The OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a compact powerhouse, the perfect do-it-all camera for whatever shots you might face. A few stops around San Diego, California gave me the perfect opportunity to see how versatile it is.
One of my favorite aspects of the Olympus mirrorless system is the amazing Image Stabilization that it provides. To take advantage of this, I knew the first stop had to be the Salk Institute where the famed architecture facing the sunset provides a stunning sight. However, the strong restrictions against tripods can really limit opportunities. Luckily the amazing 7-stops of stabilization enabled me to take images that not many others could. Being able to keep my shutter open for over one second without a tripod was a dream!
12mm | 6s | F18 | ISO 200
31mm | 1/1000s | F20 | ISO 2000
Photographers weren’t the only things gawking at the view of the famous research institute. Some ravens made a quick pass through the fountain line and I knew I had to try to snag a shot. Switching from landscape to wildlife isn’t always a quick adjustment, something the enhanced controls and joystick of the E-M1 Mark III makes much easier.
Mere days after acquiring the E-M1 Mark III, the 2020 pandemic shutdowns were enacted. After countless days inside, the itch to play with the new camera was reaching a fever pitch. Luckily the county park opened back up just in time, I knew had to jump into some macro photography. While searching around for some jumping spiders I happened upon some honeybees dancing in the lavender. The amazing autofocus on the E-M1 Mark III helped me keep up with the fast bees even at macro levels!
1/160s | F10 | ISO 1000
1/100s | F6.3 | ISO 1000
After being pleased with the patience the bees granted me, I continued onto my quest to find a jumping spider and luck be I found my guy! Now, I am not quite a bug guy, but I have always wanted get a macro shot of the big eyes and strong character of a jumping spider. Macro is challenging as is, but the lightweight E-M1 Mark III combined with the fantastic image stabilization helped keep me steady while trying to line up my depth of field on the minuscule spider.
1/250s | F11 | ISO 500
40mm | 1/5000s | F8 | ISO 200
It isn’t a journey with an Olympus camera without using my absolute favorite feature. That would be the 60 frame-per-second high speed frame rate. Be able to capture even the slightest differences in movement can sometimes make all the difference in a photo. I popped by a gushing fountain to capture the different shapes of the water and I have to admit I was having a quite a bit of fun firing away. The comfort of knowing the splashing water wouldn’t penetrate the amazing weather sealing on the Olympus added to my amusement.
Before I called it quits, I had one more stop. I was curious about the newly added High-Res Mode feature on the Mark III. Being able to have an 80 MP photo or (50MP if you do not have a tripod and are handholding) for such a lightweight and fast camera seemed like a dream. I stopped by one of my first ever photo spots, the Pier Café in Seaport Village. I wanted to see how much detail I could get out of an image and my gosh it was amazing to see that I could practically be sitting in the restaurant. I was sold!
1/25s | F8 | ISO 200
OM-D E-M1 Mark III | M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO
1/25s | F8 | ISO 200
When I first was introduced to Olympus, I added it exclusively as my wildlife system. I was excited to have a 2x crop factor, lightweight gear and an amazing frame rate. I find myself now enjoying the versatility of the E-M1 Mark III so much that the camera has become my go to travel camera. It brings me confidence that I can withstand the heavy rains in the jungle, lightweight enough to handhold high definition macro photos and powerful enough to put out high resolution print worthy images from the beautiful moments I aim to capture. It's a no-brainer for why the E-M1 Mark III is always in my bag.
Instagram: @desidrewphotography
Andrew Desiderio is a San Diego based photographer, driven by a diverse range of photographic subjects. Specializing in landscape, cityscape and wildlife, he is captivated by how dynamic our world is and trying to capture every moment he can.
