Is Olympus going away?
Jul 7, 2023 08:36:11 #
Consider buying a used lens.
tomad wrote:
I've been interested in Olympus cameras and lenses... (show quote)
Jul 7, 2023 08:54:15 #
tomad wrote:
Looks like there is a Troll on this thread and it is you!
Leave him alone ........his largest contribution is entertainment - keeps us laughing - at HIM !
Jul 7, 2023 08:56:56 #
I found it...spot on analysis...financial and data is all correct.
What started this particular discussion was the announcement of a three week web shut down for renovation.
Three weeks...that right there should tell you something...red flag...what is going on over there?
So the very first paragraph or so is about that...and then this astute fellow goes the extra mile and lays it all out.
If you still don't get it...you are the perfect...consumer.
This is why OM-D isn't going anywhere...it was never intended to.
Hat's off to Lithium Dog...knows his/her stuff.
=================================
Of course, if they were doing it right, a transition like this could and should be done seamlessly and with much less downtime. But doing it right costs money and they must've concluded that any loss in sales during these 3 weeks offline would be offset by the savings from not expending any resources to ensure fulfillment remained active during the transition.
I think this says a lot about how few direct sales they expect to make during this period at the start of the summer vacation season - a time when people often shop for new camera equipment for their trips. And it also says a lot about how little they care about how badly this reflects on them as a company and brand...
Just in case anyone missed the memo or forgot, this should serve as a reminder that OM Digital Solutions is little more than a sunset company that is 95% owned by OJ Holdings Ltd. — a holding company created by private equity firm, JIP for the sole purpose of managing their ownership stake in this new spin-off company. And the whole purpose of this arrangement was to ease the wind-down/"transition" of Olympus' imaging division in the wake of one of the biggest corporate misconduct scandals in Japanese history.
This arrangement with JIP allowed Olympus, a national icon with an 84 year history in the camera business, to save face by keeping the imaging division alive on life support, maintaining the illusion of continuity while they divested themselves of their dying, unprofitable businesses and restructured. It also allowed them to keep people employed long enough to find new jobs, thus remaining in compliance with Japanese employment laws and corporate culture which makes it very difficult to fire employees, both legally and socially speaking, and would've only compounded the scandal further.
JIP has made similar arrangements to rescue dying Japanese businesses, like Sony's VAIO brand for example. But unlike the near-cloutless VAIO brand, Olympus' name actually carries weight and prestige from its long and rich history in the camera industry. And despite this, the arrangement with JIP did not see them keeping this brand going.
With the camera industry being as predicated on name recognition and heritage as it is, this failure to come to an agreement of some sort to allow continuity of this culturally and historically significant brand, along with JIP erecting a holding company between themselves and OMDS to distance themselves from it even further, should tell you everything you need to know about how much faith the parties involved have in OMDS's long term chances of success.
OM System is not a real camera company. They are a minimalist operation created to ease the collapse of Olympus' imaging business and to minimize costs as they keep the lights on long enough for JIP to see some sort of ROI and for people to find new work. If they manage to last longer than this and establish a sustainable business, great. But they clearly aren't holding their breaths, and neither should we.
Lithium Dog.
================
As soon as it was announced the name was being changed...it was over...they just never tell you outright.
What started this particular discussion was the announcement of a three week web shut down for renovation.
Three weeks...that right there should tell you something...red flag...what is going on over there?
So the very first paragraph or so is about that...and then this astute fellow goes the extra mile and lays it all out.
If you still don't get it...you are the perfect...consumer.
This is why OM-D isn't going anywhere...it was never intended to.
Hat's off to Lithium Dog...knows his/her stuff.
=================================
Of course, if they were doing it right, a transition like this could and should be done seamlessly and with much less downtime. But doing it right costs money and they must've concluded that any loss in sales during these 3 weeks offline would be offset by the savings from not expending any resources to ensure fulfillment remained active during the transition.
I think this says a lot about how few direct sales they expect to make during this period at the start of the summer vacation season - a time when people often shop for new camera equipment for their trips. And it also says a lot about how little they care about how badly this reflects on them as a company and brand...
Just in case anyone missed the memo or forgot, this should serve as a reminder that OM Digital Solutions is little more than a sunset company that is 95% owned by OJ Holdings Ltd. — a holding company created by private equity firm, JIP for the sole purpose of managing their ownership stake in this new spin-off company. And the whole purpose of this arrangement was to ease the wind-down/"transition" of Olympus' imaging division in the wake of one of the biggest corporate misconduct scandals in Japanese history.
This arrangement with JIP allowed Olympus, a national icon with an 84 year history in the camera business, to save face by keeping the imaging division alive on life support, maintaining the illusion of continuity while they divested themselves of their dying, unprofitable businesses and restructured. It also allowed them to keep people employed long enough to find new jobs, thus remaining in compliance with Japanese employment laws and corporate culture which makes it very difficult to fire employees, both legally and socially speaking, and would've only compounded the scandal further.
JIP has made similar arrangements to rescue dying Japanese businesses, like Sony's VAIO brand for example. But unlike the near-cloutless VAIO brand, Olympus' name actually carries weight and prestige from its long and rich history in the camera industry. And despite this, the arrangement with JIP did not see them keeping this brand going.
With the camera industry being as predicated on name recognition and heritage as it is, this failure to come to an agreement of some sort to allow continuity of this culturally and historically significant brand, along with JIP erecting a holding company between themselves and OMDS to distance themselves from it even further, should tell you everything you need to know about how much faith the parties involved have in OMDS's long term chances of success.
OM System is not a real camera company. They are a minimalist operation created to ease the collapse of Olympus' imaging business and to minimize costs as they keep the lights on long enough for JIP to see some sort of ROI and for people to find new work. If they manage to last longer than this and establish a sustainable business, great. But they clearly aren't holding their breaths, and neither should we.
Lithium Dog.
================
As soon as it was announced the name was being changed...it was over...they just never tell you outright.
Jul 7, 2023 09:01:46 #
Jul 7, 2023 09:22:20 #
whitehall
Loc: Canada
Love the 100-400 Panasonic Leica. Better range than 150-400. Readily available but pricy
Jul 7, 2023 10:28:38 #
Canisdirus wrote:
I found it...spot on analysis...financial and data... (show quote)
I am a holder of a lot of Oly gear. And am sure waiting to see what happens. While we cannot foretell the future it does seem difficult for the system. People can yammer on about their preference, but business is a different beast than brand preference. Too bad Oly screwed up. An amazing amount of tech in a small camera that has since been immulated by the big three (IBIS, etc )
The competition from other manufacturers, the bias against small sensors, excellent phone cameras all make for a very dicey future for OM.
I hope your analysis is wrong but it does seem well thought out.
Jul 7, 2023 10:31:39 #
Sony needs to take over M4/3 .....even tho it is a very narrow market - probably why they never will.
Jul 7, 2023 10:39:33 #
tomad wrote:
I've been interested in Olympus cameras and lenses... (show quote)
OM Systems is doing fine. They just released a new 90mm Macro Pro lens that is phenomenal. That 150-400 you want is a $7500 lens, which is made and sold in small batches. B&H website says, "Temporarily Out of Stock. Availability: 2-4 Weeks". OM Systems sponsors some of the current content on PetaPixel. Adorama says it is "Temporarily on Backorder." This lens gets RAVE reviews from elite wildlife photographers and is in greater demand than production capacity.
There are some folks in the industry who are devout Micro 4/3 haters, hell bent on creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom. Yes, the platform is a niche market. But respectfully, it still has a lot of life left in it. The lens catalog is extensive, with both Olympus and Panasonic releasing new ones every year. Many others make lenses for it, too. The mount is shared with Black Magic Designs, and many industrial and security video camera producers use it, too.
