Thank you!

Thanks for looking.
Glad you enjoyed.

Thanks PixelStan77,
I'm very new to PP and all suggestions are appreciated. The wood is a bit blown and distracting.

Thanks for the comments Angela! Tree swallows are so silly. Their flying antics never case to amaze. I'm having a blast with the SX50. It rekindled my joy of photography. I have other cameras but often find this one appropriate.

I've been lurking, looking and learning for at least 2 years. It's time to post some photos. These are of feeding time at a Tree Swallow nest in our back yard last summer. Every year they reappear on April 1st or 2nd and head to the same house. This has been going on for at least 10 years, so who knows what generation were on. One year, I had the house down for cleaning when they arrived. They patiently sat on a wall and waited. I set the house out and they were at it in minutes. I quickly mounted it on the post and it was instantly a happy homecoming. They are fun birds to have around.
These were taken with a Canon SX50.
Thanks for looking!

I'm starving. Please feed me.

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It's about time!

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Keep it up!!

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Very nice and gentle demonstration of basic tools and workflow. Thank you!

What a great idea. Your descriptions and examples are great. I have always avoided most PP as I quickly get frustrated by various 'rabbit trails' and difficulty in accessing tools. You make it easy. I look forward to more.
Thanks so much!

There was a mid summer update to PSE 13 that allowed RAW files to be processed. I don't know about earlier versions. Unfortunately PSE sometimes does not accept 16 bit and requires conversion to 8 bit.
Other forums have pointed out this as a good reason to use the online Adobe Creative Cloud Photo version (Lightroom/Photoshop ~ $10/month).

I got the OMD-5 Mk2 in July. I have the 12-40 2.8, 40-150 2.8, 1.4 tele-converter, and the 75-300 4.8-6.7 lenses. Christmas will hopefully bring the 60 macro. I’ve made approximately 3500 exposures, so I’m beginning to get a feel for the camera. I shoot lots of topics including closeups, landscape, humminbirds etc. FYI I started with a Minolata SRT-101 many years ago. Then a Nikon 8008. My digital experience began with a Canon G2. Then for 10+ years, I’ve primarily been using various Canon image stailized P&S and currently have an S120 – very nice and compact. I also have an old Nikon D70 which never saw much use. I read about the Canon SX50 on UHH (I’ve been lurking and learning for close to 2 years) and got one early in 2015. It really brought back the interest in photography. While it is a wonderful bridge camera, I wanted a more advanced system and knew from my SLR and D70 experience that I was NOT going to lug around a full size kit on a regular basis.
Thus the Olympus and especially the OMD-5 Mk2. The body and lenses have met my expectations. The 2.8 pro lenses have exceeded them. The body is just large enough to feel good in my hands. I initially looked at the Sony A6000 but it was too small for my hands and comfort. The Olympus controls are mostly well placed and useable with ease. The menu is learnable but not near as intuitive as my Canon’s. There are so many programmable options that with some time, you can set buttons to do what would be more difficult when using a menu. The menu is certainly not a deal breaker to me. My primary mode is aperture priority and I find the available wheels and toggles allow easy access to all the elements of the exposure triangle (quadrangle if you include ISO). All modes work easily.
A major plus of the OMD-5Mk2 for me was the fully articulated screen. This allows a whole new perspective to be explored without excessive body contortions. I would likely never try (or be able to – I just don’t bend as well as I age) the many photographic angles this screen flexibility allows. I use the EVF about half the time and it is adequate but not super.
The stabilization is great and is truly an asset.
I find that the camera still makes you work for tack sharp telephoto shots. You can do handheld but if you pixel peep, the sharpness is very acceptable but not great. Placed on a solid tripod, the sharpness is very good. I’ve yet to get anything resembling the super tack sharp full frame examples on UHH (some by Gene51 are amazing). I don’t want to corrupt this thread and get into the whole FF,APS, micro 4/3s argument as each has it’s many advantages. The OMD-5Mk2 as all the plusses and minuses of a micro 4/3 system. I am learning to get the image close to what I want in the camera as cropping in PP is somewhat limited by the available megapixels.
Image quality is very very good. Noise is not an issue for me up to ISO 1600 and above that it is ok and can be addressed in PP. The electronic shutter is fantastic. It is amazingly quiet and I think it helps reduce vibration. This body can be used in a quiet room with minimal sound intrusion! The normal shutter is also very quiet.
I just installed a Canon PixmaPro-100 and have only begun printing with it. (I find that ‘taking’ the photo is much more fun than processing or printing – but know I need to work on the later). I shoot both RAW and JPG and have begun using the RAW in PSE. Of note, the jpgs produced by the Olympus are very good and printing them straight out of the camera is entirely adequate. With my limited PP experience, the RAW images allow superior adjustments and I’ve had a few that easily exceed the jpg. The Olympus will provide more than adequate quality for my printing as I move up to 13x19 inch prints. To me, the whole tack sharpness issue is less important when you print because the print is limited. You can;t zoom and pixel peep with a print. The OMD-5Mk2 has been super so far with my limited printing.
I have had no problems with the camera and have not dealt with Olympus.
I'm satisfied with the pricing. The body is very reasonable. The pro lenses are a bit pricey but the quality is definitely up there. When you compare what a larger system would cost for similar lenses etc, the price is much more acceptable.
One note on the pro lenses. Their larger diameter actually extends below the base of the camera. If you have a large tripod quick release attachment - ala Manfroto, it is possible that the lens barrel will hit the quick release. A smaller attachment is needed.
Handling has always been fine. The camera, being smaller, is not as 'grippable' as the SX50 or larger cameras. I may try a RRS L bracket and grip but they are not needed (they will solve the quick release issue with pro lenses mentioned above). The ergonomics are good. Many operations can be done easily without looking. The smaller buttons have not been a problem for me.
In summary, so far I’ve been a happy camper with the OMD-5Mk2. I am only beginning to find its capabilities (and limits). It is my ‘go to’ camera for most uses. If I ever want to be reminded how nice the size and weight are, I go pick up the D70 with an 80-200 zoom. The abilities of a modern FF are amazing, but so are those of the smaller systems. For me, the OMD-5Mk2 meets my needs and makes me want to go out and shoot!

Very good response to a critique of an insightful (as always) original post. This type and tone of response are much more helpful and educational than some of the egotistical flames that ocaasionally infest UHH. Thanks Burkphoto.

Excellent images. I enjoyed them all.
#7 is my favorite.
Your lighting g and exposure with flowers is very pleasing.
Bluebirds have so much character and you really captured it!
Thanks for uploading