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The accuracy is ±0.1% of full scale (FS). Multiply ±0.1% by 50 lbF, which equals ±0.05 lbF. This means that any displayed reading may be higher or lower by up to 0.05 lbF. For example, if the displayed value is 30.00 lbF, the true reading will be ≥29.95 lbF and ≤30.05 lbF.

Further using the example of an M5-50 force gauge, a fixed error of ±0.05 lbF represents a higher error as a percentage of reading for a load of 1.00 lbF than 30.00 lbF.

Resurrecting a popular design from its past proves fruitful for Olympus: Not only does the Olympus OM-D E-M5 look great, it takes great pictures, meeting or exceeding the quality of some pretty surprising competitors. Its interface is designed with photographers in mind, with ready control dials and a smart interface, all in a very small package.

Body-only pricing for the Olympus E-M5 starts around US$1,000, with availability from April 2012. Two body colors are available: black and silver. In addition to the body-only kit, there are also two kits including lenses. The black version of the E-M5 body and M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II R lens costs about US$1,100. Alternatively, a black version of the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ lens is available with either the black or silver E-M5 body, for US$1,300.

Raising the excitement around its Micro Four Thirds cameras, Olympus added a new branch to the line with the OM-D E-M5. Once again, Olympus resurrected both the name and appearance of a successful camera line from the company"s past to appeal to the sense of nostalgia we"re seeing return to the digital camera space. The new digital camera upgrades the sensor to 16 megapixels and includes a built-in electronic viewfinder, both firsts for an Olympus-badged MFT camera. Available in both black and silver starting April 2012, the new camera is also somewhat pricey, starting at US$1,000 body-only, US$1,100 with a standard 14-42mm lens, and US$1,300 with the unique 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ lens pictured at right.

If you"ve already read this part of the review, be sure to check out our Field Test below, where I used the Olympus E-M5 on a trip to Whistler, Canada.

Though the viewfinder housing is shaped like a pentaprism, there is no pentaprism underneath. Many might cry foul over this choice, but it makes sense. Rather than make their camera look like a modern, smooth molded plastic camera, they pulled from their own past, returning to an easily recognizable form. But I can"t deny that a flood of analytical thoughts and emotions washed over me when I first set eyes on the OM-D E-M5. Was I impressed or put off? Did they hit the right notes? Is it too similar or not similar enough to the old OM line? Am I over-analyzing and under-appreciating because I"m afraid I"m a little too fond of bringing back the old camera forms?

The main question I had: Is it worthy of the OM name, or is it just window dressing? After spending more time with the E-M5, all I can think is, worthy or not, it just makes sense. If Olympus is to make an EVF Micro Four Thirds camera, it should look like their last SLR, not some odd modern interpretation of a Pen with a bump on top.

Names. What doesn"t make sense is the camera"s name. OM-D E-M5 is absurdly circumspect. They want to pay homage to the OM line while pointing out that it"s digital, hence the D. Like we didn"t know. Yet they want to keep pointing out that it"s electronic like the other cameras in the line, hence the E in E-M5. I"d have preferred OM-5 or even OM-5D. We know it"s electronic, and we know it"s digital--I think we got it--so OM-5 would have been simpler, more evocative of the past they"re so keen to recapture.

Note also how the sensor seems to hang down in this front shot. It"s not centered top to bottom. But when you power on the Olympus E-M5, the sensor rises and centers just fine, and you can hear the IS system working. See the Image Stabilization section below for more, including a short movie demonstrating the new IS system"s extreme freedom of movement.

The left side of the EVF housing has a Mode dial, while the right side has two unique dials. In Manual mode, the Rear dial adjusts shutter speed while the front adjusts aperture. In the center of the front dial we find the Shutter release button. The Shutter release button is spongy through the half-press, then firms up significantly for the final break. Just right of that is the new Curves button. Using the two dials on the top deck, you can adjust the onscreen curve for Shadows and Highlights and see the results in the onscreen preview. Just behind that is the Movie Record button.

While there"s much similar to the Pens on the E-M5, the rear controls owe a little more to the Olympus E-5 professional digital SLR. Most Pen cameras to date have had a rear dial surrounding the four-way navigator, but the E-M5 has only the five buttons. Below that is the power switch, which is located where it is on the E-3 and E-5.

The OLED monitor tilts vertically, up 90 degrees, and down 45 degrees. It"s the EVF that"s even more fun, sporting 1.44 million dots. It"s similar to the VF-2 accessory finder, but with a different optical formula, according to Olympus, that allows for better visibility, with a 1.15x magnification and 18mm eyepoint relief. I found it fairly easy to frame images with my eyeglasses on, but the corners were still vignetted unless I pushed my glasses in against my eye socket. That makes me wonder if it wouldn"t be better without the circular mask you can see quite clearly in the shot above. This got even more comfortable to do when shooting in vertical mode, as there"s more room for your nose in that orientation. I could see being quite comfortable shooting the E-M5 with its optional vertical grip.

Controls. By far our favorite controls are the two dials on the top. The front dial, made of plastic, is a little looser than the rear dial, which seems to be metal. On a camera with an OM designation, it"s nice to see some effort to offer mechanical control. OM users are accustomed to adjusting both shutter speed and aperture via the ring around the lens mount and the ring on the lens itself, respectively. Given that the Micro Four Thirds system is already established without mechanical aperture controls on the lenses, this digital/analog pairing of two equivalent dials keeps to the spirit of the OM system in the digital age. Most competing professional designs have a dial front and back to control these two basic exposure functions, while most amateur SLRs, like the Rebel, have only one dial with a button to shift between the two exposure parameters. This simple difference marks the OM-D E-M5 as a camera designed for enthusiasts and pros.

