A new Color strategy from Olympus - Part 1

Last update:- 27th July 2023

Preparing for this 6-Part series on Color and Creative Photography, I saw many YouTube videos and camera reviews. I was interested in what reviewers and experts say about the new color features from Olympus. For example, Olympus introduced the Color Creator with the EM1 and the EM5 II. The establishment's reaction was cold with comments like... "Have you seen that Creative Dial?" A few ventured beyond the physical dial and the accompanying news release, saying it could be the start of a new Color and Creative Photography Experience for M43 cameras.

The revolutionary Olympus PEN F - the camera that separated creative photographers.

This series illustrates the importance of having good color skills. I am focussing on the Pen F and OMD cameras to lead photographers in the new Creative Color Strategy from Olympus. This update to the 6-Part series is 5 years since I wrote the first article in January 2018. In the 5 years following, my experience with the Creative Color Strategy from Olympus improved to the point that it became part of my daily photography experience with the Pen-F, OMD, and Workspace.

Was the Pen-F a successful camera, or will it only reach its full potential in the secondhand market? The Pen-F was a huge success judging its used pricing and popularity amongst Pen-F owners. This 6-part series on Creative Color and Digital Photography also became my most popular articles.

Olympus Color Creator

Some reviewers praised the PEN-F with comments like a "Gold Award Product, Great Product, Editors Choice, Remarkable, Great Design, and Retro Design." Other reviewers evaluated the Pen-F through the lens of "must-have" marketing "filters" like sensor size, image noise, dynamic range, articulated display, and EVF resolution. Most forum experts follow the latter group and complain about the Pen-F Menu, the lack of 4K, and the all-important MIC input and Headphone output.

Did Olympus do a proper job of promoting the Creative Dial and its Creative Color Strategy? The Pen F had the chance to be an enabler of creative color photography. Instead of fighting and winning, Olympus decided to sell its camera business to a financial group. OM-System became the new owner of an Imaging Business with a history of designing exceptional cameras. Will we only read about this leading camera brand, or did OM-System offer a credible plan to win this race..?

Olympus PEN F Creative Dial was too much for most...

Olympus was always known for its true colors, Canon for its color "science" and silky smooth images, Nikon for the D4 and the D850, and Sony for its A7 series of full-frame mirrorless cameras and high-resolution Stacked BSI sensors. Fuji started a significant following with the XT-1 and became one of the leading manufacturers of mirrorless cameras.

Olympus never followed the "size and capture" theory but designed innovative photography features like the Creative Color Strategy. If you recall, Olympus placed IBIS on the map and was the first manufacturer to introduce Hi-Ress imaging or a Live View solution for DSLR cameras. Olympus and Panasonic shared the vision and pioneered the mirrorless segment in 2008. Today all manufacturers have mirrorless cameras, and DSLR cameras are only a small niche segment. The Olympus brand is associated with leadership, new technologies, and new trends.

It's now 3-years since Olympus signed an agreement with OM-System and sold its Imaging Business. What are we learning from this? You cannot sell your corporate identity and values.

EM1 II image edited with WorkSpace.

As this series about the Creative Color Strategy from Olympus develops, you will learn more about the different color features from Olympus, like the Color Creator, the Color Profile Tool, and the Monochrome Profile Tool. Photographers will also learn more about the importance of knowing color in both Black & White and Color photography.

How does the Image Processor create a digital image?

Only some photographers know the image sensor captures "black & white" data. To explain this, we will take a closer look at the image signal path from the subject to the sensor:

1. The image signal enters the lens and goes through the lens to the image sensor
2. At the sensor, it goes through an RGB filter to remove all the color (RGB) data
3. The image sensor records the remaining grayscale data and sends it to the CPU
4. The CPU process the WB, RGB filter info, plus the sensor data into a jpeg file
5. The camera or CPU processes the B&W image data into a Digital Color Image
6. The only Color Variable photographers can access is the White Balance setting

Digital Camera Sensor and RGB Filter.

Let's discuss the image signal path from the sensor to the SD card? The recorded grayscale data from the sensor is converted to a digital color image and saved on an SD card. The Image Processor creates a color image from the White Balance data, RGB Filter, and Image Signal from the sensor.

This process explains the RAW file. A basic RAW file consists of the recorded grayscale image data, the RGB filter data, and the camera's White Balance reading. The TruePic Image Processor (CPU) or Workspace converts this raw data into a jpeg (color) image. One of the biggest secrets is the details or Color profiles manufacturers use to convert raw data into digital color images.

That said, studying and actively using my Pen-F, WorkSpace, and other Olympus cameras, I learned enough to understand the Color and Creative Photography functions from Olympus. This includes the unique access we via with color features to the TruePic image-building process. Olympus created a window for photographers to access the camera's image processing. Known as Live View, this is one of the most exciting discoveries I made on the Pen-F. Study the Live View section of this article when you are done with this article.

Knowing this, it's even more significant how Olympus connected functions like the Color Creator, the different Tonal Adjustments, and the Creative Dial to the image processor. This allows photographers to personalize their photography experience and results with Olympus cameras.

Knowledge of B&W photography and the early days of color photography is enough to appreciate digital image processing. Olympus linked its Color and Monochrome profile features to the camera's image processor. This changes how photographers develop their unique photography style. Tools like Color Profiles, ART Filters, Multiple Exposures, Highlights & Shadows (Tone Curves), and the Color Creator enable creative photographers in a new but unique way.

The OMD and PEN-F's new color and monochrome functions are also part of WorkSpace. In fact, we saw that WorkSpace and Olympus cameras have the same image processing. This is good news because it assists us in developing, testing, and fine-tuning any color or monochrome profiles with our PCs. Olympus designed the Viewer/Workspace Software as a part of the digital camera...

Taken with the PEN F at island Mainau, Bodensee.

We need a mental shift and add the Olympus Creative and Color processing features to our photography. Digital photographers need a good understanding of color and how to work with color. The first step is to study the Color Wheel and learn how other artists work with the color wheel.

There are more videos on YouTube with information on the artist Color Wheel. Please familiarize yourself with the color wheel. Also, see the video below. The presenter is a well-known Photographer!!

Powerful video explaining the Color Wheel and photography.