Olympus E-M5 Mark III or E-M1 Mark II? ep.224 

Thanks for taking time in making this video Rob. It really helps in arriving at a decision.

Six years ago, I switched from Canon to Olympus and landed on some of the OMD em10 Mark II series. Since then, the rest has been history. I have invested in pro lenses, and now I’m using my m1- Makk II for professional work. Thank you, Rob; you have been a top-notch RU-vidr all these years.

Thank you Rob #olympus #robtek! I ordered the M1 Mark II (directly from Olympus as I have been with them since the late 1990s) due to the information on your video. I am of German decent and I like solid. Also the professional even if older would help me do stuff I could not with my M10. I loved finding you and this review. Wish I could take you to our local coffee shop but will send you a coffee anyway. Will love following you as you are so practical as well as detailed. God bless.

I found my way back to Olympus six months ago, first buying the E-M5 Mark III and then the PEN-F. I love both cameras because of their capabilities, but above all because of the small size of the camera and lenses. I've looked at the E-M1 Mark II and the newer models, but they're just too heavy for me. Thanks for your interesting videos. Without it I would have had a harder time getting around (and certainly never bought the PEN-F 😂).

Very much after the event, but thank you for this. For me it really comes down to what I'm using it for. When I'm travelling, the lighter weight and much smaller size of the EM5, paired with the 14-150 (not a Pro lens but excellent) covers just about every eventuality and wins the choice, and unless you're shooting absolutely everything you see, the battery lasts all day. Not bothered about the lack of grip - that would negate the size advantage. When I'm closer to home, on a dedicated shoot or with a specific aim, the extra customisation and easy of grip on the EM1 makes it the choice.

Great Video Rob, are you covering up the logos for a reason? Or are they some sort of weather proofing? I think I am moving up to the EM 1 mk ii, best bang for the buck or maybe save a bit more and get the MK III. Not sure yet. Thanks again

Very to the point, I bought em1 mkii because of better grip for 12-100 and bigger battery 👌🏼 Thanks Rob.

Very helpful comparison! Yup- already have the 12-40mm pro lens; so your comments really help! Thx!

Thanks for posting this Rob,one point that I read some where and seemed pretty valid was its highly unlikely the big O is going to provide any more firmware updates for the emll or at least anything significant something to consider. Good luck on the repair hopefully it doesn't fall into the $240 plus shipping flat rate like my last repair.

Grip, Battery, Focus Stacking, USB C, price. Just setting up my new EM1ii. I love the snap of the mechanical shutter. The one feature I wanted was BT "live" GPS tagging, but that said, I actually like the OI Track app with it's exclusion zones - this is very useful for me. I did have an issue with updating the firmware to 3.x on a windows 10 PC - had to use my mac, and all wen't well. I actually think the menus are better on the Oly than Sony a7 from my perspective. The EM1 fits my hands, my brain and my personal needs like a glove. Happy to be back in the fold.

I just made this exact decision, I ended buying the EM1 ll. Very helpful video! I have read some concerns with the tripod mount being weak, on the EM5 lll. Have you heard anything on this?

Hi Rob, Great vid as usual! Just wondering what your thoughts on the EM5III with the 17mm f1.8 as a street camera vs. the EM1II. I want to upgrade from the EM1 I to either the EM1 II or EM5 III and enjoy street shooting. I like using the 17mm because of its size and weight. Thanks.

You are the best at explaining these things. I'm happy with my EM1 Mark II, but if I were making a purchasing decision today, your explanations would help, that's why I refer people to your videos when they ask me about what I might do. It's subjective. The cameras are great, anyway.

Great review. Very helpful. Just 1 question...I am going on a cross-country bicycle trip this spring and wondering if the E-M1 Mark 2 would be too large. I have not seen one in person (and the only pro camera shop where I live does not carry Olympus) What is the size, say in relation to a Nikon F3? Thanks. I have xl hands so the M5 is not an option.

Was just watching this again Rob and had to laugh when you mention throwing (but not on purpose) the camera across the street because my first thought was those killer bee's with knives where headed your way. lol!

Hey Rob, wow, you have so many videos now, well done. I'm just thinking to upgrade and just wondering the em 5 mark 3 or the "other one" if I can afford...? What is the recording time limit on both at 4K 30fps? Thanks in advance. Also a new sub here.

Hey Rob. What about someone who may be upgrading from the original four thirds is the difference between phase detect and contrast detect. I have the Olympus E620 and I later bought the the EM 10 mark 2 based on your recommendation. And I love this little EM 10 mark 2 but the focusing was in and out with my old four thirds lenses. So I bought a used EM 1 Mark 1. I use the EM 1 for landscape and hiking. I use the EM 10 mark 2 when travelling. I too am a big fan of Olympus and I just started with a couple of the old OM lenses. Keep up the good work. Neil.

Thanks a lot for the comparison. Useful as always...

Nice comparison and overview. Thank you.

Dear Rob. I am looking to buy an MFT camera. I have zeroed in on the Olympus EM1 Mk2 12 to 40 pro or Panasonic G9 with 12 to 60 f2.8-4. Which one will give me better subject tracking AF accuracy? I might go in for the 12 to 100 pro along with a 17mm and 45mm f1.8 for evenings instead of the 12 to 40 pro should I decide to buy the Olly. Please I would really appreciate your opinion on this. Thanks. Love your thorough videos. I like the grip of the Em1 mk2 and the G9. I haven't used them because of the pandemic. It's hard to get your hands on them.

Thanks Rob, I appreciate the video compare. Even though I have the E-M5 II and the E-M1 II, I may yet decide to purchase the E-M5 III to use as my backpacking camera. As you pointed out though, I'll probably stick with smaller "Premium" lenses because my 12-100 Pro is really large and heavy on the E-M5 II :-) for trail carry...

Nice video Rob. I have the grip for the E M 5 MKIII and it works great. The battery life is not great so I bought a few extra batteries.

Already owning a full frame Pentax K-1 I needed a light weight travel camera and decided on the om-d m5 iii ! Very light weight and full of features !! Why should I go for the m1 ii or iii ? Only more weight and heavier lenses !!

Very helpful, thank you!

Hi Rob, I'm thinking about getting the Olympus ECG-5 Grip for the EM5 III. Have you used it at all , and if so are your thoughts?

I was waiting to buy the EM5.3. I am upgrading from my Pen F because I really need better AF. However I am really not happy with the EM5.3. So I have decided to buy the EM1.2. Going to wait until February after I am officially retired and have all that worked out.

HI ROB Hey what was that Little Neat Looking LENS You Had on The SMALLER EM5 MK III? THANKS In Advance :-)

Hi. Would the Panasonic 12-60 2.8-4 be ok on the M5 mark 111? I’m looking for a lightweight weather sealed camera and I’m interested in this lens.

Hi Rob, just got a smokin' deal on a used E-M1 ii with the 12-40 pro. I've tried them for a couple of days and I'm super-happy. I could have gone with the em5 iii, but used prices on the em1 ii have fallen way below the em5 iii's new and used prices. Now, it's a no-brainer! Also, it's probably the supirior camera. I think the price variation is due to either some people upgrading to the em1 iii or "getting scared" over recent news. The guy who sold me mine upgraded to the em1x, but his em1 ii was still running the original firmware! I guess some people just don't inquire about their camera or care. Anyway, this will be my system moving forward.

A nice summary. In Australia for me the price of the EM5.3 is too close to the EM1.2 to consider the EM5.3 unless you really needed the smaller camera. But to me the size difference is not that big. But I am guessing that when the EM1.3 comes out the price difference will be greater.

Another great video and thanks Rob~ so the E-M1 is for professional and the E-M5 is a walkabout.. how would you differentiate the E-M10 tho?.. apart from not being weather sealed i think you could equip it with a battery grip~

Great vid and very informative. Wondering how you blacked out the lettering on your em1 mark ii?

Hi Rob. I'm Jason, a hobbyist and have been shooting Olympus for 2 years now. I mostly shoot events on my own accord and recently I have been invited to shoot for my friend's wedding. My current gears are: E-M1 II, 12-100 f4, 25 f1.2 and 45 f1.8. Would you think E-M5 III would be good for my secondary camera? What lens do you think can be added to my kit? Would appreciate you could give me some advice. *Support from Singapore :) TIA!

How hard would it have been to remove the Arca plate from the E-M1ii? It's clearly a larger camera, but not by as much as it appears with the plate.

I really like the size of the E-M5 Mark III. I have the Mark II and use the 12-40 most of the time. With that lens the grip of the Mark II is just not good enough for comfortable use. So I attach the optional grip. It seems, from the video, like the E-M5 Mark III has a good enough grip for the 12-40. Think I must try it myself in the shop.

I got the EM1.2 Last year when the EM5.3 first came out. No brainer for me. It was the grip.

I'm curious why you prefer the E-M5 M3 over the PEN-F as your walking around camera?

Nice comparison Rob, appreciated. At the moment I am torn between buying the EM5 iii, the EM1 ii, the Fuji X-S10 or the Nikon Z50. I already have a Nikon D7500 plus 9 f-mount lenses and I photograph/film mostly wildlife. The D7500 is great for stills but a real pain to handle for video due to mirror etc, and the 4K is cropped by an extra 1.5X. I think the Olympus options are appealing for wildlife because of the lenses such as the new 100-400mm f5-6.3; it's weather-resistant and you can use T.C's on it too! It's a tough choice.

Thanks very much for your demo. Aw, man, camera decisions again lol. I have been a point and shoot guy and with my Sony with it's Zeiss lens, have taken some great shots and I love the portability but I need to up my game. I tried a Canon DSLR but found I was getting better shots with my Sony and it was somewhat big and clunky and I sold it. It was a lower level Canon. I like the idea of video but I also like the idea of longer battery life as countless times I have missed great shots due to the camera shutting down from an exhausted battery. I'm also on a bit of budget. Do I get a used MK11 or pop for a new MK111? Uhg.

Good review, lots of details. Thank you!

I would go with the em5, because my em5 mk1 gives me what my Canon 7d can't and that's fun. It's lightweight, easy to carry everywhere. Choosing the em 1 would bring back that big and serious feel...

I just bought the EM5 Mk3 after using an EM10 mk2 and EM1 Mk1 for a few years. As much as I like the handling of the EM1, I travel a lot for work and the smaller size of the EM10 travels much better. The EM5 gives me the form factor of the EM10 with most of the features of the EM1. I've also heard a reviewer complain about the use of the older design BLS-50 battery, but for me, the battery compatibility with the EM10 is a huge plus.

Hi Rob. I'm using em5 mark ii and now want to switch to em5 mark3 or em1 mark ii. I usally insterest landscapes and travel photography. Which one dou you suggest me? Thank you.

You SAID That The EM1 MARK II Handle Alone Stores X2 Batteries.,.=Made it Sound Like X2 In Handle & 3rd In Camera? SO X3 Batts TOTAL is That Correct? THANK You ROB

Was debating between these two and went with EM1MKII. Was hoping EM5MKIII can do live charging while shooting, which should help for timelapse or livecomp until I heard it needs to be turned off while charging. So I went with EM1MKII for longer battery capacity. Another reason was I assume the shutter in EM1MKII would have longer lifespan since it's their pro grade camera, I could be wrong though. Have around 90,000 shutter count on Pen F and already feel it's not as "bouncy" as when I just got it, so hopefully will last longer for EM1MKII. Still miss the dedicate exposure compensation dial on the Pen F though. (Which also start having problem on Pen F, when just turn the Pen F on, sometimes it would go -0.7EV even when EV dial is at zero. Just have to turn the dial somewhere and turn it back to zero to fix it...)

Thanks Rob. Another key advantage to the OMD EM1 ii is its use with larger lenses. The EM5 iii is maxed out with the 12-40mm lens. if one is going to use any of the longer lenses, e.g. the 12-100mm pro then the EM1 is clearly the way to go

0:44 75mm f/1.8 on the EM10 Mark ii. I have both those lenses in those colours too.

Great info. Thanks a lot !

Thanks Rob, feeling much better about my recent EM1 MKII purchase.

Hi Rob, very helpful comparison - thank you for that. I just got an E-M1 II for testing. There are few things I am worrying about. 1. EVF: they use a LCD instead of OLED, very low constrast. All blacks are grey. Bright spots illuminate darker areas around. I compared with an E-m10II, which has a much better EVF (OLED). 2. Too soft shutter button. Almost impossible to feel the point "before" exposure. 3. Big and heavy for M43. I had a E-M5 III in my hands. The material feel very cheap, no doubt about sealing and durablity. Hard to by buy a plastic camera for 1200€.

Dioes the EM1 Mark II have the flicker reduction which the EM5 is suppose to be so good at?

The sensor in all olympus cameras until the om-1 is the same since a long time ago ,is that true? I have an em-5 ii ,does the more modern olympus cameras like the em-1 iii have significantly better AF? I need a second body and logically another em-5 ii makes sense but i wonder about getting a em-1 model if it gives better results as in images. I take wildlife,captive animals and woodland as well as wild flower images. When i get a chance i will look at an om-1 as i got hold of a leica SL2 in a camera shop and the amazing EVF blew my mind! so curious to see if the olympus EVF is similar?

Good to know, that also E-M5 III can speed up RAW processing with Olympus workspace. (but currenty I am on vacation and did not bring the right cable, so I am not able to use it) There is only USB2 as far as I know .. so I was afraid. But you did not mention 1 difference, where E-M5 III is better: there is OLED viewfinder (not simple TFT, which means better contrast and not "visible pixels") I also notice, that sensor may have little better DR, according to dpreview testing (also E-M1X sensor was better in "exposure latitude", but reviewers wrote it may be due to possible different Adobe NR)

here in canada, both bodies are selling for exactly same price CAD$1200, which one should i get? is there a difference in software in em5m3? like eye autofocus and other things? is it better than em1m2, is the software on em5m3 is better than em1m2? please suggest.

Hey Rob - just curious why you have the Olympus logo blacked out on the EM-5?

A lot of people are saying look at the em1 2 but as you pointed out they are very different cameras. I have small hands and a wimpy body so light weight is high on the list. Also the form factor I want small to tuck away not a massive box. The only thing to mention is that the pro lenses are the only lens that has the weather sealing which is going to add price but more important weight. So the 50gm saving helps to cut this down on top of the smaller camera size in the first place. PS you also look like a good friend of mine.

You also mentioned in a live stream that the E-M5 III does not have focus stacking? I am just amazed by that and do not understand why Olympus would do that. Only focus bracketing?

I have had both and enough of a chance with the mklll to down an opinion. The most lll is lighter that the ll by a enough to notice. The issue is balance with lens. The lll is fine with the smaller lens and it’s starts to get borderline wirh the 12-100. The 40-150 and the 300 forget it. They only I use in the em1mkll. I look at the 5mklll as a better em10mklll. It has a few quirks that you hit upon that I hope will be addressed in firmware updates. Not a good idea if you use 3rd party batteries in body as some have been reported to swell in charging. Not really an issue if charging outside the body but inside the body could be a big problem

Thankyou for your none bias view ( your not an Olympus visionary whatever that is or sponsored by them.) of the omd 5 mk3 and 1mk2 comparison. I am torn between getting the new 5 mk3 or a omd 1 mk2 second hand with firmware 3 upgrade because I cannot afford a new one , now I'm certain I'll get the omd 1.... or new 5 mk3... doh .?

Hey Rob. Currently, I can get the EM 1 mk ii for $100 less than the EM 5 mk iii. With this pricing, which would you recommend? Please note that I am not a pro, just a hobbyist. BTW, I already have the EM 10 mk ii. Thanks.

I bought a new E-M1 Mk2 a couple of months ago for the bargain price of £620 including taxes in the UK, which is less cost than the E-M5 Mk3. I love it and use it much more than the Sony A7 Mk3 which I also own. Its not the feature set so much but the handling I think that makes me prefer it. The Sony does, after all, have a remarkable auto-focus system, amazing low light/high ISO performance and a really useful minimum and maximum shutter speed adjustment that is easy to use. Yet it is the Olympus that I prefer using. To top it all, I could have bought three E-M1 for the price of one A7 3 body. The body may well be out of production and they are clearing old stock, but I'm a very happy bunny and the camera is brilliant with the current firmware, which has been updated with new features over several years, which has kept it very competitive.

I found an EM1 2 for the same price as the EM5 3. It was a no brainer. I got the EM1. I will buy the EM5 at some point to replace my original EM5.

I love your informative videos, Rob. I just upgraded my MFT collection with an E-M5 Mk III. The main reason I chose this camera over the E-M1 Mk III is the battery. That may sound a bit odd, but my other Olympus MFT cameras- the E-M10 Mk I, the (2) E-PM2, and the E-PL1- can all use the same battery, the BLS-5 or 50. Although the E-PL1 originally came with the BLS-1 battery, it can also use the newer BLS-5 and 50 batteries. And the other main reason: my E-510 was my favorite camera for many years. It, and my E-330, fit my hand perfectly. My E-M10 Mk I was way too small, rectified a bit with the ECG-1 grip, and now my E-M5 MkIII is almost perfect with the ECG-5 grip. Oh, and I also think this combination is perfectly balanced with my other recent purchase, the 12-40mm f2.8 lens! I hope this will be the last camera I ever need to buy! Olympus is dead, long live Olympus!

Hey @robtrek is that the 75mm f1.8 on the em 1 mark ii?

Is there a way to connect those cameras directly to a pc whilst filming or taking photos so that they save directly to the pc?

Considering purchase of factory ( OMS) refurubished OMD E-M-M1- Mk11. Have yet to master my Pen F's , may send some queries may be sent, what would be the most suitable address. At the moment this Mk 11 is going for a steal price. One item of appeal is the much longer battery life than with my Pen F's ,yes , have purchased several and put a couple in my pocket when setting out. It would be good to have a camera where the battery would just last longer. Also, from what I have seen the EM1 Mk 2 is that it has fastter AF than the pretty slow AF in the Pen F. I have most of the Oly glass that I will need. The EM1 Mk 11 may just get some shots that the Pen F can miss out on with slower AF- however, it would not have been considered if the purchase price was anything like the release price. Any thoughts, I really do need a 2nd OMD/OMS body to have a 2nd lens attached to most of the time, would probably be the 12-40 2.8 Pro. Am not expecting better images, as such, just some better captured images due to better AF, longer battery life, for a very modest outlay. Thanks in advance.

Does em 5 have built in flash and usb charging?

I bought a E-M5 mkiii, but decided to trade in to E-M1 MKii The major reason is the heat accumulates fast while taking pictures but the plastic body could not cool down the heat in time. After taking about 30 50 pictures, the grip became quite hot (like 40 to 45c) which wasn't the case for original E-M5. Although the CAF is way much better than the original E-M5, I just hate the warm feeling and decided to trade in it. But the weight increase.....It is tough call. Why not just build a metal version!

I am just need the standard features, I do not do video except a rare short clip and do not need the full ranfe if fast shutter shooting. To me the E M5 mk3 was a no brainer, the only disadvantage being smaller battery, but I can leave ghe camera in my bag chargin on a powerbank. A great upgrade from mk2. Very happy wigh mk3. Will not suit everyone I realise. Great video thanks.

I had the EM-5 Mk II and the Mk III doesn't feel "plasticky." On the contrary, it feel every bit as solid - just lighter.

I wish they kept M5.2 body and only update relevant hardware.

I have Pen F and my next camera will be E-M1 Mark II. Thank you Rob for reviewing.

I guess I need to go look at the em5 III. Honestly, I was a little disappointed when this camera was released. But, you’ve given positive reviews and I value your opinion. $1200 for a plastic m43 seems outrageous... I was holding off to upgrade from em1 to em5 III, and I know it would be a marked improvement, but plastic???

I had a EM1 Mark II for 4 years and recently upgraded to the Mark III. The EM1 fits my hand like a glove and is much better balanced. I don't think the EM1 is much bigger and heavier, considering the so much better handling, I would go with the EM1

