A Look At The Olympus E M1 Mark III Micro Four Thirds Camera Body
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ค. 2024
- Olympus have really hit the mark with the E-M1 Mark III. I'd expected another 'ho-hum, here we go again' reheat of the last model like the E-M5 Mark III, E-M10 Mark III or Panasonic's G90 or GX9. Good cameras but nothing 'must have about them' if you already have the previous model.
The E-M1 Mark III is different, though. It retains everything good about the older model and adds only better things to the mix. And one item of special sauce is added - a fast, accurate, C-AF system that finally puts a Micro Four Thirds camera in the same focusing league as the Canon, Nikon and Sony. In doing so, given its compact dimensions and sheer all round capability, Olympus have come up with what, in my view, might be the best all round camera available. Whatever the system.
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miss his reviews, RIP David Thorpe
We all miss you mate!
Dude, you gotta be one of the funniest TH-camrs I watch. Your subtle jokes and deadpan humor is top notch.
I think he has taken it to the next level being stuck at home.
Nail on the head, there, RobShootPhotos.
@@DavidThorpeMFT 🤣👍
@@DavidThorpeMFT Don't let the cabin fever get to you David. Head to the nearest off licence and stock up.
Dude is a mole on an elephant butt
Thank you for all your content friend. Rest in peace!
How does this great man, David Thorpe, only have 32,000 subscribers? He is a brilliant photographer.
😀
Always so nice to see Olympus and Panasonic (and other) products mixing it up together in an unaffiliated review. Just like they do in our bags! ;-)
Glad you liked it, Hank, thanks!
Great work sir! I feel like I'm listening to calming Sunday afternoon radio talk show, you have one of those voices. Great info too, thank you!
Thanks, Darren.
Great fan of you both. I agree with Darren, David Sir's delivery/narration & vocals are 2nd to none.
We miss you, David
Thank God your’e back - and you brought a camel. I have been waiting for this review.
Thanks you, Martha! The camel is a bit angry with me for overloading it. It's got the hump,you could say.
Great humor, the six straws broke the camel's back. More seriously, it is hard to get excited about a new camera when almost all of the M4/3 cameras from the past couple of years are so good. Sure, phase detect auto-focus is nice, but in my view how much is an incremental upgrade worth? Under the current circumstances, not that much. Thanks David - your reviews always brighten my otherwise dour mood.
Glad to raise a laugh, thanks! You raise an interesting point, the Micro Four Thirds cameras are now mature and overall very capable. The E-M1 Mark III is about as good as it gets right now but its predecessor was excellent too. In the absence of a new sensor with a 1 or 2 stop noise advantage I can't see what important aspect actually needs improving now. Ditto the G9. The Olympus's C-AF focusing is better but that doesn't imply that the G9's is in any way bad.
I broke down laughing about the straw that broke the camel's back. :-)
😀
froreyfire actually analogy is quite right but of course so laughable. Doing lots of hiking in mountains, it is huge difference of camera weight between starting point and after 10mile track. One day, after hauling 2 FF with just 2 excellent Primes with each weighing one kilo, starting at 4am to get to top of mountain for sunrise, back of my inner camel broke ;) and I went to m43 with zero regrets, ah my be one - why I waited so long?!
Fantastic review of a wonderful camera. I don’t know why this body isn’t more popular, but I’m loving mine. I think it’s the best value in the market today.
I think it will be a big seller.
You are a phenomenal TH-camr , photographer , writer and camera reviewer. My mind is made up on what ideal m43 upgrade my dad needs!
Thank you! Your dad sounds a lucky man.
After over 4 years with the E-M5 Mark ll, I was looking to move on. After a great deal of research, I decided to stay with Olympus, (in the end, I just had too much good Oly glass to jump ship), and ordered a E-M1 Mark lll. I have had it for almost 2 weeks now and I am deeply impressed with it. I've got a lot to learn about it, but I already know that I absolutely will not ever regret the decision. I am very eager to try the Starry AF here in the Big Sky Country this summer. All I've got to do now is start saving up for the 300mm-F4 for a trip to Glacier Park this fall.
Sounds a fantastic trip for photos - hope circumstances allow it. The Mark III came at exactly the right time for you, then. I agree 100% - you will not regret buying it. Nothing better.
The camel did my day, it reminded me of Monty Python. Great review!
😄
Another wonderful review. The best on TH-cam. All your videos are brilliant. Thank you.
Wow, thank you, Marek!
Couldn't agree more. I love my EM1 mkiii. A little lackluster in terms of cutting edge specs.. but simply; a great camera.
Yes, it's the overall camera and user experience that impresses so much.
Your videos are much apreciated, you are one of the few reviewers who focus more on the user experience and subjective feeling. Keep em coming Mr Thorpe. You are the man (:
Thanks you, Pablo!
