Body
As we have come to expect from the Olympus OM-D E-M5 series, we have a small, lightweight, yet very rugged body here, but this time with the new IP53 rating.
No matter if it's sun, rain, wind or snow, these bodies are there to be taken with you at all times to capture the moment.
Although the Body is very compact, we still have plenty of settings and buttons at our fingertips for quick operation, so we don't have to fumble around in sub-menus.
Unfortunately, the connectivity options on the Body have also fallen victim to the fact that the Body is so small. On the left side we have a microphone and headphone jack, but only micro HDMI and micro USB, no USB C.
The memory cards support UHS II SD cards, but in contrast to the OM-1 only one slot is available, so no direct backup can be made.
The display is a tilt + swivel display, which may please many of you.
Photo
A beautiful retro style body is useless if we can not take good photos. Here we have installed a 20mp MFT sensor in the OM 5. The industry currently likes to throw very high megapixel numbers through the room, but we find that this resolution is enough for most of what I capture so privately. Even from this you can print larger canvases if you want.
But if you say: For my landscape photography I need more, much more! No problem. The OM 5 also has a High Res mode.
Here, several photos are created and then offset in the camera to create a higher resolution. So you can create an 80MP shot with a tripod or 50MP even handheld. But please pay attention to your motives. If something moves in the pictures, this can lead to calculation errors, as we can see here on the picture.
Well-known features like the Live ND filters (in this case up to ND 16), Live Composite and Bulb, as well as Pro Capture are of course also at the start, as you know it from the other Olympus and OM Systems cameras.
In addition to the ND filter (which only goes in the photo range) but now times can also save us money, we find especially the Pro Capture always good, where the camera both before, as well as after the release of the cameras already makes a few pictures and you can then pick out the perfect moment.
The whole thing but of course also brings nothing if you then only have blurred photos. Here we can reassure everyone. OM Systems has given the OM 5 a new and improved autofocus. The face and eye autofocus now works very solidly and if multiple people are detected, you can quickly switch between them.
For all nature photographers, however, there is a small drawback: bird or animal detection is unfortunately not on board.
Video
A DSLM is nothing without video these days.
The OM 5 has not let itself be left behind. With the current standards like 4K in 30fps and Full HD with 120fps you can work very solid.
Especially the new improved image stabilizer helps you. Here, we have a stabilization of 6.5 and even 7.5 steps with compatible Sync Lenses.
Quiet handheld shots are no problem at all. However, we still recommend a gimbal for running shots.
That's all well and good, but our highlight in the video aspect is actually the edge-to-edge video. It may sound like an unimportant feature, but if you do a lot with social media, you'll find that it's super annoying to film a lot in portrait without the feature. Videos will still always be shot as horizontal footage. In order to share it in portrait format via Instagram + Co., you first have to rotate the whole thing and save it again.
Thanks to the OM 5, this is no longer necessary and you can directly upload it to the web.
Special features:
The OM 5 comes with a handful of small features that we find very charming and would like to summarize briefly.
USB streaming.
The OM 5 now also has the option to be used directly as a webcam. As soon as you connect the camera to the PC, it is immediately recognized in programs like Zoom, Skype or Teams and can be used. A feature that people unfortunately always overlook or ignore, but which has become very important (especially in the last few years) to give a professional image in online meetings.
stars AF.
It may sound really unnecessary, but many who have used this feature once swear by it. Since there are super wide-angles with a large open aperture for MFT (for example, the Olympus 17mm with f/1.2), we find the camera very good for astrophotography. The mode also does exactly what it sounds like. It focuses correctly on the stars. It's often difficult for normal AF systems to work accurately here, and working with manual focus and Liveview is just tedious. Try it out for yourself.
Focus Stacking.
Small cameras are often very suitable for small photo subjects. Thanks to the wide range of MFT lenses, there are also many macro solutions. Combine this with the Focus Stacking feature and the camera will take multiple images at different focus distances and produce an image with greater depth of field.
Included in delivery:
BLS-50 Lithium-ion battery
EP-15 Eyecup
Shoulder strap
Micro Four Thirds body cap (BC-2)
User manual
Warranty card
CB-USB12 USB cable
Tell your story.
Like your favorite pair of boots.
The OM-5 isn't there to stand out, steal your thunder, get in the way of your experience, or even be the sole reason for your adventure. Rather, it's like your favorite pair of boots that leads you down unknown paths; the bag that always has what you need, or the friend that helps you see the world in a wonderfully different way.
INVISIBLE
So compact, you'll barely notice it. A compact, classic design that disappears in your pocket but feels just right to hold.
ROBUST
Strikingly rugged. The OM-5 can withstand anything your adventure throws at it. There's no such thing as bad weather for storytelling.
