Big test
PERFORMANCE: HIGH RES SHOTMODE The OM-D E-M1 Mark III has tripod and handheld high- resmodes using the camera’s sensor shift and silent NORMAL RAW
Final word
Verdict Olympus has worked hard on the OM-D E-M1 Mark III. It has a great set of features and is capable of delivering an overall performance that befits a top-end pro camera, and it’s lovely to use, too. It’s true that some of the camera’s headline innovations are niche – Starry SkyAF and six hour Bmode, for example – but handheld high-resmode, live ND, operation during USB charging and the improved IBIS systemare very welcome.Add the greatly enhancedAF systemand tweaked control layout, and the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a compelling proposition. 23 /25 FEATURES
electronic shutter to take andmerge eight shots. In tripod high-resmode, you get the equivalent of 80, 50 or 25megapixels and imagesmeasuring 10,368x7776, 8160x6120, 5760x4320 pixels in JPEG and 10,368x7776 pixels in Raw. You don’t get quite that level of performance in handheld high-resmode but still the equivalent of 50 or 25megapixels so 8160x6120 and 5760x4320 pixels in JPEGs and 8160x6120pixels in Raw. The OM-D EM-1 Mark III does not have any solution to deal with scenes with anymovement so I tried both modes on a static scene. High res shot mode does capturemore and cleaner data so well worth trying with suitable scenes, ie those with fine detail andwith nomovement. Ideal scenes would be dimly lit and detailed interiors, perhaps, and here the high-res shot mode will capture all the scene’s nuances and keep noise levels down in the shadows too. And you are likely to be on a tripod in the first place. Handheld high-res shot mode is a good innovation but given that the final image will suffer with the slightest movement you need to exploit the camera’s IBIS system and set a time delay between the shutter being pressed and the shooting sequence starting to give you time to prepare for the shot. I found two seconds worked for me, allowing time to press the shutter, take a breath and bracemyself. While the benefit of high-res shot mode is clear, it is fair to say that the quality of normally shot Raws on this camera are impressive so evenwith suitable scenes, you might not need high-res shot mode depending on your intentions with the final shot.
TRIPOD HIGH RES
NewAF, in-body image stabiliser, live ND and handheld high shot mode are the main highlights HANDLING Sits in the hand well, control layout good and focus lever very welcome PERFORMANCE Responsive AF, good image quality and generally impressive VALUE FOR MONEY Attractively priced for what’s on offer OVERALL A really enjoyable camera to use and highly capable too
23 /25
24 /25
23 /25
HANDHELD HIGH RES
93 /100
PROS High-res mode, responsive AF for still and video, body and control layout, IBIS, live ND CONS Sensor's high ISO performance
only. Set live ND in shutter priority and the shutter speed automatically changes by whatever ND value you set. If you are unsure which value to try, there is LV Simulation setting so you get an idea of the final effect. You need to give the camera a little time to settle down when this is on so use a tripod or just keep the camera steady. Live ND is fun and it does mean you can explore using longer shutter speeds without the need for actual ND filters and the maximum strength of 5EV is worthwhile. I don’t want to sound ungrateful but it would be fabulous if this the filter could be even stronger – a 10EV ND would be lovely. With the camera’s in-body image stabilisation and its claimed 7EV (7.5EV with lenses with IS Sync) I tried handholding with live ND on and had some success. With the IBIS system, I tested it using the IS-sync enabled 12-100mm f/4 and the 300mm f/4. With the latter (a 600mm lens in 35mm format) I was getting sharp pictures at 1/15sec outdoors. Assuming that 1/1000sec is a safe handholding speed for this lens without any form of IS, this equates to a benefit of 6EV which I would have to say is impressive. WC
LIVE ND IS FUN AND IT DOES MEAN YOU CAN EXPLORE USING LONGER SHUTTER SPEEDS WITHOUT THE NEED
FULL FRAME
FOR ACTUAL ND FILTERS
feature I manually focused at the closest distance before selecting Starry Sky AF in the AF menu and letting the camera do its thing. The exposure was 1.6secs at f/4 and ISO 1600 with the lens at 24mm. I repeated the same procedure several times at different lens settings, and the results were very good – there was only one less than perfect shot. While I was in the Yorkshire Dales I couldn’t resist trying live ND on waterfalls. This setting has a range from ND 2 to ND 32, which is from 1EV to 5EV and is available in shutter- priority or manual exposure modes
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Issue 76 | Photography News 21
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