Introduction

Ease of Use

Front of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III

The EM1 Mark III looks an awfully lot like its 3-year-old predecessor, the Mark II, with most of the improvements being made to the inside of the camera rather than to the outside. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III weighs in at 504g body only and measures 134.1 x 90.9 x 68.9mm, a whole 4g heavier and exactly the same size. You can even use the same vertical grip on both models.

The Olympus E-M1 III sports a slightly bigger hand-grip, though, which makes it slightly easier to get a firm hold on the camera with three fingers whilst operating the shutter button with your right forefinger.

There's also a brand new ISO button on the rear and a multi-selector joystick that makes it much easier to quickly move the AF point using your right-hand thumb whilst holding the camera up to your eye.

The only other notable changes are the menu button being relocated over to the far-left of the viewfinder and a new Exposure Compensation on top in place of the previous Function2 button. Otherwise, the two cameras are nigh-on identical in terms of their control layout.

Just like the original E-M1, which was released way back in 2103, this new Mark III version also boasts a tough dust-, drip- and freeze-proof magnesium alloy body, which together with a similarly weatherproof lens fitted will withstand most things that you care to throw at it.

Rear of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III

The OMD EM1 III is equipped with exactly the same 20-megapixel Four Thirds sensor as used by the Mark II, which will disappoint those looking for an increase in resolution. Given that the flagship E-M1X uses the same sensor too, and that Panasonic also employ a similar 20 megapixel sensor in their top-of-the-range Lumix-branded Micro Four Thirds cameras, it perhaps shouldn't come as a massive surprise though.

More disappointing is the EM1 III's electronic viewfinder and vari-angle LCD screen combination, disappointing in the sense that they are also exactly the same as on the Mark II. We'd have really expected a significant bump in the specification of both key components, if only to match the flagship E-M1X, which offers the same resolution but better magnification (0.74x on the E-M1 III and 0.83x on the E-M1X). They're not particularly bad, just not as good as on some of the E-M1 III's main rivals, most notably the Lumix G9 which has a much better EVF.

The Olympus EM1 Mark III's further improved 5-axis in-body image stabiliser works in tandem with the in-lens stabilisation system incorporated into certain lenses - such as the the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO and M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F4.0 IS PRO - to provide a claimed 7.5-stop advantage when shooting hand-held, surpassing any other camera that we've ever tested, including the previous Mark II model. The majority of Four Thirds lenses don't feature sync IS, but the E-M1 III still uses its in-body stabiliation to offer a whopping 7.0 stops of compensation, still surpassing most other cameras.

The Mark III has a brand new image processor, dubbed TruePic IX, which as well as enabling significant improvements to the camera's face and eye tracking algorithm, now being able to track smaller faces and smaller eyes more quickly, also introduces the new Starry Sky AF mode.

As its name suggests, this new mode should hopefully avoid errors that are commonly made when manually focusing on the night sky, with the E-M1 III using luminance information gathered by the sensor instead of relying on its phase detection or contrast AF systemsto achieve accurate focus. Using this mode, you can even dispense with a tripod altogether if you wish, with focusing sensitivity down to -3.5 EV.

Top of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III

Other auto-focusing improvements include the addition of 9-point and 25-point AF modes, and the ability to choose from all 121 points to setup your own custom AF layouts. Otherwise, the E-M1 III's dual phase- and contrast-based auto-focus system is exactly the same as used on the flagship E-M1X camera.

The Olympus E-M1 III can shoot 18 full-resolution frames per second with continuous autofocus when using the electronic shutter, the same as the E-M1 II, while the speed when using the mechanical shutter is also the same at 15fps. What has been improved is the shutter life, now doubled to 400,000 actuations from the previous model's 200,000.

Additionally, the camera has a Silent mode, in which it uses an electronic shutter capable of high-speed continuous shooting at up to 60fps, although the exposure and the focus are fixed at the first frame.

The OMD EM1 Mark III isn't really that different to its predecessor in terms of video performance. It can record cine-standard 4K videos at 24fps with a bit rate of up to 237Mbps in the DCI 4K mode (4096 x 2160 pixels) or UHD 4K footage at 30fps and a 102Mbps bit-rate. The camera can also record up to 120fps slow-motion video in Full HD 1080p and HD 720p recording is also supported.

