Well, we knew it was coming and much of the information was leaked yesterday, but now we officially have the rest of it, along with a price. OM System has now announced the OM-5 mirrorless camera. Styled very much like the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III and coming in at the same $1,199 price point, the new OM-5 essentially carries on that product line. But looking at the specs, it’s difficult to see what’s really changed.
But there have been a couple of changes. For a start, it has the newer generation TruePic IX image processor and brings an extra stop to the sensor-shift image stabilisation. One (the only) standout feature of the OM-5 over the E-M5 Mark III, though, is that it features a built-in 4-stop electronic ND filter for long exposures and video shooters.
Other than those three features, though, the two cameras seem to be pretty much identical. It still has the same 20.4-megapixel resolution and the mechanical and electronic shutter speed range is the same, as is the ISO range. It has the same exposure compensation range, the same continuous shooting speeds and the same video specs. It has the same array of ports, including micro USB instead of USB-C and no headphone jack.
To describe this as an incremental update probably does a disservice to the word “incremental”. For existing OM-D E-M5 Mark III users, there’s little point in switching out to the new OM-5, but the OM-5 does offer a little extra over the E-M5 Mark III for those who have been thinking about one. Namely, an extra stop of image stabilisation performance and the built-in 4-stop electronic ND filter.
| OM System OM-5 | Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 20.4-megapixel Micro Four Thirds Live MOS (2x) | 20.4-megapixel Micro Four Thirds Live MOS (2x) |
| Lens Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Max resolution | 20.4-megapixel (50-megapixel "High Res Shot mode) | 20.4-megapixel (50-megapixel "High Res Shot mode) |
| Built-in ND | 4 stops electronic ND | None |
| File format | RAW, JPG | RAW, JPG |
| Bit-depth | 12-Bit | 12-Bit |
| Stabilisation | Sensor shift, 5-axis (up to 7.5 stops) | Sensor shift, 5-axis (up to 6.5 stops) |
| Continuous shooting | Up to 30fps | Up to 30fps |
| 4K Video | 4K DCI up to 24fps / 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) up to 29.97fps | 4K DCI up to 24fps / 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) up to 29.97fps |
| HD Video | Full HD (1920x1080) at 119.88fps) | Full HD (1920x1080) at 119.88fps) |
| Focus type | Auto and manual focus | Auto and manual focus |
| AF Points | Phase detect: 121 (121 Cross-Type) / Phase Detect: 121 points | Phase detect: 121 (121 Cross-Type) / Phase Detect: 121 points |
| Viewfinder | 2.36 million dot EVF | 2.36 million dot EVF |
| LCD | 1.04 million dot 3" articulating touchscreen LCD | 1.04 million dot 3" articulating touchscreen LCD |
| Connectivity | WiFi, Bluetooth | WiFi, Bluetooth |
| Weather seal rating | IPX1 | IP53 |
| Dimensions | 125.3 x 85.2 x 49.7mm | 125.3 x 85.2 x 49.7mm |
| Weight | 414g | 414g |
| Launch price | $1,199 | $1,199 |
It’s a little disappointing, given how the OM-1 was seemingly a bit of a break from the Olympus digital legacy, while this appears to essentially be cannibalising it. That’s not to say that it’s a bad camera. It’s certainly not. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is a very good camera and at this price point, it offers some great features. The fact that this is almost identical to the OM-D E-M5 Mark III means it will be just as good and has the same price point.
But I expected more.
The OM System OM-5 is available to pre-order now body only for $1,199 and it’s also available in silver. It’s also available to pre-order now for $1,599 in a kit with the 12-45mm f/4 lens.
Update: The information available at the time of writing this article suggested that the OM System OM-5 had the same IPX1 rating as the OM-D E-M5 Mark III. This was incorrect and the OM-5 has an IP53 rating. This has been updated in the table above.
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