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2025’s best-looking camera, the OM-3 blends retro looks with serious power.
However, its features are all previously generation versus the pricier OM-3.
OM System OM-3 (left) and OM System OM-5 (right) top-down view
But OM System already has a compact retro-styled DSLR-lookalike the OM-5.
This also has a 20MP sensor and rather lovely retro styling.
Its also smaller, lighter and much cheaper.
OM System OM-3 (left) and OM System OM-5 (right) top-down view
We think there are five key areas where the OM-3 is a very different camera to the OM-5.
The OM-3 is 14mm wider than the OM-5.
Its also a little taller, though not quite as thick in the body.
And where the OM-5 is a rugged, weatherproof camera, its constructed from plastic and feels it.
The controls are different too.
The dials on the OM-5 are very good, but those on the OM-3 have a real premium feel.
But theres a lot more to the OM-3 than just looks…
2.
The newer stacked BSI sensor
Key specifications for any camera always start with the sensor size and resolution.
First, it allows fearsome continuous shooting speeds in a different league to the OM-5s.
Second, it ushers in substantially improved video and autofocus capabilities, which well look at separately.
Would you use the OM-3 for sports and action photography?
Maybe not the OM-1 Mark II is a much better shape for that.
But the speed is there if you need it.
The OM-5 can chug along at 10fps, but if you want continuous AF that drops to 6ps.
The OM-3s new sensor brings other, subtler advantages.
First, theres the High Res Shot mode.
Theres no change there.
The OM-5 offers a maximum 4-stop ND effect, but the OM-3 increases that to 6 stops.
Is that enough for daytime long exposures?
It depends on how long you need them to be, but its a definite improvement.
Now the OM-3 has a third feature which you dont get on the OM-5, and its particularly interesting.
This is not a simple software kludge this is applied at part of the image capture process.
It depends on the kind of photography you do, so maybe not.
The OM-5 could hardly be considered a convincing hybrid camera, but the OM-3 is different.
OM System OM-3 (left) and OM System OM-5 (right) top-down view
Quite apart from its technical improvements, the OM-3 is physically designed with video in mind.
In just about every area, you will notice user experience and image quality improvements.
Overall, there’s no doubt that the OM-3 is a sizeable upgrade in many departments.
If you could afford it, you’ll be happy to have spent the extra money.
OM System OM-3 (left) and OM-5 (right) sensors compared.
OM System OM-3 (left) and OM System OM-5 (right) both offer computational imaging features.
The OM System OM-3 (left) has a much more advanced Quad Pixel AF system than the OM-5 (right).
The OM System OM-3 (left) has significantly more powerful video capabilities than the OM-5 (right).
