Amateur Photographer - UK (2019-11-30)

subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 30 November 2019 37

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MPB

Olympus OM-D E-M5

Mark III

●£1,099.99(bodyonly)●www.olympus.co.uk

Nikon Z 50

●£849(bodyonly)●www.nikon.co.uk

ALTHOUGHwe’reyettoreview

theZ 50,we’vespentmorethan

enoughtimewithit toknowNikon

is ontosomethingwithitsfirst

DX-formatmirrorlesscamera.

Considerablysmaller,lighterand

lessexpensivethantheZ 6 and

Z 7, theZ 50maintainsmuchthe

samestylingandsuperbhandling

characteristicsof thesefull-frame

models, while combining a Nikon

D7500-like feature set with

usability closer to that of the

advanced entry-level D5600.

The absence of IBIS is a key

talking point. However, we’re told

the Z 50 couldn’t have been

made as small or light if it had

been included. Instead, optical

stabilisation is built into Nikon’s

new DX-format Z-mount lenses.

Its comprehensive spec

includes a 20.9MP APS-C

CMOS sensor that’s closely

related to the one used inside

Nikon’s D500 and D7500

DSLRs, while its

ability to shoot

a burstat 11fpswithfullAF-AE

tracking makes it Nikon’s fastest

enthusiast camera to date.

There’s plenty more we’re keen

to try over prolonged use – its

permanent touch buttons at the

side of its tilting touchscreen

being one such example.

Above the screen, it has a

2.36-million-dot EVF and it

accepts SD cards beside its

battery. This lasts for 300 shots

and supports USB charging via

a Micro USB port.

With no joystick, it operates

similarly to Nikon’s entry-level

DSLRs in the way the d-pad is

used to shift the AF point, with

front and rear dials falling nicely

to hand for intuitive control when

using the PASM modes.

While it’s still early days

for Nikon’s Z-series, this

fi rst DX-format addition,

along with the arrival of

a pair of new DX-format

Z-mount lenses, looks very

promising. Watch this space

for our full review.

OLYMPUS’SoriginalOM-D

E-M5introducedtheconceptof a

small,fullyfeaturedandweather-

sealedmirrorlesscameraaimed

at enthusiastphotographers.This

latestupdateretainsthecore

characteristicsthathavemade

therangesoappealing,with

a petite body measuring just

125x85x50mm that still fi nds

space for a large complement of

external controls. But the Mark III

brings the line up to date, with

key features borrowed from the

fl agship OM-D E-M1 Mark II,

most notably the same 20MP

sensor that includes on-chip

phase detection for radically

superior autofocus, along with

4K video recording.

Perhaps the biggest practical

improvement that users will

notice straight away is the new

AF system, which promises

continuous shooting with focus

tracking at up to 10 frames per

second. The class-leading

fi ve-axis in-body stabilisation

system has also been uprated

to offer 5.5 stops benefi t. A

revised and improved control

layout, including dedicated

buttons for ISO and exposure

compensation, gives an excellent

shooting experience straight out

of the box. The electronic

viewfinderis largeandclear, while

the fully articulated touchscreen

provides excellent fl exibility for

shooting at unusual angles.

There’s plenty here to induce

existing E-M5 II owners to

update, including conveniences

such as Bluetooth connectivity

and in-camera USB battery

charging. Meanwhile, for those

looking to buy into mirrorless for

the fi rst time, the E-M5 III offers a

combination of compact size, light

weight, high-end handling and

rugged build that you’ll struggle to

fi nd elsewhere.

Whatwelike

●Excellenthandlingforsuch

a smallcamera

●‘i’ buttonloadsfrequentlyused

settings

●AcceptsallZ-mountlenses

What we like

● Excellent handling

● Small and lightweight

● Robust construction

The lightweight, rugged

E-M5 III is a fantastic

travel camera

The Z 50’s sensor is

similar to that used

in the Nikon D500

© ALEX STEAD