I own and operate both a motorboat and a sailboat, so I often have opportunities to take photographs and shoot video at sea.
On a boat, the photographer is constantly moving. The vessel rocks, sea spray flies, and there is always a possibility of knocking the camera against something or dropping it.
Yet there are images that can only be captured by being there: waves and sunlight during a sailing trip, or a fleeting scene visible from the deck of a boat.
What I want to capture are the moments I notice or sense while engaged in my own activities.
I go out to sea because I enjoy boating and sailing. Along the way, I sometimes encounter something that makes me want to take a photograph.
That sequence shapes what I look for in a camera.
I need equipment that I can bring along, that allows me to start shooting when something catches my attention, that can perform in demanding conditions, and that gives me a reasonable chance of bringing the results home.
The camera I chose was the OM SYSTEM OM-1.
My interest in it began partly with fond memories of the original film-era Olympus OM-1.
1. Rediscovering the OM-1 Half a Century Later
One day, while walking through a camera store, the name “OM-1” caught my eye.
The OM-1 was an Olympus 35mm film SLR introduced in the 1970s. Originally released as the M-1 in 1972 and renamed the OM-1 in 1973, it was known for its compact and lightweight design.
And now, roughly half a century later, a digital camera was carrying the same name.
That immediately caught my interest.
When I picked it up, I liked its appearance and the way it felt in my hands. The impression of sophisticated technology packed into a compact body appealed to me.
And, for some inexplicable reason, I even liked its smell.
At this point, we are firmly in the realm of personal taste.
There was a time when I enjoyed the appearance, feel, and mechanical operation of cameras just as much as photography itself.
Simply handling a camera was a pleasure.
Picking up the digital OM-1 brought back some of that feeling.
One of the defining attractions of the original film OM-1 was its approach to camera design: concentrating the necessary capabilities into a body small enough to carry comfortably.
I sense something similar in the modern OM-1.
Although the two cameras belong to very different technological generations, they share an appeal that matters to me: they make me want to take a capable camera out into the world and use it.
“I like this camera.”
That feeling came first.
As I considered how the OM-1 would fit into the photography I actually do, however, I began to recognize practical reasons for choosing it.
2. What I Call “Photography Arising from Activity”
I use the expression “Photography Arising from Activity” to describe one of my approaches to photography.
The idea is straightforward.
Photography arises when I deliberately capture something I happen to notice or feel drawn to while engaged in an activity that has its own purpose.
For example, I go sailing because I enjoy sailing.
While underway, waves may suddenly rush against the leeward side of the hull.
Or, while my motorboat is at anchor, sunlight may create a beautiful pattern on the surface of the sea.
While driving along a winding road, I may notice sunlight filtering through the trees and the surrounding landscape briefly forming an intriguing composition.
In each case, the activity comes first.
I am sailing, boating, or driving for the sake of the activity itself.
Then, somewhere along the way, I unexpectedly encounter something worth photographing.
That encounter creates the desire to take a photograph.
The decision to capture it is deliberate, even though the encounter itself was unexpected.
This is the sequence I mean by Photography Arising from Activity.
And it presents an interesting structural problem.
The very activity that gives rise to a photographic opportunity also imposes constraints on capturing it.
I encounter beautiful waves and light precisely because I am sailing.
At the same time, I am paying attention to the sails, my course, the wind, the waves, and other vessels around me.
On a motorboat, I must also monitor the condition of my vessel, nearby traffic, and sea conditions.
Then, in the middle of all this, I suddenly think:
“I want to photograph that.”
Operating the camera becomes a task that interrupts the activity already underway.
The time and attention available for photography are limited. When I am responsible for operating the boat, I must also determine whether I can take a photograph while maintaining navigational safety.
The same principle applies to driving. A scene noticed along a winding road can become a photograph when I find a safe opportunity and place to stop.
By then, the moment I wanted to capture may already have disappeared.
In other words, an activity creates photographic opportunities while simultaneously restricting my freedom to take advantage of them.
The important question becomes how effectively I can turn those limited opportunities into actual photographs or video footage.
