Photography News Issue 50

Camera test 42

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

Olympus OM-D Never one to let grass grow under its feet, Olympus’ programme of product development continues apace and this model is an updated and gently tweaked version of the popular Mark II. So, are the changes worthwhile?

Specs

Price £629.99 body only Sensor Four Thirds Live MOS 16.1-megapixels Sensor format Micro Four Thirds 17x13mm, 12-bit Raw capture ISO range 100-25,600 Shutter range Mechanical 60sec to 1/4000sec, B up to 30min inmenu. Electronic 30sec to 1/16,000sec Drivemodes Continuous up to 8.6fps – 22 Raw 324multi-pattern in ESP, spot, centre-weighted, highlight and shadowmodes Exposuremodes PASM, AEB, i-Auto, scene modes (25), art filter modes, multi exposure, frames in one burst Metering system AP (Advanced Photographer) Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3EV steps Monitor 3in tiltable touch LCD Viewfinder EVF with 2360k dots Focusing Contrast detect withmanual single AF, continuous AF, single AF + MF, AF tracking, super spot AF Focus points 121 points, single zone, nine area group AF; 800 points inmanual selection inmagnified live mode Video 4K, Full HD, hybrid sensor shift IS mode, 4K time lapse, built-in flash Connectivity Wi-Fi, HDMI type D, USB 2.0 Other key features 4EV image stabiliser, supersonic wave sensor dust reduction filter Storagemedia 1x SD card Dimensions (wxhxd) 121.5x83.6x49.5mm Weight 410g body and battery Contact Olympus.co.uk

Words and images byWill Cheung

When a camera is introduced that is a significant upgrade from its predecessor it usually gets a new name. When it is tweaked you get a Mark XX designation so it is indeed the case that the Olympus OMD EM10 Mark III is a small step forward rather than a giant leap. Sowhat are the changes? There is a newimage processor, a bleachbypass art filter, 4K video, an Advanced Photographer (AP) setting, some modified controls and that is about it. But this is not to belittle the tweaks because they are worthwhile unless you are an existing Mark II owner, in which case you are unlikely to feel the changes are worth upgrading for. That could have been very different had the sensor gained some pixels. A 20 or 24-megapixel offering would have changed the scenario completely but at 16-megapixels, while plenty enough for many, is behind the game. Maybe that’s what Olympus has up its sleeve for the next generation. Or maybe it expects anyone wantingmore pixels to go the whole way and invest in the E-M1 Mark II – almost three times the price, at £1849.99 for body only. The Mark III shares the OM-D family look with large control dials, the familiar pentaprism bump and the contoured thumb grip. I really like the handling of the new camera. The enlarged area of the collar around the shutter release, for example, does give extra support to the forefinger, facilitating an even softer shutter release action. The

your thumb or forefinger to move the AF point around the screen. You can do this during live view but also while the camera is up to the eye. How comfortable you find this is subjective but as a left-eyed user it was fine. AF performance was generally responsive and snappy with the normal behaviour of mirrorless AF in that it very rapidly racks past the point of focus and then back again for correct focus. It’s silent too. With 121 zones active the camera lights up any number of AF points green around the screen to show you what has been focused on. With people pictures and face detect active, the 121 zones worked well, but with general scenes or when you are trying off-centre framing, the 121 zone option had less appeal because it got it right less often. When using the nine zone or single zone options, my preferred method was in conjunction with AF lock or touch AF. There is no doubt that the AF system is swift, responsive and accurate. This also applied when light or contrast levels dropped, with the odd bout of indecision and searching so then it was a matter of just aiming the AF point at a sharp edge to get focus lock and then recomposing the scene.

redesigned dials compared with the Mark II are a benefit too, being more positive to use. On the exposure mode dial there is the new position of AP. This is the Advanced Photographer setting where key creative features are made more accessible. So, if you want HDR, focus stacking or perspective correctiontheyareall availableunder the AP banner. Those innovative Olympus settings Live Time andLive Composite are available here too, and a graphic illustrating what the mode is for makes these features accessible to less experienced users as well. I used the Mark III with the supplied motorised zoom kit lens and supplemented it with the 45mm f/1.8 and the 14-150mm f/4-5.6. The camera’s 121 AF points cover a large percentage of the image area. As usual, you can let the camera work with all those zones, with face detect on if you prefer, have an area of nine zones active or you can opt for a single zone. The nine and the single zone can be moved around the 121 grid with the four-way pad after you have made it active by pressing the left button of the pad, or you can have function button Fn 1 or 2 set to AF Area Select to make the AF zones active. The other AF option is to use the touchscreen and here you can use

On the exposure mode dial there is the new position

of AP. This is the Advanced Photographer setting

Above The Mark III might not be hugely different from the Mark II, but the changes are worthwhile and benefit handling. Left Dominating the camera’s rear is the tiltable 3in monitor with touch control. Right The camera’s top-plate layout is excellent with great ergonomics, so it’s a pleasure to use.

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