Olympus rumors 2024 (OM System)
Technically “Olympus rumors” are “OM System rumors”, but old habits die hard!
We’ve had two years to get used to the new name, and the last camera to bear the Olympus logo (the OM System OM-1) has now been replaced (by the freshly announced OM System OM-1 Mark II).
New parent company OM Digital Solutions has transferred two of the Olympus camera lines: the OM range of SLR-style mirrorless cameras (with the OM System OM-5 joining the flagship OM-1 Mark II) and the Tough compact cameras (in the form of the OM System Tough TG-7).
The question remains as to what happened to the PEN series – my personal favorite cameras, which includes the mighty Olympus PEN F and the brilliant Olympus PEN E-P7 (the latter of which was launched after OM bought the imaging business from Olympus, but was never released in the US).
So, what does 2024 hold for one of the most storied legacies in the photographic industry?
OM System OM-1X
Rumors arose late last year that OM Digital was working on a new powerhouse camera for 2024. However, we’ve just seen the new flagship OM-1 Mark II – and it was definitely an iterative update of the original. So, could the OM-1X be the big boy camera that’s been whispered about?
It would be the spiritual successor to the Olympus OM-D E-M1X, which was the company’s co-flagship camera for a time (sitting alongside the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II). It possesses a pro body with integrated vertical grip, as well as twin processors to power the then-new features like Deep Learning AF and software-driven ND filters.
As such, I can see the manufacturer launching an OM-1X to sit next to the OM OM-1 Mark II as an all-guns-blazing option for professionals needing as much horsepower as possible. Hopefully with a new sensor and more megapixels (as Panasonic managed with the G9 II)…
OM System OM-10
The OM System OM-10 is the next most obvious camera expected to be announced. Following the transmogrification of the Olympus OM-D EM-1 and E-M5 to the OM System OM-1 and OM-5, now it’s the turn of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV to be reborn.
There are no rumored specs as yet, but we can use history as our guide here. The flagship OM-1 features a brand new, stacked, back side illuminated 20.4MP sensor, while the OM-5 features the old 20.4MP sensor found in the previous flagship cameras (the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III and Olympus OM -D E-M1X) – both of which featured phase detect autofocus.
The entry-level E-M10 line never featured the same sensor, autofocus system or in-body image stabilization system as its bigger brothers, usually sharing the same technology as the Olympus PEN line. We can thus surmise that the OM System OM-10 will probably possess very similar specs to the brilliant Olympus PEN E-P7 (which was actually the first camera released under the new ownership), albeit with an electronic viewfinder.
OM System PEN-F II
When OM Digital confirmed that the PEN camera line would continue, it reigned the torches of those questing for the Olympus Holy Grail: the PEN-F II. The original Olympus PEN F was discontinued years ago, but was so beloved and coveted that it has become a cult classic.
A camera created to embody sheer style and cool creativity, it’s a very niche and premium-priced product that may be difficult for OM Digital – which cannot afford to make any losses – to resurrect. Don’t forget, the camera was simply not profitable in the gravy train Olympus days. However, it has been brought up publicly by company executives a number of times in recent discussions.
That said, the Olympus PEN E-P7 feels in many ways like a pocket-sized PEN-F successor. While it lacks the PEN-F’s vari-angle screen and electronic viewfinder, it’s still a worthy alternative.
OM System PEN E camera(s)
Arguably more likely than the PEN F II is the release of another E or E-PL (PEN-Lite) camera. The revival of the EP line in 2021 (in the form of the Olympus PEN E-P7) somewhat threw the future of the E-PL into question – although the E-P7 wasn’t released in the US, where small EVF-free cameras have traditionally been a harder sell for the company.
Which perhaps means that the E-PL series isn’t done yet. The line saw annual (if incremental) updates every year from 2016 to 2019, culminating in the Olympus PEN E-PL10. These were consistently among the best-selling cameras in Japan and Asia, but that gangbusters business wasn’t really replicated in the West.
Either way, OM Digital said when it first acquired the camera business that the PEN line was alive. And in fact, the E-P7 was the first camera released under the new ownership. We wouldn’t be at all surprised to see an OM System E-P8 or an OM System E-PL11 – or even to see them receive new names.
The OM System verdict
While the original OM-1 was a huge hit with reviewers and consumers alike, since then the OM-5, Tough TG-7 and most recently the OM-1 Mark II have been criticized for being too iterative. Customers are questioning how much the company is willing or able to push the envelope – now it’s up to OM to provide an answer.
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