It has been an eventful few years for Olympus and many of their fans have worried for the future of the camera brand. Finally, a new body has been released and photographers are getting a chance to test it out.
A few years ago, I tested a new Olympus camera in Costa Rica and was wholly impressed. Then, several months later, the surprising announcement landed that Olympus had sold their camera division. I wrote an impassioned article directed loosely at the buyers, Japan Industrial Partners, in the vague hope they wouldn't just melt down the division for its parts.
The news since then has been either quiet or vaguely positive, and now, we are given a new camera to look over: the Olympus OM-1. Well, I say Olympus as that's what is on the body, but in reality, it's now called the OM SYSTEM OM-1. For a full breakdown of the camera, I would recommend a look at Ivor Rackham's article from when the NDA first lifted.
I had always been relatively uninterested in Micro Four Thirds sensors, but went into my first experience using one with an open mind. My feelings 2 years later are the same as they were when I got back from that press trip: impressive. The primary takeaway for me was the tech inside Olympus cameras which I maintain is second to none.
In this video, Gavin Hoey goes hands-on with the new OM-1 and gives his thoughts.
