Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Vertical grip
The Mark III uses the same HLD-9 grip as the Mark II. This replicates the main shooting controls, but users will have to make do with a d-pad to move the AF point.
Andy Westlake takes a close look at Olympus’s updated, super-fast Micro Four Thirds flagship At a glance
£1,600 body only £2,200 with 12-40mm f/2.8 £2,500 with 12-100mm f/4 ■ 20.4MP Four Thirds sensor ■ 18fps shooting with C-AF ■ 121-point phase detection AF ■ 5-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) ■ Extensive weathersealing
Joystick
The most notable external improvement is the addition of a joystick for selecting the focus area. It can also be used to navigate menus and change settings.
A new B position gives easy access to Olympus’s uniquely useful long exposure modes, and there’s a fourth user-customisable C position too.
USB power
The camera can be powered during shooting using a USB-C Power Delivery compatible powerbank, and the battery can be charged using any 3A USB supply.
IT’S BEEN a little over three years since Olympus released its high-speed E-M1 Mark II, making the time ripe for a replacement. After last year’s behemoth E-M1X with its integrated vertical grip, Olympus has revisited the smaller body design with the new E-M1 Mark III. The previous version was a fine camera, and the firm has carefully updated it without making wholesale changes. Indeed I suspect even keen Olympus fans will struggle to quickly identify many differences. Externally, the main update is the welcome addition of a joystick for repositioning the focus area, which has the knock-on effect of moving the menu 8
Mode dial
button across to the left shoulder. Aside from that, buttons, dials and switches are found in all the same places, although a few have changed their default functions. A button behind the shutter release is earmarked for exposure compensation, while that on the right shoulder is given over to ISO, as on the recent E-M5 Mark III. But this is Olympus, so everything can be re-configured according to your personal preferences anyway. The biggest upgrade is actually internal, because the E-M1 Mark III debuts a brand new processor, the TruePic IX. This allows the inclusion of some of the most interesting features from the E-M1X,
including LiveND that mimics the effect of using neutral density filters to achieve long exposures, and a handheld highresolution multi-shot mode that outputs 50MP images. There’s also an 80MP tripod-based multi-shot mode. More generally, Olympus says that the new processor provides up-rated all-round performance, including improvements in such areas as face and eye detection AF. The headline specifications are mostly unchanged. Olympus has stuck with the familiar 20.4MP Four Thirds sensor, offering ISO 200-6400 as standard, and extended settings of ISO 64-25600. On-chip phase detection supports 121
22 February 2020 I www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
