WHATS NEXT FOR M43, after Olympus, what future is left?

[Pitachu]

Ricohflex, where are your figures from? Did you make them up?

Look at the statistics below (I googled and click on one).

Digital camera manufacturers market share worldwide 2020 | Statista

Canon dominated the global digital cameras market in 2020 and held close to half of it in 2020, at over 45 percent.

www.statista.com

Panasonic itself is already 4.7%, same as Fujifilm in 2020.
Together with Olympus, and less of its Full Frame, it could be about 8%
and much higher in earlier years. But definitely much more than 2%.

The market share of MFT is also definitely much higher than Pentax, Ricoh,
Leica etc and yet these companies are still around.

Anyway, Olympus sold 48.7 Billion Yen (S$634million) worth of cameras in 2019.
2 to 4.7% looks very small turnover of S$634 million is definitely a huge market
to persue for a couple of years to try to make it profitable.

 

[ricohflex]

Thanks for pointing out. I will amend the comment accordingly to make it more "accurate".

Well one may say what is wrong with low market share?
Very few manufacturers e.g. Leica or Patek Philippe can play the Low Volume but Extreme High Price game.

That is another story.
Where (some) customers buy an item because it is very expensive - for status reasons and showing off their wealth.
If it was reasonably priced, they do not want to buy.
If current gold club membership entry fee was $1, then some golfers will go look for other hobby to display their status.

 

[Pitachu]

I am not saying that Olympus should pursue the Luxury Goods path.
What I am saying that Olympus was not wrong to come up with the M43 format.

After all the challenges and competition, it did have some bright sparks as it did
make money in 2016. See article below.

Olympus did not fail because of a wrong choice of format, but because Mobile Phone Cameras
with super CPU using computational photography came along after 2016 and chip
away the huge SLR market chunk by chunk.

2016 financial report: After 7 years Olympus registered first profit in the camera division – 43 Rumors

www.43rumors.com

 

[one eye jack]

No point harping about the past. Here is the latest changes to Olympus Malaysia, change of name of new business from the old including new website , distributor and service center location published 3rd. Nov 2020. A little personal info about Robin Wong.

 

[ricohflex]

MFT was good in 2008. It was not "wrong" in 2008.
What was wrong with Olympus and Panasonic is that they were like behaving like Kodak.
Living in and clinging on to the distant past.

The world has changed and competitors' new products as well as price drops for competing (APS-C and full frame) sensors happened after 2008.
But Olympus and Panasonic cameras divisions' top management got stuck in a mental rut and could not realise that the world has changed.
Psychologically and emotionally, they regarded MFT as their "baby" born in 2008 and could not let go.

It took a bit longer for Kodak to collapse from its height of business success, because film was analog.
In its heyday, Kodak was KING.
The transition from film to digital was slow at the start, with many Kodak executives being highly dismissive of the potential of digital imaging.

But with digital imaging, the changes from 2008 to 2020 were rapid and ground breaking.
Moore's Law of computing applies.
By 2020, consumers have so many better choices.
MFT is probably an obsolete sensor format by 2020. Dying a slow death as Panasonic clung on.

4 main things decide the life or death of a manufacturer's product.
Sensor size.
Mount design and size.
PRICE.
Brand status.

 

[ricohflex]

Robin Wong's Youtube video of 3 Nov 2020.
Quote
[ When it comes to lens making the technology and knowhow and the expertise of manufacturing for lenses, Olympus is second to none. ]
UnQuote

I disagree. Robin Wong is entitled to his opinion.

Leica, Schneider, Rodenstock, Carl Zeiss, Kern, Nikon, Canon reaction may be: LOL.

 

[Pitachu]

My personal experience: Leica, Carl Zeiss and Sony GM lenses are above Nikon and Canon.

Olympus Pro Lenses are superb for MFT, but difficult to compare as they are not made to perform
on FF sensors, so cannot be compared.

Olympus may not be the best lens maker, but they have definitely squeezed every last bit of performance
possible with lenses for MFT.

eg. Olympus 60mm Macro and 300mm F4. I was stunned by the quality of the images from my
Olympus EM5 Mkiii, not TOTL camera and with a tiny sensor smaller than APS-C.

 

[An drew]

MFT was good in 2008. It was not "wrong" in 2008.
What was wrong with Olympus and Panasonic is that they were like behaving like Kodak.
Living in and clinging on to the distant past.

The world has changed and competitors' new products as well as price drops for competing (APS-C and full frame) sensors happened after 2008.
But Olympus and Panasonic cameras divisions' top management got stuck in a mental rut and could not realise that the world has changed.
Psychologically and emotionally, they regarded MFT as their "baby" born in 2008 and could not let go.

It took a bit longer for Kodak to collapse from its height of business success, because film was analog.
In its heyday, Kodak was KING.
The transition from film to digital was slow at the start, with many Kodak executives being highly dismissive of the potential of digital imaging.

But with digital imaging, the changes from 2008 to 2020 were rapid and ground breaking.
Moore's Law of computing applies.
By 2020, consumers have so many better choices.
MFT is probably an obsolete sensor format by 2020. Dying a slow death as Panasonic clung on.

4 main things decide the life or death of a manufacturer's product.
Sensor size.
Mount design and size.
PRICE.
Brand status.

Wow, I have been enjoying your posts in this thread, first post on 26 June. I had not seen this thread earlier as I seldom venture to the Olympus forum as my Olympus setup is one body one lens (12-200) for travel, although I have another EP body with a pancake lens. My current systems are still Canon FF and Nikon DX having sold off my Nikon FX and Canon EFS. MFT indeed was good in 2008 with the E-3 and everything else was mostly on cropped sensors. I love my OMD EM1 (released 2013) more than any of my other bodies and I am still using it when I am too lazy to carry a heavier system. It is sad that Olympus is gone and it will be even more sad if Nikon follows.

 

[An drew]

Actually Sony has been supplying its sensors to camera and mobile phone manufacturers for several years,
but it has been very busy and overwhelmed with orders the last few years (see article below).
Probably now it has found time to work on a long overdue request from M43 manufacturers
(anyway it is a relatively small volume compared to mobile phone market)

Besides Panasonic, there is no reason why JIP would not put the new sensor in future models of Olympus.
After all, JIP already has plans to introduce video-centric models for OM-D dslrs.

Sony can't keep up with overwhelming image sensor demands - Gizmochina

Sony Corp is working around the clock to manufacture its in-demand image sensors, but even a 24-hour operation hasn’t been enough.

www.gizmochina.com

Hope M43 will not be terminated so suddenly as it will be such a great pity!

 

[ricohflex]

I have read the following comment (words to that effect) by another person (who owned both), explaining why both failed.

Olympus in Four Thirds had very good lenses (Super High Grade types) but average grade bodies.
Olympus in Micro Four Thirds had very good bodies but average grade lenses.

 

[Pitachu]

Not sure about the first sentence as I was busy using my EOS 1Ds and 5D mkii at that time
and was not checking out on other brands.

For the 2nd Sentence, I am sure a lot of M43 users with experience with Olympus M43 lenses will not agree.
In M43, the 40-150 F2.8, 300mm F4, 60mm Macro are one the best and sharpest lenses around, including those FF ones.
There are many rave review on these lenses (even from non Olympus ambassadors).

From personal experience, it beats some of the Canon L lenses I had.
I also had a Tamron 90mm Macro Full Frame lenses, which is quite well reviewed at that time but certainly no match with the M43 Olympus 60mm Macro in terms of sharpness.

I have read the following comment (words to that effect) by another person (who owned both), explaining why both failed.

Olympus in Four Thirds had very good lenses (Super High Grade types) but average grade bodies.
Olympus in Micro Four Thirds had very good bodies but average grade lenses.

 

[Pitachu]

Not sure about the first sentence as I was busy using my EOS 1Ds and 5D mkii at that time
and was not checking out on other brands.

For the 2nd Sentence, I am sure a lot of M43 users with experience with Olympus M43 lenses will not agree.

In M43, the 40-150 F2.8, 300mm F4, 60mm Macro are one the best and sharpest lenses around, including those FF ones.
There are many rave review on these lenses (even from non Olympus ambassadors).

From personal experience, it beats some of the Canon L lenses I had.
I also had a Tamron 90mm Macro Full Frame lenses, which is quite well reviewed at that time but certainly no match with the M43 Olympus 60mm Macro in terms of sharpness.