Optics. As mentioned earlier, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ lens is the main kit lens for the OM-D E-M5. Sliding the zoom ring forward puts the lens in motorized zoom mode, ideal for smooth zooming in movies. Speed is variable based on how far you turn the zoom ring left or right. Pull the zoom ring rearward, toward the camera, and it becomes a mechanical zoom. Manual focusing is fly-by-wire only. An MSC design, the lens focuses quickly and quietly. Announced in December 2011, the 24-100mm-equivalent lens has multiple sealing rings to make it as waterproof as Olympus"s Four Thirds SHG (Super High Grade) lenses, and is individually priced at $499.99.

Good as it is, the shame is its length, making the camera quite a bit less pocketable. However, the OM-D E-M5 is also able to use any of the 26 lenses available for the Micro Four Thirds mount (not including the Panasonic 3D lens), with more coming from manufacturers like Sigma. There are also nine mount adapters that open up a wide world of options to use lenses from Pentax, Leica, Voigtländer, and even Olympus"s own Four Thirds lenses. A new Four Thirds adapter, called the MF-3 is dust and splashproof to match the E-M5 body and the Four Thirds High Grade and Super High Grade lenses.

Sensor and processor. At the heart of the Olympus E-M5 lies a new 16.1-megapixel Live MOS image sensor, whose output is handled by a TruePic VI image processor, the same as in the E-P3. The E-M5"s imager has a 4:3 aspect ratio, and allows capture of still images at a maximum resolution of 4,608 x 3,456 pixels. RAW images are 12-bit and stored using lossless compression.

Sensitivity. Sensitivity ranges from a base of ISO 200 equivalent to a maximum of ISO 25,600 equivalent, controlled automatically, or manually in 1/3 or 1 EV steps. (By default, the maximum sensitivity in Auto mode is capped at a more modest ISO 1,600 equivalent, however.)

Performance. The Olympus E-M5 is capable of full-resolution, continuous shooting at up to an impressive nine frames per second, although there"s a proviso. To achieve this rate, focus must be locked from the first frame.

Focusing. The Olympus E-M5 improves on the already-swift autofocusing system of its Pen sibling, the E-P3. As in that camera, it still uses contrast detection autofocusing, branded as "Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology," or "FAST" AF for short. Olympus again claims its new system offers the world"s fastest autofocusing, so long as you"re shooting with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ lens.

Compared to the E-P3, they"ve achieved the improvement in speed by doubling the sensor readout speed again, with this now able to reach as high as a stunning 240 frames per second. There"s a catch, though -- achieving this speed means that the E-P3 can"t read out as many pixel locations as at lower rates, and so the 240Hz refresh comes at the expense of contrast detection resolution (and hence, autofocus accuracy). For this reason, the E-M5 only uses the 240Hz rate for continuous autofocus, and falls back to a slightly slower--but more accurate--120Hz rate during single autofocus operation. Olympus also notes that the increase in refresh rate for continuous AF allows better subject tracking performance.

Although the E-M5 uses contrast detection, it still has fixed autofocus point locations, just like the E-P3. The E-M5"s AF system provides 35 point focusing, with the points arranged in a 7 x 5 array that covers most of the image frame, with the exception of the extreme edges. Focus point selection modes include All Target (35-area), Group Target (9-area), and Single Target. In magnified frame AF mode, it"s possible to zoom in to either 5x, 7x, 10x, or 14x, and this allows much finer-grained point positioning, with over 800 different focus point locations possible.

Face detection is supported (up to 8 faces), as well as Eye detection with options for Nearer-eye priority, Right-eye priority, or Left-eye priority. An AF illuminator is also provided to assist in low-light conditions. Focus servo modes include Single AF (S-AF), Continuous AF (C-AF), Manual Focus (MF), S-AF + MF, and AF tracking (C-AF + TR).

Dust reduction. The E-M5 retains Olympus" patented Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system, which operates courtesy of a piezoelectric element, vibrating the filter glass overlying the sensor. This shakes dust and other particles free, and they"re then captured on an adhesive membrane beneath the imager. We"ve subjectively found piezoelectric systems like these to be significantly more effective than those using lower-frequency motion from a sensor-shift assembly.

Display. On the rear panel of the Olympus E-M5 is a 3.0-inch, 3:2 aspect Organic LED screen with an electrostatic capacitance touchpanel overlay, the same unit as featured in the E-P3. The E-M5 has an advantage, though, in that it features an articulated mechanism, allowing it to be tilted upwards by around 80 degrees for shooting from the waist or low to the ground, and tilted downwards as much as 50 degrees for over-the-head shooting.

The Olympus E-M5"s OLED panel has a total resolution of 614,000 dots, equating to approximately 205,000 pixels, with each pixel comprising separate red, green, and blue dots. The display has a wide 176-degree angle of view, and offers two operating modes--vivid and natural color--as well as a five-step brightness adjustment, and a seven-step color adjustment.

Viewfinder. One of the defining features of the Olympus E-M5 is its built-in viewfinder. It"s quite similar to the VF-2 electronic viewfinder accessory for past PEN-series models, but we understand that it"s a new optical design. Resolution is 1,440,000 dots, equating to approximately 480,000 pixels. That"s an SVGA array of 800 x 600 pixels, with each pixel comprised of separate red, green, and blue dots.

The E-M5"s viewfinder, like that of the VF-2 accessory, has a 100% field of view, and 1.15x magnification. Eyepoint is 18mm, and the viewfinder"s refresh rate is 120Hz. There"s a diopter adjustment dial to the left of the eyepiece with a range of -4 to +2m-1, and the eyecup is removable. An infrared eye sensor is provided for automatic switching between the electronic viewfinder and OLED monitor.

Level gauge. To help ensure level horizons and avoid converging verticals, the Olympus E-M5 includes a dual-axis electronic level gauge. This indicates both front-to-back pitch and side-to-side roll on the live view feed, ensuring your framing is straight and even.

