The OM System OM5 II Could Be the Best Entry Level Camera Yet

When OM System pulled me into a meeting to show off the new OM System OM5 II (properly known as the OM SYSTEM OM-5 Mark II), I didn’t really know what to expect. Ever since the variant of the camera two generations ago, I felt a bit betrayed. It truly felt like they were disrespecting the otherwise incredible 5-series of cameras. I mean, the EM5 was perhaps one of the single best cameras that they’ve ever made. Fueled by that anxiety, I watched their intro video and caught a very quick glimpse of what I thought was a brand-new color scheme on a camera. My mind immediately thought, “Oh, that’s their silver variant, but the way it was color corrected made it look tan. That would be cool if they’ve got a tan variant.” Want to know what’s crazy? They actually did it. And they kept the crazy weather resistance that they’re known for in an insanely small camera body, too.

The Big Picture: OM SYSTEM OM5 II Review Conclusions

It took me a while to realize something: the OM System OM5 II isn’t necessarily for the experienced photographer. Instead, it’s a very entry-level camera. I mean, think about it: the company removed AI scene detection, it’s built to be durable as heck for people who know nothing about these devices, it comes in cool colors, the OM-5 Mark II is very lightweight, and it’s very small too. On top of that, the simulated OVF function was removed — or at least in our correspondences with OM SYSTEM, none of us could find it in the camera’s menu system. Oh yeah, then there’s the full touch-screen menu that appeals to the folks who are stepping up from a phone.

Truly, I want to say that this is the best entry-level camera simply because I can’t imagine the audience getting really serious about the RAW image output and the IP-durability rating. But at the same time, the price rivals that of the Canon R8. I called that one an annoyingly good camera, and my biggest beef with it is that it’s not weather resistant.

Where the Canon EOS R8 is for people who probably spend a lot of time inside or in sunny weather, the OM System OM5 II is for the photographer who wants to spend time outdoors no matter what the condition is.

• Really cool color variant
• So insanely lightweight, it almost feels like I’m holding a toy camera
• Retro aesthetics are fun
• They brought the new menu system to the camera, so you don’t need to set up or use all 30+ custom menu items because you can tap twice on the screen and get to wherever you need to be.
• All the controls you really need
• The lack of a joystick is a bit annoying
• No AI scene detection is a pretty odd choice for a camera in 2025, but it’s for the entry level crowd who will shoot landscapes, cityscapes, and photograph people.

We’re giving the OM System OM5 II four out of five stars. Want one? Check it out on Amazon for $1,199.99 for just the body.

Experience

In my hands, the OM System OM-5 Mark II feels alright. In some ways, it feels a bit plasticky, yet I know that it’s very durable. The dials all click with authority, and the buttons surely do make this feel like a nice tactile experience. However, I prefer much more metal-feeling cameras.

In my office, I’ve got a load of OM System lenses that the brand loaned us for the long term. When I tried using the OM5 II with the 100-400mm, it felt a bit tough to photograph birds without scene detection. Of course, this is one of the reasons why wildlife and bird photography have taken off in the past half a decade.

Originally, I was not sure why someone would buy this; you could buy an older version for cheaper. You could also buy older cameras second-hand with that feature built in.

Anyway, I opted for the wider zoom lenses.

I spent a lot of time using this camera in the rain during the recent No Kings protest here in NYC. Believe it or not, I couldn’t really tell that this is an entry-level OM System camera. I was essentially street photography, and the system has the Pre-MF setting for zone focusing if I really needed it. But instead, I opted to use face detection, the center focusing point, and S-AF. Along with the 12-45mm f4 Pro lens, I never needed to stop the lens down because the depth of field is essentially f8, but with the light-gathering powers of f4. That’s due to how the laws of physics work with smaller sensors.

On Saturday, it rained pretty hard. But I shot with the camera for around two hours in the rain, and it never showed any signs of failure. What’s more, I shot the entire time in program auto and aperture priority.

At the price point, Fujifilm, Canon, Nikon, and Panasonic don’t make anything this durable. And if what you really want is a product that will last, the OM System OM-5 Mark II is very hard to beat.

Image Quality

OM System has stuck to using 20MP sensors for many years. And you’d think that they’d get even better at handling high ISOs. But in this case, it’s more or less the same as the higher-end cameras that they offer. The OM System OM5 II is an incredible, interchangeable lens, toy camera. Where predecessors of mine would’ve thought to use that word as a slur, I join many millennials and Gen Z to retake it and embrace it. Sure, I could shoot RAW with this camera. But why bother? It’s got lots of those art filters that we all know as love. Granted, those are more likely to be used with prime lenses than with the company’s very good zoom lenses.

Honestly, just set the camera to the square format mode and use black and white the way that photographer Matt Black does.

OM System OM5 II Tech Specs and Features

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