Some adjustments to Lumix and Panasonic Leica product designs may require re-releasing entirely new or evolved versions of products. If they add PDAF to their high end models, focusing systems in older lens designs may be at a disadvantage. For instance, the 12-35mm f/2.8 pro lens was recently upgraded to a new Leica glass formula and updated electronics. Expect more of that sort of thing in the months ahead.
Jul 7, 2023 10:51:54 #
jcboy3 wrote:
That was the old story about the Olympus 300mm f/2.8.
All I can say is, the wait is most definitely worth it.
All I can say is, the wait is most definitely worth it.
I agree completely. They'll pry mine from my cold, dead hands.
Plus when you pre-order, your card doesn't get charged till the item ships. If you change your mind, you can cancel at any time, or sell it for a markup if they're still hard to come by. Which they will be.
Jul 7, 2023 10:58:01 #
whitehall wrote:
Love the 100-400 Panasonic Leica. Better range than 150-400. Readily available but pricy
Not even close in quality, and good luck getting repairs. Speaking from experience here.
The Oly 100-400is a far better alternative.
Jul 7, 2023 11:11:10 #
azted
Loc: Las Vegas, NV.
There is enough quality product in the old Olympus line to keep OM Systems alive for many years. I have noticed that their marketing effort is very good for a smaller company. Those two opinions combined tell me that there is nothing to worry about. I have kept my M4/3 lenses and my OMDEM-5Mll through four different generations of Full Frame Sony camera bodies. The M4/3 product line fills a niche that every photographer can utilize.
Jul 7, 2023 11:16:36 #
[quote=tomad]I've been interested in Olympus cameras and lenses for a while specifically for wildlife and bird photography. I was thinking this might be the year so I was looking into what would be my first lenses if I buy the camera. I decided that for my purposes the OM SYSTEM 150-400mm f/4.5 TC 1.25 IS PRO Lens would be they one I needed so I went to B&H to check availability and price. It was out of stock so I set an email alert for when it comes back in stock. Yesterday I received the following from B&H:
"You are receiving this message because you asked to be notified when this item becomes available. We regret to inform you that this item has unfortunately been discontinued. Please check back on our website for similar or possible replacement items.
We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.
There is some confusion about this. You might try ordering the lens with the OMD kogo as opposed to the Olympus logo. Some sources say the Olympus logo one has been redesignated OMD. Don't know if that is true or not, but it might work.
John
"You are receiving this message because you asked to be notified when this item becomes available. We regret to inform you that this item has unfortunately been discontinued. Please check back on our website for similar or possible replacement items.
We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.
There is some confusion about this. You might try ordering the lens with the OMD kogo as opposed to the Olympus logo. Some sources say the Olympus logo one has been redesignated OMD. Don't know if that is true or not, but it might work.
John
Jul 7, 2023 11:22:12 #
Observation - There sure is a lot of flaming aimed toward your post. Like I said, it could be that the one with the Olympus logo has been changed to one with the OMD logo, and the one with the Olympus logo discontinued. I don't know for sure, but you might check it out. Either way, it's way out of my financial reach.
John
John
Jul 7, 2023 11:50:38 #
[quote=jtm1943]
It’s indeed OM Systems on B&H. It still says it is out of stock.
tomad wrote:
I've been interested in Olympus cameras and lenses... (show quote)
It’s indeed OM Systems on B&H. It still says it is out of stock.
Jul 7, 2023 12:44:22 #
whitehall wrote:
Love the 100-400 Panasonic Leica. Better range than 150-400. Readily available but pricy
Reportedly discontinued in Japan, and likely elsewhere as existing stock is depleted.
https://www.43rumors.com/bad-news-leica-dg-100-400mm-marked-as-discontinued-in-japanese-stores/#disqus_thread
Also, reportedly, the lens is too costly to repair so customers get discount coupons to buy another.
In the meantime, however, I will continue to shoot m43 until such time as there is a suitable replacement.
Nikon is not one of them, from my own personal experience.
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