Olympus Miniaturizes Third-Generation OM-D

2019.10.17

Olympus unveiled today their third-generation OM-D in the form of the E-M5 Mark III which packs nearly every feature of the E-M1 Mark II into a much smaller body that remains weatherproof and freezeproof. This new Micro Four-Thirds Mirrorless Digital Camera pushes the promise of delivering high image-quality in a very compact form-factor.

The heart of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is the same 20 megapixels Four-Thirds CMOS sensor with builtin 121-Point Phase-Detect AF system as the high-end E-M1 Mark II reviewed here. This sensor has a native ISO 200-25600 sensitivity range which expands down to ISO 64. The high-speed mechanical shutter covers a 1/8000-60s shutter-speed range plus Bulb exposures of up to 3 hours, giving the E-M5 Mark III one of the widest exposure latitude of any mirrorless digital camera. Its fast TruePic VII processor makes it possible to shoot at 10 FPS an unlimited number of images or an very impressive 150 RAW files.

Olympus always packs their mirrorless cameras with an extensive feature-set and the E-M5 Mark III is no exception. This model features 5 types of metering, HDR, Time-Lapse, Interval-Timer, Multiple-Exposure and bracketing for Exposure, ISO, White-Balance and Focus. Even Cinema 4K video at 24 FPS, Ultra-HD at 30 FPS and Full-HD at 120 FPS are supported. It also includes the innovative Live Bulb and Live Time modes pioneered by Olympus and rarely seen on other cameras. These features allow the E-M5 Mark III to show an exposure as it progresses and is ideal for capturing fireworks and light trails.

As a member of the OM-D series, this new model includes plenty of controls and is highly customizable. There are dual control-dials expected of a prosumer digital camera, plus a traditional mode dial all in a weatherproof and freezeproof body that weights just 366g. This one even gains an IPX1 certification for its weather-resistance, the first such rating for a non-waterproof digital camera. This truly compact mirrorless fits a smaller 0.68X magnification EVF yet keeps it 2.4 megapixels of resolution, 100% coverage and Eye-Start Sensor. One item that did not fit in the body is a built-in flash but Olympus is including a much more versatile tilting unit with the camera.

Olympus expect to ship the E-M5 Mark III at the end of November for $1200 USD or $1500 CAD. Adorama and B&H Photo are accepting pre-orders at this time. Nothings gets charged until the camera ships while ensuring to be among the first to receive this new mirrorless digital camera.

• Digital Camera