Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression: Micro Four Thirds Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

Started Jul 22, 2021 | Discussions

john isaacs • Veteran Member • Posts: 8,442

Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

Jul 22, 2021

I ordered the E-M5 III and 14-150 for $1049. Practically a free lens. This will upgrade/replace my E-M5 II. I've got it set up, and these are my first impressions:

THE GOOD

1. I like the updated grip; it's more defined and supports the camera much better than the mk II.

2. It didn't get bigger, and it's just a bit lighter (20g). Makes me wonder where all the weight savings went from going plastic instead of magnesium?

3. It's quieter. The new shutter has no high frequency components, it's just a muffled thump. The E-M1 II and III have high frequency components like the E-M5 II. So, WOW.

4. The EVF is brighter. Significantly.

5. The Accessory Ports are so much easier to use. Three separate flaps, instead of one big that opens DOWN and got in the way so you couldn't use an L-bracket or cage.

6. USB charging. Okay, but you can't use the camera while it's plugged in. Halfway there, but considering how fat the battery charger is, it's a nice feature.

7. Flash. It comes with the same flash as the E-M5.2. Normally I wouldn't mention this (it's a great little flash, but still, it's the same). It didn't come with the velvet case, but you don't even get one with the E-M1.3, so this falls under "good" as in "good, at least you still get the flash".

8. Function lever. Okay, this is a subtle thing (so I'm surprised they did it?), but the function lever direction changed (flip it up to go to 2, down to go to 1). Which makes it consistent with the E-M1.2 and E-M1.3.

THE BAD

1. They really screwed up with custom modes. Went from 4 mysets to 3 custom modes, but only one slot on the mode dial for the first custom mode. And you can't assign them to a function button. Even worse than the change from E-M1.1 to E-M1.2; and you might have thought they would hear all the complaints with that change. They made improvements with the E-M1.3, but still; they are just plain deaf.

2. The ISO button is too hard to reach due to the more pronounced lip. They could have sloped it down more like the buttons on the E-M1.2 and E-M1.3; but they didn't. They didn't get any feedback on this? I can't imagine.

3. And speaking of buttons, the original E-M5 was horrible because of the buttons. The E-M5.2 had pronounced and easily accessed function buttons. They should have left the buttons alone, because instead they made them flush to the body and you can barely feel them. Wearing gloves? You have no hope whatsoever. And the front button; it's so smooth you can hardly tell it's there, which means that it's hard to use when you want it but also easy to accidentaly press. Good grief. What a mess. I'm sorry, but I have to call "idiots" on this one.

SOMETHING ELSE

They changed the battery. Normally, I would be all over this. I still have a mess of batteries from my E-M1.1's that I use with the E-M5.2. So changing the battery is a big pain, especially if I'm going to keep the E-M5.2. But I'm going to take the selfish route on this because I'm not keeping the E-M5.2, but also because I have extra batteries already for my E-PL6 IR conversion. I can take the E-M5.3 and E-PL6 together. Great!

And finally; I put custom brackets on ALL of my cameras for attaching camera straps or mounting on tripods/clamps/poles. Usually, I can find a good Chinese bracket for cheap, but the only ones available come with enhanced grips, which I find make it more difficult to access the function buttons. So bummer there; the only option is RRS, which I usually like but are very expensive. Well, I do like the RRS bracket; it doesn't have an enhanced grip (doesn't even have the option, like their E-M5.2 bracket did), it does come with a cute little stubby hex key, but it has a forward position for the vertical bracket so you can open (but not rotate) the LCD. Well, the vertical part is still pretty useless, and it'll go in the "box" never to be seen again. But the bottom part is very nice.

AND ON THAT NOTE

I like it. I don't love it, because of the buttons. But man, that shutter is sweet. And it's 20MP, and it has PDAF. So I'll use it.

And now, I have some M43 cameras to sell. And batteries.

Olympus E-M1 Olympus E-M5 II Olympus PEN E-PL6

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sbszine • Contributing Member • Posts: 806

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to john isaacs • Jul 22, 2021

I had a few misgivings myself, but I quickly fell in love with the 5.3. It's got so many useful features. It seems like there's always something new in there to discover.

sbszine's gear list:sbszine's gear list

Olympus Tough TG-2 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Olympus PEN E-PM2 Olympus E-M5 III Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH +8 more

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Leolab • Forum Member • Posts: 86

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to john isaacs • Jul 22, 2021

Did you notice the VF magnification reduction coming from the EM5ii?

I've always grappled with getting EM5iii but have never jumped due to the reduced EVF magnification

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OP john isaacs • Veteran Member • Posts: 8,442

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to Leolab • Jul 22, 2021

Leolab wrote:

Did you notice the VF magnification reduction coming from the EM5ii?

I've always grappled with getting EM5iii but have never jumped due to the reduced EVF magnification

No, I did not notice it. What I did notice was the brightness. I used a 25mm lens on both cameras, and switched between them looking at the same scene.

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Leolab • Forum Member • Posts: 86

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to john isaacs • Jul 22, 2021

Thanks John...now I need to get over the perceived decrease in build quality (metal vs plastic), and the somewhat fussier design (minor annoyance)...

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CBR1100XX • Senior Member • Posts: 1,722

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to john isaacs • Jul 23, 2021

I guess I'm not the only one here who got their E-M5 III today, glad you're enjoying it too and that's a crazy deal!

Yeah that ISO button would be a big pain to use. After trying it once I just set the record button to do ISO which is a lot easier and how I have my E-M10 II's set up. And you're not kidding about how quiet the shutter is. I might not even need to use the silent one in a lot of circumstances with that thing.

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(unknown member) • Forum Pro • Posts: 47,805

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to john isaacs • Jul 23, 2021

The shutter is indeed a nice thing. Beware the rear thumb nail fake leather rest in 3-6 months... it will expand and fall off.

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Raist3d/Ricardo (Photographer, software dev.)- I photograph black cats in coal mines at night...
“The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.” - George Orwell

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gary0319 • Forum Pro • Posts: 10,540

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to (unknown member) • Jul 23, 2021

Raist3d wrote:

The shutter is indeed a nice thing. Beware the rear thumb nail fake leather rest in 3-6 months... it will expand and fall off.

I’ve had my 5.3 since first availability (November 2019). No issues with the thumb grip so far….knock wood. I did have to replace the covering on my Pen F at one point. Hope the replacement for the 5.3 will be available, should I need it.

gary0319's gear list:gary0319's gear list

Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV OM-1 OM System OM-5 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 R Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ +7 more

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(unknown member) • Forum Pro • Posts: 47,805

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to gary0319 • Jul 23, 2021

gary0319 wrote:

Raist3d wrote:

The shutter is indeed a nice thing. Beware the rear thumb nail fake leather rest in 3-6 months... it will expand and fall off.

I’ve had my 5.3 since first availability (November 2019). No issues with the thumb grip so far….knock wood. I did have to replace the covering on my Pen F at one point. Hope the replacement for the 5.3 will be available, should I need it.

I hope they make that part available as they do with penf There’s been like at least 4-6 people seeing the same issue with their camera.

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Samuel Dilworth • Senior Member • Posts: 1,391

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to john isaacs • Jul 23, 2021

I also got an E-M5 Mark III recently (not that deal, you lucky Americans). Immediately noticed the luxurious shutter sound. Hopefully it’s as durable as it sounds.

I didn’t notice a particular problem with the ISO button location or function but probably change ISO less often than most of you.

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(unknown member) • Forum Pro • Posts: 47,805

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to Samuel Dilworth • Jul 23, 2021

Samuel Dilworth wrote:

I also got an E-M5 Mark III recently (not that deal, you lucky Americans). Immediately noticed the luxurious shutter sound. Hopefully it’s as durable as it sounds.

Other than the tripod base, and the fake leather thumb rest, so far it seems it is. I am not afraid of the plastic build- they should really have made that thumb rest come out of the body with some textured plastic like they did on EP7. or Panasonic did on the GX850. - no more fake leather fall offs!

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Samuel Dilworth • Senior Member • Posts: 1,391

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to (unknown member) • Jul 23, 2021

Raist3d wrote:
Other than the tripod base, and the fake leather thumb rest, so far it seems it is. I am not afraid of the plastic build- they should really have made that thumb rest come out of the body with some textured plastic like they did on EP7. or Panasonic did on the GX850. - no more fake leather fall offs!

I meant the shutter itself. Hopefully durable. It feels smooth.

I would prefer a metal build but no comparable camera in metal exists. So I decided to get on with it and use what’s available rather than constantly moaning about imaginary perfect cameras.

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(unknown member) • Forum Pro • Posts: 47,805

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to Samuel Dilworth • Jul 23, 2021

Samuel Dilworth wrote:

Raist3d wrote:

Other than the tripod base, and the fake leather thumb rest, so far it seems it is. I am not afraid of the plastic build- they should really have made that thumb rest come out of the body with some textured plastic like they did on EP7. or Panasonic did on the GX850. - no more fake leather fall offs!

I meant the shutter itself. Hopefully durable. It feels smooth.

I would prefer a metal build but no comparable camera in metal exists. So I decided to get on with it and use what’s available rather than constantly moaning about imaginary perfect cameras.

You got that right! All perfect cameras are imaginary. The plastic build itself doesn't bother me. I like the fact it's lighter for it.

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gary0319 • Forum Pro • Posts: 10,540

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to (unknown member) • Jul 23, 2021

Raist3d wrote:

Samuel Dilworth wrote:

Raist3d wrote:

Other than the tripod base, and the fake leather thumb rest, so far it seems it is. I am not afraid of the plastic build- they should really have made that thumb rest come out of the body with some textured plastic like they did on EP7. or Panasonic did on the GX850. - no more fake leather fall offs!

I meant the shutter itself. Hopefully durable. It feels smooth.

I would prefer a metal build but no comparable camera in metal exists. So I decided to get on with it and use what’s available rather than constantly moaning about imaginary perfect cameras.

You got that right! All perfect cameras are imaginary. The plastic build itself doesn't bother me. I like the fact it's lighter for it.

I have the E-M1 III, the E-M5 III, and the E-M10 IV. I’ll venture that if you put them all on the table for people to fondle, most folks would never comment, or could even tell, if one was composite or not. My Pen F is metal, and actually , it now feels a bit overweight.

gary0319's gear list:gary0319's gear list

Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV OM-1 OM System OM-5 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 R Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ +7 more

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(unknown member) • Forum Pro • Posts: 47,805

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to gary0319 • Jul 23, 2021

gary0319 wrote:

Raist3d wrote:

Samuel Dilworth wrote:

Raist3d wrote:

Other than the tripod base, and the fake leather thumb rest, so far it seems it is. I am not afraid of the plastic build- they should really have made that thumb rest come out of the body with some textured plastic like they did on EP7. or Panasonic did on the GX850. - no more fake leather fall offs!

I meant the shutter itself. Hopefully durable. It feels smooth.

I would prefer a metal build but no comparable camera in metal exists. So I decided to get on with it and use what’s available rather than constantly moaning about imaginary perfect cameras.

You got that right! All perfect cameras are imaginary. The plastic build itself doesn't bother me. I like the fact it's lighter for it.

I have the E-M1 III, the E-M5 III, and the E-M10 IV. I’ll venture that if you put them all on the table for people to fondle, most folks would never comment, or could even tell, if one was composite or not. My Pen F is metal, and actually , it now feels a bit overweight.

I have to tell you, I have come to love the EM10MKIV more than I thought. What a difference having a TILTCD does fore me- but also the fact the mechanical shutter doesn't sound like a cheap camera, the lightness of it is amazing considering the IBIS is much better than what I was expecting, and being even smaller than EM5MKIII for me is bonus, coffee and Parisian baguettes

And all the fancy features are accessible via menu, which is nice.

