Not to mention the Olympus gear is so good looking! 🤩

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Indeed!

Olympus is one of the only companies still having products from the enthusiast market upwards. Most other brands have (cough cough Canon), unfortunately for us consumers, switched to a pro market. Let's hope that OM System will continue the legacy in a good way.

They have all now gone mirrorless, and they are all good but apart from all the good practical reasons, these are beautiful instruments.

Approaching my 1 year anniversary with Olympus/OM Systems. Was a Nikon DSLR photographer. Loving it. Thanks for your videos. You educated me in the transition.

@dongummphotography

2 ай бұрын

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching and commenting!

I agree as I have a OM-D EM10 MarkII and a EM 1 MarkII. I too use a lot of vintage lenses on these cameras. Another reason for me was the in body image stabilization feature !!

I've been using Olympus since the 80s - the OM-2S was my first, followed by the OM-4T and a used OM-2n. The SLR format made sense for FILM cameras so you can see the exact composition through the viewfinder/mirror/lens system. My first digital was the Oly 3030 - 3.3 mp! I was sold on this camera back in 2000 when a coworker showed me 8x10 prints from his inkjet on glossy paper - wow! When I started using the 3030 I thought all digital cameras forward would be mirrorless - when I saw they were just replacing the film channel with a sensor I thought it was such a waste. Mirrorless is a natural for digital media. The DSLR should have never been a thing but I think they did it to retain film photographers who were familiar with the SLR format/ OVF....an EVF too early in the evolution would have scared pros away and maybe film would have had a longer lifecycle today. Who knows? Anyway I have my sights set on the OM System - OM-D M1 mkiii or OM-D M5 or maybe the OM-1 - comparing features and specs to see which is best - I shoot mainly close to my subject including macro - another benefit for M43 is close shooting, macro, nature and bird photography without resorting to using a 6 pound lens!

Thank you for the video. I totally agree. Olympus cameras are fun to use and give beautiful colors. I have always wondered about the amateurs that buy heavy cameras counting megapixels. Maybe the cameras are in an "affordable" range for many and they buy what they think is better. If cameras were as expensive as cars, only a few people would buy something they don't really need.

Personally, I think the Olympus m43 cameras are the best looking cameras on the market especially the Pen F and e-m5 mark III. If you want a small portable camera system then Olympus and M43 is the way to go. You definitely get some of the best bang for the buck cameras on the market with Olympus.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

I completely agree! Thank you for watching!

@liv0003

11 ай бұрын

exist some other great options too. For example I have a Fuji xe3, I'm not a professional photographer but I take photos just for hobby/passion and I really LOVE my small Fuji Xe3 camera and the nice Fujinon lens choice available. Anyway also Olympus is a great brand and you can go wrong with that choice neither 👍

Just like yourself Don, I changed to M43 because of the size benefits, particularly the lenses. Since swapping to the Olympus E-M1 I really haven't had any regrets. Great channel, you have a new subscriber.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and subscribing! I am checking out your channel too!

Olympus/OMD is my favorite, I started the EM10 MII...I yet to see a value model afterwards. This low end camera came with metal body and good water resistant...even latest models in this line can't match its quality.

Same here. Just started with used Oly cams in the last year. Great deals to be had. My back & neck really loves em.

Love my Olympus kit, always enjoy your videos!

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Another very interesting video!

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Very helpful information. Thank you.

@dongummphotography

9 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and commenting!

Don-all great points and all valid as to the great value-quality-reliability of Olympus cameras. I have been using Olympus equipment since my first film OM-2N camera. Features and image quality are always top notch. Just ordered the new OM1 and can't wait to get out and use this latest , greatest piece of Olympus kit! Love the content of your videos, keep up the good work!

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

I got back into photography and was close to getting micro 4/3 Olympus but I went with Fuji XT20. I can't argue with any points this dude made. Fuji had it all too. But problem is expense of Fuji lenses...

My first mirror less in 2019 was a Sony A6000 which was a nice change from Canon DSLR cameras lens selection was limited and expensive. I then bought a new GX85 with two zooms for $499 which introduced me to the format. Then I made the mistake of buying an Olympus EPL-7 with a 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 IIr zoom. I liked it so well I found that you can't buy only one Olympus which is why my latest purchase was an EM1 Mk Ii. I like micro 4/3 for the same reasons you give. Good to see you helping introduce others to the format.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

I really believe in the M43 format.

