When I picked up the original OM-D E-M1 it changed the way I photographed the world around me. That journey continues with the incredible advancements of its successor, the E-M1 Mark II. It inspires, motivates and performs like nothing I have ever shot with before. In selecting subjects and locations to test the camera, I opted to stick with what I know – Northern Ontario’s natural setting. Over the past few years I have shot extensively with the E-M1, so this made for a good basis on which to compare the Mark II. My main focus was landscape, low-light, and wildlife photography.

There has been obvious attention put into improving the speed of the Mark II. In one situation I was shooting a set of sandhill cranes at dawn when a flock of geese flew overhead. I was impressed with how quickly the Mark II could grab onto the new subject, in low light, without having to hunt for focus. The sequential shooting speeds are also notably improved – both mechanical and in silent mode. Even the mechanical shutter is remarkably quiet. ProCapture, another incredible innovation from Olympus, has allowed me to capture moments that are faster than the speed of sight. I have used it several times to photograph the movement of birds that my aging reflexes could never have dreamed of before.

During an astrophotography session I was hesitant to push the ISO for fear of excessive noise. That fear is completely gone. The lack of noise is amazing.

As a young fan of my work stated, “You make the world look better than it really is!” That is my mission when I pick up a camera – to capture the world in ways that others miss and to bring out the beauty that exists all around. The E-M1 Mark II just made that a lot easier.