The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is Olympus's most accessible hobbyist camera – and an upgrade that feels long ov...

Small size; Latest 20MP MFT sensor; Excellent in-body stabilization; Weatherproofing; Clever Live Composite mode and more

Lightweight feel; Battery doesn't seem to last long

Of the three main types of mirrorless camera – full-frame, APS-C and Micro Four Thirds – it's the latter that has been somewhat left behind in 2019. But now its sole champion, Olympus, has released a reminder that the format is still very much relevant in the smartphone age.

Olympus's new OM-D E-M5 Mark III is Olympus' long-awaited update to the E-M5 II , which was released all the way back in 2015. Four years later, what is Olympus offering with the new update

Excellent colour reproduction; 20mp sensor; Fast focus system; 4K CINE / UHD video; Weather-sealed camera; Lightweight body; In-camera raw editing

MicroUSB connection; No Joystick control; Plastic construction; The menus

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is an appealing camera for photographers already invested in Micro Four Thirds gear, but it isn't as innovative as previous entries in the series.

Compact, all-weather body; Stabilized image sensor; Includes external flash; Up to 30fps Raw capture; Vari-angle LCD and OLED EVF; Well-established lens system.

Tops out at 5.3fps when tracking; Wide aperture lenses are bulky and expensive; Smaller image sensor limits resolution and depth of field control; Plastic exterior; Charging port not USB-C.

Stylish, lighter than ever, and crammed with shooting modes for users of all skill levels, power under the hood and improvements across the board, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is a sensible upgrade.

Powerful image processor; Much improved video spec; Insanely good image stabilization; Tiny body; excellent handling; A plethora of shooting modes; Stylish looks

Smaller sensor than rivals; No longer has metal shell; Larger handgrip would be welcome; A little expensive

Andy Westlake examines whether Olympus’s updated compact, lightweight but fully-featured Micro Four Thirds model can hold its own against strong APS-C competition

Small size and light weight make it easy to carry everywhere; Superbly designed control layout is a pleasure to use; Incredibly effective in-body stabilisation gives sharper images hand-held; Effective weather-sealing; Excellent JPEG output; Small size and light weight make it easy to carry...

No AF-point joystick; Raw image quality lags behind its peers; Many advanced features are buried in menus; Users with large hands may find the grip too cramped; No AF-point joystick; Raw image quality lags behind its peers; Many advanced features are buried in menus; Users with large hands may find...

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III gets a lot of things right. It produces great images, is packed with fun and genuinely useful features, is well-built and beautifully designed, and above all, fun to use and take control over.

General and travel photography; landscape shooters wanting a compact kit and existing Micro Four Thirds users looking for some of the best image quality they can get.

Those that photograph demanding sports and peak action and those that need a more full-featured video experience.

“The E-M5 Mark III isn't the most advanced camera, but it's certainly among the most fun.”

Excellent image stabilization; Fast; accurate autofocus; Very compact and lightweight; 4K video looks great; Weather-sealed

Plastic body is a step backward; Low-resolution viewfinder; No truly new features or tech

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is available in both black and silver colorways and will begin shipping in late November of this year – just in time for the holidays. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III (camera body only) retails for $1,199.99 USD ($1,499.99 CAD).

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III strikes a fantastic balance between features, performance, size and price. It is the most lightest and most compact weatherproof mirrorless camera ever made and still manages to include an EVF and builtin image-stabilization.

Very low image-noise; Effective stabilization; Well-balanced metering system; Quick and accurate autofocus system; Instant shutter-lag; Virtually no black-out; Fast continuous drive speed with deep buffer; Highly efficient interface; Huge feature-set; Exceptionally compact; Good build quality

Strong anti-alias filter; Poor color accuracy; AWB struggles with artificial light; Not always Exposure-Priority; Partially modal EC; Flex in LCD hinge; Noticeable delay to record video; Uncomfortable eyelets; Very short battery-life