I started with the EM10 beginning in late 2019, during my early days. Although this camera had raw capabilities, I didn’t bother with raw files back then. The jpgs it produced were. . .not bad, really. Besides, I dreaded postprocessing, which I knew nothing about. Besides, it was something (I thought) jpgs didn’t need, not when my Olympus did most of the work for me.

By 2021 I had progressed from the EM-10 to an EM5, then to an EM1iii and finally to the pièce de résistance, the EM1x (before JIP rebranded OM Systems as OM Digital Solutions).

I loved the EM1x the best, but in truth I loved anything that fell out of my Olympus cameras — even when it was just a jpg. Especially when it was just a jpg — because the Olympus color science is quite remarkable, maybe even better than Sony. Noise? Hardly any! Plus, the gear was light, easy to handle. It had IBIS to die for. — even me, a raw newb, could handhold at very slow shutter speed and get nice, clean, silky water. Robin Wong, an Olympus ambassador at the time, was my constant YouTube companion, showing me the capabilities of the Olympus EM line and explaining how M4/3 got such a bad rap.

I believed every word he said. And now that I have a little more experience with the Big Three, I still believe every word he said.

Those early days were full of innocent fun. If it stayed still, I shot it. If the light sucked, a stick blocked the subject, or an animal posed for butt-shots only — I shot that, too. I was in awe of these curious technical gadgets that produced such wonder, and I was thrilled when my photos resulted in a decent and recognizable subject.

These really aren’t bad photos! But I wanted to improve, so I joined the Rochester NY Nature Photography Meet-Up group. . .which is where *real* photographers gathered once a month to talk to each other. I did a whole lot of listening but wasn’t really allowed to talk much. I did learn a few things, but the biggest lesson was how to scoff at M4/3rds products, none of which were tolerated by these real photographers. They shook their heads, begged me to upgrade to something else, and predicted I would never amount to much unless I did.

It took a while to realize that this barrage of criticism — some of it deserved, and some not-so-much — would continue as long as I clung to Olympus Systems. That’s when I left the group — it was easier to let go of a bunch of egotistical grumpy old men (and a few egotistical grumpy old women) than it was to let go of my precious Olympus cameras and lenses.

In retrospect, the likely problem was that none of them had any time or patience for a newb.

I suppose they would probably all be very happy to know that, on the half-trusted advice from a short-term mentor, I eventually traded it all in for some Nikon stuff (on a very sad and gloomy day back in 2022. . .).

Now that I have a little experience, I am seriously thinking about getting reacquainted with Olympus, perhaps an EM1ii paired with that glorious 100-400 lens. Older stuff, to be sure, but imagine what they can do! now that I know their capabilities.

(published February 6, 2026)