THE OM SYSTEM GUIDE TO

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

START TAKING PHOTOS OF ANIMALS THAT PEOPLE WILL GO WILD OVER.

The world is full of beautiful, exotic wildlife waiting to be photographed. Whether you’re getting started or you’ve been shooting wildlife for years, you’ll learn something new.

PHOTO BY OM AMBASSADOR JAY DICKMAN

WHEN IT COMES TO WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

JAY DICKMAN IS THE KING OF THE JUNGLE

Jay is one of those rare people who finds himself as much at home in a primitive campsite on the Serengeti as he is in a big city. He’s won a Pulitzer, journalism’s biggest prize, and has completed more than 25 photo assignments for National Geographic Society. Jay’s pretty much done it all — lived in a Stone Age village in Papua New Guinea for three months, spent a week in a nuclear sub under the Arctic and escaped from a sinking boat on the Amazon River. In between adventures, he’s traveled the world capturing wildlife with breathtaking photos. He’s also a lecturer, author and teacher. Jay was also named one of Travel + Leisure magazine’s “10 Fascinating People You Can Travel With in 2017.”

LET JAY DICKMAN HELP YOU

TAKE AWESOM WILDLIFE PHOTOS

01.

KNOW YOUR SUBJECT.

Use the internet to pull together as much research as you can about an animal’s behavior so you’ll be in the best position to take the best shots.

It would be wise to have a pair of Olympus PRO Binoculars on hand for spotting and preparation.

02.

BE PREPARED

Carry two cameras: one with a wide-angle zoom lens and the other with a long zoom lens. You won’t fumble around to switch a lens and miss your shot.

03.

FAST LENSES

They’re critical for wildlife photography. You’re often shooting in the early morning or late in the day, and that usually means low light situations. You need wide aperture lenses that perform great in dimly lit settings.

04.

USE A FAST UHS-II CARD

It needs at least 300 MB/s speed. Slow, unreliable memory cards are a waste of money because they’re a sure way to miss a split-second shot.

You are also able to effortlessly change the autofocus point during sequential shooting by simply moving the 8 direction multi-selector.

05.

SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

Make sure the batteries are charged, your memory cards are formatted and the previous days’ images are downloaded. You don’t want something small to mess up a big shot.

06.

SHOOT IN RAW

It provides approximately two additional stops of dynamic range and gives you many more options in post-production.

07.

PRIORITIZE MOBILITY

The mirrorless OM-D system is compact, portable, and helps you react quickly to wildlife, unlike heavy DSLRs and big lenses that can weigh you down and limit your mobility.

08.

TRAVEL LIGHT

Stay nimble and be prepared for all-day shooting. The OM-D E-M1 Series’ built-in image stabilization compensates for all types of hand movement for sharp shots on the go, no tripod neede.

ALL THE FEATURES YOU NEED TO CAPTURE WILDLIFE

(PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING, OF COURSE)

Our mirrorless OM-D camera systems are up to half the size and weight of other flagship DSLR systems. For wildlife photographers like Jay Dickman, this gives him more flexibility, more energy, and more shooting time in the field to get the perfect shot.

WEATHERSEALED DESIGN

Lousy weather often takes you by surprise. The OM-D E-M1 Series and our PRO lenses have you covered. They're splashproof, dustproof, and freezeproof (down to 14 ̊F / -10 ̊C), so there's never a need to carry protective gear.

COMPACT LIGHTWEIGHT SIZE

Let the OM-D Series set you free. Our compact mirrorless cameras and small lightweight lenses boast the performance of pro DSLR systems. You'll have greater freedom of movement to capture better wildlife photos.

OM SYSTEM OM-1 + M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F4.0 IS PRO VS Full Frame DSLR

WILDLIFE CAN MOVE FAST. KEEP UP.

The continuous shooting speed of the OM-D E-M1 Series blows away most DSLR cameras. Capture an astounding 60 frames per second with S-AF and 18 frames per second with C-AF using the silent electronic shutter. It's easy to keep up with fast-moving subjects.

NEVER MISS A SHOT

Our time machine-like Pro Capture Mode ensures you nail the best shot. Press the camera's shutter button halfway to start buffering a running series of images. Once you see the precise moment you want to capture, fully press the shutter to capture that image plus the previous 35 frames all at once.

PRECISE AUTOFOCUSING

Photographing an animal moving at top speed requires a responsive and fast autofocus system. The OM-D E-M1 Series features dual Phase Detection + Contrast Detection AF points that blanket the image sensor. Each AF point is cross-type for superior speed and accuracy.

TECHNOLOGY HAS REPLACED THE TRIPOD

Leave your tripod behind! Our industry-leading 5-Axis Image Stabilization allows you to shoot tack-sharp photos, all handheld. With up to 7.5 shutter speed steps of compensation for tripod-like stability, you have more freedom for better results.

YOU DON'T NEED A LOT OF GEAR TO

TO PHOTOGRAPH WILDLFE

GEAR TO GET STARTED

OM-D E-M1 MARK III

M.ZUIKO ED 40-150MM F2.8 PRO

TAKE THINGS UP A NOTCH

Here’s a look at what’s in Jay Dickman's gear bag when he’s out on assignment.

OM-D E-M1X

M.ZUIKO ED 7-14MM F2.8 PRO

M.ZUIKO ED 300MM F4.0 IS PRO

M.ZUIKO ED 12-100MM F4.0 IS PRO

M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 1.4X TELECONVERTER MC-14

POWER BATTERY HOLDER HLD-9 FOR E-M1 MARK II OR MARK III

FL-900R

VIEW PHOTOS FROM OM SYSTEM USERS

Add your photo for a chance to be featured on our website.