Olympus SOLD!

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/breaking-olympus-sells-camera-division

[hogloff]

RIP Olympus. An investment firm has no plans to keep the business going. They'll rip it apart and sell pieces for as much money as possible.

[fdisilvestro]

We'll see, many though the same when Ventizz acquired Hasselblad

[RichDesmond]

True, and in a very different business, motorcycles, Ducati's purchase by TPG in the late '90s saved company and made it much better than it was before. But the wailing and gnashing of teeth at the time was something to behold.
My gut feeling is that the camera division either won't survive or will be turned into something none of us will care about, but I don't know enough about the internals of Olympus's business to really have an informed opinion.

[hogloff]

Here's a post on DPreview that sums up what is in store for Olympus. Basically it will be gutted and sold.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4499867

[rdonson]

Maybe Oly aficionados will be able to pick up a camera body or lens at a very low price and be able to chug along for years.  It's not like the existing cameras and lenses will stop working.

I know, I know..... some photogs are enamored with the latest and greatest updates but if the current Oly crop of gear works for you......

[Denis de Gannes]

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=AwrDQ2rz.PRe8WkAxyD7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBsbGJtYWNoBHNlYwNzZWFyY2gEdnRpZANDMDI1NA--;_ylc=X1MDOTY3ODEzMDcEX3IDMgRhY3RuA2NsawRjc3JjcHZpZANTcklQT1RFd0xqSERrclhOWGZZbWdBU3hNVFl4TGdBQUFBQjdxMWJiBGZyA3lmcC10LXMEZnIyA3NhLWdwBGdwcmlkAzhtd2lDcmlhU3IuZWtTN25NUWl0WUEEbl9yc2x0AzYwBG5fc3VnZwMwBG9yaWdpbgN2aWRlby5zZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDBHFzdHJsAzQ5BHF1ZXJ5A3JvYmluJTIwd29uZyUyME9seW1wdXMlMjBjYW1lcmElMjBkZWNpc2lvbiUyMHNvbGQEdF9zdG1wAzE1OTMxMTI4NjA-?p=robin+wong+Olympus+camera+decision+sold&ei=UTF-8&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av%2Cm%3Asa&fr=yfp-t-s#id=4&vid=a548047176651e95d3427348647c9c25&action=view]Olympus camera decision sold[/url]

Click the link Robin Wong Olympus evangelist re sale of camera division.

[RichDesmond]

Here's a post on DPreview that sums up what is in store for Olympus. Basically it will be gutted and sold.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4499867

Well, that was depressing.

[faberryman]

Here's a post on DPreview that sums up what is in store for Olympus. Basically it will be gutted and sold.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4499867

Does this mean my Olympus film cameras and lenses will become collectible, and skyrocket in value?

[John R]

Here is different analysis with a short description from the site listed below:
"The camera division has been bought out by Japan Industrial Partners, what appears to be a sort of quasi-government-linked fund that buys domestic brands that for want of a better description, are deemed significant to national interests. A large part is probably not wanting to have major Japanese brands fall into foreign ownership – or at least not publicly."

https://blog.mingthein.com/2020/06/25/the-beginning-of-the-end/#more-19938

JR

[SrMi]

Here's a post on DPreview that sums up what is in store for Olympus. Basically it will be gutted and sold.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4499867

So, you read it on Internet, and ..... .

[hogloff]

So, you read it on Internet, and ..... .

You just read this post off the internet...and?

[Internaut]

This is not Japan, and we are not Japanese.  The future of the Olympus Imaging brand is absolutely uncertain, but JIP isn’t necessarily a place where brands go to die in the same sense as similar Western businesses.  Either way, the uncertainty itself will cause a great deal of unexpected harm if this has not been factored into the deal.  Around the interwebs I’m already seeing people (sensibly) more reticent to buy new Olympus equipment.  This is perfectly normal, and JIP need ro move quickly in clarifying their intentions.

[DP]

Thom of ByThom reasonably outlined only 2 possibilities

1) JIP will run a leanest operation (as Olympus gear still can make money in some markets like Japan) for a while with max outsourcing of manufacturing to 3rd parties in "chinas" (plus trimmed line-up of cameras) and no in house R&D of any kind - like VAIO brand

2) JIP will sell all bits & parts (brand, patents, etc)

[Denis de Gannes]

The heading of the thread is misleading and only create a lot of speculation. Olympus has announced their intent to enter into an agreement to sell, the agreement is expected to be concluded by the end of Sept 2020 and the actual sale to be finalized by the end of Dec 2020.
Only after the sale is concluded, Sold is relevant.
In the mean time, best to wait till at least Sept 30 for the agreement to be finalized.

[SrMi]

Olympus Unveils the Latest M.Zuiko Digital Lens Roadmap and Updates the Development of M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO
https://www.olympus-global.com/news/2020/nr01703.html

The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain