OM-System OM-3.... Um!

Andrew Reid · February 6

So you know when the famous lead singer dies but the band wants to carry on...

Olympus cameras were some of the most beautiful ever.

Both in terms of feel, build quality and looks - they were all very lovely. Better, in my opinion, than many of Fuji's attempt at 'classic' style cameras.

The PEN-F was a lovely design... here's a reminder of that...

I still have mine, and even though the OLYMPUS OM-1 (the final true Olympus camera by their Japan engineering team) has surpassed it in every way, I'll never part with it for stills.

(Such a shame they never did a 4K 10bit PEN-F).

Well the PEN-F and OM-1 are even more special now because we know they were the last goodbye, the sunset over Mount Olympus, the pinnacle of 75 years of camera history and the best evolution of the entire species, which is now extinct.

So the OM-3 after all these years since Olympus fell, is the first 'real' OM System camera as in a fresh concept, new body, a new camera from the Japanese investment bank or whatever the fuck they are.

Clearly it shares none of the DNA design with the Olympus cameras, it looks like a contractor on Blackmagic street, Singapore, at best a design office of 5 accountants have raided the parts bin of an E-M5. Where's the fucking grip? Have they even tried this thing with their own lenses especially the larger zooms?

Why isn't it a rangefinder style body like the PEN-F, where does it sit in the range between the OM-5 and OM-1 (as it seems to offer nothing different to either of them in terms of specs)?

Why does it have a viewfinder hump when it's supposed to be different conceptually to the OM-5 / E-M5 III?

As an aside I really hate the design language of all the text, "OM SYSTEM" is far too much to be cramming onto the front of the viewfinder, and the OM-3 logo is too far over with a huge negative space at the edge making the horrible square shoulder look even more drawn out than it is.

And the back is also really 'off' in terms of proportions...the layout upsets my eyes.

So we can safely say the OM-1 was the peak, also the E-M1 X.

This is a different company, not the same designers, not the same Olympus staff, maybe not even one engineer carried over.

Very sad to say, but OM System are history, they will not be able to survive with sup-par products and designs in such a competitive camera market. How can they even compete with Fuji let alone with the rest?

RIP!

Proof that camera design... indeed all design... is art... and cannot simply be mimicked by the talentless.

Emanuel · February 6

2 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

So you know when the famous lead singer dies but the band wants to carry on...

Olympus cameras were some of the most beautiful ever.

Both in terms of feel, build quality and looks - they were all very lovely. (...)

(...)

Proof that camera design... indeed all design... is art... and cannot simply be mimicked by the talentless.

Significative to see all that written here by you @Andrew Reid Cameras design is something, the camera body a sort of an extension of a human brain, there's some singleness behind this unique object in fact < 3 Why ain't they all equal, isn't it? ; ) Like people, we can feel the differences sometimes between versions of same camera model, go figure all the rest you mention there... Even today, I've been discussing this with a brand representative : X BTW I am in love with my FX30... What such a grace, folks! :- )

tupp · February 6

The design DNA of the OM-3 seems to flow from the OM-1 SLR of the 1970's:

MrSMW · February 6

I quite like it, but would I buy it?

Nope. I'd rather have the OM5 or the original (digital) OM1 that was the last one to have OLYMPUS on the front.

I do wish my Nikon Zf was more this size though as that's my only real niggle with it, - it's a bit large for what it is.

Davide DB · February 6

In addition to the camera, three lenses were upgraded. Version II of their 100-400 zoom lens was introduced, which I was very interested in. I currently use the Lumix version a lot which is a terrible lens. Optically it is good for its price but can only be used with AF. the zoom and focus rings are practically unusable. impossible to get smooth movement, the plastic creaks and they go jerky.
The optical quality of the new 100-400 OM zoom is the same as the old version (mediocre lens) but the big difference is in the stabilization: the first version had practically no stabilization because it did not communicate with the camera. This version interfaces with the camera's stabilization but... (the devil is in the details) the synchronization works only on OM bodies and not on Lumix cameras. Damn them forever!
This is yet more proof of the uselessness of the M43 alliance. What is the point if the lenses and camera bodies are not 100% compatible among the various companies in the consortium? It really sucks, and despite investing heavily in the M43 system, I hope they fail permanently. Damn them!

ac6000cw · February 6

Nice try - and I suspect that once it drops in price it'll actually sell quite well to people wanting a more retro-look camera.

