How much dynamic range does the Olympus E-M1 III offer?

The sensor in the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is estimated to provide 13.1 EV of dynamic range (DR). While no actual measurement of DR is available for the E-M1 III, an estimate can be derived based on assessments of other cameras that have sensors of similar size and age. A DR-value of 12 EV or above is considered excellent.

High dynamic range of a camera sensor is particularly desirable for scenes with a mix of very bright and very dark parts, such as in some landscape photography settings. It helps to avoid that highlights get washed out or that detail in shadows is lost.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Olympus E-M1 III to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better). In addition to dynamic range (DXO Landscape), the listing also covers color depth (DXO Portrait) and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Olympus E-M1 III	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.3	13.1	1356	76
2.		Nikon Z6 II	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/60p	25.0	14.4	3303	94
3.		Olympus E-M1 II	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.7	12.8	1312	80
4.		Olympus E-M1X	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.2	13.0	1254	75
5.		Olympus E-M5 III	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.3	13.1	1324	76
6.		OM System OM-1	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.4	13.4	1553	77
7.		OM System OM-3	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.4	13.7	1852	78
8.		Panasonic G9	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.1	12.8	1138	74
9.		Panasonic G90	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.2	13.0	1273	75
10.		Panasonic GH5 II	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.7	13.1	1136	79
11.		Sony A7C	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3407	95
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

In the United States, the E-M1 III was initially launched in February 2020 at a price of $1,799.

Check E-M1 III offers at
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Camera to camera comparisons

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