We’ve been covering the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Micro Four Thirds (MFT) digital camera ever since it was initially rumored and following the official announcement two weeks ago, we now have a long wait until it finally ships this April. We’ve already done a spec comparison to other high-end mirrorless cameras and we’ve seen how it sizes-up against the competition, but of bigger importance is how it actually performs and especially in low-light — a sticking point for the otherwise excellent MFT format.
The first high-ISO test of the Olympus E-M5 showed some promise, with little noise or artifacts up to ISO 3,200. During the weekend, Four-Thirds User has posted a high-ISO comparison between the E-M5 and the previous generation Olympus PEN E-P3. As previously, the test was done with a pre-production version of the E-M5 but the results are impressive.
The E-M5 maintains a steady lead in terms of noise and shadow detail of around two stops over the E-P3. This is a remarkable improvement for a one generation jump. These are out-of-camera JPEG files, and we would also say that at least this early E-M5 firmware is less aggressive in noise-reduction compared to the E-P3.
If you are not entirely convinced by out-of-camera JPEGs, Four-Thirds User has also published files converted from RAW here. Have a look at this completely usable ISO 6,400 ‘noise filter off’ image.
Story Timeline
- May 02 2012 The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is here: first impressions
- Apr 02 2012 PSA: Olympus OM-D E-M5 shipping date delayed until April 23 in the UK
- Apr 01 2012 First unboxing photos of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 MFT camera
- Mar 26 2012 Olympus OM-D E-M5 going for a dive, PT-E08 underwater housing to be released July 2012
- Feb 24 2012 PSA: Olympus OM-D E-M5 now up for pre-order from Amazon UK with free battery grip; shipping April 1st
- Feb 22 2012 Gadget lust: five new official videos on the Olympus OM-D E-M5
- Feb 18 2012 Olympus OM-D E-M5 size comparison to the Sony NEX-7, Panasonic GX1 and Fujifilm X-Pro1
- Feb 13 2012 First high ISO test images from the Olympus OM-D E-M5 digital camera
- Feb 09 2012 Olympus E-M5 vs. Fujifilm X-Pro1 vs. Panasonic GX1 vs. Sony NEX-7 comparison
- Feb 08 2012 Olympus OM-D E-M5 weather-sealed Micro Four Thirds camera announced for $999.99 (specs, pictures, video)
- Feb 04 2012 Full image of the Olympus OM-D E-M5, Amazon Japan listing points to March 30th release date
- Feb 03 2012 Olympus OM-D E-M5 mirrorless camera to be announced February 8th?
- Feb 03 2012 Leaked Olympus OM-D E-M5 brochure shows us the pro-level MFT camera in all its black beauty
- Jan 20 2012 First leaked image of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 MFT camera
- Jan 17 2012 First rumored specs for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera: Micro Four Thirds, EVF and weather sealed body
