The OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II has a wide range of continuous shooting options. It shoots at a respectably fast max mechanical burst rate, but where it really shines, enabled by its stacked sensor, is in its electronic burst mode. At the max 120 fps, you’re locked into AF-S, so that setting is less suitable for tracking subjects moving towards or away from you, but it works well if you need to capture a brief but comprehensive burst of a particular, fleeting moment, like a bird feeding its young. There are also 25 fps and 50 fps options, which allow for AF-C with subject tracking, depending on the lens. That being said, though the stacked sensor allows for a faster readout speed, there’s still a chance of encountering rolling shutter artifacts when using the electronic shutter.

As for the buffer, OM SYSTEM advertises that the buffer size has doubled from the OM SYSTEM OM-1 and that largely tracks with our testing. We couldn’t fill the buffer after 30 seconds of continuous shooting using the mechanical shutter at 10 fps. However, the buffer did fill up at the 31s mark after shooting 293 RAW frames, so in most situations, you won’t ever have to worry about filling it. If you shoot in JPEG, you’re unlikely to fill up the buffer within a reasonable timeframe, if at all.

Like its predecessors, the OM-1 Mark II also has a ‘Pro Capture’ mode that begins burst shooting with a half-press of the shutter but only saves the burst, going back a pre-set number of frames, once you press all the way. This ensures you won’t miss a critical moment and is especially handy for wildlife and bird photographers, who often have to wait for the moment of action, like when a bird takes off in flight. The added buffer size comes in handy here, giving you some more leeway to record more frames in anticipation of your subject’s movement.

Unfortunately, all that continuous shooting power comes with a downside, and that’s how long it takes to empty the buffer once it is full. To go from burst shooting into video mode, the camera takes almost a minute and a half to fully empty the buffer.