Hi John,

Thanks for your opinion. I find the GR series truly pocketable having owned them in the Philippines and now ehre in Scotland. They fit in shorts pockets, jacket pockets but I suppose whether the difference is worth it or tangible is an individual thing. The main thing is that you’re happy with the kit that you have. I find the OM-3 excellent but the cost is a factor. I think the whole camera market has had to move to higher tiered pricing though, due to smartphones carving out the lower end of the market.

I really enjoy my X-T5, it’s so versatile and fun to use. I’ll be interested to see what they do with the X-T6 when it is released.

All the best
David

Re: the OMDS OM-3, for me it’s a fail from OMDS. Far too costly for the role it plays, and the small (but noticable) improvement in image quality (not speed) over non-stacked sensors from Olympus/OMDS is not enough to justify a purchase of it.

I will keep my little kit until it dies – but there will be no more OMDS purchases, they’ve had enough time to do better for lovers of small camera bodies and lenses. I’m on my way to the next release of the Fujifilm X-T5/6 – I’m sure it will be a beauty.

Hi Bec,

Thanks for reading and for your comment.
The X100VI is definitely better than the EM-5 mark II. I was out with my X100VI with my eldest daughter yesterday and it did really well keeping up with her at the playground. The key with the X100VI is having the right settings to enable it to perform at its best. You’re right, there are other cameras that are faster to focus and track better but I still get a good hit rate with the X100VI.

All the best
David

Hey David,

I have just saw your reply.

Many thanks for your time!

All the best,

Kaan

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for your comment. I’m pleased that you found the articles helpful and thanks for the feedback. I have plans to make my settings for the OM-3 available in the near future.

All the best
David

Hi David. I’ve been reading your articles for a while now as have owned the ZF, X100vi and now the OM-3 and your opinions on all three are very insightful. I just wanted to drop a comment to agree with the previous one and let you know that an om3 settings guide for your colour or workflow would be amazing! I’m new to m43 so not 100% certain I’ve got everything dialled in right! Looking forward to your thoughts and hope you and the family had settled into Scotland well! Cheers!

Hi Drew,

Thanks for your comment. It’s always tempting to see what else is out there. Both the OM-3 and the X100VI are excellent cameras but definitely excell at different things. I’ve just been out to the same location today with the OM-3 as I visited on Wednesday with the X100VI. Same conditions too. I ended up playing around with the ND filter on the OM-3’s computational modes and got some shots I simply couldn’t have with any camera but the OM-3/OM-1/OM1 II. I haven’t shared my settings yet as I haven’t fully dialled them in but expect to do so over the coming weeks now that I’m in Scotland and will be shooting more regularly again. I will post an article here once I’m fully happy with them.

All the best
David

Hi Kaan,

Thanks for your comment — that’s a good question and one a lot of people run into.

If I’m being honest, the OM-3 would mostly duplicate what your X-T5 can already do. With Fuji’s smaller f/2 primes (23mm, 35mm, 50mm), the X-T5 already covers that same space in terms of size, image quality and usability. The OM-3 is a bit smaller, but not enough that it really becomes a different type of camera in practice for your intended shooting.

The real problem — which you’ve already identified — is that there simply isn’t a weather-sealed Ricoh-style camera on the market. Nothing truly pocketable with a fixed lens and proper sealing exists right now.

The closest alternative to a Ricoh GR III/IV is actually the X100VI.

It isn’t pocketable in the same way, but it is:

weather-sealed (with filter adapter)

genuinely small and light

excellent for street and environmental portraits

In real use, the X100VI fills the “always with me” role far better than a second interchangeable-lens body like the OM-3. It’s the camera I use as my own EDC.

So if your goal is a second camera that complements the GFX and X-T5, rather than duplicating them, I’d personally look at the X100VI before adding another system.

If you already have one, then honestly I’d say you’re already covered — and at that point it becomes more about simplifying what you carry rather than adding more gear.

Hope that helps,
David