The OM System OM-3 ($1,999.99, body only) is one of the best-looking digital cameras to debut in recent memory. OM’s designers have embraced the retro trend with stunning results, creating a throwback to the film era that should turn some heads. As pretty as it is, the OM-3 doesn’t get by on looks alone; it’s as capable a camera as the OM-1 Mark II and adds a control dial to swap between different color profiles and filters. Photographers who like a flat-front camera with small lenses and value an all-weather build will fall for the OM-3, though we continue to recommend the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 II as our Editors’ Choice among Micro Four Thirds cameras in this price range. The Lumix may not have the OM-3’s head-turning looks, but it earns the win with its superlative video engine and a gripped body style that balances better with telephoto lenses.
Design: Retro Done Right
OM’s design team took its inspiration from 1970s-era cameras for the OM-3. Its silver body with black leatherette wrap, flat front, and the steep angles of its viewfinder housing are all evocative of vintage cams like the original Olympus OM-1. Heck, the OM-3 even copies the OG camera’s on/off switch—both it and the old OM-1 film camera use a similar lever-style power control that’s uncommon enough in its design to discount the possibility of coincidence. There’s no question about where the OM-3 draws its inspiration.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
Of course, OM knows something about throwback aesthetics. Before spinning off into its own entity, the brains behind the brand helped to kickstart the retro design craze with cameras like the OM-D E-M5 and the PEN-F. The OM-3 can be viewed as the progeny of those models; it has a centered viewfinder and weather protection like the E-M5, as well as a swing-out display and a Creative Dial control.
The OM-3 is a little larger than the old E-M5 and PEN-F cameras, both of which are a bit undersized when compared with current releases. It measures 3.5 by 5.5 by 1.8 inches and weighs 14.6 ounces without a lens. Still, it cuts weight versus both the Lumix G9 II (4.0 by 5.3 by 3.5 inches, 1.4 pounds) and the OM-1 Mark II (3.6 by 5.3 by 2.9 inches, 1.3 pounds).
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
Outdoor photographers are often drawn to OM gear (and Olympus before it) because of its excellent weather protection. The OM-3 is as well sealed as the OM-1, with full dust and splash protection for an IP53 ingress rating. Most pro photo gear can handle a rainy day, but the OM-3 is tested to handle water spraying at a 60-degree angle, a pretty decent simulation of heavy precipitation. The only caveat is that a sealed lens is required; if you use one without protection, the camera drops back to IPX1, meaning it can handle drips and drops.
Thankfully there are plenty of sealed lenses available to use with the camera. The OM-3 works with Micro Four Thirds mount optics, the longest-running mirrorless lens line. This lets you mix and match lenses from OM, Olympus, Panasonic, and others. You can get the OM-3 as a body only and pick your own lens, or in a kit along with the weather-sealed M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm F4 Pro for $2,299.99. The kit represents a $400 savings versus buying a la carte.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
For this review, I used the OM-3 with two tiny, weather-sealed primes, the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm F1.8 II ($549.99) and the 25mm F1.8 II ($499.99). You can certainly opt to attach a big lens if you’d like and get great pictures from the camera, but without a grip, a long lens like the M.Zuiko 100-400mm II ($1,499.99) feels as front-heavy as it is. Lighter primes like the excellent M.Zuiko 300mm F4 IS Pro work better, though if you often use tele glass, the OM-1 II or Lumix G9 II make more sense.
Controls: The Creative Dial Makes a Triumphant Return
Despite having a relatively clean facade—the Creative Dial and lens release button make up the entirety of the front controls—the OM-3 packs its top plate and rear with a full array of buttons and dials. The top left includes a hard dial to swap between photos, movies, and slow-motion (S&Q) video, with a button nearby to toggle the EVF and LCD modes, and the aforementioned on/off lever next to the viewfinder and hot shoe. The OM-3 omits an in-body flash but works add-on flashes and supports 1/250-second sync with its mechanical shutter and 1/100-second with its fully electronic shutter.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
The Mode dial is just to the right of the viewfinder hump. It includes the standard PASM modes, plus a slot for Bulb (long exposure) capture, and five custom modes (C1-C5). The dial includes a central post lock that clicks on and off with a push. The front dial (with an integrated shutter button) and rear dial are nearby, as is a Record button for movies and the configurable Fn button. Fn sets EV compensation by default but is easy enough to remap.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
All of the dials are finished with a knurled metal texture, which is not only aesthetically pleasing but also makes them easier to manipulate. I appreciated this choice due to the timing of the review—I tested the OM-3 in the winter and had no problems turning any of the dials when wearing gloves.
The rear control layout is fairly familiar, with one distinct OM touch—the Fn control lever just to the right of the viewfinder. The lever has “1” and “2” positions and supports a few different functions. By default, the lever adjusts focus area and mode (between single, continuous, or manual focus), and during my time with the camera, I set up slot 1 with a wide focus area and slot 2 with a flexible spot. The Fn lever may also be set to adjust the function of the front and rear command dials or as an alternative on/off switch.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
It’s a clever concept that’s not been copied by other manufacturers and one that I find pretty handy to have. Personally, I keep the lever set to focus and use it to switch between a wide focus area and a small flexible spot. The beauty of it all is that you can easily configure the lever and many of the OM-3’s control buttons and dials via the menu system.
The Fn lever has a CP button at its center that, by default, switches the camera to one of its computational photography capture modes. I’ll go into detail on those in the imaging section of this review, but be aware that you can remap the CP button if you prefer. The remainder of the rear controls are the same as you’ll find on most cameras. The OM-3 has discrete AF-ON, Delete, Info, Menu, and Play buttons, along with a four-way directional pad with a central OK button.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
The aforementioned Creative Dial isn’t a totally new control; OM lifted it directly from the long-retired Olympus PEN-F. It’s meant to let you quickly swap between different color profiles and filtered looks, so you don’t have to jump into a menu or miss a moment if you want to go between standard color, black-and-white, or an art filter. The dial has five slots (Mono, Color, Neutral, Art, and Color Creator/CRT).
You can create your own color or black-and-white profiles using the Creative Dial (Credit: OM System/PCMag)
At the Neutral setting, the OM-3 uses its pre-made color profiles for JPGs. If you want to take some more command over the processing, you can turn the dial to its Mono or Color position. Each Color slot has a bank of four preset looks with configurable tone curves, sharpening, contrast, and vignette, while the Mono options have all that plus a simulated color filter, film grain effect, and selectable color cast (Normal, Sepia, Blue, Purple, Green).
Color Creator adds a color cast to images (Credit: OM System/PCMag)
The other modes aren’t quite as configurable, but still fun to use—Art includes a set of 16 different filtered profiles, along with seven special effect filters that you can mix and match together. Finally, Color Creator (CRT) adds a color cast to photos. A color wheel interface lets you set its tone and intensity to taste.
The OM-3 uses its touch screen to supplement its buttons and dials. You can tap the screen to move the focus point or use it as a touchpad to do the same if you’re using the EVF. It has an on-screen interface, the Super Control Panel, which provides quick access to many settings you’ll want to get at when taking photos; just press the OK button to bring it up. The Menu button launches the full, paginated menu system. It has a lengthy set of options broken up with a top tabbed, color-coded interface and a configurable My Menu page.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
I’m pretty happy with the control layout overall. Unlike some other retro cameras, OM stuck with a modern-style PASM dial (a decision that makes sense given that it doesn’t employ aperture rings on its lenses). I certainly wouldn’t mind a focus joystick, but if you find one necessary, the OM-1 Mark II is right there as an alternative. Likewise, the option to configure the Super Control Panel to taste would be a boon, but the default feature set and configurable buttons make up for its inflexibility.
The Creative Dial won me over. It’s been years since I was behind the lens of the PEN-F, but I immediately appreciated the ease of swapping between color, black-and-white, and filtered looks. I also liked that you could independently assign grain to different looks, something not possible with the Fujifilm X-T50’s similar film look dial, but I think OM missed an opportunity by not offering grain for color photos. Still, I’m happy to see a tool that helps photogs get stylized images right out of the camera.
The EVF and LCD: A Step Below Flagship Quality
The OM-3’s electronic viewfinder isn’t quite as impressive as its exterior, or as the one found in the OM-1 II, for that matter. OM System puts a lesser-grade EVF in this model, a 0.68x-magnification, 2.4-million-dot OLED with a selectable 60/120fps refresh rate. It’s a step back from the OM-1 Mark II (0.82x, 5.8 million dots, 60/120fps), and frankly, a little disappointing given the OM-3’s premium exterior and price.
The EVF is serviceable and in line with what you get with cameras that cost about half as much (the Sony a6400 has similar EVF specs, for example), but I expect better than serviceable for the price. This goes double for a camera like the OM-3 that’s aimed squarely at a creative audience that is likely to use manual focus. I really missed the larger, sharper panel for focus, and while the OM-3 includes the standard frame magnification feature as a focus assistant, it’s just easier to hit the mark with a more pixel-dense display.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
The LCD is more in line with alternatives. The 3.0-inch touch panel uses a vari-angle hinge mount, the type that swings out to the side and flips around to face down, up, or forward. It’s a good design for selfies and video recording. The 1.6-million-dot screen isn’t quite as sharp as the 1.8-million-dot panel on the Lumix G9 II, but it’s a slight deferential, and the only bad thing I have to say about it.
Power and Connectivity: A Battery That Lasts Through the Day
The OM-3’s lackluster EVF comes with one apparent advantage over the OM-1 II: It appears to be more power efficient. The two cameras use the same BLX-1 battery, but the OM-3 has a better CIPA battery life estimate, up to 590 pictures per charge, versus around 500 for the OM-1 II using the same rundown test. It’s an excellent figure for a mirrorless camera and should let you get through the day (or most of it) without having to reach for a spare battery or stop to plug the camera in to charge.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/3,200-second, ISO 200 (Credit: JIm Fisher)
Actual photos per charge will vary based on use, of course. The OM-3 supports drive speeds up to 50fps, and you can easily get thousands of snaps if you leverage that feature. On the other hand, recording video will eat into the battery. The camera is good for about two hours of 4K capture per charge, as well as spending time going through menus, reviewing pictures, or using wireless features. I took the camera out to a local botanical garden with a full charge and came back home after three hours of photography with 70% left and 150 images on my memory card. That’s a little short of the promised pace, but it was my first time out with the camera, so I spent a good bit of time fiddling with settings.
The OM-3 includes the expected set of connection ports, all positioned on the left side. It has a USB-C connection for data transfer and charging, micro HDMI to connect to an external monitor or recorder, and a pair of 3.5mm jacks to plug in a microphone and headphones. There is one UHS-II SDXC memory card slot.
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
The camera pairs with smartphones using Bluetooth 4.2+LE and 802.11n Wi-Fi and the OM Image Share app, a free download for Android and iOS devices. The camera connects to the app quickly using a QR code, easing setup. The app supports wireless remote control, file transfer, firmware updates, and can add GPS metadata to pictures by matching up their time stamp with your phone’s location data.
Autofocus Performance: Fast, Smart, and Accurate
The OM-3 uses the same focus system as the OM-1 Mark II. It spreads more than 1,000 cross-type phase focus points across the sensor and adds subject detection for people, pets and animals, birds, vehicles, and trains. As for the basics, you can select among various areas of interest for focus acquisition, ranging from a small movable spot up to the full area of the sensor. All in all, autofocus is fast and accurate.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/20-second, ISO 400 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The camera’s Stacked BSI CMOS sensor scans quickly, so it’s able to poll the focus points rapidly enough to track moving subjects at up to 50fps using its fully electronic shutter in its SH2 drive mode. This is my preferred option for action with both the OM-3 and the OM-1 II, as there is no loss of view of the scene during capture, so you can more easily track moving subjects. In other modes, the EVF blacks out for a moment after an exposure.
