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Olympus sells its imaging business

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
https://www.43rumors.com/it-happened-olympus-sold-the-imaging-business-to-jip/

Officially, JIP and Panasonic will continue developing MFT. My guess is that it will become a much more niche product than before, with strong emphasis on video where the small sensor has its strength. If I were to buy a small camera mainly for photography today and didn't have any investment in MFT, I would clearly have chosen a Nikon Z50, a Canon M50 or one of the Fuji models. Nikon in particular has shown with the Z50 what can be achieved with a small, ergonomically sound body and compact, reasonably priced lenses.

Not the death of MFT, and I'm not selling my gear, but the focus will change.
 

raist3d

Well-known member
Yup, you beat me to it. Personal View (Russian website) was right or part right at least.

People who believed Olympus' PR releases need to re-evaluate how much they want to trust the PR of companies in general, particularly those with track records of not so great in the past, moving forward.

- Ricardo
 

raist3d

Well-known member
I have to say this could mark the beginning of the end of m43rds, or at least Pentax-status. But Pentax-status isn't too horrible actually.

- Ricardo
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Here's some of the reason for it:



The combo to the left costs $2,494 and weighs 1,155 grams
The combo to the right costs $2,798 and weighs 1,141 grams

They have the same reach, 24-200 mm eqv., both lenses get stellar reviews, both bodies have great IBIS, but the body to the left, a Nikon Z6, is full frame while the body to the right, an Olympus E-M1 III, is MFT. One can shout build quality and weather sealing till the cows come home and longer, but Nikon was never famous for making bad cameras and the Z6 shoots RAW video.

Olympus make great cameras and lenses. I have used them since the first OM-1, a camera that served me well for 30 years. However, it's time to realise that, at least for Olympus, not going full frame was probably a mistake. Ironically Panasonic, who has gone full frame, is probably in a better position to keep MFT alive due to their heavier emphasis on video.
 

raist3d

Well-known member
Right? That's why the m43rds unique selling proposition was so important.

There's bodies/lens models that still uphold that, but going F1.2 expensive primes was not the way.

- Ricardo
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Right? That's why the m43rds unique selling proposition was so important.

There's bodies/lens models that still uphold that, but going F1.2 expensive primes was not the way.

- Ricardo
That's right. The new, compact Panasonic G100 with most of the great MFT features intact and a collection of small, lightweight lenses, will probably be my future MFT setup. I actually already have most of what I need for that, 8/12/25/45 mm. Just lacking the 75 mm.
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Here's some of the reason for it:



The combo to the left costs $2,494 and weighs 1,155 grams
The combo to the right costs $2,798 and weighs 1,141 grams

They have the same reach, 24-200 mm eqv., both lenses get stellar reviews, both bodies have great IBIS, but the body to the left, a Nikon Z6, is full frame while the body to the right, an Olympus E-M1 III, is MFT. One can shout build quality and weather sealing till the cows come home and longer, but Nikon was never famous for making bad cameras and the Z6 shoots RAW video.

Olympus make great cameras and lenses. I have used them since the first OM-1, a camera that served me well for 30 years. However, it's time to realise that, at least for Olympus, not going full frame was probably a mistake. Ironically Panasonic, who has gone full frame, is probably in a better position to keep MFT alive due to their heavier emphasis on video.
Cannot say why, but I ordered a Nikon Z7 and the S 2.8/24-70 last week during the latest discounts going on in Austria :thumbs:

Not sure if this was some feeling I had WRT m43 and Olympus future?

Anyway I am no longer sure if m43 will continue long term (10 years range), even APSC might be doomed.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Here's some of the reason for it:



The combo to the left costs $2,494 and weighs 1,155 grams
The combo to the right costs $2,798 and weighs 1,141 grams

They have the same reach, 24-200 mm eqv., both lenses get stellar reviews, both bodies have great IBIS, but the body to the left, a Nikon Z6, is full frame while the body to the right, an Olympus E-M1 III, is MFT. One can shout build quality and weather sealing till the cows come home and longer, but Nikon was never famous for making bad cameras and the Z6 shoots RAW video.

