Amateur Photographer is keeping us daily updated about the Olympus fee scandal. Today they report that “Two members of the Olympus board and the company’s auditor have quit the scandal-hit camera maker”
Yesterday Former Olympus CEO Michael Woodford was mobbed by photographers and TV crews on his first return to Japan (Read more at Amateur Photographer). And Olympus officially said that there is no evidence of “crime syndicates” link (Source: AP).
Amateur Photographer also posted another Woodford article where he says that he is a big fan of the E-P3 and says: “The problem for Olympus has always been the dominance of Canon and Nikon in the DSLR market. Their dominance was rather like our business in endoscopes, but the advent of mirrorless cameras has brought about a renaissance.”
Something else: Photographyreview just posted a new E-P3 review. Shop links: [shopcountry 23568]
DPreview posted a new E-Pm1 review. Shop links: [shopcountry 23565]
If you want to create your own Lomo camera than read the How To posted by Unplggd (Click here). They use the [shoplink 27041 ebay]Olympus 50mm f/1.8 OM[/shoplink] as lens for the homemade camera. Of course you can buy Unplggd explains what’s the advantage of building that kind of Lomo camera: “There are several smartphone apps that can help you create Lomography look-a-like images, but nothing beats this DIY project which produces similar perfectly imperfect photos. You can even pair this hack with a vast array of OM Series SLR lenses or use an adapter for other glass from different manufacturers to further the array of results…”
Of course you don’t have to do this to get your Lomo styled effects. You can use the [shoplink 27045 ebay]m43 to Lomo lens adapter (Click here to see them on eBay)[/shoplink] to use original Lomo lenses.
Links:
[shoplink 27042 ebay]Olympus OM lenses on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27046 ebay]Lomo lenses on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
This is a post that contains emails from 43rumor readers. Here is the list:
1) Made a short film on the killer whales of the North Sea. Used the GH2 during gale force wind, upto 38 knots. GH2 and zuiko 12-60 and 35-100. Manual focus.
If you like it, nice to add it on your website for a break in between the rumors. The camera has some troubles since I used it, the salt wind, rain and sea water probably reached the electronic components. (but it was worth it) Here is the link. http://youtu.be/Cc2tNVrhAUA
Best Wishes, Melvin
3) Fotofinlandia is THE premier photo contest in Finland. It is now organized every third year. I have some info on it at my site. The finalists were announced today. My series of images is one of those lucky 12. Your 43rumors readers might be interested to know that this series is shot with E-P2 and D.Zuiko 50mm f/2 Macro. I had another series among TOP 35. Same equipment. All in all there are some 8000 photographers who have right to participate. The finalists can be seen here: http://www.fotofinlandia.fi/ehdokkaat/
If you click on “KAIKKI EHDOKKAAT” you can see those 33 series (not 35) who were in semi-finals.
4) “Hi Sir, I am a member of 43rumors, I read everyday your articles, specially the Olympus ones :) because since I was a child I have been taking pictures with OM cameras and now with four thirds and micro fourthirds cameras. My dream will be working for Olympus one day :). I have submitted a picture to National Geographic taken with an Olympus E-1 and Zuiko Digital 14-54 lens. I wonder if you could publish an announcement of the picture in National Geographic taken with the OLYMPUS E-SYSTEM. Maybe people like it and can press I like it or write a comment. If I had a minimum chance to win, could you believe it? OLYMPUS in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC! :) I really wish Michael Woodford can manage to get rid of this problem right now. I truly believe in MFT!!! It´s the future. Anyway I´ll understand if you can´t publish it.
Best wishes,
David Irisarri Vila http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/2011/entries/96818/view/”
5) I see alot of people have been asking how the new Leica 25mm lens serves as a portrait lens. I recently took some pictures that shows how wonderful its bokeh is, and I disagree with those who says it is not a good portrait lens. Anyway, if its something that might be worth sharing, feel free to do so:)
Cheers from Japan
Here’s the link to the pics btw: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nipponbasse/sets/72157628018874014/
6) Rise Up 2011 ABS 13 Bouldering Comp with GH2 and Leica 25mm on youtube.
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!
Everyday there are more and more true (or false?) news about the Olympus fee scandal. As usual take all news with a grain of salt. It’s so hard to understand what’s REALLY happening behind the scenes. There might be some kind of “obscure” interest that we are not aware of. The only thing I hope is that Olympus can soon take action to stop the never ending negative media reports.
The New York Times (Click here) writes that “In a memo prepared by investigators and circulated at a recent meeting of officials from Japan’s Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission, the Tokyo prosecutor’s office and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, officials say they are trying to determine whether Olympus worked with organized crime syndicates to obscure billions of dollars in past investment losses and then paid them exorbitant sums for their services.” and “The memo says investigators believe that over half of that amount has been channeled to organized crime syndicates, including the country’s largest, the Yamaguchi Gumi. The memo does not make clear whether Olympus knew about those links. But if confirmed by investigators, an association with organized crime could prompt a delisting of Olympus shares from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, under the exchange’s rules.”
There is another huge surprise coming out via Z3n.tv (Click here) reports that Goldman Sachs earned $26 million by short selling “approximately 830,000 Olympus stocks the day before Woodford was dismissed“. As you see there are so many obscure interests behind the story! If we really would put a Lupe on all companies and banks we might discover that the whole finance world is a mess. But as I said many times, I am a small writer living in the middle of the alps. My only hope is that Olympus employees will not be affected by that mess.
The japanese blog Egami (Click here) found a new Olympus patent desciribing the new “Liquid Lens” technology. I saw similar patent from Sony and Samsung in the past that’s why I can tell you the advantages of such lenses:
-non-movement glasses for zoom or AF
-less glasses inside the lens
-faster electrical response
-non-motor on the glass
-silence AF mode
In summary you can make much smaller lenses (perfect for pancakes) with ultra fast and silent AF. I hope Olympus will release such lenses as soon as possible!
Final note: Apple released the Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.9 which now brings support for the Olympus PEN E-PL1s, Olympus PEN E-PL3, Olympus PEN E-PM1
and Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ150. http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1473
