The future of Olympus - [What did Mr. Kataoka say at CP+?]

[@annettedutoitza]

Thank you very much Peter for sharing this information with us. Even though I was not really concerned about the future of Olympus, your sharing has cemented my belief in the future of Olympus. I had my first pen in my twenties and have never been without an Olympus camera. I’ll be turning 76 this year and on my bucket list is the Oly Mark 3. My mark 2 is stunning 😍, however after 3 years it’s maybe time to keep it as my backup. I shoot mainly wildlife and birds in flight when visiting one of our many game reserves in South Africa 🇿🇦. I am working on an elephant photo book with a designer currently. Very excited about that. I’ve learned a lot from you Peter for which I am grateful for. Wishing you all the best for the future.

[@ruthvey-herdalot9842]

Thank you for the interesting update, you are always "ahead of schedule". Good to get the news so early.

[@mart872uk]

Its nice to hear - thank you for being a visionary. My father had the OM1n film camera which I eventually inherited , that set me on the Olympus journey (converting from Cannon and Pentax MF) . I am a happy bunny in the EM1 family , a camera by design that it more portable for my interests travel and portraiture. I always had a sense of integrity with Olympus, miniature camera quality . A reason for so many to convert to this brand .

[@davewarren7693]

You are one of the most ardent supporters of Olympus and have shown how Olympus can be used for in all types of photographic endeavors. OMD is missing an opportunity not naming you a visionary. Talk about shooting oneself in the foot. You have been an educator for OMD. Even though there is a slight language barrier, your setup videos are the best as far as being clear and concise. I hope this channel keeps going and growing.

[@ForsgardPeter]

Thank you very much.

[@beyest]

hi .. when you have an Olympus you have the feeling that you have something special, it's nice to know that it will last. thanks for the news Peter

[@ForsgardPeter]

So true!

[@dianamoffat5603]

Yes, that’s exactly how I feel!

[@blackbears4649]

Thank you Peter for the update. I am really excited to hear that OMDS will follow through with the lens road map. I'm still cautiously optimistic though. I'm ok with future name changes as long as the build quality remains with Olympus's high standards. AI improvements are welcomed as I see a big future in that as well, along with more outdoor feature integration. And I wish you the best of luck with your new contract. I hope you get everything you are looking for. Cheers.

[@marshazangroniz9168]

Thanks, Peter for your insight. I started using Olympus one year ago. I am in for the long haul.

[@sweden_ove2074]

Me too kind of. I reentered pro level Oly again a year ago, after 20 years since I used the OM4. In the meantime I used, and stil use my beloved Olympus Stylus 1 and 1s (since they came). And now with my new communicator job in military, I really love my Olympus, and I, sorry, hate the Nikon and Sony cameras I use att my job. The E-M1 mkIII is so much more my choise in every situation except in the studio where I have to use the heavy Nikon 850 due to hot shoe flash equipment. I love my Oly more every day, and I really want to have a second camera, and it will be the next gen E-M1X.

[@wparo]

I think Pentax should have bought the division. Would have been amazing Olympus+Pentax Olyntax. My favourite 2

[@moodyrcf]

i had both system too.

[@ForsgardPeter]

Olyntax is good! What about Penmus? No, Olyntax sounds beter.

[@midiplaybox3453]

@@ForsgardPeter I think changing name is a bad move for business. Olympus sounds good and people recognizes that name. OM is not.

[@dukenukem5768]

@@midiplaybox3453 I don't think they will be allowed to use "Olympus" in the longer term.

[@glenbarrington2634]

@@ForsgardPeter I look forward to an OMD Pen K series camera!

[@richardpriestley477]

A very reassuring video which should give us a good feeling for the future ! we needed a shot in the arm so to speak !!

[@tylerbrown9797]

Idk what being an olympus visionary entails, but you are definitely important to the future of olympus cameras. Your content is great and you are the kind of person new customers are going to run into when they start looking into getting an olympus/om-d camera!

[@ForsgardPeter]

Thank you very much!

[@donaldgould1293]

Thanks for the update Peter, suits me to have Olympus in wildlife, outdoor and adventure, just up my alley. Keep safe.

[@marcusrahmel3121]

Thanks for the wrap-up of the current situation Peter! I am still waiting for the 100mm Pro Macro-Lense :-) Cheers, Marcus

[@ForsgardPeter]

Yes, I am waiting it too. I hope it is reality soon.

[@sav2236]

Thank you Peter for your vid that calm me down. Long life MFT!

[@ForsgardPeter]

Glad to hear it.

[@sav2236]

@@ForsgardPeter all the best Peter.

[@ricklewis5869]

Thanks for the update! This is not an easy time for Olympus shooters.

[@ForsgardPeter]

That is true, but also very exciting to see what is around the corner.

[@ridealongwithrandy]

I am glad they have broken off from the bureaucracy of Olympus Corporate. I feel that now OMDS can go in directions that were not so popular at the home front. I look forward to new products from OMDS, very exciting!

