My OM-3 from OM System has become the camera of choice to carry around on my walkabout mini adventures these days. Ever since its August acquisition last year (2025) I have found myself using this powerful yet elegant little machine mostly to the exclusion of my other cameras, which speaks volumes about its balance of capabilities, usability and portability. It's a great walkabout camera.

So first thing first, this camera has a lovely retro classical vibe that goes all the way back the original Olympus OM-1 35mm film SLR of the 1970's with its enduring design by Yoshihisa Maitani. I love this, it just makes me want to pick it up and use it. I am not going to say anymore about this as I have waxed lyrical about it here, 'nuff said.

It is packed with all the features of the flagship OM-1 II flagship camera but in much more svelte and portable body suited to my style of photography. I won't bore you with the spec, if you want read it go here. Critically for me there is dedicated dial, on the top-left, to jump between photo, video and S&Q (Slow & Quick) modes which sets the camera to the principle function you want to use it for. In my case it is permanently set the little camera icon for photo 'cause guess what I do? Yes, photography.

Then there are the powerful computational modes which are directly accessible from a CP button (genius) and two of which I love in particular, 50mp Hand Held HiRes Shot and Focus Stacking. If you want to know more read more about computational stuff here. I am not about to spew the user guide at you which once again is just dead boring.

Then there there is the creative control built directly into the camera via the Creative Dial that I last saw on my much loved Pen-F plus I can now share the Colour and Monochrome (film-like) profiles which I create through OM System Workspace. Yet again if you want know more go here.

Living in a part of the world where we don't have climate instead we have weather, which we talk about rather a lot as a consequence but that is another story, it can be very soggy quite a lot of the time. Thus my OM-3 being weather sealed to a recognised standard i.e. being IP53-rated, really is a big advantage. 

So there you have it my preferred camera, my OM-3. Svelte, well built, great handling, packed with flagship tech and advanced computational features, enabling great creative control in-camera, weather resistant, plus iconic good looks to boot. Oh and did I mention you can make super quality photographs with it too, after all that is what it was made for. I nearly forgot that bit!