In a move that no one saw coming, a brand new Olympus camera has just been launched: a special edition astrophoto version of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, once the brand’s flagship camera.
When Olympus completed the transfer of its imaging division to OM Digital Solutions in 2021, it signaled the end of the Olympus brand name appearing on cameras. Well, it had to.
While the company insisted to me that the OM System OM-1 would be the last camera to carry the Olympus brand name, OM has just announced the new OM E-M1 Mark III Astro System – which, as you can see, bears the Logo of Olympus. (OM actually did the same a few years ago,
This is the modified version of the original E-M1 Mark III. Everything is the same (except for the red “Astro” badge on the front) except that there is a specialized IR cut filter in front of the image sensor.
This “significantly improves[s] the transmission of Hα rays, which results in images with a strong red cast,” the company says. This refers to the hydrogen-alpha wavelength of the spectrum, invisible to the naked eye, which is the strongest emitted by nebulae of hydrogen that are usually observed in astrophotography.
“The Om System E-M1 Mark III Astro has an IR cut filter in front of the image sensor that has been optimized for optical characteristics to achieve close to 100% transmission of Hα rays, which are important for astrophotography. This allows you to capture the beautiful shapes and colors of nebulae that emit light from Hα rays, which are difficult to capture with ordinary digital cameras.”
However, unlike some astrophoto cameras from other manufacturers, this isn’t just any old camera with an IR filter slapped on it and marketed for astro work; The E-M1 Mark III boasts a number of computational features that make it one of the best cameras for astrophotography.
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Chief among these is the Starry Sky AF function, which uses a special algorithm to facilitate autofocus on even the smallest stars – freeing stargazers from the need to focus manually. It even offers a mode for handheld Starry Sky AF, which is a bit of a game changer!
Combined with other features like High Score Shooting (which uses pixel shifting to generate 50MP or 80MP images from the 20.4MP sensor) and Live Composite (a bulb mode that exposes only new or brighter areas of the image, making it ideal for star trails or shooting stars), this makes for a very formidable astro camera.
So while the cynic might suggest that OM simply found a few boxes of unsold E-M1 Mark IIIs in a warehouse and found a creative way to offload them (as they may have done in 2023, when they launched the IR System with infrared- modified versions of the E-M1 Mark III and E-M1X), this new Astro body is incredibly capable.
Currently, and no doubt continuing, the OM System E-M1 Mark III Astro will only be available in Japan – and as a special made-to-order product, priced at ¥327,800 (approx. $2,025 / £1,590 / 3,030 AU$). on sale on July 25.
Interestingly, it comes bundled with two new body filters that fit between the lens mount and the lens: the OM BMF-LPC01 system filter (light pollution) and the BMF-SE01 filter (soft focus). These will also be available individually, priced at ¥41,800 ($258 / £203 / AU$387) and ¥30,800 ($190 / $149 / AU$285) respectively.
While the OM website says they are only compatible with the E-M1 Mark III, OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II, I don’t believe there is any physical difference between these mounts and those of any other Olympus, OM or other Micro Four Thirds camera – so I can’t see why they wouldn’t work on any given body.
Take a look at the best Olympus / OM system cameras, along with the best Olympus / OM system lenses. And, as an open platform, you can use any of the best Micro Four Thirds lenses on your MFT camera.