Introduction.
I found several Press Releases with "new" firmware updates while working on my next article. Paging through the updates and improvements, I was reminded of the changes we saw over the past 4 years. A new world enfolded where people celebrate when paying the equivalent of a new camera for a firmware update or a rebranded product. It's a different world where marketers and repetition know no end, as they govern our personal spaces, certitude, and collective values.
Transforming from a technological leadership position to rebranding means previous Olympus products are as relevant as before but at a much lower price. They can be had for a fraction of buying a new camera, and many used Olympus cameras are "like new." Most Olympus mirrorless cameras were also years ahead of larger competitors, which only started selling mirrorless cameras in 2018.
How many megapixels is enough? Some say we need high-resolution sensors, or 16MP sensors cannot compete with newer 24MP cameras. Image quality is the sum of sensor sensitivity, lens quality, and the image processor. Sensor sensitivity (IQ, DR, & noise) plus Image Processing (features) are the main differences between cameras like the E-P3 (12MP), E-M5 II (16MP), and the OM-1 (20MP). We also know that 16MP cameras like the E-M10 II and E-M5 II deliver excellent image quality. Some have good arguments in favor of 8MP. Imagine the sensitivity benefits of a modern 8MP BSI sensor...
The OM-1 closed a decade of innovation excellence with the Olympus Imaging Business...
The posted Press Releases are linked to the cameras below. Olympus enjoyed excellent customer loyalty with its commitment to innovation, listening, and responding to customer feedback. For example, the E-M1 was launched in 2013 and received its final FW upgrade 6 years later in 2019.
Here is more info about the current firmware versions: (Also, see this list - link)
- The Olympus OM-D E-M5 II firmware version V4.1 from January 2019.
- The Olympus Pen F's current firmware version is V3.1 from January 2019.
- The Olympus OM-D EM-5 III firmware version V1.7 from January 2023.
- The Olympus OM-D E-M1 II firmware version V3.7 from January 2023.
- The Olympus OM-D E-M1 III firmware version V1.6 from January 2023.
- The Olympus OM-D E-M1X firmware version V2.4 from January 2023.
- The Olympus OM-D E-M1 firmware version V4.6 from February 2019.
- The Olympus OM-D E-M10 II firmware version V1.4 from March 2019.
This OM-System page has a summary of some cameras and firmware updates.
The Olympus EM1 III sells for as little as $650 on the used market.
Transferring years of know-how resulted in a loss of available documentation. Fortunately, Olympus kept its pre-2020 Press Releases, and OM-System created a new library of Olympus information. I am always looking for new documentation. Let me know if you have camera brochures, technical papers, or any camera-specific information you could share with me in PDF format.
Always keep a copy of the latest user manuals and FW information. For example, Olympus released a separate E-M1 II Video Manual with its V3 firmware update. Also, download any information covering video features, tethering, LOG, and LUT profiles for the different Pen or OM-D cameras.
Press releases about new cameras are always a good read. See this example.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1X with the 40-150mm f2.8 Pro lens.
One has to go back to 2012/13 and study the original E-M5 and E-M1 to appreciate the technological leadership position of the Olympus Imagaging business. It explains the counter-marketing programs like
astroturfing and repetition to discredit and cancel the Olympus R&D team. Three years of NO innovation and rebranding reveal much about the future of this once-great brand.
It literally looks like a victory lap after a successful counter-marketing campaign. This
article reviews the turnaround after the 2012 financial crisis. See this E-M1
Manual with all the firmware updates.
Olympus photographers had good reasons to be
optimistic in 2019...
A history of new features and incremental improvements
Olympus used firmware to improve and add new features to its existing cameras. The press releases below are only a partial list of improvements done on the above list of cameras. One has to study each camera to appreciate the extent of these improvements. An achievement of particular interest is the evolution of the Olympus autofocus algorithm for the OMD and PEN series of cameras.
For example, this
video shows the Cluster Autofocusing function, and this
example shows the final CAF for the EM1 MKI with firmware V4.6. My experience with the EM1 MKI is similar...
TIP: Go to the end of the article for info about OM-System's unwillingness to update older Olympus cameras.
This decade of innovation was characterized by one of the most aggressive counter-marketing campaigns against another manufacturer...
Enjoy a decade of FW updates with Olympus...
Source: www.Olympus.com - click on the 1st page to study all the pages in the image viewer.
Why is OM-System unable to manage Olympus FW updates..?
Check the Firmware status before you buy a used Olympus camera. This is, unfortunately, an issue for Olympus cameras and lenses. OM-System seems to blame Apple for improving the security of its Mac Operating System. I question this because an older version of the Mac OS (Catalina) flagged these access requests of OM-System. See my Workspace update
page for more information.
Also, see this announcement and FW update discussion at 43rumors.com -
Link.
Is it safe to buy used Olympus cameras? Used cameras and lenses are attractive because the prices are steadily going down. The secret is to check the condition of the camera and negotiate. Used Olympus cameras and lenses are always exciting to those loving the outdoors, even with no support from Olympus or OM-System. Should one buy OM-System cameras? Take a good look at the past 3 years. They haven't developed anything new and only printed their label on existing products. The OM-1 was a final R&D achievement of the Olympus Engineering Team. Camera manufacturers like Fuji, Nikon, Canon, and Sony continue to innovate and sell exciting new camera gear...
How to update your Olympus? I bought a used Olympus EM10 IV with firmware V1. Several Olympus cameras had a general update to improve the camera's autofocus accuracy with compact lenses. One of my concerns with my used EM10 IV versus the E-P7 was shadow noise. The noise disappeared after updating the EM10 IV to firmware V1.1. In fact, the image quality between the 2 cameras is now identical. I asked my local camera shop if they could do the firmware update.
Build a relationship and support your local camera shop...
The OM-System Audio and Workspace Updaters. Also, see the comments on my Workspace
page. The above 2 screenshots show the access OM-System wants from your Mac PC when installing WS or
OM DVR. I recently upgraded to
DxO PhotoLab 7 and had NO security issues. In fact, the DxO PhotoLab lens database connects to the DxO servers each time I open a new raw file...
How about new firmware for the Fuji X-T5. It couldn't be easier to update my X-T5. I downloaded the updated firmware from Fuji, formatted my SD card, transferred the new firmware to my SD card, inserted the SD in the X-T5, and the camera did the rest. It reminded me of Olympus...
OM-System created several pages in the local or English language to support Mac PC owners. Should I apply the M1 "upgrade" steps to my M1 and Intel Mac, and which of these pages is up to date? Here is an example of an OM-System "support" page. Is it that difficult to follow Fuji's lead..?
Best
Siegfried