I even thought about selling forward the EP7 and keep the EM10. It may still happen.

Had the EM5 had a tilt LCD and a todo built for that thumb rest, I wouldn't have neither EM10 nor EP7. I definitively can tell the EM5.3 does better AF, though I think a big part of it is not just the phase detect, bu the fact the sensor has a 2x refresh rate.. allowing for more calculations when having to do Contrast AF, like say C-TRack.

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Samuel Dilworth • Senior Member • Posts: 1,391

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to john isaacs • Jul 23, 2021

john isaacs wrote:
Flash. It comes with the same flash as the E-M5.2. Normally I wouldn't mention this (it's a great little flash, but still, it's the same). It didn't come with the velvet case, but you don't even get one with the E-M1.3, so this falls under "good" as in "good, at least you still get the flash".

For what it’s worth, my camera did come with a neat little pouch for the flash.

Of course my camera was EU stock, and maybe there are some minor differences like this.

Alternatively, maybe the pouch was removed to save costs? I say this because I was slightly surprised to see that my E-M5 Mark III was manufactured way back in December 2019 according to the hidden service menu:

https://www.apotelyt.com/camera-find/olympus-mft-shutter-count

I was more surprised still to find the flash. I hadn’t realised that was included. The fact I bought the camera anyway suggests that a more significant cost saving than removing the pouch would be to remove the flash.

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Samuel Dilworth • Senior Member • Posts: 1,391

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to (unknown member) • Jul 23, 2021

Raist3d wrote:
I have to tell you, I have come to love the EM10MKIV more than I thought. What a difference having a TILTCD does fore me- but also the fact the mechanical shutter doesn't sound like a cheap camera

Does the E-M10 Mark IV shutter sound like the E-M5 Mark III?

I have an old E-M10 Mark II (that I still like a lot) and, although I never thought of it as a problem, the shutter has a much louder and sharper sound than the E-M5 Mark III shutter. Still has a nice high flash synch speed, though.

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Peter Del • Veteran Member • Posts: 7,988

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to john isaacs • Jul 23, 2021

john isaacs wrote:

THE BAD

1. They really screwed up with custom modes. Went from 4 mysets to 3 custom modes, but only one slot on the mode dial for the first custom mode.

That's exactly why I decided to buy a second Pen F instead.

Peter Del

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Gallery: http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/8804053911

Peter Del's gear list:Peter Del's gear list

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Olympus PEN-F Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm 1:4-5.6 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 +5 more

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(unknown member) • Forum Pro • Posts: 47,805

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to Samuel Dilworth • Jul 23, 2021

Samuel Dilworth wrote:

Raist3d wrote:

I have to tell you, I have come to love the EM10MKIV more than I thought. What a difference having a TILTCD does fore me- but also the fact the mechanical shutter doesn't sound like a cheap camera

Does the E-M10 Mark IV shutter sound like the E-M5 Mark III?

I’ll have to put them side to side The em10 mkiv is still muted but not as dampened as the em5. I guess that means no, but doesn’t sound loud by any means That’s what surprised me- because usually entry level models do

I have an old E-M10 Mark II (that I still like a lot) and, although I never thought of it as a problem, the shutter has a much louder and sharper sound than the E-M5 Mark III shutter. Still has a nice high flash synch speed, though.

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(unknown member) • Forum Pro • Posts: 47,805

Re: Olympus E-M5 III; got it on sale, here's my impression

In reply to Peter Del • Jul 23, 2021

Peter Del wrote:

john isaacs wrote:

THE BAD

1. They really screwed up with custom modes. Went from 4 mysets to 3 custom modes, but only one slot on the mode dial for the first custom mode.

That's exactly why I decided to buy a second Pen F instead.

May I have to say - so I think is the consideration of camera response and AF…. It’s way way better than penf But I can understand that if those customizations on dial are essential to your workflow and you mainly shoot penf in good light

Peter Del

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