OM System OM-3
1. Introduction
The OM System OM-3 continues the legacy of Yoshihisa Maitani's revolutionary OM System: compact, capable, and versatile. This high-end Micro Four Thirds camera delivers uncompromising performance in a timeless design, which I will explore in this in-depth review.
2. Design, Engineering and Ergonomics
Design
The OM-3 expertly blends nostalgic touches with cutting-edge engineering. It embodies the spirit of classic OM-series film cameras while being thoroughly contemporary. The flat grip provides a secure, comfortable hold, giving the 500g body a confident presence, reminiscent of film SLRs like the OM-2N. Finely serrated control dials offer excellent tactile feedback, even with gloves.
Build Quality
Despite its classic appearance, the OM-3 is robust. It features a metal main frame with thick metal top and bottom plates, and a resilient polymer rear for durability and thermal conductivity.
Ingress Protection
Thanks to IP53 weather sealing, operates from -10 to +40 degrees Celsius, and tolerates up to 90% humidity, making it an unstoppable tool in harsh environments.
Viewfinder
The 2.36 million-dot, low-latency OLED panel with a refined optical system delivers a class-leading 27mm eyepoint. Combined with adjustable magnification (1.23x or 1.37x) and 100% coverage, it provides a comfortable viewing experience for all users, including those who wear glasses.
OM System designers opted for a relatively centered viewfinder position once again a choice echoing the classic OM aesthetic. It contributes to superb balance when shooting at eye level, especially but not exclusively with compact lenses.
Control & Customization
The OM-3 offers a practical, modern control layout with a unique approach, not sacrificing utility for retro aesthetics. It streamlines the number of configurable function buttons to five (compared to OM-5's seven and OM-1's ten). This minimalist design fosters a deliberate way of working, supported by five versatile control dials (including dedicated dials for picture profiles and still/video mode switching), five customizable shooting modes, the touch-enabled menu system from the OM-1 Mark II, and the readily accessible Super Control Panel. While requiring some initial setup time, the highly configurable interface allows for a truly personalized shooting experience.
OM-3 Creative Dial
Tactile Feedback & Auditory Refinement
The OM-3 provides a sophisticated tactile and auditory experience. Dials offer varying resistance and distinct clicks. The two autofocus activation buttons (shutter release first stage and AF-On) share a similar tactile quality and operate silently. All other buttons offer a clear, positive click. Clearly, OM System has prioritized a refined user experience.
3. Core System Performance
Computing Power
The OM-3's performance stems from the cutting-edge TruePic X processor, ensuring speed, responsiveness, and reliability. While sharing some technological DNA with the OM-1 series, the OM-3's unique architecture results in distinct performance characteristics.
White Balance and Exposure Metering
The OM-3 incorporates OM System's latest white balance metering system, offering fine-grained control for professionals and a dependable, precise Auto White Balance algorithm for casual photographers. This system includes safeguards against inaccurate readings under strongly colored light sources. Critically, the white balance and exposure metering systems work in concert, delivering highly accurate exposure readings, rivaling dedicated external light meters.
Focusing System
The OM-3 boasts OM System's most recent autofocus system, delivering focusing accuracy and performance comparable to the OM-1 Mark II.
It features 1,053 cross-type AF points covering the entire sensor area (100%).
Leveraging the latest hybrid High-Speed Imager AF, the OM-3 achieves reliable focus lock within its certified working range of -5.5 to +19 EV at ISO 100 with an f/2.8 lens. Testing indicates capability in even darker scenarios.
Advanced machine learning-based subject detection modes recognize and track fast-moving and small subjects (humans, vehicles, aircraft, trains, birds, and animals) across the entire frame. At 50 frames per second, this system achieves a remarkable hit rate of nearly 100%, even in challenging conditions with full white balance and exposure metering enabled.
Starry Sky AF for celestial objects is included.
Comprehensive manual focus assist features, including configurable focus peaking and magnification, make it excellent for adapting legacy lenses.
Shutter, Drive System, and Buffer
Designed for professionals, the OM-3 offers dual shutter systems for versatility:
The mechanical high-speed shutter unit, similar to the OM-5's, captures distortion-free images up to 6 frames per second, regardless of subject or light source.
