Joseph,
Your thoughts on the future of the OM system form an interesting
hypothesis. It may apply to other camera/lens manufactures as well.
>From everything I know about reducing the cost of manufacturing for
semi-custom optical inspection systems for the semiconductor industry, your
hypothesis is in many ways quite plausible. For lens manufacture though, if
you rely out outside suppliers for the glass blanks with a special spec it
might not be feasible to get a supplier to deliver en mass. The blank
supplier might take the order for a large quantity and stagger the delivery
in installments. This means the manufacturing process to build to the
target inventory is spread over a longer period of time.
At 12:43 PM 12/13/99 -0800, you wrote:
>Tony writes:
>
>============
>I think the Om system is about to finish. Unfortunately, cause I a owner of
>a OM-1. Where are the Olympus executives? I'm feeling alone with my OM-1, a
>============
>
>My own take on the status and future of the OM system is fairly atypical.
>Olympus manufactures lenses in a single run. Thus, if they design a
>lens, they then set up a manufacturing facility, make all they want
>to make with the manufacturing run, box them up and store them in a
>warehouse, then take down the manufacturing facility for this lens.
>Thus, they make all they expect to sell in the one run. They might
>set up a new run if they run out, but more likely, they do a re-design
>of the lens as well at that time to take advantage of the latest in
>optical technologies.
>
>I don't know if camera bodies are made the same way, but I suspect
>they are. It is the only way to get an economy of scale in the
>manufacturing process for a relatively low-volume product. I think
>most cameras are made this way.
>
>It is my belief that Olympus has already discontinued manufacture of the
>OM system. However, they seem to think it is important to have the
>system officially on the market as it adds prestige to the Olympus
>name as a camera seller, thus enhancing their very profitable point & shoot
>business. This would explain their having raised the prices of the
>OM-4T and lenses to astronomical levels while demand has fallen off.
>(Normally, prices fall in response to falling demand when someone wants
>to sell something). Olympus wants to sell their existing stock very
>slowly, only selling a piece of a premium price is paid. This enables
>them to officially keep the OM system on the market at low cost to
>them (just cost of warehouse space, and it probably isn't that much).
>This is just my theory of course, but it is consistent with the evidence
>we have.
>
>Where does this leave the OM user? First, it means that the system is
>largely a system where you buy used stuff, not new stuff. there are
>exceptions, eg if you just have to have a 21/2 you might have trouble
>finding it used. Of course, if you want to find a new one, you'll have
>some problems. B&H doesn't stock many OM lenses, and they have to be
>special ordered. You have to have your credit card charged up front,
>and then wait a long time to receive an expensive lens you already paid
>for.
>
>Second, there are not many 3rd party lenses available new. Sigma has
>discontinued most of their OM mount lenses, and Tokina is doing the same.
>Tamron still supports OM pretty well with their adaptall system, but
>some new tamron lenses are only available in autofocus (eg the 20-40 zoom
>as an example, but this might change in the future).
>
>However, the main problem with a system that is largely only available
>used and/or has been discontinued, is that it becomes unrepairable,
>like Konica SLRs or Topcon SLRs. This is not the case here. Olympus USA
>is obliged by law in the US to support a product with repairs for
>10 years after it is discontinued. So if the OM-4T were discontinued
>tomorrow, you'd still have 10 years of support. Thus, their policy of
>jacking up the prices to keep the system officially on the market makes
>it a viable system to use if you don't mind buying stuff used.
>
>If they should decide to discontinue it, you'd most likely see a fire sale
>on stuff with plumeting prices.
>
>Just some thoughts.
>
>Joseph
>
>
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Kurt Hurley IDS 2000 Product Marketing Manager
Schlumberger T&T - Diagnostic Systems
1601 Technology Drive San Jose CA 95110
email khurley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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