It can use its excellent 5-axis sensor-shift image stabiliser which translates into surprisingly smooth hand-held footage, even when using a medium telephoto lens.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III In-hand

Manual exposure can be enabled for videos, although you do have to rotate the mode dial to the Movie position to take advantage of this. You can start filming in practically any other shooting mode too, but in that case, videos will always be recorded with auto exposure.

New to the EM1 III is the inclusion of the flat OM-Log 400 profile for for more flexible colour grading in post-production and editing. It also has a dedicated 3.5mm mic jack on the body for better sound recording as well as a headphone jack for monitoring the audio.

The clever High Res Shot shooting mode has been further improved, with the E-M1 III now capable of shooting 50 megapixel images in the Handheld High-Res Shot mode, and 80 megapixels in the Tripod High Res Shot mode. The previous model always required a tripod to be used, which makes the Mark III a lot more versatile in this regard.

Another clever feature that can also be employed handheld is Live ND, which uses a similar method of merging multiple exposures together, but this time to capture images using a slower shutter speed in daylight.

Traditionally you'd need to fit a glass ND filter in front of the lens to achieve this effect, but now it's as simple as selecting the Live ND option and choosing from the 5 levels on offer, running from ND2 (1 step) to ND32 (5 steps).

Tilting LCD Screen

It's not quite as powerful as fitting something like a Lee Big Stopper 10-step filter, but being able to achieve much longer exposures simply by choosing a menu option whilst hand-holding the camera and even previewing the effect in the viewfinder or LCD screen before capture is extremely liberating.

Note that it doesn't work with flash, though, so you'll still need a glass ND filter to overpower the sun when shooting outdoors.

The supersonic wave filter for dust reduction on the E-M1 III has apparently been upgraded with a brand new coating, making it more effective than the one on the E-M1X, although you'd be hard-pressed to notice any difference as Olympus' system has always worked really well.

The Olympus OMD EM1 Mark III continues to use the same BLH-1 battery as on the previous E-M1 II camera, so you can carry on using all of your old batteries if you upgrade. New to the E-M1 III is the ability to charge it on the go via the USB port and also power it using an external power bank, two features that we're seeing more and more of on recent cameras. It is compatible with the USB PD standard for a maximum power supply of 100W, which can fully charge the battery in two hours, although you can't charge and shoot simultaneously.

There is enough room for dual memory card slots on the E-M1 III, but disappointingly only the top one supports the faster UHS-II standard, which should help the camera keep up with all those high-speed bursts, while the bottom one supports the slower UHS-I standard.

The hand grip and indeed most of the front of the camera is covered in a leatherette-like textured material. Once again there are two buttons next to the lens mount. By default these controls are assigned to one-touch white balance and depth-of-field preview but, like almost everything else on the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, they can be reprogrammed to perform different tasks if you so desire.

Memory Card Slots

On the top of the camera, to the left of the viewfinder housing (when viewed from above and behind) there is a cluster of controls comprised of two raised buttons and a power switch. Each of the two buttons provides access to two sets of settings.

Press the first one and you can adjust the camera’s drive modes and HDR settings with the rear and front control dials, respectively. Hit the second and you can cycle through the various focus and metering modes offered by the camera. The placement of the on/off switch might well raise a few eyebrows as it means you need to use your left hand to turn on the camera.

Moving over to the other side of the viewfinder hump, we find a traditional mode dial with a not-so-traditional locking pin in the middle. On the Olympus EM1 Mark III, the mode dial locks with one press of the locking pin and unlocks with a second press, which is a clever idea.

The dial itself offers the usual P, A, S and M modes, plus a dedicated Movie mode and separate positions for 4 separate Custom modes for quick access of custom settings banks, or Mysets in Olympus parlance. The Art Filters and Intelligent Auto modes have disappeared altogether from the shooting mode dial.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III inherits the still innovative 2x2 Dual Control system from its predecessors. This is comprised of two top-mounted control wheels and a function lever that’s pretty easy to reach with your right thumb.

Battery Compartment

The function lever has two settings. In the first position, moving the control dial on the front of the camera adjusts the aperture while the dial on the back adjusts the shutter speed. On the second setting, the dials change the ISO value and white balance respectively.

You can also configure the switch’s operation too – for example, you can turn it into a handy AF/MF toggle if that makes more sense to you. The remaining controls on the camera’s top plate include the already mentioned shutter release button, plus a dedicated Movie Record button and an Exposure Compensation button.

The rear of the camera is dominated by a large, vari-angle rear touchscreen whichcan be tilted to the side and rotated to the front for easier selfies. This LCD panel has exactly the same resolution, 1,037,000 dots, as its predecessor, and capacitive touchscreen technology.

The Info, Menu, Playback and Delete buttons have all been carried over from the original model, although they have been slightly rearranged. The Fn1 button which was previously on the upper right part of the rear plate has been replaced by the ISO button.There is still an AEL/AFL button encircled by the afore-mentioned function lever and a Display button located to the left of the viewfinder, with the relocated Menu button alongside it. And in addition to the new AF joystick, the old Menu button underneath the 4-way navigation pad is now the Info button.

The Olympus OMD EM1 Mark III makes do without a built-in pop-up flash, and sadly no longer comes bundled with the tiny FL-LM3 flash unit which clips into the external flash hotshoe. Naturally you can also use more powerful system flashes with the E-M1 Mark III – such as the powerful FL-900R, the FL-36R, the FL-600R or the FL-50R – but these are of course sold separately.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 20 megapixel Super Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 8Mb.

The Olympus OMD EM1 Mark III produced images of excellent quality during the review period. It produces noise-free images at ISO 64 up to 1600, with limited noise starting to appear at ISO 3200.

ISO 6400 exhibits quite visible noise and loss of fine detail, and the fastest settings of ISO 12800 and 25600 are even noisier but still usable for small prints and web use. The corresponding raw files are inevitably more noisy at lower ISOs.

The image stabilisation system works amazingly well for both stills and video, even when hand-holding the camera at very slow shutter speeds.

The High Res Shot mode can create a 50 megapixel JPEG or an 80 megapixel RAW file, and you can now hand-hold the camera and still get sharp results, although it only really works for non-moving subjects.

The various Art Filters and Picture Styles produce special effects that would otherwise require you to spend a lot of time in the digital darkroom.

Noise

There are 10 ISO settings available on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III. The base sensitivity is ISO 200 but there is an expanded low sensitivity setting equivalent to ISO 64. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and the RAW equivalent on the right.

JPEG	RAW
ISO 64 (100% Crop)	ISO 64 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)	ISO 12800 (100% Crop)
ISO 25600 (100% Crop)	ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

File Quality

The file quality settings available on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III include Normal, Fine and Superfine for JPEGs, and you can also shoot in Olympus’s proprietary ORF raw file format.

SuperFine (100% Crop)	Fine (100% Crop)
Normal (100% Crop)	RAW (100% Crop)

Night

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III offers exposure times as long as 60 second in a metered exposure or up to 30 minutes in bulb mode, which is excellent news for anyone seriously interested in night photography.

Live Bulb mode allows you to view the progression of exposure during a bulb exposure in real-time and a live view histogram shows how the exposure is built-up across all points of the image.

The following image was taken handheld at a shutter speed of 1/60 second, aperture of f/2.8 at ISO 3200.

Night

Image Stabilisation

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III comes with a five-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation (IS) system, which allows you to take sharp hand-held photos at slower shutter speeds than with cameras that lack this feature, up to an incredible 7.5 shutter speed steps of correction.

The following 100% crops are taken from images taken with the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 12-100mm 1:4.0 IS PRO lens at a shutter speed of 1/15th of a second, with and without IS. The image stabilisation system also works during video capture, producing remarkably steady hand-held footage most of the time.

Focal Length / Shutter Speed	Off (100% Crop)	On (100% Crop)
12mm / 1/15th Second
100mm / 1/15th Second

High Resolution Shot

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III can create a 50 megapixel JPEG or an 80 megapixel RAW file in the High Resolution Shot mode, achieved by shifting the sensor in half-pixel steps and capturing eight images over a period of one second.

Olympus have added a new handheld High Resolution Shot mode to the E-M1 Mark III, so you no longer have to mount the camera on a tripod or other stable surface to obtain sharp results.