The electronic shutter enables speeds up to 1/32,000s and impressive drive speeds of up to 120 frames per second without viewfinder blackout, offering an extraordinary “rate of fire”. Its fast readout time (approximately 1/120s) allows flash synchronization and captures virtually distortion-free images of all but the fastest-moving subjects, with no noticeable image quality penalty.
Buffer and Storage
The OM-3's buffer captures up to 102 RAW files at the maximum drive speed of 120fps before slowing. This is similar to the OM-1 Mark I (92 RAW files) but less than the OM-1 Mark II (213 RAW files). The buffer only limits performance at drive speeds exceeding 6 fps or when using a slow, non-SDXC card in the OM-3’s single card slot.
Image Stabilization System
The OM-3's image stabilization system delivers flagship-level performance, offering up to 6.5 EV steps of compensation, or 7.5 EV steps with compatible Sync IS lenses. This results in significantly sharper handheld images in difficult conditions (low light, high-magnification macro, telephoto).
Supersonic Wave Filter
The sensor is protected by OM System's Supersonic Wave Filter, using ultrasonic vibrations to effectively remove dust and other particles from the sensor surface, minimizing manual cleaning.
Power Supply
Battery life is addressed by the OM-3's BLX-1 high-performance battery. Combined with an energy-efficient processing architecture and power-saving features, the camera can handle a full day of shooting on a single charge, achieving approximately 1,000 shots or 190 minutes of continuous recording.
For extended professional use, the OM-3 can be powered via USB-C (with a BLX-1 battery inserted). The BLX-1 battery can also be charged internally when the camera is switched off.
OM-3 charging indicator light
4. Imaging Performance
Imaging Pipeline
The OM System OM-3 excels across photographic genres due to its class-leading imaging capabilities. Its state-of-the-art 20.4-megapixel stacked, backside-illuminated, quad-pixel Bayer pattern Live MOS sensor, combined with cutting-edge OM System multi-stage analog-to-digital conversion technology, delivers exceptional results.
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
OM-3 SNR at ISO 200
Tone
From ISO 80 to ISO 400, the OM-3 captures at least 12 stops of dynamic range, encoded in the 12-bit RAW file. Even at ISO 12,800, approximately 8 stops of linear dynamic range are available. OM System's in-camera RAW conversion engine allows fine-tuning of the tone transfer curve, creating a natural, film-like rendering with 10,125 possible characteristic curves for stills and movies. Alternatively, the unique Auto Gradation function encodes the full dynamic range of the 12-bit RAW file into an 8-bit JPEG.
Color
In addition to versatile OM System color reproduction models, the "Natural" profile can be customized via the new creative dial on the front. This allows adjusting the saturation of 12 hue sectors at 11 increments, creating one of 313 billion possible color profiles for unique aesthetics or precise color correction.
OM-3 Custom Color Profile
Monochrome
For black and white photography, the OM-3 allows the development and storage of up to four monochrome profiles accessible via the creative dial. Users can select one of eight color filters spanning the visible light hue range and configure their strength in 3 increments to recreate lens filter effects or emulate specific film stocks.
OM-3 Custom Monochrome Profile with Grain set to “High”
Resolution
With a high-quality M.Zuiko lens, the OM-3 delivers more resolution than most practical applications require. For example, an 8x10 print at 300 dpi, using an image captured with the OM-3’s 20.4 effective megapixels, results in over 12 megapixels of excess resolution. One could crop 53.5% from the sides and 22.5% from the top/bottom and still exceed this print resolution.
Full frame
Cropping potential
Noise
The RAW data exhibits a usable signal-to-noise ratio from ISO 80 to ISO 25,600. These sensitivity settings are suitable for professional work even without excessive noise reduction during RAW conversion. Notably, luminance noise has a fine granularity, giving high ISO images high acutance similar to high-speed film. At the highest ISO settings, the OM-3’s color noise suppression effectively eliminates false colors, with only a slight reduction in image vibrancy.
OM-3 at ISO 25,600
OM-3 at ISO 200
OM-3 at ISO 102,400
5. Advanced Photographic Features
The OM-3 is equipped with a comprehensive suite of powerful computational photography features, offering nearly the same performance level as the flagship OM-1 Mark II despite a slightly different chipset.
High Res Shot mode captures 50MP images handheld (with motion compensation) or 80MP images on a tripod, all in RAW format. These modes increase spatial and color resolution, significantly reduce noise, and enable 14-bit capture for enhanced dynamic range.
