It looks like Olympus cameras are truly a thing of the past as JIP is not moving forward with that branding on the products produced by the company formerly known by the aforementioned name.
The saga behind Olympus has drawn on for months now and it seems like the end of the Olympus name on cameras is the final shoe that drops in this drama.
A rep for the company in Australia said the following about the Olympus name, “OM Digital Solutions will be using the Olympus brand from its establishment. The exact duration of its use is currently undecided. Long term, OM Digital Solutions will consider developing a brand name that is familiar and resonates with customers and the Olympus legacy.”
As PetaPixel reports, Olympus brands such as M.Zuiko, OM-D, and PEN were part of the deal but the marquee label itself was not. The website also reports that the new company, OM Digital Solutions, will focus on four thirds to the “high end” market.
While the loss of the Olympus branding on consumer cameras is a pretty big deal in the history of photography, it looks like current owners won’t be left behind. JIP also purchased the company’s service centers in a move interpreted by many as signaling the new company’s continuation with the consumer camera market.
Olympus’ exit was widely predicted by many industry watchers if for no other reason than the industry-wide declines in consumer camera sales over the past several years (a phenomenon we have reported on extensively).
What do you think of the fate of Olympus? Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments section below.
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3 Comments
Why do these articles keep trying to put forth that JIP doesn’t want to use the name and it is their fault? Olympus is not giving them permission to use the name as they are still a company that has other products. :SMH:
‘Zeus’ might be an apt replacement brand name. Or any of the other Greek gods that live on Olympus.
I’m not getting a response so far, after 19 days, to my enquiry to Olympus cameras for service to my Olympus E-3. Just sent another request today, so we’ll see.