Off (100% Crop)	On (100% Crop)
Off (100% Crop)	On (100% Crop)

Picture Modes

Olympus' Picture Modes are essentially pre-set combinations of saturation, contrast and sharpness, except for the i-Enhance mode that aims to optimise each photo individually. You can tailor each Picture Mode to your needs.

i-Enhance	Vivid
Natural	Muted
Portrait	Monochrome

Art Filters

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III offers 16 ‘art filters’, which allow you to quickly apply an artistic effect to a photo before taking it.

Pop Art	Soft Focus
Pale&Light Color	Light Tone
Grainy Film	Pin Hole
Diorama	Cross Process
Gentle Sepia	Dramatic Tone
Key Line	Watercolor
Vintage	Partial Color
Bleach Bypass	Instant Film

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III camera, which were all taken using the 20 megapixel SuperFine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Olympus RAW (ORF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a more refined, more enhanced version of the 3-year-old Mark II camera, inheriting a number of improvements that were first introduced on last year's flagship E-M1X model.

For us, though, it doesn't offer quite enough new or improved features to either persuade E-M1 Mark II owners to upgrade to the latest, greatest version, or to tempt new would-be users to invest in the Olympus system.

Despite a significant reduction in the launch price compared to the Mark II, the new EM1 Mark III faces some stiff competition at this price-point, most notably from the full-frame Sony Alpha A7 III, the APS-C sensor Fujifilm X-T3 (with the X-T4 due very soon) and the MFT Panasonic Lumix G9.

The Olympus EM1 Mark III does have certain key advantages over its main rivals, though, most notably its incredibly effective image stabilisation system, which really has to be experienced to be believed, and its sheer portability. If ever there was a camera that could put tripod manufacturers out of business, this is the one.

The new Starry Sky AF mode, improved Handheld High Res mode and the Live ND feature are all innovative inclusions that you won't find on any other camera, while the new AF joystick and ISO button further refine what was already an intuitive interface.

Unfortunately, those features collectively aren't quite enough in what is a highly competitive market. The 20 megapixel sensor is beginning to lag behind, as are the last-generation EVF and LCD screen that Olympus have stuck with since the Mark II camera, both now looking distinctly out-of-place on what is after all a flagship camera.

The AF system is fast and reliable, although not quite on a par with Sony's implementation in particular, and burst shooting is more than fast enough for most uses, but video recording still seems like something of a secondary consideration, and only having one UHS-II card slot seemingly a cost-cutting measure.

In summary, we applauded the previous Mark II version as a big step forwards for both Olympus and Micro Four Thirds in general, but the new Mark III is a more conservative release that isn't really going to expand the system's appeal beyond Olympus' loyal user-base.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is still a very good camera, especially if you value portability and the incredible IBIS system, but we're not sure that it offers quite enough to tempt either upgraders or new owners to invest when there are several more enticing options available at a similar price.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	4
Value for money	4

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III from around the web.

Specifications

News

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a new professional mirrorless camera with an exceptionally compact and lightweight design that's designed for outstanding mobility.

Coming across like a mini E-M1X, the E-M1 Mark III features a 20.4 Megapixel Live MOS sensor, the world’s best image stabilization system with 7.5 shutter speed steps of compensation, a new OLED viewfinder, the very latest Truepic IX processor, 50 megapixel Handheld High Res Shot mode and 80 Megapixel Tripod High Res Shot function, a Live ND without a filter, weather-sealed magnesium alloy body, 121-point all cross-type On-chip Phase Detection AF sensor, 18 fps high-speed sequential shooting with AF/AE tracking, and Cinema 4K video recording.

The Olympus EM1 Mark III will be available from late February 2020 in black priced at £1,599.99 body only.

Different kit versions are also available, with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40 F2.8 PRO lens priced at £2,199.99 or with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100 F4.0 IS PRO lens priced at £2,499.99.

Olympus UK Press Release

Olympus launch new professional camera with exceptionally compact and lightweight design for stunning image quality. 

With the new OM-D E-M1 Mark III, pro photographers will experience virtually no limits in any shooting situation

London, 12 February 2020 – Olympus announces a new professional camera built for outstanding mobility: The OM-D E-M1 Mark III. 

The latest OM-D model features the world’s best image stabilization system with 7.5 shutter speed steps of compensation, a new image processor (TruePic IX), highly precise and fast autofocus capabilities as well as various unique shooting features.

With its compact and lightweight design, the E-M1 Mark III promotes agile shooting without compromising high-resolution quality. In combination with the extensive line-up of high-quality M.Zuiko lenses, this system supports photographers to achieve their creative vision.

Benefit from a pre order offer whereby all orders placed by 29 February 2020 will receive a complimentary copy of Capture One Pro 20, while stocks last. Capture One is widely regarded by top pros as delivering high quality output from Olympus RAW files.    

Visit enjoy.photo for further details. 

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III will be available from late February in black as body only at RRP7 of £1,599.99 and in different kit versions with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40 F2.8 PRO lens at RRP7 of £2,199.99 or with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100 F4.0 IS PRO lens at RRP7 of £2,499.99.

At up to half the size and weight of other interchangeable lens systems, Olympus’ biggest advantage is amazing mobility thanks to their compact, lightweight camera system and lenses.

High image quality fostered by the world’s best image stabilization and a new image processor in a compact body

Being exceptionally compact and lightweight, the overall E-M1 Mark III system (including any M.Zuiko lens) maintains superb mobility while offering high image quality and performance.

When synchronizing the in-lens image stabilization of supported lenses  with the in-body 5-axis image stabilization, the E-M1 Mark III achieves the world’s best stabilization performance of 7.5 shutter speed steps of compensation with 5-axis sync IS. This level of stabilization enables shooting in dark locations and during super-telephoto photography without a tripod, opening up new possibilities for photographers and filmmakers. Without sync IS, the in-body image stabilization ensures image stabilization with any attached Micro Four Thirds lens of up to 7.0 shutter speed steps compensation .

In combination with the new image processing engine TruePic IX, a 20.4 Megapixel Live MOS sensor, and an extensive line-up of high-resolution M.Zuiko lenses, the 5-axis IS ensures minimal noise even at high-sensitivity settings and top-class image quality with minimal distortion up to the edges of the shot.

For users in need of higher resolutions, the 50MP Handheld High Res Shot feature makes it possible to capture approximately 50 Megapixel high-resolution images without using a tripod. The Tripod High Res Shot function allows for recording ultra high-resolution (approx. 80 Megapixel equivalent) RAW and JPEG images.

Live ND, which was very popular on the OM-D E-M1X, is also included in this model. Users can select the effect level from ND2 (one step) to ND32 (5 steps), and check the slow shutter effects in the viewfinder before capturing.

Weather-sealing and acclaimed Olympus technologies ensure absolute reliability

The rugged magnesium alloy body of the OM-D E-M1 Mark III features Olympus’ acclaimed dust-, splash- and freezeproof design to allow for shooting in any location and environment.

The lithium-ion battery BLH-1 can be fully charged in as little as two hours when installed in the camera and attached to a power source via USB . The E-M1 Mark III is compatible with the USB PD (USB Power Delivery) standard to run the camera with energy supply from an external power bank, making it possible to shoot for long periods of time – especially convenient for astrophotography or photography in cold environments.

With Olympus’ advanced SSWF (Super Sonic Wave Filter) technology (which vibrates the image sensor filter with an acceleration of several thousand G  30,000 times per second to powerfully shake off dust and dirt) and a new sensor coating introduced with the OM-D E-M1X, dirt cannot stick to the sensor, reducing spots in images to 1/10th of that in conventional models. The high-durability shutter unit in the E-M1 Mark III clears 400,000 operation tests  and therefore offers a high level of reliability.

High-speed, high-precision autofocus capabilities with innovative Starry Sky AF and Advanced Face Priority / Eye Priority AF

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III is equipped with a 121-point all cross-type On-chip Phase Detection AF sensor for focusing on various areas of the screen. It offers 75% vertical coverage and 80% horizontal coverage of the screen for a wide focusing area. Paired with an advanced AF algorithm, this feature can continually focus on fast-moving subjects with a high degree of precision. Unlike DSLR cameras, there is no degradation in AF precision when using a fast lens. The E-M1 Mark III offers high-precision focusing that can sufficiently bring out the capabilities even of large-diameter lenses such as those with a maximum aperture of f1.2.

