OM System OM5 20.4 Megapixel Mirrorless Camera Body Only Black Review

The OM System OM-5 is a camera that's weirdly good at a few very specific things, and kind of a mess at everything else. It's a niche tool, not an all-rounder. The one thing you need to know is this: if you're a stills photographer who loves shooting handheld in tricky light and needs rock-solid stabilization above all else, this camera is for you. For literally anything else, you can probably do better.

The stabilization is the star of the show. It's in the 90th percentile for a reason. Handheld shots at slow shutter speeds are shockingly easy to pull off. What surprised me, though, was how everything else felt like an afterthought. The autofocus is sluggish (44th percentile), the video features are basic (31st percentile), and the build quality feels surprisingly cheap for the price, landing dead last in the 1st percentile. It's a one-trick pony, but that one trick is impressive.

With prices swinging from $874 to $1200, this camera's value is all over the map. At the low end, around $900, it's a compelling option for the stabilization alone. At $1200, it's a hard sell. Shop around, because that $326 spread is huge. The best deal is definitely the $874 vendor if you can find it.

If you want a better all-around mirrorless camera, look at the Fujifilm X-S20. It smokes the OM-5 in autofocus, video, and has a fully articulating screen, though its stabilization isn't as good. For a similar price, the Sony a6400 offers vastly superior autofocus and video in a more portable package, but lacks IBIS. The OM-5 only wins if stabilization is your absolute top priority and you don't care about video or snappy AF.

This is a buy for a very specific person: the stills photographer who shoots a lot of landscapes, architecture, or street photography in iffy light and hates carrying a tripod. For everyone else—beginners, hybrid shooters, videographers, or anyone who values fast autofocus and a solid build—there are better, more balanced options out there. Don't get this as your only camera.