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[OM] Does ---Olympus--- [Micro Four Thirds] Have a Future in Photography

Subject: [OM] Does ---Olympus--- [Micro Four Thirds] Have a Future in Photography?
From: "tOM Trottier" <tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2020 22:39:39 -0400
Does Micro Four Thirds Have a Future in 
Photography?
from 
https://petapixel.com/2020/07/11/does-micro-four-thirds-have-a-future-in-photography/
as of Sat Jul 11 2020 22:34:29 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
…
PetaPixel
…
The Fall of Olympus
  For 84 years, Olympus produced brilliant cameras that garnered a strong 
following. The last 5 years have not been kind to the industry and 
unfortunately, it was too much for the company. Sales have been dropping year 
on year and losses continued to mount. This current pandemic exacerbated the 
situation and ultimately led the company to sell off its camera division. 
Chances are, this would have happened regardless of the pandemic and COVID-19 
simply sped up the process.
  The main issue with Olympus was that it offered cameras that only appealed 
to an exceedingly small sector of the market. The photography industry is 
(relatively speaking) a pretty niche industry already, and it is tough to be 
a niche within a niche.
  The other problem with Olympus was that the unique selling proposition 
(USP) it offered simply wasn’t compelling enough. In my discussions with both 
the customers and the company, they described IBIS and the small lightweight 
body as their main selling points. Both those features are useful but 
ultimately, insignificant.
  The main reason I say this is because there are plenty of options available 
that people could comfortably describe as better than what Olympus has. 
Consider the Olympus E-M 1 Mark III. This camera is priced at $1,599 and 
that’s after a rebate. Cameras like the $1,499 Fujifilm X-T3 are far better 
values mostly because they’re less expensive, offer more notable features, 
and have a much larger sensor.
The Olympus E-M 1 Mark III
  Sony also has a number of less expensive APS-C cameras available and for 
many consumers, the few minor benefits that Olympus offered just weren’t 
enough.
The biggest problem with Olympus was that it didn’t focus a great deal on 
video, and that’s where companies like Panasonic truly excelled for a long 
time. The Panasonic GH5, for example, was one of the very first few cameras 
on the market that offered 4K 60p at an affordable price point. In fact, even 
now I can’t find a single Olympus camera with video features that can compete 
with the GH5 or the Fujifilm X-T3.
  If you’re a photographer in the market for a new camera, it’s difficult to 
recommend an Olympus. The issue is that for many people, the difference in 
image quality is tough to swallow, especially considering the prices of 
competing options.
  Essentially, Olympus cameras cost more to offer lesser image quality and 
most consumers just didn’t see the benefit. This is not to say that Olympus 
cameras are not worth buying because they are brilliant. Market perception, 
however, can be tough to shake.
Transition to Full-Frame
  When Panasonic moved over to full-frame, many people wondered if Olympus 
was going to do the same. Many people also wondered about the future of the 
format and assumed that Panasonic will eventually stop producing new Micro 
Four Thirds products.
  This makes sense — as a company, it would be more effective for Panasonic 
to concentrate its efforts on one format, and it seems full-frame is the one 
they have picked.
  When I asked Olympus the question last year in March, it reconfirmed its 
commitment to Micro Four Thirds. In hindsight, it seems that maybe the 
company didn’t want to invest more into the photography industry. The main 
problem is that even if Olympus did decide to move over to full-frame, what 
would it actually offer?
  As a company it doesn’t have a long history in video, so that wouldn’t have 
been a great option. If it’s wildlife and action, then it already has that 
covered with its current line of cameras and lenses. Canon and Nikon already 
dominate this sector for full-frame. Unfortunately for the company, it just 
didn’t have anything compelling enough to offer by moving to the larger 
format.
…
Final Thoughts
It is upsetting to see a fine company such as Olympus having to sell off its 
camera division. Despite this, these tough times may provide some useful 
lessons for the industry. Companies may start focusing their efforts where it 
counts, and the competition could be beneficial to the end consumers. 
  Ultimately, although the format may not continue to hold a prominent 
position in the photography industry, I think Micro Four Thirds will continue 
to thrive in the video industry. These types of cameras offer a great deal of 
value, which could be difficult to match with larger sensor cameras.
…
This not-for-profit reproduction is for the purposes of private study, 
research, criticism, review, 
education, parody or satire as permitted under provisions of Copyright Act 
C-42(fair dealing) in 
Canada, and under Title 17 USC Section 107 of US Copyright Law(fair use).
                                  

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