Olympus O-MD E-M1 Mark III vs Sony A73: Why MFT in a Full Frame World? 

As the owner of an EM1mk2 and an A7r3 I agree with every comment in this video. For once RU-vid came up trumps with this objective review. Sadly it will not get as many clicks as the "micro four thirds is dead" clickbait merchant on another channel.

One of the best reviews of the E-M1iii I've seen so far (and I've seen a lot). Thank you very much for the good work ! :)

Great reviews. I use full frame canon 6d II and Olympus 4/3 OMD I mark II. I don't have any doubts about all in one camera: olympus. Why I choose 4/3 If I have full frame? The 4/3 are small and better stabilization. I don't need tripod (I have one new that I never use after use Olympus). The color, dynamic range, the Pro lens, ergonomic, 2 memory card, the body construction. The ISO of full frame a better. ok but I many time a really need that? If I use pro lens with 1.2 do I really need more? how many time do you need push for more that 6400 ISO? how many time you feel bad because you have to carry 2-3kg or more of full frame equipment? for video don't thing twice. The micro 4/3 are great option. I use for profissional jobs and I have great result. The camera are not only technical specifications, you have to enjoy ;)

Nice compare! I prefer OMD M1 iii. Amazing camera.

Probably the best review I watched in putting the Micro 4/3 system in a very clear and fantastic perspective. Thanks a lot for that brilliant and just views..!!!

I love my E-M1 III for the numerous featutres this camera offers, i.e. focus stacking/ bracketing, high res, Live Composite, Pro Capture, Live ND filter, starry sky etc. And I actually use most of these features all the time. Having a smaller sensor also is a big advantage for the macro photography.

THIS! THIS is the review I needed. A FF photographer’s honest perspective of the EM1iii compared the the venerable A73. I especially appreciate the autofocus comparison. I get the ISO performance difference - it’s physics, but it looks like the IBIS makes up for it a little (for static subjects and photos) and really made an impression on you. I’m sharing this! ❤️🙌🏽

Thanks for the comparison! Since I got my EM1 miii I have been shooting a lot more, it brought joy back into my camera bag.

Objective comparison, straight to the point, no babbling on specs you can read anywhere but real use considerations. Subbed

When I got into photography (about 2 years ago) all I heard was full frame this, full frame that, GOTTA BE FULL FRAME! Well, all I could afford at the time was APS-C. I loved it. When I finally was able to purchase a "pro" camera I ended up going with the Panasonic G9. I am so glad I did. I love everything about the camera and if I need better low-light performance I just pull out my A6400. With both of them I can cover all my needs but my G9 is definitely my primary shooter. Great video on the two systems.

thank you for this great video. I have never seen sutch a objektiv test between these two systems!

Excellent and intelligent comparison of the two systems!!

Really great review - I think your explanation of your key points are clear and concise. Well done!

great comparison! It is truly important! Currently, there is a small “format war”! Which is ridiculous! All formats have their strengths and weaknesses. And it is very good that we have as many options as possible and that work according to the needs of those who use them. In my case, for small commercials on the web, interviews, a little bit of wildlife and Macro, MFT is ideal! Thanks for the video

Someone talking sense at last! Incidentally, I use micro four-thirds for studio portrait work and the results are excellent. The lenses for the system are astounding. Subscribed.

Good review! As for working in low light conditions, I use M43 camera's (like OM-D E-M1 II with Pro lenses) for concert shoots and they absolutely perform. I just don't go beyond ISO 3200, but that has never been a problem so far. For some examples backing this up, you may have a look at my photostream at Flickr, with for example shots of Floor Jansen at a theatre with full light show and shots of a classical concert at the library of a monastery without a light show (just 2 spots and the regular ambient light).

Great review, this warms the heart of all micro four thirds owners ahah (among which I am) I would add that with 1.2 lenses what you're saying with DOF and autofocus is still true and quite usable for most content

This comparison is what I need. Your videos are neat, keep it up! Subscribed!

Great video. Refreshing to hear an accurate take on the strengths of MFT.

Nice video, lots of good points! It is always nice to see when people consider all angles.

Can't give you two thumbs up but would if I could :) Unbiased, down to the facts and great conclusions for the various things with m43 and full frame. Very well done! :)

Nicely composed, thoughtful and insightful video. Cheers! Subbed👍🏻

Look at Joel Edelmans work with olympus...fashion, portrait ..in the right hands olympus can knock it out of the park!.

First video I have seen of yours. I found it to be very well done and helpful .

Excellent comparison overall! I do think you were very quick to concede shallow DOF as being something you can only achieve with full frame. I switched from Full Frame to MFT when the E-M1II first came out. I shoot portraiture and weddings and the ability to isolate the subject with shallow DOF is important to me. You can get that with MFT if you know what you are doing. It helps a lot if you have really fast glass, and there are plenty of options in the Olympus and Panasonic/Leica lens lines. Using fast primes will also help to mitigate some of the challenges with high ISO. Shooting with fast primes in low light wide open will help to keep the ISO manageable, and since you do get a bit more DOF with MFT that actually helps there as well.

Thanks for this, very much appreciated. I've invested quite a bit in the m43's, and with the Olympus farming off their imaging business and release of Canon R6 and soon, Sony A7S III, I admit being tempted to jump ship to full frame. Unfortunately, (or fortunately!) I have invested far more in the m43 lenses than the body - Olympus pro lenses, Voigtlander, etc. Your review was very helpful in that I might just hold back and hope that Olympus doesn't kill off their m43 business... thanks again.

Very very helpful. Some of us live in countries where it is not easy to personally do a physical comparison. We therefore depend on reviews like yours to make a buying decision. I have been thinking of pairing my Fuji Xt with a Lumix g9. This has definitely helped. Thanks

Very interesting and well explained! I am an Olympus shooter and have been tempted by FF but I still love this system so I will probably try out the m3 as well. Thank you for your insights!

This is brilliant and just the video that I was looking for since I was torn between the two cameras for quite a while now. I'm going to stick with my Olympus system and upgrade some of my lenses as well.

That's a really good comparison of the two systems.. Nicely done 👏

A great comparison, very balanced and objective. Your comments comes from a photographer, much better than other gear-tograpghers who constantly harp on sensor size; likely to make up for their inferiority complex.

I was actually wondering/hoping someone would do this very comparison. Yea! And well done; felt you really covered the main points well and concisely. Am considering adding a 4-3 camera to my kit for light travel, their better lens options (than my apsc Canon), and that super reach possibility with telephoto lenses for birding. Much appreciate the review.

You seem to have missed all the internet hype that only full frame matters. What a well balanced review! Well done. I have access to both Sony and OM-D and the Olympus is usually the camera with me. Image quality is excellent as is the portrait capability. Good review

We've been weighing up getting the Olympus camera for vlogging. This video was very useful, we need something light and has a good middle point for price vs quality. Almost 100% sure to go ahead with the purchase thank you for the video!

Really well-balanced, insightful video. A friend of mine shot a running event last weekend with the EM1 iii. Turned out great - made me want to check it out.

Excellent comparison video. It would have been nice if you also compared the battery life of the 2 cameras also.

Nice review, and I like the comparison! Might be worth pointing out as well with the Olympus lens you compared to Sony (12-100), it actually has a “100mm equivalent” reach compared to the Sony - very useful for a lot of travellers. I’m a Canon user, but I see the benefits of the Olympus cameras - if they work as good as advertised, the focus stacking, star AF, ND filters, so on.

Been using Oly Em1s for 5 years along a lot of other ones and I would not have done a better job describing why it is a relevant technology. Being able to shoot in low low light at f1.2 and still have a decent DOF is invaluable sometimes. Great educated video!

Such a great comparison video. By watching this video you remark that he was exerting oneself making this video.

A very objective comparison. Size & weight important my Oly 12-40 2.8 was about quarter price of Canon 24-70 2.8 and les than half weight. The 40-150 2.8 was about half price of Canon 70-200 2.8. Not same lens range but a fair comparison. I could not afford Canon lenses. High ISO as you rightly point out it significant. In many other aspects the important difference is the photographer.

Thank you for this video. I'm still using an em10 mkii and want to upgrade so I can shoot in foul weather. I've looked at other systems, but...I already have all these lenses! Your video was informative and really sold me on the em1 mkiii. Thanks for the information and the things civil. A lot of folks just bash on mft, and I think there's room for every system out there - all have their strengths and weaknesses. After this video, I'll be subscribing and I look forward to your thoughts in the future, for any camera system. Thanks again and keep up the great work. I appreciate it.

One of the best reviews I have seen in a long time. Factual, well illustrated, covering a lot of angles. The one thing that did not fully work for me though was the price/weight comparison: the Sony 24-105 has about half the FF equivalent reach as the Olympus. The new Zuiko 12-45 F4 would be a closer match, at roughly half the price and weight of the Sony lens. That would give m43 approximately a 20% cost and 35+% weight advantage, which is not insignificant. Your point is still valid though: the cost difference is rather small and the weight difference is mostly in the lens, specifically with increased focal length.

Great video! Thanks for doing this. I shared this with my community.

What an excellent, and reasoned, review of both the E-M1 mkiii and the MFT format in general, one of the best I've seen (The best...?!). The history of photography formats have always been about strengths and weaknesses, and compromise...Box Brownie, 120, 35mm, 6x6, 6x7, 10x8...ets, and now we have 1", MFT, APS-C, full frame, and 'medium format'(though it's not really). Pick your tool, or tools, and do whats best with each. Or find your happy compromise.

