Woodford talkes about the future of the Olympus camera business.
Amateur Photographer (Click here) published an Interview with ex-CEO Woodford. There is an interesting part concerning the camera business. W. thinks that “The camera business is stronger than it’s been for several years but we have to see where Olympus’s future goes“. And Woodford hinted that he would have felt differently had he been in charge three or four years ago.
Woodofrd also sees a bright future for high-end superzoom compact cameras.
And than he talks about the mirrorless system: “I am a great believer in product… we make world-beating cameras, wonderful lenses, sexy-styled bodies. We can do that – that’s what I’ve learned as I’ve got closer to the camera business.” However, he expressed frustration that Olympus did not have more resources to invest in a market that is becoming ever more competitive, and now pitching up against the likes of camera giant Nikon in the CSC arena.
Just my two cent: I fully agree with him! Olympus (and Panasonic) created a great system but missed to bring more innovations. And now cameras like the Sony NEX-7, Nikon 1 and Fuji upcoming LX are bringing some REAL innovation (hybrid viewfinder, built-in EVF, High ISO quality and so on). But I don’t want to sound to negative. I think the m43 sensor size is the best choice to keep a good quality-camera size balance. And we also have some incredible nice lens other companies cannot offer. But I would lvoe to see less camera reiteration!
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Recent comments
Comment from Miroslav: Try:
Olympus E-PL3 with 14-150mm lens
...
Comment from lnqe-M: If E-P3 and E-5, is the last camera from...
Comment from Thom Hogan: I'll believe it when I see it. Certainly...
Comment from st3v4nt: When all this scandal would be stop and ...
Anonymous
7 months ago |10-35 mm F2.0 will be innovative
YouDidntDidYou
7 months ago |Bit of a Drama queen is Woodford “John Grisham ” this, “Watergate” that etc..
and
“‘The camera business is stronger than it’s been for several years but we have to see where Olympus’s future goes,’ he told AP.
‘We have gone back into profit in the consumer business. I would keep it for the moment. “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ypocaramel
7 months ago |The 12mm f2.0 wasn’t the sharpest lens but it was pretty innotaive with the distance scale. Sometimes little ergonomic things are just as useful as the fancy stuff like high ISO and hybrid viewfinder. Great potenial if it came in a focal length I actually used
MJr
7 months ago |“..but it was pretty innotaive with the distance scale. Sometimes little ergonomic things are just as useful as the fancy stuff like high ISO and hybrid viewfinder.”
QFAT ! If only they would use that mentality in their next enthusiast m43 camera system.
I don’t know why you categorized the Fuji’s Hybrid Viewfinder as fancy tho. Because that was basically the definition of innovation. It’s not just EVF+OVF, it’s also endless information overlay in the OVF. Man that is the shit. And the way it’s put together technically.. awesome.
ypocaramel
7 months ago |When it comes down to innovation I’m more concerned with “usefulness” rather than “awesomeness” per se. I dunno, needless to say the hybrid is great innovation, but so far I’m not really convinced with the whole OVF thing if it doesn’t save battery. Though I haven’t had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with Leicas and the X100 either.
bilgy_no1
7 months ago |What do you mean Olympus didn’t bring real innovation to the camera market?
Nice to get some insights from Mr. W. I like him more and more.
lnqe-M
7 months ago |I hope Mr. Woodford mean the he say.
Robbie
7 months ago |He will KILL the camera division completely I am sure if he’s been the one in charge, whether in the past or the future.
ELLIOT
7 months ago |I disagree with your “two cents.” I have been in this industry a very long time and Olympus has always been an innovator. Their problem is that they have never carried through with those innovations because of not properly capitalizing their camera division. Their lack of marketing which is completely overshadowed by Nikon and Canon is historical just as it was with Pentax. Olympus’ Compact System Cameras are excellent and could be a lot better if they were not diverting money. Other camera companies have stepped in DUDU over the years and managed to have the boots. Olympus steps in DUDU and treats it like quicksand. Both Olympus and Pentax could have been number 1 and number 2 had they made the marketing efforts to become those leaders. They certainly have the technical ability to design and manufacture incredible products. So the bottom line is they shot them selves in the foot even though they had the lead again.
You always leave out the Ricoh GXR nitch camera. It is excellent and out of the box designed. I thought they were just happy where they were but now they bought Pentax.
