Lots of commotion yesterday with the Olympus headlines...
I got up this morning and guess what? My Olympus camera, with all of its amazing technology (technology like live composite that no one else has) and in-camera focus stacking and pro-capture, which are just amazing, STILL WORKS!
I have received a lot of questions. The opinions herein are my own and do not reflect Olympus. I have made a note when an answer came directly from an Olympus communication to Tom and I as brand ambassadors. Certainly, time will answer some of the questions being asked, but here are some answers...
- Olympus will continue business as usual. The camera business is not being shut down.
- This was statement was officially sent to us from Olympus
- Read #1 again. Don’t panic -- Olympus cameras did not implode overnight, and they are not going to spontaneously combust and disappear.
- Nikon is owned by Mitsubishi. Volvo is owned by Geely from China. Jaguar is owned by Tata Motor, India. Mini is owned by BMW, Germany. Lamborghini is owned by Volkswagen, Germany. I am glad that Olympus did not just close (like Kodak who could have sold their camera division) or transfer their amazing technology to another camera company. Hopefully JIP will just bankroll the camera division and let the camera team do whatever they need to do to deliver results. I seem to remember that Minolta DSLRs became Sony DSLRs. The announcement in and of itself does not worry us. Allegedly, the entire division is supposed to be included in the transition. This includes patents, R & D, inventory and most important the personnel themselves, who have worked to make the Olympus cameras what they are today. The fact that all camera sales are way down as compared to ten years ago because of cell phones impacts the entire photographic industry, not just camera companies.
- Is Olympus going to stop producing cameras? It is the intention that Olympus will continue to sell and support cameras and lenses. Although specific market plans are still under negotiation with the buyer, Olympus plans to continue business in the Americas.
- This was statement was officially sent to us from Olympus
- Your Olympus warranties are still valid. The transfer is not expected to affect Olympus service and Olympus' Authorized Service Centers will continue business as usual during the transfer process.
- This was statement was officially sent to us from Olympus
- The Olympus Authorized Service Centers are conducting business as usual. Check your repair status by visiting: https://www.olympusedesk.com/cpgrepairs/cpg_servicerepair.asp
- This was statement was officially sent to us from Olympus
- There are no plans to change product launches in 2020. Products that have been announced as under development will be introduced to the market as planned.
- This was statement was officially sent to us from Olympus
- Tom and I are looking forward to the 150-400 with the built-in 1.4X (1000mm handheld!) that is being released in 2020. We do not regret making the transition to Olympus or the fact that we just got four EM1 mark III cameras!
- I can tell you that Tom and I have no plans to make any changes to our gear (except add the new 150-400mm when it comes out). We absolutely love:
- The Live Composite technology. I cannot contemplate doing night photography, light painting, cloud stacking, Neutral density photography, etc. without Live Composite – and no other system offers Live Composite. It is a game-changer for night photography. As is the new Starry night AF AI (EM1 mark iii).
- The weather-sealed camera bodies and lenses, it is liberating to be able to photograph in the rain and not have to worry about your gear or have your creativity impeded upon by bulky rain gear.
- The in-camera focus stacking. I cannot tell you how many times a day we use in-camera focus stacking, capturing images with beautiful backgrounds and tack sharp subjects straight out of the camera is awesome
- The really cool pro-capture feature where you can capture frames before you trip the shutter
- The amazing IBIS, the image stabilization is awesome. I can routinely handhold images that were taken at 1/8 second and have taken a lot of sharp images at 1,2 and even 4 seconds!
- The supersonic dust prevention sensor
- The lenses with their sharp glass. The 60mm lens is my favorite, but their 12-40 2.8, 40-150 2.8, and 300mm f4 are equally great. I love being able to handhold 600mm (or 840mm with the 1.4x) -- at a fraction of the weight (and cost) of other camera lenses.
- The ergonomic and lightweight EM1 Mark III – my favorite camera body!
- I have no idea if the Olympus Educator program that Tom and I are part of will continue. Of course, we do hope that the Olympus ambassador programs will continue.
- The full statement of the Olympus Imaging Business memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan Industrial Partners, Inc. (JIP) is here: www.olympus-global.com/news/2020/nr01695.html
- The Olympus Technical Support team is available to answer any product questions! Hours of operation and contact information can be found by visiting: https://www.getolympus.com/customer-service#contact
- This was statement was officially sent to us from Olympus
- You can find support information for all Olympus products online by visiting: https://learnandsupport.getolympus.com/support
- For the most up to date information about Olympus products in the Americas, visit: getolympus.com
- Olympus's online portal: https://learnandsupport.getolympus.com/contact-olympus
- Specific inquiries can be directed to: ConsumerPR@olympus.com
If we get any more specific information, we will share it.
Here are some of our Live Composite images -- Live Composite is not available in any other system...
