OM-3 Overview : Consumer Expertise + Artistic Prospects
Nicely, howdy there OM-3. Simply introduced by OM SYSTEM, this new digicam is a recreation 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 a complete bunch of behind-the-scenes visuals to point out you what the artwork instruments and digicam capabilities appear like.
For those who take pleasure in 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 notice, I’m an OM SYSTEM ambassador, nevertheless that is an expertise and consumer evaluate. I knew there can be lots of deal with 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), nevertheless, I needed to take the chance to make use of the OM-3 someplace I felt impressed to create. Someplace I knew I might stare at mountains, alpine lakes and wander within the vibrant fields to discover the digicam and all that it presents creatively.
After I came upon 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 stuffed with the colourful shores of Lake Tekapo, but it surely felt like the perfect topic that will permit 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 numerous digicam fashions on this time, I’ve by no means truly 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 seemingly not right here for that groundbreaking perception that it’s cute, however after all, one rapid distinction is the return of the ART dial, with the Mono| Color | ART | CRT choices.
As somebody who isn’t notably technical, this dial was so intriguing, and I knew it will seemingly improve how I strategy taking photographs. 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 probabilities inside!
Exploring the menu I used to be comfortable to see lots of the capabilities I exploit for panorama pictures can be found, with the Stay 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 pictures I do, and I like that it now presents the prospect 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 capabilities, 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 is advisable know concerning the artistic course of and your strategy, however ask me a tech query on the spot and I’ll seemingly want a second to assume it by way of – however that’s the great thing about pictures and artwork, all of us work otherwise and our strategy is exclusive! Anyway, that was simply to say, I’ll notice 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’ possibility on the dial for fast entry to Sluggish + Fast recording instances…so helpful!
- Artistic dial with the Color, Artwork + Mono Profiles
- ISO as much as 102400
- Inner 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 inner parts
- Computational Images button
- Stay ND | GND | Excessive-Res Mode making it potential to shoot both 80MP with a tripod or 50MP handheld
You’ll discover the total listing of particulars obtainable on the OM SYSTEM web site right here.
Color Palettes + Artistic Prospects
By turning the dial to entry the Color modes, you’re introduced with 4 preset choices that may then be tweaked. What I discover so extremely modern is that it’s all taking place stay, precisely just like the Stay ND permits you to see the motion flowing by way of the body, colors are adjusted in real-time so you possibly can see the impression instantly earlier than urgent the shutter.
As an perception into my workflow, sometimes I’ll shoot with a hotter, brighter tone after which make minor changes in put up processing on Adobe Photoshop. I take pleasure in producing heat pastels, someday on the extra vibrant aspect, 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 might produce an consequence much like what I sometimes edit, throughout the digicam itself. An instance beneath of golden hour with the lupins…zero enhancing on these pictures, solely the changes in digicam, the left aspect is utilizing the softer extra muted profile, the proper is the extra vibrant, heat tones.
These are some screenshots taken at residence whereas specializing in a print to focus on the options…there have been no icebergs or boats with crimson sails in Lake Pukaki that day 🙂
Only a fast notice – 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 acquired overexcited concerning the color profiles and it got here off as the one chance, it does all of it AND has the bonus artistic instruments 🙂
Beneath you’ll see some examples of the varied color prospects. Entry to color changes are by way of the color wheel and tone curve, plus you possibly can improve or lower distinction, sharpness and shading.
Whereas I take pleasure in taking pictures vibrant scenes, enjoying with the Monochrome profiles produced some beautiful outcomes. I’ve at all times liked the black and white artwork filters within the different fashions, and these are a set of 4 fantastically crafted outcomes that allow a film-like tone, softer tone, and basic monochrome. The darker ‘MONO 2’ profile is my favorite, notably when paired with an alpine panorama, or rugged textures, even once I was taking pictures contained in the automobile utilizing the mirrors, the consequence had such depth.
Utilizing the OM-3 Within the Area
To make sure quicker 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 variability that may be achieved in only a few clicks. These are the 5 profiles I set.
- C1 Customised to match the gentle, heat tones within the type I sometimes produce with post-processing.
- C2 The Color 2 Profile (preset)
- C3 A profile with barely muted saturation and vibrancy
- C4 Sturdy, vibrant tones to experiment on the depth of color obtainable
- C5 Cooler tones with an consequence that felt like movie.
To create these I firstly photographed a couple of scenes to evaluate how the filters, tone curve and numerous artistic controls labored. When enhancing, the tone curve is definitely the device I exploit most, it’s turn out to be a behavior to tweak this and produce the brightness, or total 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 hung out at Kea Level lookout which is one in all 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 very good purpose to sit down and experiment with the GND filter and color settings.
For sundown, I needed to see if the nice and cozy tones can be potential 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 automobile earlier than sundown hit; this supplied the prospect 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 attempting to scout frames throughout the scene by way of branches, timber, throughout water and many others. I’ve to say the alternatives have been flowing as a result of it felt interactive, each adjustment was an encouragement to hunt new angles or incorporate the colors throughout the body with a distinct strategy.
You’ll discover lots of the photographs 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 might mess around with the outcomes, getting near the pink and purple lupins then transfer round to see how the splash of color labored finest throughout the composition.
Closing Notes on the OM-3
For those who’re available in the market for a digicam that does all the pieces, and offers the prospect to get artistic and actively concerned within the consequence of every picture, this could completely be thought of and for those who’ve acquired any questions in any respect, you’re welcome to go away a remark or DM by way of Instagram @the_wanderinglens.
The OM-3 isn’t just for nature and out of doors pictures, it’s truly an excellent 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 for those who’re excited about portrait pictures too!
Being able to customize color palettes while nonetheless gaining access to the modern Stay ND and GND filters is kind of merely a recreation 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 expertise, however they’re placing that data into instruments and capabilities 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 contemplate to be the entire goal of pictures, capturing moments, and recollections, 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 equivalent to Lonely Planet, Wanderlust and the Sunday Occasions, Lisa based The Wandering Lens to share vacation spot guides to the worlds most photogenic locations and out of doors experiences.
