Olympus reveals OM-D Micro Four Thirds camera

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Olympus has released the much awaited OM-D Micro Four Thirds camera. Inspired by its iconic namesake, the OM-D is a rugged, splashproof and dustproof 16 Megapixel camera that brings many notable innovations to the line of ILC's (Interchangeable Lens Cameras). Available starting April 2012, the OM-D will cost $999.99 (Body only, available in Black and Silver), $1,299.99 (Black or Silver body with black M.ZUIKO Digital ED 12-50 mm f3.5-6.3 EZ lens) and $1,099.99 (Black body with black M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42 mm f3.5-5.6 II R lens). Hit jump for complete details plus out first impressions on this exciting new camera.

After successfully reviving their Olympus PEN (and establishing the viability of the Micro Four Thirds system) Olympus decided to bring back another legendary line of cameras but this time aimining for the midrange and prosumer market while throwing in all the features that their weatherproof E5 Four Thirds DSLRs. Below are our first impressions based on the pre-production prototype we tested a few weeks ago.

• The E-M5 is extremely light thanks to the magnesium alloy


• It is weather sealed much like the Olympus E5 and E3 DSLRs


• Auto focus is the fastest we've used on a Micro Four Thirds camera


• The kit lenses will be weather sealed and Olympus will offer sealed Four Third lens adaptors as well


• The OLED multi-touch screen is bright and well saturated even under bright conditions and can be angled.


• Olympus is going after the mid-range and prosumer DSLR markets with this new OM-D line which will have more bodies and lenses coming.

The Olympus E-M5 is the first of the new Olympus OM-D (OM Digital) Series of Micro Four Thirds products. Designed to meet the needs of advanced photographers, the Olympus E-M5 is packed with a built-in electronic viewfinder, superior image technology, blazing fast speed and total creative control in a classic, rugged body ready for sand, sun, sleet or snow.

Below is Olympus' full Press Release for the E-M5

Evoking the classic design of the original OM Series introduced 40 years ago, it combines outstanding features found in the Olympus E-System DSLR line with those of the compact Olympus PEN Series to meet the requirements of discerning photographers who demand more performance and portability from their interchangeable-lens cameras. The compact and ready-for-action Olympus E-M5 boasts breakthrough innovations inside, including:

• A built-in 120-fps (frames-per-second) refresh rate, high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF) with outstanding image quality, eye detect and intuitive functionality that enables real-time viewing of shooting conditions


• A 16.1-megapixel Live MOS Sensor and TruePic^™ VI image-processing engine for superior image quality and high sensitivity


• The world’s first 5-axis image stabilizer to compensate for multi-directional camera shake during both still photography and HD moviemaking


• The world’s fastest*² autofocusing system (FAST AF) plus new 3D AF tracking for improved performance following moving subjects at up to 9 frames-per-second sequential shooting


• A lightweight magnesium alloy body that is enhanced with the same dustproof and splashproof durability of the Olympus E-5 DSLR


• A tilting 3.0-inch touch screen OLED and new Movie Effects: One Shot Echo, for a semi-transparent frame at your whim and Multi Echo, for a multi-motion trail effect.

Intuitively Designed Electronic Viewfinder

The OLYMPUS E-M5 is the first Olympus interchangeable-lens camera to incorporate a 120-fps refresh rate, High-Definition electronic viewfinder with an eye sensor to seamlessly switch the display between the tilting, 3.0-inch touch screen OLED and the electronic viewfinder for ease-of-use, features a 100-percent field of view, maximum 1.15x magnification and an eye point of 18mm for fatigue-free viewing. Camera setting information, such as shutter speed, is displayed at the bottom of the viewfinder so photographers can concentrate on framing shots and take full advantage of an EVF’s ability to display the effects of various exposure adjustments and Art Filter effects – all without having to take the eye away from the viewfinder.

Superior Image Quality

The Olympus E-M5 uses a new 16.1 megapixel High-Speed Live MOS Sensor offering improved performance and exceptional clarity and speed in all aspects of image capture. Olympus’ TruePic VI image-processing engine dramatically improves image quality in low-light environments. The camera’s sensor allows for a maximum ISO of 25,600, and the dynamic range has been expanded for more faithful colour reproduction.

Unprecedented 5-axis image stabilization

The Olympus E-M5 is distinguished by the world’s first 5-axis image-stabilization mechanism capable of reducing the effects of camera motion and image blur from five directions on stills and video, even including motion blur caused by the photographer walking or running. Previous IS mechanisms compensated for camera shake by addressing only two kinds of movement along the vertical and horizontal axis. However, camera shake can actually be caused by five different kinds of movement: horizontal shift, vertical shift, rotary motion, as well as the yaw and pitch. While some technology has attempted to correct for camera blur by building the Image Stabilization mechanism into the lens, the Olympus E-M5 IS mechanism is incorporated into the camera body itself so that all lenses mounted on the body can take advantage of this sophisticated technology, whether shooting stills or HD video.

Blazing Speed

Focus and shoot faster with record-breaking autofocus speed and imaging processing. The Olympus E-M5 employs the FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology) AF system, introduced in the PEN E-P3, but with even greater speed. The 16MP Live MOS chip drives image data off the sensor at a blazing 240 frames-per-second, a 2X speed increase in Continuous Autofocus, with reduced image blackout enabling photographers to track fast action, Maximum frame rates in sequential shooting have also increased more than 2X with a max frame rate of 9-fps in Single AF. A new 3D tracking AF system can follow the subject through the X-, Y- and Z-axes to dramatically improve focus on moving subjects. Paired with the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50-mm f3.5-6.3 electronic zoom lens for optimum focusing speed, fast camera start-up times and operational speeds enable the photographer to keep up with the most challenging shooting situations, while dual control dials and dedicated function buttons help them adjust settings on-the-fly.

Creative Freedom

The Olympus E-M5 features a 3.0-inch tilting OLED touch-screen to enable photographers to get up high or down low for any shot. The touch screen interface offers intuitive focus and release of the shutter and review and enlargement of images in playback with the touch of a finger. The new Live Bulb feature updates the Live View image on the OLED screen at pre-set intervals during long exposures and enables the user to preview continually unfolding action such as fireworks or waterfalls and adjust the exposure time accordingly while capturing the image at the desired moment.