OM-3 Evaluation : Person Expertise + Artistic Potentialities
Effectively, hey there OM-3. Simply introduced by OM SYSTEM, this new digicam is a sport changer for creatives and I’m going to share my latest expertise working with it to {photograph} landscapes and lupins in New Zealand. There are pattern pictures plus an entire bunch of behind-the-scenes visuals to point out you what the artwork instruments and digicam features appear to be.
For those who get pleasure from experimenting, enjoying with color, seeing the world with a artistic eye and producing pictures with a constant tone, you’ll need to preserve studying. There’s a lot inside this compact (and cute) digicam!
Only a fast be aware, I’m an OM SYSTEM ambassador, nonetheless that is an expertise and consumer overview. I knew there could be a variety of concentrate on the technical specs in different opinions of the OM-3, in order you’ll see all through the phrases beneath, I’ve taken the artistic strategy, sharing what I discovered modern and enjoyable to include as I photographed.
In December I took a secret squirrel journey with the OM-3 to New Zealand. On social media I discussed it was my solo/self-employed Christmas get together (which was additionally the case), nonetheless, I needed to take the chance to make use of the OM-3 someplace I felt impressed to create. Someplace I knew I may stare at mountains, alpine lakes and wander within the vibrant fields to discover the digicam and all that it provides creatively.
After I discovered the OM-3 had a color wheel and modern choices to regulate and contort color palettes, I couldn’t get the visible of pink and purple lupin fields out of my thoughts. Positive, it was lupin season and my Instagram feed was crammed with the colourful shores of Lake Tekapo, nevertheless it felt like the perfect topic that will enable me to immerse myself in nature and use the digicam to its full potential.
First Impressions of the OM-3
Whereas I’ve been taking pictures with Olympus/OM SYSTEM since 2017 and have used varied digicam fashions on this time, I’ve by no means really used the PEN-F, so upon opening the field and seeing the retro look of the OM-3, thought it was the cutest digicam I’ve ever seen. Now, you’re possible not right here for that groundbreaking perception that it’s cute, however in fact, one speedy distinction is the return of the ART dial, with the Mono| Color | ART | CRT choices.
As somebody who isn’t significantly technical, this dial was so intriguing, and I knew it will possible improve how I strategy taking pictures. The very first thing I did was cost the digicam, pop a reminiscence card in and begin urgent buttons, I needed to see all the chances inside!
Exploring the menu I used to be completely happy to see a variety of the features I exploit for panorama images can be found, with the Reside ND and GND filters there, plus the Excessive-Res Mode, enabling 50 megapixels when taking pictures handheld. These are all necessities for the kind of images I do, and I like that it now provides the possibility to mix these with the artistic color profiling.
The Tech Specs of the OM-3
The OM-3 is a bit magnificence, mixing artistic instruments with modern features, and as famous above options many devices and goodies inside that exist within the OM-1 and OM-1 MKII. For those who’ve been studying The Wandering Lens or following my work for some time, you’ll know I’m much less concerning the technical specs and extra concerning the artistic prospects. I can reply something it’s good to know concerning the artistic course of and your strategy, however ask me a tech query on the spot and I’ll possible want a second to suppose it via – however that’s the great thing about images and artwork, all of us work in another way and our strategy is exclusive! Anyway, that was simply to say, I’ll be aware the spectacular tech specs of the OM-3 beneath after which proceed on with my consumer expertise beneath.
- 20.4MP Decision
- TruePic™ X Processor
- 4K 60fps Video – With an ‘S&Q’ choice on the dial for fast entry to Gradual + Fast recording instances…so useful!
- Artistic dial with the Color, Artwork + Mono Profiles
- ISO as much as 102400
- Inside Stabilisation – Up 7.5 stops EV with Sync IS lenses and 6.5 stops EV internally.
- OM-3 delivers unimaginable speeds, with 120 fps sequential taking pictures in S-AF mode
- IP53 Climate sealing
- Splashproof | Freezeproof | Dustproof
- Tremendous Sonic Wave Filter to guard the interior parts
- Computational Images button
- Reside ND | GND | Excessive-Res Mode making it attainable to shoot both 80MP with a tripod or 50MP handheld
You’ll discover the total checklist of particulars obtainable on the OM SYSTEM web site right here.
Color Palettes + Artistic Potentialities
By turning the dial to entry the Color modes, you’re offered with 4 preset choices that may then be tweaked. What I discover so extremely modern is that it’s all occurring reside, precisely just like the Reside ND lets you see the motion flowing via the body, colors are adjusted in real-time so you may see the influence instantly earlier than urgent the shutter.
As an perception into my workflow, usually I’ll shoot with a hotter, brighter tone after which make minor changes in publish processing on Adobe Photoshop. I get pleasure from producing heat pastels, someday on the extra vibrant facet, however by no means too darkish or contrasted, I like working with softer palettes. One of many first issues I needed to trial was whether or not or not I may produce an end result much like what I usually edit, inside the digicam itself. An instance beneath of golden hour with the lupins…zero enhancing on these pictures, solely the changes in digicam, the left facet is utilizing the softer extra muted profile, the suitable is the extra vibrant, heat tones.
