With the recent acquisition of the amazing Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera to my camera kit, I’ve been needing to take it out and get some practice using it.

This is a Micro four-thirds camera sensor system versus the full frame sensor which is in my favorite Canon 5D Mark IV camera body. One significant difference is the amount of the scene that is captured with the Olympus versus the Canon. This chart shows the size comparison of the different camera sensor types, including a smartphone.

With the digital world, millions of images are being taken every day and the quantity of images viewed for an instant is astounding. Our ability to consume digital images via social media websites like Instagram, Facebook, 500PX, Flickr and the like means that the need to have high quality images that will be printed in very large sizes is diminished.

One can make a good quality print up to 16 x 20 from an image taken by a Micro four-thirds system, which is a decent sized print. Want anything larger than go back to the full-frame system for those images.

There were several factors that lead me to this purchase. First being that I wanted a camera with superb image stabilization for interior images that I plan on taking on my trip to Paris this summer. Olympus has a 5-axis Sensor-shift image stabilization system in the camera body, then add their lens optical stabilization that allows up to four stops which gives you up to 6-stops of image stabilization. WOW !

Next, both this camera and their pro lens series is weather-sealed, so shooting in rain or snow is no problem at all. But wait…it gets even better. With their 300mm lens and the Micro Four-thirds sensor, you get an astounding 600mm focal range. Add at least 10 FPS (and more depending on camera settings) this is a strong contender for those interested in getting a solid wildlife/bird photography kit without hefting 12+ pounds and cashing out the piggy bank.

The amount of options available in this camera is mind-boggling, and there are menus within menus within menus. I’ll need to go into isolation for a few days to be able to go through all of the features this camera offers. I’ve barely begun playing with my new toy, but I can’t wait to learn all of its features.

The image above was captured at sunrise with the Olympus and I knew the scene was perfect for a Renaissance painting rendition. First, importing the image into Lightroom I adjusted the white balance, shadows, contrast and saturation before taking it to Photoshop for some spot removal. Finally using Topaz Impressions, I added a painterly effect.