Railfan Technology > Olympus to Exit Camera Business

After 84 years in the camera business Olympus is leaving that market.  Their digital
camera division is being acquired by Japan Industrial Partners, a private equity firm.
No word yet on how the buyer will deploy those assets.

For those of us who regard owning a camera as a given the rest of the world doesn't
quite think that way.  The increasing quality of cell phone cameras has resulted in an
87% drop in digital camera sales over the last decade.

Olympus will now concentrate on their core business of manufacturing surgical eqipment
and medical devices. From Digital Camera World:
https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/breaking-olympus-sells-camera-division

It's not easy to sell cameras when everyone has one in their phone.

In another decade most digital cameras will be found on dusty shelves next to slide rules and typewriters.

Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
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> In another decade most digital cameras will be
> found on dusty shelves next to slide rules and
> typewriters.
Not mine.

Nope.  Your cell phone may shoot decently for your needs, but they don't produce anywhere near the level of photos of cameras and lenses used by professionals or even most average railfans.  There's a reason the Nikon, Canon, Sigma, and Tamron lenses are as big and costly as they are.  It's called QUALITY.   

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Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
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> In another decade most digital cameras will be
> found on dusty shelves next to slide rules and
> typewriters.

Rathole Wrote:
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> There's a reason the Nikon, Canon, Sigma, and
> Tamron lenses are as big and costly as they are. 
> It's called QUALITY.   

And that quality comes from laws of physics, bigger lens, better optical resolution.

My first 2 digital cameras were made by Olympus. Bought my first one more than 20 years ago. I still have them, and they should still work. 

But eventually your software or firmware will go haywire with no fix without big $$$. That happened with a digital Nikon I had.

Incidentally, one of the best 35mm SLRS I owned was an Olympus OM-1. I loved that camera.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Rmosele Wrote:
-
> Not mine.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/20 16:16 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Incidentally, one of the best 35mm SLRS I owned
> was an Olympus OM-1. I loved that camera.

I agree, loved my OM-1 and OM-1n.  I was hoping to buy an OM-4 but but lost my all my Olympus gear in a theft. There was a great sale on Nikon equipment when I received the insurance cheque so I switched.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON
 

Sorry to hear that Gerry. I've been the victim of theft too many times, though I'm very protective of my possesions. I sold my Olympus equipment to a coworker's daughter when I went digital. She was taking photography classes and needed something old school. Reference my previous comment to the other poster, when my Nikon digital (bought new) went on the fritz only after a few years I was told it would be minimum of $500 if I sent it in and had it repaired. I bought another used one Ebay and eventually the firmwate on it went on the fritz too. I now own a Canon Digital I bought used and I really like it. 

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/20 12:04 by wabash2800.

I believe the OM-1 was one of the best SLRs ever made. Great quality photos and very easy to learn and use. 

I wish DSLRs were as easy to use. Far too many have lousy interfaces with literally too many features. 


wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But eventually your software or firmware will go
> haywire with no fix without big $$$. That happened
> with a digital Nikon I had.
>
> Incidentally, one of the best 35mm SLRS I owned
> was an Olympus OM-1. I loved that camera.
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com
>
> Rmosele Wrote:
> -
> > Not mine.

My dad had, and maybe still does, a whole Olympus camera rig.  SLR, lenses, flashes... the works.  Just why he did this is anyone's guess.  He hardly used it for more than some vacation shots that a MUCH cheaper point-and-shoot could have handled, and has hardly touched it in decades.  Now I could see if he were the one that gave me the railfan indoctrination, but nope.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions