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An Olympus Passion Production

OM Unlocked

Where the manual ends, OM Unlocked begins.

The practical guide to the Olympus and OM System settings your manual explains but never quite tells you why to use. 91 tips across 8 modules, verified against real manuals and real shooting situations — not generic AI filler.

Get OM Unlocked — €39
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OM-1 · OM-1 Mark II · OM-3 · OM-3 ASTRO · E-M1 Mark III · E-M1X · E-M5 Mark III · E-M10 Mark III · E-M10 Mark IV · PEN E-P7 · PEN E-PL10 · PEN-F · OM-5 Mark II
OLYMPUS & OM SYSTEMF/2.8 — 1/250 — ISO 200
An Olympus Passion Production

OM
Unlocked

The practical guide to the settings the manual never quite explains.

OM-1 · OM-3 · E-M1X · PEN-F · +9 more
Why This Isn't Just The Manual, Reworded

"I Already Read The Manual — Why Do I Need This?"

Because the manual tells you what a setting does. It rarely tells you why you'd actually use it, or what it quietly breaks elsewhere in the menu — a Custom Mode that "resets" itself, a subject-detection frame that looks locked but isn't, a filter that will never come to a camera you already own.

The Manual Says

"Custom Mode Save Settings: select ON or OFF to determine whether changes made during shooting are retained."

OM Unlocked Says

If this is OFF — the default — every tweak you make mid-shoot vanishes the moment you switch modes. That's not a bug. It's why your camera keeps "resetting."

Every tip in this guide was checked against the real Olympus and OM System manuals, camera by camera — not generated in bulk and left unverified. Where a feature is exclusive to one body, or a hierarchy anomaly breaks the pattern you'd expect, we flag that too, instead of quietly smoothing it over.

What's Inside

Eight Modules. Thirteen Cameras.

The core guide works across the whole range, with every tip clearly flagged for which bodies it applies to.

Module 01

Controls & Customisation

Fn buttons, Custom Modes, My Menu, and the Super Control Panel shortcuts that actually save time.

Module 02

Focus & Subject Detection

121 points vs. Quad Pixel AF, subject detection across three generations, and Starry Sky AF.

Module 03

Art Filters, Picture Mode & Colour

The Creative Dial's ten-year history, Colour and Monochrome Profile Control, and the filters that never change.

Module 04

Computational Photography

Live Composite, High Res Shot, Focus Stacking, Pro Capture, Live ND and GND — this brand's biggest advantage, explained.

Module 05

Action & Speed

Pro Capture, buffer depths, card-slot asymmetries, and the shutter-type gotchas that cost you a shot.

Module 06

Battery, Cards & Weatherproofing

Five incompatible battery families, card-slot counts that ignore price, and real weatherproofing ratings.

Module 07

Video Essentials

Log profiles hidden in the wrong menu, RAW HDMI output, and the feature that quietly disappeared.

Module 08

Troubleshooting

The errors that look like a fault and aren't — and the ones that are, with a fix attached.

Plus five model-group appendices — Stacked/Quad Pixel Generation, 20MP Non-Stacked Generation, Entry 16MP Generation, and standalone chapters for the E-M1X and the OM-3 ASTRO — with camera-by-camera profiles, quick-comparison tables, and a cheat sheet for every body in the core range. And a full Olympus/OM System glossary for anything left unfamiliar.
Built For Your Camera

Thirteen Bodies, Covered In Full

OM-1OM-1 Mark IIOM-3OM-3 ASTROE-M1 Mark IIIE-M1XE-M5 Mark IIIE-M10 Mark IIIE-M10 Mark IVPEN E-P7PEN E-PL10PEN-FOM-5 Mark II
Don't see your exact model? OM Unlocked spans three sensor and processor generations, from the 2016 PEN-F to the 2025 OM-3 ASTRO — and the menu logic, Custom Mode mechanics, and shooting fundamentals carry over across the wider range. Every tip is tagged with which cameras it's confirmed on, so you can tell at a glance what applies to you.
91Tips & Tricks
128Pages
13Cameras Covered
Get Your Copy

One PDF. Every Device. Always With You.

Built to live on your phone as much as your desktop — the field guide you actually have with you, mid-shoot, not just on a shelf.

Get OM Unlocked
€39
Get OM Unlocked — €39
Log in if you're already Premium — it's free. Not a member? See Premium plans.
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Questions

Before You Ask

Is this just the official manual rewritten?
No. The official manuals document what each control does. OM Unlocked is a curated set of practical tips — when to use a setting, why it matters, and what else it quietly conflicts with — verified against the real Olympus and OM System manuals and cross-checked against real shooting situations.
I don't own one of the 13 cameras listed. Is it still useful?
Very likely, yes. The core guide is written around control philosophy and menu logic that carries over across most recent Olympus and OM System bodies. Every tip is tagged with confirmed camera compatibility so you always know where you stand.
What format is it?
A single PDF, designed to read comfortably on a phone as well as a desktop — meant to be the guide you actually have on you, not just one more file you download and forget.
Do I get updates if something changes?
OM Unlocked keeps getting refined over time. Updates stay free for Premium members automatically. If you bought it standalone, check back on Premium plans if you'd like ongoing access to future updates.
I'm a Premium subscriber — do I need to pay?
No. OM Unlocked is free as part of your Premium membership. Just log in and download.

OM Unlocked

Where the manual ends, OM Unlocked begins.

Get OM Unlocked — €39
Log in if you're already Premium — it's free. Not a member? See Premium plans.