How do you make an E-M1X even bigger…

You thought it was a joke right…?  Sadly it’s not.  You take an E-M1x and make it EVEN BIGGER by adding an L-bracket.  I know… you are thinking who in their right mind wants one even bigger!  Yeah true.  L-brackets have their functionality though.  I finally received my Really Right Stuff bracket for the E-M1X.  You can read more details of the L-Bracket on the RRS site.

Here are the good points.

-Amazing quality.  This turns the camera into one giant solid piece of rock it feels like.  It is perfectly integrated and designed.  Like all RRS plates…this just takes the camera feel to another level.
-No play or twist at all from either side.
-Centering marks for actually centering the camera on either end for panoramic work or other precise uses.
-Has a hole for another plate, or attachment, etc… on the bottom.
-Has an allen key magnetically stuck on the bottom.  It is below flush, so there is no way for it to get knocked out.  And the magnets are STRONG.  You won’t be losing it.  I haven’t lost the one from my E-M1mkII so I believe this one will be just fine too.
-You can shift the vertical plane outwards to facilitate larger cables connecting to the side of the camera without sacrificing stability.
-Hand-grip side is smooth and has angling that works with your hand instead of being squared.  This makes using the vertical grip a lot more comfortable. (relatively…)
-L-bracket side portion is quickly removable so using the articulating screen fully is much easier.
-Battery access is completely unhindered in any way.

You can see all the bottom features including the allen key and sliding L-bracket.

Here are the not so good points.

-If you use the vertical grip…now you have a huge arca style plate in between Olympus’ perfectly crafted grip and your hand.  As nice and curved as RRS made it… there is no beating the camera’s naked feel.  It also adds distance.  So reaching the buttons is harder when holding it with the vertical grip and plate.
-As with all L-brackets, the articulating screen is limited in its angles when out to the side.  You need to be careful to not turn it hard for fear of scratching and or damaging the screen again the L-bracket when inserted in the space.
-Definitely bigger, and definitely heavier than the camera alone.  This makes space requirements even more demanding with a body this size.
-Pricey…but then again…I buy one for every camera I have.  I consider it part of the camera cost.  Then again, you get what you pay for!

If I am shooting portraits in a studio, architecture, landscapes, etc… where I am not hand holding, the bracket is a must.  I love it.  Even with the bracket extended, it is rock solid.  It feels amazing to use.  And if I need to go quick handheld, I can still do vertical without using the vertical grip.

If I am shooting events, wildlife, street, handheld portraits, or anything else where I will primarily hand hold and use the vertical grip… I am probably taking the whole thing off.

If I am shooting video, I am probably taking off just the L-portion.

This is not unique to the E-M1X.  Most of these issues apply to any camera that has a grip and an L-bracket, especially if it has an articulating screen too.

If you need a solid tripod based solution for the E-M1X, there is no better bracket or plate for the E-M1X.  If you just want a quick tripod connection, I have been using these Peak Design plates instead.  That plate is small enough to not interfere with handholding the vertical grip.  The only downside is going vertical on a tripod moves the weight off center.

I know it doesn’t look it…but this set up is rock solid. It feels like it is part of the camera even at this distance.

One last point that might be interesting to some of you.  I tested out my panoramic setup with this camera and L-bracket and it appears all my settings for the E-M1 mkII work on this one as well.  That tells me either PTGUI software is far more amazing than I thought, or Olympus has managed to keep the sensor in the same position bodywise across almost three cameras with different bodies.  It appears that the same nodal points that work for my E-M1-2 setup with L-plate also work for this camera and this L-plate.  Saves me a lot of work.  Not sure 100%…but so far so good.  Or at least PTGUI has been able to fully stitch without issue in some extreme situations.  Very interesting…

Share

3 responses on "How do you make an E-M1X even bigger..."

  1. Great review Tony. The whole point (for me) is using M43 is size and weight and the EM1x is about as large as I am prepared to go. Might give this one a miss!

  2. Would this L-bracket also fit to the E-M1.2 used with the battery grip?

    • I am guessing not…or at least not very stable. RRS really designs their brackets to not twist, so that usually means wrapping the underside slightly with a lip of some sort.

Leave a Message

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2018 Unlocking Olympus. All Rights Reserved.