Geoff D F wrote:
Why would you believe a marketing email as an indication that OM systems now owned by JIP is still Olympus? Olympus sold its camera division to JIP, whose main business seems to be extracting value out of distressed assets. This is not the same thing as turning companies around.
If you look at the products released since JIP took over, the only really new products have been ones that were largely already developed by Olympus - the 150-400 pro, the 90 macro and the OM-1. Everything else has just been reskinning old products, or minor tweaks to old products that clearly don't cost much, e.g. OM-1ii is on aOM-1 with a slight memory upgrade and a bit of extra software thrown in. his is just keeping the Olympus pulse alive while there is some money to be made.
My guess is JIP looked at Olympus's unreleased camera IP/products and the goodwill in the Olympus camera user base and made the calculation that there was value to be extracted if Olympus's camera division could be bought for a sufficiently low price. In other words they saw some value to be extracted through a managed exit from the camera industry, rather than an immediate exit. In the unlikely event M4/3 products gain in popularity they might sell as a going concern, but otherwise they are just wringing dollars out of what if left of the Olympus camera division. There is no sign from JIP that there is any real product development going on....Show more →
If you go to JIP’s website, you can see that most of their businesses are still in business or have been sold to a new owner and are in business under that owner. Also, OM Systems cameras sell well in Japan, a not insignificant market.
I have no clue about the future of OM System but the constant fearmongering based on nothing doesn’t make any sense.
I also believe we’ll see more brands offering incrementally smaller improvement to new releases now that we’ve reached a plateau.
I still wish OM System was clearer on its plans, though, and while I’m kind of fine with the OM-1 II update, I’m not happy with the 150-600mm lens rollout and what it may stand for.
johnvanr wrote:
If you go to JIP’s website, you can see that most of their businesses are still in business or have been sold to a new owner and are in business under that owner. Also, OM Systems cameras sell well in Japan, a not insignificant market.
I have no clue about the future of OM System but the constant fearmongering based on nothing doesn’t make any sense.
I also believe we’ll see more brands offering incrementally smaller improvement to new releases now that we’ve reached a plateau.
I still wish OM System was clearer on its plans, though, and while I’m kind of fine with the OM-1 II update, I’m not happy with the 150-600mm lens rollout and what it may stand for. ...Show more →
I don't want to be interpreted as fear-mongering. But I also don't think my post is based on nothing, rather it is seeing all of OM Systems releases from a perspective of a company that specialises in taking over distressed businesses. I've read a lot of posts complaining about recent Olympus releases such as the EM5 just being a small version of the EM1 mark iii, not updating EM10 menus, still featuring micro USB connections in new releases, the price of the New OM/Sigma lens, the relatively modest upgrade of the OM1, no Pen F replacement, no update to the f1.8 primes and the only new real new lenses being legacy projects from Olympus. People are asking why isn't Olympus coming up with better offerings? I think the explanation is that product development at OM has been cut to a bare minimum.
I hope I am wrong, but it is the only thing that makes sense to me if I compare what OM is doing compared to other companies.
Geoff D F wrote:
I don't want to be interpreted as fear-mongering. But I also don't think my post is based on nothing, rather it is seeing all of OM Systems releases from a perspective of a company that specialises in taking over distressed businesses. I've read a lot of posts complaining about recent Olympus releases such as the EM5 just being a small version of the EM1 mark iii, not updating EM10 menus, still featuring micro USB connections in new releases, the price of the New OM/Sigma lens, the relatively modest upgrade of the OM1, no Pen F replacement, no update to the f1.8 primes and the only new real new lenses being legacy projects from Olympus. People are asking why isn't Olympus coming up with better offerings? I think the explanation is that product development at OM has been cut to a bare minimum.
I hope I am wrong, but it is the only thing that makes sense to me if I compare what OM is doing compared to other companies. ...Show more →
when JIP took over Sony’s Vaio computer business (in 2014) it was said that JIP was going to strip that business for parts and sell it piece by piece.
I read that Vaio computers were still in production when JIP was announced as the new owner Olympus’ camera division and when the rumour mill said the same about JIP and Olympus’ camera division.
Who knows what happens behind closed doors.