Shutter. The E-M5 provides shutter speeds ranging from 60 - 1/4,000 seconds, as well as a bulb mode that can be configured to allow exposures from one to 30 minutes, in eight steps. The shutter mechanism is tested to 100,000 cycles.

Exposure. The Olympus E-M5 offers a wide range of exposure modes, including iAuto, Program (with Program Shift), Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, Manual, Bulb, Time, Scene Select, Art Filter, Underwater Wide, and Underwater Macro. Scene modes options are generous, with no less than 23 different choices: Portrait, e-Portrait, Landscape, Landscape + Portrait, Sport, Night, Night + Portrait, Children, High Key, Low Key, DIS mode, Macro, Nature Macro, Candle, Sunset, Documents, Panorama, Fireworks, Beach & Snow, Fisheye Conv., Wide Conv., Macro Conv., and 3D.

Exposures are determined using a 324-area multi pattern metering system, which also provides center-weighted and spot metering modes. The metering system has a working range of EV 0 to 20 (17mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 100). Exposures can be tweaked with +/- 3.0 EV of exposure compensation in 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV steps, and an AE Lock function is available to hold a metered exposure. In addition, the E-M5 provides a handy 2, 3, 5, or 7 frame exposure bracketing function, with a gap between frames of 0.3, 0.7, or 1 EV (with the exception of the 7-frame mode, which is limited to a maximum of 0.7 EV steps). Like recent PEN-series models, the Olympus E-M5 also allows users to fine-tune the metering system to suit their own tastes, courtesy of an additive +/-1 EV adjustment in 1/6 EV steps.

Image stabilization. The new image stabilization mechanism is dramatically different from the past design. The old design moved in only two planes, and was a much larger mechanism, but this new design floats inside the camera, and can compensate along five axes. It compensates for yaw, pitch, vertical motion, horizontal motion, and roll, and Olympus says it"s capable of up to 5 stops of correction. Click image at right to load video.

Creative. Like the company"s PEN-series models, the Olympus E-M5 includes a generous selection of pre-capture Art Filter functions, and all of these are applicable not only for still images, but movie capture as well, although they may affect frame rate. Art Filters include Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, Cross Process, Gentle Sepia, Dramatic Tone, and Key Line. This last option is new, and offers an effect not dissimilar to a paint-by-numbers painting. There are also new sub-options for the cross process and dramatic tone filters, the first allowing a choice of red or green tone, and the second being a choice of color or black-and-white.

Additionally, there are five post capture Art Filter Effects, including Soft Focus, Pin-hole, White Edge, Frame, and Star Light filters. An Art Filter Bracketing function helps users to see the effect of different filters by saving multiple copies of each individual shot, with different filters applied. Further catering to creative types, the E-M5 also offers an in-camera, two-frame Multiple Exposure function, a selection of different aspect ratios (4:3 native, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1, and 3:4), and an in-camera editing function.

3D imaging. Olympus has included its multi-shot 3D Photo mode in the E-M5, allowing in-camera creation of 3D images in the industry-standard Multi Picture Object (.MPO) format. MPO files contain multiple JPEG still images with slightly differing perspective, and can be viewed on some 3D-capable high-def displays. To capture a 3D image with the Olympus E-M5, you hold down the shutter button and slowly pan across the scene, until the camera automatically takes a second image with slightly differing perspective.

Video. As is now pretty-much obligatory for an interchangeable-lens camera, the Olympus E-M5 also provides for high definition video capture. Recording is possible at resolutions up to 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (commonly known as Full HD, or 1,080i), with a rate of 60 interlaced fields per second from 30 frames per second sensor output. Like earlier models, videos are still saved using MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, however they are now saved in a MOV container and in the same location as still images, meaning that if you like to copy data manually, you won"t need to dig through folders trying to remember where the videos are saved. Two bit rates are available: either 20 Mbps, or 17 Mbps, and the maximum recording time is about 22 minutes for the former, or 29 minutes for the latter. At 1,280 x 720 pixels, HD videos can be saved in either MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format with a rate of 60 interlaced fields per second at 13 Mbps or 10 Mbps, or in Motion JPEG AVI format at 30 frames per second. Finally, 640 x 480 pixel (VGA standard definition) video is saved as Motion JPEG AVIs at 30 frames per second. The maximum file size for MOV clips is 4GB, while AVI files are limited to 2GB. At all resolutions, videos include 16-bit, 48kHz stereo linear PCM audio.

Like the PEN-series, the Olympus E-M5 offers a full set of exposure modes during movie recording: Program AE, Aperture-priority AE, Shutter-priority AE, and Manual exposure are all supported, as well as Art Filter. Note that in Shutter-priority and Manual modes, shutter speed is limited to less than 1/30s. AE Lock is also supported.

Compared to the PEN-series cameras, the Olympus E-M5 has better movie processing, and much lower levels of rolling shutter. (This has been achieved simply by increasing the readout speed, although we don"t have any precise numbers to relate for this change.) We"re also told to expect fewer jaggies along straight edges.

Environmental sealing. The Olympus E-M5"s magnesium alloy body is said to be both dustproof and splashproof to the same standards as the Olympus E-5 SLR. (Note that it"s splashproof, not waterproof; it"s not intended to withstand submersion.)

It"s not just the E-M5 body that"s sealed, though; there"s a fully-sealed ecosystem available to the E-M5 user, and all of it said to be sealed to this same high standard. That includes the bundled FL-LM2 flash strobe, the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ zoom lens, the HLD-6 Power Battery Grip, and even a new MMF-3 Four Thirds mount adapter, allowing use of sealed Four Thirds-mount lenses.

