I have both the Sony A7 iii and the EM1 mark ii and let me tell you that the Olympus gets used much much more frequently than the Sony. I went to the Egyptian Sinai desert and my friends cameras stayed in their bag whenever sand was blowing around. I am currently in the BVI and the EM1 with the 12 to 100 mm lens allows me with a single lens and a compact system to capture the wide angles I need on a sailboat and the zooming capabilities I need for the other sailboats. Try to be on a moving sailboat zooming at 200mm (in FF equivalent) without the EM1 video stabilization. I think the reviewer sees things from a narrow perspective without the experience of a real life photographer.

How does a channel with such a poorly researched and blatantly inaccurate review have over a million subscribers? It's irresponsible to put out a review levying factually inaccurate criticisms against a product when you have that kind of platform (opinion is one thing, but scientific analysis e.g. "it collects half the light of a full frame camera" is another)

I stopped when you stated "it gathers half the light of a ff sensor" which is false.

The 7 Stop of IS, tuned with good AF for ultra compact 12-40 2.8 and super light 40-150 2.8 is capable to make all the great images.

He never mentioned the live view and few other features that no other camera has. Does this guy actually shoot jobs for pay? This camera is capable of doing professional work and I use M43 for my work. I also shoot fuji. I take the best of both worlds. He failed to mentioned that panasonic is not full compatible to the Godox flash system as it misfires sometimes and high speed sync is not reliable. Godox has a note about this for panasonic. So, that is why I have to go with Olympus. Olympus also has features that panasonic does not. You can do some really cool stuff with live view comp. I use it for some of my work. I think this guy is somewhat weak on his knowledge on cameras.

Truly shallow perspective, probably lack of real life experience with a camera in multiple scenarios. It seems to me that there is a reason why Olympus sells a lot in markets where there are lots of educated and pragmatic people. I still don't see the point of having features I don't ever use just to justify my purchase.

I shoot FF (Nikon D850), APSC (Nikon D7200), and M43 (Lumix G9 and GX85) and nobody can't tell what camera I used.

Unfortunately you have no idea about photography. G9 is better in video, but in photography it's far behind m1 mii. How the quality of photos improved between Sony a6000 and 6400. Not at all. How has the quality improved between fuji xt2 and xt3? People also still don't understand that the camera is part of the system, second part are lenses and here the Olympus is unbeatable. It's not just about size. It makes me laugh when people say that fuji and sony is better for sport and wildlife photography. How can you photograph sports and wildlife with a poorly sealed body and buffer for 30-40 photos (fuji xt3). There are many situations where Olympus works much better than any mirrorless camera. To know this, you need to use the camera for more than a week in many different situations. If you believe that more pixels will give you better quality then buy a smartphone instead of a camera.

Full frame bandwagon. Well put. FF is a bandwagon. Bodies are close to the same size but not weight, and when you want to start throwing equal lenses on them and compare pricing. FF is way out of the reach for many people who do not want to mortgage their house and need a wagon to haul their lenses. I have always liked the IQ of my Olympus. I have shot Olympus for 14 years and noise has never been an issue for me. ( not sure WTH people are shooting to where they need the ISO they brag about). For me, its all about the features and weather sealing. Live composite is hands down my favorite feature. The built in ND filter is something I like how it looks, and now with the star focusing? Wicked sweet!! 20mp is more than I have ever needed. Having 50 and 80mp when needed is a great option to have. I'd like to see this guy get off the Olympus hate wagon and really give the system more time to learn it's advantages. FF? God I hope they never do it.

you clearly have no idea what the omd system is and can do. If you want to be a sony fanboy that is fine just say so at the start.

Not an Olympus's fan boy, but this review is bad.

Everyone i know who have gone olympus never leaves because of the insane IBIS. Nothing comes close.

72,000+ views and 621 positive feedback! that is less than 0.1%!!!!! this is what Engadget has become!!!!

My EM1.2 with my 300mm f4 gives me a similar angle of view as a FF 600mm but I can hand hold this baby at ridicules slow shutter speeds. I will shoot it at 20th of a second all day long if needed. With my 12-40mm I have hand held for 2 freaking seconds and gotten sharp images. Who needs a tripod anymore not me.

The video is incorrect about the drive speeds, they're unchanged from the E-M1ii. With mechanical shutter and C-AF you're limited to 10fps and with electronic shutter and C-AF you get up to 18 fps. With focus locked you get 15fps and 60fps with mechanical and electronic shutter respectively. Also, face and eye detection has been in the Olympus cameras since the original E-M5; it's just that Olympus finally got around to updating the algorithms to something modern.

This camera can stand side by side with others. Combine it with a pro lens, it may be even far more better. A pro lens with Olympus is 4x cheaper than Canon. Great price & portability combined with great performance. Now beat that.

The reviewer is obviously not a working photographer... ... and probably getting Sony payola 😉

Fed up with camera reviews constantly talking about video, I want a stills camera not a video camera, it the same with anything about phones they always talk about cameras not the phone.

Rarely have seen such a misleading tutorial ….about 50% dislikes confirm this!

Going to add to the pile here and say that from the point of view of someone who has professional experience with a number of camera systems, Olympus would most certainly be towards the very front of the pack for development and technology. Their devices are incredible and versatile tools for capturing images. You'll do no good rating cameras as you would laptops.

at 3:30 you say the previous model could only handle 10fps with c-af. this is not true.the e-m1 ii can do 15 fps mechanical and 18 fps with e-shutter, c-af enabled.

I somewhat agree to the evaluation of the camera. However, recommending other specific cameras on a paid trip? That's bitter.

They say Olympus hasn't moved on much, but hand-held hi-res is a huge advancement. No manufacturer revolutionises the industry with every new model. The only area M43 falls down is shadow noise (even with the IBIS advantage ) but only in some cases. Every camera system has its strengths and weaknesses.

Fantastic camera! Shame this reviewer jumped on the anti Olympus band waggon. You need to note cons as well as pros, but you also need to be objective, so many times there was a focus on brands you prefer, use, or try to push.

after watching this video I have a very good understanding why I stoppt visit Engadget almost 5 years ago

Why not just commend this system on its merits and I think it is great to have a system that is different from the others in a good way

That video stabilization is seriously impressive. Is that the best we've seen so far on an ILC?

Are we really meant to take seriously a camera review written by someone who can't even properly operate one?

I agree with the comments right below mine, I'm sorry I watched farther into the video. I could tell early on this review was going to be BS. Olympus makes minor improvements? Maybe because they packed so much into their bodies over the years. Just the features alone on an Olympus body makes it stand out from the crowd. Nobody else is putting the technology into their bodies like Olympus does. For anyone watching this video and reading comments. Olympus jam packs their camera's with amazing features that make photography so much more fun and enjoyable than Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sony and even Panasonic. Live composite, Night sky focus are both light years ahead of anyone else. Keep in mind while watching, he makes a comparison to a FF more than once, and when he talks about it losing focus on a person walking fast toward him. The girl was walking fast. His comparison of him in an apartment, he was not moving fast. It should also be said, many many camera's struggle when there is a fast moving object moving straight toward the camera. Go elsewhere and watch a non biased review.

Tssssssss...... No comment..... Olympus forever.......

5:39 It takes 16 images to do the 50MP handheld high-res shot, not 8. Get your facts right!

PROBLEM IS G9 Doesn't Have Phase Detect AF Chip So EM1 - MK III Kills it there,..

It looks like an excellent camera! Comparisons between cameras are not always a sign that one is better than another! They usually only indicate differences! I think it's amazing that we have so many options available. Each person or professional can have the right instruments. Olympus offers excellent quality, durability and portability for both amateurs and professionals. Why tell someone to buy huge cameras, with 6 or 8k video, 10 bits, 4.2.2 internal, at exorbitant costs, when what they really need is something else. Not everyone can or needs to own a Porsche! They can't even walk on dirt roads in the middle of the forest! But yes, they are much better than a Jeep ... but so what? But I agree that Olympus needs to review some concepts. This update could really be a little better. Dual UHS II, improved evf, 4 k 60, etc ... But the camera still has its space and its audience.

