Let's All Dismiss Olympus

[John Matthews]

11 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

I would imagine the Japanese government owns Olympus?? They pretty much bail everyone out just like China. Total embarrassment to let workers loose job and pensions.

Do you know if a Japanese company fails that they lose their pensions? There are many places where pensions are not tied to future company success (for obvious reasons).

[John Matthews]

Late edit: Out of curiosity, just looked it up. I think it's a national program similar to many places in Europe. This means your retirement is not tied to corrupt business people making bad choices about a company and your losing a big part of your retirement funds.

[ac6000cw]

3 hours ago, Video Hummus said:

Yeah, I agree. However, it appears they didn’t really change the architecture at all from the EM1.3. 

If you mean the electronic architecture, compared to the EM1 Mk 3, they've doubled the video throughput (4k 60p versus 4k 30p, FHD 240p versus 120p), added HEVC compression, gone to 1053 AF points (was 121), added more 'Ai' AF subject recognition (from the EM1X), made both card slots UHS II capable (was one UHS II + one UHS I), doubled the viewfinder resolution etc.

Nothing ground-breaking, but seems a fairly major upgrade by Olympus standards 🙂

[Andrew Reid]

14 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

I would imagine the Japanese government owns Olympus?? They pretty much bail everyone out just like China. Total embarrassment to let workers loose job and pensions.

Nope. An investment firm bought the Olympus camera division. Olympus themselves, outside of just cameras still exists. Japanese government is nothing like China. It isn't communist for a start!

[Video Hummus]

2 hours ago, ac6000cw said:

If you mean the electronic architecture, compared to the EM1 Mk 3, they've doubled the video throughput (4k 60p versus 4k 30p, FHD 240p versus 120p), added HEVC compression, gone to 1053 AF points (was 121), added more 'Ai' AF subject recognition (from the EM1X), made both card slots UHS II capable (was one UHS II + one UHS I), doubled the viewfinder resolution etc.

Nothing ground-breaking, but seems a fairly major upgrade by Olympus standards 🙂

True I guess. It also depends on what the Sony MFT sensor can do. I just expected 4K120p or more since it’s 20MP stacked sensor.

Well, here is hoping we see some solid DR and performance out of the latest MFT sensors going into these cameras. I think they are still at 14-bit. 

[ac6000cw]

44 minutes ago, Video Hummus said:

True I guess. It also depends on what the Sony MFT sensor can do. I just expected 4K120p or more since it’s 20MP stacked sensor.

Well, here is hoping we see some solid DR and performance out of the latest MFT sensors going into these cameras. I think they are still at 14-bit. 

According to 43 Rumours it may be a Sony IMX472 sensor which has maximum 12-bit readout and up to 120 fps at 5280 x 3956 pixels, according to the 'flyer' for it.

[Video Hummus]

5 hours ago, ac6000cw said:

According to 43 Rumours it may be a Sony IMX472 sensor which has maximum 12-bit readout and up to 120 fps at 5280 x 3956 pixels, according to the 'flyer' for it.

Hmm, compared to other stacked BSI sensors from Sony that rumored 4/3 sensor isn’t as spec heavy. 

[Andrew Reid]

Why's it got an Olympus badge??

[ac6000cw]

6 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Why's it got an Olympus badge??

See this post - https://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/60569-lets-all-dismiss-olympus/?do=findComment&comment=469282

How long they might continue to use the Olympus branding is anyone's guess.

[Marcio Kabke Pinheiro]

7 hours ago, ac6000cw said:

See this post - https://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/60569-lets-all-dismiss-olympus/?do=findComment&comment=469282

How long they might continue to use the Olympus branding is anyone's guess.

Lots of reviews are saying that OM Digital said it is kind of "homage", and that this is the last camera that will use the Olympus name.

[M_Williams]

23 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Why's it got an Olympus badge??

I can tell you that this will be the last camera to feature the Olympus name. I cannot tell you why they didn't just drop it to begin with or the reasoning behind this (since I just don't know). But it's the last camera that will feature it.

[kye]

46 minutes ago, M_Williams said:

I can tell you that this will be the last camera to feature the Olympus name. I cannot tell you why they didn't just drop it to begin with or the reasoning behind this (since I just don't know). But it's the last camera that will feature it.

They wouldn't be the first people in history to end a relationship and get closure by bringing something new into the world, but I'd imagine it's frowned upon by their future partners....

[M_Williams]

7 minutes ago, kye said:

They wouldn't be the first people in history to end a relationship and get closure by bringing something new into the world, but I'd imagine it's frowned upon by their future partners....

I have a feeling it has to be an agreement with Olympus, that they were allowed to use it one more time and no more after that. They still retained the Zuiko name, though.

Who knows though. I am very curious what the future cameras will say on the front of the EVF hump.

[webrunner5]

They will probably only sell 500 cameras and go out of business. Problem solved. If Olympus couldn't make it happen this company sure as hell won't either.

[John Matthews]

On 2/16/2022 at 4:52 AM, webrunner5 said:

They will probably only sell 500 cameras and go out of business. Problem solved. If Olympus couldn't make it happen this company sure as hell won't either.

