The most notable upgrade to the OM-3 Astro is a new infrared cut filter positioned in front of the camera’s 20.37-megapixel stacked back-illuminated sensor featuring “optical characteristics optimally tuned to achieve approximately 100% transmission of Hα wavelengths.” Nearly every digital camera uses an IR filter to reduce infrared light and improve color accuracy, but the one in the OM-3 Astro specifically lets deep-red Hydrogen-alpha light get through, which is what gives red nebulae their distinct colors and shapes.
One of the OM-3’s best features when it launched last year was a dedicated control dial for quickly accessing simulated film look profiles, and the ability to create your own easily accessible custom profiles. The OM-3 Astro comes with three of those profiles pre-programmed for astrophotography. Color1 is optimized for enhancing images of red nebulae, Color2 is optimized for night sky photography that combines stars and landscapes, and Color3 is designed for handheld star photography, according to PetaPixel.
The Astro variant of the OM-3 also carries forward other features found on the standard model that are useful for capturing stars and celestial objects. Its Starry Sky AF locks onto stars using autofocus. It’s not as fast as standard autofocus, but will save you having to zoom in on the sky and make focus adjustments manually. There’s also a Night Vision mode for the OM-3’s LCD preview screen. It will enhance everything on the display with exaggerated contrast so you can properly frame a shot or make focus adjustments in the middle of the night. The mode will also reduce the intensity of the display to help preserve your night vision so you can operate the camera without needing to reach for a flashlight.
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