OM-3 Assessment : Consumer Expertise + Inventive Potentialities
Effectively, whats up there OM-3. Simply introduced by OM SYSTEM, this new digital camera 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 photos plus a complete bunch of behind-the-scenes visuals to point out you what the artwork instruments and digital camera capabilities appear like.
In the event you take pleasure in experimenting, taking part in with color, seeing the world with a artistic eye and producing photos with a constant tone, you’ll wish to maintain studying. There’s a lot inside this compact (and cute) digital camera!
Only a fast word, I’m an OM SYSTEM ambassador, nevertheless that is an expertise and person assessment. I knew there could be lots of give attention to the technical specs in different opinions of the OM-3, in order you’ll see all through the phrases under, 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 wished 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 digital camera and all that it gives creatively.
Once I discovered the OM-3 had a color wheel and modern choices to manage and contort color palettes, I couldn’t get the visible of pink and purple lupin fields out of my thoughts. Certain, it was lupin season and my Instagram feed was stuffed with the colourful shores of Lake Tekapo, however it felt like the perfect topic that may enable me to immerse myself in nature and use the digital camera 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 digital camera 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 digital camera I’ve ever seen. Now, you’re doubtless not right here for that groundbreaking perception that it’s cute, however after all, one speedy 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 doubtless improve how I strategy taking pictures. The very first thing I did was cost the digital camera, pop a reminiscence card in and begin urgent buttons, I wished to see all the chances inside!
Exploring the menu I used to be glad to see lots of the capabilities I exploit for panorama images 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 images I do, and I like that it now gives the prospect to mix these with the artistic color profiling.
The Tech Specs of the OM-3
The OM-3 is just a little 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. In the event you’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 doubtless want a second to suppose it by way of – however that’s the great thing about images and artwork, all of us work in a different way and our strategy is exclusive! Anyway, that was simply to say, I’ll word the spectacular tech specs of the OM-3 under after which proceed on with my person expertise under.
- 20.4MP Decision
- TruePic™ X Processor
- 4K 60fps Video – With an ‘S&Q’ possibility on the dial for fast entry to Gradual + Fast recording instances…so useful!
- Inventive 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 unbelievable 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 components
- Computational Pictures button
- Stay ND | GND | Excessive-Res Mode making it attainable to shoot both 80MP with a tripod or 50MP handheld
You’ll discover the complete listing of particulars obtainable on the OM SYSTEM web site right here.
Color Palettes + Inventive 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 dwell, 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 influence 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 publish 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 wished to trial was whether or not or not I may produce an final result much like what I sometimes edit, inside the digital camera itself. An instance under of golden hour with the lupins…zero modifying on these photos, solely the changes in digital camera, the left aspect is utilizing the softer extra muted profile, the suitable is the extra vibrant, heat tones.
These are some screenshots taken at house 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 word – The OM-3 additionally has common modes like aperture, handbook, auto and unbelievable video capabilities. You may decide to make use of the color and artwork options, or not. I wished 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 🙂
Beneath you’ll see some examples of the varied color prospects. Entry to color changes are through the color wheel and tone curve, plus you possibly can enhance or lower distinction, sharpness and shading.
Whereas I take pleasure in taking pictures vibrant scenes, taking part in 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 superbly 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 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 wished to make use of these as clear examples of the range that may be achieved in just some 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 final 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 modifying, the tone curve is definitely the device I exploit most, it’s turn into 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 taking part in round in actual time with the scene earlier than me.
I hung out at Kea Level lookout which is certainly one of my favorite viewpoints of Aoraki/Mount Prepare dinner, someplace I knew would have entry to open sky and an fascinating foreground and panorama to work with. One factor I didn’t count on was a bluebird day with virtually 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 motive to sit down and experiment with the GND filter and color settings.
For sundown, I wished to see if the nice and cozy tones could be attainable with none further modifying. Fortunately, the climate caught round with clear skies and golden tones. Ducking out to shoot the lupins at Lake Pukaki, I shortly 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 just a little arty and use the windscreen and rear-vision mirror as my topics to assist body the panorama creatively. These photos 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 by way of branches, timber, throughout water and many others. 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 special 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. Nevertheless, 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 greatest inside the composition.
Last Notes on the OM-3
In the event you’re available in the market for a digital camera that does every part, and gives the prospect to get artistic and actively concerned within the final result of every picture, this could completely be thought of and in case you’ve bought any questions in any respect, you’re welcome to depart a remark or DM through Instagram @the_wanderinglens.
The OM-3 isn’t just for nature and outside images, it’s truly a super digital camera for metropolis wanders and concrete environments, suited to purses and digital camera backpacks alike. I believe the artwork filters and color choices would work superbly in case you’re thinking about portrait images too!
Being able to customize color palettes while nonetheless accessing the modern Stay 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 information 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 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 much extra comfy in a pair of flippers than heels! Having labored for publications resembling Lonely Planet, Wanderlust and the Sunday Occasions, Lisa based The Wandering Lens to share vacation spot guides to the worlds most photogenic locations and outside experiences.