One can actually appreciate the fact that Enadget hasn't deleted this atrocity of a video, even it it has more downvotes than upvotes! They respect their employ/reviewer! Way to go, Engadget! LOL

This guy definitely needs to spend more time with this Olympus camera as he clearly doesn't understand the platform and its potentials that out performs APS-C and full frame cameras in many aspects.

This seems a very good camera with fantastic IBIS. Too many people get carried away with technical aspects like megapixels etc and forget that photography is not just about specs. It’s an art and this camera enables users to produce great pictures as do the products of most other manufacturers.

Vast improvement on the mark ii but way behind its rivals? Wow the mark ii must be a lousy camera, which i know it is not.

Regarding your claim to focus locking, the male subject was not moving as quickly towards the camera when shooting with the Sony. The female subject was moving much faster towards the Oly......doesn't seem like a fair comparison!

Once you understand max resolution as opposed to sensor size and find something original to say maybe I won't grown as soon as you start talking. Maybe review Vacuum Cleaners.

Olympus lens 12-40mm 40-150mm 2.8 12-100mm 12-200mm Name another company that has these focal length

A snapshooting gadget freak trotting out obsolete prejudices as he dreams of a FF cellphone..

Not the best video I've seen today.

"Critics never made great artists ". Now I get what it meant.

Do you know what’s “mediocre” Engadget? Your camera review.

One of the most unfair review i ever seen in my life. I have Sony A7III, is an excelent camera. I have M1.2 and M1.3 and they are also an excelent camera. Yes, there ar differencies between them but they are equally good. It is obvious you don't know what are you talking about in this review.

This video compares the EM1 against several rival cameras individually against each of their stand out features but where is there a better compromise overall. I also have an XT3, I love the retro dials but it really doesn't compare on ease of use or battery life. The ergonomics of the EM1 are vastly superior, the XT3 has small dials that don't move smoothly (the exposure compensation is extremely hard to turn) and no proper function setup owing to the dependency on physical dials if you can reach the function buttons - its a totally different beast. The video features are great but no IBIS, so take a rig too? I also had an A7III for a few months last year and the build quality is not a patch on Olympus, nor is the IBIS as good as they rate it. The Olympus lenses are terrific and mainly compact which Sony's are not. Yes on noise M43 is poor in low light but if you mainly shoot in daylight what's not to like. I keep considering switching especially since Olympus is likely to be sold but there's nothing to match it as an overall package.

When you compare the em1 Mkt 2 with the first version of its firmware against the same camera with its last version you’ll find a totally different camera. That’s because more and more we’ll see software making difference and for that we need better processors. Olympus has mastering in innovation thru its firmware upgrades with little hardware changes. For sure, the new things that we are experiencing didn’t come from the leaders Canon and Nikon. I’m talking about image stabilization, mirrorless, hi-res mode... So, Olympus has just settled a new playground for its software developers.

Sir, if you are going to produce content, could you please check yourself first and be objective?

Does it have f u l l automatic mode and integrated double exposure?

A 4/3 sensor may have a quarter of the physical area, but does quarter the same amount of light, as the same amount of light is being focused on a smaller area. If you display this amount of misunderstanding on such a basic level I don't really think you are the person to listen to when it comes to photographic equipment.

Olympus had face and eye detect since 2006 and since the very first OM-D they have improved the C-AF with tracking eye/face track...

4k60p is on the menu but greyed out. Hopefully it'd be enabled by a FW upgrade.

