Olympus have announced the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, featuring what they say is the world's best image stabilisation system with 7.5 shutter speed steps of compensation.

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III also features a new image processor, a 20.4-megapixel Live-MOS sensor with SSWF technology and a special coating for dust reduction and a 121-point all cross-type on-chip phase detection AF system with various AF target modes and settings. 

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Olympus are running a pre-order offer where all orders placed before 29 February 2020 will receive a complimentary copy of Capture One Pro 20, while stocks last.  

Also announced today is the 12-45mm f/4 Pro standard zoom lens, which Olympus say is the most compact and lightweight of its kind.

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III will be available from late February in black as body only at RRP of £1,599.99 and in different kit versions with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40 f/2.8 PRO lens at RRP of £2,199.99 or with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100 f/4.0 IS PRO lens at RRP of £2,499.99.

The predecessor model E-M1 Mark II will be sold in parallel at new RRPs of £1,299.99 (body only) and £1,999.99 for the ED 12-40 F2.8 PRO lens kit, the double zoom kit will be £2,999.99.

Like every Olympus camera and lens, the E-M1 Mark III comes with a free six-month warranty extension[1] when registered via the MyOlympus platform at http://my.olympus.eu

[1] Six months on top of the statutory warranty in the country of purchase.

From Olympus: 

High image quality fostered by the world’s best image stabilization and a new image processor in a compact body

Being exceptionally compact and lightweight, the overall E-M1 Mark III system (including any M.Zuiko lens) maintains superb mobility while offering high image quality and performance.

When synchronizing the in-lens image stabilization of supported lenses[1] with the in-body 5-axis image stabilization, the E-M1 Mark III achieves the world’s best stabilization performance of 7.5 shutter speed steps of compensation with 5-axis sync IS. This level of stabilization enables shooting in dark locations and during super-telephoto photography without a tripod, opening up new possibilities for photographers and filmmakers. Without sync IS, the in-body image stabilization ensures image stabilization with any attached Micro Four Thirds lens of up to 7.0 shutter speed steps compensation.

In combination with the new image processing engine TruePic IX, a 20.4 Megapixel Live MOS sensor, and an extensive line-up of high-resolution M.Zuiko lenses, the 5-axis IS ensures minimal noise even at high-sensitivity settings and top-class image quality with minimal distortion up to the edges of the shot.

For users in need of higher resolutions, the 50MP Handheld High Res Shot feature makes it possible to capture approximately 50 Megapixel high-resolution images without using a tripod. The Tripod High Res Shot function allows for recording ultra high-resolution (approx. 80 Megapixel equivalent) RAW and JPEG images.

Live ND, which was very popular on the OM-D E-M1X, is also included in this model. Users can select the effect level from ND2 (one step) to ND32 (5 steps), and check the slow shutter effects in the viewfinder before capturing.

Weather-sealing and acclaimed Olympus technologies ensure absolute reliability

The rugged magnesium alloy body of the OM-D E-M1 Mark III features Olympus’ acclaimed dust-, splash- and freezeproof design to allow for shooting in any location and environment.

The lithium-ion battery BLH-1 can be fully charged in as little as two hours when installed in the camera and attached to a power source via USB. The E-M1 Mark III is compatible with the USB PD (USB Power Delivery) standard to run the camera with energy supply from an external power bank, making it possible to shoot for long periods of time – especially convenient for astrophotography or photography in cold environments.

With Olympus’ advanced SSWF (Super Sonic Wave Filter) technology (which vibrates the image sensor filter with an acceleration of several thousand G[1] 30,000 times per second to powerfully shake off dust and dirt) and a new sensor coating introduced with the OM-D E-M1X, dirt cannot stick to the sensor, reducing spots in images to 1/10th of that in conventional models. The high-durability shutter unit in the E-M1 Mark III clears 400,000 operation tests[2] and therefore offers a high level of reliability.