DISCOVER
See nature in a new way through computer-aided photography - an ever-expanding photographic journey of discovery.
Less weight = more fun.
The OM-5 is designed to accompany you, but not get in the way of your experience. It's compact enough to stow in your favorite bag or dangle unnoticed on your shoulder until inspiration strikes. It's ready for your story, but not a heavy burden.
Letthe weather surprise you.
The best stories come from mishaps. It's time to enjoy those moments: The OM-5 is IP53 dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof, so you can keep telling your story, just like your favorite pair of boots that just keep on going.
You'll never be jolted again with 5-axis Lens Stabilization.
The OM-5 can stabilize even the shakiest situations with up to 6.5 stops (or 7.5 with compatible Sync-IS Lenses). This makes longer handheld exposures and blur-free telephoto shots a breeze.
Forget filters - LiveND lets you get creative.
Get the most out of moving subjects by changing how you see motion with LiveND. With up to four effect levels (ND16), you can transform seemingly mundane moments into magical ones - even with the widest Lens.
Big on demand. Handheld Hi-Res.
Some scenes are so meaningful that you need to go big to do a moment justice. With the OM-5, you can take big pictures without having to scale up your equipment. Handheld Hi-Res mode lets you shoot stunning 50MP files without lugging around a heavier camera and tripod.
Get the dust off your sensor with the Supersonic Wave Filter.
Worry-free lens changes on your adventures. The OM-5 is equipped with a Supersonic Wave Filter (SSWF) that vibrates over 30,000 times per second to instantly remove dust from the surface of the image sensor.
Never miss the moment. 121-point PDAF autofocus.
Focus on the moment, not the focus. The OM-5 features a 121-point autofocus sensor (All Cross-type On-Chip Phase Detection AF) that provides reliable focusing in all situations and with all your subjects. Capture majestic wildlife with ease and use wide aperture lenses with confidence that the story you've captured is clearly in focus.
Focus on what's important. ImprovedFace/Eye AF.
When you're taking photos of the people who matter to you, you should always be smiling and not fussing. With improved face and eye autofocus, you can take photos of both individuals and groups with ease. With a touch of the screen or a press of a button, you decide whose story you want to tell.
Don't just dream the night away. Capture it with Starry Sky AF.
No more guesswork or complicated manual focusing when you capture the night sky. Starry Sky AF makes astrophotography accessible with a special autofocus mode for the night sky. Combine it with other computational photography features like Live Composite and a galaxy of possibilities is just a click away!
Live Composite.
Make the dark hours your ally with Live Composite. Effortlessly dive into a whole new world of long exposure with this compute-intensive feature. No more accidental overexposure or guesswork. See the light come to life on your OM-5's screen, and enjoy everything from star trails to light painting at magic hour.
Live ND.
Let the OM-5 take you into new realms of creative flow with Live ND. This computerized feature transforms any scene with a moving subject into mesmerizing, flowing images. Streams in the backyard become endless sources of inspiration, clouds become works of art, and waves transform into ethereal-looking mist. Live ND also lets you use any wide-angle lens like the 7-14mm F2.8 PRO and the 8mm F1.4 Fisheye PRO without worrying about vignetting.
HDR.
HDR images let you quickly capture the full dynamic range of a scene or go beyond the natural capabilities of your eyes. The OM-5 has multiple effect levels and can shoot 3 to 5 images in series at different exposures. It can even process 4 images together in selectable HDR modes.
Color Creator.
Get creative with the Color Creator feature, which lets you freely control the hue and saturation of each scene to maximize the impact of the story. Choose which part of the scene you want to highlight, from stunning orange tones in sunsets to the lush greens of the jungle.
Art Filters.
Explore the world around you with 16 different Art Filters. From classic black-and-whites to artistic blurs, there's more than enough to explore the world in a new way through the screen or EVF of your OM-5.
Focus Stacking.
Get as close as you want without having to stop down the aperture to keep everything in focus. Choose how deep you want to focus and let the camera combine the images. Whether you're shooting extreme macro or low-light landscapes, this feature lets you maximize depth of field without resorting to higher ISOs or apertures.
AF Aiming Modes.
Whether you need to focus on details precisely or want quick snapshots of moving wildlife, there are six different AF aiming modes to ensure you don't miss your moment. Whether you're a fan of traditional single-point focusing or want to create custom AF patterns for a specific purpose, there's a mode for every need.
Scene Modes.
Got a beautiful scene in front of you that you want to capture as faithfully as possible, but don't know where to start? Well, that's no problem. With 22 scene modes, the OM-5 is like a friend who always has just the right advice for you. From beach + snow to nature macro to handheld starlight, there's a preset to match that will set you and your camera up for success.
