Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Manufacturer: Olympus Type: camera Sensor: Micro Four Thirds (MFT) Resolution: 20.4MP (20MP effective) Year introduced: 2016 Key feature: Pro-grade mirrorless with 121-point hybrid AF, 60fps burst, 5-axis stabilization, and 4K video; compact system ideal for travel-oriented underwater photographers

Overview

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, announced in November 2016, was Olympus’s flagship mirrorless camera and a significant step forward for Micro Four Thirds underwater photography. Building on the success of the OM-D E-M5 series that had established MFT as a viable underwater format, the E-M1 Mark II brought professional-grade specifications: a 20.4-megapixel sensor with 121 cross-type phase-detection AF points, 60fps burst shooting with AF/AE lock, 5-axis in-body image stabilization, and Cinema 4K video at 24p (^[1]).

For underwater photographers, the E-M1 Mark II’s most compelling feature was the combination of its compact size with professional performance. The Nauticam NA-EM1II housing weighed just 1.95 kg and was described as having “the same operational feel as any Nauticam DSLR housing” thanks to integrated handles and an ergonomic shutter release lever (^[2]). The system’s advantage was travel-friendliness: compact housings, small ports (including mini-domes for fisheye lenses), and a deep lens ecosystem from both Olympus and Panasonic.

Nauticam’s press release highlighted the MFT lens ecosystem as a key strength, noting the Panasonic 8mm fisheye as providing “the best CFWA (close focus wide angle) option on the planet,” while the Nauticam Wet Wide Lens (WWL-1) paired with zoom lenses offered “full zoom through ultra wide angle” capability. The Compact Macro Converter (CMC) added super-macro capability, enabling “ultra wide, mid-range and macro imaging capability, all on the same dive” (^[3]).

Olympus also offered their own PT-EP14 underwater housing rated to 60 meters, priced at $1,299.99 — unusual among camera manufacturers, most of which had stopped producing their own underwater housings by this era (^[4]).

Housing Availability

• Olympus (PT-EP14) — Available from November 2016 at $1,299.99 USD. Rated to 60 meters depth. Compatible with the PPO-EP03 macro lens port for 60mm and 30mm macro lenses (^[5]).
• Nauticam (NA-EM1II) — Shipping from January 2017 at $1,900 USD. 100-meter depth rating. Featured integrated handles, vacuum monitoring, port locking lever, and support for 45-degree and 180-degree magnifying viewfinders. Nauticam’s 17th mirrorless housing design (^[6]).
• Subal — Announced December 2016 (^[7]).
• Aquatica — Announced June 2017 (^[8]).
• Inon — Announced compatibility with the E-M1 Mark II in July 2017 (^[9]).

Reviews & Discussion

No in-depth underwater review of the E-M1 Mark II was published on Wetpixel, though the camera was covered through housing announcements and firmware updates. A firmware update in February 2018 addressed performance improvements for the E-M1 Mark II alongside the E-M5 Mark II and Pen-F (^[10]).

Timeline

• 2016-11: Olympus announces the OM-D E-M1 Mark II at $1,999.99, available late December. PT-EP14 housing available from November at $1,299.99 (^[11])
• 2016-12: Subal announces housing for E-M1 Mark II (^[12])
• 2017-01: Nauticam ships the NA-EM1II housing at $1,900 USD (^[13])
• 2017-06: Aquatica announces E-M1 Mark II housing (^[14])
• 2017-07: Inon announces E-M1 Mark II compatibility (^[15])
• 2018-02: Olympus releases firmware updates for E-M1 Mark II, E-M5 Mark II, and Pen-F (^[16])

References

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