Very good video. I‘m a fan of panasonic cameras. My first camera was a Panasonic G6. But without Olympus EM1 Mark II and III i would not longer be in the MFT family. That‘s because i like taking pictures of dogs in Motion. So i leaved MFT and went to Nikon. But now i‘m back. The Olympus OM-D EM1 III is such a great camera. I like the fast phase detect autofocus, the ND filter and the HighRes handhold function. This alltogether makes the olympus a swiss knife. So helpfull for so much dfferent situations :-)
The Panasonics have a very effective C-AF system, the G9 in particular. But for animals in motion, the Olympus's PDAF has the edge, there's no question. I think the Mark III will do very well for Olympus.
Thanks David. I've been waiting for this review, and as expected it's been very helpful indeed. Yours is my favourite TH-cam channel! Stay safe.
Great to hear that, Charlotte. You stay safe too, in these strange times.
Dear mister Thorpe,
Up until this video I hadn't fully grasped the width of your genius. The 6 grams that broke the camel's back did.
Thanks.
Thanks, Magnus. I just wish the camel felt the same way :-)
@@DavidThorpeMFT 😅
Simply a great camera review!
Glad you liked it, Shaka.
The video of the flowers is very impressive! Amazing that you can get those results handheld 👍
Thank you for the effort and the sharing. I hope you and yours are well during this COVID madness. Here in the northeast of the US, the situation is getting better but is just a notch below dire. I appreciate you putting together this review under exacting circumstances. I am an appreciative subscriber. Stay well.
Thanks - it is all a bit dire still but we can only hope for the best. Hope you're keeping well.
I always look forward to hearing your thoughts on m43, and again you didn’t disappoint. In particular, when comparing the Olympus e-m1 iii to the overhyped Canon eos R5. Why isn’t Olympus and Panasonic ruling the photography universe? The technology that Canon is hyping has been around for a decade on m43 cameras.
You know that and I know that and so do other Micro Four Thirds users. In general, photographs who have chosen Micro Four Thirds have come to the system because they are looking for something to suit specific needs or requirements and they have looked at other systems and made an informed choice. For the majority though, such is the marketing power of Canon and Nikon that they look no further. That's my theory, anyway, backed up by the number of people who have come to Micro Four Thirds from Canon/Nikon FF and wonder why they didn't do it sooner.
David Thorpe, Obviously my amateur opinion is a little simplistic. I’ve owned my original e-m1 for seven or eight years and my shutter died last fall. I decided I would have it repaired and sent it to Olympus. In the mean time I decided I would get the eos R. Not knowing what I was getting I was disappointed with no ibs and while the lens has stabilization I couldn’t achieve nearly the handheld results of my Oly in some situations. Most of my photos I post to Photos, fb, Instagram and Flickr so doubling my pixel count and sensor size really didn’t matter. Taking photos in burst mode really was a disappointment going from 10fps to maybe 5. Anyway a very expensive lesson learned. After about two months I got my old friend back and the eos R found a comfortable spot on the shelf. On accession I pull it down, but mostly it sits there. My wife is thinking of putting online videos together for her business perhaps she’ll use it?
@@kent2000100 If I were you, Kent, I'd give my wife the Canon in case she wanted my Olympus :-) There's nothing simplistic about amateur opinions, it's your experience and as valid as anyone else's. In point of fact, amateur opinions are probably more important in that they are the people who bring in the money for the camera companies. The professionals are a small fraction of the market. I do wish we could get rid of this pejorative meaning to amateur, it really ought only to mean people who take pictures because they want to, rather than for money. I have one amateur frined who is a damn sight better a photographer than most of the pros that i know. I include myself in that. He doesn't have my technical expertise and experience but he has a lot more imagination.
This camera is a beast!! Thanks for the nice review Mr. Thorpe.
Thanks, Bruno!
... the horse went on a voluntary isolation... 😂😂😂
As always, it's such a delight watching your videos.
Thank you!
As someone who has been shooting on a simple E-PL6 for a long while, this particular model seems like an attractive upgrade. While the future of Olympus might turn out to be different from what I had originally expected, I do hope the price of the Mark III will drop in a few years instead of rise due to the prospective rarity of its brand name.
A wonderfully comprehensive insight, thank you for putting out your great work here!
An honest review at it's best. Yes, i agree the flash should be bundled too :) Hope you can shoot more soon!
Thanks! More shooting, yes, me too.
As usual a great revue !
After a revue like this, you know, that you now know, all the things that are useful to know.
Job done.
Thanks, Gary!
Good to see another of your reviews David, hope we can all take lots of pics soon, stay safe, Rich.
Cheers, Richard!
Finally! was waiting for this one. Excellent and to the point as always.
Thanks, Adam.
Well done David! Always look forward to your videos.
Thanks, Marl!
Thanks David for the review. Great to know you're safe in these horrible times.
