OM-3 Evaluate : Person Expertise + Artistic Potentialities
Nicely, whats up there OM-3. Simply introduced by OM SYSTEM, this new digital camera 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 photographs plus a complete bunch of behind-the-scenes visuals to point out you what the artwork instruments and digital camera capabilities seem like.
In case you take pleasure in experimenting, taking part in with color, seeing the world with a inventive eye and producing photographs 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 overview. I knew there could be quite a lot of concentrate on the technical specs in different opinions of the OM-3, in order you’ll see all through the phrases beneath, I’ve taken the inventive strategy, sharing what I discovered progressive 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 celebration (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 might stare at mountains, alpine lakes and wander within the vibrant fields to discover the digital camera and all that it provides creatively.
Once I discovered the OM-3 had a color wheel and progressive 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 crammed with the colourful shores of Lake Tekapo, nevertheless it felt like the best topic that may permit 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 capturing with Olympus/OM SYSTEM since 2017 and have used numerous digital camera fashions on this time, I’ve by no means really 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 seemingly 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 significantly technical, this dial was so intriguing, and I knew it might seemingly improve how I strategy taking images. 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 completely satisfied to see quite a lot of the capabilities I take advantage of for panorama images can be found, with the Reside ND and GND filters there, plus the Excessive-Res Mode, enabling 50 megapixels when capturing handheld. These are all necessities for the kind of images I do, and I like that it now provides the possibility to mix these with the inventive color profiling.
The Tech Specs of the OM-3
The OM-3 is a bit of magnificence, mixing inventive instruments with progressive capabilities, and as famous above options many devices and goodies inside that exist within the OM-1 and OM-1 MKII. In case you’ve been studying The Wandering Lens or following my work for some time, you’ll know I’m much less in regards to the technical specs and extra in regards to the inventive prospects. I can reply something it’s essential to know in regards to the inventive course of and your strategy, however ask me a tech query on the spot and I’ll seemingly want a second to suppose it by – however that’s the fantastic 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 beneath after which proceed on with my person expertise beneath.
- 20.4MP Decision
- TruePic™ X Processor
- 4K 60fps Video – With an ‘S&Q’ choice 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 capturing in S-AF mode
- IP53 Climate sealing
- Splashproof | Freezeproof | Dustproof
- Tremendous Sonic Wave Filter to guard the inner parts
- Computational Images button
- Reside ND | GND | Excessive-Res Mode making it potential to shoot both 80MP with a tripod or 50MP handheld
You’ll discover the total checklist of particulars out there on the OM SYSTEM web site right here.
Color Palettes + Artistic 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 progressive is that it’s all taking place dwell, precisely just like the Reside ND permits you to see the motion flowing by 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, usually 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 facet, 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 might produce an final result just like what I usually edit, inside the digital camera itself. An instance beneath of golden hour with the lupins…zero enhancing on these photographs, solely the changes in digital camera, the left facet is utilizing the softer extra muted profile, the fitting is the extra vibrant, heat tones.
These are some screenshots taken at dwelling whereas specializing in a print to focus on the options…there have been no icebergs or boats with purple sails in Lake Pukaki that day 🙂
Only a fast word – The OM-3 additionally has common modes like aperture, guide, auto and unimaginable video capabilities. You may decide to make use of the color and artwork options, or not. I wished to notice this incase I obtained overexcited relating to the color profiles and it got here off as the one risk, it does all of it AND has the bonus inventive instruments 🙂
Beneath you’ll see some examples of the assorted 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 capturing vibrant scenes, taking part in with the Monochrome profiles produced some beautiful outcomes. I’ve all the time 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, significantly when paired with an alpine panorama, or rugged textures, even after I was capturing contained in the automotive utilizing the mirrors, the consequence had such depth.
Utilizing the OM-3 Within the Subject
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 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 fashion I usually 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 out there
- C5 Cooler tones with an final result that felt like movie.
To create these I firstly photographed a couple of scenes to evaluate how the filters, tone curve and numerous inventive controls labored. When enhancing, the tone curve is definitely the instrument I take advantage of most, it’s develop into a behavior to tweak this and produce the brightness, or general changes utilizing RGB channels. It felt so thrilling to see the color changes out there by merely taking part in round in actual time with the scene earlier than me.
I frolicked at Kea Level lookout which is certainly one of 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 count on 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 great purpose 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 potential with none extra enhancing. 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 reality 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 automotive earlier than sundown hit; this offered the possibility to get a bit of arty and use the windscreen and rear-vision mirror as my topics to assist body the panorama creatively. These photographs labored very well with the cooler tones and mono profiles.
Photographing Lupins in New Zealand
Color has all the time been such an enormous a part of my work, so to see the outcomes occurring as I adjusted the inventive instruments was such an surprising supply of motivation. When photographing I’m all the time placing myself in odd positions attempting to scout frames inside the scene by branches, bushes, 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 inside the body with a special strategy.
You’ll discover quite a lot 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 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 inside the composition.
Remaining Notes on the OM-3
In case you’re available in the market for a digital camera that does every thing, and offers the possibility to get inventive and actively concerned within the final result of every picture, this could completely be thought of and if you happen to’ve obtained any questions in any respect, you’re welcome to depart a remark or DM by way of Instagram @the_wanderinglens.
The OM-3 isn’t just for nature and outside images, it’s really an excellent 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 fantastically if you happen to’re taken with portrait images too!
Being able to customize color palettes while nonetheless accessing the progressive Reside ND and GND filters is sort 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 know-how, however they’re placing that information into instruments and capabilities which might be extraordinarily helpful for the photographers behind the lens. OM SYSTEM are crafting cameras that allow us to discover our creativity, which is what I think about to be the entire goal of images, capturing moments, and recollections, having significant experiences, all blended with the fantastic 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 similar 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 outside experiences.