Connectivity. The Olympus E-M5 offers quite a range of connectivity options, including USB 2.0 High Speed data, Type-D Micro HDMI high definition video output, NTSC / PAL selectable standard definition output, and Olympus" proprietary Accessory Port 2, which allows use of hot-shoe mounted accessories including the VF-2 and VF-3 viewfinder accessories (replicating the camera"s own viewfinder, but allowing VF angle adjustment), the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter, MAL-1 Macro Arm Light, and PP-1 PenPal bluetooth adapter. The Olympus RM-UC1 cabled USB remote release is also compatible.

Storage. The Olympus E-M5 is compatible with Secure Digital cards, including both higher-capacity SDHC and SDXC card types, with support for higher-speed UHS-I types. The Olympus E-M5 also supports WiFi enabled Eye-Fi Secure Digital cards, for wireless transfer direct from the camera body, although note that endless mode is not supported. At least a Class 6 card is recommended for movie shooting.

Power. The Olympus E-M5 draws power from a proprietary BLN-1 lithium-ion battery pack. Battery life is CIPA rated at 360 shots per charge using either the EVF or OLED display, with image stabilization active, though we don"t know if the bundled flash is included in that rating. Courtesy of the optional HLD-6 Power Battery Grip, it"s also possible to add a second battery pack of the same type, effectively doubling shooting times.

Flash. A small flip-up flash accessory (model FL-LM2) is included with the Olympus E-M5, not unlike the ones that come with the E-PL3 and E-PM1, only a little larger. It derives its power from the AP2 port, thus requiring no batteries of its own. The bundled FL-LM2 flash has a GN of 10(m) at ISO 200 or 7 at ISO 100, and is capable of acting as a commander for wireless multi-flash photography with compatible slaves, supporting up to 4 groups (including itself) and 4 channels.

The Mode dial takes up the position of the film rewind dial, and the rear control dial sits where the old ASA dial lived. The 90mm-equivalent lens on the E-M5 at left is pretty short compared to the 50mm on the OM-1.

Of course, the OM-1 had an optical viewfinder and no buttons on the back to make room for the film door, while the E-M5 has a large articulating monitor for instant development of images right inside the camera. It has been 40 years, after all.

These two were photographed right next to each other, though the contrast between the angles and curves makes even me wonder, and I took the pictures. Both have a decent grip, AF-assist lamps, and lens release buttons in similar places, but the E-M5 has one more control dial and no pop-up flash (though an accessory flash is included).

Both record stereo audio, and have fully functional hot shoes, but the G3 does not include an accessory port. The G3"s camera strap attaches without D-rings, however, which is a quieter option for movies. Both cameras also tilt up somewhat from the table thanks to their optical viewfinders, but the G3 tilts up more. I held the camera to follow the plane of the E-M5"s monitor to show the difference.

Though they"re both pretty small, the Olympus E-M5 is larger than the Pen Mini (E-PM1), shown here with Richard Franiec"s aftermarket grip. Both have the newer 14-42mm kit lens mounted. The Pen Mini weighs so little that it tilts forward under the weight of the identical lens, while the E-M5 stands tall.

As mentioned earlier, the E-M5 tilts up a bit from the table thanks to the protruding electronic viewfinder. There"s not even a Mode dial on the Pen Mini, while the E-M5 has three dials on the top deck.

Just to drive home how small the Olympus E-M5 is, we"ve added this comparison to the Canon Rebel T3i, that company"s current smallest interchangeable lens camera with an articulating LCD. The T3i is a little larger than past Rebels, but not by much.

As a camera fan, I can enjoy almost any competent camera, be it a simple pocket digital camera or a complex professional SLR. But something happened when I first used the Olympus OM-D E-M5. I could tell it was different. As a fan of the Olympus Pens, I"ve accepted quite a few limitations, including a somewhat thick body shape (on the E-P3) and a unique control system that wasn"t always quick to adjust. I never missed the optical viewfinder, so the EVF of the OM-D isn"t as important to me as it likely is to others, but they"re still nice as a fall-back when conditions are bright, like in the snow.

So when Olympus invited a group of tech journalists to Whistler, BC, Canada to shoot the Telus Ski and Snowboard Competition, I was more excited about seeing a fully shootable Olympus E-M5 than I was about seeing the event, or even snowboarding myself. The camera left an impression on me. Of course having a beautiful place to explore and photograph always makes reviewing a camera more fun.

System. Though it would turn out that the event wasn"t exactly ideal to demonstrate a few of the camera"s excellent features, many other features did shine, like the E-M5"s compact design, its water-resistance, its low light performance, and its membership in a fairly complete system of lenses and accessories.

Olympus set us up with not only an E-M5 with the 12-50mm kit lens and a battery grip, they also outfitted us with an impressive kit of lenses--primes and zooms--all fitting into a small, handy shoulder bag that accompanied most of us everywhere. A fairly complete Micro Four Thirds system is indeed compact.

Grip. My initial preview of the Olympus E-M5 didn"t include the battery grip, but now that I"ve tried it, I strongly recommend this $300 accessory. I generally like to buy a battery grip with my cameras when they"re available. Not just for the extra battery capacity, but also for the vertical grip, since more than 50% of my shots on average are vertical.

The OM-D E-M5 is so tiny, though, that the grip doesn"t make the combination ungainly; instead it"s just right for one with medium to small hands. As I find with my Rebel grip combination, the camera is easier to hold and shoot thanks to the grip, and the extra battery capacity is always welcome. Unlike the Rebel, though, the Olympus E-M5 is very small, light yet solid, and feels professional in your hand.

That the Olympus E-M5"s controls are duplicated for the battery grip is both good and bad. Good, of course, because you get better camera control when shooting vertical images, but bad when you accidentally activate focus, aperture, and EV controls, even firing the camera without meaning to, when your palm touches the extra controls. You can turn off the Olympus E-M5"s extra controls with a Lock switch on the battery grip, but then it"s a pain when you need vertical in a hurry and have to search for the switch.

