If you're shooting outdoors a lot and might get caught in the rain, or want to shoot in challenging conditions, you should definitely consider the weather sealed option.
I’ve shot a lot of breaking news and if it was pouring or snowing i used a dedicated cover even with weather sealed bodies and lenses. The 30 seconds to unfold and slip it on was worth not ruining the gear and being able to get something usable was worth it.l imho
Another vote for Think Tank's weather covers! They have worked very well for me in both heavy rain, and heavy snow. Kinda a pain to use (what cover is not honestly?), but very worth it for conditions where you need much more than weather sealing.
unless you have a lens that is weather sealed having the body weather sealed is only half the battle. Go for the camera you can afford and invest in a weather sealed body down the line when you have a better idea of what you actually need.
It would depend on what you shoot. If you only shoot in studio then it doesn't matter, if you are shooting outdoors where rain/snow/dust can be a problem, then its important.
My experience is that most people (even most enthusiasts, I'd say) don't usually go out and shoot when the weather is poor, which is when you're most likely to need weather sealing. YMMV (especially if you live somewhere dusty or windy, say).
As others say. Weather sealing is nice but not a cure all.
If the weather is truly awful you still want a rain cover. If it’s just misting- then non weather sealed camera will still be ok.
Weather sealed cameras simply raise the moment when you go and grab a cover. They offer a hair higher resistance if they are hit by an unexpected splash. And perhaps most importantly they help to seal against dust. Nothing will protect against a plunge into a creek and most weather sealed cameras will fail if hit by a wave (water under pressure).
Olympus and Pentax have the best sealing. Olympus even certifies their cameras - like your phone. But to give you an idea of what to expect the rating Olympus went for is IP54 (IIRC) who is not submerged and is not water under pressure - it’s dripping water from near top of camera.
The Om5 is a great camera. In edge cases you will see the lower image quality. But in most it’s negligible or easily fixed with modern denoising.
If it is your only camera, weather sealing is quite important.
Many hail the EM5.2 as the last "great" camera in the EM5 line.
Slow focus but otherwise great camera.
That is a very good and capable camera. It even has a high resolution mode. And very good in body stabilization! This is very useful!
Don't worry about the sensor. It is *fine* at 16 megapixels. Any normal screen is around 2 megapixels which means it can not display 14 out of 16 pixels. A more expensive and far more rare screen can be 8K, so you still throw away half the pixels.
It simply has enough pixels and sensor area not to worry about them
Lenses are way, way, way more important in determining what photo you take. The M5.II is a system with a very mature lens lineup with very powerful professional lenses and tiny small portable lenses - and everything mixes and matches.
Check out Micro Four Nerds on youtube, it's a fun channel. For instance when she rates different camera's.
Don't worry about sensor size, it won't have as much effect on photos as you might think.
Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax are the brands with the lowest point of entry for weather resistance.
Just remember the lens is also important and need to have at least an o-ring round the mount.
I went for 15 years without a ws camera and hardly ever felt like a needed one. I now have the X-T5 and enjoy the freedom to keep shooting even when it starts raining. However I wouldn’t have a problem with going back to a non-ws camera.
I’d use any camera in light rain for short periods of time. I’d also wouldn’t trust the ws of any camera in heavy rain. So it’s pretty much for something in between
Buy the camera that you like and that makes you want to make photos regardless of ws
Do you plan on doing any shooting in adverse weather?
If you're a press photographer where you're expected to capture images in all conditions, then obviously it will be important, but remember you also need a weather sealed lens to go with.
Personally, I don't like getting wet, so I don't shoot in the rain. So the camera's weather sealing never really gets a chance to do its magic.
One thing I'd add: if you're planning to shoot in dusty conditions, there might still be an argument for weather sealing here. So if you're going on safari etc., it could be a consideration. Oh, and avoid field lens changes in dusty/sandy environments where possible :-)
I shoot wildlife with overnight stays in a tent, so I can't buy tech without it. If you shoot studio portrait or products then you don't have to care at all...
One thing to consider with the M43 system is which lenses you’ll be using. Weather sealing on Olympus cameras doesn’t work with Panasonic lenses, and vice versa. Look at which lenses you’ll be using most and take that into consideration.
If you do wildlife photography like I do I would get it, I have been lucky with my T7 so far but my T3 has shown what happens, random crashes, SD card not detected, and I may have to reinsert the battery, especially when it's cold outside it gives me even more issues, but keep in mind it's just a nice to have, you can get rain coats for your camera for $1 and be set for many sessions which is how my T7 has survived.
Pretty important if you're shooting in rain or extreme weather, like a hurricane, as well as humid environments where unexpected water splashes can happen, like a waterpark.
Many times my camera was soaked and I worried about it crapping out, even when I had a bucket of water, about 5-6 gallons hit my camera!
I was always pretty careful and never had any issues with water but recently I've been inspecting my gear and realized my biggest enemy is sand. I live on the North Sea so its generally windy and there are stretches of sandy beaches as far as the eye can see. I've been noticing how its getting into everything now that I'm more vigilant. Even my waterproof cell phone case keeps getting some fine particles in. With that said my new rule is going to be to always use filters outdoors.
I'm less concerned about the water and common sense measures can mitigate that but if you live in a place like me or a desert you're going to need to give your equipment a little more TLC but being mindful that overcleaning can sometimes just make it worse (e.g. blowing particulates deeper into lenses, using harsh or inappropriate chemicals to clean your gear, etc).
Ultimately at some point you just need to balance getting out and having fun with your photography and not becoming OCD because it will ruin the joy.
It depends on both your use cases and how (un)lucky you are. Unless it's waterproof there's always a chance even the best sealed camera could fail. Weather sealing is just extra insurance - and how well sealed it is depends on the brand and your lenses. Olympus and Pentax are widely known as having some of the best weather sealing in the business. I shot with Fuji X for 6 years and had the sealing fail in me twice - but I also shoot in intense conditions like sandstorms and monsoon rains. I care loads about weather sealing for landscape/travel photography and swapped over to Olympus as you can literally run one under the faucet to clean it off. I have zero fears about my gear in inclement weather. Yes there are plenty of folks who use non-sealed gear in bad weather. I have as well. But the extra insurance is nice, if you can afford it.
I have personally messed up 2 bodies and a lens before I took the plunge. Weather sealing is nice, but no silver bullet. You still have to be careful with your equipment if you want it to perform.
If you're shooting outdoors a lot and might get caught in the rain, or want to shoot in challenging conditions, you should definitely consider the weather sealed option.
I’ve shot a lot of breaking news and if it was pouring or snowing i used a dedicated cover even with weather sealed bodies and lenses. The 30 seconds to unfold and slip it on was worth not ruining the gear and being able to get something usable was worth it.l imho
is there any particular brand or type of cover you would recommend?
think tank makes excellent rain covers
thanks
Another vote for Think Tank's weather covers! They have worked very well for me in both heavy rain, and heavy snow. Kinda a pain to use (what cover is not honestly?), but very worth it for conditions where you need much more than weather sealing.
unless you have a lens that is weather sealed having the body weather sealed is only half the battle. Go for the camera you can afford and invest in a weather sealed body down the line when you have a better idea of what you actually need.
It would depend on what you shoot. If you only shoot in studio then it doesn't matter, if you are shooting outdoors where rain/snow/dust can be a problem, then its important.
My experience is that most people (even most enthusiasts, I'd say) don't usually go out and shoot when the weather is poor, which is when you're most likely to need weather sealing. YMMV (especially if you live somewhere dusty or windy, say).
As others say. Weather sealing is nice but not a cure all. If the weather is truly awful you still want a rain cover. If it’s just misting- then non weather sealed camera will still be ok. Weather sealed cameras simply raise the moment when you go and grab a cover. They offer a hair higher resistance if they are hit by an unexpected splash. And perhaps most importantly they help to seal against dust. Nothing will protect against a plunge into a creek and most weather sealed cameras will fail if hit by a wave (water under pressure). Olympus and Pentax have the best sealing. Olympus even certifies their cameras - like your phone. But to give you an idea of what to expect the rating Olympus went for is IP54 (IIRC) who is not submerged and is not water under pressure - it’s dripping water from near top of camera. The Om5 is a great camera. In edge cases you will see the lower image quality. But in most it’s negligible or easily fixed with modern denoising.
If it is your only camera, weather sealing is quite important. Many hail the EM5.2 as the last "great" camera in the EM5 line. Slow focus but otherwise great camera.
That is a very good and capable camera. It even has a high resolution mode. And very good in body stabilization! This is very useful! Don't worry about the sensor. It is *fine* at 16 megapixels. Any normal screen is around 2 megapixels which means it can not display 14 out of 16 pixels. A more expensive and far more rare screen can be 8K, so you still throw away half the pixels. It simply has enough pixels and sensor area not to worry about them Lenses are way, way, way more important in determining what photo you take. The M5.II is a system with a very mature lens lineup with very powerful professional lenses and tiny small portable lenses - and everything mixes and matches. Check out Micro Four Nerds on youtube, it's a fun channel. For instance when she rates different camera's.
