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

[Pitachu]

Sony upgraded the A7Riv to A7Rv with the same sensor and adding AI, which could be done with firmware update.
Same for Nikon on the Z6 and Z6ii, Z7 and Z7ii. Both model upgrades with the same resolution, likely same sensor.
Same for iPhone, Samsung. Nowadays, we cannot export we big jump in every new model.
We should be contented with Minor upgrades. Would you rather have a Pentax or Sigma camera where there are no upgrades for years?

The OM System 150-600 F5-6.3 (FF equilvalent 1200mm @ 6.3) is US$2399
Plenty of much better alternative brands at the price?
Can you name any lenses with full frame equivalent of 1200mm @F6.3?
With image stabilization of 8.5 stops?
Otherwise, @ricohflex don't be so fast to shoot down OM System.
You may have no use for 1200mm @F6.3 but I got a Birding Enthusiast Friend who is now selling her 300mm F4 (which use use with TC2) to get 1200mm @F8 now selling it to get the OM System 150-600. And I am sure there is enough market for this lenses. I am not sure why you keep thinking OM Systems never did any market survey before they jump into pumping money to manufacture a camera or lenses. OM Systems would probably have talked to hundreds of Photographers and ask them what they want.

By the way, I do agree it is expensive compared to Sigma 150-600 but bear in mind that OM System has a much smaller userbase to cover the fixed cost to setup the tooling and programming of the IS. I understand that there were already users able to use the Sigma 150-600 with an adapter, at the expense of slower IS.

Sure die.
Minor changes sold as a new model.
Taking a Sigma and selling as an OMDS lens. How sad is that?
US$2399?
This useless thing is aimed at those with Sunken Costs.

Have to forgive Red35 - he is forced to say it is good as an ambassador. Or else he will be FIRED.

Who is going to buy a camera branded OM System?

New buyers who can spend US$2399 have plenty of much better alternative brands.

At 11:39 Tony Northrup asks " OM, U OK?"
Meaning to say - Are you guys Freaking Insane?

 

[JW73]

I

His review I think is the most balanced for the new OM150600mm.

For light weight solution, the 300mmpro or the 100400mm are the better choices. Take note when he says the IQ at 600mm for the newer lens may not as sharp. (conclusion) This is a common issue for these type of mega zooms. I think it's ok as long we don't crop as much compared to the super sharp lens like 300mm.

Looking at the current price of OM150600 vs 300mmpro, I think the 300mmpro looks more attractive. I am happy even the 300mm is attached with a MC20.

However, end of the day there will still be potential buyers for the new 150600 who are looking for that 1200mm FOV at f6.3 light gathering capabilities.

 

[one eye jack]

In general, tamron and sigma 150 - 600mm zooms is sharp until 500mm so it depends on how steady or good the IS is the tripod technique. Of course do consider the atmospheric conditions ,temperature and haze during hot seasons in sg or elsewhere. People have misconception that at long telephoto one can get sharp image like shorter focal lengths. If you notice Jimmy shot at winter time. So how sharp the last 100mm is dependent on the photographer. There is also different focusing time of the two lenses.

 

[ricohflex]

There will be praise and applause by ambassadors and those with vested interests.
For an alternative opinion.
See below.

 

[Pitachu]

"OM System bought Olympus for $47 about 7 years ago"
"with a Olympus version of a Sigma lenses which is 3 times heavier and 4 times the costs"

Decided to skip the video after the first 2 opening sentences which are total likes.
JIP took over in 2021, not 7 years ago and it is not for $47 but thru some transfer of shares, documented in Olympus EMEA website.

The Olympus 150-600 is not 3 times heavier and 4 times more costly. You can check the specs and price on B&H.

From the Opening screen, it is also not true it is heavier than Full Frame
unless you can name a FF camera that can do 120fps and a lenses that can reach 1200mm @ F6.3 without TC
and is lighter than the OM-1 Mk2 with the 150-600mm lenses

Otherwise @ricohflex you are just posting stuff which are Fake.

@ricohflex Please do not post such Deep Fake Videos.

There will be praise and applause by ambassadors and those with vested interests.
For an alternative opinion.
See below.

 

[Pitachu]

Here is a positive view of M43

 

[one eye jack]

Be honest OMDS , it's a sigma.

 

[Pitachu]

I actually find it quite amusing that each time OM-Systems introduced something, it attracts so much attacks. Why? Maybe Sour Grapes?
Remember when OM-Systems introduced the 90mm Macro with the 2:1 - 4:1 Magnification Ratio and people are saying all kind of things?

Seriously, does it matter if the 150-600 is a Sigma Lenses? Would you rather buy a Sigma Lenses to attach it to the OM-1 and face some minor incompatibility issues with the IBIS, like those of us who tried to use the Panasonic 100-400mm when Olympus does not have the 100-400 yet? For myself, I am glad that at least OM-Systems being a small company, make the effort to reprogram the 150-600 IS to be compatible with the OM-1 IBIS.

Sigma also make the same lenses for Sony. But I will be forced to use the SIgma Lenses IS of about 5.5 on the Tele side or the A7iv IBIS 5.5 stops but I cannot use them together! (IBIS & Lenses IS if can be used together is always the best). And if you are Canon user, you are forced to buy the EF version of this Sigma Lenses which weighs 2800g instead of 2100g becaue Canon has not licensed out its R Mount yet (to what I know).


And the OM 150-600 is definitely an attractive alternative for those who is not willing to spent so much on the flagship 150-400 Pro Lenses?

 

[ricohflex]

Robin says..
The discussion is generally negative regarding the OM-1 Mk2.

 

[Pitachu]

Not sure what Robin is trying to do.......
He said he only saw Jimmy Cheng review and surprised that Chris and Jordan did not talk about OM-1 Mk2?????

I dunno what youtube channels Robin subscribed to but my youtube has tons of reviews on the OM-1 Mk2 from people who have received the camera from Olympus. (Robin probably still sore about not being able to get his hands on newly released Olympus / OM System gear).

And below is the link to Chris review.

Anyway, don't buy just because of reviews. What the reviewer like may not be what you like. Join one of OM workshops in Singapore and test it out to see if it suit your style of shooting and whether it meet your needs before buying. I always do that. eg. I don't like the EM1x, the 300mm F4 after trying and I did not get.

Robin says..
The discussion is generally negative regarding the OM-1 Mk2.

 

[Pitachu]

I posted this earlier. For those of you who want a deeper understanding of the OM-1 Mk2, watch this review by Thomas.
He did a very detailed analysis of the Mk2 including talking about the changes in the algorithm to the sensor etc.
I generally skipped those youtube videos of those reviewers who do not have a hands-on on the camera as they do not have first hand info and probably got their info from watching other reviewers (eg. Robin Wong, Camera Conspiracies etc).

Comprehensive review of OM-1 Mk2. I am salivating.
I was wrong, the review show that the focusing system of the OM-1 mk2 is very much improved.

 

[one eye jack]

I posted this earlier. For those of you who want a deeper understanding of the OM-1 Mk2, watch this review by Thomas.
He did a very detailed analysis of the Mk2 including talking about the changes in the algorithm to the sensor etc.
I generally skipped those youtube videos of those reviewers who do not have a hands-on on the camera as they do not have first hand info and probably got their info from watching other reviewers (eg. Robin Wong, Camera Conspiracies etc).

I think it is ungracious to dizz a fellow professional photographer by saying "he does not know" and probably more pissed that Thomas was "given" OM1 MK2 to play with for 1 year when he is not an ambassador plus he has only a few thousand subscribers compared to Robin's over 60k. So no point even discussing another human foible compared to Peter Forsgard choosing not to burn his bridges by being neutral.
He was asked to comment about OM1 MK2 so he did by not being sour.

 

[Pitachu]

If I am in OMDS Marketing Dept, I would have give Thomas Eisel the OM-1 mk2 to test, as Thomas analysis on M43 equipment is very technical. That is probably the reason why he is not as popular as Robin, as Thomas videos can be quite boring unless you are interested in the deep dive. Robin built his subscribers when he offers good tips on using Olympus and pointing out some of the things which Olympus can improve on.

But I always want to point out things which Robin or any reviewers said which are not the truth.
Robin set a negative tone on the OM-1 mk2 in the beginning by saying that Jimmy Cheng is the only one that posted a review on the OM-1 mk2.
All of you who have been following the release knows that there were several reviews almost immediately after the official announcement and knew that that is not true. And some of the reviewers are not even ambassadors but established in their own field.

Anyway, Peter Forsgard got me interested to search thru his videos on why he switched to Fujifilm for Video and I look forward to hearing from him and Thomas whether the improved OM-1 mk2 video capabilities are able to meet his needs.

I think it is ungracious to dizz a fellow professional photographer by saying "he does not know" and probably more pissed that Thomas was "given" OM1 MK2 to play with for 1 year when he is not an ambassador plus he has only a few thousand subscribers compared to Robin's over 60k. So no point even discussing another human foible compared to Peter Forsgard choosing not to burn his bridges by being neutral.
He was asked to comment about OM1 MK2 so he did by not being sour.