On the top deck, the battery grip adds yet another EV dial that you can accidentally turn to change the exposure. It"s great when you want it, a bit of a pain when you don"t. I"d prefer to keep the dials, but have them activate with a button before accepting input; at least the ability to make it an option in software to work one way or the other. I love these dials when shooting in Manual mode, though, because the front dial switches to Aperture while the rear takes up Shutter speed; and the onscreen display previews exposure so you know just what you"ll get when you press the shutter button.

If you don"t feel like you need the extra battery or vertical grip, you can still keep the main grip attached, as the battery grip comes in two pieces. You can set which battery is depleted first, and the camera warns you when the first is about to die. So long as the second battery is present, you needn"t worry, as the Olympus E-M5 switches automatically. The battery grip holds only one battery, and the other stays in the camera"s main battery compartment. That means you have to remove the grip to remove and charge the main battery. My choice in general would be to leave the main battery as backup, buy a third battery, and keep rotating those in the grip, charging the main battery only monthly.

Lens. I confess to being surprised by the Olympus E-M5"s high-quality kit lens. Far from trying to be a smaller, compressible lens, as found on the Pens and latest Panasonic G-series MFT cameras, the 12-50mm lens is more analogous to the Canon 24-105mm lens on a 5D-series camera. With the 2x multiplication (or crop) factor, the 12-50mm is equivalent to a 24-100mm lens on a 35mm camera. Sure it"s longer and heavier than a standard budget kit lens, but it"s also of higher quality and includes a neat trick or two.

The first trick is the Olympus E-M5"s dual-mode zoom ring. Clicked rearward, the ring enables a manual, mechanical zoom mechanism. Clicked forward, away from the camera, the ring becomes a momentary toggle for the electronic zoom function. Cool as it is, the mechanism often shifted to one when I wanted the other style of zoom, and knowing where you are in the zoom range is difficult--that is, unless you look at the tiny numbers in the upper right corner of the rear OLED display or electronic viewfinder, which shows the focal length for most zoom lenses.

High speed. I"ve spent a lot of time shooting the Olympus E-M5 at its highest speed, trying to capture a good sequence image. The best has to be the sequence I got at the snowboard jump event in Whistler. As I mentioned, these really weren"t the best conditions to demonstrate the E-M5"s capabilities, but at nine-frames-per-second, the camera can"t track focus, which was the major problem we had capturing the jumps. The situation was made more difficult because the jumping didn"t start until after sundown, and the light got gradually worse and worse, insufficient for the 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 lens required to get close enough from where we stood. It all worked well enough, though; just not as well as it could have been had we been closer, with better light.

Still, it"s pretty remarkable that it worked as well as it did, and the Olympus E-M5"s low-light performance was pretty good considering, allowing a fast shutter speed and decent image stabilization as well. Most shots were not made at the full 600mm equivalent, but it"s pretty remarkable to hold the equivalent of a 600mm lens in such a small, handheld package, and get even one shot, let alone a dozen at nine-frames-per-second.

This same lens, by the way, allowed me to capture an eagle landing to clean up on a kill that was likely left by other animals. Don"t click on the image if you don"t like gruesome and prefer to think of bald eagles soaring and looking majestic (hey, they gotta eat). Even at 600mm equivalent, I was too far from the bird for a well-cropped image, so I took advantage of the E-M5"s 16-megapixel sensor and cropped the image, rotating it somewhat and adjusting levels for this shot you see here. You"ll also see the original image in the gallery to see just how much I had to adjust and crop, even with the 600mm equivalent lens (with the ice melting on the lake, this was as close as I dared get--not bad for a quick snapshot).

Stabilization. I had to explore a little bit to find it, but you can set the E-M5 to display a stabilized image when you half-press the shutter button, a reassuring feature I enjoy on a few of my optically stabilized Canon lenses.

Low light. Wandering around Whistler Village I found plenty of low light situations to demonstrate the E-M5"s capabilities, both its high ISO settings and its image stabilization. For snapshots, I only let it go up to ISO 1,600. The E-M5"s image stabilization let me get quality handheld shots at 1/20-1/25 second, as seen in the three vertical shots below. I also captured a shot of our hotel at 12,800, and another in a bar, both of which are mottled at 100% onscreen, but otherwise quite usable as small prints. The bar shot looks great printed at 8x10.

Snow. The Olympus E-M5 costs a little more than most compact system cameras, but there are quite a few really good reasons for that, and one of them is waterproofing. Like the company"s SLRs, the Olympus E-M5 is sealed against splashes and rain (though it"s not submersible). It can also handle snow and cold, not to mention humidity. To prove it, I shoved the gripless Olympus E-M5 with the 12-50mm lens in my jacket pocket, strapped on a snowboard, and hit the slopes on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Lest you think that snow isn"t all that dangerous to a camera, I get pretty steamed up when I snowboard (sweaty), so being in my pocket wasn"t exactly the driest place to store the E-M5.

What wasn"t ideal for the venue was the OM-D E-M5"s small buttons and switches, because it was glove-wearing weather. Many of the buttons would challenge big-handed folks, so it was limiting to say the least. I was able to work the front and rear dials and the shutter button with the gloves on, and even switch modes with the Mode dial, but the tiny buttons were more difficult. I also kept hitting the curves button more often than the Movie Record button with gloves on, something that also happens without gloves.

Even when it was sunny all around, I didn"t have much trouble framing images on the E-M5"s bright display, so I only used the EVF on occasion. Both were fine. I kept running afoul of the proximity sensor, though, too often turning on the EVF when I was just trying to frame a shot using the rear OLED display. Again, this happens even back home without a lot of snow gear, so I might be inclined to turn off the sensor in the long run. It switches a little slowly for me, much like the Fujifilm X-Pro1 did, so I"m not so hot on it.