I think Olympus can actually be ahead of it’s time to it’s detriment. Remember the Olympus air?! They were doing things before they caught on! ❤

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

That is a great point! Can you innovate too far ahead of the competition?

i just found your channel and I've been with Olympus since the first of four thirds to micro four thirds. So I love micro four thirds and the way you could adapt other lenses.

@dongummphotography

9 ай бұрын

Adapting vintage lenses is one of my favorite things. Thanks for watching!

I like your reasons !!!!

@dongummphotography

10 ай бұрын

Thank you and thanks for watching too!

I got an Olympus Pen E-P7 and I love it.

@dongummphotography

11 ай бұрын

I hear the EP7 is a great camera! Thanks for watching!

I find myself in pretty much total agreement with your assessment of MFT and specifically Olympus. They make some of the most fun, easy-to-use, and high-quality cameras that I can think of. The Pen and E-M lines are pretty much all gems of engineering. I was often surprised by the image quality that these small MFT sensors can produce. Another real strength of MFT, especially Olympus, is the in-body-image stabilization that most modern MFT cameras have built-in. I have shot with pretty much all modern camera systems, and while almost all camera systems have some redeeming qualities, as a total package I find Olympus pretty much unbeatable. Especially for photography and especially when one is looking for fun, easy-to-use cameras and lenses that won't break the bank.

@dongummphotography

11 ай бұрын

I couldn't agree more! Thanks for watching!

Don, Excellent video as always. YOu can convince anyone to go micro 4/3 esp Olympus 👌

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words and thanks for watching! Much appreciated!

I agree with all your points but for me there are a couple of more important points. Firstly I photograph a specific Florist flower in competitions, the key requirements are depth of field (there's no point in getting part of the flower or plant in focus) secondly the colour science has to be accurate to the point where Florists don't complain that the colour of the flower is wrong. What the Full frame aficionados crave in shallow depth of field is completely unacceptable in the type of photographs I take. Olympus' colour science also appears to be the most acceptable compromise out there. Nothing is ever perfect and Olympus MFT is the closest I've found to my needs.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

I think Olympus' color science is excellent. Some of the best I've seen. Thanks for watching!

I also use Olympus for the look.

I got into photography recently and got a Olympus PEN EP-7, very happy with it and all the lenses available with MFT.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

The EP7 should be a great camera! Thanks for watching!

I had a few years with Fuji then moved to MFT and was very happy , 3 years later I was looking for a upgrade and went with Sony I question my decision , maybe I didn’t need a upgrade I’m not seen any benefits yet other than a newer camera .

I started using Olympus with the 35mm OM1 and OM2N. They pulled the plug on that system and started producing crap so I switched to Canon EOS and was well pleased with them. I switched to low end Canon 350 digital and it was good for it’s time but I couldn’t afford the high end bodies and glass. I got some nice images from the lower end Canon gear. I then had a hiatus away from serious photography and shot using Panasonic point and shoots. I eventually bought an Olympus Pen Mini as my Panasonic had packed in and was astonished at the quality and colour reproduction from the basic zoom kit. Next bought an EM5 and 45mm prime to go with thePen mini. Now have 2X EM1 Bodies, 2x EM1 Mk 2 bodies and an EM1X. i’ve also bought 3x f2.8 pro zooms covering from 7 - 150mm, a 1.4 converter and 2x f1.2 pro lenses as well as their 1.8 equivalents. I can go out with any combination and travel really light or carry the pro gear if I’m getting serious. Adobe have just upgraded Lightroom Classic to include Ai noise reduction so the biggest problem with the small sensor has been virtually eliminated with this and Topaz and DXO denoise software. Micro 4/3 is a fully pro system now and the new OM1 and more pro glass is on my list. I just hope OM Digital Solutions continues to be successful from a business point of view. The OM system is and always has been fantastic in my opinion and was always underrated both in 35mm and digital. The f1.2 pro lenses along with the 75mm f1.8 go a long way to sorting out depth of field and bokeh issues. No other system does what I want. Long may it thrive.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

I think M43 will be around for a while. Thank for watching!

