Sorry that I’ m writing so many comments! I just found this about the OM-3:
Among many other things this compliments your excellent review with some data. There are some specs about the resolution of the EVFs of some common cameras. The EVF of the OM-1 is outstanding among most cameras. The OM-3 is not worse than the others. It has a little lower magnification but in practice it works as well for me as I get a very good overview. This camera is technically as competent as the OM-1 mark 2 and the price is about the same these days. When it was introduced it was significantly lower. It may be more expensive to manufacture because of it’s all metal house. It’s more like a Leica for good or bad!

This evening I travelled with my dog by train to a nearby city. It was a dinner party and I took some pictures. One of my friends asked if I still used my old film cameras? When I went back home I tried some “Street Photography” with the help of the EVF and also from the hip with the screen. I used the 17mm f1.8 II.

I became surprised! NOBODY took notice of me! The pictures weren’t good as the exposure times were too long. I must change the settings and not be afraid of higher ISO and I have’nt! learned the settings yet as I come from another camera brand.

The important thing here is that nobody took notice of the camera!

David. you asked: “Is It the Perfect Compact Micro Four Thirds Camera?”

Can I post a picture I took early this morning at the sunrise?

file:///home/per/Pictures/251228_morgon/Morgon_2WEB.JPG

Yes I think it is! This camera will become a classic!

Per

This evening I took some portraits with the OM-3 in low light with only two candles and a weak light from the cieliing. I became astonished how good the contrast were in the EVF and how easy it was to take these portraits when I consentraited on the facial expression. It had probably worked equally well with the OM-1II but I didn’t compare.

I’m also in the Fujifilm system and I have a X-H2. It’s a very good camera. It has a very big EVF with a high resolution and it has got rave reviews also because of this. I don’t think it had been any “better” in the situation I described. It’s not all about figures and spec, you must try it in practice and compare. In some situations a smaller EVF can be an advantage and in other situations not an important disadvantage. With the OM-3 I accept this as I don’t think it had been nice with a big hump to make a bigger EVF possible! As always sometimes you have to accept a compromise and even enjoy it!

Hi per,

Thanks for your comment. That’s an interesting take regarding the EVF. I’ve not heard that before although I have always been someone that doesn’t always appreciate the viewfinder upgrades that sound significant on paper. Often in reality, I find the upgrades to be marginal, rather than game-changing.
I do find the EVF on the OM1 Mark II better but that certainly doesn’t make the EVF on the OM-3 bad. Overall I agree, the OM-3 is a really nice camera to shoot with. I’ll be shooting more OM System gear once I’m over in Scotland around Spring next year, prticularly the OM1 mark II and OM-3 with a focus on wildlife and landscapes. I’m really looking forward to it.

All the best
David

Most reviews mention that the EVF isn’t the best compared to the EVF of the OM-1 Mk2. I don’t agree. It’s still an Oled EVF and it’s not small. I wear glasses and the I think the EVF is equally good or maybe even better as it’s easier to see the whole screen for me.

I also think it’s the perfect compliment to the OM-1 Mk2 even for birding if you have two teles with different focal lengths. It’s also nice to bring with you for regular photography – it’s very robust and weather proof.

Per

Hi Gary,

I’m gld to hear you are enjoying your gear. I also have the OM1 Mark II, originally bought with the intention of shooting more wildlife. I may get a chance to do a lot more of that next year if some recent plans come to fruition.

Enjoy your OM-3.
All the best
David

I just had to buy the OM3 as I am not very good with the finer points of Lightroom or Photo Shop and the thought of lugging tripods and fiddling with filters is not my bag.

I am having great fun with it already having bought a grip for ergonomics. It’s going to keep me happy for years to come trying out all its bells and whistles – macro stacking hand held , high res hand held , blurry water handheld , mono , art , colour palette , the list is endless. I have 12-100 f4 which is top notch for landscape , 25mm 1.8 . 45 1.8 which is sharp as a tack and 90 equivalent for portraits , my 60 macro and a surprisingly good 9-18 !!

converted from Canon 6d and 7dMKII because of the weight of the lenses and I don’t miss having to get lenses calibrated for focussing ; )

The fun has already started.

Hi Mark,

Ah the EM1-X, I owned one for a while, what great ergonomics that camera had. The OM-3 is really, very good. I’ll be putting it up directly against my OM-1 Mark II when I get chance to shoot them both together in the not too distant future hopefully.

All the best
David