Book Review - "Mastering Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III"

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IT HAS been some time since I have reviewed a book here. Perhaps part of the reason is because when it comes to photography, a lot of old school publishing has been replaced by digital publications, blogs, and You-Tube (and similar) videos.

I learn best the old fashioned way, with a book and a highligher and the device in hand

I STILL purchase print books for certain things that I want to study and know I will keep. While not so true for general photography "how to" stuff anymore, I still prefer a good print book as a reference, guide, or manual for cameras that I own. Each time I change or acquire new camera models, one of the first things I do (sometimes even before I purchase) is seek and purchase a reference guide book. I recently traded ("up?" - remains to be seen - I will review the camera in the not too distant future) from my "Travel Gear" Olympus OM-D - EM10iv, to the OM-D - EM5iii Strangely, the camera companies like to use a counter-intuitive numbering system and Olympus is no exception. The EM10 is their "entry model" MILS camera. The EM5 is ostensibly a step up. Therefore, the EM5iii should be an upgrade from the EM10iv. I had some reasons which I will go into in more detail in my upcoming review of the EM5iii, but one primary consideration is that the EM5 retains the diminutive size range of the EM10, a substantial "draw" to me to the system as a whole, for travel.

ANY NEW camera - albeit by the same manufacture in the same "line" of styles (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens system - or "MILS"), is going to have a few different controls and settings. Learning what they do and setting the camera up for personal shooting preferences is a very important first step to getting and using a new camera.

Too many "how to" books are 25-30% about the particular camera and features, and the rest just a rehash of tried, true, and often "tired" concepts that apply to all photography

THESE DAYS there are very many different ways to learn the ins and outs of a complex electronic device, including videos, blogs, and other digital means. Some of us are "old school," however. I have had a camera of some description in my hands most of my 67 years, including mechanical SLR film cameras, DSLR digital cameras, and MILS cameras. I learn best the old fashioned way, with a book and a highligher and the device in hand. Whenever they have been available, I have availed myself of how to books. Unfortunately, there are just too many currently available cameras for which such a resource just doesn't exist. And often when one does, it really isn't worth the purchase. So when I found this one, I bought it.

IN THE photography field, Rocky Nook is a publisher that has generally been known for quality publications. I own several of them, and for the most part, have been well satisfied with both content and qualilty of the books. One of the lines they publish is their "Mastering Series." Within the series, the author of this book - Darrel Young - has apparently authored 12 of them, covering several Nikon and Olympus camera models. There also appear to be others in the series; notably Canon. This book certainly met my expectations from the publisher. I only found 2 print books covering this camera model. The other choice, based on reader reviews on Amazon, looked like a waste of time and money.

The illustrations are much too small, and generally very difficult to read without a magnifying glass

FOR THIS detailed reference work, Darrell Young, the primary author, does a great job of staying on topic. The subject matter is how this camera works: how to set and use its specific features.Too many "how to" books are 25-30% about the particular camera and features, and the rest just a rehash of tried, true, and often "tired" concepts that apply to all photography. By the time I have a camera as sophisticated as this one, I am not looking for yet another book explaining f-stops, shutter speeds, ISO, etc. I don't need or want to see that in a book like this (if you are looking for that, there are 100's out there, including one by Young, who wisely kept it to its own volume). This one is long, detailed, and often repetitive (a good thing as a reference guide because the repeated material is usually applicable to multiple features and having it repeated for each section make for ease of searching and learning about that feature. For the most part, this book is a "win" in my view.

PUBLISHED IN 2021 (the camera was released in late 2019), the book is nearly 550 pages long (much of that due - in my view - to the need for repetition to make it a true "reference" rather than just a narrative about the camera. I would love to see one of the much smaller, shorter, "field references" ("Pocket Guides") produced for this camera (unfortunately, after doing some "digging around" online, it is uncertain to me whether Rocky Nook is still a currently viable company). The book is a "bible-sized" 6"x9" and nearly 1 1/4" thick. I didn't weigh, it but it must be around 2.5 lbs. The print font is pretty small. While my eyes had no trouble reading it in good light, a slightly larger font would be easier reading - but would obviously come at a cost - even more pages. This is a book you will keep at home and on a bookshelf (if you even have one of those anymore 😑). I doubt you would want to carry it around in the field, or on a trip. I will - as has become my custom - keep some notes on important setting on a small notebook that I travel with. For a home - based intensive refernce though, this book is thorough and - generally (subject to my comments below) gives a good explanation of how each of the many settings and customizations that are offered with this camera model. 

For the most part, this book is a "win" in my view

THE AUTHOR spends the first couple chapters going over important basic setup that gets the user quickly into being able make pictures with the camera. I think that is a really useful way to set up the book (I have't seen any other books in the series, but this may be a common theme). The balance of the book, then, goes into some detail about each menu feature - step by step. I like that the author is not pedantic, and acknowledges that in many of the instances, the settings are going to be driven by the user's personal style and preferences, and also - as a practical matter - the type of shooting being done. In most instances, he gives his recommendations at the end of each section, but not really as a "you should" kind of thing. Rather, he says what he does - and why. Even if you don't follow it in the end, it gives a newcomer to the camera (and in some cases, the features) a staring point to work from.

