Ok. So what do you do when your brand, the one you have committed to decides to sell off it’s camera division to another company with a mixed reputation for brand integrity and development?

1. Cut and run (as I suspect many will).

2. Look at your stocks of gear* and if you think it wise, just sit and watch, planning to not plan.

3. Do as #2, but transition where needed.

4. Trust that Olympus or more likely Panasonic will support the format long enough to see me through (5 years?). Add a couple of lenses and a top end (?) body or two and just keep going.

Looking at option number 1.

I have too strong a connection with my Oly gear to just up sticks and leave. My fast primes are just too good to easily (and cheaply enough) replace and my zooms, such as they are, are good enough for the tasks they are set (at this point). Also, realistically, in this market, with this news, the gear I have has little value.

Number 2.

This is perhaps the wise route, except that I would like to expand my sports capabilities (see below) and that means either adding more m43 or looking at good options.

Option 3.

Maybe this is the logical one as I have plenty to do most of what I want*. Upgrading my sports/workhorse core would start the transition, then I can just take my time for the rest.

Option 4.

The last is the most tempting. I am aware that m43 is and always will be seen as a non or at best semi professional player, but I also know that, that is for the most part crap-ola in a can.

Nobody I have shown any of my work to has ever criticised it on a technical level and nor should they. These cameras may be behind some of the top, current models in some respects (many measures are irrelevant in the real world and some work in M43’s favour), but we are talking about the handful of current cameras that have an edge. The reality is, more has been done with less in the past**. The last time I had any technical feed-back (three days ago regarding some low light school performance images), it was highly positive, without the commenters being aware I used “little and ancient” EM5 mk1 cameras.

It really is a case of “the photographer not the camera” these days, as no one makes a bad camera, format or lens. There is just enough difference between the various models and brands to split them for comparison and many of these measures as I said above, are pretty much irrelevant in the real world***.

To top that off, I can get what I need and want from these cameras, and have no guarantees that I will not shift sideways or even backwards if I switch (techniques that work can be fickle). Anyone else make a razor sharp 150 f1.8 equivalent I can afford?

Sports are the only real area of concern. The 75-300 punches above it’s weight up to 200 (e 400)mm and is occasionally brilliant at longer focal lengths, but it is light dependant. Summer cricket should be ok, winter football is more flexible for shorter focal lengths and as for indoors, the 12-40 and 75 have done the trick. The 40-150 Pro or maybe a Fuji XT# and 100-400 as part of the transition? I would even, if it was the smart move, get an SLR kit again just for sports. No sport at the moment anyway, so no rush.

All of this highlights something I was becoming aware of before I left the shop. It is hard to buy gear at the moment, especially if you are wanting top end results from a start of nothing. It is equally hard to buy badly in a general sense, but the crystal ball of the future is dim enough to make long term planning pointless.

Fuji seems to have a strong base and commitment and they have a unique take on the dynamic of APS-C and Medium format.

Nikon and Canon are the waking giants, finally taking on Sony in mirrorless.

Panasonic is clearly targeting FF Sony as well, as they should being their traditional video opponent, but their M43 may pay the price (logically, M43 makes an ideal second format, as long as sales stay strong enough). I am hoping that Panasonic’s foray into full frame will take the pressure off their M43 offering, something Olympus lacked as an option.

There is every likelihood that I will get a G9 or EM1 mk3 in the future and maybe a better long lens (100-400 Leica). Even if I flog them, my needs will likely be met.

*A gear stocktake revealed about 500,000 to 1 million potential shutter fires left (not counting “free” electronic ones), spread over 9 bodies with some near new flashes and plenty of well looked after lenses. Quality aside, I have tons of quantity.

**My OMD EM5’s produce images at least equal to my old 5D mk2’s and blow away D700 Nikons without many of the negatives, such as size and lens inconsistency. These were the industry backbone for close to 10 years.

***There is a reason we are on a fast track for more measurable quality. It is because we can now more easily measure quality.