[@robfj3414]

Thanks for continuing to keep us in the loop, Peter!

[@francoisleger287]

Peter, about the ambassador contract, while not being privy with such contract, unless you mainly do studio photo, i am sure your requirements are quite close to the intent of OMDS like animal or country side photography while coping with an extra emphasis to portrait.

[@hiroshtateishi4212]

Thank you, Peter. It seems that what Mr. Kataoka said or wanted to mention was conveyed to you properly. There are some awkward expressions in English subtitles. Olympus will change them later.

[@ValiRossi]

If they release the PEN F Mkii, I will guaranteed buy one. Great video Peter as usual.

[@ForsgardPeter]

I am also interested in the possible Pen-F MKII.

[@mart872uk]

Oh forgot to agree, the real soul of the Olympus Camera and lenses is the moments of capture . Sometimes unexpected images far beyond that were planned.

[@fr.timotheoskozaki821]

Hi, Peter! Thanks for this video! BTW let me tell you something since I'm Japanese. As I discussed about this interview with Jimmy Cheng, I noticed something is not translated in the subtitle in English. And I found out. Around 30:40, Mr. Kataoka mentions that OMDS will introduce something new before people start to say recently OMDS said anything new. This phrase is missing from the subtitle. Something new such as something from the serieses( I guess OM-D, Pen or Tough) , new lenses or new flagship. And Japanese people are so conscious about the four seasons, we may be able to expect something from each season of this year! Plus allover this interview, I have totally optimistic feeling as a native speaker.

[@ForsgardPeter]

Thanks for sharing this info.

[@fr.timotheoskozaki821]

@@ForsgardPeter You are very welcome!

[@freddyBeatrijs23]

What Mr Kataoka has not been told is whether we can expect updates from the existing cameras. Think, for example, of the panorama software that, as in the Mark IV, is now stitched into the device. This could now be improved in the software. And what about the custom settings? This can be added again to the existing devices that are still on the market. In short, improving the existing software?

[@ForsgardPeter]

That is true. I guess that firmware upgrades will go on as it has been so far. At least I hope so.

[@freddyBeatrijs23]

@@ForsgardPeter Also hope that the necessary firmware upgrades will be made? Now that I'm going to buy myself a new device soon. (My M10 Mark II broke down. Think I'll buy me an E5 Mark III) Also think these small adjustments should be possible. Have a nice day. Greetings from Belgium. Freddy Van Erp

[@joanantonim.p.2400]

Thank you very much... 👍👍🙏🙏 Good video... 👌👌👌 Thanks for subtitles in Spanish... 🙏👍👍 Health and Greetings from Spain... 👋👋😃 "Gracias por el vídeo e información..." 👍🙏😃👋

[@ForsgardPeter]

I am glad that the spanish subtitles were helpful. I just started to add them to my new videos. I hope the subtitles were accurate. I am planning on adding them now on. Will roll out them also to some of the older videos. It takes a bit of time to do that but I will do it anyway.

[@yamakawa511]

Good news. Thanks Peter. Y

[@jackslater8688]

Long live Olympus!

[@scottmunford3472]

Thanks for the update! Very encouraging!

[@ForsgardPeter]

I agree that the interview/speech was very ecouraging.

[@jcurtis4082]

Thanks for your insight Peter. It is always appreciated.

[@ForsgardPeter]

Very welcome.

[@PMS1950]

Interesting update, thanks Peter. As I'm now in my seventies and still getting plenty of mileage from my four thirds system, I suspect I'm a bit behind the times and not on the Camera manufacturer's list of potential customer material for future changes and improvements. I value my aging equipment and lenses in the same way a musician treasures his elderly violin or cello. My E-3 still makes the most amazing images and I've never felt let down or compromised because it happens to deliver fewer pixels or focussing points. Although I have a basic mft OMD camera and enjoy its compact size and excellent performance, I'm still more than content to carry the extra weight/bulk and larger lenses of the E-3 on my trips to explore the world and in particular my home county of East Sussex here in the UK. But it's reassuring to hear that the Olympus name will continue, at least for now.

[@glenbarrington2634]

I decided that, even before this speech, that I would remain calm and let things play out! My gear works and works well for my needs. I will cross that "which system", question when it is time, and not before. I like the idea of partnerships with other companies. In my eyes, I hope that OMDS looks at all of its assets for possible profitable partnerships. They should look at their extremely competent R&D people, their Olympus Workspace software, as well as their patents as possible sources of ongoing income. The next couple of years will be crucial in determining how, and how well, they survive as a company. A lot of hard choices will have to be made, and not all of them the user base is going to like. The key is in laying the groundwork for a thriving 5th and 10th year of existence as a respected and competent imaging company. They don't have to become Polaroid or Bell & Howell so long as they make good decisions.

[@kimc5750]

Thanks Peter, a timely and informative update. 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@dianamoffat5603]

Thank you, Peter. If they’re smart Olympus is watching your posts and reading these comments. There’s a lot of good feedback and they need to stay in step with their users, especially when it comes to lenses.