While this camera makes sense in its upgrade over the Mark II, I still find that micro four thirds are not offering the upgrades that I was looking for.
I asked Joe Edelman, the Olympus ambassador, what he wants in future Olympus cameras. and his response was that he wants to see more AI improvements.
But for me personally, what I want to see the next G9x is a 24 BSI sensor that achieves better scores for higher ISO's and DR. If either Olympus or Panasonic adds that upgrade, that would be a landslide improvement.
I'd like to hear your thoughts .....
Sony would have to be willing to sell the 24 Mp BSI devices to Olympus for a reasonable price. Olympus says that this will NOT happen in the near future.
@@michaels3003 can I see where you read this piece of information?
Hi Matt - thanks! I was surprised, using the Panasonic S1, how little the IQ was improved over my Micro Four Thirds bodies taking into account the extra weight, bulk and cost. If that level of IQ could be attained in Micro Four Thirds, that would be all I'd want. It doesn't seem an impossible ask as a next development. A stop would be great, actually. AI, why not? But phone camera users and Micro Four Thirds users are very different creatures and I don't think AI will bring them over. With a 1 or 2 stop noise/DR improvement they would attract APS-C/FF users, I think. DR is less important to me in that nothing I view on has the DR range of my present gear so all it does is give me more exposure leeway.
Thanks mr. Thorpe for yet another superb, factual, honest, no-nonsense overview. A wonderful start of the week. And thanks for a good laugh for the poor horse in isolation.
Thanks! Glad you liked it! I hope the horse will shortly be able to go for a munch around the filed with his mates 🙂
I just love the wry remarks you make throughout your videos :)
That camel part > . <
I love it!
😄
Very informative, David. Thank you so much!
Glad you found it so - thanks!
Agree on silent mode mock shutter sound option.
Thank you David. You have a poet in you which makes your videos unique. Waiting to see a 'Video' review of this camera. Take care.
Kind words, thanks Mohammed.
@@DavidThorpeMFT You're most welcome.
Wow, never thought I could enjoy a review on TH-cam that had no video but all stills, well done and thank you, not least because I ordered the MIII today and can’t wait for delivery! By the way, beautiful narrator’s voice 🙂
What can I say but thank you, Rhidian? So, thank you. You'll love the camera.
How do you like it so far?
@@MorkusReX Turns out I hated it! In fact I hated it so much I lost about £1k selling it with lenses and happy to see the back of it. Great build quality but that bloody menu system drove me around the bend, can't remember how many times I got to a location to do a shoot only to find that I'd set it up earlier to do something different and couldn't intuitively work out how to change settings. Also, image quality was pretty poor I thought, I know many will disagree but when I work on my MK5iv RAW images it's just in another class. Sorry, I really wanted to love it but in the end I haven't regretted letting it go for one second.
@@riddles1137 Thanks! I actually bought it and I like it so far. I got around the menus by creating my own menus in "My Menu" + setting custom modes so I don't need to fiddle around with it.
Image quality so far is good, but obviously I don't compare it to a full frame camera , but the size is also not comparable.
Thanks again!
Cheers David!
This is one hell of a camera. Tempted...
Always carry my GM1, at least in these still cold days when I carry a jacket with a pocket.
Big size difference but yes, it is a tempting camera, that's for sure!
Always enjoy your videos! Hope you can get out to shoot before you go crazy.
Glad you like them. According to those around me I'm already crazy, actually :-)
Ooooohhhh ,,,how I have been anticipating this video for a couple of months now,,,,,I couldn't wait to hear what you had to say about this camera. I'm glad to hear that it's just as good as the hype has been suggesting,,(If you can call any discussion about M4/3 hype these days). I have yet to even see one. Our local Olympus dealer has nothing newer than an EM-5 II on the shelf. Even though I lean toward Panasonic, I have to say I have not been so smitten by an Olympus since I discovered the digital Pen F. I plan be traveling to Colorado and Arizona in the next while...providing some of the restrictions and precautions let up. Perhaps one of the larger cities there will have a better selection. Looking forward to more examples from you as the weeks move along. Stay well and keep making engaging videos..(still chuckling over the Pythonesque camel scenes----"is that an unladen camel?")
Thanks, Clint. I've always liked Panasonic's camera bodies just a bit better but I can't find a fault with the E-M1 Mark III, it seems to have been really thought through. Being able to build your own menu is great but to be able to so easily add an subtract, move things about and even choose the page they go shows a real photographers outlook. Panasonic's My Menu is good but much more clunky. It's those little things with the Olympus. And the joystick will move diagonally. Again not a big deal but one more thing that makes the camera so user friendly.
I love your voice..and the way you do your video's...keep it up please...right to the point...and very informative .....
I'm always a bit concerned about my videos - so thanks for that!
Thanks for another great review. Because of you and some other stout 4/3 supporters I jumped into the fray with a passion 2 years ago in buying a G9 and some nice P/L lenses. Now my wife has one as well but she went with an Oly 12-100 as she prefers the all in one lens concept. I love this gear because of it’s light weight, great IQ and it is excellent gear for travel photography. I have found the G9 and P/L lenses do everything I need except BIF because the G9 lacks phase detect. I thought about the Oly MkIII and a 300mm but decided to go with a D500 and a lightweight Tamron 100-400mm which provides me with some excellent BIF images and only weighs 69.2 ounces for the combo. At 75 I’m probably done with my new gear purchases but I must say those who haven’t tried 4/3 are missing a treat. I sold most of my Nikon FX gear and probably will part with the rest of it soon. Once Covid 19 eases up we hope to be back taking photos with our 4/3 kit. I even now have a new Billingham to carry it in. What next, a Brompton? Stay safe!
THIS!
Great comment, Gary and thanks for it. And lets hope you are back out with the birds again soon!
I don't own a micro 4/3ds system and probably never will. But, I've been a subscriber for a few years now because, I just love your analysis, wealth of experience/knowledge and presentation.
That's very pleasing to hear - very flattering too. I can only say thanks!
A superb review as always.
Glad you enjoyed it, Paul!
I love the EVF in my "X", and the MKii, I use the EVF "for composing" as it should be, I'm not looking for 4k quality in an EVF, its for info only.
And BTW, no camels were harmed in the making of this video!
Yes, I use the EVF for framing mainly but there's no question the Panasonic G9 has a better eVF, brighter and bigger. You'd have to use the cameras side by side to notice though since once yo get used to a finder, even a bright line optical one, you just use it without thinking if its any good or not. You are quite right about the camel. Far from harming it, I now keep it as a pet in my home. Not recommended, far too big and troublesome.
Thank you, David, I needed that
:-)
maybe I'm just exhausted from working 64 hours a week for past 2 months but I spit my drink out and laughed so hard I cried when you "broke the camels back" Ohhhhhhh how I needed that laugh, thank you.... and nice review BTW
I love to hear that, Caleb! Thanks so much for telling me. Made my day.
Thanks for this much appreciated review David , now how much would i miss 60fps 4k for that great auto focus , well its an awesome camera . but i am happy enough with the recent upgrades on the gh5/g9 focus . but you, being more stills orientated , i totally would understand in going for the mk 3 , as the Olympus has more variety of photo ability for sure . mega review , thank you very much and great to see you well on the bike too .
Thanks for that! The G9 focus with the firmware upgrade is very impressive now. I can't help thinking that if Panasonic applied their know how and R&D to a PD or hybrid system, it would be second to none, including Sony.
@@DavidThorpeMFT VERY TRUE , THANKS DAVID .
I think this camera it has everything I need: perfect size, lightweight (that +6g can kill a camel tho), great design, sturdy and sealed body, new and great C-AF system, nipple, usb-c charge and a few features I find useful (handheld high res shot, stars af, pro capture, live nd filter...). I don't mind the sensor or the evf, they are ok and I'm fine with that, you can take beautiful shots and enjoy photography carrying with you this beast. Ty for your review David, best wishes and take care.
Thanks, Ricardo. The standard of this camera is such that I think it will be a long term buy for many photographers.
Oh David our prometheus what fire of knowledge do you bring to us mortals today
Hi Kyle - oh, the usual, the wisdom of the universe, that sort of thing :-)
Why have I not found your channel until today .......
Bara, the best things come to those who wait....🙂
Excellent as usual!!!
Thanks you, Brain!
I wish you could have made a video on the OM-1.
For sure!!
Thanks David
You are very welcome!
Brilliant! Thanks David
😀
Great review, and fully concur, spot on -- after years with E-PL2 and E-PL5 for backpacking and street work, then E-M5 mkII with a Photodiox grip for nature and landscape photography (mythosphere.com), I'd moved to an E-M1 mkII for the improved focus speed with phase detection for legacy 4/3 glass, and then the E-M1 mkIII came out...a masterpiece. And yes, every critique you made is accurate...and as you say, the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. The problem from Olympus' perspective is I can't see any need to upgrade again for a very long time.
The upgrade, yes there's always that. I think a Mark IIII would have to have some big selling point, a 40Mp sensor or something. Not that that is necessary or a great draw for most of us. I can't really think of anything on the E-M1 Mark III that is ripe for improvement.
Hi great vid, I recently swapped my Nikon gear for a MK 3 - Best thing I ever did, its light enough to carry everywhere, the ibis is awesome.
You made a great choice - Olympus have always been good at keeping their camera sizes down without losing usability. The E-Ms all feel big while being small!
