WHATS NEXT FOR M43, after Olympus, what future is left?


Panasonic did not fix themselves only on MFT. They did venture into dipping their toes in Full Frame which you believe may give them a new life line.
Unfortunately that did not happened. The whole industry and process is much more complicated than a manufacturer selecting correctly a certain format,
MFT, APS, Full Frame, Medium Format, Large Format etc. Marketing, Support, lenses availability of accessories, market condition, consumer demand all play a very important role.

I think Olympus did consider testing other formats, but after seeing the progress of Panasonic, JIP, (the new Olympus) did not proceed, but instead went to explore other niches. I don't think they sit on their laurels and do nothing but fix their vision on MFT.

Credit: digitalcameraworld.com
Article on Panasonic

I think both Olympus and Panasonic parent companies had indulged in the respective camera division's CEOs' fixation on MFT for too long.
And allowed the two to destroy the subsidiary; with their rigid inflexible foolishness; in a rapidly changing world.
 

Something BIG is coming


and for Lumix as well

 

Whats next for the M43 in coming 2022?

1) Looks like Panasonic is going to release the GH6 targeted at Videographers.

2) Olympus is going to release their WOW camera under the new branding OM System that probably uses Computational Tech similar to Mobile Phones like Samsung and Apple capability, allowing them to render attractive images which can come close to those taken by digital cameras with larger sensors, without retouch.

From the First image rendered of the Olympus WOW Camera, it looks more like the Olympus E-M1x rather than EM1 or EM5.

I have used the EM1x to shoot birds with huge lenses before and with the Image Stabilization and AF Tracking, the hit rate of good shots for a first timer is very high and I love it. But the EM1x is really to bulky for my usual tracking and travel.

I really hope the coming OM System WOW has the capabilities of the E-M1x and additional Computational capability eg. iPhone or Samsung S20,
but the size of the EM5!!!

After all, their new brand statement is "Break Free!"
Hopefully, it is Break Free from Bulky Gears!
 

What JIP will do if it is not able to make OM Digital Solutions profitable within 1 year. Deadline is about January 2022.
JIP may or may not wind up OM Digital Solutions and sell the pieces. New branding may be an error. Olympus is a recognizable brand name.
This new model so-called wow camera could be the arbiter. If it sells well, good for JIP.
 

Ricohflex, as mentioned in earlier parts of this thread, there was no Official Deadline mentioned by the articles you posted.
Even if there is, I am sure the stakeholders would have extended it before allowing the staff to go ahead to come up with a camera to launch end of this year of early next year.

But anyway, let's hope the Wow camera can do something for OM Systems, or the outlook will be really bad for Olympus Users.
 

Anyway, the CEO of the now defunct Olympus Camera Division is to blame for the demise of the enterprise.
He got a mental block.
Who says Olympus cannot make full frame? It is well within their capability.
Who says Olympus must die- die stick to MFT?
It is just a sensor format.
Very long ago, full frame sensors were outrageously priced.
Thus when Olympus + Panasonic introduced MFT in 2008, they did have a worthy place in the digital camera universe.
Their contribution is to demonstrate the viability of mirrorless digital bodies that can change lenses.
This is to their credit.
As technology improves and manufacturing processes bring costs down, the cost gap between MFT and full frame narrows.

If Olympus had the vision to go full frame, they could have done so before Sony.
 

Almost everyone is dependent on Sony for the sensors. How can Oly then a small player be doing that?
 

@ricohflex You have forgotten the 2 Giants Canon and Nikon before Sony became a giant.
And Sony had many challenges as well, having to scrape their Full Frame A series (eg. A99) which Olympus could not have survived.
Not forgetting big brands like Samsung has also failed in making cameras.
Even FujiFilm avoided the competing with the Giants in Full Frame.
And Pentax and Panasonic have not had much success so far in Full Frame.
So don't keep thinking that Olympus CEO is a dummy and made a bad mistake.
He probably engaged Market Survey specialists and consulted with a big Mgt Team before committing to 4/3 or M4/3.
 

