I’ve had a couple of people ask me this morning for my opinions regarding the brand new Olympus—sorry, I mean OM System as they are now called—OM-3 camera, which was announced today. I don’t have a lot of strong thoughts about it, and I’ve never handled the camera nor seen it in person, so these opinions should be taken with a large grain of salt.

Micro-Four-Thirds (M43) sales have been on the decline for years. It’s a shrinking market and has been for awhile, but it’s not dead (yet, anyway). Olympus—err, OM System—has surprisingly strong sales in Japan, but not worldwide, where it’s largely a minor (and almost forgotten) footnote in today’s digital camera market. The OM-3 will surely help to bring more international attention to the brand and the format.

I don’t have any major issues with the camera itself. I think M43 hit a ceiling several years back, and there’s not a lot of room for growth. You see that in this camera, as it’s not especially innovative compared to their releases going back to 2019. This is not a suggestion that the camera isn’t good, only that the system needs some major technological innovation in order to break the ceiling it is currently pinned against. Right now, they seem to be leaning into AI for that, but I’m not sure if that’s going to do it.

The OM-3 is a bit large and expensive for what it is. This is a Fujifilm-centric blog, so I will make some quick apples-to-oranges comparisons to X-series models. It’s similarly sized to the Fujifilm X-T50, and just a smidge heavier—I think that’s the Fujifilm model the OM-3 is most similar to, although they are divergent enough not to directly compare. The OM-3 is better-looking, but (unfortunately, IMHO) with a dial format more similar to the X-S20, plus a swivel screen. The OM-3 is weather-sealed, and in that sense it could be compared to the X-T5. The stacked sensor will draw some comparisons to the X-H2s, while the price is the same as the X-H2. I think if OM System had been able to price it three or four hundred dollars less, it would be a bit more compelling. Perhaps the camera that the OM-3 will get compared to the most is not a Fujifilm model, but the Nikon Zf. It’s possible that Olympus views this more as a competitor to that camera, and less to any specific Fujifilm model.

For those with M43 cameras, the OM-3 must be a sight for sore eyes. Between both OM System and Panasonic, M43 has averaged only two camera releases per year for several years now, so new bodies are few-and-far between. The OM-3 is the best-looking M43 camera released in awhile. It’s basically a flagship model, so it has a lot of solid features. For those on the outside—who aren’t already in the M43 system—I’m not sure this camera is enough to draw you in, especially when there are options with larger sensors, more resolution, higher dynamic range, better high-ISO, smaller depth-of-field, etc., for the same or less money, and not much larger, if larger at all.

The advantages that M43 has over other sensor formats are size, weight, and price. The OM-3 doesn’t leverage any of those advantages, but if Olympus were to make a new PEN-F, that very well could be a big success because it would play to the advantages of the system. If I were them, I would do that before 2025 is over. I would also return to the Olympus brand name, as OM System just doesn’t have as good of a ring to it, nor does it hold any nostalgia (plus, I keep accidentally typing Olympus instead of OM System…), but I highly doubt that will happen.

Let me wrap this up. I wish OM System much success. I have nothing against them or the OM-3. I’m sure it is an excellent camera, and that those who buy it will be quite happy with their purchase. I don’t have any interest in the OM-3 personally because I love my Fujifilm cameras, and there’s nothing profound enough with this model to convince me to invest into a new system, especially one that is barely holding on. I think this camera will appeal the most to those who already own some M43 lenses.