quality images. For years and years I have longed for a compact system that combined great image quality, great lenses, fast shutter response and practical controls. In my search I have owned a fair chunk of the recent digital mirrorless market; cameras like the Canon G10, Nikon P7000, Samsung NX10, Fuji X100, even a Panasonic GX1 which all left me unsatisfied and I just couldn’t rely on them for my professional work. Which is why I kept selling them and trying out the next one to see if it was up to the job, unfortunately they never were.
I’d been hearing about a new camera about to be released, the Olympus EM-5. So I went into Camera Electronic to talk to the staff about it there. It’s the only place I actually go to, because the staff are passionate photographers and they have so much in stock all the time. Gavin was behind the counter so I began chatting with him about the camera. As he explained all the features and confirmed all the rumours I had been hearing, I started to get very excited. Having just purchased a GX1 several months earlier, I was hesitant to pre-order one, but insisted that Gavin let me know as soon as a display model was in store so I could have a look at the real thing.
A short while later I get the call that the EM-5 is in the building. So I rush down to Camera Electronic excited to hold the little gem in my hands. Giving it a quick test confirms everything and more. After Gavin shows me how to customise a few of the buttons, the camera is so impressive that I place an order for one then and there.
I ordered the camera body in black, the HLD-6 power battery holder (which is actually two grips in one) and a spare battery.
About a week later my camera arrived; I’ve only had it less than a week now but I am loving every minute of it and enjoying photography more than ever. Thanks to Camera Electronic for having staff that actually know their shit and getting the camera to me so quickly, I’ll be doing some regular updates explaining how amazing this new camera is and all the reasons that I am going to start using it in my professional work as well as my free time. Stay tuned as the story continues.
There are a few images in the gallery above that I have already shot with it. Unfortunately the camera is so great that most of the skate photos I have shot are being saved for publication so you’ll have top wait to see the keepers.