OM System OM-1 Mark II

James Artaius finds the OM-1 Mark II has features that you wish your camera did

- James Artaius

The OM System OM-1 Mark II has a lot to live up to. The original OM-1 was universally considered a success a rare example of the industry giving love not only to a Micro Four Thirds camera but also to OM Digital Solutions as a company in its first true post-Olympus product.

While the OM-1 Mark II is similar to its predecessor in many ways, it can’t be denied that it now features some significant improvements – and also that there is no other camera that can do what it does. For instance, its signature feature, the Live GND filter – a brilliant software-powered graduated ND filter – is single-handedly enough to transform the way that you shoot landscape photos. It is probably the coolest camera feature I’ve ever used – a software-driven feature that gives you an in-camera neutral density filter (up to seven stops on the OM-1 Mark II) without the need for a physical filter on your lens. Powering Live GND is increased onboard RAM in the OM-1 Mark II, which also provides the muscle for any number of new features. It’s just one of the many reasons why this camera is much more than simply an OM-1 with a firmware update.