Introduction

Low light capability is one of the most prominent features of the OM System OM-1.

Even so, reducing image noise is always a concern for the demanding photographer. Let’s go beyond just setting a low ISO number and push the OM-1 to its technical limits.

The OM-1’s truly spectacular 4/3 stacked BSI Live MOS Sensor with its standard sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25.600 is capable of dealing with virtually all photographic situations.

Picking an ISO number from this standard range always gives you usable results. But with optimized settings, the already impressive noise performance of the OM-1 can be tweaked even further.

ISO Settings

There are two simple rules for picking the best ISO setting:

Rule 1: Choose the lowest possible ISO setting but do not go lower than ISO 200 if possible.
Rule 2: Avoid pushing the RAW-file in post production.

Let’s take a closer look.

First and foremost, it is important to know that the OM-1 is not ISO invariant, but instead uses a sophisticated three-stage analog-to-digital converter (ADC) architecture for improved noise performance.

The three stages are:

Stage I - ISO 200 to 800
Stage II - ISO 1.000 to 12.800
Stage III - ISO 16.000 and higher

OM System OM-1 Read Noise/ISO Setting *(source: https://photonstophotos.net/)*

Images captured at ISO 80 and ISO 100 are noisier than images captured at ISO 200.

Pushing an image from a “lower stage” to a “higher stage” in post production results in a noisier image compared to recording the image with the appropriate ISO-setting right away. The reason is quite simple, as the higher ISO setting will utilize the OM-1’s dedicated ADC circuitry instead of simply brightening the recorded image, which does not change the signal-to-noise ratio.

The effect is most severe when an image recorded with an ISO setting from “Stage I” is pushed to an ISO setting from “Stage II” or even “Stage III”. This results in excessive amounts of image noise.

Heat Management

Electronic viewfinder cameras produce a lot of heat and elevated internal camera temperature will generate image noise. Heat management is therefore an important consideration.

For general photography, there are three optimization options.

Viewfinder Frame Rate

Set the viewfinder “Frame Rate” to “Normal” instead of “High”, as the higher readout rate of the image sensor produces significantly more heat.

OM System OM-1 - setting the “Frame Rate”

Sleep Mode

Set “Sleep” to 1 min or enable “Quick Sleep Mode”. This helps to prevent unnecessary heat build-up when the camera is not in use. The OM-1 is very quick to boot up from “Sleep” mode, so you should not miss any shots under normal shooting circumstances.

OM System OM-1 - setting “Sleep” to 1 min

Battery Grip

When the battery is being drained it generates a lot of heat.

I recommend using the HLD-10 Battery Grip but only with a battery in the grip, not in the camera body.

Having the battery as far away from the imaging pipeline as possible drastically reduces heat build-up, making the battery grip the most effective accessory to improve heat management in the OM-1.

OM System OM-1 - battery loaded inside the HLD-10

High Res Shot

Enabling either the handheld or tripod “High Res Shot” not only increases image resolution but also eliminates most of the noise in the photograph.

When shooting still subjects, you should use this mode whenever feasible in order to maximize image quality.

Using a higher ISO setting in conjunction with handheld “High Res Shot” is even a viable option for taking high resolution portraits with little to no noise.

In-Camera Noise Reduction

The OM-1 offers two options for in-camera noise reduction.

Noise Filter

The “Noise Filter” can be set to Off/Low/Standard/High and it applies digital noise reduction to the image.

This function is comparable to using noise reduction in an image editing software. It can therefore be replicated in post production.

JPEG images are affected permanently when “Noise Filter” is turned on.

When shooting RAW, “Noise Filter” does not alter the image data in the RAW file.

OM-1 Noise Filter Comparison @ ISO 25.600

Noise Reduction

The “Noise Reduction” function utilizes dark frame subtraction to reduce image noise. This means that after the image is captured, the OM-1 will record an additional dark frame with the same exposure time. The resulting dark frame noise pattern is then subtracted from the previously recorded image. “Noise Reduction” also changes the RAW-file permanently and it cannot be replicated in post production.

Especially during long exposures, “Noise Reduction” will significantly reduce image noise.

The function can be set to either Off, On or Auto.

OM System OM-1 - “Noise Reduction” settings

When set “Auto”, the OM-1 will activate the function automatically when the camera’s internal temperature is elevated – basically during long exposures.

For optimum noise performance, setting the function to “On” will make the OM-1 perform a dark frame subtraction even with fast shutter speeds.

Keep in mind that when using sequential or electronic shutter drive modes, “Noise Reduction” remains inactive.

Noise Reduction in Post-Production

When processing images recorded at high ISO settings, I recommend using OM Workspace or the in-camera RAW conversion of the OM-1.

Using the OM System “Noise Filter” either in -camera or in OM Workspace, I had better results with less effort than with the noise reduction options of third party RAW converters.

Most importantly, colour accuracy is maintained very well when utilizing one of the two proprietary RAW conversion options.

Additionally, OM Workspace offers an AI Noise Reduction feature. I am not an advocate of AI Noise Reduction tools in general, but this one is optimized for OM-1 files and works quite well.

OM Workspace - perfect for processing OM-1 RAW-files

Closing Remarks

I’m not obsessing over image noise, and neither should anyone else, especially when working with a camera as good as the OM System OM-1.

Nonetheless, I am glad that all these tweaks are available to push the limits of what is possible with OM-1 even further.

On YouTube

OM System OM-1 - Image Noise Expert Guide