The Olympus E-M5 did better in my jacket pocket while snowboarding than it did hanging from my Bos Strap while riding a snowmobile. If I had it to do again, I"d have kept it in the sling bag. Though I wanted to shoot a few shots of other snowmobilers, the camera took too much of a jostling while we bounced along on the trail, taking random pictures, at one point even the vertical grip"s battery door came loose, dropping the battery on the snow. I recovered that battery because it happened when my snowmobile"s brakes went out at the top of a high hill. Nice. Naturally I didn"t go down that hill, letting our more experienced guide handle that adventure, and managed to recover the battery. I also lost the eyecup, which actually seems to be fastened on reasonably well.

This cute offhand shot of our guide was made easier by the tilting display. If you look in her glasses, you can see an image of me holding the camera precariously over the river below.

All that adds up to no fault on the camera"s part, in my opinion; nor was it the Bos Strap"s fault. It was all my fault for combining strap and camera on a snowmobile, when I should have kept it in its bag. I recount the story here for your edification. But the good news is that the Olympus OM-D E-M5 weathered my decisions just fine, and came out unscathed in both cases.

Capturing shots like these snow-capped peaks made me rather nostalgic for the old Olympus ads back in the 1970s or 80s, one of which showed a photo from the top of K2, taken with an OM-1. This was nowhere near that high, nor that cold, but it sure was beautiful, and the E-M5 brought it home despite my steamy jacket. I"m not saying other cameras wouldn"t have done the same, of course, but having the Olympus E-M5 assured a little better quality from a camera quite small in size.

Curves. Fast access to tone curve adjustment is a new feature on the Olympus E-M5 that"s worth a quick look. I don"t think I"ve seen it so cleanly integrated into any camera up to this point, and with all the interest in automatic adjustment of tone curves to improve apparent dynamic range, it"s good to see a manual implementation of the concept.

Creative modes. Like other recent Olympus offerings, the OM-D E-M5 is replete with modes designed to help your creative vision while shooting. After setting up a tripod to get a consistent set of images using all of these available Art filters, as I usually do, I got to the last setting called Art Bracket. With just one click, the camera captured one image and ran it through all 11 Art filters, saving each as a separate image, as you see below, and added six Picture modes as well. The camera named each as it showed each effect was applying and saving. Suppose I should have thought of that first. You can modify the Art Bracket setting to save just a few, or all of them.

Affinity. The word Love has already been used by too many other reviewers in reference to the Olympus E-M5, understandably so. I choose other words, not just to be different, but to be more specific. Indeed, I demonstrated my affinity to the E-M5 for weeks, through my refusal to turn the sweet little camera over to the lab for testing. But in order to finish the review, I had to let it go for a time.

The Olympus E-M5 is a very fine camera, one that serves my love of photography with form and features that are addictive. It very well fits my need to photograph, so my affinity for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 seems quite natural. Olympus" established and growing array of lenses are not just small, but of excellent quality, meaning a superb photography kit can fit into a small bag that"s easy to bring along, not a monstrous, back-breaking burden. Olympus has realized the goal of a quality compact system camera that"s capable of great photography, just like the original and enduring OM system of the last century.

Most decent cameras produce very good results at base ISO, but the E-M5 is interesting enough we wanted to show how it did at ISO 200 compared to similar cameras at their base ISO. We also like to see what they can do at ISO 1,600 and 3,200, and finally we"ll compare high-contrast detail at base ISO, 3,200, and 6,400.

It"s logical to pit the E-M5 against the E-P3, Olympus" flagship Pen, and the E-M5 does quite well. It"s 16 megapixels versus 12, so there"s an obvious size difference to the elements, but the E-M5"s increased resolution does not seem to carry a penalty in terms of increased noise. The E-M5 captures greater detail in the mosaic image and in the pink swatch.

It"s a pleasant surprise to see how the Olympus E-M5 does against the 18-megapixel Canon 7D, now dating back to 2009. It seems the E-M5 has caught up. Despite about the same level of sharpening, the E-M5 has greater contrast and sharper detail overall, including better detail in the pink swatch. The 7D"s rendering of the red leaf swatch shows a bit more contrast and color, it"s just a different interpretation of our most difficult target.

As impressed as we were with the X-Pro1"s image quality, the E-M5 does better in some ways. The X-Pro1 has a more even approach element-to-element, but and more muted contrast overall in its JPEGs, but detail is a little bit sharper in the Olympus E-M5. I see more sharpening halos in the Mas Portel label, but the end result is quite good. And though the red leaf swatch has more accurate detail in the X-Pro1 image, the E-M5 gets considerably more detail from the pink swatch.

Here the G3 has one advantage in the red leaf swatch, turning in the best representation of the red leaf swatch, but the Olympus E-M5 turns out better color and delivers more detail and sharpness overall.

Looking at ISO 1,600 it"s easy to see the family resemblance between the E-M5 and E-P3, but the E-M5 noticeably outperforms its smaller, less expensive sibling, again with less noise and greater detail overall.

The difference here is incredible. What looked pretty good three years ago it looking pretty poor now. (It"s important to note that the subsequent Canons using the same basic sensor look better now, like the 60D and T3i.) We prefer the E-M5"s rendering in all aspects.

The X-Pro1"s more even approach starts to show fruit here at ISO 1,600, while the E-M5"s digital processing starts to affect the look of some detail, like the grout lines in the mosaic label, the edge of the bottle, and the transitions between the red leaf swatch and the other swatch above it, which seem to meld together. Overall image pop is still stronger on the E-M5 and will likely produce a strong print.

The Nikon D7000 shows softer detail overall, but would probably sharpen a little better in Photoshop, while the E-M5 loses more detail in the red swatch. The Nikon D7000"s shadows, though, are a little noisier.