This industry is changing by the hour.
Thom Hogan
7 months ago |Basically +1
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
A. Olympus hasn’t fully followed through in product design; they’ve pulled their punches much of the time, including on their key attribute: size versus competence.
B. Olympus’ marketing has been Epic Fail.
C. Their dealer system is in shambles (see B).
D. They too often ignore the users that have historically been their strength (enthusiast), as they seem to want to be a consumer company when they’re not.
E. Like most of the camera companies, they see their local market but not the global market demands.
I’d disagree that Olympus could be number 1, though (see D). They have been and would be in the future a niche owner, not an overall leader. It would take something far more radical and innovative than they’ve ever done to have a chance at being one of the top three camera makers overall, and even then they don’t have the infrastructure or discipline to achieve it.
The clear asset in the imaging division is the R&D engineering. All the rest could go and not be missed. But even then it would take a clear leader to direct the engineering. At one time back in the 80′s they seemed to have that. It seems less so every year since.
Ranger 9
7 months ago |Considering that nobody really knows what “Fuji upcoming LX” will be bringing, this seems a bit premature. If it turns out to be little more than an X10 with an interchangeable lens mount, the fuss made over it may seem a bit silly.
Likewise with Nikon, which (in all honesty) has brought little in the way of real innovation to its 1-series, other than applying mainstream-digicam features (and sensor size) to an interchangeable-lens camera.
Sony’s NEX-7 can be seen as innovative in its built-in OLED viewfinder, but otherwise it’s a camera that simply scores on “sex appeal” and pixel count rather than genuinely groundbreaking concepts.
Sam
7 months ago |Lots of people know what the new Fuji will be bringing: a real camera.
nobody
7 months ago |Ranger 9 wrote, “Likewise with Nikon, which (in all honesty) has brought little in the way of real innovation to its 1-series…”
I think you may be in for a major surprise when you’ll see what innovations like on sensor PD AF or the use of 600mp/sec processing capabilities will make possible in the upcoming Nikon D4
ypocaramel
7 months ago |I see the NEX-7 as more of a compilation of all the things we love in camera rather than any particular innovation per se. The basic pattern of a mirrorless, compact, large sensor EVF-intergrated camera dates back to 2008 – the Panasonic G1, but NEX-7 gives us all something a better on all fronts: better sensor, better EVF, excellent movie mode etc… the NEX-7 is as much evolutionary as it is revolutionary. But sometimes it’s not the most innovative camera that’s the best, but the most mature. It’s the one strong in all areas and doesn’t leave anything out.
(oops just saw the conversation below. Seems like I was put to this analysis).
Thom Hogan
7 months ago |> No one knows about the upcoming Fujifilm
Actually, it’s fairly well leaked in the backrooms. It’s basically an X100 with interchangeable lens mount and a handful of interesting primes. By sticking to primes, they can deal with the finder issues without reverting 100% to EVF. But as I’ve written too many times: Fujifilm has other issues they need to address, like write speed, menu structure, and flakiness of firmware.
> Nikon brought little innovation to the Nikon 1
You apparently haven’t actually tried one. The V1 is a very different experience than anything else on the market. What other camera in its category can fire 25 consecutive raw frames without pausing and follow focus on moving objects? My objection to the Nikon 1 is that they’ve put a Ferrari engine in a stripped Ford Focus.
> NEX-7 is innovative
You have a strange definition of “innovation.” Integrating an EVF is not innovation. It’s a logical evolution BACK to where we once were.
southbymidwest
7 months ago |What about the Fuji’s sensor Thom? There is a lot of talk about an innovative new sensor… Is that all just fun-with-patents talk or something more?
Thom Hogan
7 months ago |I’ll believe it when I see it. Certainly Fujifilm is capable of better sensors, but lately they’ve been using other company’s sensors in their products (Toshiba in the compacts, Sony in the X100). The EXR and previous iterations are one-trick ponies that trade resolution for something else, and Fujifilm hasn’t pushed the resolution high enough to justify that.
Paulus
7 months ago |Dear Admin,
Great Article!
It is very pleasant that Mr. Woodford believes in the future of the Olympus Micro Four Thirds System and will not close the Olympus Imaging Division.
