Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus released the E-M5 Mark III in 2019 as a compact mirrorless body. It measures 125 x 85 x 50mm and weighs 414g, so it slips easily into a small bag.

It uses the Micro Four Thirds mount, and in-body stabilisation and weather sealing make it a natural fit for travel and everyday photography in changeable conditions.

Owning it involves some planning around storage and power: a single memory card slot and a battery rated at 310 shots both reward keeping spares in the bag.

The sensor is a 20 megapixel CMOS unit in the Micro Four Thirds format, and a TruePic VIII processor handles image processing. Combined with the 414g body, that makes a light combination for a kit you carry for hours.

For action, the camera can shoot at up to 30 frames per second. Treat that figure as a maximum rather than a rate the camera will hold indefinitely, but it is there when timing matters most.

In-body stabilisation counters camera shake, letting you use slower shutter speeds handheld in dim interiors or at dusk. It steadies the camera rather than a moving subject, so it helps most when your scene holds still.

The electronic viewfinder offers 2.36 million dots for a detailed preview before you shoot, and the ISO range runs from 200 to 6400. Shutter speeds reach up to 1/8000s.

The camera records video in up to 4K resolution, enough for family films, travel pieces and online work. Clips save as MPEG-4 or MOV files.

The maximum video frame rate is 120fps, a separate limit from the 4K resolution maximum. Footage captured at such a high frame rate and played back at normal speed shows a slow-motion effect that suits sport, water and other fast movement.

In-body stabilisation counters camera shake during handheld video, smoothing the jitter that walking shots can otherwise show. It steadies the camera rather than the subject, so movement within the frame keeps its natural look.

A built-in timelapse function rounds things off, letting you create moving sequences from still frames without buying a separate intervalometer.

The 3-inch LCD is both a touchscreen and a flip-out screen, with just over a million dots of display resolution. You can shoot from ground level or hold the camera overhead and still compose accurately.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both built in, giving the camera two wireless connectivity standards.

The body is weather sealed against dust and moisture, which is reassuring for outdoor work, though sealing is not the same as waterproofing and the camera still needs care in heavy rain. There is no built-in flash, but it accepts an external flash when you need extra light.

Location recording is absent, so the camera cannot tag photos with its own position data.

Images record to a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card, and the slot is UHS-II compatible, so faster cards are supported. With just one slot, your images live on that single card during a shoot, so carrying a spare card makes practical sense.

The BLS-50 battery is rated at 310 shots per charge, which is enough for many casual outings. A long day of heavier shooting still calls for at least one charged spare in the bag.

USB charging is available, so the battery can be topped up over a USB connection between shoots. A planned recharge during a lunch stop or another break keeps the day moving.