A 50fps capture rate with focus at every frame is a high-end feature for sure, but it comes with a caveat: The fastest capture rate is restricted to a select set of lenses, the 12-40mm F2.8, 12-40mm F2.8 II, 12-100mm F4, 40-150mm F2.8, 150-450mm F4.5, and 300mm F4. With all others, the maximum rate drops to 25fps. The OM-3 can go to 120fps with fixed focus and exposure for a sequence, so you can use it to get the perfect photo of a balloon popping, for instance.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/160-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
As mentioned, the camera body isn’t as well-suited for the long lenses typically used to capture pictures of field sports, wildlife, and other action scenes where you can’t get up close and personal. Still, I don’t mind having the option to push the burst rate; when coupled with eye detection, you can use it to capture candid shots of children or pets at play.
A pre-capture mode (OM calls it Pro Capture) is available for action shots. In this drive mode, the OM-3 continuously buffers images to its internal memory when the focus is engaged but only commits them to the card when you press the shutter all the way in. The feature is useful for scenes where you’re waiting around for a moment of action—whether it be a shot on goal at a soccer match or an egret’s bill striking the water to snag a fish. Pro Capture is very configurable, as you can set the drive rate (between 5-50fps with focus and exposure for each shot or at 120fps with locked exposure and focus) and the buffer (between 1-50 frames). Pro Capture works with Raw and JPG images and works in all color modes, with the exception of the built-in Art filters.
M.Zuiko 25mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/6,400-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The OM-3’s high-speed capture and blackout-free modes rely on its fully electronic shutter, but the camera also has a mechanical focal plane shutter. You’ll likely want to use it for flash photography because of its brisker minimum sync speed (1/250-second, versus 1/100-second for the e-shutter), though be aware that the maximum drive speed drops down all the way to 6fps with the mechanical shutter. As for exposure time, the OM-3 supports a minimum 1/8,000-second mechanically and 1/32,000-second electronically.
The OM-3’s imaging engine is lifted directly from the OM-1 Mark II. The two share the same image sensor and processing engine, so they are on perfectly even footing. The camera uses a 20MP Stacked BSI CMOS sensor that records pictures in 12-bit Raw or 8-bit JPG, with about a 1/125-second rolling shutter for electronic capture. That’s fast enough to eliminate motion distortion effects in many scenes, but you may want to switch to the mechanical shutter for scenes with subjects moving at high speed—say, a train passing through the frame or the flapping wings of a hummingbird. For most scenes, the e-shutter is perfectly capable, however.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/2,000-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The sensor has a higher base sensitivity than many modern cameras, covering an ISO 200-25600 natively, with a broader ISO 80-102400 range available in its extended mode. The camera captures the most detail, the least amount of noise, and the broadest dynamic range at its base ISO 200 setting. Picture quality holds up well through the middle part of the range, and there is only minimal loss of contrast from ISO 400-1600. Grain becomes visible at ISO 3200-12800 and photos show a little less texture and some loss of contrast because of it, but all and all are still very good.
The higher settings (ISO 25600-51200) are handy for very low light but come with chunkier, more visible grain. I recommend avoiding ISO 102400 as picture quality takes several steps back, and there’s some evidence of a green color shift. In terms of noise and dynamic range, the OM-3’s sensor keeps pace with other Micro Four Thirds format cameras, including the Lumix G9 II. Cameras with larger image sensors will do a better job at the higher end of the ISO range, so if you like to take images in dimly lit interiors or outdoors after the sun dips beneath the horizon, a camera like the full-frame Canon EOS R8 may be more your speed.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/250-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
There are tradeoffs for sensor size, however. The OM-3 uses smaller lenses than a full-frame system—the 17mm F1.8 and 25mm F1.8 primes I used for the review are tiny. Its sensor also benefits from effective 5-axis image stabilization and a good set of computational features. The camera has software neutral density (ND) and graduated neutral density (GND) filters for long exposure landscape photography, plus a high-res shot mode that ups the picture quality to 14-bit 50MP handheld or 80MP with a tripod, with convenient in-camera stitching in its High Res Shot mode. These images show more detail, more faithful color, and provide more malleability when editing versus single exposure snaps.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/3,200-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The OM-3 makes it pretty easy to get at these and its other computational modes (HDR and multiple exposure photography) via its rear CP button. I’m a fan of OM’s approach here, and I especially like that the IBIS is effective enough to forgo a tripod in many situations. I am able to get clear 1-second exposures when being careful to brace myself and hold the camera steady and I had no problem at 1/2-second. When coupled with the software ND filters it’s possible to get long exposures that blur moving subjects and smooth out the look of flowing water without having to fiddle with a tripod or glass lens filters.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/2-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
I’ve already touched on the OM-3’s Creative Dial and the versatile looks and filters, which are good options for photogs who like stylized images. The camera comes with an added bonus: If you turn on Raw capture, you’ll get access to in-camera processing tools that allow you to apply any Art filter or Creative Dial look to a photo after the fact. Just hit the OK button when reviewing images and select Raw Data Edit to get started. I appreciate the convenience for one-off edits, though a proper desktop Raw app like Adobe Lightroom Classic is a better option for editing a large volume of images.
