NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji (9) against Boston Legacy FC defender Bianca St-Georges (53) during the first half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

After reading Alex Cooke’s article on Fstoppers:

OM System Survived Its Split From Olympus: Who Expected This?

I was inspired to take my OM-1 Mk II out for a spin with the 50-100mm for the Bay FC vs Boston Legacy NWSL game for imagn. Outside of the starting eleven photo, everything in the gallery was taken with the 50-200mm.

NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Bay FC Cristiana Girelli (10) slides against Boston Legacy FC midfielder Annie Karich (6) during the second half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

I love my canon gear- it is sharp, fast, and has all the bells and whistles I need for FTP transmit of some of the largest events with remote editors. Still, I find the Olympus/OM-D system simply more fun! The joy of working for imagn and without an editor is that the only thing that matters is the deliverables, not how they are delivered. 

NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Bay FC Caroline Conti (23) on a play against Boston Legacy FC during the first half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The 50-200mm is a dream! It’s essentially the equivalent of canon’s 100-300mm f/2.8 but with another 100m of reach. Maing it not great for images on the other side of the field, but decent.

NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Bay FC midfielder Dorian Bailey (19) celebrates after scoring a goal against Boston Legacy FC goalkeeper Casey Murphy (1) during the second half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Last Bay FC game I used the canon 100-300mm on my R5 Mark II (over the R3 for the ability to crop in) and I gotta tell ya, I think the OM-D performed better. The only downside, is that it’s potentially embarrassing to try to be passing as a professional sports photographer with this teeny tiny lens. But I also know, the photographer that can use this gear, is the photographer that can stay in the industry longer. I can’t emphasize how many photographers I know have shoulder, neck and back issues from years of carrying heavy equipment. While the mirrorless bodies are lighter and the lenses have made progress to be lighter, they are still TWICE as heavy as Micro Four Thirds. That is absolutely a trade-off I’m willing to sacrifice on.

NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji (9) chases down the ball against Boston Legacy FC during the first half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

I was mostly impressed with it's ability to focus beyond the net. I still struggle with that wth canon sometimes.

NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Boston Legacy FC goalkeeper Casey Murphy (1) saves the ball during the first half against Bay FC at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Bay FC midfielder Caroline Conti (23) shoots the ball against Boston Legacy FC forward Sammy Smith (8) during the first half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Referee Gerald Flores issues a yellow card against Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz (not pictured) during the second half against Boston Legacy FC at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz (29) after receiving a yellow card against Boston Legacy FC during the second half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

OM System arguably found its niche and is marketed to birds and travel photographers, rightly so. But save for Davey Wilson, they aren’t promoting what a capable camera it is for sports. For professional sports, by professional photographers in the highest level games, it’s not the best camera system for the job because it can’t do auto-FTP via WiFi or Ethernet. But for the average photographer who is going to ingest a card anyway, I still argue it’s the best system overall.

NWSL: Boston Legacy FC at Bay FCMay 15, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Bay FC forward Karlie Lema (5) controls the ball against Boston Legacy FC defender Lais Araujo (24) during the first half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

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There is still something nice and "buttery' about canon full frame

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What do you think? Are these images better/worse than the previous game? Do you use M43?