DPReview recently interviewed Mr. Hirofumi Imano, Division Manager of Product Strategy at Olympus, at the recent C+ 2014 show in Japan. I’m a huge fan of what Olympus is doing, though I’m not as excited about their camera’s ergonomics and ease of use. However, you can’t argue with their quality optics and stunning image excellence being reproduced by their latest cameras, most notably the Olympus OM-1D. It’s a beautiful camera and if it had better video quality and less confusing menus and buttons I may be shooting the Olympus rather than my current favorite Micro Four Thirds, the Panasonic GH3.
Dan goes for little camera big picture, shooting the Lumix GH3 surrounded by much larger cameras. The group was photographing a local Ainu elder on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.
Either way, it’s amazing that the camera industry is going through changes that will make our lives easier and more comfortable. As I like to say, “photography is supposed to be fun”. Heavy, bulky cameras can take the fun factor out of the equation, so I ‘m liking what Olympus and others are doing to lighten our loads. More fun equals more pictures and more people wanting to take photos. That will equate to better business for those who provide more fun. That’s good for the camera industry, especially for those who understand the fun factor. Read this interview to see how Olympus is moving forward and changing the common attitude that bigger is better. I’ve been saying, “that’s not necessarily so” for nearly five years now.
Local Hokkaido Ainu native Senke Morio poses for our cameras at the Lake Akan Hotel on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. Photo shot with Lumix GH3 and 35-100mm F/2.8 lens. ISO 400
A quote from the interview by Mr. Hirofumi Imano. “In Japan, currently 50% of the market is mirrorless, but a few years ago it was the same situation here as we’re currently seeing in the USA and Europe. But we just stuck firmly to our position, and kept on communicating to customers that there’s another option, which is small and light and takes beautiful images”. Japan is the home of photography. What they are doing is what the rest of the world will be doing eventually. The sooner the better if you ask me. Take a look at the smaller cameras – you won’t regret it.