Olympus Troubles

[ken_max__parks]

<p>It appears that Olympus is having to do a bit of reorganization this coming April in order to resolve the $1.7 billion financial scandal.</p>

<p>Here is the article....</p>

<p>http://news.yahoo.com/olympus-hold-shareholder-meeting-april-20-080541890.html</p>

[ken_max__parks]

<p>More than a year ago, I decided to put the Olympus E-3 and E-30 aside in favor of the Canon 7D. At that time there were no stories about the Olympus financial scandal. In retrospect, I'm glad to have made the move, especially with the flagship E-5 not meeting the prosumer demands.</p>

<p>I still have the entire Olympus system, and I'm looking at selling the whole kit and kabootle. You never realize how much you have until one does a full inventory.</p>

<p>I think the real and only market for Olympus is the non-series amateur to the consumer. The way the iPhone and other smart phones implement the usage of cameras, Olympus may want to reconsider going telcomm as opposed to just a point-n-shoot.</p>

<p>Just my 2-cents worth.</p>

[bruce_rubenstein]

<p>You've never heard of Micro four-thirds, the Pen series of the OM-D have you, Rip Van Asleepunderarock, have you?</p>

[Greg M]

<p>Yep, $.02 was about it in terms of worth.</p>

<p>"Max" is the right word..... as in, out of touch.</p>

[GerrySiegel]

<blockquote>

<p>I think the real and only market for Olympus is the non-series amateur to the consumer.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I cop a plea on the <em>consumer</em> part, but <em>non serious</em>? , uh whoah, that sounds like some dpreviewforumish fightin' lingo overkill , hombre......</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>Really a very amusing concept to the serious m4/3 user LOL :-)<br>

I can see going from Olympus to Canon in the DSLR field might make sense for reasons other than Oly's financial problems.</p>

[JosvanEekelen]

<p>OMG, Ken, you did it. Switched to Canon and see what happent so Oly :-) Please don't ever do that again.</p>

 

[ken_max__parks]

<p>At least I didn't get bashed for mentioning the wonderful flagship, E-5 not being a prosumer camera. I don't see how Olympus can set the price of this dSLR and also compete against the BIG boys, Nikon and Camera, by which they have better cameras at the same or lower price.<br>

A serious m4/3 user doesn't necessarily make a serious amateur or professional. These small cameras seem to cater to the less informed consumer market. With the advent of better cameras in the iPhones and Androids, sales have slipped dramatically and Olympus is at a loss.<br /><br />I can never understand the concept of a small camera (mirror less) and yet have to attach a protruding lens... not quite comfortable in the shirt pockets. Just one of my observations.</p>

[ken_max__parks]

<p>Come to think of it, since the Olympus financial woes hit the press, I haven't used the Olympus system in more than 8 months. I ddid manage to get a convrter for the 55mm f/1.2 Zuiko lens for the Canon EOS; it makes a good portrait lens. Also. the Hassy 80mm Carl Zeiss lens fits well on the Canon 7D.<br /><br /><br />I'll say this much... Olympus makes some good legacy glass.</p>

<p>The OM-D... is that a REAL camera?</p>

[porter]

<p>Say what you will about protruding lenses and what not, but m4/3 cameras still have a nice little place in the world. 4/3 cameras on the other hand... Not so much. I had an E-520, E-620 and an E-5, all of which were nice cameras, but none of which are still in my hands. They were simply too big for the results I was getting, so like you, I switched to a Canon camera. Guess what? My 5Dii is around the same size as an E-5, but about a million times better. Seriously. Did I completely give up? No, I've had my E-P2 for a long time now, longer than any other digital camera by a long shot. With the 20mm, I can slip it in my jacket pocket and get some great shots. Do I have gripes about it? Sure, but it is still a great piece of kit.</p>

<p>Does the camera REALLY matter all that much in the end? Not really. So long as you enjoy using it, you'll get the shots you're after. I didn't really like the D7000 (crazy? right), so I got rid of it. E-P2 stayed.</p>

<p>Canon 5D2 w/ 28mm<br>

<a title="Untitled by Patrick E Porter, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6576527547_8a1e5ff078_z.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="436" /></a><br>

Olympus E-P2 w/ 20mm <br>

<a title="What do you want, Shazoo? by Patrick E Porter, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5320/5836029713_c067a9752b_z.jpg" alt="What do you want, Shazoo?" width="640" height="443" /></a><br>