+ 100%
I fully agree with Admin and Mr. Woodford.
frosti7
7 months ago |IMHO, except for the faster AF, The E-P3 of today is the same camera as E-P1
Ganec
7 months ago |you are wrong .. I have both .. except the senzor everything was updated
exposure has different logic, banding and blue noise is solved, white ballance is realistic (with “keep warm color” turned off), shooting is without delay .. not only build flash and (really usable) tauch AMOLED screen
Even value of Auto-ISO is displayed now .. which was the only “problem” with E-P1 for me
ypocaramel
7 months ago |And those “minor” changes are what makes the E-P3 so much more useful than the E-P1. Especially the AF and accessory port.
elleyy
7 months ago |Mr. Woodford should not had been the CEO at first place. The word “business” is business. There’s no such thing as an “honest business.” Every cooperation has its “business” and behind the scenes money making bad business.
stickytape
7 months ago |That made no sense at all, except for the statement in the middle, which was erroneous to begin with.
Thom Hogan
7 months ago |I thought it made perfect sense: elleyy revealed they know nothing about business.
Ryan
7 months ago |Olympus needs a semi pro 4/3 body! The E-30 is pretty much discontinued, and the E-5 is pricey though worth it (to me at least, just cant fork out the money right now)
lnqe-M
7 months ago |Yes Ryan, Olympus need a water pro M43 body, to next year.
Michael Meissner
7 months ago |Frosti7: Lets see, you have a bunch of incremental changes from the E-P1, besides just faster focusing. Do you complain that Ford/GM/Mercedes Benz each year provides mostly the same cars with some new features, but not necessarily a complete new design?
In no particular order:
First is the accessory port (added in the E-P2), which allows the VF-2 viewfinder, SEMA-1 external microphone, and introduced later, the VF-3 viewfinder, the MAL-01 macro lights and Penpal bluetooth interface.
Second is the pop-up flash (added in the E-PL1) that can control remote flashes via RC ttl mode. Like the E-PL1 and E-PL2, but not the other cameras, you can use both the VF-2/VF-3 viewfinders with the flash.
Third is the support of a focus assist light (new in the lastest generation of cameras).
Fourth is the touchscreen interface (unique to E-P3 so far). As somebody who routinely changes my focus point, this is interesting to me.
Fifth is manual control for movies (first in E-P2).
Sixth is the dedicated enlarge button (first in E-PL1).
Seventh is switching to the new 14-42mm kit lens (first in E-PL1S in Japan, E-PL2 outside of Japan) along with some converters that are helpful for people who have more limited budgets (macro, fisheye, wideangle).
Eighth is support of the Eye-fi cards in the camera (in the latest generation of cameras).
Ninth is new art filters (particularly dramatic tone maybe others) and the ability to add art filter effects (added in the E-PL2).
Tenth is the continuous focus tracking mode (added in E-P2).
Eleventh is moving past 7 minute movies to 29 minutes, 59 seconds using AVCHD.
Thom Hogan
7 months ago |I’ve got no issues with the incremental improvements. What I and others have some issue with is that the original base still has some fundamental issues that haven’t been addressed, starting at the sensor and basic UI design. Some of the changes that have been made actually degrade the UI design (for example, the change in the Mode dial on the E-P3, which makes it now exposed to accidental movement).
Getting back to your auto analogy: the chassis on which you build something dictates what you can do with it. Some chassis have proven to be extremely flexible (Toyota Camry comes to mind, which has spawned Lexus models, minivans, and even the Highlander SUV), while others are not.
spam
7 months ago |Panasonic had built in EVF from the start (G1). It was revolutionary at the time, much more so than the NEX-7 one.
jules
7 months ago |As someone pointed out already, so much drama on the location of the EVF
blastingmills
7 months ago |The E-5 is great camera.
I shot football recently, for 2 1/2 hours in the rain, with the Zuiko 150 f2 and absolutely nothing protecting the camera. The shots came out amazing. The camera performed flawlessly in the rain, and continues to perform.
Nikon photographers were nowhere to be found and the two Canon shooters were holding umbrellas with clear plastic bags draped over the cameras. They commented on the toughness and performance of the E-5.
The E-5 was absolutely soaked.
It was a glorious moment for Olympus.
lnqe-M
7 months ago |You is not first, ….and not the last.
LLLL
7 months ago |future? what future?……
MJr
7 months ago |everything after now.
Boooo!