I have an PEN E-P3 and just purchased a PenE-Pl9 to be a companion to my OM-D E-M1 MkII - wanted a good compact body (and lighter) option for when I don't need a rain-proof kit when out fishing or hiking.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like a good kit! Thanks for watching

Hi Don, Agree with you. I am currently selling my Canon APS-C gear (DSLR) and finally staying on M 4/3, not because i complain about Canon image quality but because I do not enjoy making photographs with it. I have an E-M10 mk 1 that i have hopefully kept even when buying Canon gear and a GX80 second hand bought recently. Best regards

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! You'll be carrying around a lot less weight too!

I recently got a e-m1 mk3 as it gives me the greatest DOF when shooting insects.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Olympus cameras and lenses are great for macro!

I was going to buy a Fujifilm but then I got a hold of an E-M10 & E-M5 Mark II versions. X-T100 just didn't feel that great in the hand, the controls/dials of the X-T20 had just didn't have a consistency how they felt. Then I learned features and functions the Olympus had as I was testing them out at the store. UHS-II card slot, bigger buffer, focus bracketing/stacking, high res mode, live comp, better viewfinder magnification. Less mp and I could tell when I pulled it up on my phone the noise at about 1600 and 3200 wasn't as good as the X-T20 but it wasn't so significant that it bothered me. Plus the first crop sensor DSLRs only went up to 1600 and didn't look great in the early 2000 so this was a significant upgrade to me in 2018.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Olympus definitely has a lot to offer. Thank you for watching!

Just picked up a E-PL1 yesterday for $60. Came with 2 Batts, kit lens and decent bag. All camera contents were still in OG box. Took it out today to play with it some, and man am I liking it a lot! I'm a Canon nut so I fig I'd research and try something different. This is my first M4/3

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! There is a lot to like about M4/3 cameras and the images created with them.

@gregfeeler6910

Жыл бұрын

Just wait until you have the chance to use the newer Olympus and OM System cameras. The best is yet to come!

Alot of people do not realize, besides the obvious, size, mirrorless, compact. Alot of people do not realize, the most important feature is the IBIS, which is a must in any photography, especially telephoto. Where Olympus wins hands down, another key point nobody talks about is focus stacking in camera. This is a MUST in macro photography, you get the entire subject in focus. Bokeh is an overated feature, and easily achieved. You take a picture of a insect closeup, part in focus and rest of of focus which ruins the shot. Most FF shooters will tell you, you get more dynamic range, less noise, more MP. But thats about it, everything else Olympus blows it away. I have an Sony Alpha 1, and I have Olympus OM1, and I find Olympus blows any camera away. In terms of quality, IBIS, excellent color science. And getting those shots 99% of the time. I shoot with OM1 with Metabones EF adapter, and I also use my Canon glass.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! All good points you make! The IBIS is wonderful in Olympus cameras and probably what really sold me on their cameras.

@amybella

Жыл бұрын

@@dongummphotography I really enjoyed your content, I am happy to see more Olympus is getting recognized. Tired of other channels bashing Olympus. I have been shooting since the E-330 Evolt. Trust me I have so much photography knowledge of cameras. I have tried everything from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, etc.. Every camera you can imagine. Nothing comes close. Also practically all Sony camera have rolling shutter which makes video unsable, unless its properly edited. Only if you buy the higher end sony, does not suffer from it as much. Olympus does not have this is issue as much neither. So many things to talk about. But won't bore you 😃

Still a great video

@dongummphotography

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I agree, I'm just hoping the next pro camera has a better sensor, the latest wasn't enough of an upgrade over my EM1-iii. I bought into the system because I love the ability of bringing a 600mm FF equivalent lens for birds in the same pack as my landscape and macro setup. I can pack 2 bodies, 300mm F4 lens, 12-40, 40-150, the 60mm macro, flash, and filters in the same space and weight that I used to carry just a landscape setup, and still hike for hours. Quite the game changer in terms of the photographic opportunities.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

I am an old film shooter so I am quite impressed with the image quality from today's sensors. What improvement in the sensor were you looking for?

@whafrog

Жыл бұрын

@@dongummphotography just better noise handling. 14bit dynamic range would be a nice bonus.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

@@whafrog I see, that makes sense. Thanks for watching the video!