For me, one measure of a camera’s performance is its ability to turn photographic opportunities into results under those constraints.
Incidentally, there is also a theory that my entire concept of Photography Arising from Activity is an elaborate excuse for covering up my lack of photographic talent.
Let’s keep that our little secret.
3. Compact Size and Light Weight Help Me Capture Opportunities
One of the main reasons I chose the OM-1 was its compact, lightweight Micro Four Thirds system.
What matters here is the size of the complete system, including the lenses, rather than the camera body alone.
There is a limit to how much equipment I can bring aboard a boat.
Moreover, when I am actively engaged in something else, there are practical constraints on the movements required to take out a camera, raise it, and begin shooting.
If the equipment is too large, difficult to handle, or requires too many steps to prepare, the scene I want to photograph may disappear before I am ready.
This is why I place considerable importance on compact size and low weight.
Compact, easy-to-handle equipment shortens the distance between the moment I decide to take a photograph and the moment I actually take it.
That is an important capability when trying to make the most of a photographic opportunity.
A compact system offers another advantage: it increases the range of equipment I can bring with me.
I use different lenses for ultra-wide-angle, standard, and telephoto photography.
Depending on the lenses selected, a Micro Four Thirds system can be more compact than a larger-sensor system covering comparable angles of view.
This makes it easier to carry several photographic options within a limited amount of luggage.
Before leaving port, I can choose lenses to suit the day’s activities and photographic objectives.
By anticipating the focal-length range I am likely to need, I can also reduce the time and effort spent changing lenses aboard the boat.
The first condition for capturing an unexpected moment is having a camera with me when it happens.
Compact size and low weight are useful throughout the entire process, from bringing the camera to the location to making the photograph.
4. Features That Help Me Photograph While in Motion
At sea, the surface beneath the photographer is constantly moving.
A sailboat heels under the influence of wind and waves, while a motorboat continually responds to changing sea conditions.
Because I am moving while holding the camera, image stabilization is particularly helpful.
The OM-1 incorporates five-axis in-body image stabilization.
According to the manufacturer’s specifications, its stabilization performance for still photography is rated at up to 7.0 stops with the camera body alone, or up to 8.0 stops with compatible lenses using five-axis Sync IS.
These figures are measured under specified test conditions, but the technology is well suited to my needs because it helps compensate for image blur caused by movement of the photographer and camera.
Large movements of the vessel also make body position and camera-holding technique important. When photographing moving subjects such as waves or birds, the choice of shutter speed matters as well.
Within these conditions, image stabilization helps me achieve usable results.
I am quite happy to take advantage of every boost modern technology can give me.
If advanced features can compensate for limitations in my photographic skills, I welcome the assistance.
That leaves more of my attention available for deciding what to photograph and how to frame it.
Another important factor is the availability of interchangeable lenses.
Because photographic opportunities arise during activities undertaken for their own sake, I can rarely predict what I will encounter.
Sometimes I want to capture a vast expanse of sea and sky in a single frame.
At other times, I want to bring a distant boat or bird closer.
I may also want to photograph small details of equipment aboard the boat or droplets of water at close range.
Ultra-wide-angle, standard, fast-aperture, telephoto, super-telephoto, and macro lenses all offer different ways to interpret a scene.
The appropriate lens depends on how I want to capture what I encounter.
The Micro Four Thirds system built around the OM-1 offers lenses suited to these different purposes.
I can choose equipment appropriate to the day’s activities and photographic objectives.
Combined with technologies such as image stabilization, these options increase the range of situations in which I can successfully make a photograph.
5. The Freedom to Keep Shooting in Demanding Conditions
Taking photographic equipment aboard a boat can expose it to more demanding conditions than ordinary use on land.
The boat rocks.
Sea spray may reach the camera.
Sometimes I may need to handle the equipment with hands wet from seawater.
A camera placed on a table or seat may slide or fall as the vessel moves.
Vibration, impact, and contact with other equipment are also possible.
I regard these risks of wear and damage as part of photography at sea.