@@DavidThorpeMFT if only we could market that for other things
A bit late but as I’ve just bought one and thought I’d try some different reviews from Rob Trek who is the Guru on Olympus cameras, good delivery and a nice guy! I know as I contacted him several times on particular issues and he never fails. I like your steady approach and how you get those wooden dummies to play with a ball is black magic, perhaps the blue ones, Arsenal fan I reckon! are cleverer than the plain wooden ones! Cheers DG U.K.
Nice well done
Thanks!
Wow! Using both mkII and mkIII I would absolutely agree with your point of view in this review. Too bad some reviewers of photography equipment are not an actually using cameras which they simply “review” or even worse they are not photographers at all :( Your phrase about mkIII been more than just sum its parts is brilliant! Personally, even some exotic and unique features like Star AF or handheld Hi-Res which may look like gimmicks from first glance, after you will get in situation when you need it and use it would make you wonder - why nobody else does it? Even Live ND, which I considers more like Art Effect comes handy in particular situations. And It’s little brother EM5mkIII is absolutely brilliant camera too.
It's the actual using of the E-M1 Mark III that makes you realise how accomplished it is. The spec doesn't tell the story. The E-M5 Mark III is remarkably close to the E-M1 Mark III in overall performance, too.
Great review. This feels like the thin edge of the wedge. Finally mobile phone tech is going to infiltrate cameras (and the camera menu systems please!). Love panasonics colour science but this is pushing things further on. we want all of the great software tweaks and have all of the lens variety....best of both worlds. Anything that makes cameras more fun must be good. After putting up with a brick of a 7d, when I got a gx8 I realised that the best way to get better pictures was to have a camera that made you want to take more of them. The other side of this equation is that getting things printed is now incredibly cheap. For the first time in my life ive had 1m by 1m prints made on images with a g9. Thankyou for being a great coach on this journey.
Thanks Simon! Glad I've been helpful. Phone camera technology is moving so fast that camera makers need to keep up. Some is useful, some less so but you don't have to use it and if it gets more people buying cameras it can only be good for all of us.
Great review David, I take your point around the menu system, though as you pointed out the my menu negates some of that. The addition of a fourth custom point is useful and I tend to use the custom selections to set up my camera as if it's 3 different cameras as you can fine tune so much on each point. I'm not convinced about the joystick, there are modicum of improvements, and they are improvements not gimmicks which is typical Olympus, great. I remain though to be convinced that there are enough improvements to draw me away from my MKII, though I will buy one when I want to add another body to my collection. What I am convinced about is that these cameras are there for those who know, who look for quality not gimmicks, value for money and not a badge (people who buy a car for it's 3 pointed star, rather than knowing about cars) and who are happy that they know what they have in their hands will deliver because it's the best most complete package out there and didn't get there because of saturated marketing, but on it's own merits chosen by those who are comfortable, no - choose to be, led by their own decision making and able to see through the hype and pomp of other brands.
I agree, Martyn, a camera for someone who has thought through and knows their requirements. That true of Micro Four Thirds in general really. I approach cameras as if each one is complete in itself rather than an update to a previous one and then make a comparison later. For anyone who has a Mark II, they'd need to look at the differences and see if there was anything they found compelling. There's no one thing about the Mark III that would justify an upgrade and for most Mark II owners there would be no pressing need to do so.
Lmao the camel part earned a sub. Great review!
👍 Thanks - time to upgrade my trusty
em1 mark1 😃
Hi Lats - yes, it might well be. I'm not normally big on upgrading but from 1 to 3 is a difference you'll notice.
Same here. And what better is - my wife wants to learn how to photograph with something better than an iPhone, so instead of buying a em10'er mk3 for her, she 'inherits' my old em1 mk1.
@@majamogens A win - win for sure.
Nice straight fwd review. Stay safe
Thanks, Jason!
Hey Dave thanks for the review! Just wondering what focus mode used while you weaved on your bike? Thanks again and great vid as always!
Thanks, Kim. I used C-AF with 10fps sequence L and the 'All' Grid. My wife, who is not a photographer kept the camera pointed ahead, not moving it as I weaved, so the camera decided where it should focus. It takes a dozen frames, a second or so, focusing on the background before it sees that I am the subject at which point it holds focus on every frame after that. When I get really close, there's only limited depth of field (I shot at f/4) but the shots are all in focus. I wouldn't, using it myself, ask the camera to make all the decisions and with the focusing area narrowed down to the 5x5 grid or smaller, subject selection take a couple of frames only. It's very impressive.
David Thorpe alright thanks Dave glad to see another vid of yours!
Fantastic review for a amazing camera. I've owned my Em1 Mark III for less than a month and it's easily one of the best all around cameras I have ever used. Like you stated, autofocus was never a strong suit for M43 cameras but the Em1 III is an absolute beast with AF. The face/eye AF is so fast and quick to pick up on, it's amazing. The features this camera has is astonishing and so fun to use. Olympus did a wonderful job!👍
They did do a good job, I agree. Lots of thought put into the camera even on some small details like setting what page of your personal menu an item goes on when you select it. Small thing but smooths a path.