Just purchase an M43 Pen E-PL10 and am excited about getting to know it and taking family, local nature and vacation photos with it. We used our son's E-M10 Mark II to snap photos of our wedding and honeymoon and were absolutely blown away by the quality. We have a stunning 3x3 canvas of us standing in front of an old cabin in Cades Cove - Smokey Mountains that looks like it was taken by a real pro instead of me with my cell phone as the trigger and the camera on a tripod. It's a real heirloom. Can't wait to create more! -- Any recommendations on zoom lenses? I need to send a letter off to Santa for Christmas, lol. I've been glancing at the M.Zuiko 40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R and the Panasonic H-FS45150AK 45-150mm F4.0-5.6. Thanks!

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Either of those lenses would be good choices! Thanks for watching!

OM-D + PEN shooter here, too. I love my PEN. They are way too quickly passed over by so many photographers. Sure I pair with with an EM-1, but literally 60% of the time or more, it's the PEN I grab.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

I am with ya. The Pen cameras are by every day carry cameras. Thanks for watching!

Hi Don, thank you for your valued videos. I have a dilemma for which your opinion would be appreciated. I've just sold off my Canon 5D Mk IV equipment. Prior to doing so, as a test, I purchased a used original E-M1. Aside from sensor size and resolution, this nine year old camera just felt right in the hand and superior in technology. The image quality has been impressive. I have a Panasonic 20mm f/1.7, 60mm macro, 14-42 kit lens and the 40-150 plastic fantastic that I purchased at great prices. The dilemma is that I'd like to purchase an upgrade of a newer M43 camera body and some PRO glass. I shoot street, landscapes, nature and macro. My options are to either buy a good used (prices will be in CDN $) E-M1 Mk III body at $1,400 or a new OM-1 at $2,800. The other option on new is an OM-1 with the 12-40 f/2.8 for $3,600. in one way the M1.3 makes a lot of sense since it would be possible to get the same PRO lens used at a great price along with additional fast prime options. But I can't help but think that future firmware updates to the new OM-1 may have me wanting for the newer camera body. Do you feel that there is enough of a difference with the new body to justify the price of the OM-1 and to your knowledge do you think that the future updated firmware will actually offer impressive updates to the newer system? I'm tending toward the M1.3, but can't get that firmware thought out of my mind. By adding the 12-40mm PRO II lens to the OM-1 the price for the lens nets out to be roughly the same as a used lens that doesn't have the ZERO coating. I appreciate your thoughts. Perhaps this will help others facing the same consideration. Cheers!

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Hi Norm, I have not looked into what possible firmware upgrades that Olympus has in the works for the OM1 but I can say that Olympus has, in the past, added some significant functionality to some of their cameras through firmware upgrades. My EM5 Mk II gained focus stacking through a firmware upgrade. On the other hand, getting that 12-40 F2.8 Pro lens would be important to me if I were budgeting for new gear. Quite a conundrum you have going there. I tend to not live on the bleeding edge of technology but tend to, instead, adopt new tech once it has been out a little while to let others find the issues and give the manufacturer time to correct them. Obviously someone has to find the bugs in a new product but I would rather it be someone else. That being said, if it were my money, I would probably tend to go with the EM1 MkIII and 12-40 f2.8 Pro lens. Once the OM1 was out for a year or two I would then think about upgrading. That is just me and if you feel inclined to go with the OM1 I am sure it will be fruitful as I have great confidence in Olympus equipment. I can only say what I would probably do. If money were no object, then I might just go with the OM1 and 12-40 f2.8 Pro lens though, considering the warranty I would get with new gear. I just tend to be kinda frugal with these type of purchases. I realize that I may have just added to your indecision and if so I apologize. I guess for me it would depend to some degree how flush I was with cash.

@tom5216

Жыл бұрын

Hi Don. Money spent on high end glass is never wasted. Any of the OM bodies will give you great results. The sensors in the later models are a bit better and they have more features but the lenses are more important. The f1.8 primes are small and give great results but the pro lenses are a significant step up albeit at a big cost hike. Same goes for the zooms.

👍😃

Which aftermarket lens did you show us? Looks interesting.

See Joe Edelmann, he uses Oly, has fashion shoot,s on billboard,s. No need to buy pro glass, unless you need a fast aperture, Rob Trek proved kit glass as good as pro with post.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

I agree.

Just recently found your channel. Love your content. As a beginner I am wondering what your thoughts are on jpeg vs raw. Do you do Much editing or do you like the olympus jpeg out of camera?

