Key Takeaways
1. OM System is considering reviving the Olympus Pen series, but no concrete plans are in place yet.
2. The design of a new Pen camera will depend on the product concept, which is still under development.
3. The Pen series and OM-3 camera serve different purposes, emphasizing beauty and craftsmanship versus authentic creative photography.
4. There is a commitment to maintaining the compact design that made the Pen series popular among enthusiasts.
5. A new Pen camera may take two to three years to reach the market due to its early development stage.
We recently shared news about the possibility of OM System reviving the iconic Olympus Pen series, which is known for its compact design featuring a Micro Four Thirds sensor. The initial information came from an interview at Japan’s CP+ camera exhibition. However, a new interview by DPReview has provided additional clarity regarding what OM System leaders meant when they talked about the future of the Pen camera brand.
Future Plans for the Pen Series
OM System executives have confirmed that they have put considerable thought into refreshing the Pen lineup. However, fans should manage their expectations, as the executives made it clear that a new Pen camera hasn’t even reached the planning stage yet.
They stated, “We believe the design of the camera must align with the product’s concept, which means we don’t finalize the design before establishing the concept: the product concept comes first. Thus, we have not decided if a new Pen design will resemble the Pen-F or the E-P7, as the product concept is still undetermined.”
Distinct Roles for Each Camera
Hiroki Koyama, OM System’s director of product planning, along with Kazuhiro Togashi, the VP for brand strategy and product planning, emphasized that the newly launched OM-3 is not intended to replace the Pen series. They clearly articulated that both types of cameras serve distinct purposes. According to them, the Pen is meant for “ultimate beauty and ultimate craftsmanship,” while the OM-3 focuses on “capturing authentic and great creative photos.”
This distinction is similar to the difference between Fujifilm’s X-Pro and X-T series, which, while sharing capabilities, have different objectives.
“There’s a different philosophy between the OM-3 and Pen-F series,” Koyama explained, adding, “the Pen-F series emphasizes ultimate beauty and craftsmanship, while the OM-3 is all about taking genuine and creatively great photos.”
A Bright Future Ahead
The encouraging news is that OM System intends to launch a new Pen camera at some point in the future. It seems they are committed to maintaining the original compact design that made the Pen series a favorite among enthusiasts.
The two executives also discussed the challenges of the rising power of smartphone cameras. They suggested there remains a significant demand for dedicated cameras among photographers who seek a specific shooting experience and desire better performance than what smartphones can provide.
Since the OM System Pen camera is still in the early development stages, it may take two to three years before we see the compact Micro Four Thirds camera hit the market. During that time, Canon will likely have released several new models based on the PowerShot V1, and other brands, like Panasonic, may have rolled out updated versions of their Lumix GX series. For now, fans of the Micro Four Thirds system and retro-style compact cameras will have to settle for options like the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV (currently $699.99 on Amazon with a kit lens) and the OM System OM-5 (currently $999.99 on Amazon).
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