 

[one eye jack]

If I am in OMDS Marketing Dept, I would have give Thomas Eisel the OM-1 mk2 to test, as Thomas analysis on M43 equipment is very technical. That is probably the reason why he is not as popular as Robin, as Thomas videos can be quite boring unless you are interested in the deep dive. Robin built his subscribers when he offers good tips on using Olympus and pointing out some of the things which Olympus can improve on.

But I always want to point out things which Robin or any reviewers said which are not the truth.
Robin set a negative tone on the OM-1 mk2 in the beginning by saying that Jimmy Cheng is the only one that posted a review on the OM-1 mk2.
All of you who have been following the release knows that there were several reviews almost immediately after the official announcement and knew that that is not true. And some of the reviewers are not even ambassadors but established in their own field.

Anyway, Peter Forsgard got me interested to search thru his videos on why he switched to Fujifilm for Video and I look forward to hearing from him and Thomas whether the improved OM-1 mk2 video capabilities are able to meet his needs.

Yes agree with you on not being honest during his live chat when he obviously knew about Thomas but does not mention him until one subscriber mentioned Thomas's preview and this was the time he showed his colour. Totally unnecessary comments about T not knowing what photography is about.
Come on Thomas was the first to post OM1 preview within the first hour of OMDS announcement and he claim he did not see it. This was also the reason I did not linked his chat when it was on live. Note that Jimmy Cheng posted his preview the next day!

 

[JW73]

Robin says..
The discussion is generally negative regarding the OM-1 Mk2.

His view points and followers in general are in the genre of event / street photography. OM1 or the mark 2 and the newer tele lens doesn't suit them. So the negativity.
The older cameras like em5iii or Em1 series and the past m43 lenses linesup are already over-kill for such genre. Let me know what lens is lacking?

OMDS for the past 2 years obviously is focusing on nature/ landscapes/ birds/ macro where there is still some potential market out there where mobile phone can't replace. Fail or success, let it be.

Sad but have to learn how to move on.

 

[Pitachu]

@JW73 you are absolutely right.

When I started with Olympus EM5 Mk3 couple of years back, it became my all-in-one camera.

It is tiny enough to be my street and travel camera, it has 2x Focal for me to do Nature, Wildlife and Birding.
Plus the Light Composite Live View features kept me busy experimenting all the various photo genres.

After I upgrade to OM-1, I used it more often for my nature shots as I find the OM-1 a bit bulky for street and travel.

I would have gotten the smaller OM-5 had OM put in the OM-1 sensor and improve the AF (hopefully in the mk2).

This year, as I dabble into Portraits and have a need for shallow depth of field, I decided to go for the tiny Sony A7CR and pair it with some compact primes which I can use for portrait, street and travel. Shallow Depth of Field is the Achilles Heel of M43, as a very fast 1.4 lenses in M43 has a depth of field of only 2.8.

We cannot have everything in one camera system, so I will go along with OM system in the coming future to do my Nature and Birding shots and use my A7CR for other types of photos.

His view points and followers in general are in the genre of event / street photography. OM1 or the mark 2 and the newer tele lens doesn't suit them. So the negativity.
The older cameras like em5iii or Em1 series and the past m43 lenses linesup are already over-kill for such genre. Let me know what lens is lacking?

OMDS for the past 2 years obviously is focusing on nature/ landscapes/ birds/ macro where there is still some potential market out there where mobile phone can't replace. Fail or success, let it be.

Sad but have to learn how to move on.

 

[Pitachu]

Just my thoughts.....
Sony just released the A9iii with 120fps
Nikon just released a firmware update for AI Bird detection
Canon just rumored to Release the R1 to have faster than 120fps of Sony and Olympus

OM-1 has these features for almost 2 years, and yet critics keep saying OM Systems is dead, has not innovation blah blah blah
OM-1 mk2 was just released and again critics say just firmware update and not much innovation, BUT
OM-1 mk2 can buffer more than 200+ shots continuously when shooting at 120fps, ahead of competitors again.

I am both a OM and Sony user. Why would I want to get the A9iii at more than twice the price of the OM-1 mk2,
with only 24mp and half the focal length? The Sigma 150-600mm only reach only 600mm on the Sony, Nikon or Canon,
but can reach 1200mm on the OM-1. I would gladly pay more for the OM 150-600 (to reach 1200mm) and use on my OM-1 then to get it for my Sony,
as the Sony TC2 is $600 and downgrade the Sigma 150-600 F5-6.3 to 300-1200 F10-F12.6 (almost unusable unless in bright daylight).

