The new OM-5 camera may surprise you at first glance. However, you may notice that OM Digital Solutions (OMDS) knows what they are doing. When their first anniversary came, they offered another great camera for a particular type of photographer.
A few years ago, I went into a camera store to buy a full-frame DSLR. When I picked it up, I found it bulky, and the ergonomics for me were terrible. I have large hands and long fingers, but all the buttons seem out of place. On the next shelf is a tiny Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. Oddly enough, it suits me perfectly. I ran some photos through it, and the image quality is better. I like the colors and creamy bokeh of the 45mm f/1.8 lens.
As my commercial photography needs changed, I swapped the E-M5 with a friend. Two generations of cameras later, OM OM-5 system on shelves. I was tempted by it because a part of me missed that wonderful little camera. OMDS specifically targets its new camera for a specific need. That’s not me, the event or commercial photographer. I’m also not a professional seascape photographer who wakes up at five in the morning to capture the blue hour and sunrise.
This camera is aimed at people walking around observing life and capturing it with their photos. It’s also designed for adventurers who can take a small, lightweight, powerful camera out of their pocket to capture mountains, waterfalls, or eagles perched on a branch. It’s designed for street and lifestyle photographers who need something discrete and easy to use. This camera will be perfect for working people who require quality images of buildings, products or services and artists who want to display their work online. It will also appeal to parents who want to preserve memories with better definition than they get with their cell phones. It will also suit bloggers and vloggers who want something stylish and easy to use.
So, what’s the first thing I do when I get my hands on this camera? I took it to the beach to capture the sunrise! I’ve got two cameras with me, the other is my OM-1, which one is sitting? on a tripod. The OM-5 is small enough to slip in my jacket pocket, and I attached the Black Rapid wrist strap to its new, reinforced female screw in the camera’s baseplate; that was the weak point of the previous Olympus E-M5 Mark III.
I barely took a picture with my favorite camera, the OM-1, because I was so fascinated with the OM-5.
Weather protected to the same IP53 standards as OM-1 and 12-45mm f/4 PRO With the lens fitted to it, I had no qualms about being on a windy, sand-blasted beach with sea water sprayed in the air.
Just like its predecessors, the camera feels comfortable in my hand. The button positions are still familiar to me, and I can manipulate them with gloves on, even though the gloves are thin. Its fully articulating rear screen allowed me to view the scene from any angle. That’s important because I usually take low angle shots and don’t want to lie on the wet sand.
I started shooting in low light to increase its performance. With 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization that provides 6.5 steps of compensation, I was able to hold the camera and take pictures that last a second or so. That feature was especially helpful when I was shivering on that chilly autumn beach.
The OM-5 has many other system-unique features built into its arsenal, especially a Live ND feature that saves you from screwing an ND filter onto the front of the lens. So, combined with that great image stabilization, you can make long exposures hand-held. It also has handheld High Definition capabilities, allowing for super fine detail to be captured in 50-megapixel images. On top of that, there’s the Live Composite mode, which just adds new light to the image. That’s ideal for light trails, lightning photography, and light painting.
The sensor has 121 phase-detection autofocus points. All focus points are cross-type, which improves the camera’s ability to lock onto subjects regardless of how they are oriented in the frame. I found the focus to be fast and accurate. There are six different focus targeting modes. I almost always use a single point, but point groups come in handy when photographing animals and birds in motion.
The OM-5 has face and eye detection; although I didn’t get a chance to try this, I have used the predecessors of this camera with similar functionality at weddings and events and found it to be effective.
A great feature of the OM System is the Starry Sky autofocus. Since I live in a dark sky area with little light pollution, this feature is a boon for taking pictures at night when I can’t see to focus.
The OM-5 can also mix and match up to five different exposures and process them into one high-definition raw file. It also features in-camera focus stacking, which is great for macro photography – the OM system is a favorite of many macro enthusiasts – and landscape photographers shooting handheld in low-light conditions. low light and need a wide aperture.
There are functions on this camera that I wouldn’t use, but the staff at OMDS have researched and know what their customers want. One of these is the art filter feature. They can apply 16 different effects to the image. The color generator then allows the photographer to control the hue and saturation of the individual colors in a scene. Similarly, for starters, the 22 scene modes set the camera for the photo you want to take. It’s a great learning tool as one can explore recommended camera adjustments for any shot and then duplicate and adjust those settings in the future.