AF/AE tracking is possible at maximum 18 fps high-speed sequential shooting while maintaining the full pixel count of 20.4 Megapixels. The subject can also be checked in the viewfinder during high-speed sequential shooting for accurate tracking.

A multi selector (as introduced with the E-M1X) makes it possible to quickly shift AF areas with your thumb while looking through the viewfinder. Because users can move the AF areas with the multi selector during sequential shooting, it is possible to accurately focus even on subjects that move erratically, as e.g. often found in wildlife photography. The AF target loop setting is also added, which, based on user selection, either stops the AF target at the edge of the screen or moves it to the opposite edge.

Face Priority / Eye Priority AF, which automatically detects and focuses on people’s faces and eyes, is now more advanced. The new image processor TruePic IX features higher processing capabilities and improved AF algorithms to better detect small faces and eyes, whilst keeping stable focusing on a subject even in situations where face detection was difficult in the past (such as e.g. focusing on the sides of faces). It is now also possible to use either the buttons or touch operations to select faces when shooting still images or videos, and detection on or off can be changed with the touch of a single button. Along with versatile video functions, this feature makes the E-M1 Mark III a great tool for vloggers.

Starry Sky AF, which is new for the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, is a feature that will revolutionize the world of astrophotography. In the past, photographers have traditionally relied on manual focusing. A new algorithm was developed to enable accurate focusing even on the tiniest stars shining in the night sky, enabling ultra high-precision autofocusing. One of two modes in Starry Sky AF is the Speed Priority mode (default setting), which prioritizes focusing speed and complete AF operations in a short period of time. Thanks to the powerful image stabilization, this feature makes handheld astrophotography possible using a wide angle lens. The second mode Accuracy Priority uses a fine-tuned focus scan and is effective for shooting specific stars with telephoto lenses.

Equipped with versatile shooting features such as Pro Capture and handheld 4K video fueling your creativity

Pro Capture mode makes it possible to capture scenes that are difficult to time for the photographer, such as a bird taking flight. Pro Capture starts shooting the moment the shutter release button is pressed down halfway, with a buffer that can be set to capture up to 35 frames in RAW / full resolution. The moment the button is pressed down fully, the frames are available to select from retroactively on top of the images recorded while pressing the button.

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III is equipped with Live Composite, which overlaps multiple shots recorded at the same shutter speed and composites only the sections that are brighter for capturing light trails. This feature helps prevent the common phenomenon of images that are too bright when shooting long exposures. Users can check the progress of light trails in real-time using Live View. With B mode added to the shooting mode dial, Live Composite, Live Bulb, and Live Time are now easier to access and configure.

The E-M1 Mark III features an IS mode specifically designed for video recording. Electronic stabilization combined with in-body 5-axis stabilization delivers powerful image stabilization particularly useful for videographers. This provides a high level of performance for handheld video content creation without using a tripod or other stabilizing device, even when shooting in high-resolution formats, which are susceptible to the effects of camera shake, such as 4K or Cinema 4K (C4K).

This model supports OM-Log400 shooting, which enables shooting without loss of details in shadows and highlights, along with color grading for a high degree of freedom over images. In order to make Live View images more visible, a View Assist function is available, which converts the color gamut to Full HD standard BT.709 equivalent for display.

Pairing the high-res Olympus audio recorder LS-P4 with an external mic/recorder enables more versatile recording of high-quality audio for videos. This setup supports high-quality sound recording for video production, such as placing the LS-P4 near the subject, or switching the mic direction and zooming in on the sound source.

With the new firmware Version 1.10 for the LS-P4, being released at the same time as the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, Slate Tone function, which is useful for editing sound files and Test Tone will also support adjusting the recording level. 

Olympus applications and software for more convenient shooting and perfect data management

The OI.Share smartphone app can be used to connect to the camera via Wi-Fi, import shooting data to a smartphone, and to use the smartphone for remote camera operation. OI.Share can now also be used to update the camera firmware and backup and restore camera settings for the OM-D E-M1 Mark III.

Olympus Workspace can handle professional tasks such as RAW processing and image editing, along with offering a great deal of freedom over screen layout, etc. Connect a computer to the OM-D E-M1 Mark III via USB to enable high-speed RAW processing with Olympus Workspace using the new image processor TruePic IX. Clarity and Dehaze editing filters are included for a greater range of expression in astrophotography, etc.

