Olympus E-M10 III Review

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Basic Specifications
Full model name:	Olympus OM-D E-M10 III
Resolution:	16.10 Megapixels
Sensor size:	4/3 (17.4mm x 13.0mm)
Kit Lens:	3.00x zoom 14-42mm (28-84mm eq.)
Viewfinder:	EVF / LCD
Native ISO:	200 - 25,600
Extended ISO:	100 - 25,600
Shutter:	1/16000 - 60 sec
Max Aperture:	3.5 (kit lens)
Dimensions:	4.8 x 3.3 x 1.9 in. (122 x 84 x 50 mm)
Weight:	17.7 oz (503 g) includes batteries, kit lens
Availability:	09/2017
Manufacturer:	Olympus
Full specs:	Olympus E-M10 III specifications

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Body Only (Black)

Body Only (Black)
Body Only (Silver)
Kit with 14-42mm EZ lens (Black)
Kit with 14-42mm EZ lens (Silver)

E-M10 III Deals

16.10 Megapixels	Micro Four Thirds	4/3 size sensor

E-M10 III Summary

If you're in the market for an affordable, compact mirrorless camera with great image quality, the Olympus E-M10 III certainly delivers. A couple of quibbles mean that it's not for everyone, but for many less-experienced photographers, this camera offers a big upgrade from your smartphone or compact without breaking the bank. Come find out if you need one now in our in-depth Olympus E-M10 III review!

Pros

Superbly-built, comfortable and compact body; Pairs beautifully with pancake kit lens; Excellent image quality; Excellent performance in most respects; Great single-shot autofocus; Really nice viewfinder and touch-screen display; Friendlier user interface courts amateurs.

Cons

Some controls are a bit small and tightly-packed; Hand grips are still a bit modestly-sized for larger lenses; Continuous and video autofocus just isn't up to snuff; New user interface can feel limiting to advanced photographers; Underwhelming battery life.

Price and availability

Available since late September 2017 in the US market, the E-M10 Mark III is available either body-only or with a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ "pancake" kit lens, as was offered with the preceding model. A choice of all-black or black-and-silver body colors is provided. In both cases, pricing is exactly as it was for the E-M10 Mark II at launch, with the body-only E-M10 Mark III priced at US$650 or thereabouts, and the E-M10 Mark III 14-42mm EZ kit priced at around US$800.

Imaging Resource rating

4.0 out of 5.0

Olympus E-M10 Mark III Review

by Mike Tomkins, Zig Weidelich and Dave Pardue
Preview posted: 08/31/2017
Review finalized: 10/31/2018

Early in 2014, Olympus took its retro-styled OM-D camera line to a new level of accessibility with the E-M10, a camera with affordable entry-level pricing, yet sharing much of its feature set with the higher-end E-M1 and E-M5. In late 2015, the company followed up with the E-M10 Mark II, swapping in a more compact 'pancake' kit lens, improved handling and an impressively crisp new viewfinder. And now, some two years after that camera, Olympus once again continues its progression with the E-M10 Mark III, aiming to make the entry-level OM-D camera even more approachable for a generation of photographers who may have grown up shooting with nothing other than their smartphone.

The basic package is strongly reminiscent of its predecessor

Like the E-M10 Mark II before it, the E-M10 Mark III offers 16-megapixel resolution from a Four Thirds-format Live MOS image sensor, and can span the sensitivity gamut from a low of ISO 100 to a high of ISO 25,600. Its top full-resolution burst capture rate of 8.6 frames per second, meanwhile, is only ever so fractionally higher than the 8.5 fps provided by its predecessor. And all of this comes in a body whose overall layout is much the same as that of the earlier camera, too.

The E-M10 III sports a brand-new imaging pipeline

So what's new? Well for one thing, while its resolution is unchanged, the imaging pipeline is brand-new. The OM-D E-M10 Mark III sports both a new image sensor and TruePic VIII image processor. The latter is inherited from the flagship E-M1 II, just as the original E-M10 drew its processor from the original flagship E-M1, incidentally. And that means you're getting high-end performance at an entry-level pricetag. Nice!

