Olympus wants to shatter the belief that you need to use a full-frame camera in order to be a pro sports photographer. Its answer, the OM-D E-M1X ($2,999, body only), is a mirrorless model with a smaller Micro Four Thirds imager, but built like a pro SLR. Its design incorporates the integrated vertical grip preferred by many pro sport shooters, and dual processors add more advanced subject recognition and tracking to its autofocus system—for some subjects, at least. But at $3,000 it has to compete against others with larger image sensors, as well as the much less expensive Olympus E-M1 Mark II, which offers similar image quality for about half the price. Micro With a Grip There's a feeling among some that mirrorless equals compact. That can be true, but it doesn't have to be. Models with full-frame sensors shave size and weight versus an SLR, but aside from some wide-angle designs, don't use lenses that are significantly smaller. On the other hand, cameras like the Olympus PEN-F, ...
The Olympus OM-D E-M1X camera features a truly rugged, professional build, but its Micro Four Thirds image sensor lags behind the full-frame competition.
Sturdy, all-weather build; Five-axis sensor stabilization; Vari-angle touch LCD; Integrated vertical grip; 60fps Raw capture; Dual batteries and memory card slots; 4K video capture
Expensive; Tracking not available at top burst rate; Relatively small Raw buffer; Incremental improvements; Underwhelming EVF