ISO 3,200 images speak volumes on what Olympus has done to improve their sensor and processor technology, even while increasing the resolution. The E-M5"s shadow areas are smoother, detail in the mosaic swatch is quite a bit stronger, color is better, and hints of threads are still visible in the pink swatch.

Canon takes a decidedly more aggressive approach to noise suppression, which results in more blur than we see from the E-M5, except in the red leaf swatch, where neither does well. Overall, I prefer the E-M5"s images over the 7D"s.

Fuji"s X-Pro1 continues its even-handed approach to varying image elements, though contrast lower, while the E-M5 seems to be working harder to maintain color, detail, sharpness, and contrast. The X-Pro1 does much better with the red leaf swatch.

By comparison, the E-M5"s results look a bit surreal, with soft areas here and sharp areas there, while the Nikon D7000 still strikes that more even approach. Nikon"s approach leaves behind a little more noise. Still, with its much smaller sensor, the Olympus E-M5 does very well.

Detail comparison. High-contrast details are often sharper as ISO rises, so they"re worth a look as well. Astonishingly, it"s the two 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds cameras that seem to turn out the best high-contrast detail at both ISO 3,200 and 6,400: the E-M5 and G3. The aspect ratio is different between the MFT and APS-C cameras, so the given element is larger on the MFT cameras. Reds are a little truer on the Canon, Fujifilm, and D7000, while they get closer to black on the E-M5, E-P3, and G3 at the higher ISOs. Overall, though, the Olympus E-M5 is looking pretty good.

Olympus" new Micro Four Thirds flagship has made quite an impression. Not just enthusiasts, but pro photographers are taking the OM-D E-M5 and the platform"s latest optics quite a bit more seriously. Our time with the OM-D E-M5 was pure fun. There was quite a bit to discover in the new design, and it all just worked better than before. As a big fan of the Pen cameras, the main author of this story was quite bowled over by how much more the E-M5 appealed to him.

Just holding the camera tells you there"s something different about the E-M5. It"s solid with or without the grip, and it has a more professional feel than most cameras in the category. Indeed, its sealed body is pretty robust, as our rugged use proved. Most appreciated is the E-M5"s clear bias toward pro photographers. Olympus doesn"t leave consumers out, with plenty of automatic modes to handle common situations and fun modes to make more interesting photos, but touches like the two top control dials for easier Manual exposure adjustment. The front EV dial can be a bit problematic, though, especially for novices who might not know why all their images are either over or underexposed.

The OM-D E-M5"s rear OLED display tilts up and down for composition from more unique angles, but the design also includes an electronic viewfinder with a more conventional LCD inside for more careful, stable composition, as well as work in bright conditions.

Some of the controls were a little small for large hands, and also for gloved hands, so for some the OM-D E-M5 might be a little small. But overall the E-M5"s controls are well-placed and easy to use. The 12-50mm kit lens is a little long for a kit lens, but its utility is comparable to a 24-105mm on a Canon 5D Mark II, in a much smaller package. Optical quality is also quite good, save for moderate chromatic aberration in the corners at wide angle.

Resolution and image quality was the most pleasant surprise with the OM-D E-M5, the best we"ve seen from a Micro Four Thirds camera. Even color was more accurate than we see from most SLRs, and high ISO images are much better than we"ve come to expect from Micro Four Thirds, rivaling APS-C SLRs. Printed image quality yields excellent 24 x 36-inch prints at ISO 200, good 20 x 30s to ISO 800, and even ISO 25,600 prints are good for a 4 x 6.

As we finalize this review, it"s notable how many photographers are choosing the Olympus OM-D E-M5 as their new camera of choice. Its versatility is hard to deny: a small interchangeable lens digital camera with both an EVF and tilting OLED display that can autofocus incredibly fast, take crisp images across a wide ISO range, at up to nine frames per second, with an impressive built-in image stabilization system. It got our attention to be sure, and will remain one of our favorite digital cameras for some time to come, making it an obvious Dave"s Pick.

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Seeking adventure is in your DNA. You’re passionate about photographing all the far-flung places you visit. The E-M5 Mark III is just what you’re looking for. It’s compact, lightweight and comfortable — made for roaming the biggest cities, the smallest villages or the most remote destinations on earth. You’ll feel exhilarated instead of exhausted from carrying heavy gear. And then there’s the stunning stills and video. Thanks to an impressive range of pro technology, you’ll come home with images you’ll want to see over and over again. The E-M5 Mark III. All you need in one astoundingly portable system.

On one hand, you want spectacular shots of the places you explore. On the other hand, you don’t want a camera that’s heavy to carry. The E-M5 Mark III is perfect. As part of the world’s most portable camera system, it’s 55% smaller and 64% lighter than leading full-frame mirrorless cameras*. You’ll move with greater ease and have more energy to focus on enjoying the moment. Capture the world without being weighed down.

Our 20MP Live MOS Sensor is an integral part of a team of innovative technologies — along with our M.Zuiko lenses and TruePic™ VIII Image Processor — responsible for the E-M5 Mark III’s exceptional image quality. Our sensor produces images with natural tones and minimal noise even at high ISO sensitivities.

Imagine climbing over a ridge and stopping to shoot a mountain with beautiful cloud formations. But suddenly it starts raining. No problem. The E-M5 Mark III is fully weathersealed. You can keep your focus where it belongs: on your subject instead of the weather. The camera is protected from water and dust. You can even use it in below freezing temperatures. No protective gear needed. You’re free to shoot without worry because your camera takes care of itself in tough conditions.

The E-M5 Mark III works best with our world-class M.Zuiko lenses. Like the camera, they’re compact and lightweight while delivering imaging power as stunning as their larger, heavier 35mm equivalents. It means when you’re roaming the streets of a quaint town or walking through ancient ruins in a foreign country, your gear won’t weigh you down. There’s an M.Zuiko lens for every shooting situation, so as your interest in photography grows, our lenses will keep up.

