Future of Olympus


Saw this is 43 rumors. From all the bits of info everywhere that there will be new bodies and lenses going to be released and also that consumers have not abandoned the M43 format yet (at least in Japan). I really don't think the future of Olympus is going to be bad the next new years.

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Why micro four thirds is the future, not full frame? 1 day ago.

 

Good perspective from Robin Wong, but even as a fervent M43 user, I still take some of the views with a pinch of salt. No one can predict the future and whether normal consumers will get an additional camera to supplement the capabilities of their mobile phone has yet to be seen. So far a few manufacturers including Sony, Canon and Olympus have tried with no much success.
 

The connectivity sucks if they still use that WiFi connection. I would be happy with a cabled connection. BUT then there are so many different connections available hence that is going to be problem. Also Speed via the USB is still not amazing.
 

Maybe the camera can be Wifi+LTE enabled and operated like an Ipad on it’s own. Direct access to social media and photoshop app from the camera touch screen.
 

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Sometimes, take a step back and look beyond the self-congratulatory press releases that sounds like:

• MFT is #1 in Japan (based on "in-house survey")
• Our sales are so good that we cannot keep up with the demand
• We are overwhelmed by the orders for our super lens
• We have in line a range of super attractive products for you to buy

The REALITY is something else.
Otherwise there would not have been any need to divest the whole Olympus Camera Division to JIP in 2020.

For example, what about the actual numbers of Olympus 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO M.Zuiko, sold so far.
And the projected numbers of such lenses they expect to sell from 1 Jan 2021 to 31 Dec 2021.
If they are really selling beyond expectations, it would be an obvious marketing effort to proclaim this all over the world in boastful advertisements.

It seems that so far there is Dead Silence on this.
 

Predicting the future is usually a hit and miss affair but could be true if certain senarios are considered like it is certain the camera for the masses is the smartphone, always available at anytime so selling compact point and shoot cameras is already a thing that the camera industry has to accept so sales will slowly dwindle if not rapidly disappear which leaves the professional and enthusiast niches. The market share will be smaller for every manufacturer that may lead to unfortunately consolidation of the industry and redundancy so there is going to be a shakedown.

This market will leave only the professional and enthusiast niches as another olympus ambassador opined suggesting since smartphone is available to teenagers they may want to go on to advanced photography which necessitate interchangeable lenses and bodies which m43 is a cost effective and weight option since other formats will be prohibitively expensive and larger since they are depending on their parents buying for them.
They are the next generation of photographers. The writing is on the wall for camera manufacturers. Nikon has suffered a usd $700 loss in 2020
much more than olympus but not many people are talking about it.
The signs are ominous like it or not. It takes quite a lot of money and R&D to integrate smartphone to camera device usage but the camera manufacturerers know they must go in this direction in the hope to get market share and stay relevant or else face a sunset industry.
 

Neither did Canon or Sony reveal the number of their 600mm F4 lenses being sold! You are probably aware that exotic lenses is a high profit margin low volume item of most manufacturers! The number is nothing to short about.
Even for the Olympus 150-400, I don't think it is more than a few hundred sold. What is the point of announcing the figure?

BUT, why are so focus on such minute details like country of manufacture or how many units sold?
It makes me wonder are you even a photographer?

You basically just shut yourself off to the possibility that the Olympus 150-400 is being able to bring to you some additional perspective of photography which may not even be available in Full Frame cameras. Go and look at some of the photos shot by the Olympus 150-400. Then comment on how are they compared to photos taken by the closest telephoto lenses of other manufacturers. That would make the discussion more fruitful than to discuss on silly details like Country of Manufacture, as if lenses make outside Japan or Germany will take very bad photos.



Sometimes, take a step back and look beyond the self-congratulatory press releases that sounds like:

• MFT is #1 in Japan (based on "in-house survey")
• Our sales are so good that we cannot keep up with the demand
• We are overwhelmed by the orders for our super lens
• We have in line a range of super attractive products for you to buy

The REALITY is something else.
Otherwise there would not have been any need to divest the whole Olympus Camera Division to JIP in 2020.