My G9 still rocking but I can't wait to see a new Panasonic 4/3 camera with phase detection auto focus system 😍
I wonder if we will?
It won't...their lenses are incompatible with phase detect.
Matt Brum tony Northrop said the same about Olympus lenses, yet here we are.
David, another great review; very enjoyable!. I have been pondering the Panasonic G9 (with latest firmware) versus the Olympus EM-MIII. I presently own an Olympus EM10 MIII and multiple Olympus lenses. One area that appeals to me on the G9 is that the Custom Buttons can be used for either picture settings or video settings. I have been told by others that the Custom Buttons on the EM1-MIII cannot be used to store video settings; they are reserved for picture settings only. Is this information correct based on your experience with both cameras? I'm sure this must be something Olympus could incorporate in another future firmware update. Thanks again.
Thanks, George. It is correct that the Custom modes on the E-M1 Mark III don't function with Movie mode but you can reconfigure all the buttons for Movie mode if you wish so that when you switch to it, the buttons, levers etc are set up for it.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Thanks David; I'm wrestling with the issue as to how much a camera's video capabilities should drive my decision to purchase or not. It is easy to get caught up in the technologies and what you "could do" with a future camera as oppose to what you likely "will do"! Clearly an Olympus camera can handle all the video I will likely do and it clearly is an excellent camera for photos. All of this is the reason we all enjoy photography, the unique combination of technology and art. Thanks again for your insightful comments.
E-M1ii and E-M1X both have USB-C plugs as well.
I'd forgotten the C plug on the Mark II, thanks William. The E-M1X hasn't come on to my radar since I have to buy the stuff for my reviews and the X is just too expensive for me. Given that the Mark II has USB C it makes it even more inexplicable that Panasonic went with the unwieldy cable they did.
@@DavidThorpeMFT IIRC Olympus didn't really make a big fuss about the USB-C port on the E-M1ii and neither does it support charging over USB so it's completely understandable. The choice of the connector type on the G9 is definitely...odd, seems almost like the worst of both worlds. Probably still better than when Olympus was using their own proprietary variant of mini-USB though. Thanks for all the work, your reviews are consistently excellent!
Those slow motion incredibly stable beautiful dolly style shots at the start etc what is used for this in filming this review? Very nice. As is the camera!!
Thanks, Robert! I am using an Edelkrone JobOne with one of their HeadOne panning devices. It's so hard to get variety into product shots so it's nice to know it is noticed!
Ouch! I had thought I could sit tight on my Mark II.
I don't think there's much you could do with a mark III that you couldn't with a Mark II, Joel. I'm always approaching each camera as if no other existed but as a rule of thumb I think you need to wait for every other upgrade, II to IIII, for example to get value for the money paid out.
Excellent Review as always. I am seriously thinking about buying this camera. I need a second camera for video, but with good AF, to complement my GH5. And I need a camera for birding and wildlife fotografy. The doubt is in relation to the price! Here in Germany: G9 900 Euros; em1 ii 900 euros and em1 iii 1800 euros. A tremendous difference in price. greetings from the Black Forest
At about 1400 EUR this should be much more appealing. At 1800 it is imo overpriced.
Your point is completely valid. The E-M1 Mark III is superb but at double the price of the G9 it is by comparison not good value. I'd imagine the price will come down quite quickly, especially given present trading conditions.
Agreed.
David Thorpe I’m hopping that the price drops. 1500 Euros would be acceptable.
@@TITAOSTEIN That seems a likely price, maybe 3 or 4 months time.
Thanks for the review!
Can you please compare the autofocus for stills of E-M1 m3 vs G9 in two words?
No hunting!
@@DavidThorpeMFT does it matter for stills?
Great review, David. The MK3 looks very impressive and I recently got the MK2, which is terrific too so I don't think I would get the Mark 3 myself (that and I can't afford one lol). By the way not sure if you used the high res shot mode on the Mark II although sure you probably you have but I recently done a video on it myself using the 50 megapixel jpeg setting and was really impressed by the results, if you ever fancy checking it out sometime on my channel. Anyway great review as always, David and loved the camel gag at the start lol.
Thanks Kenny. I use the HiRes mode quite a bit, it is very useful for zoom in and out shots in my videos, that Ken Burns effect. Glad you liked the gag. Photography can be a bit po faced sometimes so its nice to insert a laugh.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Absolutely, its important to have a laugh and not take it too seriously.
Thank you David for another great review. This will be my next camera, but in few years (because of the price). I wanted to ask you about that 300mm 4.5, is it any good on a digital body? Greetings from Poland.
