Olympus Unveils the E-M5 Mark III: Pro Features in a Compact Body
Olympus has unveiled the OM-D E-M5 Mark III, a followup to the E-M5 Mark II and a compact mirrorless camera that has many of the same features as the high-end OM-D E-M1 Mark II mirrorless camera that was announced back in 2016.
“Many components of the E-M5 Mark III, including the image stabilization unit, have been miniaturized in an effort to deliver the smallest body possible,” Olympus says. “Dramatic improvements in power-saving performance make it possible to use the more compact BLS-50 battery to enhance the lightweight, compact design.
“The compact system size means that users can shoot for long periods of time in locations where tripods cannot be used ensuring no missed photo opportunities.”
At the core of the camera is a 20.4-megapixel Live MOS Four Thirds sensor (up from 16MP in the E-M5 Mark II) with an ISO range of 200-25600. Backed by a TruePic VIII image processor, the camera can do continuous shooting at 10 frames per second (or up to 30fps when focus and exposure are locked after the first frame).
The OLED electronic viewfinder continues to have 2.36 million dots, and below it is a 3-inch 1.04-million-dot Vari-Angle touchscreen display.
In the area of video, the E-M5 Mark III can do C4K 24p, Full HD 30 fps, All-Intra and Full HD 60p.
The 121-point all-cross-type phase-detect autofocus system has six AF target options (single, 5-point, 9-point, 25-point, 121-point and small). The system maintains the same speed and precision even when using fast lenses. There’s also subject tracking that uses info from both Live View and captured images to help track unpredictable subject movements.
Both photos and videos are stabilized by the 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization. It provides 5.5 stops of compensation on its own, but it can also play nicely with the in-lens stabilization of M.Zuiko Digital lenses, and the combined 5-Axis Sync IS provides 6.5 stops of compensation.
Other features and specs include a weather-sealed construction (that’s dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof), a retooled mode dial, an updated Custom Mode setting, a battery life of 310 shots per charge, Anti-flicker Shooting (flickering light source suppression with both the mechanical and electronic shutter), 50MP Tripod High Res Shot, 16 Art Filters, Live Composite, Focus Stacking, USB charging, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity.
Here are a couple of videos introducing the new OM-D E-M5 Mark III:
Here’s a 4-minute hands-on video with Gavin Hoey of Adorama:
The new Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III will be available in black and silver starting in late November 2019 with a price tag of $1,200 for the body only or $1,500 when paired with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm f/4.0-5.6 II lens.