 

[JW73]

The Om1 mark 2 build-in Grad ND feature is actually a great tool and is the first in the market. No need to buy expensive filter or even the adapters for those ultra wide angle lens in the m43 linesup. The good filters set can cost up to $1k.

The Pro-capture capture was first introduced in 2016 in Em1ii. Now Sony users (2024) are praising and screaming the new feature precapture in A9iii.

 

[ricohflex]

There are YouTube uploaders who say OMDS OM System OM1-Mk2 is lousy.
There are YouTube uploaders who say OMDS OM System OM1-Mk2 is good.
From what I can observe, OMDS is repeating the mistake made by the now dead Olympus Camera Division.
Paying people either directly or indirectly to praise one's products - in an effort to get higher sales.
Somehow that tactic did not work for the now dead Olympus Camera Division.
Why?
Because camera & lens buying consumers are not stupid. That is why.
Which led to the eventual death of the Olympus Camera Division.
Unfortunately, its reincarnation OMDS is making the same mistake.
Which will have only one predictable outcome.
We in this forum and other people in other forums are just kibitzers, making some comments.
The ultimate determinant is the world wide camera & lens buying public.
The world wide market share will tell whether OMDS lives or dies.
OMDS in 2022 and 2023 were still selling some old stock branded "Olympus".
When all stock is branded OM Systems then we can observe.
Whether OMDS can make an appearance on the world wide market share pie chart.
That is if % market share is high enough.
If OMDS can only secure 1% or less, then very difficult.
Wait 1 or 2 years and monitor.

 

[Pitachu]

There are YouTube uploaders who say OMDS OM System OM1-Mk2 is lousy.
There are YouTube uploaders who say OMDS OM System OM1-Mk2 is good.

>> If you notice, those youtubers that say OM-1 Mk2 is lousy (eg. Camera Conspiracy) either have not used the OM-1 Mk2 or not using it for its intended purpose. By the way, the fact Camera Conspiracy added his Affiliate Links to order the OM-1 Mk2 shows that he knows his audience does not take his comments seriously but more for laughter and entertainment. Robin Wong just did a very good video on his OM-1 capability for night street photo with ISO200. Actually I don't see any bad reviews of the OM-1 Mk2 except comments that it should have been a free firmware upgrade for OM-1 Users.

From what I can observe, OMDS is repeating the mistake made by the now dead Olympus Camera Division.

>> If you go thru Olympus Corporate website, you can actually find that OMDS is a startup by JIP and Olympus with Olympus still owning shares in OMDS. The division is not dead and Olympus still want to own part of it and definitely did not sell it for $47 as mentioned by one the the websites you quoted.

Paying people either directly or indirectly to praise one's products - in an effort to get higher sales.
Somehow that tactic did not work for the now dead Olympus Camera Division.
Why?

Any Content Creator will die if they deviate too much from the truth. They will receive a huge amount of criticism and subscribers abandonment if what they review is not true. To date, I do not see any serious criticism of OMDS Ambassadors review. Ambassadors cannot be bribed. Their social media channel is worth much more than what brand owners pay them.

Because camera & lens buying consumers are not stupid. That is why.
Which led to the eventual death of the Olympus Camera Division.
Unfortunately, its reincarnation OMDS is making the same mistake.
Which will have only one predictable outcome.
We in this forum and other people in other forums are just kibitzers, making some comments.
The ultimate determinant is the world wide camera & lens buying public.
The world wide market share will tell whether OMDS lives or dies.
OMDS in 2022 and 2023 were still selling some old stock branded "Olympus".
When all stock is branded OM Systems then we can observe.

Isn't it common sense they sell off the existing stock first? Which business do not do that? And the fact that they can sell off all the stock shows that although Olympus users new and old knew of the transition and still buy shows that they have faith in the product.

Whether OMDS can make an appearance on the world wide market share pie chart.
That is if % market share is high enough.
If OMDS can only secure 1% or less, then very difficult.
Wait 1 or 2 years and monitor.

I have explained in my earlier post that 1% market share is more than US$200M of sales.
OMDS is now a very lean company and definitely able to cover costs.
@ricohflex, does your current company have about US$200M sales.
If it has about US$200 Million sales do you close it down? (or ask your boss to close it down) LOL
Just to illustrate your flawed thoughts that OM System will close down.