By using Olympus Workspace Version 1.3, being released at the same time as the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, it makes it easy to replace the audio files of the recorded video to High res sound recorded by using Slate Tone on the LS-P4 / LS-100 while recording video. 

This control software for computers meets the demands of studio photography. When using the software, live shooting results can be imported via Wi-Fi without using a USB connection, providing powerful support for the workflow of studio shooting. It supports high-speed 5 GHz band communication.

Availability & Pricing

Benefit from a pre order offer whereby all orders placed by 29 February 2020 will receive a complimentary copy of Capture One Pro 20, while stocks last. Capture One is widely regarded by top pros as delivering high quality output from Olympus RAW files. Visit enjoy.photo for further details. 

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III will be available from late February in black as body only at RRP of £1,599.99 and in different kit versions with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40 F2.8 PRO lens at RRP7 of £2,199.99 or with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100 F4.0 IS PRO lens at RRP7 of £2,499.99.

The predecessor model E-M1 Mark II will be sold in parallel at new RRPs7 of £1,299.99 (body only) and £1,999.99 for the ED 12-40 F2.8 PRO lens kit, the double zoom kit will be £2,999.99.

Like every Olympus camera and lens, the E-M1 Mark III comes with a free six-month warranty extension  when registered via the MyOlympus platform at http://my.olympus.eu 

Selected accessories (separately available)

The new OM-D E-M1 Mark III is fully compatible with Olympus’ extensive range of Micro Four Thirds lenses and accessories, including tailor-made camera bags, electronic flashes, audio recorders and microphones as well as the free image editing and workflow software Olympus Workspace and smartphone app OI.Share.

Weather-sealed power battery holder HLD-9

The power battery holder HLD-9 features a dust-, splash- and freezeproof design that delivers the same controls whether held vertically or horizontally. Attach the HLD-9 when shooting scenes with frequent changes between vertical and horizontal positions, or when you need to capture a lot of shots, or remove it for greater mobility. When using one Lithium-ion Battery BLH-1 in the camera and one in the HLD-9, together, up to 840 shots8 can be recorded.

Shock Mount Adapter SM2

The new shock mount adapter SM2 is an adapter designed for absorbing camera noise while the LS-P4 is attached to the camera hot shoe. It prevents vibration and operational noise from the camera, making video shooting with higher quality audio possible.

Audio Cable, KA335

The new audio cable KA335 is a high quality cable designed for connecting the camera and recorder. An L-shaped plug and curled cord provides easy handling when connecting to the OM-D E-M1 Mark III or other compatible camera models.

More information at www.olympus.co.uk/accessories

Product specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check the Olympus website at www.olympus.co.uk for the latest specifications.

Image Gallery

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First Impressions

Photography Blog attended the UK launch of the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III mirrorless camera at Kew Gardens in London.

Find out what we thought of Olympus's brand new camera by reading our detailed first impressions...

Pricing

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III will go on sale in late February 2020 priced at £1,599.99 body only. Various lens kits will also be available at launch, depending on your geographical location.

Key Specifications

• 20.4 megapixel Micro Four Thirds Live MOS sensor
• New TruePic IX processor
• Weather-sealed
• 5-axis in-body image stabilisation, up to 7.5 steps compensation
• 121-point all-cross-type Dual Phase and Contrast Detection AF system
• 18fps burst shooting with continuous AF/AE
• Cinema 4K video recording at 30p, 1080p at 120fps
• 50 megapixel Handheld High-Res Shot mode
• 80 megapixel Tripod High Res Shot mode
• Live Composite,now up to 6 hours duration
• Pro Capture
• Focus Stacking/Bracketing
• Live ND

Target Audience

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a smaller, cheaper alternative to the flagship E-M1X model, offering many of the same features at a lower price-point in a much more compact, lighter body.

Size and Weight

Weighing just 504g and measuring 134.1mm x 90.9mm x 68.9mm, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III has a weather-proof magnesium alloy body ensuring dust-, splash- and freeze- proofness.

Controls

The control layout of the new E-M1 Mark III very closely resembles that of its predecessor, the E-M1 Mark II.