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

To be honest, I love Olympus' jpeg images. I set my cameras to save both but only use the raw files If I find it is necessary. I don't do much editing and often use Snapseed on an Android tablet if editing is needed.

@tom5216

Жыл бұрын

To get the best out of your camera shoot RAW. RAW images look quite flat out of the camera but using software like Lightroom you can adjust them way more than you can a jpeg.. RAW is meant to be adjusted and the results are great if you know how to edit them in post. Having said that Olympus have some of the best jpegs straight out of the camera.

I was an Olympus guy for 8 years since 2014 when i had bought my first omd em5 (switched from Canon 5D mk2) and till 2022 when i compared my last m4/3 Olympus omd em5 mk3 to Sony A7M3. 1. Price. If you want good result you have only one option - expensive fast primes like 17/1.2, 45/1.2 and 75/1.8. And these lenses produce about the same result like Sony 35/1.8 and 85/1.8 (except DOF of course)... And these are great lenses, i iked my 25/1.2 and 40-150/2.8. But if you try to sell your m4/3 gears - you get the point - nobody wants to by m4/3 expensive lenses on a second hand market... For me it was a real shock when i was trying to sell all my m4/3 gears and had no calls at all... 2. No more Olympus with their reputation and quality and so on... just only new OM Systems with no brand reputation at all. That's really sad though and for me that was the last sign that i have to left this great system. 3. Mirrorless design. It was truth in 2014 what nobody but Sony, Olympus and Panasonic had mirrorless camers, Today every brand produces these type of cameras with APS-C and FF sensors. 4. If you don't use telephoto lenses there's no huge difference in size and weight. For instance just compare Olympus OMD EM-5 + 17/1.2 + 45/1.2 and Sony A7 or Canon R6 + 35/1.8 and 85/1.8. Yes, the weight will be the same but on FF you'll have some advantages due to sensor size. 5. Image quality. I compared SonyA7m3 RAW to Olympus OMD EM5 RAW and there're lot of differences, like bigger dynamic rage and cleaner image on high ISO.... You just have to try and see by yourself. But that doesn't mean that m4/3 has bad image quality, no! The image quality is good enough. Not excellent but just good, at lest for me. 6. Lens selection. On Canon and Nikon you can use old lenses with adapter (and they work pretty fine). THere's no option for Sony (their adapters are shit) but there're lot of lenses from SOny and other brands for E-mount. Olympus is a really great system and i happy i had their cameras for 8 year but today they bumped on sensor size limits and i don't see any ways to make m4/3 cameras better choice for photographers like i saw it 8 years ago. I think they have to go deeper into video and vlogging field like Panasonic did and i think i will work for them. Let's see, anyway i really like the m4/3 system and believe in Olympus, but i don't believe in OM Systems.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Not sure I agree that you have to use the expensive fast primes but you make good points. We all have to find what works for each of us.

@maratbabayan9332

Жыл бұрын

@@dongummphotography I meant if you want to produce the same result on portraits (I shoot with only two primes now Sony 35/1.4 and Sony 85/1.8) and portraits is my main goal you have to use fast primes with 1.2 or at least 1.4 aperture. For landscapes, architecture, macro - you'll be absolutely happy with pro zooms. But I think you get the main point - I love m4/3 but now it limits me. It's great that this system still works for you! I'm really happy for you.

Recently stumped up and got the om1 and love it, reason i bought it was i want a camera i can get wet, yes i could have got a cheaper olympus but it's a retirement present to me, only downside is im going to have to sell my beloved pen f and my em10 :-)

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! I bet the OM1 will be a great camera. Sad you have to sell the others though. Maybe you can find another way.

@rjmachin

Жыл бұрын

Keep the PEN-F at least. It’s a great camera for just sticking in a small bag or pocket, and you need a backup!

