Olympus EM1 Mark II vs Canon RP – Portrait Example
My wife wanted to take some family photos while we were out for a portrait session. The Fall leaves were beautiful and I already had my gear out. Doesn’t take much to convince me to snap some pictures.
To be completely clear, I don’t see this as an either/or situation. I use both of these cameras when shooting portraits. The Olympus is on my left hip and the Canon is on my right. I use a lightweight dual harness that is comfortable and affordable.
The Canon RP was equipped with the Canon EF 85mm F1.8 lens. There is something magical about this lens and it is the look many people seek when hiring a photographer. That is a huge reason I continue with the Canon. Unfortunately, this is not a look I get with the Micro Four Thirds System.
When a wider shot is needed with the Canon, I go with the inexpensive Canon EF 50mm F1.8 lens. This lens does a great job and is a great first purchase for an aspiring Canon shooter (or the RF mount version).
The Olympus E-M1 Mark II was equipped with the Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 Pro lens. This is the lens I use for wider shots. I mostly shoot outdoors and need a greater depth of field, so F2.8 is great for that. This lens has some character and a nice pop to it. It doesn’t quite have the wow factor of the Canon 85mm, but it isn’t far off. Throw in the versatility of the zoom range and it is safe to say this stays on my camera most of the time.
I wouldn’t call this apples to oranges. Both are professional cameras and are fully capable of the job at hand. In my opinion, the RP is more of a one-trick pony. It is a fully capable portrait camera that can produce amazing images for a reasonable price. It is not totally a one-trick pony, but don’t expect it to be amazing for sports and wildlife. The lack of IBIS doesn’t make it a great choice for video either.
The Olympus EM1 is more versatile. While in the woods, I can toss on the Olympus 75-300mm and get a crazy range with a compact size. It is totally capable of portraits, but might not blur the background quite as much as some clients would want. This is my favorite of the two, but I understand many clients want the Canon look.
The approach to editing is a little different for portraits. The Canon photos barely need editing which saves a ton of time for large shoots. The Olympus has a great look and colors, but I find myself masking the backgrounds quite a bit. This is mostly because I shoot wider and with greater depth of field. To expose correctly, the backgrounds often need the exposure lowered in post.
This is not an apples to oranges comparison, but it is not really apples to apples either. Both are great cameras and fully capable. If I had to pick only one of these for portraits, it would be the Canon EOS RP. I love taking portraits, but at the end of the day, I am trying to make some money. Clients love the shallow depth of field and blurred backgrounds with maximum bokeh. That said, the Canon can stop down just fine, which for me, makes it more versatile for this genre.
This is not an exhaustive review by any means. It is simply my experience with a scenario I encounter often. Everyone has their preferences and I certainly love the M43 system but have to give this one to full frame.
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Til the next time…
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