GEAR OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1X & E-M1 MARK III DOES SIZE MATTER? Is the pumped-up flagship OM-D E-M1X the best Olympus for filmmaking or the newer and more compact E-M1 Mark III? CAMERA COMPARISON
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
W hile the Olympus OM-D E-M1X flagship mirrorless camera makes a great tool for filmmakers, with impressive image quality, fast and precise AF and stunning stabilisation, the stark reality is that it’s more suited to sports and wildlife stills shooters. With its large, pro DSLR-style body with built-in vertical grip and a second set of controls for use in portrait mode, it was a bit of overkill for video use, which is always shot
BELOW Two very different sized cameras, but a striking similarity in spec, Olympus now offers a wider choice
much smaller body and slice a huge amount off the price – it would be a far more attractive proposition for video shooters. That’s exactly what has happened with the new OM-D E-M1 Mark III, sharing virtually all the tech of the E-M1X in a much smaller body and launching with a price of £1600/$1800. The reality is that it’s just as good a camera for filmmaking in all the important areas, at a much lower price point. Normally, a lower-model camera has a lower spec than the flagship,
in landscape orientation. It pretty much took the biggest strength of Micro Four Thirds cameras – their diminutive size – and threw it away in order to become the first pro form-factor mirrorless cameras. And its body-only launch price of £2799/$2999 put it firmly in the realm of cameras with much bigger sensors. Although the price has now dropped to around £2000/$2500, it’s still a fair chunk of change. If only Olympus would take all the technology, pack it into a
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PRO MOVIEMAKER SUMMER 2020
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