OM System
OM-3 2025
Best for Travel, outdoor & adventure photography
£1599
new today at Clifton Cameras
Decision tools · Compare
OM-3 vs A1
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the OM-3 is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
OM-3 — Travel, Outdoor & Adventure Photography: The ideal mid-range OM System camera — weather sealed, class-leading IBIS, and superb computational features in a compact body.
A1 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
OM-3 (2025)
is the right camera for you if…
- Outdoor and adventure photographers who need weather sealing and compact size
- Wildlife and bird photographers wanting improved AF over the OM-5
- Travel shooters who want a rugged, lightweight MFT system
- OM-5 or E-M5 III owners wanting better autofocus without going to the OM-1
A1 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | OM-3OM System · 2025 | A1Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,599Best | £4,199 |
| Sensor | 20.4MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 20.4MP | 50.1MPBest |
| Video | 4K/60p (10-bit), C4K/30p, 1080p/120p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF — subject recognition (human, animal, bird, vehicle) | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 6.5 stops (7.5 stops with Sync IS lenses) | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic with AF | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 414g (with battery and card)Best | 737g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 122.3 × 84.6 × 49.4mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
OM-3
A1
Portrait
7.3/10
8.2/10
Street
6.9/10
6.1/10
Travel
6.7/10
5.9/10
Wedding & Events
6.8/10
7.9/10
Vlogging & Video
6.5/10
—
Filmmaking
6.7/10
7.8/10
Documentary
7.9/10
7.6/10
Sports & Action
8.9/10
8.8/10
Landscape
6.2/10
7.6/10
Wildlife
9.0/10
8.7/10
Casual
5.8/10
4.8/10
Food
7.3/10
7.4/10
Macro
8.2/10
7.3/10
Architecture
6.3/10
7.9/10
Astrophotography
6.1/10
6.8/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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