Ignorance is bliss in the case of this review. Example: I have a Sony A7r3 and an Em1mk3. I had, but sold, the Sony 200-600 for bird and sports photography. Instead I bought the Olympus 300mm f4, both lighter and sharper than than the Sony. In reality I use the Olympus system about twice as often as the Sony. It excels in bird photgraphy, and is far better in lowlight situations than the Sony because of the image stabilization which allows reliably sharp handheld exposures of up to one second. Where the Sony excels is in dynamic range, especially useful in shooting tripod mounted dusk/dawn landscapes. If I could only have one system it would be the Olympus, but that's not the fashionable view among so-called experts.

If you can't take great pictures with this then Sony or Canon won't help you.

This is why camera reviews from tech and gadget sites are useless. I only trust reviews from actual photographers. Cameras are tools, not gadgets. This man knows nothing about photography, he should review phones and laptops.

😂 Not sure who your talking about when speaking about rivals, in MFT there is one rival the G9 and now the G9ii. There are so many more features than any other camera out there. Phase detect auto focus is what separates the Mkiii and the G9. This was a jump because of the High Res/Starry AF and focus bracketing. So much to unpack and you just brushed on those.

Shouldn't autofocus when shooting (photographing) stars simply be set to infinity?

it makes you wonder how people managed to take a photo when they only had 35mm film with manual focus and manual zooms to be honest i think we are being conned every few years with so called improvements

This camera is built for professional photographers not you tubers or vloggers

It's amazing to listen to this guy rattle off reason after reason why "why little has changed" with the mkIII (at the same time he regularly references the camera's "surprising" capabilities) when the reality is that Olympus already was well ahead of the competition in many ways with the mkII. Steve Ding, or Dunce or whatever: another Sony lickspittle.

low quality review, with a omd10 i take stunning pics even in low light situations. Imagine what you can do with omd m1 mark 3.

Does the shutter button on the grip make the shutter button on the camera's body redundant?

A larger sensor camera is never a rival! That is completely different species. Even the GH5 is not a real rival as it's aimed mainly at videographers. The still photography in GH5 lacks behind E-M1 III. I was really waiting to see a comparision with Panasonic G9 for example which is the nearest camera that can be called a rival!

Bullcrap from a reviewer knowing nothing about the 4/3 system.

You should update this title etc as this Oly can now output pro res raw while using an Atomos Ninja!

Dayemn, I started watching but the like vs dislike goty attention. Went through some comments declaring the review as wrong, and that's the takeaway. Couldn't really focus on a thing reviewer said

I see 7.5 stops of sbailisation for Sony FF, Panasonic FF etc...behind...

Engadget has never heard of eBay

Anyone knows how long I can use wireless or tethered viewing live-view to cellphone/taplet/pc before shutdown? Again, not worrying about video or shooting, worrying when viewing live-view on viewfinder & other 3.

What Panasonic Model Was That Showing into Your 8 min Mark Of Recording?? Question #2 is the Panasonic G9 Without a Builtin FLASH? THANK YOU,

Video Recording LIMIT On 4K? Or 1080P?

Ya...that is why I switch to Olympus from Fuji.

Please note that it is not the sensor that gathers 1/4 of light as compared to FF - just the lens (for the same f-stop). This is because f-stops are not "compatible" between different sensor sizes in terms of light hitting the sensor and noise. The same applies to "ISO". So "mediocre" performance in low light is not caused by the sensor - just the lens. If you cut-off 3/4 of light from FF sensor its low light performance will be equally "mediocre" and the noise will be similar. There is no free lunch - if you want a good light performance, you have to get "big" lens regardless of sensor size. If lenses are small (Olympus), you will get high noise levels.

The pictures in this review are pretty bad, and I don't think its in any way the fault of the camera....

Not sure why you have a negative tone. Everything you are saying is positive.

Doesn’t it weight 580 gm ?

it's a shame we can't see how much dislike anymore..

You Americans are way behind... Parochial view.

Some inaccuracies cast doubt on the reviewer and the overall tone is uninformed... ah well, he won't be going again on an Olympus junket!

