The new Olympus OM-D E-M10 III release has for the first time introduced for the line some sort of slow motion feature. While not much it should be noted that Olympus has the best 5 axis image stabilization in-body system when it comes to jitter reduction and overall look.  Even while running or walking the camera does an admirable job.

The Panasonic GH5 has a similar system but Olympus still has the edge in performance by having much less shake with their patented solution. This is great for shooting video and this camera with 4k recording is probably one of the most stable handheld solutions for shooting UHD. The addition of a 720p 120fps mode while not ideal; is great to have especially if stabilized.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 III Video Modes:

CODEC : MPEG-4, H.264

Recording Formats:

• 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1280 x 720 @ 120p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM*
• 1280 x 720 @ 30p / 14 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1280 x 720 @ 25p / 14 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1280 x 720 @ 24p / 14 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM

Olympus OM-D E-M10 III Slow Motion:

Considering the camera has only 14 Mbps at it’s disposal for H.264 720p capture, it probably is very restrictive for the quality expected for the mode.   Even doubling the rate at 28Mbps, 120fps will probably have a hard time distributing it to 7Mbps at 30fps.   We will have to wait and see what it looks like in the end to be able to judge first hand.

OLYMPUS OM-D E-M10 MARK III: First Look with Gavin Hoey by Adorama:

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III Hands-on First Look Review by Park Cameras:

The previous version of this camera, the OM-D E-M10 Mark II was able to shoot 120 fps at 640 X 480 VGA resolution so the bump to 120fps 720p is welcomed.  It will not win any prizes in the category with other cameras doing it in 1080p and at frame rates that are higher like the Sony RX series at 240fps and the GH5 from Panasonic at 180fps.

Our View: The OM-D E-M10 Mark III is a beautiful camera with a classic feel that does pretty much everything you will need a s a travel camera. The quality of stills &  video at 4k is fantastic with a stabilization system that is ideal for hand-held footage creation. All for a pretty small price.  However, as a high frame rate/SlowMo solution, we have to expect the camera to underperform in this respect.  Even if the quality manages to be acceptable you will be hard pressed to get excited about 720p 120fps in 2017-2018. The trend is now 1080p resolution for slow motion with some 4k 60fps cameras already showing strong in the likes of the GH5.

Olympus, however, is a company that has build quality and design on its mind along with excellent image quality. This first foray into higher frame rates for the line could signal that higher end Olympus cameras will be able to compete in the high frame rate arena of mirror-less gear in the near future.   The best thing you can do is write Olympus a letter stating your desire for higher frame rates and at higher resolutions for their new camera releases.  The company caters to the travel photographer but that doesn’t mean it cannot allow professional videographers to enjoy a small but powerful camera that already shoots great 4k footage to do a little more.

We will update a new post in the future once we get real world slow motion samples from the camera -HSC

Pricing and Availability:

$649 (body only), $799 (with the 14-42mm PZ lens kit)

Available for Pre Order Now: From Adorama Camera!

And or Amazon.com Below In several Kit versions: