"John A. Lind" wrote:
>
> At 12:19 9/26/02, Tim wrote:
>
> >And he could tell us about the morons that have taken
> >over.
> >-Tim
<snip>
John & Tim:
I think that Olympus is a smart company that is run by smart people.
They just happen to have a different philosophy and outlook on the world
than most list members.
They have (apparently) chosen to focus their efforts on the P&S area in
both film and digital, up to the "semi pro" level. I'm sure that their
marketing people have determined that this is the niche area that they
can do well in.
The OM system was their bid to become a player at the level of Nikon or
Canon. They made some inroads (UPI, National Geographic), but
apparently did not change enough hearts or minds that it made sense to
continue to participate in the advanced amateur/pro market.
Here is a quote from the new Leica R9 brochure:
"Because every Leica is a precision instrument, manufactured by
competent hands with great dedication and scrupulous accuracy. The Leica
R system embodies more than a hundred years of optical and mechanical
experience, combined with the most modern manufacturing technology and
that very special craftsmanship that made Leica cameras and lenses
become legendary. And so it is that the Leica Company remained a craft
shop in the best sense of the word. The extremely high level of
refinement that has now been achieved with the LEICA R9 substantiates
the philosophy of valuing the quality of the products and the greatest
possible benefit for the photographer above everything else."
Rock on guys! THIS is what I wanted Olympus to say when they introduced
their new DSLR. They probably looked at the market, and concluded that
the market for photographic systems that cost as much as a small car was
saturated. A Leica or a Porsche can get away with small numbers/high
prices, but a volume producer cannot.
Enjoy your OM gear, but don't ever expect to see the likes of it ever
again. (At least not from Olympus).
Bill Stanke
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