7 months ago |Hey mr. Woodford, I’d like to take a bank loan and buy some quality 4/3 lenses. Olympus isn’t letting me do that, because the lenses I want are completely and utterly useless on m4/3. How about dealing with that issue?
Frederic Hew
7 months ago |Ah, but that is the exactly the point…
I was hoping Olympus would come out with a m43 body that plays well wil 4:3 lenses – either by means of on-chip PDAF or the patented PDAF adapter.
With everything that is going on in Olympus, I fear the chances of this happening have become even slimmer.
Anthony
7 months ago |“Woodofrd also sees a bright future for high-end superzoom compact cameras.”
As do I!
I’m still waiting for he first one!
I started this thread back in September, but if the ex-CEO of Olympus also mentions it, I hold hope that other camera manufacturers also see this gaping hole in the market.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1018&message=39442690
Dummy00001
7 months ago |> [...] this gaping hole in the market.
It’s not a hole. It’s an “overlap.”
No camera manufacturer would release such camera because they want you to buy their DSLR instead.
You only hope is probably the Fuji – cause now even Ricoh got itself a DSLR business.
P.S. But yes, I too would be highly interested in a compact camera a-la G3, but with fixed, miniaturized to hell 14-140mm.
Thom Hogan
7 months ago |> No camera manufacturer would release such camera because they want you to buy their DSLR instead.
This is fallacious logic. Overlap is actually good in product lines, as long as the overlap increases overall volume and profit. The notion that you have product A, B, and C with NO overlap and that you try to jump the customer from A to B and from B to C is a poor strategy. Compact camera users don’t want DSLRs, they want compact cameras that perform more like DSLRs. DSLR users want cameras that are more compact. Now, you could do what all the camera companies have done (and Nikon has especially done) and create something different in the middle (the Nikon 1), but the problem is that it doesn’t actually serve either user correctly.
bilgy_no1
7 months ago |Fuji announced another X series camera. A Superzoom, probably 2/3″ sensor. In line with previous highend superzooms. Almost DSLR size though.
lnqe-M
7 months ago |You mean Mr. Woodford will produce a digital IS-XXX, reason to Olympus come up by IS camera series is, Canon come by EOS system before and build in focus engine in lens.
Miroslav
7 months ago |Try:
Olympus E-PL3 with 14-150mm lens
Panasonic G3 with 14-140mm lens
Nikon 1 V1 with 10-100mm lens
That’s the closest to what you’re looking for. I have E-PL1 with 14-150mm lens and while there are a lot of features missing, I think it is an excellent travel combo…
mahler
7 months ago |This admin drives me crazy! m4/3 and not enough innovations? Give me a break! First mirrorless? m4/3. First usable nearly flickerfree EVFs? m4/3. First collapsible zooms? m4/3. Best hybrid cam? m4/3. Only 600mm equiv lens? m4/3.
X100? A prematurely released camera, with no interchangeable lenses, and which still has some usability and performance problems. Optical view finder? Who cares? For a digital camera system with a wide focal range, a high-end EVF is much preferable, because it is through the lens. No need to waste R&D with this hybrid view finder stuff. Dead end.
As soon one idiot releases a blurry image of a rangefinder prototype, which nobody knows when it will be released at which price, admin and some people here get crazy and slam m4/3 of not being innovative enough. Only because they cannot have their RF toy. Rangefinder is not the panacea of m4/3. It will come, it isn’t simply there yet. Hello? Where’s the problem?
Ahem
7 months ago |Exactly.
Mr. Reeee
7 months ago |BINGO!!!
Nic Walmsley
7 months ago |Sorry guys I don’t think you know how to understand CEO-speak. Woodford is saying there isn’t enough money to invest in m43 but compact travel cameras have a bright future. He likes the idea of m43. That’s not good news when a boss says they like the idea of something. He’s also saying that after 30 years in the company, and most of this year as president, he is still “learning about the camera division” (paraphrasing).
Frederic Hew
7 months ago |+1, That is entirely what I was thinking.
Woodford is saying that Olympus does not have the resources to compete against larger players in a highly saturated market. In plain English this means those resources will not be allocated to the imaging division.
He continues by saying that he believes he has found a product category that can make money for Olympus… unfortunately this product category has nothing to do with either m43 or 43.
Ahem
7 months ago |Pretty much what your middle paragraph said. I’ve been saying for a while now that Olympus will spin off, sell off, or kill the camera division. What Mr Woodford said only strengthened my position.
