The first thing to pop out to me about this camera is the fact DJI has a gimbal called the OM 5. That gets a little confusing when there are two products targeted at the photographers that use the same name. Sure you could argue the existing DJI product is for video and perhaps more consumer-based. It doesn’t change the fact this is going to be confusing to many potential customers.
The physical camera appears to be unchanged. The decision to use Micro USB rather than USB-C is an indicator to me that OM System left the old Olympus internals from the E-M5 Mark III with one exception. The exception would be the updated TruePic IX Processor. The updated processor allows some additional computation photography modes such as Starry AF and Live ND filters in addition to an extra stop of Image Stabilization. The OM-5 gets an IP53 rating for weather sealing whereas the E-M5 Mark III does not appear to carry an official rating though Olympus/OM System does note it has dust, splash, and freeze-proof protection.
This update reminds me of the changes from the Olympus E-M1 Mark II to the E-M1 Mark III. That was an update mostly fueled by the newer processor which allowed many of the modes the OM-5 is getting. In fact, many of the core specs of the E-M1 Mark II are similar to the E-M5 Mark III and the E-M1 Mark III is similar to the OM-5. The grip and dual card slots would be the primary differences. I’m sure other differences exist, but you’ll find far more similarities.
I’m honestly quite happy with my current E-M1 Mark II and do not feel like I’ll be purchasing the OM-5. It’s good to see some of my favorite Olympus cameras getting updates from OM System, though I have to say, I would have bought this if it had the updated stacked sensor.
I’m a huge fan of the Micro Four Thirds system and have no plans of leaving it. At this point, OM System has not impressed me since the takeover. I’ll be in the market for a new camera body within the next year or so and am thinking it might be a Panasonic.
What are your thoughts on the new OM System OM-5? Is it enough of an upgrade from the E-M5 Mark III to make it worthwhile?
Guessing the E-M5 Mark III prices will start dropping on the used market. At this point, I feel the E-M1 Mark II is the best M43 deal for a used camera.
Additional Considerations
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