If you produce video, the OM-5 produces 4K 30p movies and can be recorded with the OM-Log400. (If you don’t know what that is, put simply, it provides a little more latitude correction). It also allows vertical video recording, so it’s great for producing reels for viewing on mobile devices. You can also link this camera to the excellent LS-P5 PCM recorder.
The OM-5, like the OM-1, also captures connected to a computer and allows for simultaneous image storage on both the computer and the camera. OM System is not a brand that is often overlooked for studio photography. However, Gavin Hoey specializes in portraiture and using the OM System, and I do some product photography in the studio using the OM-1. The OM-5 should work fine for that. Tethering is also another worthwhile feature for indoor macro photographers.
One feature that I’m happy to still have on this camera is the ability to use it as a webcam. I need to transmit high quality images to my clients when doing online training. Since giving away my old E-M5 Mark II, I’ve been using an old E-M1 for this function. However, the smaller, lighter OM-5 is much better suited for that.
The camera also features USB charging, eliminating the need to carry multiple chargers with you for all your different devices. As for battery life, I shoot raw plus large JPEGS, half of which are in silent mode, and produce 2,340 files, so 1,170 individual shutter button presses. Temperatures are under 43°F (6°C) for most of that, and I’ve used half of the battery’s charge time.
As a smaller body, this camera is best suited for a smaller range M.Zuiko f/4 PRO . Lensalthough i tried it with 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro . Lensand it’s still nicely balanced.
What I like and what can be improved
As I said at the beginning of this article, the folks at OMDS know what they’re doing; Their business has changed and is succeeding since exiting Olympus. This is great news. Instead of flooding the enthusiast market with a confusing array of cameras with different functions available on some and, disappointingly, not others, they chose to introduce little Higher quality camera models in every price bracket with a host of useful features they know specific groups of photographers want.
I’ve been able to hear some staunch objections that it doesn’t have the OM-1’s stacked sensor and that it only has a memory card slot or that it doesn’t shoot as many frames per second, as if 30 fps/ seconds is no. t enough. But if you need that kind of performance, you buy the OM-1. This camera is aimed at a different market.
If there’s one thing I think they should change, if they can, it’s to have a USB-C port instead of a micro-USB. I say “if they can” because I suspect that would involve not using the usual chassis and body parts from the E-M5 Mark III shaped to accommodate micro-USB. A full body redesign would not be a good move in terms of the environment as there would be more waste. Keeping it the same also means less money for the customer. For me, it’s not a deal breaker.
The camera also uses an older menu system, which some reviewers don’t like. I’ve never had a problem with it; I find it much more intuitive than other brands’ menus and I’m not alone in thinking so. Furthermore, there are more features to explore in the OM System menu than in most cameras. That can be daunting for beginners, but this is a camera for photographers of any experience level.
While the OM-1 is suitable for a professional photographer like me, the OM-5 will satisfy the needs of those for whom photography is an essential but secondary feature in their other activities. It’s an advanced, versatile, uncomplicated and feature-rich camera like the OM-1. But it doesn’t have to be; it targets a completely different market. For example, I would not recommend the OM-5 to wildlife photographers as the OM-1 is more suitable for capturing birds and animals. However, the OM-5 is the perfect camera to slip into a jacket pocket, backpack, or dry bag in a canoe. It’s small enough to be equally at home in an office drawer, bag or briefcase. It is also very stylish. They know how to make beautiful cameras.
I’m impressed with its performance and am contemplating buying one as a second camera for events and photography, where I want a low profile. Paired with a small, fast lens like 25mm f/1.8 or 45mm f/1.8, this will work perfectly for low-light shooting at evening indoor events; My old E-M5 Mark II was great for that and the camera does even better. It also has wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, so images can be uploaded instantly, no need for that second card.
The camera feels solid and durable. Combined with compactness, weather resistance, and an amazing dust removal system – I’ve never had to dust off any of the sensors on my camera – this is a great camera for me to put in my pocket when on vacation or travel early morning cycling. I am very impressed.
All sample images were taken straight out of the camera’s JPEGS using various in-camera settings, although some horizon balance was applied in the OM Workspace. The camera was lent to me by OMDS for review.
