Big test
OM System OM-5
PRICE: £1199.99
OM-DIGITALSOLUTIONS.COM/EN
The OM-5 is the second model in the OM System range and looks a promising, well- priced update of the popular OM-D E-M5 Mark III. Will Cheung checks it out
SPECS › Price Body only £1199.99 › Sensor Live MOS, TruePic IX › Sensor format 20.4 megapixels, 17.3x13.0mm › Lens mount Micro Four Thirds › Memory Dual slot: SD/SDHC/ SDXC card and CFexpress Type B › ISO range 200-6400; expanded range 64-25,600 › Shutter range Mechanical shutter: 60secs to 1/8000sec, bulb up to 30mins; flash sync 1/250sec; electronic shutter: 60secs to 1/32,000sec › Drive modes Mechanical shutter up to 10fps (H); silent mode 30fps, 10fps; Pro Capture 30fps/10fps › Exposure system PASM, Bulb, Time, HDR; 324 multi-pattern ESP metering › Exposure compensation +/-5EV, 0.3 and 0.5EV steps, bracketing in 2/3/5/7 frames › High Res Shot mode Raw 10,368x7776 pixels, JPEG 10,368x7776/8160x6120/ 5760x4320 pixels › Handheld High Res Shot mode Raw 8160x6120 pixels, JPEG 8160x6120/5760x4320 pixels › Monitor Three-inch vari-angle touch panel, 1037k dots › Viewfinder OLED 2.36m dots › Focusing TTL phase difference detection, contrast detect; face/eye detection, Starry Sky AF, predictive and AF tracking available › Focus points 121 cross type, 121 contrast AF; all-target, single-point, 5-, 9-, 25-area, custom-target › Focus-stacking mode Eight shots composited in-camera (depends on lens compatibility) › Focus bracketing 3-999 shots at ten-step intervals – compatible with all MTF lenses › Image stabiliser 6.5EV five-axis sensor shift, 7.5EV with Sync IS › Video C4K 4096x2160 24p 4K 3840x2160 24p/25p/30p Full HD 1920x1080 24p/25p/30p/50p/60p › Connectivity HDMI Type D, mic socket, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, Bluetooth › Other key features USB charging, Live ND (1-4EV), HDR bracketing (3, 5, 7 frames), art filter › Storage media One SD UHS-II › Dimensions (wxhxd) 125.3x85.2x49.7mm › Weight 414g inc. battery and card › Contact om-digitalsolutions.com
WORDS AND IMAGES BY WILL CHEUNG
SELLING CAMERAS ISN’T getting any easier and every manufacturer faces challenges, whether that’s getting hold of components, adding innovation or simply scrapping for a share of a contracting market. OM System is in its infancy as a brand, but got off to a good start with the impressive OM-1. Its stacked back-side illuminated sensor, advanced autofocus, seriously quick shooting skills and computational features offering a significant step forward from its predecessor. OM’s second model is the OM-5, a mid-priced model at £1200 body
only or £1500 with the ED 12-45mm f/4 Pro lens. Spec-wise, it’s a gentle update from its forebear – the OM-D E-M5 Mark III. They share plenty of features including the sensor and body design, but there have been worthwhile additions. Inside, the 20.4-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor is partnered with a more powerful processor, the TruePic IX – and it’s this faster unit that enables features like Live ND up to 4EV, handheld High Res Shot mode plus better face/eye AF and Starry Sky AF. There’s also an improved IBIS system, with a 6.5EV benefit that
increases to 7.5EV when the body is paired with a lens with an optical stabiliser to give Sync IS. The OM-5 has a weather-sealing rating of IP53, the same as the OM-1, and can also be used as a webcam without the need for an extra plug-in or software. All these extras came on top of an impressive foundation inherited from the OM-D E-M5 Mark III. That includes 10fps shooting, Pro Capture up to 30fps, focus stacking, live composite, a native ISO 200-6400 range and a 121-cross-type phase detection AF system. Although there are internal differences, the two camera bodies each weigh 366g and are physically identical. This isn’t a bad thing, and for E-M5 owners looking to upgrade, accessories such as the ECG-5 grip will fit the new camera. On the top-plate, there are two command dials and an exposure mode control. Key features such as exposure compensation and ISO buttons are close and may be used while the camera is up to the eye. Moving over to the left, there’s the drive control and the on/off switch. In the drive menu, you have quick access to Pro Capture, silent shooting and High Res Shot features as well as the usual drive options. The rear is dominated by the articulating touch monitor, a handful of buttons and a prominent thumb grip. There’s no focus lever, so the D-pad moves the focus point around
the image area. It’s fine, but with my average-sized hands I have to adjust my grip to do so; a better-positioned focus lever would be more practical. As is usual on a modern camera, the OM-5 has great potential for user customisation. Most buttons and the D-pad can be completely reconfigured to perform functions other than their defaults. A total of 11 buttons can be reassigned, with features aplenty for many. For example, the movie record, exposure compensation, ISO and AEL/AFL buttons each have 37 options. One downside is that choices are shown one at a time, and there’s no menu of multiple items to scroll down and see what you want. The D-pad has just three options: off, moving focus target around the frame and direct control, which gives instant access to compensation, drive mode and aperture. For the thumb, there’s an Fn lever with three modes. Mode one switches between the two command dials, so you can choose two pairs of features and switch between them with the lever; mode two toggles between AF, AF target or AF target point; and mode three switches from what’s set on the mode dial to video. Last stop on this quick tour of the controls, the two top-plate dials can be customised to adjust seven
ROCK STEADY The OM-5 has an improved five-axis IS system, which proved very effective – you can keep ISO speeds low when maximum image quality is needed. Here, the exposure was 1/13sec at f/11 and ISO 200 using the 12-45mm f/4 standard zoom at 22mm
22 Photography News | Issue 103
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