Olympus killed their OM 35mm SLR line.
—I considered that before I bought into 4/3 beginning with the E1 and ending with the E5.
Olympus killed their D-SLR 4/3 line.
—I considered that before I bought into m4/3.
I expect OM’s m4/3 line to cease to exist someday sooner or later. If/when that happens it will just be a business decision and not the evil greedy doings of JIP.
—I’ve considered that too and I’ve made up my mind on the OM-1II…all the folks at OM Systems could be completely mad for all I care. as long as the OM-1II works great is my only real concern.
If/when OM Systems goes under, and long after, my m4/3 stuff stops working…I’m certain there will be some great stuff available to use at that time.
Paul_100A wrote:
when JIP took over Sony’s Vaio computer business (in 2014) it was said that JIP was going to strip that business for parts and sell it piece by piece.
I read that Vaio computers were still in production when JIP was announced as the new owner Olympus’ camera division and when the rumour mill said the same about JIP and Olympus’ camera division.
Who knows what happens behind closed doors.
Olympus killed their OM 35mm SLR line.
—I considered that before I bought into 4/3 beginning with the E1 and ending with the E5.
Olympus killed their D-SLR 4/3 line.
—I considered that before I bought into m4/3.
I expect OM’s m4/3 line to cease to exist someday sooner or later. If/when that happens it will just be a business decision and not the evil greedy doings of JIP.
—I’ve considered that too and I’ve made up my mind on the OM-1II…all the folks at OM Systems could be completely mad for all I care. as long as the OM-1II works great is my only real concern.
If/when OM Systems goes under, and long after, my m4/3 stuff stops working…I’m certain there will be some great stuff available to use at that time. ...Show more →
I don't take issue with anything you say. I still shoot Yashica and Canon Fd and EF which are long dead. And I agree OM gear will work for a long time regardless of what happens to OM systems. I'm only responding to how I see it to all the posts that are questioning/complaining/not understanding OM releases and what their business strategy might be. I might even look to pick up an OM1 myself if it is cheap enough if OM System goes out of business. I'd prefer they succeed though.
Geoff D F wrote:
I don't take issue with anything you say. I still shoot Yashica and Canon Fd and EF which are long dead. And I agree OM gear will work for a long time regardless of what happens to OM systems. I'm only responding to how I see it to all the posts that are questioning/complaining/not understanding OM releases and what their business strategy might be. I might even look to pick up an OM1 myself if it is cheap enough if OM System goes out of business. I'd prefer they succeed though.
Indeed .
having an EM5, and then an EM1, I preordered the EM1mkII (first camera i ever bought site unseen).
I bought an EM1X at an official EM1X release event.
I preordered an OM-1.
I paused on an OM-1II preorder for all the same reasons you mentioned.
nothing has changed in past three weeks…OM was and is still behaving bizarrely in my opinion too.
Far beyond my control.
Once I receive an OM-1II I’ll be too busy to pay attention to , or care about, all the OM drama.
Geoff D F wrote:
I don't want to be interpreted as fear-mongering. But I also don't think my post is based on nothing, rather it is seeing all of OM Systems releases from a perspective of a company that specialises in taking over distressed businesses. I've read a lot of posts complaining about recent Olympus releases such as the EM5 just being a small version of the EM1 mark iii, not updating EM10 menus, still featuring micro USB connections in new releases, the price of the New OM/Sigma lens, the relatively modest upgrade of the OM1, no Pen F replacement, no update to the f1.8 primes and the only new real new lenses being legacy projects from Olympus. People are asking why isn't Olympus coming up with better offerings? I think the explanation is that product development at OM has been cut to a bare minimum.
I hope I am wrong, but it is the only thing that makes sense to me if I compare what OM is doing compared to other companies. ...Show more →
I do agree that OM System so far is not off to a great start. I just don’t see anything sinister in JIP’s overall agenda and thus I don’t believe anyone is out to intentionally kill OM System.
The little bit we can assume is that they’re really focusing on the wildlife market. They’ve basically kicked out all the ambassadors who aren’t wildlife shooters and their marketing is heavily tilted toward wildlife. I don’t agree with that approach at all, but so be it.
