Olympus E-M1 PDF User Manual
Did you lose or misplace the instruction manual that came with your Olympus OM-D E-M1? It happens all too easily, but fortunately Olympus makes a soft copy available that you can browse through online, print out, or download (see the pdf file below). It is certainly good practice to carefully familiarize oneself with the many different functionalities and options that the E-M1 offers, and the official user manual is without doubt an authoritative and comprehensive source of respective information.
That said, the instruction booklet can be a dry read, so that a dedicated camera guide book from a professional photographer that illustrates the camera's core functions in a real life photography context can be a very helpful complement. Yes, getting one of these camera guides (see here at amazon) would involve an additional expense, but if that book helps to exploit the camera's potential to the full, the (small) additional investment may well be worth it.
Also, you might want to check out the video tutorial on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 below.

In any case, the E-M1 is an advanced imaging tool, whose many features merit serious attention. This mirrorless interchangeable lens camera was revealed to the public on September 10th, 2013, which means that, as of today, the camera is 3667 days old (young?). The camera has meanwhile been discontinued and was succeeded by the Olympus E-M1 II as a replacement in the same line of cameras.
Olympus's instruction manual for the E-M1
The camera's instruction manual is 170 pages long. The pdf version is embedded below. As you browse through, you will hopefully find the information you are looking for. You can also print out a hard copy by right clicking on the manual and then choosing the respective menu option. For convenience, a summary of the key specs of the E-M1 is included towards the bottom of this webpage.
Don't forget to bookmark this page for future reference (Ctrl-Shift-D on a Windows PC; Cmd-Shift-D on a Mac). Happy browsing!
Click on the button below to download the pdf version of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 manual to your computer. The file will open in a new browser window.
If you prefer to read the user guide in another language, please check the respective availability on Olympus's support site. That site also provides complementary online resources, such as information on the compatibility of various camera accessories or the availability of firmware updates that are not necessarily comprehensively covered in the instruction manual.
Printed, hardcopy versions of the Olympus E-M1 manual can sometimes be found online. You can check the availability on amazon and ebay via the buttons below.
Video tutorial for the Olympus OM-D E-M1
Perhaps instead of reading through a manual or operations guide, you might prefer to better familiarize yourself with your E-M1 by watching a video tutorial. It can notably help to quickly get to know the key functions and to set up your camera according to your particular preferences and needs.
Once again, the Olympus E-M1 is a sophisticated imaging tool and not exploiting its capabilities to the full would be a pity. Hence, taking the time to study online information material or to read through a well-written camera guide book is highly recommended to make the most of your purchase.
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Olympus E-M1 FAQ
Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the E-M1.
What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Olympus E-M1?
The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.
Which image processing chip is used in the Olympus E-M1 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?
Olympus equipped the E-M1 with the TruePIC VII image processor.
What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Olympus E-M1?
The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600.
What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Olympus OM-D E-M1?
Olympus mentions a shutter rating of 150 000 actuations for the E-M1. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the E-M1 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 150 pictures each and every day.
How do I find the shutter count on my Olympus E-M1?
Olympus embeds the number of shutter actuations in hidden menus. You can check the number of shots that your E-M1 has taken up to now by carefully following the steps described on the Olympus E-M1 shutter count page.
Is completely silent shooting possible with the Olympus E-M1?
The camera has an electronic shutter option, so that it is indeed feasible to capture images without any shutter noise.
Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Olympus E-M1?
No, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.
Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Olympus E-M1?
The E-M1 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.
Does the Olympus E-M1 feature an autofocus assist light?
Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.
What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Olympus E-M1 for flash photography?
The E-M1's flash sync speed is 1/320 sec.
Does the Olympus E-M1 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?
Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-I cards (data transfer speed of up to 104 MB/s).
Which battery does the Olympus E-M1 use?
The camera gets its power from the BLN-1 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.
Is there a vertical grip available for the Olympus E-M1?
Yes, Olympus offers the HLD-7 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.
Further reading
How does the E-M1 stack up against available alternatives? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.
- Canon 1Ds Mark III vs Olympus E-M1
- Canon M6 Mark II vs Sony A9 II
- Canon R5 vs Olympus E-M1
- Canon R6 Mark II vs Olympus E-M1
- Leica Q Typ 116 vs Olympus E-M1
- Nikon D3X vs Sony A9 II
- Nikon Df vs Sony A9 II
- Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A9 II
- Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS80
- Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-30
- Panasonic GX80 vs Sony A9 II
- Ricoh WG-60 vs Sony A9 II
Core camera specifications
Here is a list of the main features and technical characteristics of the Olympus OM-D E-M1.
Camera Model | Olympus E-M1 | |
Camera Type | Mirrorless system camera | |
Camera Lens | Micro Four Thirds lenses | |
Launch Date | September 2013 | |
Launch Price | USD 1 399 | |
Sensor Specs | ||
---|---|---|
Sensor Technology | CMOS | |
Sensor Format | Four Thirds Sensor | |
Sensor Size | 17.3 x 13.0 mm | |
Sensor Area | 225 mm2 | |
Sensor Diagonal | 21.6 mm | |
Crop Factor | 2.0x | |
Sensor Resolution | 15.9 Megapixels | |
Image Resolution | 4 608 x 3 456 pixels | |
Pixel Pitch | 3.76 μm | |
Pixel Density | 7.08 MP/cm2 | |
Moiré control | no AA filter | |
Movie Capability | 1080/30p Video | |
ISO Setting | 200 - 25 600 ISO | |
ISO Boost | 100 - 25 600 ISO | |
Image Processor | TruePIC VII | |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 73 | |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | 23.0 | |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 12.7 | |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | 757 | |
Screen Specs | ||
Viewfinder Type | Electronic viewfinder | |
Viewfinder Field of View | 100% | |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.74x | |
Viewfinder Resolution | 2360k dots | |
Top-Level Screen | no Top Display | |
LCD Framing | Live View | |
LCD Size | 3.0 inch | |
LCD Resolution | 1037k dots | |
LCD Attachment | Tilting screen | |
V-logging Friendliness | No front-flip | |
Touch Input | Touchscreen | |
Shooting Specs | ||
Focus System | On-Sensor Phase-detect | |
Manual Focusing Aid | Focus Peaking | |
Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/8000s | |
Continuous Shooting | 10 shutter flaps/s | |
Shutter Life Expectancy | 150 000 actuations | |
Silent Shooting | Electronic Shutter | |
Time Lapse Photography | Intervalometer Built-in | |
Image Stabilization | In-body stabilization | |
Fill Flash | no On-Board Flash | |
Storage Medium | SDXC cards | |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | |
UHS card support | UHS-I | |
Connectivity Specs | ||
External Flash | Hotshoe | |
Studio Flash | PC Sync socket | |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | |
HDMI Port | micro HDMI | |
Microphone Port | External MIC port | |
Wifi Support | Wifi built-in | |
Body Specs | ||
Environmental Sealing | Weathersealed body | |
Battery Type | BLN-1 power pack | |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 350 shots per charge | |
Body Dimensions |
130 x 94 x 63 mm (5.1 x 3.7 x 2.5 in) |
|
Camera Weight | 497 g (17.5 oz) |
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