Olympus make great cameras and lenses. I have used them since the first OM-1, a camera that served me well for 30 years. However, it's time to realise that, at least for Olympus, not going full frame was probably a mistake. Ironically Panasonic, who has gone full frame, is probably in a better position to keep MFT alive due to their heavier emphasis on video.
Im not so sure that this is why Olympus met their demise. Sony infused cash into their business years ago and sold off those portion a year or so ago. The writing has been on the wall for years regarding Olympus and the reality is that when the P&S market shrunk, larger sensor options became more affordable, and more importantly when cellphone imagery matured - they became less of an option.

It’s not just about small size IMO or the Nikon 1 system would still be around. It’s about making products that people want AND marketing them to the masses appropriately. Olympus has had trouble doing this. I think Panasonic MFT will continue on perfectly fine with cameras like the G100, the G9, and the GH series but perhaps they can reduce the number of bodies they offer in a shrinking market. The G100 seems especially interesting for those that want higher quality photos and video to post to social media. It seems like a great option for those that were interested in the Sony ZV1 but wanted interchangeable lenses. For vlogging and a small camera it seems like a great option. It will be interesting to see if the other G cameras receive many of the G100 software features in firmware. This could push those with a larger budget to the G95 or GH5 that may want the features the G100 offers but also may want the flexibility to do even more at times.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Cannot say why, but I ordered a Nikon Z7 and the S 2.8/24-70 last week during the latest discounts going on in Austria :thumbs:

Not sure if this was some feeling I had WRT m43 and Olympus future?

Anyway I am no longer sure if m43 will continue long term (10 years range), even APSC might be doomed.
Congrats. Hope you enjoy it.

The good thing is that the Olympus system you own won’t become obsolete and perhaps you can snag a new body at a heavy discount if you’re lucky. I don’t think APS-C (well Fuji anyway) is doomed. They have a healthy market following and offer unique products marketed towards their users. I also think Sony APS-C is safe as will Canon RF should they introduce more APS-C designed lenses that are reasonably affordable. When they make a 7D equivalent body it’ll sell. There’s a market for the Z50 and for the advanced amateur or hobbyist it’s a good option... APS-C likely won’t go anywhere but companies will need to shrink the number of bodies they offer that aren’t widely varied IMO. Gone will be the days of the D3xxx, D5xxx, D7xxx, and the Dxxx or all the Canon Rebel and Sony A6xxxx variants. I think we will begin to see at most a premium APS-C body with the EOL model sold alongside as the value option. We will see a casual vlog/compact option. We will see premium cameras.

Everything else will probably be scrapped if companies want to survive and/or thrive.
 
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raist3d

Well-known member
That's right. The new, compact Panasonic G100 with most of the great MFT features intact and a collection of small, lightweight lenses, will probably be my future MFT setup. I actually already have most of what I need for that, 8/12/25/45 mm. Just lacking the 75 mm.
Why the G100? What exactly the G100 has over say a GX9 for stills?

I don't see it.

- Ricardo
 

raist3d

Well-known member
from dpreview
"The resolution is 3.68M dot equivalent, with the e-word denoting the use of a field-sequential update where the red, green and blue components of the image are flashed at your eye one after the other (rather than having separate, sub-pixel 'dots' showing each color at each location)."

Also uses the same shutter mechanism of GM1/GM5 with the same limitations.

I don't see why go for this camera except for v-logging, which is exactly the market it's aimed at.

- Ricardo
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
from dpreview
"The resolution is 3.68M dot equivalent, with the e-word denoting the use of a field-sequential update where the red, green and blue components of the image are flashed at your eye one after the other (rather than having separate, sub-pixel 'dots' showing each color at each location)."

Also uses the same shutter mechanism of GM1/GM5 with the same limitations.

I don't see why go for this camera except for v-logging, which is exactly the market it's aimed at.

- Ricardo
I watched a different video that stated the EVF was LCD versus OLED but not field sequential. I don’t want to speak for Jorgen but I believe he prefers smaller cameras with SLR form factors... and many feel the GX9 was a step back from the GX8 which is why many have an adverse reaction to the GX9. Personally I will probably get a G100 for my wife as she would likely leave it in intelligent auto mode honestly... but I also want to see if some of the software features (specifically the social media frame guides and integrated features like mic tracking if possible) will come to the G95 or the premium G cameras. If not, the G100 is good enough since I was already considering the ZV1 for her.
 

f8orbust

Active member
https://www.43rumors.com/it-happened-olympus-sold-the-imaging-business-to-jip/

Officially, JIP and Panasonic will continue developing MFT. My guess is that it will become a much more niche product than before, with strong emphasis on video where the small sensor has its strength. If I were to buy a small camera mainly for photography today and didn't have any investment in MFT, I would clearly have chosen a Nikon Z50, a Canon M50 or one of the Fuji models. Nikon in particular has shown with the Z50 what can be achieved with a small, ergonomically sound body and compact, reasonably priced lenses.

Not the death of MFT, and I'm not selling my gear, but the focus will change.
Bummer.

Soon the only cameras we'll be able to buy will be on cellphones.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Sad to hear Olympus throwing in the towel, but such it is. They've made some great lenses and cameras over the years. I still have my E-1 and E-M1 kit, and I'll just continue using it infrequent though it might be that I do so.

Forever doesn't exist in this business, just as with anything else.

G
 

SrMphoto

Well-known member
Here's some of the reason for it:



The combo to the left costs $2,494 and weighs 1,155 grams
The combo to the right costs $2,798 and weighs 1,141 grams

They have the same reach, 24-200 mm eqv., both lenses get stellar reviews, both bodies have great IBIS, but the body to the left, a Nikon Z6, is full frame while the body to the right, an Olympus E-M1 III, is MFT. One can shout build quality and weather sealing till the cows come home and longer, but Nikon was never famous for making bad cameras and the Z6 shoots RAW video.

Olympus make great cameras and lenses. I have used them since the first OM-1, a camera that served me well for 30 years. However, it's time to realise that, at least for Olympus, not going full frame was probably a mistake. Ironically Panasonic, who has gone full frame, is probably in a better position to keep MFT alive due to their heavier emphasis on video.
Executive summary: I disagree :).

Nikon Z 24-200mm is too new to judge yet, but I really doubt that it plays in the same league as Olympus 12-100/4. The Nikon lens is not an S lens, does not have the same level of weather sealing as the Olympus and I read that it is slightly better than Nikon 28-300, which is not a good sign :).

By staying with m43, Olympus was able to implement the best of the class IBIS and quite interesting hand-held high-resolution mode. It has a series of small and lightweight f/1.8 primes as well as the really good and light 12-45 zoom, which are not available with full-frame. I see the main competition weight and size-wise in the Fuji APS-C system, though Fuji is lacking anything comparable to the 12-45 and 12-100.

I hope that Olympus will continue innovating in the mirrorless arena and that its user base will continue to grow. Unfortunately, there is too much Schadenfreude going around and it may affect the sales.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Executive summary: I disagree :).

Nikon Z 24-200mm is too new to judge yet, but I really doubt that it plays in the same league as Olympus 12-100/4. The Nikon lens is not an S lens, does not have the same level of weather sealing as the Olympus and I read that it is slightly better than Nikon 28-300, which is not a good sign :).

By staying with m43, Olympus was able to implement the best of the class IBIS and quite interesting hand-held high-resolution mode. It has a series of small and lightweight f/1.8 primes as well as the really good and light 12-45 zoom, which are not available with full-frame. I see the main competition weight and size-wise in the Fuji APS-C system, though Fuji is lacking anything comparable to the 12-45 and 12-100.