I find this feed amusing now in September after knowing what has happened. It was released March 18, 2022 and some people only got their camera in August, 2022 due to such high demand. The rumors are now that the OM5 will be released in late October. There have also been several lenses released and a new macro on the horizon. Unfortunately, they've "let go" of the general audience and went 200% on the niche markets where their cameras excel.

[ac6000cw]

2 hours ago, John Matthews said:

 Unfortunately, they've "let go" of the general audience and went 200% on the niche markets where their cameras excel.

I think that was inevitable really - why use scarce, expensive component supplies to make low-end, low-margin cameras when you can use them for high-end cameras like the OM-1 instead?

Here in the UK, Olympus/OMDS cameras seem to be becoming almost invisible outside of specialist camera stores. The big John Lewis department store chain (which has always had sizeable camera sections in the bigger stores) has recently dropped the brand, despite keeping Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sony & Panasonic.

It'll be interesting to see how 'down spec'd' the video features are in the upcoming OM-5 compared to the OM-1 - I'd love a smaller/lighter camera with 4k50/4k60 capability...

(...and OMDS please, please do something about your soft 1080p video - it's embarrassing in 2022 - and why is the OM-1 8-bit 4k video softer than the 10-bit version?)

[MrSMW]

Loved loved loved my OM-1.

Loved as in past tense, because I sent it back for refund sadly.

’Sadly’ because although it was superb;

A. I decided to switch direction regarding my future ‘next gen’ camera system from a single Z9 with a pair of OM-1’s to a pair of XH2’s with a single XH2s.

B. It was never going to work as a sole system for me but that was not really an option I was considering anyway, - simply as above, ‘2 Robins to 1 Batman’.

C. Cannot justify it as a personal camera or any other role, financially.

Loved it for it’s chunky compact nature, ergos, build, menus etc, but disliked the flip out side screen (as I do with all cameras, but if I am going to compromise, it will be there) and could not realistically contemplate 4/3rds for my photo needs for the next 3 years (the length of time the next system must work for, unchanged, as a minimum).

I wish them well but they are no longer Olympus and although the market for 4/3rds is not dead, for new users especially, I’m sure it’s dying.

[John Matthews]

5 hours ago, MrSMW said:

Loved loved loved my OM-1.

Loved as in past tense, because I sent it back for refund sadly.

’Sadly’ because although it was superb;

A. I decided to switch direction regarding my future ‘next gen’ camera system from a single Z9 with a pair of OM-1’s to a pair of XH2’s with a single XH2s.

B. It was never going to work as a sole system for me but that was not really an option I was considering anyway, - simply as above, ‘2 Robins to 1 Batman’.

C. Cannot justify it as a personal camera or any other role, financially.

Loved it for it’s chunky compact nature, ergos, build, menus etc, but disliked the flip out side screen (as I do with all cameras, but if I am going to compromise, it will be there) and could not realistically contemplate 4/3rds for my photo needs for the next 3 years (the length of time the next system must work for, unchanged, as a minimum).

I wish them well but they are no longer Olympus and although the market for 4/3rds is not dead, for new users especially, I’m sure it’s dying.

I think the problems will come for Olympus if used, small FF become widely available for less than a new OMDS camera. That'll be tough competition and they'd better have next-gen tech to go with the small sensor that's near impossible to put into a FF body. Will that happen? I also have my doubts. Still, it's not as though there's no need for something smaller than FF, which is the current message by many.

[MrSMW]

Well there is that John.

The OM-1 with the ‘kit’ 12-40mm f2.8 was hardly cheap at 2800 euros (I think) which is far more than say a Lumix S5 and a Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 which is just one full frame ‘equivalent’.

Sony A7iv also basically the same size.

Ditto XH2S (more expensive) and XH2 (less expensive) and it was the latter that confirmed my own decision making process which was…

I like and ideally want the most compact system I can without sacrificing quality.

I think many will have that same requirement and when the option might be full frame vs 4/3rds, I think 4/3rds is just going to increasingly lose out.

But then I am a business user which I am sure is not the greater portion of the market so maybe see things with a slightly different view…

[John Matthews]

22 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

Sony A7iv also basically the same size.

Yes, but not the lenses. I'm waiting to see what the OM-5 has to offer. Looking at the E-M5 iii, it encapsulated everything that M43 is- small enough, good enough quality, loaded with great features. If you're counting grams, the E-M5 iii is a good choice paired with inexpensive, small, primes. For the enthusiast, it's a camera that you want to take out. In a small bag under 1kg, I can cover 8mm to 300mm- that's really hard to do on FF (maybe impossible). Sure, you'll find a couple of lenses in each system, but I don't think you'll find all the lenses in one system.

30 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

Ditto XH2S (more expensive) and XH2 (less expensive) and it was the latter that confirmed my own decision making process which was…

While those look like interesting cameras, I'm not certain they're a big enough leap over existing Fuji cameras. Having not used them though, I can't really say. However, everything you've said about OMDS/M43/Olympus, could equally be said about the Fuji system, except that it's closed and reliant on only Fuji making the bodies. M43 has many manufacturers across multiple continents being an open system. The lenses will continue to work for long time to come- no need to jump ship.