Hi Michal - yes the lens is pretty good. I don't have a lot of use for a 300mm and when I do it is usually for pictorial purposes. The Nikkor has a really pleasing, soft colour rendering that looks very different from the ultra-contrasty and sharp modern ones. If I were wanting to shoot wildlife or sports, no its not as good. Even apart from the manual focusing, it just doesn't have the sheer crispness of a lens designed for digital. So, for sure, a long shot of a deer backlit in the sun will look very pretty - but nowhere near as sharp as an Olympus 300mm f/4, for example. Mind you, I paid £120 for the Nikkor which is just a bit cheaper than the Olympus!
As usual, the best reviewer of MFT on YT. If the E-M1 mkiii was the same price as the G9, I wonder which would be the winner..? Panasonic's persistence with DFD contrast AF is now verging on perverse. One can only speculate that Olympus have an exclusivity deal with Sony for this sensor, and/or Panasonic's choice of sensor and AF is connected to their stake in TowerJazz sensor manufacturing (which hasn't used phase detect AF in it's sensors to date)?
Thanks, Andrew! The two flagship cameras are different enough to offer a good choice. I think the focusing of the Olympus would be a big factor for many but that shouldn't be the only thing. The Panasonic's focusing is no slouch ad the EVF is definitely better. The sizes are different too. All in all, there's plenty to differentiate the cameras but given the G9 is currently not a lot more than half the price of the Olympus, that must influence people.
@@DavidThorpeMFT I've had the G9 since launch (and paid the full price too...sigh!) and think its a great camera, astounding for the current price. The AF hasn't been a problem, even for sports, although the DFD jitter takes a bit of getting used to. But it certainly wouldn't harm it if it did have phase detect AF for that certainty it brings to continuous AF.
Going to wait for the prices to drop or my finances to improve before I get my Mark iii but I will be getting one.
Probably not that long to wait for price drops. The Panasonic G9 is very comparable to the E-M1 Mark III and sells for hundreds less. Photographers who really, really want one will have bought by now and for those less motivated, they will compare those prices. Mind you, my predictions are about as good as my guitar playing 😮
For wildlife photography, regarding C-AF performance, is there a big difference between the Mark III and the Mark II (with the latest firmware)?
Thank you!
No, not a huge difference. It would be very difficult to really know because every fast moving subject is a bit different, the background a bit different. My hunch is that if you could repeat the same target, movement and background every time, you'd find little if any real world difference.
great review, how do you turn on the "viewing information screen" I cannot find how to turn it on. Thanks!
He pressed a button at 4:02 time marker of this video...
In Custom Menu I.EVF you'll see EVF Auto Switch. Set that to On2. Now when you take your eye from the EVF you'll see the SCP. Press the Info button to toggle between SCP and Info Screen.
Bendy lens for the opening David! Like the review otherwise. If you say it's a great camera I will get one.
It is a great camera, Tony, though the Panasonic G9 is well worth considering too. Noether one better, really just different. The bendy lens is just so useful when you are working in the confined space of my studio in a back bedroom. 😀
You did not mention the livecomp mode, unique to Olympus, and « irremplaçable » for stars trails, fireworks, storm lightnings photography, light painting....
I think it's because they're fundamentally the same as the Mark II
That's right, Simoneister. It would be nice to mention everything in a - what would be a very long - video but equally it's nice to have a few viewers still awake at the end of it🙂
Great review(again) David. I have the EM1Mkii and tempted to add either this or the EM1x as my next body. As the EM1x is available now for just a few hundred £ more, I wonder which would be the better option? I mainly do wildlife/birding, especially with the brilliant 300mmF4. Thanks again for a great channel
EM1X wins!
Glad you like the channel, Phil, thanks. It sounds to me like the EM1x might suit you best since it has the animal AI built in. My problem would just be the size but provided you don't mind that, the x was built for your purposes.
I use the EM1ii and now the EM1X for mainly wildlife/birding and absolutely love the EM1X. For me the ergonomics and button placement on the EM1X are brilliant and it is literally a joy to hold (something the specs can't tell you). It also balances the larger lenses such as the 300 Pro much better. I'm waiting for the AI tracking and/or eye detect AF to be updated to include animal related subjects (AI tracking at the moment is limited to planes, trains and automobiles) but that for me would just be icing on an already well baked cake. I still have my EM1ii as a walkabout camera (and as a backup) but with a majority of my photography being wildlife it doesn't get used much now. You need to be satisfied that the extra size and weight wouldn't be a problem (it isn't for me) but for my photography, if I had the choice of either the EM1iii or EM1X, I'd still go for the EM1X.
6:26 to 6:51 That is one neat (and expensive-looking) shot
That's the Edelkrone JibOne. Nice bit of kit. I'm spending so little in lockdown that I just bought it and to hell with the money. In a year or two I'll have forgotten what it cost 😮
@@DavidThorpeMFT Dang, adding another dimension to the video movement really adds something extra to the shot.
Great review, but one item to point out. The EM1X uses the USB C plug as well.
And why doesn't the em 5.3?