I hope that Olympus will continue innovating in the mirrorless arena and that its user base will continue to grow. Unfortunately, there is too much Schadenfreude going around and it may affect the sales.
F/1.8 primes and small, lightweight zooms:
I agree fully, and that is what I will use MFT with in the future. For that, I need a compact, simple body with a high quality viewfinder, like the one I have in the GX8. A GX9 with the GX8 viewfinder, a 3.5mm mic socket and 120fps slo'mo' would be nice.

Great IBIS:
Yes, Olympus' IBIS is great, but the Nikon Z6 plus the cameras using the same sensor can shoot at ISO two stops higher than the Olympus with the same level of noise. The Z6 offers IBIS in addition to that.

Sensor size and image quality:
I have been using MFT (mostly Panasonic) and Nikon (DX and FX) side-by-side for ten years. My belief has always been that sensor technology would improve at a pace fast enough for MFT to lag only a couple of years behind with noise levels and exposure lattitude. Unfortunately, things seem to be getting worse. Even at ISO 100, the Nikon 24MP sensor shows more detail and less noise than the E-M1 III sensor.

Lens size and quality:
Nobody can compete with the smallest high quality primes and zooms for MFT when it comes to image quality per kilogram. However, that niche is getting smaller. When I sold my Nikon FX gear a few years ago, including the good but biiiig Nikkor 200-500mm lens and changed to the Panasonic 100-300mm, I could get the same job done at a third of the weight, at least as long as there was enough light to shoot at F8. Fast forward to 2020 and I can get almost as much reach with the AF-P F-mount Nikkor 70-300mm on a Z50, a lens that would allow me to shoot at larger apertures getting the same or better sharpness and with a sensor twice the size. The price and size are more or less the same. Telephoto was always one of the good reasons for using MFT.

The Nikkor 24-200mm:
This guy is a Nikon fanboy, but the image quality telles its own story, particularly in the 24-70 vs. 24-200 comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5vOKV1fcCw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7AkjAP1IMM&t=1537s

There are some fantastic MFT lenses around, and I happen to own a bunch of them. Nothing can replace the Panasonic 7-14mm for weight and size. The primes have been mentioned many times. It is a niche however. Hopefully MFT can survive in that niche for many years to come, but it won't be easy.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
Glad I bought the excellent Olympus FT and mFT cameras and lenses I that own...they should serve me well for many years to come. My only concern would be parts and service, but that is certainly not unique to Olympus. I have that concern with camera companies that are still in the business.

Gary
 

raist3d

Well-known member
I watched a different video that stated the EVF was LCD versus OLED but not field sequential.
So if dpreview TV first pass review is right, it is sequential but it's really good at avoiding the shimmer. Probably higher frequency.

I don’t want to speak for Jorgen but I believe he prefers smaller cameras with SLR form factors... and many feel the GX9 was a step back from the GX8 which is why many have an adverse reaction to the GX9. Personally I will probably get a G100 for my wife as she would likely leave it in intelligent auto mode honestly... but I also want to see if some of the software features (specifically the social media frame guides and integrated features like mic tracking if possible) will come to the G95 or the premium G cameras. If not, the G100 is good enough since I was already considering the ZV1 for her.
The G100 is a vlog friendly GX850, with the new EVF and a nice grip, plus 20 MP sensor. I would have been interested if it was a tiltLCD and small like this, but again, the GX9 fulfills his.

- Ricardo
 

SrMphoto

Well-known member
<snip>

Great IBIS:
Yes, Olympus' IBIS is great, but the Nikon Z6 plus the cameras using the same sensor can shoot at ISO two stops higher than the Olympus with the same level of noise. The Z6 offers IBIS in addition to that.

<snip>
I always find the comparisons between sensor sizes a bit problematic, but .. here we go :).

I like images with a lot of depth-of-field. In order to get the same DOF with my M1.3 and my Z 7, I need to close the aperture of the Z 7 lens by two stops more, which negates the 2-stop advantage of the full-frame cameras as my ISO for a given shutter speed must also increase by 2 stops.
 
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