OM System confirms the OM-5 II isn't compatible with the best pack-in flash
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. OM System's latest camera won't work with the FL-LM3, a flash loved by the company's users. There was some question about compatibility: charts on OM System's website said it wouldn't work with the recently-announced OM-5 II, but users wondered whether it was a mistake, since the flash was compatible with the OM-5, a camera that is physically very similar to its successor. (From the outside, the hotshoes look physically identical.) However, OM System has now confirmed the incompatability to DPReview, saying "the decision to not support it was the result of comprehensive considerations on the product's characteristics." This will likely be a bit of a disapointment to long-time OM System and Olympus users. At DPReview we consider the FL-LM3 as one of the best pack-in flashes. It can tilt and swivel giving you lots of flexibility when bouncing it. That would already set it apart from most included flashes, but it also remains useful even when you buy a bigger flash, as it can be used to trigger other OM System flashes that support its RC system, such as the FL-700 and the FL-900 (both of which are compatbile with the OM-5 II on their own). While the FL-LM3 hasn't come with OM System's cameras for a while now, it's sad to see that the company's latest cameras dropping support entirely for it, with little explaination as to why. But if you were considering whether to get the OM-5 II and are a big fan of the flash, at least the matter is settled now.
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OM System's latest camera won't work with the FL-LM3, a flash loved by the company's users. There was some question about compatibility: charts on OM System's website said it wouldn't work with the recently-announced OM-5 II, but users wondered whether it was a mistake, since the flash was compatible with the OM-5, a camera that is physically very similar to its successor. (From the outside, the hotshoes look physically identical.) However, OM System has now confirmed the incompatability to DPReview, saying "the decision to not support it was the result of comprehensive considerations on the product's characteristics."
This will likely be a bit of a disapointment to long-time OM System and Olympus users. At DPReview we consider the FL-LM3 as one of the best pack-in flashes. It can tilt and swivel giving you lots of flexibility when bouncing it. That would already set it apart from most included flashes, but it also remains useful even when you buy a bigger flash, as it can be used to trigger other OM System flashes that support its RC system, such as the FL-700 and the FL-900 (both of which are compatbile with the OM-5 II on their own).
While the FL-LM3 hasn't come with OM System's cameras for a while now, it's sad to see that the company's latest cameras dropping support entirely for it, with little explaination as to why. But if you were considering whether to get the OM-5 II and are a big fan of the flash, at least the matter is settled now.
