Rugged new OM system camera and lenses are on the way – but meaningful upgrades are needed to restore my faith in the fading brand
- OM System is ready to add new cameras to its range
- There will also be compact lenses with a single focal length and splash- and dust-proof performance
- Mid-range telephoto zoom could be added to the lens roadmap by the end of 2025
The representative director and CEO of OM System, Shigemi Sugimoto, has done so wrote an official letter say new cameras and lenses will soon hit the market in 2025, and the brand will double its focus on the outdoors. That’s exciting news for OM System (Olympus) fans, but I’ll temper any enthusiasm with weary caution.
Four years since it acquired Olympus and inherited a legendary portfolio of small, lightweight and rugged camera equipment, we haven’t seen much in the way of upgrades or innovation for the Micro Fours Thirds system lineup.
One by one, OM System has launched new versions of existing Olympus cameras and lenses, with the most notable change among the new models being the rebranding of OM System. The OM-1 II updated the OM-1, the last camera to bear the Olympus name, and delivered a nice new graduated ND filter effect, but otherwise the cameras are pretty much the same.
Olympus cameras, which include a micro-four-thirds sensor, were already very good. But if the system is to survive, OM System must start finding ways to make meaningful improvements in future gear – that’s certainly my hope for the next camera that’s apparently coming soon.
What can we expect from OM System in 2025?
For the sake of transparency, here are the relevant words of Shigemi Sugimoto in the message on the OM System website, dated January 6, 2025:
“Soon we plan to add a new camera to our range, along with bright, compact single focal length lenses with splash and dust proof performance. All built to meet the challenges of rugged outdoor environments, so you can’t just landscape photography in the great outdoors, but also authentic photos of everyday life. In addition, we continue to work hard to bring the long-awaited mid-range telephoto zoom lens to the market by the end of this year.”
So that’s one new camera, several small prime lenses, plus a mid-range telephoto zoom lens.
The camera-loving part of me is hoping for something completely new in the next camera from OM System. It will clearly be an extremely rugged camera – OM System is one of the few brands to list the official IP rating in the camera specs, and outdoor gear is part of the system’s DNA, while other brands are completely vague about this. But which new camera can we expect exactly?
Given the clear focus on gear for the rugged outdoors, the most likely candidates are an OM System OM-5 II or an OM System OM-1X. The first would be an update to our favorite travel camera, the OM-5, which would at the very least need to be replaced as it features the older micro USB port as opposed to the now industry standard USB-C charging port.
As for a potential OM-1X, it would be a new version of the most obvious camera from the Olympus micro four thirds series that has yet to be renamed OM System: the OM-D E-M1X. The E-M1X was the flagship model for sport and nature and therefore felt big, expensive and redundant once the OM-1 came to market with much of the same technology in a smaller and cheaper package.
Will we see great new features and upgrades in any of these potential new cameras? I hope my intuition is wrong, and that we do indeed see something exciting that once again puts OM System next to the best. Better yet, how about a brand new camera that would win over Olympus (OM System) fans, such as a retro Pen-F successor, or an affordable entry-level mirrorless camera? These would arrive on site in 2025.