I'd get the a6600 in a heart beat if it had two card slots

And what is bad about the camera? You just talk about the smal Sensor. ....

when dislikes more than likes thats mean the review is terrible!

You are really wrong

Sony a7ii is 1k more and a9ii is 3k more both are FF as compared to 4/3. When you keep saying Sony are you comparing it this camera with A6600 ?. Well, here a secret , not all features are included in one camera from one manufacturer ..

That camera is so far ahead its rivals. Just ridiculous.

I had a Fuji X-T3 didn't like the colours, bought a Panasonic S5 full frame with its horrible auto focus common to all Panasonic cameras sold that. I then got an Olympus EM1 MK3 which I'm now using it's a great camera has the best image stabilization in the business auto focus is fast and picture quality good with fine detail. The Fuji and Panasonic had better video features but I use another camera for video so not a problem.

Why didn’t you admit this was an Olympus paid trip? Why do you say stabilisation is “one of the best” when it is the best? At the time of the review the Fuji had not Stabilizer. Odd review. I’m a Nikon user but the size and weight of a long m4/3 lens is a third of Fuji or Sony one. If you can handle the weight surely go full frame instead?

And you haven't seen the Nikon D6...

I have this camera and find it’s lack of low light performance very annoying. I regret buying this. I went from a Nikon D850 that due to health issues was now too heavy to carry around but I miss it’s fantastic performance and image quality.

This model is causing no enthusiasm, because offers very few new things over the previous Mark II and is pricey. But in reality, without offering anything that other brands do not have, it does offer an unique features combo, that no other camera has. I will discus the models you compared it to in the video. The G9 by Panasonic is indeed a better bargain in terms of price, but noticeably bulkier and with contrast AF only, which is performing poorly in video. Same goes for the GH5. Bigger and no phase detect AF. A lot of pros use it for video, but that is because pros focus manually. Fuji's X-T3 will offer better low light performance and better video, but is a bit bigger, and offers no IBIS. Plus, if one wants swiveling screen, has to go really low in the Fuji range, with some plasticky, 1-card models with no weather resistance and slower shooting speeds. The 6600 by Sony will offer better low light performance, and better tracking AF, but has weaker IBIS, no swiveling screen, no backup card slot and (what is very annoying for me, personally!) no front dial, which makes it less comfortable in operation. So if you ask yourself - which camera is that small, that well build, has such a spectacular IBIS, swiveling screen, very fast shooting, good video AF, HighRes that actually works and the amazing 400k rated shutter mechanism, combined with a full set of same brand lenses, from tiniest primes to f/1.2 pro glass, this model will stand alone. The reality is, that most of the bad rep it gets, is based on prejudice towards smaller sensors, the name Olympus created for themselves for being expensive brand and the incremental upgrades in their last 2 or 3 models. Especially the last one is valid for pretty much every company on the market. I mean, the supposedly market leading Sony came out with the same 5-years old sensor for their 6600, for example. And that's the company that makes the sensors for pretty much all the brands...

504 Grams..IS THAT Battery Included? Or NO? :-)

You should not compared to the full frame cameras. It is already not a sincere comparison! Crap

How can you do a fair review of a camera when you don't know how to get the best out of it - you never mentioned Cluster Area AF - faster, more accurate than the standard "tracking" mode ..... I lose very few images on Low Seq rate of 15 fps ....

I own both Sony A7RIII and Olympus. This article is very poor. Inaccurate nonsense. Credibility blown.

Fake news won't be subscribing

it's shock for how little that em-1 3 changed (improved XD XD XD XD XD

Some hurtful truths but some bad lies. Anyway, the camera I have in my hand is from late 2014. Thank you Samsung for your legacy.

G9 over the E-M1.2 or E-M1.3, I simply don't get it. About the only real win is the viewfinder.

Half the light? U wot m8.

Interesting - at this mpoint 461 down votes versus 359 thumbs up - obviously your criteria for a successful camera are not widely accepted ...