No point talking about the past. Olympus no longer exists but now known as Olympus system. Unlike canon or Sony that has economy of scale in selling high camera volume and pouring R&D money and recovering it resulting in low costs om system cannot afford following the 2 big boys but they are trying to win back it's loyal followers and more likely to use Sony's new stacked CMOS sensor which will have faster data transfer rates resulting in better video among other advantages. The wow camera is likely the size of em1 and not the X judging by the teaser video. Pro does. not mean full frame or medium format but what a professional can deliver what their customers or clients want and indeed m43 format is just as professional as the other formats depending on the photographer's familiarity on their chosen system to do the job.


 

Looks like the new announcement wasn't that wow, though the hint of computational is strong for the new wow camera. Can't wait for the announcement.
 

Impending deadline is about January 2022.
The meaning of deadline is that if OM Digital Solutions cannot make it by that date, then it is dead.
OM Digital Solutions needs to show a profit.
What will JIP do if it is not able to make OM Digital Solutions profitable within 1 year.

Lately a lot of teasers like:
We will do ABC
We will make XYZ
We will introduce EFG
We have JKL in the pipeline
We will do this
We will do that

All empty talk and no real world results.

As a hard headed business, how much risk is JIP/OM Digital Solutions willing to take?
Will they stick to MFT or go full frame (is that what they mean by Wow?)
Are they going to invest x hundred million US$ into a new model?
What if only a few people buy the new OM System brand camera. [ It is not Olympus anymore ].
Can JIP/OM Digital Solutions afford to lose another x hundred million US$?

And even after it is dead, Olympus camera division did not tell us how many of the
$10,000 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO Lens, it has sold as at 23 Dec 2021.
Again a lot empty talk and no real world results:
This lens is very popular.
A lot of people want to buy this lens.
We have overwhelming demand for this lens.
 

Size of the lens suggests it is a full frame sensor camera.
Hence the word wow. OMDS said in the video intro of this.
"Impossible is our legacy."
Right. Many people have said that it is impossible that Olympus will make a full frame sensor camera. They are right. That is why Olympus camera division went bankrupt.
OMDS can do it. Shake off the mental chains of the previous CEO's outdated obsession.

Credit: 43rumors.com
Bildschirmfoto-2021-10-28-um-8.03.21-AM.png
 

I would rather think "Doing the impossible" means making a M43 camera with a sensor similar to current Full Frame Sensor (not extreme resolution models like the A7R4, but similar price range models) :) and at the same time letting current users use their current M43 lenses.

Otherwise, producing another FF camera under the OMDS brand means nothing. There will be no WOW from current M43 user and non-users.

Size of the lens suggests it is a full frame sensor camera.
Hence the word wow. OMDS said in the video intro of this.
"Impossible is our legacy."
Right. Many people have said that it is impossible that Olympus will make a full frame sensor camera. They are right. That is why Olympus camera division went bankrupt.
OMDS can do it. Shake off the mental chains of the previous CEO's outdated obsession.

Credit: 43rumors.com
Bildschirmfoto-2021-10-28-um-8.03.21-AM.png
 

OM Digital celebrates its first year and send its new year greetings.
Looks like there were no plans to scrape OM Digital after 1 year as mentioned by Ricohflex.
In fact we are expecting OMDS to anounce its new camera during CP+.

 

Let's say OM Systems was not killed by JIP.
Let's say OM Systems actually make a new "wow" {is it MFT?} camera to sell. { they always talk but no result - all hot air }
After launch, some people buy the new "wow" camera.

Then what?
If they made 300,000 bodies of the new "wow" camera body.
And world wide they manage to sell only 60 of the new "wow" camera, even after 1 year from its launch.

Can OM Systems and parent company JIP take the financial loss?
They can?
That is good.

Keep repeating the above mistake and see how long OM Systems can last.
 

Let's say OM Systems was not killed by JIP.

Can OM Systems and parent company JIP take the financial loss?
They can?
That is good.

Keep repeating the above mistake and see how long OM Systems can last.

One thing clubsnap must thank you about your negativity about Olympus is that this is the "only" section/ forum that is still active.

I think this news will not make you happy although there is still until the end of 2022 for Canon and Nikon to get out of the mess but really they are fighting over the professional niche market as usual.
So it's about branding and loyalty.
All camera companies in the same boat nonetheless trying to stay viable and profitable.

Surprise that there is one Olympus model ( epl 10 ) at 9th. position majority are Sony with Fujifilm the other but a 4 year old model xa5.