OM Systems OM-3 - new retro body for 2025

It's ironic that Pen-F gets as much mention as it now does, because when it was new, I had the sense that buyers stayed away in droves. Funny to think that it seemed premium-priced at 1200-1300 USD. OM System's USA web site has a section for Pen, but hasn't offered any products in the category for some time.
 
Godfrey said:
I'm content with my Olympus E-M1 body in terms of resolution, features, and performance.

What I'm interested in vis-a-vis mFT is all the new lenses that have cropped up in the past few years ... My kit is based on adapted FT lenses and the new mFT offerings are smaller, lighter, even better performers. A Panasonic Leica 42.5mm f/1.2 would be very nice...! Never mind a couple others that look very appealing... 🙂

G
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As an aside, I've tested the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.2 alongside the Olympus 45mm f1.2 that I own, and there is very little difference, if any. The Olympus is a fantastic lens, and I love the manual focus clutch which is handy for tricky focusing situations. The grass-is-greener side of me sometimes wants to get the Pana Leica for the sake of having it, but Olympus f1.2 Pro primes are superb, and you can get the 42.5 Oly for much less secondhand than the Pana Leica. In Australia, the Oly f1.2 primes retail for about AUD $2000, but you can find them mint in box for about $1000.
 
lynnb said:
fyi Thom Hogan has some interesting comments about the new Olympus OM-3 on his website (scroll down after the link).
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Yeah, hearing something is impossible sounds more like a bean counter than a dreamer or engineer, have to agree with Thom.

I had high hopes that the new owners would make a difference, a fresh start. While it's better than the slugs who own the Yashica name, I have a feeling there's more finance folks there than engineers.

Don't get me wrong, I love the analog OM single digit cameras, the XA family, it's great stuff. I'm hoping they do better, this one doesn't impress me.
 
Archiver said:
As an aside, I've tested the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.2 alongside the Olympus 45mm f1.2 that I own, and there is very little difference, if any. The Olympus is a fantastic lens, and I love the manual focus clutch which is handy for tricky focusing situations. The grass-is-greener side of me sometimes wants to get the Pana Leica for the sake of having it, but Olympus f1.2 Pro primes are superb, and you can get the 42.5 Oly for much less secondhand than the Pana Leica. In Australia, the Oly f1.2 primes retail for about AUD $2000, but you can find them mint in box for about $1000.
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I haven't even started thinking of buying, which is when I do a lot of research before plunking down money. I was simply taken with the notion of that focal length and speed ... hadn't looked in deeply enough yet to even know that Oly had a competitive lens. 😉

We'll see going forward whether my interest waxes or wanes.

G
 
Godfrey said:
I haven't even started thinking of buying, which is when I do a lot of research before plunking down money. I was simply taken with the notion of that focal length and speed ... hadn't looked in deeply enough yet to even know that Oly had a competitive lens. 😉

We'll see going forward whether my interest waxes or wanes.
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Back in the day, a number of people bought a m43 camera like the Panasonic GH4 specifically so they could use the Pana Leica 42.5. Then the GH5 arrived and it was almost a watershed moment for micro four thirds, especially for video creators. What began with the GH4, with people comparing the footage with cinema cameras from RED which cost upwards of $50k, led to the GH5, which video creators took up in droves. There are still many who use the GH5 for professional work, albeit not at the level that warrants a cinema camera like a RED or Arri.

Micro four thirds remains a solid competitor in the video/hybrid field, hence the release of cameras like the GH6 and GH7, but Olympus' niche appears to be for robust travel-ready cameras capable of handling birds in flight, some sports, and general outdoor use. The OM-3 appears to fit into the travel and everyday camera niche, or at least, that is where the marketing seems to point.
 
BillBingham2 said:
Yeah, hearing something is impossible sounds more like a bean counter than a dreamer or engineer, have to agree with Thom.

I had high hopes that the new owners would make a difference, a fresh start. While it's better than the slugs who own the Yashica name, I have a feeling there's more finance folks there than engineers.

Don't get me wrong, I love the analog OM single digit cameras, the XA family, it's great stuff. I'm hoping they do better, this one doesn't impress me.
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I feel like OM is just trying to do the best they can with limited market share, a photo-world that's obsessed with full-frame, and a constricted budget. I see the OM3 as a hopeful cash-flow generator, because real innovation costs real money.
 
