A while back, we reviewed the OM System OM3 — and we were delighted to know that the company didn’t hold back when it came to durability. They went as far as giving it an IP durability rating, and in our full review we tested it out in the snow. The company has always been one of the few that allows us to conduct our most difficult durability tests: which includes running it under a faucet. Practically speaking, that means that you can take it into some of the toughest conditions and be reassured that it will keep working. So we did just that.
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A few things to note:
- You have to use an equally weather resistant and IP53 Rated lens with the camera to get this full level of sealing.
- We closed all the battery doors, ports, and the hot shoe cover
- The lens is on fully until it clicks into place
- We got permission from OM System to do this to what they’re marketing the camera for. They were brave and confident enough to know and say that it will survive.
- We’ve done many tests like this previously in the past. And we only ever do tests like this with manufacturer approval. Sometimes, they are even onsite to advise us on what’s possible and what’s not.
The camera survived and is still working; but we’ve sent it back to the manufacturer because our loaner period was over. If new firmware comes in, then we’ll probably call it back in for testing.
A note about the lenses, typically if it’s one of OM System’s PRO lenses, you can be very confident that the durability will be there. But after a few years of testing, we’ve learned that the durability of these products tends to degrade. That’s because repeated abuse doesn’t really allow the gaskets and such to hold up. So, there will eventually be a point where you’ll need to get your cameras and lenses serviced.
Considering that this camera is primarily designed for folks living in cities, we think that it’s absolutely one where you’d want to bring it out into inclement weather. I know for a fact that this is one of the times where you can make absolutely unique images. Street photography in the rain or the snow is a completely different beast. But also, if you’ve ever seen photos of iconic cities during the winter snowfall, you’ll understand why this can be so incredibly rewarding.
Most importantly, we always encourage photographers to make images as much in-camera as they can without post-production. On top of that, we also tell everyone to create in a way that generative AI can’t really replace them. The OM System OM3 can do that with several features, including all the computational photography built into the camera. You can play with things like multiple exposure, Live View Composite, Live ND, and also consider things like all the different art filters.