Nikon D7000 w/ 35mm<br>

<a title="Untitled by Patrick E Porter, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5082/5726737822_2283e5c3d6_z.jpg" alt="" width="435" height="640" /></a></p>

[hyunyu]

<p>Wow, Olympus and Nikon take <em>years</em> off the subject! Don't know what's wrong with the Canons.<br>

:)</p>

[szrimaging]

<p>Patrick, how much money do you have invested in cameras?! Nikon, Canon and a m4/3? Next you're going to say there is a 4x5 and MF system collecting dust in the closet......</p>

<p>As for Ken's claims, I think you are going to start seeing more and more pros picking it up as a secondary system.</p>

[porter]

<p>Well, I get special prices on Nikon gear, so when I choose to sell it I usually get back what I paid. I have lost (waisted) a lot of money changing systems though. I went from the E620 to a Nikon D90, to a Nikon D700, to an E-5 and E-P2, back to a different D700, to a D7000, to the 5Dii. Each time I've changed systems I've sold everything off except for flashes. Favourite lens I've owned? Probably the Nikon 105mm f/2 DC or Olympus' 50mm f/2.<br>

Only thing that sits collecting dust at my house is a Panasonic LX-3 and a Nikon F55. I did shoot two rolls of Portra with the F55 last year though ;)</p>

<p>Back to the topic at hand though. Zach is probably right, more pros will probably (some already have) pick up m4/3 gear. Why? Fast primes and true size benefits if you choose to shoot with pancakes. If I look at my shots over the past couple years, majority have been taken with the 20mm. Hands down.</p>

[ken_max__parks]

<p>Patrick, very nice snapshots. The major advantages I see in the E-P2 is the light-weight and small platform, making it easy for general photography. But I'll stay with the Canon EOS 7D for the sake of high quality resolution, low noise distortion, and ability to shoot in low-light conditions as compared to the E-3 and the E-30 (currently collecting dust).</p>

<p>The above criteria is necessary in my line of work, wedding and portrait photography. And I've seen the differences of image quality firsthand between the 7D and the E-3/E-30. There's no contest... the 7D out-performs in most every photographic condition.</p>

<p>Last year, I met with David Ziser (renown wedding photographer), and he switched over from Nikon to Canon, and his favorite is the 7D. </p>

<p>Overall, the dSLR and Point-n-shoots are losing out to the simplified smart-phone cameras; Nikon and Canon report sales are down more than 30%. And being that Olympus shares less than 5% of that pie chart and their current financial woes, I don't see too much from Olympus in the near future, especially when it comes to a serious attempt to market toward the prosumer.</p>

<p>I guess some folks think I'm "out of touch."</p>

[ken_max__parks]

<p>Zack, I've met with a lot of pro's in my travels within the wedding photography business, and none of them shoot with a m4/3.</p>

<p>I perused through the dpreview article on the Olympus OM-D E-M5, and I perceive this camera will not be used by professional photographers... just a gut feeling!</p>

<p>Again, Olympus seems to have targeted the E-M5 toward the consumer market. The EVF is a battery burner and that doesn't appeal to pro's when shooting an on-site assignment. The major advantage seems to be the built-in enhanced stabilization.</p>

<p>Olympus would have been better off in designing an OM type camera using optical VF, a 16mp 4/3 that would take the same lenses as the E-series dSLRs. And aim the marketing toward the prosumer... call it the E-7 or E/OM-7.</p>

<p>But as I've stipulated before, I believe Olympus has given up on any chance to compete with the BIG boys, Nikon and Canon prosumer market and is simply relying upon consumer sales and higher volume.</p>

 

[szrimaging]

<p>Ken, you seem to be implying that I am saying it will be a primary system (i.e. your Canon, my Nikon). That isn't what I'm saying at all, but rather a secondary system to the Nikon's and Canons, maybe even just for personal use (replacing things like the LX3).</p>

<p>Will it hit pro ranks, yes. Will it hit it and hugely displace Nikon and Canon, no way. Plus, you are talking one small portion of the overall pro market. Wedding/event probably will stay Nikon. I would say PJ, semi-pro, travel, and anybody that benefits from lightweight systems, is where you should be looking.</p>

[ken_max__parks]

<p>Primary or Secondary, the only benefits seems to be for those who already have the 4/3 lenses and who have to rely upon the new art-filters in lieu of Photoshop.</p>

<p>Most pro's that I hang with know how to use Photoshop and would prefer to have the original image to work with.</p>

<p>There are just too many issues about this camera to dismiss it as a prosumer camera, even as a secondary camera.</p>