A friendlier body with a more secure handgrip

And while the E-M10 Mark III's control layout is unchanged, it sports a reworked body which is just fractionally (but not really noticeably) larger in every direction, as well as being just ever so slightly heavier than was its predecessor. At the same time, the front and rear hand grips have grown in depth for a more secure hand hold, and the top-deck Mode dial has grown a little taller, making it easier to grasp and turn. And many more of the E-M10 Mark III's physical controls are now labeled with their Record-mode function, making it easier for the unfamiliar to find the right control and operate their new camera, and easing the transition from your smartphone to a more capable camera.

At the same time, the Mode dial itself has been rearranged, with the Intelligent Auto position of the previous model replaced with a more straightforwardly-named Auto mode, and the quirky Photo Story mode of the E-M10 Mark II replaced by a new "AP" or Advanced Photo mode which aims to surface and provide quick access to some of the features less experienced photographers would otherwise miss in the menu system. And the Scene mode now proves rather less intimidating thanks to a rethought layout that layers the dozens of available scene types beneath one of six main category headings.

The E-M10 Mark III's user interface revolves around a brand-new Shortcut button

There's also a new Shortcut button where the E-M10 Mark II instead offered up its third customizable Function button. This new control varies in its function depending on the camera's operating mode, but in each case, it aims to provide quick access to the most important functions relevant in the current mode. This does, however, mean that the E-M10 Mark III now provides only two customizable Function buttons, where its predecessor gave you a choice of three.

A smarter Auto mode and an uprated contrast-detect AF system

And there are some other important differences between the E-M10 Mark III and its predecessor, as well. For one thing, Olympus tells us that it has redesigned its Auto-mode algorithms so that they will now better take account of subject and camera motion when determining the appropriate shutter speed, and will more readily roam to higher sensitivities as needed to yield a fast-enough shutter speed to freeze motion. And the contrast-detection autofocus system now has a more point-dense layout, with a total of 121 autofocus points as in the E-M1 II, up from "just" 81 points in the E-M10 Mark II.

Image stabilization does the thinking for you, and the battery lasts longer

Olympus has also removed the manually-selected image stabilization modes of the E-M10 Mark II, with the E-M10 Mark III now able to select the relevant operating mode for its five-axis image stabilization system automatically as needed, depending on whether you're panning or simply doing your best to hold the camera steady. And battery life to CIPA testing standards has improved just slightly as well, with the E-M10 Mark III now said to be capable of 330 frames on a charge, up from 320 frames in the previous model.

The E-M10 Mark III shoots better movies, and offers more Art filters too

There are also two new Art filter options catering to creative types, both offering the look of bleach bypass film processing straight out of the camera body. And the E-M10 Mark III boasts improved movie-capture chops as well, with the addition of in-camera 4K movie capture, not just the 4K time-lapse movie mode of the E-M10 Mark II. There's also an increased capture frame rate of 120 fps for the 720p high-def, high-speed mode, where the E-M10 Mark II recorded high-speed clips at 60 fps. This means that you'll be able to provide footage with double the slow-motion effect while not sacrificing on output frame rate and introducing stutter in the process.

• • •

Olympus E-M10 III Field Test

The entry-level OM-D camera gets 4K video capture and an ease-of-use overhaul

by Mike Tomkins | 08/31/2017

I've been reviewing cameras for close to two decades now, and in all of those years, I've gotten to shoot more than a few cameras prior to their official announcement. Sadly with the digital camera market being a very different one to what it once was, that's become something of an exception these days, though. So it would be something of an understatement to say that I was thrilled to be given that opportunity when Olympus first told us of its plans for the OM-D E-M10 Mark III, it's third-generation, entry-level OM-D camera.

