Today, Olympus announced a new ‘Elite’ E-M5 Body and lens kit. The original EM-5 was originally announced back in 2012, and was hailed as one of Olympus’s most competitive cameras to date.em5-elite

The new ‘Elite’ E-M5 comes in a kit. It is unclear if it will be available body only at this point, with a new 12-40mm F/2.8 lens. The new body features an all black color scheme with a new texture from the older E-M5 bodies. Unfortunately, that is where the “new” about this “Elite” version ends.

Yes, that is right, this new “Elite” version of the E-M5 is exactly the same as the original E-M5, but with a new texture. You can refresh yourself on the full specs below…

old-v-new-em5

Olympus E-M5 Specs

  • 16.1MP Live MOS Sensor
  • TruePic VI Image Processor
  • Micro Four Thirds System
  • 3.0″ 610k-Dot Tilting OLED Monitor
  • 1440k-Dot Electronic Viewfinder
  • Full HD 1080i Video at 60 fps
  • 5-Axis Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization
  • ISO 200-25,600
  • Dustproof and Splash-Proof Construction
  • FAST Auto Focus System

It is unfortunate, though not all that surprising, that there is nothing special or unique about this camera beyond the new texture. I suppose if you had been looking at getting am E-M5 but weren’t sold on the texture/style, now maybe you will like it?

[REWIND: Rumors Of New Firmware For Olympus E-M1]

There is no word on if this new “Elite” version will be available in the states. It’s currently not listed on B&H or any other retailer that I have looked for. But, if I am honest, I wouldn’t bother with it – though I will admit it looks pretty slick. Just buy the all black E-M5 and call it a day.