A Creator’s Camera

The New OM‑3

By OM SYSTEM Ambassador Peter Baumgarten

I will photograph almost anything, but if you look at my body of work it quickly becomes clear that I am mainly a landscape photographer. So, when OM SYSTEM reached out and asked me to test out the new OM-3, a camera designed for urban shooters, I was a bit uncertain.

Normally, I am always excited to shoot with new gear, but I was genuinely concerned with the challenge put in front of me. I live in a very rural area surrounded by farmland, forests, and freshwater lakes. The nearest city is over two hours away. Could I produce the types of images that OM SYSTEM was looking for?

The original OM-3 was produced by Olympus in 1983. It provided some nice refinements to the incredibly successful OM-1. The new OM-3 continues that tradition with features designed for urban creatives. I have had the opportunity to shoot with the new camera prior to its release date and definitely have thoughts to share. Keep in mind that this is not a formal review, but rather a description of some of its key features and my impressions of the camera after several weeks of use.

Design and Specs

For those with a knowledge of OM SYSTEM/Olympus cameras it is very easy to draw comparisons between the new OM-3 and the Pen-F. They share a similar vintage-inspired design and the same creative dial on the front of the body. Given the amount of time that has passed since the release of the Pen-F it might be better to compare it to the OM-1 Mark II.

The OM-3 and the OM-1 Mark II share many of the same features and specs. Here is a brief run-down of some of the key specs;

Specification

OM-3

OM-1 Mark II

Sensor

20.4 MP 4/3 Stacked BSI

Same

Processor

TruePic X Dual Quad Core

Same

IS System

5-axis w/ 7.5 steps compensation

5-axis w/ 8.5 steps compensation

Weatherproofing

IP53 Rated

Same

Sequential Shooting

Mechanical - up to 6 fps Electronic - up to 120 fps

Mechanical - up to 10 fps Electronic - up to 120 fps

Sensor

OM-3

20.4 MP 4/3 Stacked BSI

OM-1 Mark II

Same

Processor

OM-3

TruePic X Dual Quad Core

OM-1 Mark II

Same

IS System

OM-3

5-axis w/ 7.5 steps compensation

OM-1 Mark II

5-axis w/ 8.5 steps compensation

Weatherproofing

OM-3

IP53 Rated

OM-1 Mark II

Same

Sequential Shooting

OM-3

Mechanical - up to 6 fps Electronic - up to 120 fps

OM-1 Mark II

Mechanical - up to 10 fps Electronic - up to 120 fps

They also use the same battery (BLX-1), share the same menu system, have AI Detection AF for humans, vehicles, birds, dogs and cats, and have all of the same computational photography features (High Resolution Modes, Live ND, Live GND, Focus Stacking, HDR, Multiple Exposure and Live Composite).

See OM-3

Key Features

Ergonomically, the OM-3 is quite different than the OM-1 series of cameras. It has a thinner, sleeker design and is reminiscent of the original OM cameras from the 1970s and 80s. There is no large grip, but after extensive use I find the OM-3 quite easy to handle. Generally, I don't like using camera straps and with the rear thumb grip I never felt as if it would slip from my hands.

If we start at the top of the camera there are two features worth mentioning. OM SYSTEM has included an extra custom mode - five in total, compared with four on the OM-1 Mark II. This allows even greater flexibility and ease of access when programming settings. More importantly is the new dial on the left of the camera which allows you to quickly switch between shooting stills, video and slow and quick motion video. The S&Q Movie mode allows frame rates from 1fps up to 240fps.

As for the rear of the camera, one change that I truly appreciate is the location of the menu button. It is conveniently placed northwest of the OK button allowing easy access to the menu. As already mentioned the OM-3 has the same menu layout and design as the OM-1.

The OM-3 uses the same menu system as the OM-1 series of cameras.

Computational Photography

The more important feature is the new CP button - Computational Photography. This is a fantastic new addition that allows easy access to all of the computational features, except Live Composite (still accessed using B on the Mode Dial). By pressing the CP and turning the front dial you can quickly scroll through the computational features and their individual settings. I regularly use these features and love the convenience and speed at which you can turn them on and off or adjust settings.

