We are big believers in Micro Four Thirds not only as a platform OM Systems as a companyBut 2024 was, to put it mildly, a challenging year for OM Systems.
Only one camera: OM-1 Mark II
A major reason why this was a bad year for OM Systems is evident from the brevity of this section. Since OM Systems took over the reins from Olympus, Pick up the torch in early 2021The company has just released a few cameras. They are good cameras, but they lack volume.
in 2022 OM System OM-1 Received critical acclaim. Later that year, Om-5 Came as a surprise, without USB-C. Finally, earlier this year, OM Systems OM-1 Mark II Landed with mostly minor updates. there was also tough tg-7 in 2023, but it’s basically a TG-6, which is basically a TG-5, which is a camera released in 2017.
So this year, OM Systems only had one new camera, the OM-1 Mark II. The OM-1 Mark II is an excellent camera, make no mistake about it, but it offered only a few meaningful updates over the original OM-1. Some of the OM-1 II could have had additional firmware updates, while others relied on slightly upgraded hardware.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with a minor camera update. Every company has these, and they help keep the lineup fresh while more significant improvements, which may take years to develop, are still pending.
However, in the case of OM Systems it is hard to swallow because since the company took over from Olympus, we are still yet to see much in terms of meaningful growth. Even one of the best Micro Four Thirds cameras on the market, the OM-1, is primarily the work of Olympus, even though OM Systems is more responsible for the improvements of the OM-1 II. A camera takes years to develop, so it is unlikely that the OM-1 was all the work of OM Systems. Furthermore, there is a clear throughline between Olympus and OM Systems, as many employees have changed.
The serious issue is that OM Systems only released one camera in 2024, and it didn’t make a big splash. The overall OM System camera lineup needs updating, and there isn’t much available for entry-level and enthusiast photographers. It started the year as a thin system, and 2024 did nothing to change that.
Two ‘new’ lenses
The situation is slightly better in the case of lenses. OM Systems released two lenses in 2024, although how “new” they are is debatable.
Both had announced in JanuaryThe OM System 9-18mm f/4-5.6 II and 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS lenses sit at opposite ends of the OM System’s lens lineup.
The 9-18mm lens, equivalent to an 18-36mm wide-angle zoom lens, is a refreshed version of the super lightweight and compact original released in 2010. The new version maintains the compact form and optical design of the original. It has been redesigned, making it look like other modern OM system lenses, but it is arguably not a new lens. This is an old lens with a new coat of paint. If it ain’t broke, right?
The OM System 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS is a very interesting addition to the OM System lineup, but is it really NewLike.
On the one hand, yes, the lens is new. It didn’t exist before for large-scale OM systems or Micro Four Thirds, and it does exist now. But on the other hand, this is a reworked Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens, which was initially designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras.
It’s a great lens, but since it was designed for full-frame cameras, a lot of the image cycle is wasted, resulting in an unnecessarily large and heavy lens. A major advantage of Micro Four Thirds is that it makes it possible to produce very high quality lenses that don’t weigh a ton. The OM System 150-600mm benefits from undercuts and is an unnecessarily large and heavy lens.
All that said, the 1200mm reach on the OM System camera is incredible. It’s a dynamite lens for wildlife photography, even if it’s very heavy, and photographers pay a huge premium over the Sigma 150-600mm lens for E and L-mount.
Grading OM System in 2024
This hurts. This was not the year when OM Systems desperately needed to reinvigorate not only the enthusiasm for Micro Four Thirds and its specific benefits, such as dynamite lens It won’t break your back, but the company also failed to give people much reason for optimism. In a rapidly changing landscape where people are concerned about the future of Micro Four Thirds, OM Systems did nothing to ease the concerns.
That said, the OM system is capable of great things, and Micro Four Thirds is an excellent camera system for many applications. There’s still reason for optimism, and OM System could have a dynamite 2025 that makes the disappointment of 2024 fade in the rearview mirror.
But we’re not grading prospects here; We’re grading what happened, and it wasn’t much to the OM system. What happened ranged from good (the new lens) to great (the OM-1 II), but quantity matters, especially for a company that has been extremely quiet for two years in a row, releasing only one camera and four lenses. Two of which are “Mark II” models from October 2022. This is not enough.
Grade: D
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