I couldn't swing the E-M5 III yet but I got my wife the E-M10 III. I am confident in the quality of build even if the E-M5 III is more plastic because of how more refined the E-M10 III is over the mark II and it too went all plastic. Like for example, the power button and d-pad is more dampen when it clicks, the dials look and feel better and the grip is a bit thicker which feels much better with the 14-150mm lens. However the menu options are simplified and some manual features are now more automatic. I hate it but my wife likes it because the Advance Photo mode on the dial makes it easier for her to do live comp, HDR and multi exposure. AF Targeting Pad works much better too. The D-pad you can't customize but it's labeled with what each arrow does. The two things I don't really like is you can't manually select and adjust silent mode and you can't adjust the histagram settings. I understand why they took away the option of silent mode except in an auto Advanced Photo mode because this is more of a beginner's camera and people generally don't understand light frequencies and how to control banning on the photos but Olympus should have allowed to unlock that feature in the super control panel. I don't understand why they took away the histagram adjustment because I set it between 10-245 and if someone is using a histogram, they will understand what that adjustment is. Sorry for my long amount of details. Has some of those features spilled over on the E-M5 III? lack of silent mode in super control panel and no adjustment of the histagram?

I chose the EM1 II to buy about a few days ago. I think the technology in the camera is valid for a further 5 years.

Thanks for the comparison, I guess the Mark 5 with the 40 -150 lens probably wouldn't work too well.

I have never owned a camera that felt better in my hands than the em1 mark II and I come from Canon, so that is saying a lot. Love the em 5 mark II as well but for long shoots it is just a fraction too small for me.

I recently purchased an EM I mark II....But the menus....ooooh My God....the menus....Is there a book,besides the manual,that explains how can I understand this lovely camera....?.... Thanks for your help....Regards

I personally would prefer the E-M5 MkIII + grip, because I prefer the longer eyerelief of the viewfinder. I also prefer the softened shutter. The grip costs 199€ here in germany and you need more accus with this camera. So actually the E-M1 Mk II costs LESS money, has longer accu life and lower accu cost and has tethering with Olympus capture. Because I cannot clearly decide, I buy nothing until I get a very good offer, maybe used with warranty. ;-)

I have both the EM1 MKII & new EM5 MKIII. I take the EM5 with me pretty much everywhere because of its compact size and weight. I would also take the EM5 if traveling (abroad) for the same reason. If I go out for the day or go away in UK. I would take both. The EM1 with the bigger lenses feels better in the hand. I put a prime on the EM5 and so can quickly swap between cameras rather than swap out a lens - that also reduces exposure of the sensor outdoors. .....If I came across a thief....well I would just whack them with my tripod.....lightweight though it might be. I think it would put a dent in any assailant's head!

I already have an EM10 iii so want to get the EM1 ii or iii as a second body for bigger lenses - my only concern is - would the grip be too big? I have very small hands. Size 6 gloves uk. Not much bigger than child hands! Anyone with small hands used one?

Hey Rob as you know I recently sold all my Olympus gear but today I was very tempted by the EM1 Mark II. My local Best Buy is selling them for $1099 new.

Nice review Rob. For me - as you perfectly describe - even if the 2 cameras are very similar in technical capabilities they are really different in handling. On my side as I use large lenses (12-60 Leica - 42.5 Leica - 75 mm Olympus) I prefer the om1m2. But true that for people using 17mm or 45mm it could be a very good combination with the om5 m3. Last point not the least there are a lot of om1 m2 used around 600-700 euros and this is fear more cheaper than a brand new om5 m3. Due to the quality of build of the om1 I don t think buying a used one in good shape will impact the durability. And this is what I bought. Have a nice day.

Очень полезно и информативно, спасибо!

I heard that em5 mark3 have some problems about auto ISO which em1 mark2 doesn't and em5 mark3 can't use as a web camera, but em 5 mark3 has slow motion video recording opportunity for some people it also can be important, to my opinion em1 mark2 is more for professional working and em5 mark3 more for traveling or for every day using outdoors, because this camera is very small and light

The thing is that the price of EM-1 Mk2 is a little cheaper than EM-5 Mk3 here in Taiwan.

I went with m1 mark ii 😊 switched from canon 5dmk4 and rp. No regrets! 😊

Glad I saw this. Excellent A-B of these two cameras. Firmed up my decision. I was all set to go M1 MkI to M1 MkII - logical step. Then I saw a number of reviews of the M5 MkIII - seemed like +/- the same bang for less bucks. Superb sunny evening here in Normandy, France, so I strolled out with the M1 MkI - and that did it. I like being able to carry my camera with index finger hovering over the top deck controls while the camera hangs down from the other three, safely hooked round a substantial grip. Used to do it with my Nik D600, also. Not really possible with the M5. So by the time I'd had a stroll, taken some shots of the blossom coming out here, I'd decided - the grip is a deal-maker and contains a bigger battery as a bonus.

