The Olympus OM-1 is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It's an iconic camera, one that has its share of analog-loving devotees. So it's fitting that OM System—the camera brand formerly known as Olympus—is bringing out the first digital OM-1 this year. The stacked sensor tech inside the new model is a big step forward for photographers using the Micro Four Thirds system and OM tells us that it will be the last camera with the Olympus badge, a tribute to the original OM-1.
The OM-1 takes its design cues from Olympus OM-D cameras, specifically the E-M1 series, and is the clear follow-up to the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, a 2020 release. The two cameras share the same basic form, with many controls falling under finger in the same positions. But whereas the E-M1 Mark III was the reheated dinner plate edition of the E-M1 Mark II, the OM-1 feels like an all-new camera, made fresh to order. We got a chance to handle it and our first impressions follow below.
OM-1: In the Hand
The OM-1's body design has been refreshed with controls that both look and feel better. Other ergonomic improvements include a deeper handgrip and a shutter button that rests more naturally under the index finger at a steeper angle. It's built tough, too, with a magnesium alloy frame and IP53 weather resistance; that's good news for nature photographers who use Olympus gear for outdoor work.
The camera's design lends itself to handheld photography, in particular. The OM-1 mounts its sensor on a stabilizer, so any lens (even those without stabilized optics) benefit from that extra stability. The camera isn't too much to carry either at just about 1.3 pounds. I paired the OM-1 with a few of the purpose-built lenses for the system so far, including the slim 20mm F1.4, a new 40-150mm F4, and the venerable 300mm F4 telephoto prime. All three balance well, including the relatively heavy 300mm. An add-on grip with vertical controls and space for an extra battery is available if you prefer a larger body style.
The OM-1's viewfinder is improved as well. It's as large to the eye as many full-frame SLRs (0.83x) and features a 5.76-million-dot OLED panel. The result is a clear, large image in the viewfinder. The display is suitable for action photography too; it refreshes at 120fps. The camera's articulating rear display is useful for waist-level and tripod shooters. The screen also swings out to face forward, so vloggers can use it for direct-to-camera recording.
The camera's menu systems benefit from a redesign. The quick on-screen menu is now cleaner, with a more streamlined grid-and-column arrangement; it looks a bit less haphazard than on the E-M1 Mark III. This panel is navigable by touch but still isn't customizable. The main menu is all new as well. OM Systems moved the tabs from a side column to the top and I find the typeface a little bit easier to read. You can't navigate the main menu by touch, though—instead, you must rely on camera dials and the rear control pad.
OM stuck with mainstream SD memory format for this release. The OM-1 has two slots, both of which support SDXC UHS-II media. The camera uses a new battery (the BLX-1) that CIPA rates for 520 shots. In practice, you can likely get more shots per charge. For reference, in my one day of testing so far, I netted about 400 exposures with 60% left on the battery; that's without using any continuous drive capture modes.
Stacked Sensor for Speed and Computational Photography
Changes aren't just on the outside: a brand-new image sensor powers the OM-1. This is the first big internal revamp since 2016's OM-D E-M1 Mark II went to a 20MP sensor. The OM-1's chip keeps the same pixel count but is built around a much newer architecture—Stacked CMOS. The OM-1 is the first time we've seen that used outside the full-frame format (among models with swappable lenses).
We've seen what Stacked sensor tech can do in other cameras. Full-frame bodies like the Canon EOS R3 offer blisteringly fast capture rates, made possible by an architecture that puts photosensitive pixels, DRAM memory, and processing into one unit. It's been a relatively high-end feature until now—the $3,500 Sony a9 had been the lowest cost model before the OM-1. Its $2,200 body-only price is certainly on the high side for Micro Four Thirds but shows that bleeding edge tech is finally trickling down to lower-cost models. The chip in the OM-1 keeps up with the high-priced competition—it supports 120fps Raw imaging with locked exposure and focus, plus manages 50fps when tracking subjects and delivering consistent autoexposure from frame to frame.
Those capture rates are overkill for many disciplines, but photographers who frequently deal with fast-moving subjects should appreciate the flex. The OM-1 relies on a fully electronic shutter to meet these speeds, a method that has some pluses and minuses. On the positive side, the view through the lens is uninterrupted, which is a real benefit for keeping the lens pointed at subjects in motion. And with an incredibly high burst rate, you are more likely to freeze the perfect moment in time.
On the downside, high burst rates create a lot of images for you to cull through, working in venues with digital signage can be tricky, and flash sync is a fairly slow 1/100-second. To help sidestep these shortcomings, the OM-1 includes a mechanical shutter capable of 10fps capture and sync with an external flash as quick as 1/320-second. Like most mirrorless cameras, the OM-1 doesn't have an in-body flash.
Olympus cameras are well-known for their in-camera computational enhancements. OM System takes the same approach but leverages the Stacked CMOS sensor and its TruePic X processing engine to power its various multi-shot modes. The OM-1 supports high resolution, HDR, simulated neutral density (for longer exposures), and focus stacking (for macros) modes, among others. The high-res, neutral density, and HDR modes all support handheld work and the updated processor offers four times the power of the older TruePic IX chip for speedier in-camera processing.
The processor also comes into play for subject recognition. The OM-1 is the first camera we've seen with a Cross Quad Pixel AF, a focus method that splits each pixel into four parts. The method draws better depth maps of a scene than dual pixel and masked phase pixel techniques, which OM leverages for subject recognition. The OM-1 has discrete detection modes for cars and motorcycles; airplanes and helicopters; trains; birds; and domestic animals. It also supports face- and eye-detection for people in its general focus mode.
As for video, OM doesn't push the resolution to epic levels; the camera tops out at 4K resolution and a maximum 60fps recording rate. 16:9 UHD and wider 17:9 DCI aspect ratios are available, too. You can swap between standard color profiles in an 8-bit H.264 format or switch to a flat or HLG profile and 10-bit 4:2:0 recording with H.265 compression. Raw recording is an option, but you need to add an Atomos Ninja V or V+ recorder to take advantage of 12:bit 4:4:4 ProRes.
If there's an underwhelming aspect to the OM-1, it's high-frame-rate video capture. Other stacked sensor models deliver 4K120 slow motion, but you're limited to 4K60 here, good enough for half-speed playback in 30fps projects. If you want to slow motion down further, you need to drop to 1080p, where 120fps and 240fps frame rates are available.
New Lenses
OM System is bolstering an already extensive line of Micro Four Thirds lenses with two new options. The first is an update to the Olympus' premium standard zoom, the 12-40mm F2.8. The new OM System 12-40mm F2.8 Pro II sports a refreshed optical design with a shorter minimum focus distance and IP53 protection to match the camera. It will cost $999 in the US and $1,300 in Canada.
The M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0 Pro is also coming to market. This is a new entry—an ultralight telezoom with a retractable barrel, internal zoom optics, and IP53 protection. It comes in at $899 for US customers and $1,140 for those in Canada.
The OM-1 costs $2,199.99 body-only as mentioned, but you can get in with the new 12-40mm II as a kit for $2,799.99. Customers in Canada must deal with higher pricing—$2,799.99 for the body and $3,599.99 for the kit. The camera is set to go on sale in early March at the same time as the new lenses. OM is offering an extra battery and three years of warranty coverage for customers who order the camera early. If you're on the fence, check back for a review soon—we will have more to say about the OM-1 as soon as we've put it through its paces.