But for me the lack of any sort of grip, no front function buttons and especially the low-res EVF makes it unlikely I'll buy one (as an existing OM-1 owner). Also the left hand dial (with only three positions) seems a waste of space - the E-M1 ii/iii and OM-1 left hand switch arrangement would be far more useful.

According to the PetaPixel YouTube review, on the video side they've added a couple of (8-bit only) 'Cinema' picture profiles, and extra video C-AF sensitivity (+2/-2) settings, but still no 'normal' 10-bit video profile - just HLG and OMLog, same as on the OM-1.

Andrew Reid · February 6

5 hours ago, tupp said:

The design DNA of the OM-3 seems to flow from the OM-1 SLR of the 1970's:

Olympus already had a digital retro line, the PEN series and the flagship F.

So the OM-3 re-design is a waste of time, I'd have taken the PEN-F with updated OM-1 innards anyday over the trash they have re-imagined.

The OM film cameras are much prettier, of course.

The Olympus badge is a key part of that... "OM-System" makes it look like a Chinese rip off from TEMU. Which of course it isn't far off.

I just think they have done an exceptionally poor job of taking over the Olympus crown jewels.

What a massive opportunity it was...

Instead they have cut costs and corners at every opportunity.

Why the fuck would you get the OM-3 instead of a Nikon Zf or Olympus OM-1 for less money?

eatstoomuchjam · February 6

I read the announcement and watched the PetaPixel video and all I could think was "So you're telling me that I can get the guts/specs of a middle-of-the-road camera from 2022 in a sort of different body with no handgrip and it'll only be $1,999? Where do I sign up?!

I can go get any of a few vaguely retro-styled Fuji X-something-or-other bodies with IBIS for less money and they will also have better resolution (25ish megapixels), 6K video, and probably better readout speeds/dynamic range. Or I could get a GH7 and use many of the same lenses and have 6K raw internal recording.

Not looking good for OM systems if this is the best they could do.

The 100-400 update is nice, I suppose - but even with that, isn't that just a rebadged Tamron lens? The big upgrade is that they convinced their partner to enable sync IS?

Andrew Reid · February 6

I really enjoy my OM-1, it's the final Olympus camera.

OM-System works with contractors and parts bins, I don't think they have a single engineer. If you look closely the OM-3 even has pre-existing dials, no new moulds.

So the OM-1 for me is even more special as it will never be obsolete.

It is the Micro Four Thirds swan-song and the format will always have a place, because in many ways it offers more creative possibilities than full frame and better ergonomics.

Love the way the OM-1 handles and the new menus, fantastic EVF, a proper flagship Olympus.

The OM-3 will fail due to the Fuji X-T5 and Nikon Zf existing for less money.

It's a real pity they didn't just put the OM-1 in the PEN-F body if they wanted to reuse an Olympus design.

Maybe they will do a PEN-F another time, with 4K, updated EVF and suchlike.

But I have a real problem with accepting bland third party China OEM substitutions in place of Japanese R&D, which the OM-1 was a result of.

They will not be able to innovate in the way Olympus did up to the OM-1.

BTM_Pix · February 6

41 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

Why the fuck would you get the OM-3 instead of a Nikon Zf or Olympus OM-1 for less money?

Here is a list of the 75 FF and APS-C cameras that WEX sell for the same or lower price than the OM-3

I'm curious about the rationale for anyone walking in there and choosing it over a sizeable number of those on that list.

There is only so far the "well they've got the lenses so we've locked them in to the format" thinking will stretch when you are charging more for less.

Andrew Reid · February 6

There are definitely loyal Micro Four Thirds folk out there, but even for them it is a stretch isn't it!