M.Zuiko 25mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/125-second, ISO 500 (Credit: Jim FIsher)
Video: Know-How Required for Best Results
The OM-3’s video toolkit is largely identical to the OM-1 Mark II, though the new camera comes with two new profiles that aim for cinematic color. I’m glad to see OM make some efforts here, but the camera leaves a little bit to be desired for moving pictures. Its baseline specs don’t look too bad, as it records at up to 4K60 at a 16:9 widescreen ratio with just a slight crop to the width of the frame and supports both 8-bit H.264 and 10-bit H.265 color. I also like that it supports external microphones and headphones, and its stabilization smooths away jitters for handheld recording.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/4,000-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
You’ll need some know-how to coax the clearest footage from the camera, however. The OM-3’s default 8-bit recording mode resolves less detail than its 10-bit profiles. Switching over to 10-bit is no big deal; it’s a setting in the menu, but it is limited to just two color profiles—OM Log 400 and HDR HLG.
The OM Log 400 profile requires some knowledge and the right software to use properly. It records video with low contrast and a desaturated palette, so you have more leeway to adjust color, contrast, and exposure to taste. You’ll need to make adjustments, either by downloading and applying a Look Up Table (LUT) in your editor or by making manual adjustments. HDR HLG looks far punchier and more colorful out of the camera and is a good choice if you plan on viewing movies on an HDR television, computer monitor, or phone screen, but it can show some color shift when displayed on an older SDR panel.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/8,000-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
There are more choices available in the H.264 8-bit recording mode. OM Log 400 is available, though with less flexibility to edit than the 10-bit version, along with OM-Cinema1, OM-Cinema2, and Flat profiles, which show high, low, and medium contrast, respectively. Colors are accurate in all three, so you don’t have to fiddle with grading footage, but details are softer than the 10-bit modes in all cases. None of the Art filters or photo color profiles work for video, and the OM-3 doesn’t even have a black-and-white recording mode.
To put it in perspective, the OM-3 is more than adequate for home movies, social media, and vlogs, but it would not be my first, second, or third recommendation for creators who are more serious about cinematography. The Lumix G9 II is a far better video camera thanks to its broader range of color profiles and ProRes encoding to an SSD, plus it works with the same lenses. The Fujifilm X-H2S is another fantastic performer for video in this price range, it supports ProRes like the G9 II, and lets you apply a wide variety of filtered film profiles to movies in-camera.
M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II, f/1.8, 1/4,000-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Verdict: Style Meets Substance
I’ll admit that I’m a slight sucker for retro-styled digital cameras like the OM-3. From a distance, it could easily be mistaken for a film camera straight out of the 1970s, proof positive that good industrial design is timeless. But good looks would mean nothing if the camera itself was a dud, and the OM-3 is far from it thanks to excellent picture quality, easily customizable picture profiles, solid autofocus, and all-weather construction. We also like its computational toolkit, which adds some versatility for photography, but will point out that its video engine isn’t the best around. So while the OM-3 is an excellent option for stills, we continue to recommend the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 II as our Editors’ Choice among the premium crop-sensor segment as it provides similar picture quality, better video, and has a modern gripped design that pairs well with all kinds of lenses.
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About Jim Fisher
Lead Analyst, Cameras
