photo by Alberto Duran Photography via iStock
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a relatively new edition to this Olympus lineup as it only came out in February of 2020.
This camera is a wonderful choice for professional photographers who like to dabble in all sorts of photography. That’s because the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III can keep up with sports photography, travel photography, wedding photography and more.
Of course, all of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III specs mean that this camera does come with a hefty price. Still, it is one of the most versatile cameras I’ve ever seen, so I’d argue the price is more than worth it if you can afford it.
In this Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III review, I’ll go over all of its features, the build quality, as well as its price.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 III Specs
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III features a 20.4MP four thirds Live MOS sensor, which is paired with a TruePic IX image processor.
The camera can shoot both regular 4K video and C4K video. When shooting 4K video the camera can work at up to 30fps, and when shooting C4K this rate drops to 24fps.
The max burst mode is 60fps, which means that the camera is going to really appeal to sports and wildlife photographers.
The camera features an incredible 2.36m-dot EVF and a 3” fully articulating touchscreen with 1.03m-dots.
Of course, it also features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Other Olympus OM-D E-M1 III Specs Include:
- 20.4MP four thirds Live MOS sensor
- TruePic IX image processor
- C4K video capabilities at up to 24p, 4K video capabilities at up to 30p
- 3” fully articulating touchscreen with 1.03m-dots
- 2.36m-dot EVF
- 60fps burst mode
- 7.5 stops of shake reduction
- 1.28 lbs
Olympus OM-D E-M1 III Body & Design
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III body closely mimics the body of its predecessor, the E-M1 Mark II. However, there are a few changes.
The biggest change is that the camera now features an 8-way joystick. This allows you to select autofocus points much more easily.
The camera still features a weather-sealed body, which has been rated to IPX1, and a ton of customizable options. For instance, the two-position custom switch hasn’t changed from the older model. In fact, the camera actually adds another customizable option: four settings slots that can be changed to fit your needs. What is really fascinating about them is that you can actually change them when you are shooting.
Additionally, the camera allows you to fully customize your menu. You can save 35 different menu items so that you really can be shooting with a new camera every single time you go out. This is a wonderful option for professional photographers who find themselves shooting a wedding one day and a high school football team the next.
Other than this, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III design truly hasn’t changed much.
Learn More:
Olympus OM-D E-M1 III Build & Handling
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III weighs 1.28 lbs and measures 5.3” x 3.6” x 2.7”, meaning it just about exactly mimics the E-M1 Mark II. In fact, it is almost exactly the same weight and it is the same size.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III handling is also almost exactly identical, except for the fact that it comes with a joystick, which I already mentioned above. It also comes with an ISO button, which is new.
You can charge this camera via a USB, which is excellent for those of us who travel a lot and don’t know when we will be next to electricity. The camera is also rated for 400,000 shutter actuations, which means that you will be handling it for years.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 III Video Performance
Huge shout out to INGAF for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III video performance test above.
If you’ve shot with the E-M1 II before, then you’ve basically already got the gist of how this camera performs when it comes to video. This camera features 4K video, which is to be expected, but this 4K video is then combined with image stabilization that works incredibly well. This means that you can use your Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III for amazing shooting, even when you’re on the go.
This will be an appealing quality both for professional vloggers and for travel photographers. The DCI “Cinema” 4K video allows you to shoot at up to 24p with 237Mbps output. It’s regular 4K video allows you to shoot at up to 30p with a 102Mbps bitrate.
The camera comes with headphone and microphone ports, which both can be a little annoying to work with since they prevent the screen from having full mobility.
The camera also features a flat picture profile and a minimal rolling shutter.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 III Price
As I’ve already hinted, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is pretty expensive. If you’re looking to purchase a brand new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, then you should expect to spend $1,800 on the body alone.
However, I’m all for finding cheaper used versions of all my favorite cameras and the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is no different.
As usual, I went in search of a used Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III on MPB, which is my favorite used camera retailer. Unfortunately, as of the publishing of this article, MPB is out of stock.
However, since MPB operates both in America and Europe, they get hundreds of new cameras every day. So, by the time you’re reading this article, they may very well have a Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III in stock. You’ll just have to check their Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III page to find out.