Very enjoyable and informative as always! Thanks!

Totally excellent review, original, honest and real. Congratulations.

Fantastic review. I'm an Olympus shooter and use it for everything, and even I've been looking at FF (specifically Sony) since the release of the M1MKIII. The new iteration didn't check many items from my wishlist, so I was a little disappointed. That being said, you've reminded me that no camera is perfect, they all have their shortcomings, and ultimately it's up to the photographer to make the best of it all. Cheers

You provide compelling arguments for me as an armature. I will now have to compare between the Olympus O-MD E-M1 Mark III and the Panasonic G9.

Great points , still loving the portability of M4/3

I am sending this message from Hiroshima, Japan. I used to use the Olympus E-M1 Mark II, but about a month ago I changed it to a new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III. The lenses are OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 300mm F4.0 IS PRO and OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm F1.8 [Black] I have an OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm F1.8 [Black] and an OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 25mm F1.2 PRO. I really like this camera because it looks really cool.

As an Olympus OMD E-M1 Mark ii owner, I have to say that your assessment is spot on. I used to shoot with a Nikon D810 and I over to Olympus because of the weight savings. I travel a lot and the extra beef of a Nikon D810 was too much. I was worried about overall personal fatigue and real possibility that air-lines would force me to check my luggage. I can now carry a small bag with Pro level lens without any of these concerns. Cheers, Keith Pinn (Barrie, Ontario)

Micro four-thirds have a huge following, the full-frame folks just don't know that

Great comparison. One thing I would add to this review is that OM E-m1 has exceptional weather sealing. And combined with OM/Olympus weather sealed lenses they have some of the best ruggedness and rough weather capabilities in the industry. A73 on the other hand doesn't even offer basic weather sealing. This feature usually comes at a price premium on many cameras. So even though Sony A73 has a full frame sensor, these cameras are priced the same because e-m1 is a pro camera in terms of build.

As an EM1x owner/wildlife shooter I would say you nailed the benefits of MFT. The biggest being the weight/cost savings when combined with the 300mmf4 and the incredible IS which removes the need for a tripod. No weight savings when using short lenses. Increased DOF is both a blessing and a curse depending on subject.

Great review. Especially the ergonomics reference,... people never weight this aspect of cameras appropriately. Today all cameras are technically good, but significant differences exist in the comfort & relative usability of the various models. Theses issues are of far greater relevance in daily use compared to marginal differences in AF speed, shooting speed, or, dare I say it, noise levels. The vast majority of cameras sold will have the images they capture viewed electronically as this video rightly points out. I for one prefer the compromises of the m43 system v full frame.

Thank you very much for making this video. At this time when everyone is making a first impression review, having a comparison video like this is a great move. I shoot using Olympus, and with the arguments of your video, my decision in staying with the format makes sense. More power to you.

Thanks for this review. You absolutely nailed it. Factual and even handed. So rare on RU-vid.

Hi. This is a very fair review of this camera. It’s a camera that I am considering and this review convinced me to go with the Olympus camera. Thanks so much again for a very fair and informative review.

Well reviewed and compared. Weight, cost, and size with so little to trade off with full frame, why five years ago I tried out the Oly E-M5 mkII an with in six months I was in love with the cameras and lenses. My Canon cameras and gear have sitting idle ever sense. In the long term I’ve discovered I’m bring the camera with me far more regularly the I was doing with the bigger, heavier Canon gear and I’m enjoying photography more again. Thanks for the well thought out comparison.

Nice and balanced video. I use Em1 MkII at sea and feel I can't live without the excellent IBIS that effectively takes care of waves and engine vibrations.

Well done. Sound like the ISO is the biggest kicker to be considered.

The major reason to get EM1 for straight out of camera jpeg which has canon like skin tone.

Great review. I shoot with two EM1 Mkii's currently and will be replacing one of them with the mkiii. Moved from full frame when i realised 36mp was overkill for what i shoot. Olympus primes are solid and some of the finest glass you can purchase.

Excellent video! One of the best of the kind. Very well done!

One of the best comparisons between mft and full frame. I noticed you compared the size of a 24-105 full frame and a 12-100 mft: this is a bit uncorrect because the 12-100 has a double reach!

Excellent review! make sense in every ways. I'm now subscribed.

I’m always shooting my MFT at f/4 to f/8 because I want MORE depth of field (i.e. whole subject in focus). Very happy with Olympus cameras and lenses.

Very very professional objective review. Keep up the work and you will soon compete with Chris and Jordan

Great comparison! Thanks a lot 👍🏼

This is a great video. Good commentary and points! I'm sticking with my GH5 until I have a compelling reason to upgrade.

Loved the EM-1 whilst I had it for a short while. The IBIS was RIDICULOUSLY good and I still miss it dearly (A7iii user now).

you did a great job on this video. As an Olympus shooter I got so many 'attack' from FF users... but they never see my pictures only talkes about specs...