THERE ARE just a couple things that could be done better. The first thing is a pretty significant negative, but is really probably more directed at the publisher than at the author. The illustrations are much too small, and generally very difficult to read without a magnifying glass. Each illustration - and there are many of them - is 1" x 1 1/2." They are also all on a black background (something that - if large enough - generally looks good as a background on a digital screen, but in my experience, not so good in print). The white text against the black background is nearly microscopic. Again, though, making them larger would probably increase the number of pages. It may be that a larger format  (like and 8 1/2 x 11 or near) book would present better. In the end, it is the textual information that is really important, and if you are reading (as the author suggests you do) with your camera in hand, you can see the "illustrations" quite well on the camera's rear screen. Offputting, though not enough in my view to stop you from acquiring the book. For the sake of objectivity, though, there are a few specific items I found room for improvement.

• In the narrative for the shooting menu #1 (a little camera-icon with a 1), the discussion about the so-called "shooting" modes could be clearer. Many of Olympus' menus use relatively understandable word-based descriptions. For this one, both the title and selections are less useful. The title is [Sequential]/Self-Timer]/[Interval Timer]. Where in that description are we supposed to get that this is where you set the shooting mode for single or multiple shots? It seems like an explanation would be helpful here.
  
  
• Even more vexxing (by Olympus) is that the individual choices down-menu (same section) are all symbols - no words. This is where a book like this should be more helpful. HINT: give us an explanation of what each nondescript symbol here means. I got confused because the author describes the selection choices in words, but gives us no association with the symbols-only that are in the menu! Fortunately, if yuou follow his step-by-step instructions, you will eventually work through this - but it seems like you do so more with plain "intuition" than will help from the book.
  
  
• Like essentially every manufacturer out there - the menu systems on these cameras can be quite complex. They all are, and in general, I don't get into criticizing menus. There are enough others out there doing that. I tend to think it is the nature of the beast and usually only involves a learning curve. In this book there are times when the writer comments on complexity of the menu system, but more about what he thinks is quirky terminology. It seems to me that as often as not, his attempt to explain or simplify falls short, at times being even more confusing than just working your way through a particular menu provision.
  
  
• There are some functions that aren't commonly known in the camera and in some cases instead of explaining what they do and why certain settings may work in certain cases, the author tells how to set them and completely omits any other commentary (e.g., the AF-Scanner function in custom menu A3 - which setting is best and why? Does it slow any other functions down or take up resources? What does it really do? In a book about the details of settings, this seems like a significant omission to me).
  
  

Here is what Google says about this function, by the way:

• Off: The lens will only focus once at the start of autofocus operation, useful when you want to minimize focus hunting.
• Single Scan: The lens will scan once to find focus when the shutter button is pressed halfway.
• Continuous Scan: The lens will continuously scan back and forth until focus is achieved, suitable for fast-moving subjects or low-contrast situations. 
  
  
• Another area where I think the book falls short in its intend to clarify and detail a function is with the Fn Lever Function (found in the Custom Menu at "B. Button/Dial/Lever). The lever is conventiently located on the camera back, surrounding the AEL/AFL button. It obviously is designed to give the shooter two different configurations that are quickly and conveniently switchable. As I note, the book falls short in the details here. Having read the section 3 times, I still come away not really knowing the details of what this function does.
  
  
• Again, in the section dealing with playback settings, the author notes that "if you have set an assignable button to Magnify, . . ." - then there is no other reference to this issue? It seems confusing and a little clarification would be helpful.
  
  
• One other thing that is a bit of a disappointment. The EM5 III comes with a little detachable mini-flash head. While the book covers camera flash controls, there is no independent coverage of the flash unit itself, or of attaching, powering and using it. I had to look up how the unit was powered, and discovered that (as I kind of thought from observing the unit) it is powered directly through the camera. I was finally able to figure it out, intuitively, working my own way through the Super Control menu. One would expect the unit to have a significant effect on camera battery life, and coverage of that and how it works would be a nice addition to the book.
  
  There are a few other items here and there, but for the most part, the book is a pretty good reference work. One other item of note is that it is one of the more expensive books of its kind. 

SOME READERS may point out that there are numerous You-Tube videos covering the M5III that are online and can be accessed for no charge. However, in addition to the "how we learn" comments I made at the beginning, None of them are as thorough or detailed as this book is. In doing some research for this post, I looked at a couple of them. In particular, there is gentleman out there named Rob Trek who has done a lot of videos on the Olympus system of cameras and lenses, including reviews and how to make your settings. Like every other reference, as good as is, it only covers what Rob thinks is important to tell us about. Additionally, I often find myself wanting the narrator to speed it up and get to the point - it seems like they often want to fill space with words, and commentary that - while in fairness is relevant - often adds nothing to the point and may actually be losing watchers. I like the ability to "skim" past parts of a book that don't apply, and dwell on (as well as flag and highlight) points that I think are important.

GIVEN THE pretty much complete lack of alternative works, my "negatives" are not reason enough to not purchase the book. They are simply (hopefully) objective observations. In my case I have found the book invaluable for my first-time setup of the EM5 III. I would recommend that anyone using the EM5 III pick this one up and spend some time with it and the camera.

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