Yes, I haven't used one of those, so thanks for the info!
Good morning David! Do you consider the em-1 iii to be your current favorite camera, supplanting the Lumix G9? Specifically for Photographing Birds and wildlife, which one would you choose?
I really am taken with the E-M1 Mark III. The G9 has good C-AF, especially with the last firmware upgrade but there's no question that the PDAF of the Olympus is that much better. Less hesitation. If C-AF is not so important, there are many reasons to prefer the G9. swings and roundabouts, really.
Well, David, I think I now know what the next two adds to my M43 system will be. This camera and the Oly 12-40 f/2.8. My wallet thanks you!
Haha! Seriously, the E-M1 Mark #/ 12-40 Pro combo isn't cheap initially but quality gear pays off in the long run and can be argued to be cheaper....honest!
Thanks for another great video, David. As much as the EM1 III seems to be a great camera, I am not tempted to buy one. My GM5 and GX9 do all the things I need. I also run around very often just with a G9xII or a TG860. The K-50 very rarely comes out of the cupboard these days. It's rather time to sell camera equipment than to buy new stuff - at least for me.
K50 the Pentax you mean
I have much more gear than I need due to buying for reviews and books. I rally want to sell some stuff but I'm not sure that now is the best time. Actually, given how much you lose on selling, there's an argument for just keeping stuff for occasional use. Or maybe there isn't :-)
Great review. I actually enjoy your reviews, you hit the important stuff, leave out the usual several minutes of self-referential plugs, and aim them at people who have some idea what you're talking about. I usually avoid video reviews in favour of text where I can skip the rubbish and get right to the good bits. With your video revews, I don't have to. I have a Mark III, had a Mark II but agree entirely, the advances in the III make it really worthwhile. I use the handheld hires fairly often and love it, removes the last real objection to M43 for landscapes.
Thank you, Ross. I'm with you about video reviews. I prefer written reviews in general but I try to keep my videos to the point as far as possible. Nice to know it is noticed. Totally agree about the camera.
David I was watching a lot of reviews of the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 pro the other day and thought what does Mr Thorpe have to say about it, as your opinion is held in high regard, only to notice that you haven't done a review of it. I know you usually do a review when a new bit of kit comes out.... but... maybe........... PLEASE DO A REVIEW OF THE 12-40MM 2.8 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE....... I'll buy you a drink. :)
I will do that, sir!
I always count on your unbiased opinions
Glad you feel that way, Simon!
the Olympus LCD EVF is the only EVF capable of maintaining 120 fps at its full resolution in all conditions and all AF setting. No other EVF in the market can do this. I would rather have 120 fps over high resolution EVF any day. The one in the canon eos R is really bad with low refresh rate.
Yes, and Panasonics' G9 goes very fuzzy at high speed shooting settings, too.
Nice. I was half ready to get a G9 to upgrade from the original Em1. Hope its firmware can distinguish animals too since birding is a stress test w AF.
USB C is more durable than microusb and better in every way. I wonder if it allows an external battery to charge.
It doesn't have the animal recognition AI but with a little direction the focusing should pick up what you want. It will charge from an external battery but powering it needs something stronger than a power bank's 5 volts.
Hi David, thanks for the review; can I probe for your thoughts on my dilemma? I've got a bunch of legacy 4/3 glass (and the MMF3 adapter) and I'm looking at either the EM1 Mk II or Mk III to continue using them; these days I'm an occasional landscape and (minor) wildlife photographer. The Mk II is highly discounted now and for the price difference for the MkIII I could get an additional nice lens. Given my situation and based on your experience with both models, would you have a strong recommendation to got with the Mk III?
Hi FlyingRock,
I‘m using my old 50-200 f2.8 FT and sometimes in Low Light my 14-54 f 2.8 FT with the original olympus adapter. I would recommend not to use a cheap other adapter to mFT, but with the Olympus-Adapter it works fine. It is louder when focusing, and a few function cannot be used, f.e. Focus staking inside the camera. I use as well since 3 years the OMD1MII and I love it. Meanwhile I purchased a 12-100 f4 pro and this lence is the one I use almost always, it is perfect, check some tests here... I will not upgrade to MIII because the MII is just great and I not really miss the few new things...
Hope this helps. Regards from Germany, Volker
@@volkerwehres5917 that was super helpful Volker, thank you so much for the feedback! all the best!
No, I'd be inclined to a Mark II and the new lens. IQ wise no difference in the cameras and for what you do (unless the wildlife is _very_ fast flying/ _very_ fast running) no massive advantage in the Mark III.
One small correction EM1 II also came with Type C but now with PD vs EM1 III
Thanks for the info, Tomer. Noted!
If you choose the slo-mo (fhd 120 fps), the autofocus works? Thanks!
Hi Alin - S-AF only for and it is locked to the first spot focused on when you press the release. .