Godfrey said:
I haven't even started thinking of buying, which is when I do a lot of research before plunking down money. I was simply taken with the notion of that focal length and speed ... hadn't looked in deeply enough yet to even know that Oly had a competitive lens. 😉

We'll see going forward whether my interest waxes or wanes.

G
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M4/3 lenses are extremely competitive, they are probably the strongest point of the system overall these days.
 
Archiver said:
Back in the day, a number of people bought a m43 camera like the Panasonic GH4 specifically so they could use the Pana Leica 42.5. Then the GH5 arrived and it was almost a watershed moment for micro four thirds, especially for video creators. What began with the GH4, with people comparing the footage with cinema cameras from RED which cost upwards of $50k, led to the GH5, which video creators took up in droves. There are still many who use the GH5 for professional work, albeit not at the level that warrants a cinema camera like a RED or Arri.

Micro four thirds remains a solid competitor in the video/hybrid field, hence the release of cameras like the GH6 and GH7, but Olympus' niche appears to be for robust travel-ready cameras capable of handling birds in flight, some sports, and general outdoor use. The OM-3 appears to fit into the travel and everyday camera niche, or at least, that is where the marketing seems to point.
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I'm not much of a video producer.

I see mFT as a solid offering for still work where the need is clear: where the size, weight, image stabilization, and telephoto reach of an mFT kit fits the need, and the notion of output print size is not overwhelming. A great camera system for field work, safari and such. The lens offerings are excellent and even the ancient E-M1 sensor is quite good, the current sensors are excellent, and an extremely versatile kit can be had with two/three relatively compact lenses that fit nicely in a very small satchel.

Landscape? 'Total detail' subject matter? Ultra-wide work? et cetera... No: pick FF or MF-digital for that, the right tools for the job. That's what I have Leica and Hasselblad for. 🙂

There has never been a "one size fits all things best" camera system. And I doubt there can be.

G
 
I was by a camera store yesterday and saw it in person. Very much the 70s OM-1 design but made digital.
Next to it was the G9II and an S5. I've noted that the G9 is offensively large for the format with a body that is as big as its FF sibling. IMO being compactness a possible advantage of m43 but also I am no video shooter.
 
Remember the good ole days, when you'd buy a film camera expecting to use it for many years? Me neither, but I wonder if we're reached that point with digital as sensor technology has seemingly plateaued. Sony's RX100 VII was introduced in 2019, and the RX1R II, in 2016, and yet it seems they're still competitive, save for AI-esque computational features, so who knows.
 
JeffS7444 said:
Remember the good ole days, when you'd buy a film camera expecting to use it for many years? Me neither, but I wonder if we're reached that point with digital as sensor technology has seemingly plateaued. Sony's RX100 VII was introduced in 2019, and the RX1R II, in 2016, and yet it seems they're still competitive, save for AI-esque computational features, so who knows.
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I think you're right that the technology has plateaued--how many more megapixels do most of us need? Another factor is the declining sales of digital cameras that aren't cell phones. If you make cameras you have to project a big enough market for new products to cover your development costs and turn a profit. Fewer potential units sold makes for fewer new products coming to market.
 
cboy said:
Absolute worst way to retro-fy a camera is to just to copy the shell....they didn't even get the name right lol

Seriously the appeal of an analogue retro camera is the manual dials... The point is, as had been done well in the zf, is to retain the manual dials so as to simplify the camera and not be bogged down with menus. Non dedicated dials could have worked if there was a top LCD panel but OM couldn't even be bothered.
2k cash grab...not worth ppls time imo
And gaudy awful art filters at the front is the nail in the coffin

The original film OMs were superb. I loved my OM2. They've fallen far from there. And the fall of Olympus was unfortunately justified. Whatever OM system is it's not appealing at all. Even the original 4/3 system was way more robust and professional than the awful presets and filters OM now has. Who edits their photo with a 2inch screen seriously....
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I think that will be a large part of the appeal to those who buy this camera. The computational settings give the user a means to edit color, resolution, contrast curves, use monochrome contrast filters, neutral density and graduated neutral density effects all within the camera, (not that I'm a fan of editing photos on a small, lower resolution LCD). Multi-shot high resolution option with and without tripod, stacked sensor, good lens options for those new to the OM system.... these, despite less than class-leading LCD and EVF resolution and only single card slot, are appealing. Lower the price and I'd consider buying one for street photography. I'll wait patiently.
 
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