In a move that no one saw coming, Olympus has just launched a brand new camera: a special astrophotography version of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, previously the brand’s flagship.
When Olympus completed the transfer of its imaging division to OM Digital Solutions in 2021, it marked the end of the Olympus brand on cameras. Well, that was the intention.
While the company kept telling me that the OM System OM-1 would be the last camera ever to carry the Olympus brand name, OM has just announced the new OM System E-M1 Mark III Astro – which, as you can see, carries the Olympus logo. (OM actually did the same thing a few years ago,
This is a modified version of the original E-M1 Mark III. Everything is the same (except for the red “Astro” badge on the front), except for the addition of a special IR cut filter in front of the image sensor.
This “improves significantly[s] transmission of Hα rays, resulting in images with a strong reddish hue,” the company said. This refers to the hydrogen-alpha wavelength of the spectrum, invisible to the naked eye, which is emitted most strongly by hydrogen nebulae often observed in astrophotography.
“The OM System E-M1 Mark III Astro features an IR-cut filter for the image sensor that has been optimized for optical properties to achieve approximately 100% transmission of Hα rays, which are important for astronomical photography. This allows you to vividly capture the beautiful shapes and colors of nebulae emitting light from Hα rays, which are difficult to capture with ordinary digital cameras.”
Unlike some astrophotography cameras from other manufacturers, however, this isn’t just a camera with an IR filter on it and meant for astrophotography. The E-M1 Mark III has a number of computer 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 tiniest stars, freeing stargazers from the need to manually focus. It even offers a handheld Starry Sky AF mode, which is a bit of a game changer!
Combined with other features like High Res Shot (which uses pixel shifting to generate 50MP or 80MP images from the 20.4MP sensor) and Live Composite (a bulb mode that only exposes new or brighter parts of the image, making it ideal for star trails or shooting stars), this is a very formidable astro camera.
Cynical people might argue that OM simply found a few boxes of unsold E-M1 Mark IIIs in a warehouse and found a creative way to sell them (as the company potentially did in 2023 when it launched the IR system with infrared-modified versions of the E-M1 Mark III and E-M1X), but this new Astro body is incredibly capable.
Currently, and undoubtedly going forward, 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 (approximately $2,025 / £1,590 / AU$3,030), going on sale from July 25.
Interestingly, it comes with two new body filters that fit between the lens mount and the lens: the OM System BMF-LPC01 (light pollution) filter and BMF-SE01 (soft focus) filter. These will also be available separately, priced at ¥41,800 ($258 / £203 / AU$387) and ¥30,800 ($190 / £149 / AU$285) respectively.
Although the OM website states that they are only compatible with the E-M1 Mark III, OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II, I don’t believe there are any physical differences between these mounts and those of other Olympus, OM System or Micro Four Thirds cameras. So I can’t see why they wouldn’t work on just about any body.
Check out the best Olympus / OM System cameras, along with the best Olympus / OM System lenses. And as an open platform, you can use all the best Micro Four Thirds lenses on your MFT camera.