OM System OM-3 compact retro flagship M4/3 camera gets earlier-than-expected release and returning Pen-F features in official teaser

The OM System OM-3 recently leaked as a retro-styled Micro Four Thirds camera slated to arrive at some point in 2025. Early leaks claimed that the camera would launch around the end of February, but the OM Systems official teaser, shared to YouTube, reveals that the OM-3 will launch on February 6, instead.

While that date is much earlier than expected, it's unclear exactly what the teased event entails — whether it will be just a reveal or a full launch, specifically. That said, there are other details that can be gleaned from the new teaser video. Specifically, the OM System OM-3, which isn't an official name, mind you, rather one featured in leaks, will revive the colour dial from the Olympus Pen F from 2016. 

The presence of the colour dial appears to be OM System's answer to the beginner-friendly film simulation dial on the likes of the Fujifilm X-T50 and X-M5. The leaked retail price of around $1,500 also suggests that, despite internals straight from the flagship OM-1 II (which retails at $2,399.99 on Amazon), the OM-3 will compete directly with Fujifilm's mid-range offerings. 

In other shots showing off the new camera body, we can see that it has a wealth of analogue controls — a welcome touch, but to be expected from a retro-styled camera — and what appears to be a hot shoe for a flash or accessories. Again, this is to be expected from what will essentially be a fairly premium camera body, but the confirmation is good news for those interested in doing more than just run-and-gun street photography. 

The closing shot of the teaser video also gives us a glimpse at what to expect from the size of the OM-3 and confirms that the new camera will indeed stick to a small footprint. This will likely be a welcome change from recent Micro Four Thirds launches, like the Panasonic Lumix GH7, which is effectively the same size as some full-frame and APS-C cameras, largely missing the point of the small sensor and lens system. 

Given the affordability of compact, lightweight Micro Four Thirds lenses and the image quality that the current-generation OM-1 II is capable of delivering, the OM-3 may even be able to give the pocketable Fujifilm X100VI a run for its money in the street photography scene.