OM SYSTEM OM-1 Review (by Photographyblog)

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The Photography blog has published the OM SYSTEM OM-1 mirrorless camera review: “The new OM-1 is the best camera that OM Digital Solutions or indeed Olympus have ever produced, marrying the speed of the E-M1X with the proven handling of the E-M1 III“.

OM SYSTEM OM-1 Key Features:

  • 20MP Stacked BSI Live MOS MFT Sensor
  • DCI/UHD 4K 60p 10-Bit Video Recording
  • 10 fps Shooting, 120 fps with E. Shutter
  • Cross Quad Pixel Phase-Detection AF
  • 5.76m-Dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder
  • 3.0″ 1.62m-Dot Swivel Touchscreen LCD
  • 5-Axis In-Body Image Stabilization
  • High-Res Shot, Live ND & Composite Modes
  • IP53 Weather-Sealed & Freezeproof Design
  • Dual UHS-II SD Card Slots

Conclusion from PhotographyBlog:

Well, wonder no more, as the new OM-1 is the best camera that OM Digital Solutions or indeed Olympus have ever produced, marrying the speed of the E-M1X with the proven handling of the E-M1 III. If this is a sign of things to come, then Olympus fans certainly have no need to worry.

Whilst outwardly the OM1 seems to be identical to the EM1 Mark III, offering just a few enhancements including the much improved viewfinder and LCD screen and the welcome AF-On button, inside there are a whole raft of improvements that focus mainly on one thing – speed.

It may not offer any more resolution than the previous model, with the new owner of Olympus cameras resolutely sticking to 20 megapixels, but thanks to the new stacked image sensor and faster processor, the new OM-1 can shoot a lot more frames per second, detect a lot more subjects and focus on them more quickly and reliably, and process images faster than ever before.

The video specs and all-round performance have also seen a welcome boost, and the already class-leading image stabilisation and weather-proofing are even better than before.

The new OM Digital Solutions have seemingly addressed almost every criticism that was levelled at both the E-M1 III and E-M1X, with the notable exception of the number of megapixels, but that’s something that we’d happily accept given all the other improvements that have been made.

They do come at a literal price though – £1999 / $2199 body-only in the UK and US makes the OM-1 £200 / $400 more expensive than the previous E-M1 Mark III model was at launch.

OK, so quite a lot has been going on in the three years since the E-M1 III was released, but even so and even with all of its many improvements, the new OM-1 is undoubtedly expensive for a Micro Four Thirds camera.

It certainly faces some very stiff competition at this price-point, most notably from the full-frame Sony Alpha A7 IV, the APS-C sensor Fujifilm X-T4, and the MFT Panasonic Lumix GH6, not to mention the likes of the Canon EOS R6 and the Nikon Z6 II.

Overall, though, if you can look beyond the sensor size, the OM System OM-1 is one hell of a camera, one that will certainly please current Olympus owners and which also deserves to expand the system’s appeal.

The OM SYSTEM OM-1 camera is temporarily out of stock at all the major US stores: Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

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