Thanks a lot for sharing this info Don 👍 As a new Olympus user I have two questions. I hope that’s no problem!.. First of all is it no problem using Panasonic lenses at all? I thought I’ve read about it that in some cases the connection isn’t as optimal. So it’s better to stick with Olympus lenses. Is that true or does it depends on the lenses? Second, is it really true that the choice of lenses is bigger than with brands as Nikon (which I started with and still use), Canon or Sony? I mean brands as Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, and some other brands too build lenses for those brands too… Thanks in advance for your reply which I really appreciate 😊 Kind regards from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

@dongummphotography

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting. As I understand it, the standards for Micro Four Thirds is the same for Panasonic and Olympus. I have used a couple of different Panasonic lenses on my Olympus cameras and have not experienced any trouble. Some Panasonic lenses have built in image stabilization so you have to turn it off in the camera on those. I believe that lots of people use Panasonic lenses on their Olympus cameras like I do. The range of lenses for M43 is large because two major manufacturers, Olympus and Panasonic, make a full range of lenses. There are also some third party lenses available but I believe that third party companies focus more on Canon, Nikon and Sony.

@Hannemanneke

3 ай бұрын

@@dongummphotography thank you very much 😃 Clear for me now 👍 🙋🏼‍♂️

I'm looking at buying a OM-D E-M5 for travel and landscape pictures. I'm a beginner and need advice with which lenses to buy for the camera and the function that I will have it for. For the lenses I would be willing to pay around 150-230 (Currently I'm looking at the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Power O.I.S. or the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ) Weather sealed is preferred but not necessary

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

The Panasonic 12-60 is, in my opinion, the superior lens. If your budget can handle it, get the EM5 MkII. More features and a better shutter. Thanks for watching!

Even after being naughty all year long I got an EP 5 yesterday for Christmas. It came with a separate lumix 45-150 lens. Everything is brand new and I’m still within time frame for exchange on the lens. Is lumix 45-150 a good lens? What would be a recommendation for a lens? I saw a video on Pro lenses; I’m still learning about photography.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! The Lumix 45-150 is a good lens. For a normal lens on the EP5 I like the Panasonic 20mm f1.7

Hello. You said you repair camera’s for a living. So how’s the inside of Lumix MFT cameras? I’m a beginner and I own a Lumix G7 camera with 20mm lens.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I said I used to repair cameras, I no longer do.

Fotos profesionales.

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!

You were a repair tech? …can you repair Pen F/FV/FT Film cameras?

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

I did many years ago but no longer do any camera repair.

p̶r̶o̶m̶o̶s̶m̶ 😂

I love my micro four thirds to me it’s like Pentax perfectly capable of doing the job but like Rodney Dangerfield they get no respect

@dongummphotography

Жыл бұрын

So right you are! Thanks for watching!

