Just around 10 years ago, I reviewed the Olympus Pen F camera. This was at a time when Micro Four Thirds, I believe, peaked and then started to show a steady decline. And to this day, I still think that it was their best camera. As time has gone on, there are subtle ways in which OM System and Micro Four Thirds seem to agree. I mean, the megapixels haven’t gone up very much, and they’re more or less admitting that they needed a retro-style camera body with the OM3.
So what made the Olympus Pen F so good?
- The retro rangefinder aesthetic
- The special dial for changing the art filter/look
- The feel of the camera
- The size
- A great EVF
- Good enough autofocus
Olympus sabotaged itself with the price, though. To recap what we’ve said many times, Chinese products aren’t cheap. Instead, the Japanese products are just way too expensive. The crazy thing is that it’s such a cult-classic that it still goes for a lot of money on the used market.
So now that it’s been 10 years, one really has to wonder: will they ever make a comeback? OM System seems very enamored with the wildlife crowd and landscape photographers. But in reality, they could easily clean up with the street photographers around the world. Magnum photographers like Matt Black use OM System cameras and make incredible imagery with those cameras.
More than ever, the camera industry has needed rangefinder-style camera bodies. The rest of the camera industry is really just so incredibly boring.
At this point, I’m not sure that it will happen. When OM System was bought, it was bought by the same company that bought VAIO from Sony. In our industry, Japanese companies have a history of really mistreating the companies they purchase.
To back up that claim, Sony purchased Minolta and barely a shred of that identity is present in the Alpha cameras.
Pentax was bought by Hoya, then Ricoh. And today, the brand is barely alive.
Still, at the same time, I really am quite fond of this camera and what my memory thought it was. All it really needed was weather resistance and to drop the price a bit. If they did, the Olympus would’ve made so much money with it and even with various special editions.
Nowhere is that more truly current than with the Panasonic S9. This camera launched with several colorways and has come out with even more as time has passed. If it works for an L-mount camera, why wouldn’t it work with Micro Four Thirds?
Micro Four Thirds is in a weird place right now. But I could see it being given new life, embracing the idea of what point and shoots are in that you can carry the camera with you everywhere, it isn’t big, and it’s a joy to use. The other day, I called it an emotional support camera.
OM System: don’t look at the tech you shove into this camera. Look at the vibe.