For example, what about the actual numbers of Olympus 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO M.Zuiko, sold so far.
And the projected numbers of such lenses they expect to sell from 1 Jan 2021 to 31 Dec 2021.
If they are really selling beyond expectations, it would be an obvious marketing effort to proclaim this all over the world in boastful advertisements.

It seems that so far there is Dead Silence on this.
 

Well, M43 haters consider Olympus Imaging is gone since 31 Dec 2020. So whatever, the new (same) imaging company is doing now is considered “bad”.

Looking at Dpreview m43 forum, there are few lucky buyers who got their delivery of 150-400mm.(haters may say these buyers are paid by Olympus LOL). The images they shared are really good for a sensor 4times smaller than FF. Sometimes hard truth is difficult to swallow. FF is always better than m43...but m43 is really good enough.
 

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Micro four thirds good enough for Jay Dickman. A snapshot vs photograph. Pullitzer prize winner and Nat Geo photographer. He prints as big as 4 x5 feet.



 

BTW, Currently Robin Wong is not an Olympus ambassador. So his views should not be as Ricohflex says.
 

Ha Ha. It is now obvious that Ricohflex is either an Olympus hater or someone who is trying to spread false rumors to bring down the resale value of Olympus gears so that he can pick them up cheap.

We need to correct anything he says which is not factual or accurate, for example, ambassadors being paid a lot or paid to say certain things.
Not only from Olympus, but even from Sony who have deep pockets. If you happen to know any photographers personally and are ambassadors for certain brands, you can ask them too if you don't believe.
 

Thanks for the YouTube video on Jay Dickman. Though a m43 user, in his 1. 5 hrs talk, not a single praise was made to Olympus or m43. He just answer that his images are made by mirrorless 2:1 and equivalent focal length.
National Geo must be crazy to use a out- dated "floppy disk" technology images from Jay. Lol
 

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Scott Bourne, an established Bird Photographer for 25 years, sold $100K of camera gear after he tried Olympus Lenses.
Yes, he is now an Olympus Visionary, but I don't think he want to ruin his 25 years reputation just to get paid if he has to promote something which is not very good.


 

What has this got to do with the future of Olympus? Plenty I guess. So practically camera and peripheral manufacturers get free adverising on youtube PROVIDED they have NEW GEAR to offer comsumers! Because they get the highest number of viewers and youtube can charge advertisers placing ads on these channels. This is one way content providers earn money but youtube takes a 45% cut but all in all the youtubers pay nothing but their sweat for making videos. Olympus visionaries and ambassadors made zero money in 2020 for obvious reasons as there is no new products if you count the 150 - 400 super tele so let's see what OM Digital Solutions have up their sleeves.

How much money did Jared Polin make over an 11 year period, answer 1 million but...

 

With the announcement in CP+, I guess the roadmap by OM Imaging has more or less settled the future of Olympus users the next few years.

There is still a lot of uncertainty for Digital Cameras as technology is now changing so rapidly. A lot will depend on how manufacturers
adapt themselves to these changes and come up with products that appeal to consumers. Otherwise, it is not only Olympus and M43 is
in danger of being obsolete, but even brands like Nikon, Canon, Pentax and even Leica could be in danger.

I left Sony out because they are always innovating and at the forefront of creating products for consumers.
The latest I heard is they are incorporating Mobile phone AI processing into their latest cameras!!!!!
And I think the rest of the manufacturers are adapting too slowly.


 

The global chip shortage will make camera manufacturers make and ship less products as these are not must have items on their lists because of covid19.
This means less products from all camera manufacturers sales will most likely not hit sales targets. Bad news for all.

 

So far no new Olympus products. And similarly in Panasonic, if the foolish CEO of their camera division persists in MFT, he will probably be the next one to be sacked. By the way, no head way in changing the brand to OM. Looks like JIP wants to continue use of the brand name Olympus. Or else their sales will be even worse. Guess JIP is sitting it out to impatiently wait 1 year. If unprofitable at end of 1 year, then the numbers tell the story. JIP then has justification to tear the whole thing up and sell the parts. (Which by the way is its forte and core skill). JIP tried but too bad, a firm financial closure needs to be made.