0:58 Value for the Dollar - true for Olympus bodies up to the E-M1 III. The OM-1 is heavily overpriced in my opinion. Not just the body itself for the incremental benefits it offers over the E-M1 III, but also the required accessories to go with it, most explicitly the new batteries and the new battery grip. The batteries in particular are a blatant money grab. It's a very expensive "upgrade" to the OM-1 from the E-M1 III. From a competitive point of view for someone looking to get into a system on a green field without previous investments, Fuji is a much better bang for the buck value proposition. 1:58 Brand Reputation/Innovation. In the past, yes. Olympus has been stagnant with their innovation ever since the E-M1 II. The E-M1 III only offered minor improvements and already lagged behind the competition in critical areas (viewfinder!), the OM-1 adds a viewfinder that is standard with the competition for a while now and speed improvements. There is nothing new in the OM-1 I cannot do with the E-M1 II on principle. Driving specs forward and still being behind the competition is not innovation. 3:56 Mirrorless Design. EVERYONE except Pentax is 100% committed to mirrorless designs exclusively now. What used too be a somewhat unique value proposition of Olympus and Panasonic is a commodity value proposition. 6:07 Compact and lightweight. That used to be the value proposition in the past. Micro Four Thirds flagship bodies are getting bigger and heavier, in many cases even bigger than 35mm format ("full frame") bodies. The Sony A7C is a great example where we're headed. Nikon Z line has small bodies, so does Sony. MFT? Think E-M1X, OM-1, GH6. And Olympus has essentially rang the death bell for the Pen line of cameras. These basically only play a role for sales in Japan and nowhere else anymore. Same with Panasonic - I do not expect to see a successor to the GX9, we might not even get a successor to the G9. 8:26 Image Quality. There is no digital camera from any major manufacturer with bad or insufficient image quality anymore. Whatever camera you buy today that was produced in the last couple of years, they will all be sufficient in the image quality department. By the way, billboard output does not require a high resolution as the viewing distance is typically very large. The iPhone's 8MP images were used for the billboard campaign to promote the iPhone as a camera itself back in the day. These billboards were 2 to 3 meters tall. 10:00 Lens selection. I do agree that this is still the largest benefit of the system. The amount of native lenses. But it is also the biggest let down regarding the other value propositions you listed. MFT is supposed to be a small, lightweight and compact system. How many pancake lenses are there? Three (Olympus 17mm, Panasonic 14mm, Panasonic 20mm). And they're the oldest in the system, with the most outdated auto-focus performance and questionable optical performance for two of them. The other really big fail of MFT has been compatibility across Panasonic and Olympus. A lot of the native MFT lenses require in camera correction being applied to the RAW files to deal with distortion, chromatic aberration. These lens profiles would only correct flaws for Panasonic lenses on Panasonic bodies and vice versa for Olympus. Even worse are useful lens features like function buttons on Olympus lenses being useless on Panasonic cameras, the manual aperture ring on Panasonic lenses being useless on Olympus bodies and lens stabilization only syncing with the body within the same brand. In reality, as an Olympus user you would stick to Olympus lenses for your Olympus body and vice versa for Panasonic. In my opinion that is the biggest letdown of the MFT system. It was a false promise. Having said all of that, here's where I'm at personally. I've been using Olympus since the E-520, E-620, E-5, E-PL1, E-M5, E-M1, E-PM1, E-PM2, E-PL5, Pen F, E-M1 III. I still own all of these except for the E-520 and the E-PL1. I have two E-PM2, two Pen F because I love those cameras so much. I pretty much have all of the small, non-Pro primes except the 25mm 1.8, I have two copies of the 12mm f2, two copies of the 17mm f1.8. I got the 8mm f1.8 Pro, the 25mm f1.2 Pro, the 12-100 f4 Pro, the 100-400, the 300mm f4 Pro and that list is not even complete yet. Plus a few Panasonic lenses (Panasonic Leica 15mm, 25mm , the 20mm and few others; mainly used on a GF1 and GX80). Add two FL36R; and most of the medium Pro FT lenses, my favorite being the 50mm f2. I am as invested into this system as one can be and I keep adding used lenses and used Pen bodies when I can find them in great condition and at a bargain. But here's the problem: Olympus and their value proposition as you advertise it IS OVER. IT'S DONE. OM Digital Solutions are going into a different direction. They're serving a very small niche of photography (wildlife, adventure, nature, macro) with small production runs at high margins. Value for Dollar? No, that's done. Look at the OM-1 pricing. It's a premium value proposition now. Innovation? Difficult given how small a company OM Digital Solutions now is. They're not subsidized by the larger Olympus business anymore and they're much smaller than most other manufacturers. Sony and Panasonic as large electronics companies will be much more innovative. Compact and lightweight? Yes, relative to larger camera systems and no in terms of what's actually possible on the format and what the Pen line tried to achieve. I think consumers can be glad if there's even going to be a successor to the E-M10, the Pen line is basically dead. I do not expect any more Pen bodies in the foreseeable future. For me personally, that's the most hurtful. I love my Pen bodies, especially the Pen F. OM Digital Solutions will not compete with something like the Fuji XE4, Sony's APSC line and so on.

I've been using Olympus since the 80s - the OM-2S was my first, followed by the OM-4T and a used OM-2n. The SLR format made sense for FILM cameras so you can see the exact composition through the viewfinder/mirror/lens system. My first digital was the Oly 3030 - 3.3 mp! I was sold on this camera back in 2000 when a coworker showed me 8x10 prints from his inkjet on glossy paper - wow! When I started using the 3030 I thought all digital cameras forward would be mirrorless - when I saw they were just replacing the film channel with a sensor I thought it was such a waste. Mirrorless is a natural for digital media. The DSLR should have never been a thing but I think they did it to retain film photographers who were familiar with the SLR format/ OVF....an EVF too early in the evolution would have scared pros away and maybe film would have had a longer lifecycle today. Who knows? Anyway I have my sights set on the OM System - OM-D M1 mkiii or OM-D M5 or maybe the OM-1 - comparing features and specs to see which is best - I shoot mainly close to my subject including macro - another benefit for M43 is close shooting, macro, nature and bird photography without resorting to using a 6 pound lens!

@dongummphotography

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Thanks for watching! You make some good points!