The 2.36 million dot OLED viewfinder is used on The E-M5 Mark III to deliver vivid colors and a high contrast display. A long eye point is designed for easy viewing, even when wearing glasses.

You demand the best. Our autofocus system delivers. The heart of our technologically advanced system is 121-point all-cross type on-chip Phase Detection AF. It does one thing really well: locking focus on any subject, in any environment. Each AF point is cross-type for reliable vertical and horizontal tracking. The points are spread across the entire image sensor for maximum autofocus coverage. You’ll capture fast-moving subjects and split-second action every time.

Sometimes you need a camera with lots of speed and no lag. The E-M5 Mark III delivers. Reel off a mind-blowing 30fps to shoot some of the fastest moving subjects on earth. Or use the mechanical shutter and capture 10 high-resolution fps.

The E-M5 Mark III gives you highly precise tracking no matter how crowded the scene or how unpredictable your subject is. Our advanced Tracking AF Mode lets you simultaneously shoot and focus on a specific subject. Use the Center Priority/Center Start in C-AF to track subjects with consistent movement and for rapidly moving subjects. Adjust the tracking sensitivity to match your subject’s movement and speed. Track. Capture. Never miss.

Control the AF frame based on the way you’re shooting. If you’re using the viewfinder, simply drag your thumb across the rear monitor to use as a trackpad. If you’re shooting with the monitor, instantly select your focus point by tapping the display. When you enable Touch AF Shutter, tap the monitor to focus and shoot simultaneously.

Shooting crisp telephoto images or bright, clear low-light shots, requires a tripod. But not with the E-M5 Mark III. Our groundbreaking 5-Axis in-body Image Stabilization system lets you leave tripods behind. Our system — one of the most effective on the market — provides an astounding 5.5 shutter steps of compensation for all types of camera movement. Take handheld telephoto shots and capture low light scenes without stabilizing equipment. Enjoy more shooting flexibility because you’ll have less extra gear to carry.

Take Image Stabilization up a notch and pair the E-M5 Mark III with a stabilized M.Zuiko PRO lens. Our in-body system syncs with our in-lens system to provide 6.5 shutter steps of compensation — creating one of the world’s most powerful IS systems. You’ll have even more mobility to shoot all types of handheld images and take bright, richly detailed photos in low light. Be free from tripods and other stabilizing gear.

You want to shoot lots of video on your journey. But you also don’t want to haul around stabilizing equipment to keep your video from looking shaky and jumpy. The E-M5 Mark III’s built-in Image Stabilization system has your back. Just hold the camera in your hand to shoot clear, crisp, smooth 4K video. Go anywhere and capture video of anything — even in low light settings like a sunset or candlelight. Travel light and shoot all the spectacular video you want without a rig.

The E-M5 Mark III’s image sensor, compact image stabilization unit, and large lens mount all work together to allow the image sensor greater range of motion. This provides for more effective image stabilization performance, ensuring sharp handheld shots on the go.

Taking a 50MP photo is as easy as setting up a tripod and attaching the E-M5 Mark III. Our Tripod High Res Shot Mode does the work. The image sensor automatically moves in 0.5 pixel increments while taking 8 shots in under a second. The shots are merged together creating one unbelievably detailed, super-sharp image.

Something for long exposure enthusiasts. Live Composite Mode stitches together multiple images shot at the same shutter speed, keeping the images from getting too bright. It’s an easy way to capture dramatic photos of star trails, evocative nighttime cityscapes and moody landscapes without worrying about over or underexposure. Live Bulb Mode and Live Time Mode let you see the exposure level of your image in real time so you’ll know when it’s perfect. The E-M5 Mark III takes all the guesswork out of long exposure photography.

You aren’t just getting an E-M5 Mark III. You’re buying into our OM-D camera system. It features world-class, globally-renowned M.Zuiko lenses and an serious selection of accessories. For example, you can add our Dedicated External Grip to the E-M5 Mark III. It’s designed to help you get a tighter hold on the camera and features a convenient shutter release and control dial. That’s just one of many flashes, cables, housings and other accessories to help you explore and enjoy all photography.

*1 While recording, footage is simultaneously displayed on the HDMI monitor and on the camera, but the info display is shown only on either one of the two.

The E-M5 Mark iii is my first foray into MFT territory. After retiring 3 years ago, I decided to get back into photography after only using point-and-shoot for 50 years. After 6 months of research, I bought a Nikon Z6 and a few lenses. While the cachet of full-frame felt good, lugging around the body and lenses detracted from our travel experiences. So I started moving down to APS-C format, but found the ergonomics not comfortable. Still dissatisfied, I decided to give Olympus a shot, and it was the best decision of my life. Lightweight, great grip and balance, pocket-size lenses, and spectacular image quality have made me appreciate what I was missing. I have a 12-200mm lens on the camera most of the time, a 17mm f/1.8 for low light, a 12-45mm f/4 for focus-stacking, and a 14-150mm which I will sell. Super compact and easy to carry. I have found my new home thanks to Olympus.

After being a Canon user for ten years I became tired of hauling around heavy gear. I travel and hike a lot and I needed a camera to fit my lifestyle. The em5 miii fit the bill perfectly. I love this camera. I thought I’d take a huge image quality hit going from full frame to m4/3 but I have been pleasantly surprised by the consistency in quality this camera offers. I wish I made the switch sooner. I truly enjoy using this kit. It does what I want it to do without weighing my down. I bought it and took it on a two week trip to the Smoky Mountains and it surpassed all my expectations. I took just the body and the 14-150mm lens. That’s it! It was great to have such a wide range in one lens. Not all is perfect with this kit but most of it is down to the learning curve going from Canon to Olympus. I would buy this camera all over again. I love it.