I think the person making the comment probably bought the Olympus with 2 Kit Lenses and did not look into other lenses which Olympus had.

I use kit lens too! I purposely bought the 14-42ez (pan cake lens) to fit my EM5 with the tiny LM3 flash and make it like a compact point and shoot camera. Images are not great but good enough for keepsake. It certain beats the quality of my mobile phone 2 years ago

 

[Pitachu]

Did anymore notice that there has been more firmware release, new camera bodies and lenses than any other brands the last couple of months?

It leaves me wondering why are there so much predictions that M43 is dead?
If it is so, Panasonic / Olympus / JIP could have drop everything, retrench all excess staff like so many companies
and let M43 slowly die off. The fact that they didn't means that their users are still around and actively using
their M43 system and probably prepared to continue to buy them.

Yes, M43 will still be around the next few years at least. rumor is Panasonic is going to release the GH6 probably with
the new Sony 30mp sensor for M43, and Olympus will probably follow suit. (EM1 mk4 / EM1x Mk2 ???)

 

[An drew]

Did anymore notice that there has been more firmware release, new camera bodies and lenses than any other brands the last couple of months?

It leaves me wondering why are there so much predictions that M43 is dead?
If it is so, Panasonic / Olympus / JIP could have drop everything, retrench all excess staff like so many companies
and let M43 slowly die off. The fact that they didn't means that their users are still around and actively using
their M43 system and probably prepared to continue to buy them.

Yes, M43 will still be around the next few years at least. rumor is Panasonic is going to release the GH6 probably with
the new Sony 30mp sensor for M43, and Olympus will probably follow suit. (EM1 mk4 / EM1x Mk2 ???)

I hope Olympus will still maintain this website:

https://cs.olympus-imaging.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/download/software/firm/e1/

 

[Pitachu]

Hope Olympus or JIP do.

One of the reasons why I am always willing to pay more for Apple products is Apple usually support their hardware for 4 to 5 years. My few years old iPhone X and Apple TV continue to receive downloads to upgrade the firmware and have new features.

If Olympus or JIP pull the plug, it also mean that their users will pull the plug and switch to other brands for their next upgrade.

 

[Pitachu]

Saw the Ad. I know it is Olympus USA store, but I have a relative there who travel to Singapore frequently so I thought of buying and sending to her house.
Click on it and the popular items I want are all gone. EM5 Mk3, 45mm 1.2 Pro and even the E-M1x are all gone and taken down.
Who say there is no more demand for Olympus gear, especially used or reconditioned ones?

 

[Pitachu]

While on the topic on the future of Olympus, Olympus /JIP have announced it will focus on high end models and video,
here is probably a peek into the new future....

Sharp has posted this new image of the new 8K Micro Four Thirds camera – 43 Rumors

www.43rumors.com

For Sharp to have an 8K M43 camera, that means there exist a 33mp pixel sensor for M43.
It is likely that Panasonic and Olympus already know of this .........

If M43 can record in 8K without having the overheat limit like the Canon R5, I think M43 maybe able to crave a niche

 

[Blu-By-U]

I was hoping that those members reading @ricohflex's posting would cause a mass dumping..So that I can pick up some cheap stuff..looks like it's not happening.

 

[Pitachu]

Ha! Ha! I was hoping for that too. I tried to offer 15% lower than market price and was rejected twice in Carousell.

 

[felixcat8888]

Did anymore notice that there has been more firmware release, new camera bodies and lenses than any other brands the last couple of months?

It leaves me wondering why are there so much predictions that M43 is dead?
If it is so, Panasonic / Olympus / JIP could have drop everything, retrench all excess staff like so many companies
and let M43 slowly die off. The fact that they didn't means that their users are still around and actively using
their M43 system and probably prepared to continue to buy them.

Yes, M43 will still be around the next few years at least. rumor is Panasonic is going to release the GH6 probably with
the new Sony 30mp sensor for M43, and Olympus will probably follow suit. (EM1 mk4 / EM1x Mk2 ???)

There are a lot of nay sayers around. Since I use Pentaxz, I have been hearing that Pentax is dead since 2008, but then, it is still around. We should just use the system that suits us and enjoy our photography journey.