The OM-5 is the primary leftover Olympus digital camera to be branded OM System, and I get unhappy it

When Olympus sold its camera division and reformed as OM System, it hyped up a push towards computational pictures with its new mirrorless cameras — this isn’t that digital camera. Right this moment, OM System is saying the brand new OM-5, a $1,199.99 mirrorless digital camera that launches late subsequent month and appears like a zombified husk of Olympus. I’m certain it will likely be a high-quality digital camera, however I can’t assist feeling depressed after I have a look at it.

Positive, the OM-1 was technically OM System’s first digital camera launch, however it was nonetheless branded Olympus. Now, with the OM-5, it’s proudly sporting the OM System identify on its brow, one thing that’s certain to solely please a handful of individuals in a advertising assembly someplace.

Besides, effectively, this nonetheless simply looks like one other holdover from Olympus growth. Let’s run by a bit of guidelines.

It’s not that this digital camera has nothing going for it, although the checklist of recent options is so sparse that one of many largest additions is assist for vertical video — so that you don’t need to manually change the orientation of the file later. The brand new OM-5 can also be IP53-rated for weatherproofing, matching the OM-1, and it’s the primary OM System / Olympus digital camera you should use natively as a webcam with only a USB cable. However past all that, I’m squinting my eyes to search for extra causes to seek out the OM-5 interesting for anybody aside from the Olympus devoted who have already got a bunch of appropriate Zuiko lenses and are overdue for an reasonably priced improve.

There’s nothing mistaken with having a few of Olympus’s strong options trickle right down to a cheaper price level, however in a time the place a lot of the thrill round cameras is targeted round programs with bigger sensors, this digital camera appears like a barely uncomfortable inflection level. 

The joint Olympus and Panasonic-developed micro four-thirds system is a digital camera line that appears prefer it might slowly fade away, particularly with Panasonic’s consideration seemingly extra centered on area of interest field cameras and its full-frame choices in dire want of refreshes.

I’m hoping we’re nearly to expire of those previous Olympus leftovers within the growth cycle, and we’ll quickly see some actually attention-grabbing issues from OM System. We want one thing cool to distract ourselves from that cringe-inducing wordmark atop the digital camera as a result of, proper now, I concern it solely makes me mourn the legacy of Olympus cameras that’s vulnerable to slipping away.