High-speed, high-precision autofocus capabilities with innovative Starry Sky AF and Advanced Face Priority / Eye Priority AF

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III is equipped with a 121-point all cross-type On-chip Phase Detection AF sensor for focusing on various areas of the screen. It offers 75% vertical coverage and 80% horizontal coverage of the screen for a wide focusing area. Paired with an advanced AF algorithm, this feature can continually focus on fast-moving subjects with a high degree of precision. Unlike DSLR cameras, there is no degradation in AF precision when using a fast lens. The E-M1 Mark III offers high-precision focusing that can sufficiently bring out the capabilities even of large-diameter lenses such as those with a maximum aperture of f1.2.

AF/AE tracking is possible at maximum 18 fps high-speed sequential shooting while maintaining the full pixel count of 20.4 Megapixels. The subject can also be checked in the viewfinder during high-speed sequential shooting for accurate tracking.

A multi selector (as introduced with the E-M1X) makes it possible to quickly shift AF areas with your thumb while looking through the viewfinder. Because users can move the AF areas with the multi selector during sequential shooting, it is possible to accurately focus even on subjects that move erratically, as e.g. often found in wildlife photography. The AF target loop setting is also added, which, based on user selection, either stops the AF target at the edge of the screen or moves it to the opposite edge.

Face Priority / Eye Priority AF, which automatically detects and focuses on people’s faces and eyes, is now more advanced. The new image processor TruePic IX features higher processing capabilities and improved AF algorithms to better detect small faces and eyes, whilst keeping stable focusing on a subject even in situations where face detection was difficult in the past (such as e.g. focusing on the sides of faces). It is now also possible to use either the buttons or touch operations to select faces when shooting still images or videos, and detection on or off can be changed with the touch of a single button. Along with versatile video functions, this feature makes the E-M1 Mark III a great tool for vloggers.

Starry Sky AF, which is new for the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, is a feature that will revolutionize the world of astrophotography. In the past, photographers have traditionally relied on manual focusing. A new algorithm was developed to enable accurate focusing even on the tiniest stars shining in the night sky, enabling ultra high-precision autofocusing. One of two modes in Starry Sky AF is the Speed Priority mode (default setting), which prioritizes focusing speed and complete AF operations in a short period of time. Thanks to the powerful image stabilization, this feature makes handheld astrophotography possible using a wide angle lens. The second mode Accuracy Priority uses a fine-tuned focus scan and is effective for shooting specific stars with telephoto lenses.

Equipped with versatile shooting features such as Pro Capture and handheld 4K video fueling your creativity

Pro Capture mode makes it possible to capture scenes that are difficult to time for the photographer, such as a bird taking flight. Pro Capture starts shooting the moment the shutter release button is pressed down halfway, with a buffer that can be set to capture up to 35 frames in RAW / full resolution. The moment the button is pressed down fully, the frames are available to select from retroactively on top of the images recorded while pressing the button.

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III is equipped with Live Composite, which overlaps multiple shots recorded at the same shutter speed and composites only the sections that are brighter for capturing light trails. This feature helps prevent the common phenomenon of images that are too bright when shooting long exposures. Users can check the progress of light trails in real-time using Live View. With B mode added to the shooting mode dial, Live Composite, Live Bulb, and Live Time are now easier to access and configure.

The E-M1 Mark III features an IS mode specifically designed for video recording. Electronic stabilization combined with in-body 5-axis stabilization delivers powerful image stabilization particularly useful for videographers. This provides a high level of performance for handheld video content creation without using a tripod or other stabilizing device, even when shooting in high-resolution formats, which are susceptible to the effects of camera shake, such as 4K or Cinema 4K (C4K).

This model supports OM-Log400 shooting, which enables shooting without loss of details in shadows and highlights, along with color grading for a high degree of freedom over images. In order to make Live View images more visible, a View Assist function is available, which converts the color gamut to Full HD standard BT.709 equivalent for display.

Pairing the high-res Olympus audio recorder LS-P4 with an external mic/recorder enables more versatile recording of high-quality audio for videos. This setup supports high-quality sound recording for video production, such as placing the LS-P4 near the subject, or switching the mic direction and zooming in on the sound source.

With the new firmware Version 1.10 for the LS-P4, being released at the same time as the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, Slate Tone function, which is useful for editing sound files and Test Tone will also support adjusting the recording level.