The new CP button allows for easy access to the computational features within the OM-3.

While pressing the CP button the front and rear dials can be used to engage and adjust various computational features.

See OM-3

Perhaps the standout feature on the new OM-3 is the Creative Dial, a feature that made its debut on the Pen-F. I think of it as pre-processing your shot, allowing you to create countless variations for any scene you are shooting. There are four main settings with numerous adjustments within each. Any image produced with the creative dial is saved as a jpeg, along with the unprocessed RAW file, assuming you have set this within the menu.

MONO - Four monochrome profiles.

COLOR - Four colour profiles.

ART - 31 different art filters.

CRT - Colour Creator

MONO - Four monochrome profiles.

COLOR - Four colour profiles.

ART - 31 different art filters.

CRT - Colour Creator

Each of the creative features allow for a fair number of adjustments. For example in MONO you can adjust the color filter effect, highlights and shadows, vignetting (referred to as Shading), sharpness, contrast, film grain effect (low, medium, high), and monochrome colour (normal, sepia, blue, purple, green).

Each creative profile allows for numerous fine adjustments so you can customize the look you are going for.

I shot this old farmhouse in RAW, but also engaged the MONO1 profile which recorded a black and white jpeg image.

M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0 PRO | ISO200 | 1/400s | F8.0

MONO 1 Profile

OM-3 | M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0 PRO | 1/400s | F8 | ISO 200

Selective Color 1 Art Filter

OM-3 | M.Zuiko Digital 17mm F1.8 II | 1/60s | F6.3 | ISO 200

See OM-3

Impressions

At the time of this writing I have had the OM-3 for just under a month. The challenge presented to me was to create urban style images. Not an easy task when you live in a town of 400 and the nearest city (a relatively small urban centre by most standards) is over two hours away. I did make a couple of trips to the not-so-big city, but I also couldn't resist capturing my local environment - the farms, forests, fields and frozen waterways where I live.

After several weeks of shooting I have to say that I am truly impressed with the feature set and handling of the new OM-3. Although it is lacking a beefier grip, at no point did I feel like it would slip. I used it with the new M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II and 25mm F1.8 II, along with the 8-25mm F4 and the 40-150mm F4. Even with slightly larger lenses it felt well balanced in the hand.

The buttons and dials are easily accessible and the construction is rugged. On a number of occasions I used the camera in heavy wet snow and under very cold conditions. It handled both with ease.

The two most impressive features are the Creative Dial and the dedicated button for Computational Photography. Even though I am a RAW shooter I love the endless variety of ways that I can use the creative dial to "pre-process" my shots. I particularly like the various MONO options and the Color Creator (CRT). The latter is particularly great for sunsets! Being able to quickly engage focus bracketing or Live GND using the CP button is so convenient. I miss it every time I return to my OM-1. As well, the computational features can be used in conjunction with the images you create using the Creative Dial. Do you want to shoot a black and white using the Live GND feature? No problem!

See OM-3

Final Thoughts and Images

So, can this camera handle every shooting situation? For me the short answer is, almost. I have photographed all sorts of subjects under a variety of conditions and been thoroughly impressed with the results. The only thing I haven't photographed is wildlife.

The specs clearly indicate that the camera could handle rapid fire shooting and tracking birds in flight, but without the beefier grip I'm not sure I would want to attach my 150-400mm long lens. But of course, this camera is not designed for that.

In summary, this is a fantastic camera for urban shooters, but that's not going to stop me from photographing landscapes or any other subject that catches my eye.

See OM-3

Peter Baumgarten | OM SYSTEM Ambassador

Peter has been a dedicated Olympus/OM SYSTEM shooter for nearly 40 years, and has found a way to combine his passion for photography with his love of teaching to develop photography workshops with a focus on landscape, wildlife and astrophotography. Peter’s work has been published in a number of magazines including Canadian Geographic, Shutterbug and Outdoor Photographer. He maintains his own blog with an emphasis on tutorials that assist others in bringing their photography up to the next level.