Olympus quits camera business after 84 years

[dks]

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53165293

"Olympus, once one of the world's biggest camera brands, is selling off that part of its business after 84 years.

The firm said that despite its best efforts, the "extremely severe digital camera market" was no longer profitable.

The arrival of smartphones, which had shrunk the market for separate cameras, was one major factor, it said.

It had recorded losses for the last three years."

[Chako]

A sad day indeed, but one that was foreseen years ago.

My first SLR was an Olympus OM10. I gave it away to a co-worker quite a few years ago, and always regretted that move. I was miraculously re-acquainted with it at a local Value Village. That camera and I have some history, and am overjoyed to have it once again. My father was a pure Pentax guy, however, he always did like Olympus. When it was time to get a learner camera for a photography class I took in High School, the OM10 fit the bill once we bought the extra manual adapter. I have had several Olympus digital cameras since then, and I think I still have my first digital somewhere upstairs, an Olympus Camedia C-something. I would have to go up there and see what the exact model is as I have forgotten. Years later, I came across a very nice Olympus OM-4 and couldn't resist getting it because when I was a kid, I used to drool over the OM-4, which at the time was an unobtainable professional film camera model. The fact that I could own one when film is dead is irrelevant. That camera represented hours/days/months of dreaming.

Yeah...very unhappy to hear this. Olympus holds a special place in my heart.

Nothing lasts forever...here is to 84 years of innovations! 

[Vidar]

And I here was thinking they were doing ok with their microfourthirds system cameras.

Olympus was always an almost choice for me - so if that is goes for many other people too I guess they almost sold lots of cameras. Almost don't pay the bill though. Still, really too bad that they give up on it. I hope they get a buyer to continue, and ideally bring in some more resources and ideas and go even stronger.

[Chako]

All the imaging companies are hurting right now due to cell phones.

[dks]

on the plus side, DSLRs have never been cheaper

[Don Pablo]

All I want is a cheap nano digital camera with global shutter

[dks]

I am sure ebay will have one soon

[Don Pablo]

With 100x101 pixel resolution, probably.   

[dks]

and using surgical steel

[Chako]

IMG_8670small by Chako, on Flickr

Sorry for the background...laundry day.

Above, my 35mm Olympus kit. The OM10 on the right was mine until I gave it to an Education Assistant years ago. We got reunited at the local Value Village by coincidence. I was able to identify my camera due to a known mark on the camera body as I was the one that put it there. I just wish I had all the rest of the kit that I gave away as I did lose a few lenses but it was still very nice to get my old OM-10 back. I learned photogeraphy at a very early age with my father's Kodak Retinette rangefinder camera. The OM-10 was my first SLR camera, and was bought for me in grade 10 because I was taking a photography class at the time. We had to buy the manual adapter separately because I needed something with full manual settings...something the OM-10 did not offer unless you bought the extra dongle that fits on the front of the camera.

The OM-1N (on the left) was a camera I over when I was a kid (back in the early to mid 80s). I found one recently used for a song and a dance because not many shoots 35 mm film anymore. Back then, the single digit Olympus SLR cameras were definately worthy. I was happy with the entry level OM-10 however, as it was a big step over the old Kodak.

[Barry Rowland]

I just read this.  I'm shocked but I understand.