Thom Hogan
7 months ago |Olympus does not have the resources to compete against the larger players in the compact travel camera market, if you’re talking about true compact cameras. They don’t have the marketing or distribution resources to be in true consumer sales. If they were to look really closely at who bought the XZ-1, it isn’t Jack Consumer, it’s Jill Enthusiast. Jack Consumer will buy Sony/Canon/Nikon all else equal, and likely only from big box or Internet. Jill Enthusiast is discriminating and will go out of her way to find the store that carries what she wants.
As for resources, let me state this: ALL of the Japanese camera companies are grossly inefficient in productivity of resources. Most Silicon Valley hardware operations are incredibly more efficient in resources than the Japanese camera companies. It’s time that the Japanese realize that they can’t just continue to provide job security for existing workers, but have to have a worker base that is competitively productive. They’ve gotten away with not dealing with that in many industries because they don’t have much outside competition. Cameras is one of those industries.
Voldenuit
7 months ago |Good translation of CEO-speak.
It really does sound like Woodford has no interest in the system camera division, but his infatuation with compact cameras comes at a time when smartphones are making compact cameras obsolete and superzooms have poor image quality and unwieldy bulk.
None of which sounds promising for either Oly Imaging or m43.
Mr. Reeee
7 months ago |Maybe he’s more interested in the rectal end of Olympus’ imaging business… I mean retro…
amalric
7 months ago |Frankly, who cares about Mr. W.?
The camera division will live or die by its deeds, not words.
I wish Admin was not such an innocent crying wolf two times a day to no purpose.
Happily Oly users have a safety net in Panny products, so if W. wants to kill it he will be reminded of what it could have been.
Give up the Oly smearing campaing. Its engineers and specialised workers don’t deserve that. Like people at Leica or Zeiss.
They strive for excellency, while you are just blabbering on a money making site.
Tulio
7 months ago |Panasonic and Olympus engineers can make great cameras. If they were allowed to. But there is a general malaise over the electronics industry in general, where they sacrifice innovation against quick sales.
It is called “Planned Obsolescence”
They have to make you “upgrade” a camera every 2 years. Panasonic is the biggest joke as they come up with a poor update for the GF1 that was worst than the old one, the GF2 was bad, the GF3 even worse, so they finally come up with the GX1, all in under 18 months.
In the film days you could use a 1930s Leica or 1960s Nikon and the latest F5 could do no better.
“Woodofrd also sees a bright future for high-end superzoom compact cameras.”
He is probably referring to the Sony HX9v.
Olympus problems started when they couldn’t do any better than the OM1.
Miroslav
7 months ago |Hmmm, this Woodford guy is not so bad after all, it would be good if he could return.
And I agree totally with admin. m4/3 has the best size/performance ratio and if Olympus and Panasonic manage to keep it up to date, it has the potential to become the best interchangeable lens system.
lnqe-M
7 months ago |Absolute agreement.
Marcel
7 months ago |Perhaps Woodford dares to move away from Panasonic’s dated sensors.
Bob B.
7 months ago |We need a sensor breakthru (which I believe Pany already has..they are just spoon feeding us to maximize profits)….and a higher frame rate. If I can have them..I can live with the LVF. Those two things are more important than hybrid viewfinder.
Perhaps Fuji is about to give Pany the push it needs to sell more cameras and treat its existing customers the way they deserve.
Kylberg
7 months ago |Mr Woodford is currently out from Olympus, the later probably currently too disorganized to work with strategies.
I still see m4/3 as the best compromize. NEX-7 really has every enthusiast wish-boxes checked. It also delivers HQ images (DCR, LL). m4/3 now has a couple of great prime lenses. (I use only them and the 100-300.) Sony lens roadmap is under revision – will probably deliver good lenses within 2 – 3 years.
I really wonder how Panasonic inteds to develop m4/3. I suspect they do not deliver a flagship m4/3 because they plan for larger sensor mirrorless cameras. Those would more directly compete with NEX-7 and Fuji LX.
st3v4nt
7 months ago |When all this scandal would be stop and they will focus on new product and innovations?
Are EP-3 and E-5 will become the last camera come out from Olympus ever….?
lnqe-M
7 months ago |If E-P3 and E-5, is the last camera from Olympus, is this a the greater scandal.