<p>Speaking of secondary or backup, I went with the Canon 40D... uses all the same lenses as the 7D and it's primary purpose is for wide-angle or fish-eye. The 7D is the workhorse. I tote both of these during my assignments.</p>

<p>If I had to go light and small (secondary), I would select a Point-n-Shoot that has a 10X or greater lens, wide to tele. I would not want to invest in a few lenses for a secondary camera, just something quick to shoot with without having to carry lenses.</p>

<p> </p>

[szrimaging]

<p>I wouldn't call the 40D a secondary system, it's still part of the primary system, just a backup camera.</p>

<p>I shoot m43 for walkaround/travel/daily use now because it offers more flexibility and better images than any point and shoot I have had (including the LX3). I have never touched those art filters, but instead use the RAW files + Photoshop. The images have been used on the web (were 90% of what I shoot ends up at) and a few billboards. The quality easily surpasses what I had from my Nikon D200, and that was up to "pro" use standards for many.</p>

<p>And the advantages of m43 have nothing to do with 43 lenses, in fact, I would call that just a bonus for those with 43 glass already.</p>

[porter]

<p>I don't think anyone would consider using m4/3 for professional wedding work. Aside from battery life and lack of a fast 24-70 equivalent lens, Olympus isn't set up to cater to professionals needs the way Nikon and Canon are. Canon and Nikon Pro Services just aren't something you can live without if you make your living with cameras...</p>

<p>What is m4/3 for if not to shoot professionally? To shoot for fun in situations that a larger camera is too cumbersome for. Lots of older folks find it difficult to continue lugging around heavy lenses and bodies, but still want good quality images to retain precious memories. Great for them.</p>

[porter]

<p>Add to my above post: I see that on a recent Facebook Q&A session with consumers, Olympus stated something to the effect of "possibly" adding pro support services to the O-MD line up. Interesting.</p>

[ken_max__parks]

<p>Patrick, I agree with your assessment.</p>

<p>Zack, I understand where you're coming from, and there's no doubt that the m4/3 cameras can do just as well in comparison to some of the top model Nikons and Canons under certain conditions. But as I've mentioned before, the overall performance of the Canon 7D in comparison to the E-3 and E-30 (12mp-4/3 sensor) certainly exceeds in low-light conditions, resolution, and low-noise. The latter is especially necessary when shooting HDR which is inherent of this flaw, digital noise.</p>

<p>I just received an e-mail from Olympus regarding the new m4/3 camera. E-M5 release. For one starting out in a new system it could be to their advantage, having to purchase the m4/3 lenses and all the accessories. But, I'm married to the Canon EOS 7D system, which easily out-performs any Olympus digital camera.</p>

<p>I perceive the art filters and anyone who has to resort to using them as being amateurish, and the perception is that one may not have the ability to use Photoshop to emulate the art filter results. Have you noticed that the BIG boys have not implemented anything of the sort on their dSLRs? If this feature was successful, I'm certain the BIG boys would have added the same type of feature.</p>

<p>I wish you further success with the m4/3.</p>

<p>:-)</p>

<p> </p>

[profhlynnjones]

<p>Come on guys, this has become a "Pi**ing Contest", or my camera is better than your camera, or my camera is more expensive than yours. In the real world of digital photography, unless you routinely make 20"X30" prints or larger, then any of the cameras of 8 mp or higher resolution whether 4/3, 65%, or full frame will do the job provided the optics are good enough (and not all are), mostly the question is, "How Good is the Photographer". Because of my professional situation, I am aware of several dozens of working photographers, the most commonly found will be an even mix between Nikon and Canon, 3rd and 4th will be Olympus and Sony, the brand I see least often is Pentax, although the cameras I have seen of them are very good.</p>

<p>Most of the catalog photographers are in the Dallas area and we had some superb advertising/fashion troops there. However, when automatic DSLR's became easily available, lots of people thought that reasonably good exposure and color meant that you were PROFESSIONALS, ugh. The art directors started hiring these incompetents based on price, only to find that they were not very good. What they have been doing lately is demanding Mamiya-Leaf or Hasselblad cameras with over 20 mp resolution. We're talking $25 to $35 thousand minimum camera cost per photographer, that pretty much eliminated most of amateurs with nice cameras. If you really need this amount of resolution, you might consider renting a large format camera for that occasional use.</p>

<p>Lynn BA, HonMS Hon. life member Texas Prof. Photographers Assn<br>

In my 65th year of professional photography, 22nd year full time professor of professional photography</p>

<p> </p>