Olympus sold its camera division to focus on medical equipment in mid-2020, and the Japanese company’s baton is being taken up by OM Digital Solutions, which has just announced its first professional mirrorless camera, the OM System OM-1. This is a nod to the original Olympus OM-1, which was launched 50 years ago, but also a new Micro Four Thirds that relies on computational photography and claims to be the fastest camera on the market.
OM-System OM-1 Technical Specifications
| OM-System OM-1 | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | Sensor 4/3 Live MOS Stacked BSI |
| Resolution | 20.4MP |
| Processor | TruePic™ X Dual Quad-Core Processor |
| ISO Sensitivity | ISO80-102400 |
| Shot Speed | Focal plane shutter (mechanical shutter) 1/8000 – 60 s Electronic shutter (silent mode) 1/32000 – 60 s |
| Focus | Camera phase-detection AF and camera contrast AF used in combination (1053 points) |
| Viewfinder | OLED electronic viewfinder, approx. 5.76 million points |
| Screen | 3″ vari-angle monitor (electrostatic capacitance touch panel), approx. 1.62 million dots (3:2) |
| Stabilizer | 5-axis image stabilization with compensation of up to 8 shutter speed steps |
| Video | MOV (MPEG-4AVC/H.264) and MOV (HEVC/H.265) up to 4K 60p |
| Storage | Slot 1: SD, SDHC (UHS-I/II), SDXC (UHS-I/II) Slot 2: SD, SDHC (UHS-I/II), SDXC (UHS-I/II) |
| Battery | BLX-1 Lithium-Ion Battery Standard Mode: 520 shots Quick Sleep Mode: 1,100 shots |
| Dimensions | Approx. 134.8mm (width) x 91.6mm (height) x 72.7mm (depth) |
| Weight (Grams) | with 1 BLX-1 battery and 1 memory card, without eyepiece): 599 g |
| Price | $2,199 |
The end of Olympus cameras, the beginning of the OM-Solutions
The new Olympus OM-System OM-1 is the direct heir to the Olympus E-M1 Mark III. Many may confuse the two, but if you look closely, the new model has a more rounded shape. And the improvements are, on paper, numerous. So much so that it’s worth switching models. And this is something that can rarely be said when they present the evolution of a model.
Inside there’s computational photography technology with a new back-illuminated and stacked sensor that promises higher ISOS with less noise, a processor three times faster, and a burst speed that dwarfs many models of other brands. These are the advantages of a small sensor that looks more and more like the big ones.
It is the perfect example of how far the Micro Four Thirds system can go with the help of current technology. It seems that OM-System will follow the innovative philosophy of Olympus, a brand that many of us cried for when it disappeared. But this is the legend of the phoenix rising from the ashes:
It is very striking that the Olympus name still appears on the front of the camera. It seems to be a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the legendary OM-1, one of the great Olympus cameras of chemical times.
The main new features of the Om System OM-1
OM-System is the only brand that follows the idea that mirrorless cameras have to be small. And this professional model delivers it to the letter. It barely weighs 600 g and measures 138.8×91.6×72.7 mm. This is one of the specifications that stand out the most and have brought the general public to the stores.
Inside the camera we find a new 20 megapixel Stacked BSI Live MOS sensor and the latest TruePic X image processor that is three times faster than previous models. This makes it the first camera with this type of sensor to exceed 25600 ISO, as it is capable of up to 102400 ISO.
This sensor improves the noise level by two steps and achieves one step more dynamic range compared to the sensor of the previous model. No doubt thanks to the fact that we are dealing with a back-illuminated and stacked sensor.
What is striking, as we read in the press release is: ‘Thanks to computational photography (advanced digital image processing), we have incorporated these functions into the camera at an early stage’. OM-System, as the heir to Olympus, is the first brand to openly acknowledge the use of computational photography for better results and easier operation.
The functions it enables improve, in principle, on the results of previous models. Processes such as high-resolution shooting without the need for a tripod, Live ND to simulate the effects of neutral density filters, Live composite to add only the brightest parts of a long exposure image, focus stacking, or the famous HDR, all work with greater precision.
A very fast camera with professional video capabilities
Another new feature, and one that makes it one of the fastest machines today, is the 50 fps with autofocus tracking. And with focus locked, or in manual, it reaches a whopping 120 fps. It has up to 1053 cross focus points controlled by the new version of the TruePic X processor.
Finally, let’s mention the world of video. There is no problem with stability thanks to the size of the sensor. With the OM System OM-1, you can record in 4K 60p, but if you want you can go up to 240p in Full HD. And most impressively, you can choose to output in 12-bit RAW at 4:4:4:4.
And as a professional camera that is, you can not miss its electronic viewfinder of 5.76 MP at 120 fps, a sealed body that resists up to -10º, and a new menu that tries to simplify the use of this camera, so it reaches the quality of other models like the Sony A7 RIV or the Canon EOS R3.
Pricing and Availability
Together with the camera, they have presented two new lenses of the professional series, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12 40mm F2.8 PRO II ($999) (35 mm: 24-80 mm) and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 40 150mm F4.0 PRO ($899) (35 mm: 80-300 mm). Both are protected against dust and splashes and have a fluorine coating that repels water, oil, and dust.
The OM System OM-1 will be available for purchase in early March 2022 and will cost $2,199.
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