It has a slightly bigger grip, a new ISO button, the menu button has been relocated, and there's a welcome addition of a multi-selector joystick for quickly shifting AF area using your right-hand thumb.

Sensor

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III uses exactly the same 20.4 megapixel Live MOS sensor found in the E-M1X camera, but benefits from the brand new Truepix IX processor. Consequently the still image quality may actually prove to be slightly better on the E-M1 III than on Olympus' flagship camera.

The supersonic wave filter on the E-M1 III has been upgraded with a brand new coating, making it more effective than the one on the E-M1X.

Video Recording

In addition to stills, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is quite a capable video camera too, offering Cine 4K recording at 30/25/24p, Full HD 120p slow-motion and the OM-Log400 profile, and it also has a dedicated 3.5mm mic jack on the body for better sound recording as well as a headphone jack for monitoring the audio.

Image Stabilisation

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III has a brand new in-body stabilisation system that now offers an incredible 7.5 EV steps of compensation when paired with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO or M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F4.0 IS PRO lenses, claimed to be the World’s best image stabilization performance. Without sync IS, the in-body image stabilization still offers an amazing 7.0 shutter speed steps of compensation with any lens.

LCD Screen

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III has a versatile vari-angle LCD screen that can be tilted out to the side and swivelled to the front for easier selfies or vlogging.

Viewfinder

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III has a bright and colourful OLED viewfinder, sacrificing out-and-out accuracy for a more pleasing display.

Auto-focusing

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III has a dual phase- and contrast-based auto-focus system with 121 points for both - in fact, it's exactly the same system as used on the flagship E-M1X camera.

The phase detect points are all cross type, there are new 9-point and 25-point AF modes, and you can now also choose from all 121 points to setup your own custom AF layouts.

There's also a brand new AF mode called Starry Sky AF, which should hopefully avoid errors when manually focusing.

Burst Shooting

An impressively fast 18fps high-speed sequential shooting with full time AF/AE tracking is offered by the E-M1 Mark III, the same as the E-M1X.

This new model also has the excellent Pro Capture mode, which saves 35 frames before you actually pressed the shutter and 120 frames after, helping to ensure that you don't miss that vital moment.

Shutter Life

The E-M1 III is officially rated for 400,000 shots, the same as the E-M1X.

Battery

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III uses the same BLH-1 as on the previous E-M1 II camera, so you won't have to sell all of your old batteries if you upgrade to this new model.

You can also charge the camera on the go via the USB port, a great new feature that is appearing in more and more cameras (and rightly so).

Memory Cards

Despite the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III's compact size, there is still enough room for dual memory card slots.

The top slot supports UHS-II, which should help the camera keep up with all those high-speed bursts, while the bottom one only supports the slower UHS-I standard.

Weather Proofing

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is fully weatherproof to the official IPX1 rating thanks to some clever dust-, splash- and freeze-proof sealing.

Image Quality

You can see an extensive gallery of Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III sample images and videos here.

Early Verdict

The new OM-D E-M1 Mark III is the camera that Olympus should really have released last year, before the technically impressive but rather niche E-M1X sports model.

It comes across very much like a mini-E-M1X, so much so that adding the HLD-9 power grip will provide most of the functionality and battery life of Olympus' flagship camera in a much smaller, lighter and cheaper body.

The E-M1 Mark II proved to be a very popular camera for Olympus, and we can't see any reason why the new Mark III version won't emulate its predecessor.

Until we get one in for a full review, why don't you share your thoughts on the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III by leaving a comment below?

Would you buy one? What do you like and dislike? Share your opinion now!

Hands On

Want to see exactly what the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III camera, including a side-by-side comparison with the previous E-M1 Mark II and the E-M1X cameras.

A hands-on gallery of photos of the Olympus EM1 Mark III mirrorless camera.

Image Gallery

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Preview Images

Ahead of our full review, here are some sample JPEG and Raw images taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III mirrorless camera. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a new top-of-the-range mirrorless camera that features a 20 megapixel sensor, 5-axis image stabilization and 4K video recording.

A gallery of full-size sample images taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III mirrorless camera.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Sample Images

Sample RAW Images

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Olympus RAW (ORF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

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