THE Perfect camera for hunts/wildlife

Joined
Jan 13, 2017
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The Olympus EM-5 Mark II with the 14-150mm II lens. This lens is the equivalent to 28-300mm in 35mm terms. Get great group shots or distant wildlife shots all from one compact lens.
This weatherproof camera and lens is the best combo to take on your hunts.
You can use it regardless of the weather, great images, especially in low light. It has built in 5 axis image stabilization, so every lens you use on the camera will be stabilized.
Here are the key features of the camera:
TruePic VII Image Processor
2360k-Dot Electronic Viewfinder
3.0" Vari-Angle OLED Monitor
Full HD 1080p Video at up to 60 fps
Built-In Wi-Fi; 10 fps Shooting Rate
5-Axis VCM Image Stabilization
Dust and Splashproof Construction

We have put together a great kit for forum members. You get the camera and lens as supplied by Olympus with all their supplied accessories. We add an Olympus case, Promaster HGX UV filter, 32 gig Rugged high speed SDHC card and a cleaning kit. This is a $167.96 retail value that we include at no extra charge.
The camera is available in black or silver/black.
Normally $999.99 for just the camera and lens, everything would be $949.99
Call us with any questions or e-mail me
 
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OP
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I have received a few phone calls. The camera can withstand a heavy rain, down pour. It can't go under water
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2012
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727
Location
San Luis Valley, Colorado
My experience with the EM5II and weather-sealed lenses has been stellar.

It's a small-ish camera that I've carried on 15+ backpacking/skiing/hunting trips annually since 2015. IMHO it produces great pictures and I've abused the heck out of it. Left it outside my bivy bag overnight in a snowstorm, hiked in the rain for hours, etc. Does everything I want including passable low light photography:

a7iBUE4.jpg
 

Ryan Avery

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My experience with the EM5II and weather-sealed lenses has been stellar.

It's a small-ish camera that I've carried on 15+ backpacking/skiing/hunting trips annually since 2015. IMHO it produces great pictures and I've abused the heck out of it. Left it outside my bivy bag overnight in a snowstorm, hiked in the rain for hours, etc. Does everything I want including passable low light photography:

a7iBUE4.jpg

How the camera for video?
 
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San Luis Valley, Colorado
I think it depends on your intended use. It's not 4K. The newer EM1II has 4K video. I think the consensus is that Panasonic has better video in a micro four thirds mirrorless camera.

For personal use I like the EM5II for video. I've noticed a little rolling shutter but I only use the camera occasionally for personal video projects, like filming a backcountry fishing trip with my sons. The 5-axis IBIS helps smooth out any jerkiness in your camera handling. I enjoy it and don't feel the need to shoot with a "full frame" sensor. But I'm basically just an enthusiast who mostly likes still photography.
 
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Colorado
How the camera for video?

Video is definitely not the strong point for the Olympus body. All the serious video folks with micro 4/3 cameras seem to use Panasonic bodies. I think several of the newer Panasonic bodies offer weather-sealing and would be a better option if video is your main focus.

That being said, I have been using this camera for the last 2 years and love it. I'm similar to crzytrekker in that I was looking for a lightweight camera that would still be a big improvement over iPhone pics but didn't necessarily want the price and weight that came with a full-frame setup. I think the EM5-II might be the best backpacking/travel camera out there for the person that is interested in still photography, with more of a landscape photography specialty, and is more interested in small prints or digital images than magazine prints.
 

Ryan Avery

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Is there a camera out there that is decent at both video and pictures that is water resistant?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
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Olympus will be announcing quite a few new cameras this year. The em10MK3 has 4 k but not weather sealed. There should be a EM5 MK3 this year, in the near future. While Panasonic is a decent option, Olympus service can't be beat, especially where we are concerned. They bend over backwards for us. The lens options and quality of the Olympus lenses are far superior IMO then the Panasonic
They are announcing an AMAZING camera the end of this month. Google OM-D E-M1X. You will be blown away. They are billing it as the ultimate wildlife and high speed sports camera. Nothing like it on the market
Feel free to E-mail me with any questions.
 
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Messages
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San Luis Valley, Colorado
Is there a camera out there that is decent at both video and pictures that is water resistant?

Ryan, a bit late, but how about your smartphone with a few Moment lenses, a Rode microphone, and a small Joby tripod like the Joby GripTight GorillaPod Pro tripod. This is what I've been shooting video on this spring. 4K video.

If you also use your phone with an app like GAIA GPS, an inReach Mini, and carry a small battery charger then you're good to go in a very light package.