[@jimgraves4197]

The tech inside every Olympus OM-D is phenomenal and I have always wondered what that tech would be like with APS-C and/or Full Frame sensors.

[@ForsgardPeter]

It would be the same. The IBIS would not be as good. It is easier to make it for a smaller sensor. Also the mount size is a lot bigger compared to the sensor size. In FF there is a lot less room for the sensor to move. The mount is bigger.

[@jimgraves4197]

@@ForsgardPeter Every time I use my OM-1 and OM-2 I am more than happy with their performance almost 50 years on from their debut. I know Maitani was right to go that way and change the photography world forever. I am going to try an OM-D at some point, I just worry about the capability of the smaller sensor to catch enough light. Olympus have always been at the forefront of technology, but using the micro 4/3rds sensor may have been a step too far or too soon for many people.

[@htwarrior6801]

Please JIP/Oly! The Pen F mkii needs a small E-Ink exposure and metering settings display on the top panel! That way you can keep the rear LCD shut and concentrate on capturing the moment knowing you have the settings where you want them.

[@ForsgardPeter]

That is a good idea.

[@frederickbelin]

Slow and steady... they can’t afford to make a mistake so I believe changes will be incremental. Trying to please everyone and jeopardizing what they have would not work. In the end, they have to be able to release products that work for professionals who need these tools for their work. I am somewhat enthusiastic by the fact that an effort is being made and a plan is being developed. I would be suspicious if they came out and announced a complete revamp of their entire product line with the latest and greatest. Time will tell. In the meantime, I’ll shoot more photos with my Olympus gear.

[@hnahler]

And good news yesterday for MFT as a whole that Panasonic is committing to the GH6, new zoom and prime lenses. Competition is good for us.

[@mmadmic]

To be honest, I love Olympus since the OM film camera but nearly 2 years ago when I heard about Olympus decision to sell the imaging dept, I kept my OMDs cameras but I bought a Canon FF in addition to be sure to still continue to have a camera with firmware/lenses upgrade, customer services and third-parties accessories . Fortunately it seems OMDS is on the good way but till now, it's just words, I'm still waiting for a new OMD camera with why not a 30Mp sensor or a new technology. Since the 70s, Olympus was a game changer, I hope OMDS will be too.

[@pvtiglo9917]

Looking forward to carry gear around brandet with "formally known as olympus". :)

[@jerzyjablonski1432]

Thanks for information. I'm not OM-D user, my only Oly is old OM-1 :D but still it is good that cameras inheriting Olympus ideas will be still on market. We will see how the next one will look like, but the more the better. MFT may be a nice competition for APS-C for action/wildlife sensor and camera. And there is not much competition in there. Fuji and Pentax I think are only ones as everybody else is going fullframe.

[@bamsemh1]

I already made up my mind 😊 olyjip is my gear 😁

[@ForsgardPeter]

Good choice!

[@bamsemh1]

@@ForsgardPeter how's the weather there now? Last week we had about - 10 degrees, and now it's + 10 degrees 😳

[@apislapis]

Thanks for passing on the Olympus news, Peter. I was interested by the commitment to audio, which I've interpreted as their need to be more competitive in the video sphere. I own an Olympus LS-P1 which I use with my E-M10 iii (who needs an audio in and headphone out on the camera when you can get better audio with a dedicated field recorder?) and it would be interesting to see them compete more with Zoom or Tascam in the prosumer field recorder market rather than be for just dictaphone use. All cameras with built in microphones and amplifiers are a compromise (in general, not pro grade) as we'd all prefer to own a great camera with passable audio, and not the other way round. So it will be interesting to see what they produce in future, perhaps as you say Peter, some wireless developments. Great video.

[@ForsgardPeter]

Thank you. You are absolutely right about the audio.

[@stighellstrand4612]

I think that all small high quality lenses are the strength of the system. Sooner or later there will be sensors developed for smartphones better than ever before and in a mft-body the sensor will no longer be the week point. Is there then any need of heavy full frame or medium format lenses?

[@libork5397]

Maybe a graduated ND filter built in ???? Definitely a new sensor is a must, to go forward .... Pen F ii also would be nice .....

[@ForsgardPeter]

A real graduated filter that can be used with video would be nice. LiveND is a great feature, but it is only for photography.

[@ookiemand]

Very much looking forward to the 8-25 F1,8! (is it rectilinear? weight? ) I hope Olympus will get better audio pre-amps. I hope they'll get a new 24MP / 13 stop+ dual ISO, global shutter sensor. I hope they'll offer HLG 10 bit HDR video, UHD 60p. I hope they'll improve the screen, viewfinder and menus to be simpler and easier to understand. I prefer less tweaking, and I think I tweak too much because I fear not getting the most out of my camera. Thank you Peter for keeping us informed!

[@ForsgardPeter]

The 8-25mm is most likely reclinear lens. Thanks.