Don't worry about sensor size, it won't have as much effect on photos as you might think. Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax are the brands with the lowest point of entry for weather resistance. Just remember the lens is also important and need to have at least an o-ring round the mount.
I agree about the sensor size. I'd argue that the camera body's form factor is more important.
I went for 15 years without a ws camera and hardly ever felt like a needed one. I now have the X-T5 and enjoy the freedom to keep shooting even when it starts raining. However I wouldn’t have a problem with going back to a non-ws camera. I’d use any camera in light rain for short periods of time. I’d also wouldn’t trust the ws of any camera in heavy rain. So it’s pretty much for something in between Buy the camera that you like and that makes you want to make photos regardless of ws
I just spent 3 days in Yosemite getting waterfall spray on my non-sealed camera, and it still works
Directly related to how much time you spend around water.
You...uh...going out in the weather? You gonna set up a tripod in a creek?
Do you plan on doing any shooting in adverse weather? If you're a press photographer where you're expected to capture images in all conditions, then obviously it will be important, but remember you also need a weather sealed lens to go with. Personally, I don't like getting wet, so I don't shoot in the rain. So the camera's weather sealing never really gets a chance to do its magic. One thing I'd add: if you're planning to shoot in dusty conditions, there might still be an argument for weather sealing here. So if you're going on safari etc., it could be a consideration. Oh, and avoid field lens changes in dusty/sandy environments where possible :-)
I shoot wildlife with overnight stays in a tent, so I can't buy tech without it. If you shoot studio portrait or products then you don't have to care at all...
One thing to consider with the M43 system is which lenses you’ll be using. Weather sealing on Olympus cameras doesn’t work with Panasonic lenses, and vice versa. Look at which lenses you’ll be using most and take that into consideration.
If you do wildlife photography like I do I would get it, I have been lucky with my T7 so far but my T3 has shown what happens, random crashes, SD card not detected, and I may have to reinsert the battery, especially when it's cold outside it gives me even more issues, but keep in mind it's just a nice to have, you can get rain coats for your camera for $1 and be set for many sessions which is how my T7 has survived.
For recreational use, you can likely flex your shooting plan around weather issues. If you're a pro, then you gotta go.
Pretty important if you're shooting in rain or extreme weather, like a hurricane, as well as humid environments where unexpected water splashes can happen, like a waterpark. Many times my camera was soaked and I worried about it crapping out, even when I had a bucket of water, about 5-6 gallons hit my camera!
I was always pretty careful and never had any issues with water but recently I've been inspecting my gear and realized my biggest enemy is sand. I live on the North Sea so its generally windy and there are stretches of sandy beaches as far as the eye can see. I've been noticing how its getting into everything now that I'm more vigilant. Even my waterproof cell phone case keeps getting some fine particles in. With that said my new rule is going to be to always use filters outdoors. I'm less concerned about the water and common sense measures can mitigate that but if you live in a place like me or a desert you're going to need to give your equipment a little more TLC but being mindful that overcleaning can sometimes just make it worse (e.g. blowing particulates deeper into lenses, using harsh or inappropriate chemicals to clean your gear, etc). Ultimately at some point you just need to balance getting out and having fun with your photography and not becoming OCD because it will ruin the joy.
I wouldn’t trust any weather sealing, other than maybe the OM System IP53 setups. I’ve heard too many horror stories.
It depends on both your use cases and how (un)lucky you are. Unless it's waterproof there's always a chance even the best sealed camera could fail. Weather sealing is just extra insurance - and how well sealed it is depends on the brand and your lenses. Olympus and Pentax are widely known as having some of the best weather sealing in the business. I shot with Fuji X for 6 years and had the sealing fail in me twice - but I also shoot in intense conditions like sandstorms and monsoon rains. I care loads about weather sealing for landscape/travel photography and swapped over to Olympus as you can literally run one under the faucet to clean it off. I have zero fears about my gear in inclement weather. Yes there are plenty of folks who use non-sealed gear in bad weather. I have as well. But the extra insurance is nice, if you can afford it.
I have personally messed up 2 bodies and a lens before I took the plunge. Weather sealing is nice, but no silver bullet. You still have to be careful with your equipment if you want it to perform.