Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Diffraction Limit
With a 720 nm infrared filter, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II stays free of visible diffraction up to ƒ/4, and diffraction starts to soften images at ƒ/6.3. Unconverted (hot mirror), it is diffraction-free up to ƒ/5.6 and soft from ƒ/9. These limits come from its 3.34 μm pixel pitch: longer infrared wavelengths make a larger Airy disk, so diffraction appears at wider apertures than in visible light.
Open the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II in the calculator
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II specifications
- Pixel pitch: 3.34 μm
- Megapixels: 20.4
- Pixels: 5184 × 3888
- Sensor: Micro Four Thirds, 17.3 × 13.0 mm
Buy the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II: KEH Adorama B&H
Sharpest ƒ-stop by filter
Safe is the narrowest aperture with a diffraction ratio of 3 or lower at every wavelength the filter passes. Caution allows up to 3.75. Avoid is the first aperture where any wavelength reaches 4.5. All three are calculated to the one-third stop. See which wavelengths each filter passes.
| Filter | Safe | Caution | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full spectrum | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| Hot mirror or UV/IR cut | ƒ/5.6 | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 |
| 470 nm high-pass | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| 550 nm high-pass | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| 590 nm high-pass | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| 665 nm high-pass | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| 720 nm high-pass | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| 780 nm high-pass | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| 830 nm high-pass | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| 930 nm high-pass | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| 1000 nm high-pass | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| IR Chrome | ƒ/4 | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 |
| UV Bandpass | ƒ/10.1 | ƒ/12.7 | ƒ/16 |
Diffraction ratio at each ƒ-stop
The Airy disk diameter divided by the 3.34 μm pixel pitch, for every wavelength from ultraviolet to infrared. A filter only passes some of these wavelengths; the table above applies each filter’s set. How the ratio is calculated.
| ƒ-stop | 350 nm | 400 nm | 470 nm | 550 nm | 590 nm | 665 nm | 720 nm | 780 nm | 830 nm | 930 nm | 1000 nm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ƒ/1.4 | 0.36 | 0.41 | 0.48 | 0.56 | 0.6 | 0.68 | 0.74 | 0.8 | 0.85 | 0.95 | 1.02 |
| ƒ/2 | 0.51 | 0.58 | 0.69 | 0.8 | 0.86 | 0.97 | 1.05 | 1.14 | 1.21 | 1.36 | 1.46 |
| ƒ/2.8 | 0.72 | 0.82 | 0.96 | 1.13 | 1.21 | 1.36 | 1.47 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.05 |
| ƒ/4 | 1.02 | 1.17 | 1.37 | 1.61 | 1.72 | 1.94 | 2.1 | 2.28 | 2.43 | 2.72 | 2.92 |
| ƒ/5.6 | 1.43 | 1.64 | 1.92 | 2.25 | 2.41 | 2.72 | 2.95 | 3.19 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.09 |
| ƒ/8 | 2.05 | 2.34 | 2.75 | 3.21 | 3.45 | 3.89 | 4.21 | 4.56 | 4.85 | 5.44 | 5.84 |
| ƒ/11 | 2.81 | 3.21 | 3.78 | 4.42 | 4.74 | 5.34 | 5.79 | 6.27 | 6.67 | 7.47 | 8.04 |
| ƒ/16 | 4.09 | 4.68 | 5.49 | 6.43 | 6.9 | 7.77 | 8.42 | 9.12 | 9.7 | 10.87 | 11.69 |
| ƒ/22 | 5.63 | 6.43 | 7.55 | 8.84 | 9.48 | 10.69 | 11.57 | 12.54 | 13.34 | 14.95 | 16.07 |
| ƒ/32 | 8.18 | 9.35 | 10.99 | 12.86 | 13.79 | 15.55 | 16.83 | 18.23 | 19.4 | 21.74 | 23.38 |
| No visible diffraction (less than 3) | |
| Visible diffraction may slightly impact image sharpness (3 to 4.5) | |
| Visible diffraction will impact image sharpness (4.5 or greater) |
Cameras with similar pixel pitch
Other Micro Four Thirds cameras within 0.2 μm of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. The same pixel pitch gives the same diffraction limits.
- Leica D-Lux 7 (3.34 μm)
- OM System OM-1 (3.34 μm)
- OM System OM-1 Mark II (3.34 μm)
- OM System OM-3 (3.34 μm)
- OM System OM-5 (3.34 μm)
- OM System OM-5 Mark II (3.34 μm)
Pixel pitch comes from the camera database. Send a correction if anything here is wrong.