[@ookiemand]

@@ForsgardPeter I read somewhere it may be an F4... Please let it be an F1,8 / F2.. Love to use it in low light vlogging/ interior shots when I'm camping, as well as for astro and landscape and mild portaiture, AND UNDERWATER. This in combination with a light tele on my mountain hikes.

[@savinopaolella7050]

I use Olympus OMD for indoor sport photography and the speed, dimension and reliability of Oly are great! Sport in my opinion is another fields for OMDS gear. Don’t you think so?

[@ForsgardPeter]

I agree. That is something I would love to do more. I used to do a bit of sports photography in the early 00s but haven't photographed sports lately.

[@ramon-photo-austria4838]

Thanks dear Peter very clear flash info about the interview. I will listen all to see ho it was. I have heard from a friend in Japan about the interview. The question of the next coming Flagship camera is a project like a good idea for the Olympics which will be maybe change to 2022. The question of the camera it is will be different as the Em1x, nothing about Mark II. Sony and other brands are getting sensors with higher resolution. I have read that Sony has reached to build a sensor between 40 and 50 Mpx and for Micro 4/3. It is logical that they do not show official information about projects so like ideas, because Canon as like Nikon are clearly interested on what is Omd solutions are planing. I guess the are planing a strategy until the Olympics take place to have good products and so try to find how to work with semiconductors materials like graphene which is under test and also there are products in the market like Graphene Power Bank much faster to charge as many others before. For circuitry will be use because has much faster conductivity as coper. Is much more stronger than steel and much more lighter. I do not know how is the situation about applying graphene to devices but it will be on almost all devices by 2025-26.

[@vrettakosalexandros]

Hello, I would like you to tell me if olympus EM 1 III can take pictures during video operation. Thank you very much.

[@vrettakosalexandros]

@T JB Thank you very much you help me a lot.

[@WhoIsSerafin]

They should have come to Florida for the fair, we have concerts, fairs and conventions going on here. We opened up last may.

[@ForsgardPeter]

That sounds very good. Hope everybody is still safe.

[@marklaurendet1861]

Glad they are keeping you on in some form and hopefully sign you up soon. While visionaries are good at showing what is possible, they don't provide the usable content for me as the Mu-43 youtubers like yourself, Robin, Rob and Sulanoblog do. This is where the real education resides. Just wish they would sign Rob Trek on as an educator as well

[@ForsgardPeter]

Rob Trek would be a great Olympus Educator.

[@stevenwalker7081]

I have used Olympus cameras for 39 years. I am sold on the feel of them in my hand. But if I was to tell them to focus on anything right now; it is on the resolving power of the lenses. I know, on an intellectual level, that the M4/3rd sensor is "enough" for doing my day job; putting pictures in technical manuals. They are fine for looking at on a phone screen. But it is obvious that most of the lenses are on their limits as soon as you put it on a big monitor. And just one click of zooming in; they have nothing left. Of course you can't have infinite pixel peeping. But there is still something nagging me at an emotional level. We need some simpler, affordable, sharper sharp lenses; even if they are all f4 or such; to push as hard at the limits as the m4/3rd sensor does. I also understand it will require working one's butt off; to simply equal the resolving power, that comes from a cheap lens with a full frame sensor. We ditched all that for a small light weight portable body. But the lenses are where we now have to sweat to put the goodness back. Is it worth the fight. Do we roll over and simply lug around 5Kg of camera? I know my knees are too far gone for that. Or do we work to finish the journey? This is do-able. Do we want to?

[@stefanwagener]

I think the resolving power of many lenses are excellent. It is the limitation of the sensors. Out of the 20MPixel 4:3 ratio resolution I typically crop to 16:9 resolution which leaves only 15MP and like you said, on a big 4K monitor there is not much room to zoom into. E.g. Olympus 75mm f1.8 is one of the sharpest lenses you can get even compared to Nikon and other lenses, problem is the low resolution sensors compared to the competition, especially when your end result does not remain in 4:3 format but to the more typical 3:2 or 16:9 format.

[@stevenwalker7081]

@@stefanwagenerI had been round the park a few times; I have been taking pictures since the mid 1970's; You tube is full of people waxing over "vintage" lenses I used new the first time round. The issue is this; I have owned the Canon EF-S 60mm macro. I have owned the Nikon 60mm DX macro - look both of those up on the DXO test charts. Then look for the sharpest lens I have on M4/3rd; the Panasonic 30mm macro. Where is it? - slap bang BETWEEN those two APS format lenses. Come-on guys?? Both Voiglander and Sony have released f2 50mm lenses for the full frame Sony mount; not stupid f.0.5 or some other silly over the hills and far away game . . .f2. Why?? Because they are now chasing resolution. And it easier to deal with fuzzy edges on a full frame sensor than it is on one half the size. It is simple maths. Sony and Voigtlander are chasing super high resolution on full frame Sony sensors. If the M4/3 sensors are half the size; they need twice the resolution. That is also simple physics. All I am saying; is that at the moment the M4/3rd lens argument is straying off in the wrong direction. I say that as someone who has a Voigtlander 17.5mm F0.95 because I wanted to know. And it is pretty sharp at F5.6 . . . In the end this all fallls down the rabbit hole of marketing. It is easier to make a cheap lens look good on full frame. It's damned expensive to make a lens look sharp on a M4/3rd sensor - simple laws of physics. But I have lugged around the 10Kg of Canon gear on my back; my knees have gone. I can't do it any more. The M4/3 idea is great. But can we please come back a little from the loony edge of f0.5 lenses and concentrate; like the new Sony f2 and f2.4 lenses; on some basic sanity. The sensors are half the size. The lenses need twice the resolution. That's all. And I have written to Cosina (Voigtlander's boss in Japan) making that same point. Where is the 25mm f2 ? Come on - you know you want one?

