The OM System OM3 is here!

There’s a brand new micro four thirds camera in town. Let me introduce you to the OM system OM3.

I've had this camera for a little while, but it's on loan, by the time you read this it will have already have gone back home… I’ve not been paid, and all thoughts are my own.

Spoiler: I am, however, 100% going to buy one myself because... well. You'll see...

What is the OM3?

The OM3 is a feature packed everyday carry sort of camera that ticks just about every box I can throw at it, and it just might meet your criteria too... let's see shall we?

Is it weather sealed?

Yep. It's IP53 rated weather sealed, dust proof, freeze proof. It’s definitely a hardy little thing. It survived the snow and minus 25 degrees celcius in Finland.

Is it built well?

We are firmly back to the Olympus good old days with full metal build quality. Metal dials. Everything feels amazing, and it’s under 500 grams in weight. OM System are SO convinced that this camera will stand the test of time that if you're an early adopter, you'll get a 5 year warranty with your purchase.

Do we have Phase detect auto focus with subject detection?

Yep it's all here. And it's damn good. It stuck to the husky’s like glue. And no wonder it’s good, because on the inside, it’s basically an OM1ii. It has exactly the same sensor, the same engine, it even has the same burst modes, auto focus points, and subject detection as the flagship. No compromises, no features held back.

Which is… mad really? In the best way possible.

OM3 Subject detection and tracking

The OM1ii — and by proxy, the OM3 — is the very best camera I’ve ever used for tracking birds in flight, for example, so every day photography and vlogging will be a walk in the park for the OM3.

In-body stabilisation?

Of course. And excellent ibis at that. 7.5 steps, my hastily scribbled notes tell me? I might have got that wrong. It’s really really great. And for photography, of course, it means you can lower your shutter speed stupidly low and still get everything sharp, as well as wrangle longer lenses handheld too.

Does the OM3 have decent video features with no recording limits, a log profile, and mic input AND a headphone jack?

All of the yes. The exact same stuff as the OM1ii. Seriously. This is a photo-centric beast of a camera but I think OM System have also accidentally made one of the best small form factor vlogging cameras money can buy as well.

Mechanical shutter? Of course, and it sounds delightful, and just like the Olympus Pen F. CLUNK.

And we have a flippy screen and a very nice EVF. It has the same 20mp, back-side illuminated, stacked sensor as the OM1ii and the OM1. So, a super fast, and very capable micro four thirds sensor that came out in 2022. It’s pretty decent in low light too. The files are light and nimble, and it means you can basically pew pew pew and never fill up the buffer in the burst modes.

“But it isn’t a NEW sensor!” I hear your shout…

I think if there’s going to be a sticking point for this camera, it’ll be the sensor. I’ve seen people on forums already lamenting that OM System haven’t created a magical new sensor for this release. But honestly… it’s a brilliant sensor, and it’s not even old when you compare it to how other camera brands operate.

If it aint broke don’t fix it as far as i’m concerned. Let’s remember that other brands re-use the same sensors on multiple models too. For example, the newly released, £6000, Sony A1 mkii has the same sensor as the Sony A1 from 2021.

In the Lumix line up the S1 sensor from 2019 is essentially the same sensor they’ve used all the way through to the Lumix S9 in 2024, except it has the phase detection pixels added to it. And also let’s remember that the OM3 isn’t a new flagship — it isn’t the model above the om1ii — it’s a brand new pillar of camera that sits between the OM5 and the OM1ii, so it makes no sense that this would get a more advanced sensor than the flagship.

The sensor is fantastic, and to throw this whole camera out because your expectations aren’t realistic is, frankly, a you problem, not an OM System problem. sorry not sorry!

OM System OM3: What micro four thirds is all about

This is what micro four thirds is about, for me. This is what I love about the system, and what has maybe been lost a little bit in recent years…

Big spec. Little camera.

Biiiig spec. Tiiiny camera.

It’s an ideal everyday carry camera, but it’s so much more than that. This is a “do everything” camera. If you dabble in lots of different styles of photography, like me, there’s absolutely nothing you could throw at this camera that it couldn’t excell at. there really is no compromise that I can see?

Of course, if you’re MAINLY a wildlife shooter, you might prefer the ergonomics of an OM1ii or a G9ii, as they’re a bit more suited to having very large lenses on, but if you dabble and want to try a lot of different things, the OM3 is ideal.

And every single computational feature Om System has is here too… Focus stacking for the advanced OM System macro photography, every computational feature going — Live ND, Graduated ND, Live Composite. high res mode — both handheld and tripod.

When I was learning about this camera, I was waiting to hear when the negative thing would be, when the other shoe would drop... which features they're holding back to differentiate the range. And... it just didn't come.

We asked which features? And OM System answered: yes.

Just. All of them. It’s got everything.

This is almost entirely an om1ii - a high end, specialist yet versatile, flagship camera - in a sexy metal retro full metal body. Same battery too.

My flabber is gasted my friend.

It's 25% percent smaller than the OM1ii... here are some size comparisons to some other cameras I have.

And it is under 500 grams. It is maybe not the most slinky of every day carry cameras? But it is absolutely small and portable and delightful enough to make this gal grin like an idiot. I carried it about on a Peak Design shoulder strap all day every day, and it was absolutely fantastic. I particularly love it with the Lumix Leica 15mm lens. Though the weather sealed f4 stock lens came in super handy in the snow.

OM System OM3 colour profile dial

If you enjoyed the colour profile dial on the Pen F, well we have that here, with some more updates. You can customise your looks in a more in-depth way, and because you have 5 custom modes on the top dial, you could assign a different jpeg look to each of those and switch between them really easily— on top of the ones that save to the four slots on the front dial.

There is plenty to love in the OM3, and I cover even more in my videos on YouTube.

OM System OM3 price?

The final hurdle then is the price. I was sort of watching the presentation through my fingers, bracing myself, but even here I was pleasantly surprised.

It'll be £1699 body only, and £1999 with the f4 weather sealed pro kit lens.

When you consider the om1ii can be over £2000 body only in some camera shops, and the om3 is very similar in terms of spec???? And the price of older, much less fancy vintage looking cameras like the Pen F can go used for around £800???

And you get a 5 year warranty thrown in because OM System are so confident this is a camera that’s built to last?

It seems really well positioned to me.

OM3 things I don’t like

One legit complaint I have, which gave me a heart attack, is when you turn the volume up to review footage, the speaker peaks. so it sounds like your audio is ruined. I had to check it in my computer to make sure. So that is legitimately annoying. however. you do have a headphone input to monitor it properly if you want to.

it’s ever so slightly wider than I’d like? But I can’t moan at all for the spec that it has, and it actually makes it more comfortable in the hand.

Some people swear by the joystick, which the OM3 doesn't have. It isnt something I ever use personally on any camera, as I have an up down left right and also the touch screen for navigation. But if that's something you want it isn't here.

Some people might find it a bit on the pricy side, but I think this is a double edged sword: if the camera was cheaper, but had worse specs, people would moan that it was crippled. I’d rather pay a couple hundred quid more and have the most specc-ed out tiny micro four thirds camera ever made, personally.

I think that OM System have listened intently to the community, and more than delivered in my opinion. I am giddy to get my own copy of this camera and carry it with me everywhere in 2025.

Here are some of my favourite straight out of camera photos taken so far with the OM System OM3