I would naturally like my cameras to last as long as possible. That is precisely why I look for high levels of weather resistance and robust construction in equipment intended for use aboard a boat.
When shooting conditions become difficult, I want the freedom to continue photographing.
If something worth capturing appears, I want as much margin as possible before the conditions force me to put the camera away.
The OM-1 features a lightweight yet robust magnesium-alloy body and a dust- and splash-resistant construction with sealing at various points.
When paired with a compatible IP53-rated lens, the camera-and-lens system provides IP53-rated dust and splash resistance. When paired with an IPX1-rated splash-resistant lens, the applicable protection level is IPX1.
The manufacturer’s specified low-temperature operating capability extends to −10°C.
These design features provide greater flexibility when shooting outdoors in conditions where rain or water spray may be present.
The marine environment also introduces risks that require their own precautions.
Saltwater corrosion, damage from impacts or falls, and immersion in water must each be considered separately.
Using a strap to prevent accidental drops, choosing secure places to put the camera, and providing appropriate care after exposure to seawater are all part of using photographic equipment aboard a boat.
By selecting weather-resistant equipment and handling it appropriately, I try to maintain as much margin as possible between normal use and eventual damage.
The wider the range of conditions a camera can tolerate, the wider the range of conditions in which the photographer can choose to keep shooting.
That extra margin gives me greater freedom when deciding how to balance equipment protection against the opportunity to capture a particular scene.
This is why the OM-1’s dust- and splash-resistant construction was an important factor in my decision.
6. The Cost of Equipment Damage and the Value of What I Capture
I regard the risk of equipment damage as part of the cost of photography at sea.
Bringing a camera aboard and using it in a marine environment involves the possibility of damage or failure.
I take that risk into account when deciding whether to shoot.
An important distinction for me is the difference between the survival of the camera and the survival of the images it has captured.
With a digital camera, photographs and video footage are stored on recording media.
Even if the camera body subsequently becomes unusable, there may still be a chance to recover the images already captured, provided the recording medium survives and the data have been saved correctly.
The OM-1 has two SD card slots and supports simultaneous recording of still photographs to both cards.
This can provide protection against the failure of one card.
Copying recorded data to another storage device can further improve the chances of preserving it.
If the entire camera is lost or submerged, however, the recording media may also be lost.
For this reason, I consider protecting the equipment and protecting the photographic results as two separate tasks, each requiring appropriate precautions.
Making that distinction allows me to compare the possible cost of equipment damage with the value of what I may capture.
There are occasions when I judge that an image available only at that particular moment is worth more than the potential cost of damage to the equipment.
When navigational safety is assured, I may decide to take the photograph.
I take care of my equipment as best I can.
And when there is something I genuinely want to capture, I am ultimately prepared to accept the risk of equipment damage as part of the cost of photography.
What matters most to me is bringing home images that could only have been captured in that particular place and moment.
That is what taking a camera aboard a boat means to me.
7. Why I Chose the OM-1
I chose the OM-1 because it brings together several capabilities important to my photography in a well-balanced system.
Its compact body and relatively lightweight lens system make it practical to carry aboard my motorboat or sailboat. Its handling helps me respond when something catches my attention.
Its dust- and splash-resistant construction allows me to continue shooting in a wider range of outdoor conditions. Image stabilization helps when the platform beneath me moves, while interchangeable lenses allow me to frame everything from expansive seascapes and distant subjects to small details close at hand.
There are other cameras that excel in each of these individual areas.
What I wanted was a system that satisfied all these requirements at a high level.
And I genuinely like the OM-1 as a piece of machinery.
Ultimately, the reasons behind my choice lead back to a more fundamental question: what kinds of photographs and videos do I actually want to make?
The OM-1 helps me preserve moments that emerge unexpectedly from the activities I enjoy.
Its capabilities matter because they help me act on the desire to photograph something when I encounter it, even while my time and attention are occupied by the activity that brought me there.
The value of a camera also lies in how far its capabilities expand the world I am able to photograph.
The OM-1 allows me to incorporate the pleasure of photography and videography into the time I spend at sea.
And I love the way it looks and feels.
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