The other problem is you can now get an OM-1 for about £900

Which is definitely the better option. Bonus is that you get the much nicer Olympus badge, not to mention much better EVF, grip and ergonomics.

I think the OM-1 makes sense with a small Pana 15mm 1.7 or Olympus 17mm 1.8 as an alternative to something like a Ricoh GR III or X100 for street photography. It's mega fast, great AF, great IBIS, small and light, with proper non-Sony ergonomics.

The other issue with the OM-3 is that the X-Pro series exists.

So if you want the retro style ergonomics, and small lenses that's definitely an option.

There's also the Panasonic GX8 and GX85. Needless to say they are far short of 2 grand, which is nice!

Then there's the 75 full frame and APS-C cameras as competition, for the people who prefer larger sensors - which is almost everybody.

Personally I like to have both MFT and FF because of my unusual selection of lenses, some of which i bought twice by accident.

I also like APS-C Fuji cameras as I am an addict.

Then there's the Sony RX1 for 600 quid on eBay, which fulfils the small camera role quite well I think. It has a Leica M quality lens and is smaller than the Leica Q.

The OM-3 is just yet another re-housing job on the E-M5 Mark III. They are trying to get the parts to last for about 10 years before they sell up or something.

We are talking about a bank here not a camera company.

If Chris Nichols and dime was asking for a retro OM-system camera, I think that shows the extent of it, creativity wise... Had he heard of the PEN-F? Fujifilm X-Pro 3? Nikon Zf? Nikon Zf-C? X100 IV? It is hardly a gap in the market is it?

The YouTuber's also seem to really like the design aesthetically, which tells you everything you need to know about salespeople.

Marcio Kabke Pinheiro · February 6

My two cents: kinda like the camera.

Their design "template" is clear: want to surf the retro trend, and gone for mixing two templates; the OM-1 film camera (that I had) and the Nikon Zf (this one becomes clear for the absence of an AF joystick - the Zf don't have one either - that could be easily put on the AF-ON button).

The strange width with came from the OM1 film camera, and at least they used it for putting the bigger battery. The no grip came from the retro OM1 film styling - and I kinda don't bother much, I always use an external grip when there is no big grip, but for who wants to go "full retro" could use it with as is. You could put a grip, but not remove one. Remember: this is for people that goes for style first.

The price is unreal - but Olympus/OM always put insane prices at launch. In 2 or 3 months (except if this sells like hotcakes) this will drop to 1799.

Still expensive, and if I was OM, would have changed this:

- Stacked sensor was a bad choice in my view - is not a sports or fast action paced camera. The 20mp PDAF from the OM5 could easily be used (but people will cry IS A REHOUSED OM5, and maybe this sensor would not have the speed for all computational stuff), or even better the 25mp PDAF that Pansonic is using (but the development would be much harder, all the image pipeline shoud be remade). Both sensors are probably much cheaper than the stacked one;
- Spend a bit of the difference in a 3,69mp EVF panel;
- Another bit in a AF joystick on the AF-ON button location, put the AF-ON on the CP button location.
- And another bit in firmware people the rewrite the video codecs. The huge resolution drop in the 8-bit modes are unexcusable (no other brand have it).

And that's it. Would be a much better camera for the intended target, and probably cheaper.

Andrew Reid · February 6

It's not even fucking close.

Marcio Kabke Pinheiro · February 6

2 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

It's not even fucking close.

Any camera compared to the Pen-F is ugly. For me, is the most beautiful digital camera ever made.

Andrew Reid · February 6

1 minute ago, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

- Stacked sensor was a bad choice in my view - is not a sports or fast action paced camera. The 20mp PDAF from the OM5 could easily be used (but people will cry IS A REHOUSED OM5, and maybe this sensor would not have the speed for all computational stuff), or even better the 25mp PDAF that Pansonic is using (but the development would be much harder, all the image pipeline shoud be remade). Both sensors are probably much cheaper than the stacked one;

I don't mind that it has the stacked sensor, but yeah - the price should be under the X-T5 as a maximum. Instead it is Nikon Zf prices!