Thanks for all your insights, it helps a lot! Quick question: I've had my EM5 mkii for 3 weeks and enjoying it (bought 2nd hand with shutter count of 100). Today was the first time I noticed a sound like "white noise" when half pressing the shutter to focus. I checked online and people say it is the ibis at work. I switched ibis off and no more noise when focusing..BUT, I've taken a few hundred photos with ibis on, and have never heard the noise before. Why was it silent (or maybe softer) before and now suddenly appeared? Any thoughts? Does your EM5 mkii or other model OMD cameras make the same noise? It's really bugging me now.. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for this side by side Rob - really helpful. I've been using a Nikon P7800 for years and have loved it as a hybrid camera for my travel blog (www.therealjapan.com), but it's faltering and dated and needs replacing. I've been waiting on the M5 III for a couple of years, but the plastic build has really put me off, plus the poor battery life. (I've had hands on so I know what it feels like.) I had a Nikon P7700 which was all metal and the P7800 replaced much of it with plastic some buttons of which faltered fairly quickly - hence my worry about the M-5 III. Anyhow, my main love about the P7800 is its ergonomics: the compact size, built-in (7x) zoom, fully articulating screen. The M-5 III gives me some of this, but I know I won't use any big (or Pro) lenses. If I did upgrade, the Oly would be my first ILC and I know next to nothing about lenses. I need something compact (ideally pancake style) that can function both for stills and video in travel, street, architecture scenarios and the odd live concert. Do you think the Olympus 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ on the M-5 III would be a good upgrade from my P7800? (Nikon lens is F2-4, 28-200 equiv zoom.) I'm also gonna miss my W-T toggle zoom button. Can I assign the zoom control on the 14-42 to one of the M5's buttons or must I use the ring on the lens? Sorry for all the info and questions but any advice you can give would be much appreciated! Thanks! Honestly, I just wanted another iteration of the P7800 but that design line ended there. :-(

I had a play with the EM5iii not to shoot but just to get a feel of, and I'm just disappointed, it just feels plasticky, the little nob on the mode dial, the buttons all just feel a little bit fragile, I'm sure it's great for photos, but the body itself just doesnt give you confidence, I have 2 EM5iis and feel much better about them, considering the price of the 5iii it just doesnt warrant it, with the 1ii only a couple of hundred bucks dearer but to my mind a far superior camera, why would you go for the 5iii? For me the 5iii is a sub $1000 camera

I was trying to decide between switching to Sony or upgrading my EM5 mk2. Having used the Sony for 2 months I decided to stick to MFT but I got to like the chunkier body. So I decided to go with the EM1 mk2 rather than upgrade the EM5, purely for that chunkier grip. Great video BTW and those two cameras really are like peas in a pod.

If I went with the EM-5 mkIII, I'd have to buy the ECG-5 grip, which would bring the price very close to an EM-1 mkII. So for me, it would be EM-1 mkII all the way.

I recently took a trip to Istanbul. I had my E-M10.2 with the 12-40mm Pro and the Lumix 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens. It worked like a champ! Using the pancake lens for street photography was, for me, ideal. It's as small as a cell phone and no one paid it any attention. The 12-40 was perfect for cityscapes and architecture. I think the EM5.3 would be even better given the slightly larger grip, 20 MP and the USB charging which eliminates the need for that clunky battery charger. The perfect small and lightweight kit for travel and casual photography. For bigger lenses, events like you said and sports/wildlife I'd recommend the E-M1.2.

I'm from Indonesia, I want to get em1 mark II, can someone help me get it?? Sir plis

I still don't know why for the same price (or actually about 5-10% now cheaper in Aust.) why you wouldn't buy the E-m1 ii. I think the E-M5 iii is pointless next to the E-m1 ii.

Rob, great and practical comparison ... And yes the Christmas price discounts makes it easy for me to add one ore body ... right

For me, the only reasons to think of the E-M5 III are the 120 fps video and the improved audio pre-amp.

I just bought the OM-2n