[@daysofgrace2934]

I was thinking that they should put the EM-10 mk4 into a Pen F body mk 2

[@carmenfissenden2530]

That message sums up my own thoughts entirely . I think the future looks bright for those who love Olympus products and it’s intention to remain in MFT’s. I have never been anybody looking for tech for the shake of having it; rather , keeping things as simple as possible and yet being able to produce excellent images with as much complexity or ease as I wish . In the end I want a product that is intuitive to use and an extension of my imagination that will produce the images I aspire to create. I think the new company will provide those products. One area that might be value added would be to offer existing users updates to old cameras to bring them up to date .

[@stefanwagener]

There is nothing wrong in enjoying the cameras you have and be happy with it for many years to come like I do. But I doubt a bright future in form of major changes and updates in the Olympus products. There hasn't been much improvement in the recent years and in an overall declining market that isn't really improving the financial situation for them and neither improving their market share. So with some slightly updated cameras and a few new lenses they can make some existing Olympus owners happy, but I doubt it will be sufficient to turn around their declining business especially with their announced focus more on niche markets like macro, wild life, bird, adventure. While I keep enjoying my Olympus cameras, those little announcements and their retract to niche markets do not convince me of a bright future for them.

[@Ferroza-m8d]

Hi Peter. At this time might be part of hard time for you as visionary. I hope you still can feel free to speak your vision. And, maybe your gesture shows many fast blinking eyes, look out to right side. Keep healthy, Peter.

[@moodyrcf]

small professional lenses with weather sealing. thats all i wanted when i first got the oly pen ep2 when it came out. and they never delivered. instead they gave us big professional lenses, hence countering the "the best camera is the one you have with you" phrase. even the pen f not being weather sealed was a deal breaker. really hope olympus will succeed since they have pioneered excellent photo tech. like ibis, live bulb thing, etc

[@joeltunnah]

I agree completely. The f1.2 “pro” lenses for $1300USD were an epic bad idea. Nobody was begging for f2.4 FF equivalent lenses. Everyone would have been happy with smaller cheaper weather sealed f1.4 primes. And they STILL haven’t given us a 14mm in any form. The story of Olympus is innovation and beautiful design, coupled with strategic blunders and bad business decisions.

[@stefanwagener]

Why do you delay a product when the demand is higher than expected? It should be the opposite, you should accelerate time-to-market. One obvious interpretation could be: they planned to stop the development or manufacturing of the lens, but when they realized that their is quite some demand, they decided to continue ... that is causing the delay. But basically they didn't really have any exciting announcements in form of new products, quite the opposite by stating they are retracing their business to some niche markets.

[@tomd4260]

I had to call om solutions yesterday for a technical issue and I must say they were very good and seemed to know what they were talking about. I'm in the states and the person I spoke with was in the czech republic

[@ForsgardPeter]

Yes there is a help/call center in Prague.

[@tomd4260]

I thought they were really good . I was actually shocked at the level of expertise

[@ixoye56]

I hope OMD will be first to implement computational photography to real kameras.

[@DaveHaynie]

They already have computational photography: Live Composite, Live ND, Hand-Held Hires, etc. There are certainly more computational modes that would be useful in-camera. Some are less so... everyone's done some kind of HDR in-camera for years, but an auto-bracket set is infinitely more useful.

[@jeffslade1892]

People often forget that Olympus make excellent PCM audio recorders that are second to none. The high end ones already integrate with the OM-D.

[@Bunnyisms]

I'm really glad they're keeping the Tough cameras. I absolutely love mine. I didn't get it thinking I would use it for anything serious, but I ended up using it and pushing it a lot farther than I thought it could go. Do you think you could make a video on using the remote shutter release and remote live view features on the OI.Share app? I'm tired of seeing people complain that there is no way to do a remote shutter on the E-M10 III and IV, and I use this function a lot even though I have the official cable release for my E-M1. I just recommended one of my friends to get the E-M10 Mark III and that is the only way to release the shutter remotely (same as the TG-6), and I realized there's no good video explaining how you set it up. I have mine set to "Select" mode so it asks me whether I want remote release (looks just like the official wired cable release) or live view. There's also some settings for "night mode" if you are taking photos at night and don't want to ruin your night vision. There's a surprising amount of things in there, and I think it would be so helpful for people who have an Olympus with no cable release port

[@TopGarageTV]

Thanks for the update, especially your thoughts and personal interpretation of the announcement. I don't think most of us as Oly customers, appreciate the work and effort that you and other visionaries and educators do for us. Especially, to be a human link to the company. I appreciate your optimism even though it sort of makes you stick your neck out to do so. I don't know much... but I wouldn't have any issue with you continuing to be a visionary even though your expertise isn't that of wildlife, adventure etc.