I've had my iPhone 7 out in the wild this winter, navigating and filming in snowstorms during bacountry ski trips. No problem with the weather sealing. Very satisfied with the footage. I think DSLRs are just about dead.
 
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Not to start a huge debate but having been in the camera business (Family business) since I am a kid, over 40 years, I have seen it all. Using a phone for anything meaningful is like going hunting with a BB gun. It's small, that's about the only benefit. The sensor being so small means when you look at that image on a 4k TV and watch something shot on any real camera it's night and day different. Even small point and shoots have sensors 4-13x larger then the sensor in the phones and mirrorless cameras go as much as much as 30x larger.
Dslr's will be around for professionals and hobbyists for years and mirrorless SLR's are growing faster then anything the industry has seen in years. We have seen a resurgance in small point and shoots to people going on vacations and others that are new grandparents. They are tired of sub quality 8x10 prints when they get, what they thing is a great picture on their phone.
Believe it or not many schools around here and across the country are bringing back film photography classes. We sold more film this last year then we did the 3 previous years and that trend is all across the country as well.
Phones serve a purpose as a camera, but not if the image means something to enjoy, IE picture in a frame, on the wall a video to be seen on something more then youtube.
The one thing phones have done is that there were more pictures taken last year then there were if you added up every year since cameras were invented. Pretty wild!!
 

smith777

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Mar 20, 2019
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Location
Bancroft, MI
My experience with the EM5II and weather-sealed lenses has been stellar.

It's a small-ish camera that I've carried on 15+ backpacking/skiing/hunting trips annually since 2015. IMHO it produces great pictures and I've abused the heck out of it. Left it outside my bivy bag overnight in a snowstorm, hiked in the rain for hours, etc. Does everything I want including passable low light photography:

a7iBUE4.jpg
Awesome photo!
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2012
Messages
727
Location
San Luis Valley, Colorado
Not to start a huge debate but having been in the camera business (Family business) since I am a kid, over 40 years, I have seen it all. Using a phone for anything meaningful is like going hunting with a BB gun. It's small, that's about the only benefit. The sensor being so small means when you look at that image on a 4k TV and watch something shot on any real camera it's night and day different. Even small point and shoots have sensors 4-13x larger then the sensor in the phones and mirrorless cameras go as much as much as 30x larger.
Dslr's will be around for professionals and hobbyists for years and mirrorless SLR's are growing faster then anything the industry has seen in years. We have seen a resurgance in small point and shoots to people going on vacations and others that are new grandparents. They are tired of sub quality 8x10 prints when they get, what they thing is a great picture on their phone.
Believe it or not many schools around here and across the country are bringing back film photography classes. We sold more film this last year then we did the 3 previous years and that trend is all across the country as well.
Phones serve a purpose as a camera, but not if the image means something to enjoy, IE picture in a frame, on the wall a video to be seen on something more then youtube.
The one thing phones have done is that there were more pictures taken last year then there were if you added up every year since cameras were invented. Pretty wild!!

I realize you're selling cameras. Most people just don't need a DSLR. I'm not a full time pro photographer, but I have been compensated for photos by the outdoor industry. I've been paid for a commercial video production (industrial space). I still have a DSLR because there's a time and place for it, if I do paid work again or just want to shoot with it.

You are correct that mirrorless is growing by a small percentage, but overall, camera sales are way, way down. Because most people realize the camera in their pocket is good enough.

I gotta tell you, the newest phones are better than just good enough, especially if you're already carrying them for nav, comms, entertainment, etc. This is the way things are going.
 
OP
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Camera sales last year were their highest in 10 years. Point and shoot cameras were up for the 2nd year in a row. These are facts.
There is a place for cell phone cameras but with the small sensor there are limits
 
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Australia
Mobile phone cameras only have a place for those that couldn't be bothered to capture footage on good cameras. They can do a good job for sure, but they will never compete with a good camera.

FWIW I carried an Olympus EPL-2 for years and the only lens I ever owned was the 14-150mm lens. It was fantastic. The wide angle was great for trophy shots but f5.6 @ 150mm was still plenty fast enough for some trophy shots where you wanted to limit your depth of field. It's also nice and light which is good.

I've since upgraded my camera to an EM1 MkII. My 2 main lenses are the 12-40mm 2.8 or the 50-200mm lens made for Olympus DSLR 4/3 cameras. I bought this cheap off a friend so while it's bulky and requires an adapter, it's a really good range of focal length. I wouldn't carry it into the backcountry, though.
 
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Jun 8, 2016
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Colorado
Just purchased this kit today, after talking with Joel on the phone. He was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and steered me in the right direction. Looking forward to getting this weatherproof camera into the field this year!

thanks a lot Joel!
 
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