These are some screenshots taken at residence whereas specializing in a print to spotlight the options…there have been no icebergs or boats with purple sails in Lake Pukaki that day 🙂
Only a fast be aware – The OM-3 additionally has common modes like aperture, handbook, auto and unimaginable video capabilities. You possibly can decide to make use of the color and artwork options, or not. I needed to notice this incase I bought overexcited relating to the color profiles and it got here off as the one chance, it does all of it AND has the bonus artistic instruments 🙂
Under you’ll see some examples of the assorted color prospects. Entry to color changes are by way of the color wheel and tone curve, plus you may enhance or lower distinction, sharpness and shading.
Whereas I get pleasure from taking pictures vibrant scenes, enjoying with the Monochrome profiles produced some attractive outcomes. I’ve at all times liked the black and white artwork filters within the different fashions, and these are a group of 4 fantastically crafted outcomes that allow a film-like tone, softer tone, and traditional monochrome. The darker ‘MONO 2’ profile is my favorite, significantly when paired with an alpine panorama, or rugged textures, even after I was taking pictures contained in the automotive utilizing the mirrors, the end result had such depth.
Utilizing the OM-3 Within the Area
To make sure sooner transition between the color profiles whereas I used to be out exploring, I opted to set the 5 x customized positions within the mode dial with 5 color profiles, C1-C5. I additionally needed to make use of these as clear examples of the range that may be achieved in only a few clicks. These are the 5 profiles I set.
- C1 Customised to match the tender, heat tones within the model I usually produce with post-processing.
- C2 The Color 2 Profile (preset)
- C3 A profile with barely muted saturation and vibrancy
- C4 Robust, vibrant tones to experiment on the depth of color obtainable
- C5 Cooler tones with an end result that felt like movie.
To create these I firstly photographed a number of scenes to evaluate how the filters, tone curve and varied artistic controls labored. When enhancing, the tone curve is definitely the instrument I exploit most, it’s turn out to be a behavior to tweak this and produce the brightness, or general changes utilizing RGB channels. It felt so thrilling to see the color changes obtainable by merely enjoying round in actual time with the scene earlier than me.
I frolicked at Kea Level lookout which is one among my favorite viewpoints of Aoraki/Mount Cook dinner, someplace I knew would have entry to open sky and an attention-grabbing foreground and panorama to work with. One factor I didn’t anticipate was a bluebird day with nearly no element within the sky. Plus, it was about 28 levels and I used to be roasting as soon as I reached the highest, offering a great motive to sit down and experiment with the GND filter and color settings.
For sundown, I needed to see if the nice and cozy tones could be attainable with none further enhancing. Fortunately, the climate caught round with clear skies and golden tones. Ducking out to shoot the lupins at Lake Pukaki, I rapidly realised the temperature had dropped considerably, which was additionally because of the truth I made a decision to have a swim within the chilly lake, so was nonetheless in my swimmers because the gusty winds hit. Brrr.
All that to say, the wind compelled me into my rent automotive earlier than sundown hit; this offered the possibility to get a bit arty and use the windscreen and rear-vision mirror as my topics to assist body the panorama creatively. These pictures labored rather well with the cooler tones and mono profiles.
Photographing Lupins in New Zealand
Color has at all times been such an enormous a part of my work, so to see the outcomes occurring as I adjusted the artistic instruments was such an sudden supply of motivation. When photographing I’m at all times placing myself in odd positions making an attempt to scout frames inside the scene via branches, timber, throughout water and so forth. I’ve to say the alternatives had been flowing as a result of it felt interactive, each adjustment was an encouragement to hunt new angles or incorporate the colors inside the body with a distinct strategy.
You’ll discover a variety of the pictures I captured are shot with a large aperture, and that is how I like to {photograph}, boosting the bokeh by integrating foreground topics. Nonetheless, with the customized color profiles, it felt like I may mess around with the outcomes, getting near the pink and purple lupins then transfer round to see how the splash of color labored finest inside the composition.
Last Notes on the OM-3
For those who’re available in the market for a digicam that does every little thing, and offers the possibility to get artistic and actively concerned within the end result of every picture, this could completely be thought-about and if you happen to’ve bought any questions in any respect, you’re welcome to depart a remark or DM by way of Instagram @the_wanderinglens.
The OM-3 isn’t just for nature and out of doors images, it’s really a super digicam for metropolis wanders and concrete environments, suited to purses and digicam backpacks alike. I feel the artwork filters and color choices would work fantastically if you happen to’re taken with portrait images too!
Being able to customize color palettes while nonetheless accessing the modern Reside ND and GND filters is sort of merely a sport changer. Releases like this are one of many many causes I like being an OM SYSTEM ambassador. They’re on the forefront of innovation and produce gear that’s not solely benefiting from leaps in know-how, however they’re placing that data into instruments and features which are extraordinarily helpful for the photographers behind the lens. OM SYSTEM are crafting cameras that allow us to discover our creativity, which is what I take into account to be the entire objective of images, capturing moments, and reminiscences, having significant experiences, all blended with the great thing about creating.
Take a peek on the official OM-3 Particulars right here.
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Journey and panorama photographer from Australia who is way extra comfy in a pair of flippers than heels! Having labored for publications similar to Lonely Planet, Wanderlust and the Sunday Instances, Lisa based The Wandering Lens to share vacation spot guides to the worlds most photogenic locations and out of doors experiences.