[@ForsgardPeter]

Thank you.

[@jamesburwash5635]

Thank you for the video, I am on the fence about buying a TG6 but thought a TG7 might be coming out soon? as the TG series releases a new camera every two to three years. Vancouver Island Canada 🇨🇦

[@ForsgardPeter]

No idea if a TG7 is coming and if it is, when. My prediction is that we do not see any new cameras before summer. But we never know.

[@joerghummerjohann4854]

Thanks, dear Peter, for this very fresh Information. I like that they continue their commitment to Innovation and the lens road map. In my opinion, there's no need for a quick release of a new body. I would prefer more that only a new body is released when there's a large step forward. What do you think?

[@ForsgardPeter]

I agree that it is no use if the upgrade is not something big. Small refreshment is not something we want. I would prefer new lenses.

[@sweden_ove2074]

My favourite new name sugestion is OLYMPIC I love the name!

[@beavis1474]

I REALLY hope they bring that tiny metal jewel cameras so I can stash my leicas... its no longer about sensor quality anymore, i hope they understand it.

[@markschneider1396]

Good news indeed!

[@sstansm7f]

Thanks Peter!

[@kennethlee1977]

Pen F mkii please

[@thomasstirr3018]

Hi Peter, Thanks for the update! I watched the OM Digital interview and I didn't see anything in the video about the areas of focus i.e. wildlife, birds, outdoor, adventure and macro. Is that information that you have received from OM Digital in Europe. Tom

[@cykelmannen1199]

The information regarding the specific focus areas was mentioned by Michael Guthmann, Technical Expert OMDS, during a Tech Talk Zoom Event in the Nordics earlier this week

[@ForsgardPeter]

It was Michale Guthmann. I think I mentioned that in my video.

[@artistjoh]

It is becoming increasingly apparent that Olympus Corp was a millstone around the neck of Olympus Imaging. This new management has a sense of purpose that Olympus Corp lost in recent years. They also need to revamp the distribution network. Here in Australia Olympus Australia was hopeless, very erratic, and tended to be unresponsive to customer needs. That sort of nonsense needs to change.

[@andybycz]

Yes.Wildlife photography etc, but the smallness and portability make it my choice of system for reportage, but more than that, to take a reportage *system* with me, namely more than just a camera with a couple of lenses. They are less intrusive, less intimidating. I can glide about a crowd agilely, feeling like I can interact more with what's going on, and taking a photograph doesn't take such a conscious physical effort primed by the constant weight on me when *not* taking a photo.

[@johanankarback6821]

I´m not sure I believe him about the 150-400 4.5. If there wasn't a problem, why are they not delivering the units they actually produce? So far only a few lenses have come out for reviews and such. Olympus (or OMDS) here in Sweden still can't give a date when the first lenses are going to be delivered.

[@ForsgardPeter]

It is hard to say for sure.

[@francoisleger287]

If the rumor that they received 3x the amount of expected orders, they must rethink the manufaturing line in order to cope with the delays for the next few months/years, and this cannot be done overnight, and then to do so, they need the space which was probably used by the initial manufacturing line.

[@rsngrl]

i mainly use mine for headshots. not sure why they don't try for the portrait market. it's certainly done me just fine!

[@bobdrawbaugh4207]

I really don’t have much confidence in the new owners JIP. While I love my Olympus gear and it will probably out last me. I have no plans to purchase new gear from OMDS. I’ve actually started looking for a second system to shoot along side my Olympus gear.

[@chetanunindracusin664]

for me I think 100mm. Macro f 4 pro would be one of the choice for next len

[@mikeennis851]

Thanks Peter, very informative. I love macro and have been waiting for the new 100mm macro to come out. One question is with macro what new and exciting features do you suppose they could develop into new macro lenses? Possibly internal stabilization or the use of the 2x adaptor to make them capable of telephoto work? I know you would only be guessing but I respect your opinion. Thanks again.

[@terrywbreedlove]

Today I bought the E-M1X for $1999 brand new at BH. That is a price drop of $1000 to good to pass up. I already have the EM1.2 and shoot wildlife with my 300mm F4 primarily. So I am committed and really I am set for many years with the cameras and lenses that I have. Oh and I also bought the 40-150 F2.8 today as well and it was $150 off normal price.

[@ForsgardPeter]

You got a good deal.

[@terrywbreedlove]

@@ForsgardPeterI was on BH to buy the 40-150 F2.8 and saw the price on the E-M1X It was to good to pass up and they arrive tomorrow. Will take it out Wednesday and try them out. Really wondering if I should also pickup the 2x extender for birds taken with the 300. But afraid the IQ might be really bad.

