[shoplink 28221 ebay][/shoplink] The very first [shoplink 28221 ebay]Olympus M-1[/shoplink], announced back in 1972.

You know what happens in 2012? The Olympus OM system becomes forty years old. From Wikipedia:
“The system was introduced by Olympus in 1972, more than a decade after Nikon, Canon, and other manufacturers had established their own SLR ranges. The range was designed by Yoshihisa Maitani, chief designer for Olympus, and his staff. The nucleus of the system was a series of compact bodies divided into a professional series and a later consumer-orientated series. The first model introduced was the all-mechanical M-1, which after pressure from Leica was renamed OM-1.”
And what do you think is Olympus going to do to remember the OM? :) Maitani would be proud to know that finally the digital OM is coming!
One more thing: The Hong Kong invitation text said that Olympus will release also a “new line of products“. I wouldn’t go to far with your imagination. My guess (no rumor yet) is that there will be OM related “special products”. Let’s see if I am right.

Here is a list of all OM cameras (click on name to see them on eBay)
[shoplink 28221 ebay]M-1[/shoplink] [shoplink 28222 ebay]OM-1[/shoplink] [shoplink 28223 ebay]OM-1 MD[/shoplink] [shoplink 28224 ebay]OM-1N[/shoplink] [shoplink 28225 ebay]OM-2[/shoplink] [shoplink 28226 ebay]OM-2N[/shoplink] [shoplink 28227 ebay]OM-2S/SP[/shoplink] [shoplink 28228 ebay]OM-3[/shoplink] [shoplink 28229 ebay]OM-3Ti[/shoplink] [shoplink 28230 ebay]OM-4[/shoplink] [shoplink 28231 ebay]OM-4T/Ti black and chrome[/shoplink] [shoplink 28232 ebay]OM-10[/shoplink] [shoplink 28233 ebay]OM-20 (OM-G)[/shoplink] [shoplink 28234 ebay]OM-30(OM-F)[/shoplink] [shoplink 28235 ebay]OM-40 (OM-PC)[/shoplink] [shoplink 28236 ebay]OM-77AF (OM-707)[/shoplink] [shoplink 28237 ebay]OM-88 (OM-101)[/shoplink] [shoplink 28238 ebay]OM-2000[/shoplink]

I own the [shoplink 28232 ebay]OM-10[/shoplink] and you?

The new Sigma lenses on Olympus cameras (Source: Personal-view)

Dave from Imaging Resource (Click here) interviewed MR. Terada from Olympus. Some interesting points:
1) Camera work isn’t affected by the Olympus fee scandal: “we are working usually. Nothing special.”
2) Because fo the Thai flood consequences there are production problems especially for the E-P3. Not Olympus itself is having problems but some of their suppliers: “we cannot fulfill the whole demand from the market at this moment.”
3) Olympus is now working on new prime lenses: “we already almost fill up the zoom lens line-up. Then, now we are concentrating on single focal lens line-up.”
4) Olympus asked other companies to join the m43 system: “but no success at the moment.“

Today I wrote how the Fuji X PRO 1 was too highly priced to compete against the Micro Four Thrids world. An anonymous source yesterday told me that the real price is in relaity much cheaper and that it was a sort of “marketing trick” from Fuji to announce a higher price. Didn’t believe him first but now the very frist preorder is up and indeed the price is MUCH lower. Check it out:
Fuji X PRO 1 worldwide first preorder at Expansys USA (Click here), Expansys Canada (Click here) and Expansys UK (Click here).

That would completely change the situation and put a hard pressure on Olympus and Panasonic!

UDPATE: I am still not sure this is the full price you pay!

Fuji almost did it! They almost made a super camera but there could be a problem. The price is very likely too high. $1699 for the body only? Niet! What are the other points in favour of the m43 system? The camera is also a bit to big compared to m43 cameras, video quality should be very low compared to what Panasonic cameras can deliver. The sensor looks promising but not revolutionary, no foveon alike design, no organic sensor, “only” the AA filter has been removed thanks to the new RGB pattern and with heavy postprocessing work. Not to play down the Fuji camera, it’s certainly a super nice camera, but I feel like there is a chance fro Olympus to get on par with this with the next [shoplink 27042 ebay]Olympus OM[/shoplink] alike m43 camera. While I am sure body quality and viewfinder technology of the Olympus will be on par with the Fuji X PRO 1 I don’t know if Olympus will make it right with the new sensor. Let’s cross the fingers!

The guys over at ePhotozine asked Fuji the following question: Why not join Micro Four Thirds?
Answer: “Fujifilm are a photographic company with a lot of history in Fujinon optics, using our own lens mount and sensor allows us to be in total control of the system and final image quality.”

And here below you can hear a Fuji manager that at the end of the interview talks about the Olympus situation:

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Fuji X PRO 1 at Amazon (notification only).
Fuji 18mm lens at Amazon (notification only).
Fuji 35mm lens at Amazon (notification only).
Fuji 60mm lens at Amazon (notification only).

A short update to give you one more messy news about Olympus. The day after Woodford abandoned the plan to be re-instaed as CEO he sued Olympus. “I will most definitely be suing Olympus,” Woodford said Friday at a press conference at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club in Tokyo. And the “The Kyodo News Agency had heard that the panel would advise the company suing over 10 existing and former executives for a total equivalent to $1.2 billion for hiding losses for 13 years” (Electronista).

What else can I say? It’s a mess and it’s pity that there is no way to solve the problem in a fast way.

Big japanese Olympus shareholders refused to sustain Woodford in his battle to be reinstated as CEO of the company. Reuters reports that: “The company’s main lender and major shareholder Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) is backing existing management led by CEO Shuichi Takayama, which is seeking a capital tie up with a rival company to bolster its finances.”

And “Local media has reported that Sony, Fujifilm Holdings and Panasonic Corp are among the candidates that may ride to the rescue of Olympus.”

In short: Japanese shareholders hold together against the foreign influence on Olympus. This will lead Olympus to make an agreement with another japanese company to realign their financial situation. I vote for Fuji. They have both a long camera history and would certainly create some amazing new products.

UPDATE: Here is the full statement from Woodford: http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/michael_woodford_statement_on_why_he_quit_olympus_fight_news_311023.html.