• December 2, 2023

The OM-5 is the primary leftover Olympus digital camera to be branded OM Device, and I am getting unhappy taking a look at it

When Olympus offered its digital camera department and reformed as OM Device, it overestimated a push towards computational images with its new mirrorless cameras — this isn’t that digital camera. Nowadays, OM Device is saying the brand new OM-5, a $1,199.99 mirrorless digital camera that launches past due subsequent month and looks as if a zombified husk of Olympus. I’m certain it’s going to be a tremendous digital camera, however I will be able to’t lend a hand feeling depressed once I take a look at it.

Positive, the OM-1 was once technically OM Device’s first digital camera free up, nevertheless it was once nonetheless branded Olympus. Now, with the OM-5, it’s proudly dressed in the OM Device title on its brow, one thing that’s certain to simply please a handful of other people in a advertising and marketing assembly someplace.

A three-quarters front view of the OM System OM-5 with attached lens, in black.

We’ll must get used to this glance now, as OM Device could also be saying it’s going to be progressively transitioning all Olympus-branded cameras, lenses, equipment, binoculars, and audio units to the revised branding.
Symbol: OM Device

Aside from, smartly, this nonetheless simply turns out like every other holdover from Olympus construction. Let’s run thru a bit tick list.

It’s no longer that this digital camera has not anything going for it, regardless that the listing of recent options is so sparse that one of the vital greatest additions is give a boost to for vertical video — so that you don’t must manually alternate the orientation of the report later. The brand new OM-5 could also be IP53-rated for weatherproofing, matching the OM-1, and it’s the primary OM Device / Olympus digital camera you’ll use natively as a webcam with only a USB cable. However past all that, I’m squinting my eyes to search for extra causes to search out the OM-5 interesting for any person as opposed to the Olympus devoted who have already got a number of suitable Zuiko lenses and are late for an reasonably priced improve.

The rear of the OM-5 looks identical to the previous OM-D E-M5 Mark III, and it maintains the articulating three-inch touchscreen with about 1.04 million dots.

The rear of the OM-5 appears just like the former OM-D E-M5 Mark III, and it maintains the articulating three-inch touchscreen with about 1.04 million dots.
Symbol: OM Device

There’s not anything mistaken with having a few of Olympus’s cast options trickle all the way down to a lower cost level, however in a time the place a lot of the thrill round cameras is concentrated round techniques with greater sensors, this digital camera seems like a rather uncomfortable inflection level. 

The joint Olympus and Panasonic-developed micro four-thirds machine is a digital camera line that appears love it may just slowly fade away, particularly with Panasonic’s consideration apparently extra inquisitive about area of interest field cameras and its full-frame choices in dire want of refreshes.

The OM-5’s in-body image stabilization achieves up to 6.5 stops of compensation, or 7.5 stops when paired with an optically stabilized lens.

The OM-5’s in-body symbol stabilization achieves as much as 6.5 stops of repayment, or 7.5 stops when paired with an optically stabilized lens.
Symbol: OM Device

I’m hoping we’re on the subject of to expire of those outdated Olympus leftovers within the construction cycle, and we’ll quickly see some in reality attention-grabbing issues from OM Device. We want one thing cool to distract ourselves from that cringe-inducing wordmark atop the digital camera as a result of, at this time, I worry it simplest makes me mourn the legacy of Olympus cameras that’s vulnerable to slipping away.