A photograph is not just a landscape, it is an emotion frozen in time. Each image carries a part of us and reflects who we are in that moment. Like the weather, our emotions change - calm one moment, wild the next - always part of our journey.
The OM SYSTEM OM-5 Mark II is an ultra-compact, lightweight mirrorless camera designed for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers who demand premium image quality without compromise.
Weighing just 370g (body only), it's the ideal companion for travel, hiking photography and spontaneous videography - with robust performance in a
highly portable form.
FEATURES
Unsurpassed image quality: Sharp, stable and vibrant shots - wherever you are.
Compact and durable: Ready for your adventure, whatever the weather.
Computerized Photography (CP) button: Creativity inspired by the wonders of nature.
High autofocus performance: Capture every split second.
Night photography: When the light fades, the magic begins
New features of the OM System OM-5 Mark II
If you compare the OM 5 Mark II with its predecessor visually, the changes are not very noticeable, but as always, it's the details that count.
The new camera has been given a slightly deeper grip, which makes the camera easier to handle, especially at long focal lengths.
We have added a new CP button to the buttons on the top, which takes the place of exposure compensation.
Last but not least, the camera has now been updated to USB-C, which means that the camera can also be charged and used as a webcam.
CP button
CP stands for "Computational Photography" and enables quick on, off and switching of the shooting modes such as HighRes recording or quick access to the LiveND filter. Unfortunately, the graded graduated filter known from the OM 1 Mark II or OM 3 is not available here.
What has been carried over from the OM3, however, is the new color adjustment of the photos so that you can shoot an individual style directly in the JPG.
Freehand Assistant
The OM-5 Mark II has a new Freehand Assistant, which displays the stability of your long exposure in real time.
New menu
The OM-5 Mark II is the third camera to use the new OM System camera menu for ease of understanding and maximum speed.
Last but not least, compared to the old OM 5, there is the new Night Vision mode, which gives you a bright preview of the image at night to better handle composition with a foreground.
More of the advanced OM System functions:
Body
As we have come to expect from the first Olympus OM-5, we also have a small, lightweight, yet very robust body, with an IP53 rating.
Whether it's sun, rain, wind or snow, these bodies are designed to always be with you to capture the moment.
Although the body is very compact, we still have many setting options and buttons for quick operation at our fingertips, so we don't have to fumble around in the submenus.
The connectivity options on the Body have been upgraded compared to the first OM-5, so we have a microphone and headphone jack connection on the left side, a micro HDMI and the new USB C port. This can be used to charge the camera battery, but unfortunately does not support USB PowerDelivery (USB PD). It is also used to use the camera as a webcam on the computer.
UHS II SD cards are supported for the memory cards, but unlike the OM-1, only one slot is available, so no direct backup can be created.
The display here is a tilt + swivel display.
Photo
As with the original OM 5, a 20mp MFT sensor is installed here. The industry currently likes to throw very high megapixel numbers around, but we find that this resolution is sufficient for most of what I capture for myself privately. You can also print larger canvases from this if you want.
But if you say: I need more, much more, for my landscape photography! No problem. The OM 5 Mark II also has a High Res mode.
This involves taking several photos and then processing them in the camera to produce a higher resolution. So you can take a 50MP shot handheld or even an 80MP shot with a tripod. But please pay attention to your subjects. If there is movement in the images, this can lead to miscalculations.
Well-known features such as the Live ND filter (in this case up to ND 16), Live Composite and Bulb, as well as Pro Capture are of course also included, as we know from the other Olympus and OM Systems cameras.
In addition to the ND filter (which only works in the photo area), which can also save us money, we always find the Pro Capture particularly good, where the camera takes a few pictures both before and after the camera is triggered and you can then pick out the perfect moment.
Of course, this is of no use if you only end up with blurred photos. We can reassure everyone here. The face and eye autofocus works very solidly and if several people are recognized, you can quickly switch between the individual people.
For all nature photographers, however, a small cut: Unfortunately, we do not have bird or animal recognition on board here.
Video
Nowadays, a DSLM is nothing without video.
The OM 5 Mark II has not let itself get carried away here either, with 4K at 30fps and Full HD at 120fps you can work very solidly.
The improved image stabilizer in particular helps you here. Here we have a stabilization of 6.5 and with compatible Sync Lens even 7.5 levels.
Smooth handheld shots are therefore no problem at all. For moving shots, however, we still recommend a gimbal.
All this is fine, but our highlight in the video aspect is actually the portrait video. It may sound like an unimportant feature, but if you do a lot of social media, you'll find that it's super annoying if you film a lot in portrait mode without this feature. Videos are still always recorded as horizontal footage. In order to share it in portrait format via Instagram + Co., you first have to rotate the whole thing and save it again.
Thanks to the OM 5 Mark II, this is no longer necessary and you can post it directly online without any detours.
Other special features:
USB streaming
The OM 5 Mark II can also be used directly as a webcam via USB-C. As soon as you connect the camera to the PC, it is immediately recognized in programs such as Zoom, Skype or Teams and can be used. A feature that people unfortunately overlook or ignore again and again, but which has become very important (especially in the last few years) in order to present a professional image in online meetings.
Star AF
It may sound really unnecessary, but many people who have used this feature swear by it. Since there are super wide-angle lenses with a large aperture for MFT (for example the Olympus 17mm with f/1.2 aperture), we find the camera very good for astrophotography. The mode also does exactly what it sounds like. It focuses correctly on the stars. It is often difficult for normal AF systems to work accurately here and working with manual focus and Liveview is simply tedious. It's best to try it out for yourself.
Focus stacking
Small cameras are often also very suitable for small photo subjects. Thanks to the wide range of MFT lenses, there are also many macro solutions. If you combine this with the focus stacking feature, the camera takes several images at different focus distances and creates an image with a greater depth of field.
Tell your story.
The OM-5 Mark II is not there to stand out, steal the show, get in the way of your experience or even be the only reason for your adventure. Rather, it's like your favorite pair of boots that leads you down unknown paths; the bag that always has what you need, or the friend that helps you see the world in a wonderfully different way.
INVISIBLE
So compact you'll hardly notice it's there. A compact, classic design that disappears in your pocket but feels just right to hold.
ROBUST
Remarkably robust. The OM-5 Mark II can take whatever your adventure throws at it. There's no such thing as bad weather for storytelling.
DISCOVER
See nature in a new way through computational photography - an ever-expanding photographic journey of discovery.
Less weight = more fun
The OM-5 Mark II is designed to accompany you, but not get in the way of your experience. It's so compact that you can stow it in your favorite bag or leave it dangling unnoticed from your shoulder until inspiration strikes. It's ready for your story, but not a heavy load.
Let the weather surprise you
The best stories come from mishaps. It's time to savor those moments: The OM-5 Mark II is IP53 dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof so you can keep telling your story, just like your favorite pair of boots that just keeps on going.
With 5-axis IS, you'll never be shaken again
The OM-5 Mark II can stabilize even the shakiest situations with up to 6.5 stops of stabilization (or 7.5 with compatible Sync-IS Lens). This makes longer hand-held exposures and blur-free telephoto shots a breeze.
Forget filters - LiveND lets you get creative
Get the best out of moving subjects by changing how you see movement with LiveND. With up to four effect levels (ND16), you can transform seemingly everyday moments into magical ones - even with the brightest and widest Lens.
Let the OM-5 Mark II take you into new realms of creative flow with Live ND. This computerized feature transforms any scene with a moving subject into mesmerizing, flowing images. Backyard streams become endless sources of inspiration, clouds become works of art and waves turn into ethereal-looking mist. With Live ND, you can also use any wide-angle lens such as the 7-14mm F2.8 PRO and the 8mm F1.4 Fisheye PRO without worrying about vignetting.
Big on demand. Handheld Hi-Res
Some scenes are so meaningful that you need to go big to do a moment justice. With the OM-5 Mark II you can take big pictures without having to enlarge your equipment. Handheld Hi-Res mode lets you capture stunning 50MP files without lugging around a heavier camera and tripod.
Get the dust off your sensor with the Supersonic Wave Filter
Worry-free lens changes on your adventures. The OM-5 Mark II is equipped with a Supersonic Wave Filter (SSWF) that vibrates over 30,000 times per second to instantly remove dust from the surface of the image sensor.
Never miss the moment. 121-point PDAF autofocus
Concentrate on the moment, not the focus. The OM-5 Mark II features a 121-point All Cross-type On-Chip Phase Detection AF sensor for reliable focusing in all situations and on all your subjects. Capture majestic wildlife with ease and use wide aperture Lens with the confidence that the story you've captured will be clearly in focus. (Note: The OM 5 Mark II unfortunately does not support OM System's renowned animal eye autofocus)
Focus on what's important. Improved face/eye AF
When you take photos of the people you care about, you should always smile and not get upset. With the improved face and eye autofocus, you can photograph both individuals and groups with ease. With a touch of the screen or a press of a button, you decide whose story you want to tell.
Don't just dream the night away. Capture it with Starry Sky AF
No more guesswork or complicated manual focusing when capturing the night sky. Starry Sky AF makes astrophotography accessible with a special autofocus mode for the night sky. Combine it with other computerized photography features like Live Composite and a galaxy of possibilities is just a click away!
Live Composite
Make the dark hours your ally with Live Composite. This computationally intensive feature lets you effortlessly immerse yourself in a whole new world of long exposures. No more accidental overexposure and no more guesswork. See the light come to life on the screen of your OM-5 Mark II and enjoy everything from star trails to magic hour light painting.
HDR
With HDR images, you can quickly capture the full dynamic range of a scene or go beyond the natural capabilities of your eyes. The OM-5 has multiple effect levels and can take 3 to 5 images with different exposures in series. It can even process 4 images together in selectable HDR modes.
Color Creator
Get creative with the Color Creator function, which allows you to freely control the hue and saturation of each scene to maximize the impact of the story. Choose which part of the scene you want to highlight, from stunning orange tones in sunsets to the lush greens of the jungle.
Art Filter
Explore the world around you with 16 different Art Filters. From classic black and white films to artistic blurs, there's more than enough to explore the world in a new way through the screen or EVF of your OM-5 Mark II.
Focus Stacking
Get as close as you want without having to stop down the aperture to keep everything in focus. Choose how deep you want to focus and leave it to the camera to combine the images. Whether you're taking extreme macro shots or low-light landscapes, this feature lets you maximize depth of field without having to resort to higher ISO values or aperture values.
AF target modes
Whether you need to focus on details precisely or want to take quick snapshots of moving wildlife, there are six different AF target modes to ensure you don't miss your moment. Whether you're a fan of traditional one-point focusing or you want to create custom AF patterns for a specific purpose, there's a mode for every need.
Scene modes
You have a beautiful scene in front of you that you want to capture as faithfully as possible, but don't know where to start? Well, that's no problem. With its 22 scene modes, the OM-5 Mark II is like a friend who always has just the right advice for you. From beach + snow to nature macro to handheld starlight, there's a suitable preset to set you and your camera up for success.