1 minute ago, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

- Spend a bit of the difference in a 3,69mp EVF panel;

Olympus OM-1 has a lovely EVF... £900 for a mint one of those, or £1700 for the OM-3? It's a no brainer.

1 minute ago, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

And another bit in firmware people the rewrite the video codecs. The huge resolution drop in the 8-bit modes are unexcusable (no other brand have it).

Yeah they should have fixed this, 2 years ago with a firmware update on OM-1. Still the same now!

If you take a look at my other thread, I think they should fix OM-LOG as well so best to shoot Hybrid LOG Gamma 10bit on the OM cameras.

1 minute ago, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

And that's it. Would be a much better camera for the intended target, and probably cheaper.

£1299 maximum, PEN-F body (exact same), OM-5 sensor, better EVF panel, larger back screen, and better video mode, that would have been a bit less shit but still not good enough to suddenly cause OM System take sales off Fuji X mount or Nikon. I think they are doomed to be honest.

Marcio Kabke Pinheiro · February 6

Now imagine if the Nikon Zf had the style based on this:

They probably should stop making Z9s to keep up with the demand. 🙂

Andrew Reid · February 6

That is definitely an improvement over the OM-3! 🙂

John Matthews · February 6

For $2000, the build needs to be excellent. It looks good to me. Would I buy it? No, not at that price, but I'm no longer invested in M43- sadly because I really do love the mount. Also, I don't mind the utilitarian look of the non-retro cameras.

However, I must say the OM-3 is probably going to hit the mark much better than the S9, another camera without a grip. Yes, the S9 is FF, but without smaller lenses and a proper mechanical shutter. The OM-3 just has so many lenses that work for it. IMO, it's the ecosystem that is, once again, the real strength of the OM-3- also it has most great features people want. The 17mm and 25mm look to be hits, once they're on promotion.

I'm not of the opinion that OM System = cheap Chinese scam gear of the type you see on Amazon for $100. That's preposterous.

Andrew Reid · February 6

3 hours ago, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

Now imagine if the Nikon Zf had the style based on this:

They probably should stop making Z9s to keep up with the demand. 🙂

Ah that is indeed a lot hotter.

I'd rather that than the Nikon Zf.

I find the problem with all these retro digicams though is the build quality just isn't up to snuff.

The Zf is far below what Nikon were doing in the DSLR days with stuff like the D7300. Feels so much cheaper.

If they can increase the quality of materials, buttons and dials again... They could really do justice to a digital Nikon S3

Andrew Reid · February 6

2 hours ago, John Matthews said:

For $2000, the build needs to be excellent. It looks good to me. Would I buy it? No, not at that price, but I'm no longer invested in M43- sadly because I really do love the mount. Also, I don't mind the utilitarian look of the non-retro cameras.

Olympus were doing this level of build quality on stuff for $700.

The E-M5 Mark II and Mark III.

The E-M10 Mark III and IV...

All had similar, if actually slightly better quality, feel and ergonomics than the new OM-3.

And that was nearly 10 years ago.

So for $2000 and 10 years later you'd expect some progress. Where is it?

2 hours ago, John Matthews said:

However, I must say the OM-3 is probably going to hit the mark much better than the S9, another camera without a grip. Yes, the S9 is FF, but without smaller lenses and a proper mechanical shutter. The OM-3 just has so many lenses that work for it.

How is it better than a used OM-1 for $1k?

2 hours ago, John Matthews said:

IMO, it's the ecosystem that is, once again, the real strength of the OM-3- also it has most great features people want. The 17mm and 25mm look to be hits, once they're on promotion.

I'm not of the opinion that OM System = cheap Chinese scam gear of the type you see on Amazon for $100. That's preposterous.

Of course it's not.

I was being sarcastic.

The irony is a bit lost on you isn't it.

The fact remains that OM System is not Olympus.

They are basically a shell company with contractors outside of Japan.

Whereas Olympus had actual engineers and a sizeable R&D budget, as well as having stamped their footprint on world photographic history for the best part of a century.

If that doesn't matter, I don't know what to say to you.

Enjoy your Chinese OM-3.

OM-System OM-3.... Um!

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