OM-D E-M5 In Trouble @ Wellington City Library

Way back in late April, I read with interest how the extra wide dynamic range of the OM-D beat the heck out of the other M 4/3 cameras.

Since I now have the fabled E-M5, I am excited to see that wide dynamic range in the real world pictures :)

I decided to test out my new camera at our Wellington City Library (WCL).

Of all places, why WCL?

I thought the shelves of books and the surrounding giant glass windows create a lighting environment that lesser digital sensor find hard to cope.

I was in the library at 10.45am and took a few shots of the shelves of books with my Panasonic 7-14  on the OM-D. 


I hardly taken less than 8 shots when out of no where a guy in uniform started questioning me WHY I am taking pictures.

I told him I am testing my new camera, he was not impressed and want me to show him what I took and I did.  He then DEMAND that I ERASE ALL THE PICTURES!

I argued that the pictures are for my blog, NOT for commercial purposes; that the library is a PUBLIC PLACE, that there were NO SIGNS saying NO PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED; that yada yada yada...

The Man In Black is not smiling, so just to pacify him I hit the ERASE ALL button and presto, all the images on my card are gone.  He wanted me to show him that there are no image left which I did, the OM-D say "No Image On Card".

"But what about THIS ONE?" Pointing at the screen, our M.I.B. asked! I try very hard to explain that is LIVE, what the lens is seeing! DUH!!

Picture that was ERASED on demand.

Our Mr. Security then offered to take me to the information counter so I can fill in a form to get photography permission, trouble was; the guys at the counter don't know of such form!

By then I have LOST INTEREST and told them I am leaving ;)

Inspiration lost, I took a shot outside the library which show huge difference in light and shadow.  Notice how dark the library corridor is?

A quick adjust in Photoshop to lighten up the shadow, this is where wide dynamic range sensor come into play; lesser sensor will have galore of noise when a dark shadow area is lighten!

Relatively noise free of the lightened shadow area.

Left side of the library, supported by brass palm trees ;)

My friend asked me did the OM-D did a good job INSIDE the library, well; see for yourself, below is a 100% crop of the erased photo.

Not bad for a 100% crop taken at a rather slow 1/10 second!

There will be more test to come!

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