We were big fans of the preceding Olympus E-M10 Mark II when we reviewed it a couple of years ago, finding much to love within the trim confines of its Micro Four Thirds-format body. For such a relatively compact interchangeable-lens camera, the E-M10 Mark II packed in plenty of features along with excellent image quality, great performance and a price tag which felt very reasonable indeed. Our main concerns with that model were for its rather modest battery life, and a menu system which we described as "frustrating ... with a steep learning curve."

Read our Olympus E-M10 III Field Test

Olympus E-M10 III Image Quality Comparison

See how the E-M10 III's IQ compares to its predecessor and rivals

by Zig Weidelich | 08/20/2018

Here we present 100% crops from our laboratory Still Life target comparing the Olympus E-M10 III's image quality at various ISOs to that of its predecessor, the E-M10 Mark II, as well as against several competing models at similar price points or in similar categories: the Canon M6, Fuji X-A5, Panasonic GX85 and Sony A6000.

NOTE: These images are from best quality JPEGs straight out of the camera, at default settings including noise reduction and using the camera's actual base ISO (not extended ISO settings) except where mentioned. All cameras in this comparison were shot with our very sharp reference lenses. Clicking any crop will take you to a carrier page where you can click once again to access the full resolution image as delivered straight from the camera. For those interested in working with the RAW files involved, click these links to visit each camera's respective sample image thumbnail page...

See our Image Quality Comparison

Olympus E-M10 III Print Quality

But how does it look on paper?

by Dave Pardue | 08/20/2018

Print quality and image quality are similar but not identical, because what you see on a print isn't always the same as what you see on the screen. Our print quality analysis answers the important question: "Just how big can I print my photos at higher ISOs?"

The Olympus E-M10 Mark III delivers very good results in the print quality department, as we've certainly come to expect from this solid line of cameras. You're in terrific hands up to ISO 1600, with larger prints abounding, and can even get by at ISO 3200 for most printing needs. Above that you really start to run out of good printing options, and for this reason we highly recommend limiting your Auto-ISO setting to ISO 3200 and below if quality prints are a part of your shooting goals.

Read about the Olympus E-M10 III's Print Quality

Olympus E-M10 III High ISO Supplement

ISO rising in the real world

by Dave Pardue | 08/28/2018

Studio images are terrific gauges of ISO prowess and comparisons against the competition, but shots from the real world are the best chance to see what a product can really deliver as the ISO sensitivity rises. In this piece I'll take a closer look at how the Olympus E-M10 III fares in the most commonly-used, real-world ISO settings.

Cranking the ISO is often a necessary evil, because while natural light is a wonderful thing, it is something we can rarely if ever control. Once we have our aperture where we want it, whether to increase depth of field or to make it shallow and create subject-to-background separation, we then need to ensure our shutter speed is fast enough for our particular shooting situation.

...Bring on the gain!

See how the E-M10 III does at higher ISOs

Olympus E-M10 III Conclusion

A solid, budget-friendly choice if your smartphone's feeling limiting

by Mike Tomkins | 10/31/2018

A follow-up to 2015's E-M10 II, the Olympus E-M10 III is an attractive, affordably-priced offering aimed at less experienced photographers who want decent image quality in a compact package. Like the camera which preceded it, the Micro Four Thirds-based, 16-megapixel E-M10 III packs plenty of features in despite its trim proportions, and on paper at least it's a swift shooter too.

But we don't do on-paper comparisons around these parts, at least not when we can get our hands on the real deal. So what do we think of the Olympus E-M10 III at the end of our time with this interesting little camera? Let's roll up our sleeves, and get right down to some conclusions.

Read our final thoughts on the Olympus E-M10 III

In the Box

The Olympus E-M10 III retail kit package (as reviewed) contains the following items:

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III camera body (in black or silver)
M.ZUIKO Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ zoom lens (in black or silver, when ordered as a kit)
BLS-50 Rechargeable Li-ion battery
BCS-5 Battery charger
USB cable
Shoulder strap
Instruction manual
Warranty card