Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III: the all-weather travel camera

Olympus continues to succeed with its OM-D E-M5 Mark III camera. It is no wonder; this camera incorporates many of the most advanced technologies together with a lightweight and compact body design that offers the best quality. This model has been designed to be the perfect choice for advanced hobbyists and semi-professionals.

With a body that is about half the size compared to other interchangeable lens systems, the E-M5 Mark III offers unparalleled mobility. Combined with high-resolution lenses, it results in high-quality photos and videos in a wide variety of settings.

All parts of the new E-M5 have been minimized in an effort to provide the smallest and lightest camera body possible that you can take on any trip, even with a standard long focal zoom lens.

The secret of the E-M5 Mark III lies in the unique combination of the 20.4-megapixel Live MOS sensor with the high-speed TruePic VIII image processor (the same as the OM-D E-M1 Mark II), and the new integrated 5-axis image stabilization system. This technology combined with the use of high-resolution M.Zuiko lenses allows capturing images with minimal noise levels even at high ISO settings and achieving excellent quality with minimal distortion throughout the image.

This camera is resistant to dust, splashes, and freezing, allowing users to focus on getting great results without worrying about the weather. Olympus's acclaimed sensor cleaning technology, the Super Sonic Wave Filter (SSWF), dramatically reduces any dust or dirt particles by vibrating the sensor filter 30,000 times per second when the camera is powered on.

The classic body design of the OM-D E-M5 Mark III recalls the original OM-D and has been improved to provide more comfortable handling, with thumb rests on the back and a larger grip that provides a firmer hold on the camera.

The OM-D E-M5 Mark III is equipped with Olympus's renowned phase-detection autofocus (AF) system with 121 cross-type areas and various options for setting a group or individual focus area. The ability to use AF across many parts of the image has been very successful among users of the professional model OM-D E-M1 Mark II.

In contrast to the autofocus in digital SLR cameras, here precision is not lost when using a fast lens. The E-M5 Mark III offers high-speed and precision focusing from maximum aperture with all M.Zuiko lenses, regardless of the type of subject being photographed. The algorithm has also been improved over previous models, preventing autofocus from unexpectedly jumping to the background even in mixed perspective scenes with close and distant subjects.

To capture fast-moving subjects, such as in sports or wildlife photography, the E-M5 Mark III allows for a high-speed burst shooting of up to 10 fps with AF/AE tracking. The algorithm for tracking moving subjects uses AF information from Live View and saved images to achieve rapid tracking of their unpredictable movements and speed changes.

The high-speed and high-precision AF of the OM-D E-M5 Mark III takes full advantage of the MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) mechanism, allowing for fast and silent autofocus with M.Zuiko lenses.

Using motion information from the high-sensitivity gyroscopic sensor and image analysis, the TruePic VIII processor accurately controls the IS unit to achieve compensation of up to 5.5 stops in shutter speed. The well-known image stabilization system built into Olympus cameras ensures good stabilization with any attached lens. In addition to angular and lateral movements, it has also corrected yaw to prevent blurry images when shooting handheld.

By synchronizing the stabilization of lenses that feature it with the camera's IS, the OM-D E-M5 Mark III can achieve compensation of up to 6.5 stops in shutter speed. This can be very useful in low light situations or for telephoto photography.

Spectacular versatile features like Live Composite, Pro Capture, Focus Bracketing, and High-Resolution Shot.

The OM-D E-M5 Mark III is equipped with the Live Composite feature, which allows overlapping several photographs taken at the same shutter speed, mixing only the brightest parts to capture light trails. This function helps to prevent images from being too bright during long exposures. Users can monitor the progress of light trails in real-time through Live View.

The Pro Capture mode allows capturing images that are difficult for a photographer to catch, like a bird taking flight. With this mode, the camera starts storing images as soon as the shutter button is pressed halfway, with a buffer that can store up to 14 full-resolution images. When the button is fully pressed, you can choose between the image captured at that moment and the previously stored images.

The High-Resolution Shot applies 0.5 pixel increments to the image sensor while capturing 8 sequential images, which are then blended into a single photograph with a high resolution equivalent to 50 MP. This function is great for photographing landscapes, products in a studio, or any other situation that requires high-resolution images.

Focus Bracketing allows capturing up to 999 images in a single shutter activation, slightly changing the focal position with each shot. You can select the number of focal changes between 10 levels, and the recorded images are combined into one using the Olympus Workspace image editing software.

The Focus Stacking function automatically blends images in the E-M5 Mark III. It combines eight photos with different focal positions to create an image with better depth of field and perfectly focused from the foreground to the background.

Phase-detection AF information is used to achieve optimal focus for videos. This way, you can record high-definition 4K 30P videos. By combining 5-axis stabilization with electronic stabilization, it's possible to record stable videos countering camera movement. No additional accessories are needed, even when moving side to side.

The E-M5 Mark III includes a high-contrast OLED panel with 2.36 million dots so you can enjoy vibrant colors and an EVF (electronic viewfinder) that minimizes distortion even at the edges of the screen. Its design makes framing more precise so the photographer can focus solely on the shot. Its long eye relief facilitates checking the entire frame even while wearing glasses.

The camera features a high-speed mechanical shutter that operates at speeds of up to 1/8000s, allowing shooting with a wide aperture to create blur effects even with large diameter lenses in bright outdoor lighting conditions.

This feature allows saving the most frequently used settings in the C mode on the camera dial. After saving them, simply set the mode dial to C to instantly activate them and photograph using the saved settings.

Bluetooth technology can be used to automatically connect the camera to a smartphone via the Olympus Image Share (OI.Share) app, allowing images to be transferred to the phone via Wi-Fi. By using the Share Order function, selected images on the camera can be automatically transferred to a smartphone when the camera is turned off.

The camera's internal battery can be charged via USB (when on the go or not using the camera).

With Anti-Flicker Shooting, the camera detects the flicker frequency of light sources and controls the shutter timing at the peak of illumination to suppress exposure and color variations between frames. Flicker Scan allows selecting an appropriate shutter speed to reduce flicker effects.

In SCN mode, you can choose from one of six available themes and touch the image that most resembles the scene you want to capture to activate optimal settings. Additionally, the E-M5 Mark III also features 16 artistic filters that allow for creative photography in a very simple way. Unique images can be created by checking the filter effect on the LCD screen.

The new OM-D E-M5 Mark III is fully compatible with a wide range of Micro Four Thirds lenses and accessories, such as custom cases, external flashes, audio recorders, and microphones, as well as the free Olympus Workspace image editing software and the OI.Share smartphone app.

For certain photographic situations, attaching an external grip to the OM-D E-M5 Mark III can be very useful. The ECG-5 grip includes a trigger and control dial and offers a firmer grip on the camera.

Why carry the OM-D E-M5 Mark III in the new Olympus Everyday Camera Backpack? This backpack with a foldable top closure has space to hold the camera body and at least five M.Zuiko lenses. Constructed from water-repellent material, it offers quick access to its contents, adjustable interior compartments, additional pockets, and compartments for SD cards, documents, or a small laptop. It's the perfect backpack to carry the E-M5 Mark III.