[@MichaelGerrard]

I think we'll see a lens coming soon because the road map exists, it means the work started a long time ago. I like the idea you had about integrating a wireless audio connection, that could be a popular move. Maybe they could do that with flashes too, why are wireless transmitters needed, why not integrate those into the camera? Anyway, I'm hopeful for OM-DS.

[@ForsgardPeter]

The radio transmitter for flashes into the body would be cool.

[@swirlybokeh9054]

Smartphone camera collaboration maybe? Or drones?

[@swirlybokeh9054]

MFT sensor on a smartphone would be something else entirely 👀✨

[@ForsgardPeter]

Drones could be one. DJI is already an official partner of m4/3 system.

[@Lesnafi]

I have the 150-400 but i don't have the latest cameras from Olympus , have GH5S and GH8 and em1 ii , My plan is wating new camera can surprise me from Olympus , hay Japanese 🧏🏻 Don't delay , do it soon 😡

[@syzygy2027]

It would be great if OMD could produce a faster wide-angle pro zoom to rival the awesome Panny 10-25 f1.7; 8-25 f2.8 would be cool as the superb IS of Olympus could compensate for speed though not depth of field. As to Macro, it would be magic to have a swing/tilt/shift Auto bellows - I still use Contax RTS tilt/shift bellows and Mamiya 645 Auto Bellows (swing/tilt/shift) with my E-M1 III for real-time perspective control in preference to post-production correction where simple focus-stacking is not good enough. Signs for the future of the OM-D system are encouraging all the same.

[@rmgibbs1861]

I use the Lumix MFT, this is news for this format.

[@jimbabbage]

Olympus Canada is gone. Our camera shops now have to deal with the office in the United States.

[@demetra110]

Is your contract as the Olympus ambassador will be in force? Or you have to re-sign it with OMD?

[@ForsgardPeter]

It has to do with the setting up the company and everything else in order in EU.

[@pedroegea9066]

Would have expected a more concrete vision for the company and its products. Seems like they are still figuring things out

[@ForsgardPeter]

A some kind of a time table would have been nice.

[@nevillemorgan6350]

The major drawback with the M4/3 system is the difficulty in creating good 'bokeh'. To do this you need a really fast lens such as f0.95 (which equate to approx f1.8 35mm equivalent). Any lens that fast becomes too bulky/heavy. Olympus should concentrate on developing a built in algorithm (similar to their ND filters) to achieve this. Apple have done this with their AI portrait mode in their camera app so I am sure it would be possible for OMDS to do this with a software update.

[@ForsgardPeter]

What do you consider to be a good bokeh? Apple AI does not produce bokeh it is making shallow depth of field by blurring the background. DOF and Bokeh are different things.

[@nevillemorgan6350]

@@ForsgardPeter . Point taken Peter, what I meant was that "The major drawback with the M4/3 system is the difficulty in creating a shallow depth of field. To do this you need...." In other words the ability to separate your subject from the background.

[@mrrcassidy]

"Setsuya Kataoka" - easy for you to say!

[@pvandck]

I think everything is easy for Finnish speakers to pronounce. They have place names like Jyväskylä and Lappeenranta, and lake Päijänne to get their tongues around! 😉

[@gewglesux]

I'm going to miss their Outdoor/Rugged cameras. Thats it.

[@MrHaixi]

it's pretty nice :)

[@Live-tz1rs]

Greetings from Loimaa

[@tom5216]

Olympus could become the Apple of the camera world. High quality beautiful design and portability. Their lenses are great and so are the EM1 cameras but they have to deal with the ISO /noise issue and have a better sensor. Other than that they have dealt with the depth of field problem with wider aperture lenses. Mainly we need the ability to take high quality pictures as good as full frame. The difference is not that large now unless you are blowing up to poster size and sensors will improve. The mega pixel race is already getting to be a non issue. How many megapixels above 20 do we really need. The 1.2 lens feathered bokeh is special. More important than M pixels.

[@ammadoux]

i hope they stop neglecting the market in this part of the world, Arabia and Egypt and the rest of the Arab world.

[@ForsgardPeter]

I agree.

[@Oldfogey2014]

I’m surprised Olympus hasn’t got involved with drones….now you can have a Hassleblad if you buy the right brand. Might be a good idea for Olympus but not for Hassleblad……it used to be for the elite but now any commoner can own a ‘Blad.

[@ForsgardPeter]

That could be something. A Olympus camera on a drone...

[@birdingbilly]

We need new sensors - anything else is just fluff

[@ForsgardPeter]

I agree taht a new sensor is needed. Let's hope that it is in the next new Olympus camera.

[@Galeidan]

My thoughts exactly. New sensors should be priority.