Thanks for this. Nice comparison, a lot of good points 👍 Also, subscribed 😉

Very interesting comparison - thank you!

I came into this video super optimistic and excited for the comparison, but I was disappointed in the lack of brevity. I wish it were longer, I want to see a part 2, I want more of a comparison. Maybe more of your opinion. I just want more.

Great video my friend, I am an Olympus owner and I am glad to see that

You have a great video here, congratulations. I would like to hear comments from each user camp on the usability of each system for Weddings. Thanks!

Nice review. Thank you for doing it.

Very good and balanced review! Thanks! I have been very happy with the Oly system for wildlife and travel photography. For portraits I am toying with the idea of full-frame or medium format. Leica....$$$....

There is another area that MFT might be considered a good option - macro. Wish Sony would add this feature but for some bizarre reason does not provide in-camera focus bracketing. Something that comes in quite handy for many situations compared to needing to carry additional apparatuses to complete the task.

Thanks. Very instructive comparison 🏆

Thanks for the excellent video comparing the new Olympus OMD E M1 Mark III camera to the Sony a7RIII camera. I have an Olympus OMD that I purchased three years ago and I was considering moving to the Sony full frame. After watching this video, I am now considering sticking with Olympus. So this video is very timely. There are a lot of things I do not like about the Olympus: the wifi function sucks, the menu is not intuitive, it has stopped working for about an hour when I was travelling. Anyway, excellent video.

What always blows my mind is how some people refused to accept that M43 has a place in the market and go around M43 camera reviews and talk smack about the system. Really bizarre. Excellent review btw, definitely hit some good points that many others didn't talk about.

I buy in 43 systems for the same reasons. Thanks for proofing it is still valid!

Love this video. Short and sweet.

Great review thanks. Would you recommended the Mark III for wildlife and BIF

Olympus weatherproofing is second-to-none and part of the reason I stick with the system.

Great video and fair comparison.

Excellent review. One of the best I have seen so far. Olympus definitely has its place in the market and for me as full-time landscape photographer I appreciate the weight, weather sealing and portability. For me none of the other manufacturers can match this.

This is a technical comment. The photosite size has little to do with low light performance. What makes the difference is the size of the aperture. The physical aperture size is the same at F4 on a FF lens as at F2 on m43rds (for example). If you gave both sensors the same light, they would perform the same in terms of noise. However, there is no f0.7 lens to compare to an f1.4 in FF, so in this respect FF is better in low light. However, where you can halve the aperture, the low light performance is the same. Good video, by the way.

Great video. I have an olympus stylus 1 and I'm thinking of getting either a om5 or a om1. Are these cameras still available? My 1st choice right now is fugi xpro2, but I also want a better olympus as well. I like both systems.

As an Olympus user I really have my doubts about what they are doing. At the very least I would have liked to see a new, higher megapixel sensors, improved evf and touchscreen. Olympus really needs to start putting some innovative hardware into their camera if they are going to survive in a world of full frame mirrorless systems with weather sealing and weather sealing on par or even better.

Nice video. I have both these cameras as well. Usability goes to the Olympus 100%. I agree mostly with your assessment, except on the telephoto argument. You should try shooting the same focal length on both cameras and then cropping and up scaling the Sony image to match the Oly. You won’t see much difference if any. So the upshot is that this cost/weight savings of MFT on long focal lengths is not real. So the Sony 100-400mm going to give you similar results as the Oly 300mm at a similar price/size/weight.

Nice and objective comparison! I like that you really compare the cameras on a practical level and not just based on their tech-sheets. I am mft shooter and wonder if I should upgrade to the new EM1 or get an full frame just for astro photography, because that is one scenario mft lags a bit and can't compensate with it's otherwise great IBIS. 🤔 Nevertheless thanks for not joining the 'format war', which is ridiculous.

Olympus is just flat out reliable. I switched from sony. I personally think olympus/fuji are the best systems available. Modern day m43 sensors are good enough for what I do. Lens are more important the sensor imo. The only thing I miss is crazy bokeh at shorter focal lengths.

As a former Olympus shooter and now Sony i can totally agree!!! Fantastic review!

I have been shooting with the Sony A7R3 for almost 4 years with the 100-400 G Master and 1.4 TC. I have been thinking about switching to MFT because of the weight and size. As a wildlife shooter, walking for hours with this thing gets old. Yes, the images are fantastic, but if I can find an alternative with less weight and similar image quality, I would be interested. This is a compelling video. Nice work.

Just curious about the dynamic range of the cameras. I currently shoot with the a7R4 but used to shoot with the em5. Loved them both but find the eye aF and dynamic range a big reason why I stay. Love to see what it’s like with Olympus.

Thanks for the comparison!

thank you It's a good comparative content. This content answered all my doubts.