Olympus Expands Mirrorless Lineup

2020.02.12

Early this morning, Olympus launched a trio of new mirrorless products, one professional camera, one entry-level and a compact high-end lens. These expand the Micro Four-Thirds mirrorless platform at both ends of the product scale.

First up is the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III professional mirrorless. This camera fits parallel to the flagship OM-D E-M1X designed for Action Photography with a camera that is much more compact and versatile, promising to be one of the best digital cameras for Travel Photography on the market.

The new E-M1 Mark III features the same 20 MP High-Speed Four-Thirds CMOS sensor as the E-M1X and is therefore capable of continuously shooting full-resolution images at 60 FPS using an electronic-shutter. With the mechanical shutter, it manages an impressive 15 FPS. The fast readout speed lets this mirrorless record Cinema 4K video at 24 FPS or 4K Ultra-HD at 30 FPS.

Olympus perfected their already leading 5-axis image-stabilization mechanism with a new system that can correct for up to 7 -stops of shake compared to hand-holding. When paired with an optically stabilized lens, this extends further to a total of 7.5-stops. Having such an improved sensor-shift system makes it possible to assemble a Multi-Resolution image hand-held, something very few cameras can do.

This high-end camera offers everything expected from a professional model. It has full manual-controls including Bulb exposures up to 30 minutes, numerous metering modes, extensive bracketing, including in-camera HDR and Focus-Stacking, plus the unique-to-Olympus Live-Time, Live-Bulb and Live-ND modes, further improved in the E-M1 Mark III. This camera features dual control-dials in an IPX1-rated body that is weatherproof, splashproof, dustproof and freezeproof to -10C.

The body of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is nearly identical to its predecessor, adding an 8-way joystick while keeping its sharp 2.4 MP 0.5" EVF with 0.74X magnification, 100% coverage and an Eye-Start Sensor. This remarkable camera weighs in just 504g.

Second, there is the Olympus PEN E-PL10, the follow up to the entry-level E-PL9. The new model has a nearly identical design and feature set. These models are part of the PEN series of highly compact Micro Four-Thirds mirrorless digital cameras that feature a 3-axis image-stabilization mechanism and simple ergonomics.

The PEN E-PL10 is built around a 16 megapixels Four-Thirds CMOS sensor mounted on the sensor-shift system that provides 3.5-stops of stabilization. This sensor is capable of outputting 4K Ultra-HD video at 30 FPS and continuous shooting at 8.6 FPS. This mirrorless relies on Contrast-Detect AF only.

Olympus packs an exceptional number of features even in their entry-level offers such as this E-PL10. This includes Bulb exposures, unique metering patterns and flexible bracketing. There is no EVF nor provision to add one but the new tilting 3" LCD display rotates 180° downwards. There is a single control-dial on this lightweight body that comes in at 332g.

The new Olympus M.Zuiko 12-45mm F/4 PRO is a high-grade lens for Micro Four-Thirds. It spans an equivalent 24-90mm focal-range with constant F/4 aperture. The optical design of this zoom makes it one of the most compact constant-aperture zooms, even within the Micro Four-Thirds system.

This lens bares the PRO label by Olympus which signifies professional-grade image-quality and construction. The M.Zuiko 12-45mm F/4 PRO is weatherproof and freezeproof to -10C and is even certified with an IPX1 rating. This lens weighs in just 254g.

Olympus is making the E-PL10 available immediately with the E-M1 Mark III following in the next two weeks. The 12-45mm F/4 PRO is expected to ship in early April. Follow these links to the full specifications of these new products along with preordering/purchasing options:

• Digital Camera
• Lens