[@Nonameguzzi]

Sony Patented an MFT Sensor lets hope its not just for Black Magic Design.... maby Olympus and or Panasonic ;D

[@professionalpotato4764]

Olympus needs to work on their branding and marketing. I only knew about Olympus 1+ year after using a camera. And it's already been sold to jip. If Olympus can't capture new and young people, they won't survive. They should also stop competing against full frame (clearly a lost battle) and focus on their strengths. They need smartphone tech. If iphone and androids can already create fake bokeh, just combine that with real bokeh and amplify the effect. It could rival aps-c and even full frame maybe. Also, partner with iphone to airdrop photos directly into the phone. I'm not an iphone user, but airdrop seems to be widely used by others.

[@jpgpearson]

im amazing myself...I think I can understand Finnish kippis = english change in the word that got slightly mistranslated = get pissed.

[@ForsgardPeter]

You mean in the subtitles? Kippis comes from the words keep peace. We say kippis when have drinks.

[@jpgpearson]

@@ForsgardPeter not cheers then

[@lichtloper]

still do not wholly capture what the S in OMDS stands for

[@ForsgardPeter]

OM Digital Solutions. The OM comes from Olympus Maitani.

[@w0bblyd0inkb0ink]

I hope they will change the name to Olympussi

[@ForsgardPeter]

Hah ha! Nice one.

[@stefanwagener]

While I like Olympus cameras and have got lots of lenses I doubt the future of Olympus as a mass market solution ... which Olympus basically confirmed with their focus on macro, bird, wild life, adventure. So as a niche solution they might survive but that will get tough because it means the gear will get even more expensive with less addressable consumers which in return scares more people away which makes it even more niche. And their focus in recent years on the bigger cameras in their line up like the E-M1 and E-M1X defeats their original purpose of going small. While a few years back I recommended a M10 to new photographers it isn't my recommendation these days because technology hasn't really advanced in Olympus cameras and with decreasing prices and decreasing sizes at competition the Olympus cameras look expensive these days. Also having pictures more often in 3:2 and even 16:9 format these days means a lot of wasted pixels on the 4:3 ratio sensors. My 20 MPixel pictures from M43 cameras I mostly crop to 15 MPixel 16:9 format which doesn't leave much room for post-cropping on a 4K Monitor. Having just the Xiaomi smartphone released with an almost 1" sensor and much more AI involved already is closing the gap more and more. And as it was said in the beginning, the most important fact is that you have a camera with your, which these days is definitely the smartphone. For sure the M43 has still its advantages and the lens line up is excellent but for people starting with a kit lens the difference in size between a E-M1 and a Nikon, Sony or Canon mirrorless isn't that huge, especially considering that none of these are really pocketable and the prices are in the same ball park as well. And the real pocketable solutions like PM2 have been discontinued for several years now. Of course you can have the smaller telephoto lenses with M43 but then we are back to the niche market which in my opinion will be difficult to maintain as a profitable business in the long run. Another point is adventurers as their target. The cameras are small and light, yes, but I think they are lacking video capabilities like 4K60 for a state-of-the-art all-purpose adventure solution and having now announcements yet makes Olympus look falling behind more and more. Olympus sold the department for a reason and the question is: have we seen anything yet that will turn around the declining business? Two new lenses in the pipeline will not turn around the whole business and neither will it attract tons of people suddenly. And if Olympus can survive with surveillance cameras, it's fine, but probably not really of interest for the photographer in this channel here. I will keep enjoying my Olympus cameras but I believe that the likelihood of the Olympus photographer-camera business is coming to an end is very high. We might see some tweaks and software updates in form of Mark IV, V, VI, ... but again, those won't attract tons of new buyers switching over from smartphone or Canon and alike ... it might rather be a nice upgrade for already existing M43 owners.

[@ForsgardPeter]

Many good points. Thank you for sharing.

[@gunnarblomquist4412]

I love my Ep2

[@UmbertoAmante]

I am sure they are working on 'woe factor' announcement...LOL

[@ForsgardPeter]

I do not think it is anything funny. That is what they said. Interesting to see what they come up with. I think they have to deliver something very good.

[@UmbertoAmante]

@@ForsgardPeter I was poking fun at what I assume you were trying to say 'wow factor'.

[@johnjon1823]

If they can't get permanent usage of the OMD name, then if they had a brain they would use the name of the Japanese guy who came up with the Pen etc., and follow that kind of spirit in the product line. If they did that they could actually grow. They should look at moving from OMD to YMD or YM and push the designer name, and move on. If they had a brain they would look to make sure they can even license permanently his name. It would be a recapture of the spirit of the legendary designer To hell with Olympus, what is needed to capture in the brand is the spirit of the designer himself. That guy is kind of the Ford as in Ford motor company, that guy is Edison guy, that is the name that matters, they need to use it and claim his spirit of design because Olympus could never do that. Every once in a while you get these guys like Lee Iacocca, Bill Lear of Lear Jet, guys like that. Well it is the SPIRIT of those people that makes the product, not the bean counters, or the financial shake-down mob guys who milked Olympus into bankruptcy. I say go with Yoshihisa Maitani. Of course this would require brains on the part of the new owners. I bet they miss the boat.