[Lord Lucan]

the last time I had a colonoscopy the device used was an Olympus

So you let our brand down? You should have insisted on a Pentax, even a 6x7 if that's all they had

[Jean Poitiers]

Just FYI ... big sale at the French chain "Camara" for Olympus lenses ... wonder why.

[Mistral75]

Just FYI ... big sale at the French chain "Camara" for Olympus lenses ... wonder why.

You'll find the same discounts in the whole eurozone.

[btnapa]

I would hate even more if they slapped one of the great legacy names on abysmal junk, as they have done with, say, Yashica

I live in Vegas and as such have (had) the opportunity to go to CES, WPPI, NAB and similar trade shows. I cringed every time I went by the booth with the Polaroid sign. They started doing mundane products such as iPhone cases and some other BS products under the name of a brand that used to be a legend. You are right. I hope they don't start selling key chains and throw away flash lights under Olympus brand because that would hurt. I am not an Olympus owner but I remember the OM1 from the film days and have shot with their recent digital products. Olympus made fine precision instruments in their cameras and their lenses are legends in their own right. It is a shame what is happening to these icons.

---------- Post added 06-27-20 at 07:35 AM ----------

So you let our brand down? You should have insisted on a Pentax, even a 6x7 if that's all they had

In that case, I would insist that my doc do my colonoscopy annually and make sure the images they give me are watermarked "Images courtesy of Pentax!!!"

[monochrome]

I live in Vegas and as such have (had) the opportunity to go to CES, WPPI, NAB and similar trade shows. I cringed every time I went by the booth with the Polaroid sign. They started doing mundane products such as iPhone cases and some other BS products under the name of a brand that used to be a legend. You are right. I hope they don't start selling key chains and throw away flash lights under Olympus brand because that would hurt. I am not an Olympus owner but I remember the OM1 from the film days and have shot with their recent digital products. Olympus made fine precision instruments in their cameras and their lenses are legends in their own right. It is a shame what is happening to these icons.

---------- Post added 06-27-20 at 07:35 AM ----------


In that case, I would insist that my doc do my colonoscopy annually and make sure the images they give me are watermarked "Images courtesy of Pentax!!!"

I should add the procedure I had five years prior to my most recent procedure was with a Pentax product. Before the lights went out a brief image of the FA*250~600 flashed through my mind.

[texandrews]

You should have insisted on a Pentax, even a 6x7 if that's all they had

(draws in breath...)....ooooOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!

[texandrews]

So, seems like a good time for Ricoh to make the WG series better, since the Oly Tough's were the top of the heap in that segment.

[Kunzite]

My son-in-law turned down my offer to give him my K-5lls, DA*16~50 and DA*50~135* in favor of buying an Olympus E-M10 (I think) 2-lens bundle. I don’t have the heart to tel him . . . . . .

* since sold as a bundle to a PF member.

Every time he's around, I would put:

You Tube

You Tube

[Mistral75]

So, seems like a good time for Ricoh to make the WG series better, since the Oly Tough's were the top of the heap in that segment.

I presume JIP will keep on launching new Tough cameras since they appear to be ODM products (like the WG series, by the way).

I'm expecting JIP to shift Imaging's business model to an all-ODM one, like they did with Vaio.

[monochrome]

I presume JIP will keep on launching new Tough cameras since they appear to be ODM products (like the WG series, by the way).

I'm expecting JIP to shift Imaging's business model to an all-ODM one, like they did with Vaio.

Do you think JIP will sell the manufacturing facilities and transfer all the assembly employees and tools to an acquirer? That would keep the Olympus products alive and retain the brand identifiers and patents as well as the high-value design employees. Or would they also sell the designers and retain just the ownership rights?

[luftfluss]

My son-in-law turned down my offer to give him my K-5lls, DA*16~50 and DA*50~135* in favor of buying an Olympus E-M10 (I think) 2-lens bundle. I don’t have the heart to tel him . . . . . .

* since sold as a bundle to a PF member.

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

[Mistral75]

Do you think JIP will sell the manufacturing facilities and transfer all the assembly employees and tools to an acquirer? That would keep the Olympus products alive and retain the brand identifiers and patents as well as the high-value design employees. Or would they also sell the designers and retain just the ownership rights?

There is only one facility involved with Olympus Imaging products since Olympus moved their production from China to Vietnam. It's a multi-products facility currently manufacturing products for the three business segments of Olympus: Medical, Scientific Solutions and Imaging.

This was the whole point of Imaging transferring their manufacturing from China to Vietnam: to let go of a dedicated factory, which had become much too big and therefore too costly considering the decline in sales and consequently in production numbers, and use a flexible 'internal contractor' than can allocate resources and space according to needs.

For practical reasons I don't see Olympus putting a fence around a small part of their Vietnamese factory and transfer this space to JIP. For the same reasons that led to the transfer from dedicated production plant to multi-products, shared production plant (volume contraction, including in the future), I don't see JIP interested in acquiring a production plant. Besides, they systematically contract manufacturing to third parties in their other ventures.

My guess is therefore that JIP will outsource the manufacturing to Olympus, at least for an interim period. Later on, as they have done with their other investments, I guess they will rely on an ODM (or several ODMs) for both R&D and manufacturing.

[Lord Lucan]

That would keep the Olympus products alive and retain the brand identifiers and patents as well as the high-value design employees.

The implication of the Memorandum is that the camera division going to JIP will not be able to use the "Olympus" name after a transition period, only "Zuiko" and "OM-D". Here are the key words :-

By adding support from JIP, the NewCo, as the successor of reputable brands such as “OM-D” and “ZUIKO,”will utilize the innovative technology and unique product development capabilities which have been developed within Olympus

Note that the word "Olympus" is conspicuously absent from that list of "reputable brands" to which JIP's NewCo will be successors, and is only mentioned as a link with the past.

The "Olympus" brand will be retained by the original company for the medical and other non-camera stuff. They know that JIP is an asset-stripper and would just rent the "Olympus" brand name to any maker of toy cameras or Xmas tree lights with some money to offer, like JIP have with the VAIO name in the PC world, and they don't want their reputation spoiled by it. So I don't think we will see Olympus cameras in future, perhaps Zuiko cameras because JIP will get that name. But of what quality remains to be seen - all reports are that JIP's VAIO PCs (as opposed to the original Sony VAIO PCs) are rubbish, if that gives a clue.

JIP are accountants, not manufacturers. They won't even want to be involved with making cameras in a collapsing market. They will be paid to take over Olympus cameras, and will probably only see value in the patent portfolio.

[clackers]

So, seems like a good time for Ricoh to make the WG series better, since the Oly Tough's were the top of the heap in that segment.

Good point.

[Zooland]

The implication of the Memorandum is that the camera division going to JIP.

JIP are accountants, not manufacturers. They won't even want to be involved with making cameras in a collapsing market. They will be paid to take over Olympus cameras, and will probably only see value in the patent portfolio.

Very true. It’s a numbers game for them, and very different from Hoya selling Pentax to Ricoh deal.