Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III Hands-On
Reading time: 5 minutes - October 17, 2019 - by Stefan Thome
In 2015, Olympus launched the OMD E-M5 Mark II onto the market. Now, 4 years later, a worthy successor is being released - the OM-D E-M5 Mark III.
Front view of the OM-D E-M5 III Design
The charming basic design of the camera has of course been retained, as is typical for Olympus. However, a few things have changed. The E-M5 Mark III now has a slightly deeper recessed grip and an enlarged thumb area. However, it has not only become larger, but has also taken on a new location for the ISO button. This setting can now be changed without having to navigate through a submenu. The mode dial has been moved to the right-hand side for more ergonomic and faster operation. Although not immediately visible, there have also been changes under the hood. Following the success of the E-M 1X, the splash and dust protection has been revised.
The first thing I noticed when using the camera was the camera's viewfinder. As someone who wears glasses, it is often not easy to see everything in the viewfinder and to compose your picture. However, the E-M5 Mark III brings a nice change here. Thanks to a larger exit pupil of the viewfinder, all information can now be seen clearly. Furthermore, the old LCDs have been abandoned in favor of an OLED display. This benefits the battery life, but the refresh rate has unfortunately dropped to 60fps and has therefore been almost halved compared to the Mark II.
Top and controls of the OM-D E-M5 III Autofocus
The E-M5 Mark III was able to learn from the E-M1 Mark II when it came to autofocus. We now also have the 121 cross-focus points here. As usual, the autofocus works reliably and can also be used for sports and animal photography without any problems.
However, one of the biggest changes has been made to the focus in the video area. The tracking autofocus works as smooth as butter in the new camera - without annoying pumping or over-focusing. The focus is always found solidly and quickly with a smooth transition.
Video & stabilization
The "video" aspect is increasingly becoming the focus of new system cameras. Consequently, the camera has now been upgraded and the possibilities adapted to modern standards. The E-M5 MK III now comes onto the market with 4K 30p and Cinema 4K 25p resolution. As the housing of the camera has been redesigned, work also had to be done on the image stabilizer mount. Olympus has improved the whole thing even further and now offers a full 5.5 EV steps of stabilization, with a matching Olympus lens with image stabilizer even a full 6.5 steps thanks to a synchronization stabilizer. What is already a great advantage in the photo sector takes the video sector to another level and makes it easier to take steady hand-held shots.
Taking photos
The camera's photo area has of course also been improved. In addition to the improved autofocus and the new image stabilizer, the new processor in conjunction with the upgraded sensor brings some nice new features. Naturally, the resolution has been slightly increased to 20MP. This also increases the resolution of the High Res mode. As a JPG you now get a 50MP image and in Raw even a full 80MP. However, if you want to use this mode effectively, you should have a tripod with you, as there is no setting option for freehand High Res mode. Olympus has also made provisions for those who do not want high-resolution, but precise and fast images. The new E-M5 MK III comes onto the market with the long-awaited Pro Capture feature. The camera takes the first photos in full resolution when the shutter button is pressed halfway until the shutter button is pressed all the way down. If you miss an important moment, you can easily choose from the 14 buffered photos.
Accessories
In keeping with the new OMD E-M5 III, there have of course also been updates to the matching accessories. Unfortunately, owners of the E-M5 Mark II have to buy a new set of batteries. This had to be changed slightly due to the different design and has become smaller. But don't worry, the specified battery life remains the same thanks to optimization in other areas. If the camera is still too small for you, you can also add the new ECG-5 grip. However, this is only a handle extension and merely improves the handling of the camera. Unfortunately, it does not allow space for additional batteries. If you want to change your battery, the grip must unfortunately be removed completely, there is no recess for the battery.
Conclusion
The OMD E-M5 III is particularly worth a look for hybrid photographers who often switch between photos and videos. The new autofocus and the improved image stabilizer offer new possibilities and ensure that you can travel without a tripod or gimbal and capture new impressions in the highest quality with a clear conscience. The price and small size are the perfect arguments for always having the camera with you
To itemThe following pictures of selected Olympus Ambassedors were all taken with the new OM-D M5 Mark III and show what is possible with this camera.
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