OM-3 Handheld High Res Shot 50MP
(1:1) OM-3 Handheld High Res Shot 50MP
Live ND automatically averages up to 6 frames in real-time, capturing 12-bit images with exceptionally low noise while simulating a neutral density filter with up to 6 stops of light reduction.
Live GND simulates the effect of a graduated neutral density filter with adjustable strength up to 3 stops. You can precisely position the virtual filter anywhere in the frame and choose between Soft, Medium, and Hard transitions to capture scenes with a dynamic range of up to 15 stops without any post-production exposure blending.
Focus Stacking of up to 15 images in-camera is an excellent feature for macro photography and landscape photography alike. A key strength of this function, and the focus bracketing mode as well, is the OM-3’s automatic adaption of focus increments based on the attached lens’s depth of field at the selected aperture.
OM-3 in-camera focus stacked image
HDR1 and HDR2 in-camera tone mapping features allow you to capture high dynamic range scenes without requiring specialized post-production knowledge or effort.
Live Exposure Modes: Setting the mode dial to "B" accesses standard bulb and time exposure, plus Live Bulb mode (precise real-time exposure preview) and Live Composite mode (lighten composite with real-time exposure preview), beneficial for creative and professional photography.
Multiple Exposure Mode allows to capture RAW-double exposures assisted by an optional automatic gain control.
These advanced features, combined with the OM-3's robust core performance and superb image quality, make it a versatile and potent tool.
6. Video Capabilities
The OM System OM-3 stands out as one of OM System's most capable video cameras, matching the OM-1 Mark II technically and empowering small-scale productions and solo creators with efficient, reliable features.
Movie Recording Parameters
The OM-3 records C4K (4,096x2,160) Long GOP video at up to 60p. FHD (1,920x1,080) All-Intra recording is available up to 60p. Switching to Long GOP, FHD can be recorded at up to an impressive 240fps.
All options are available internally with either an H.264 codec (8-bit, YCbCr 4:2:0) or an H.265 codec (10-bit, YCbCr 4:2:0). For external recording via the HDMI Type D port, the OM-3 supports ProRes Raw (12-bit, YCbCr 4:2:2). The OM-3 has no recording limit and does not overheat under normal operating conditions.
Movie Picture Profiles
A wide array of picture profile and color gamut options is available: Finished footage can be captured using the same picture modes, art filters, and custom profiles available in still photography mode.
Advanced users can capture color-graded footage using either of the two new OM-Cinema profiles (OM-Cinema1 and OM-Cinema2) with the H.264 codec. For professionals, Flat (with BT.709) or OM-Log400 (in P3-D65) recording is available in H.264. Switching to H.265, the OM-3 can record either OM-Log400 or HLG in BT.2020.
OM-Cinema1 H.264
OM-Cinema2 H.264
Flat H.264
OM-Log400 H.264
OM-Log400 H.265
HLG H.265
Audio Recording
Leveraging OM System’s audio expertise, the OM-3 is equipped with two separate 3.5mm microphone and headphone jacks, a high-quality built-in microphone, and the capability to record 96kHz 24-bit audio internally. This enables high-fidelity in-camera audio capture.
Autofocus
The 1,053 all-cross-type AF points deliver a high level of performance, with additional configuration options tailored for video, such as adjustable AF speed. All subject detection modes are available, along with a new function that halts tracking when no subject is detected. C-AF+TR (tracking autofocus) performs reliably and allows for registering new subjects mid-recording by tapping the screen or using the AF-On function.
Potential Limitations
While video performance is on par with the OM-1 series, two factors could limit professional video use: a reduced number of physical function buttons (a constraint when rigging) and the lack of a dedicated cable protection sleeve (like the screw-in CP-2 for the OM-1 series), making the HDMI port more vulnerable to damage. Conversely, the option to use the AF assist light as a recording lamp with adjustable brightness is a thoughtful addition for selfie-style videos.
7. Verdict
On the surface, the OM System OM-3 might appear to be just another retro-styled digital camera. However, it is significantly more: a camera of considerable importance extending beyond the Micro Four Thirds standard. It is the true heir to the original OM System, a realization of Maitani’s decades-old vision for a compact, ergonomic, high-performance camera that excels in any situation without compromise.
