OM SYSTEM CP+2025 Interview: OM-3 Details, New Lens Details and Possible Futures
posted Sunday, April 20, 2025 at 11:44 AM EDT
While in Yokohama, Japan for the annual CP+ 2025 trade show I was able to meet with executives from OM SYSTEM and ask them about their latest OM-3 camera model, recent lenses and their lens strategy and the fate of possible successors to the PEN-F and waterproof cameras like the TG-6 and TG-7.
It was an interesting conversation and in many ways more candid than most, an opportunity to learn a bit about their product strategy, how they see OM SYSTEM in the market and the prospects for new models across their product line.
Kazuhiro Togashi, Vice President, Brand Strategy and Product Planning, OM SYSTEM (right)
and Hiroki Koyama, Director, Product Planning, OM SYSTEM (left)
Product Positioning and Strategy
With so many capabilities, are you concerned that the OM-3 might take sales away from your higher-end models like the OM-1?
Koyama-san: The OM-1 is designed as a one-of-a-kind tool for photographers who venture deep into nature to capture decisive moments and create never-before-seen works of art. The OM-3, on the other hand, is a camera that photographers can carry with them at all times in outdoor settings closer to everyday life. It lets people explore new creative possibilities by focusing on their unique photographic and visual expression. Because these models have different purposes, they are totally different cameras, so there is no risk of cannibalization.
Togashi-san: Let me briefly explain about our product lineup and the outdoor field. The TG series satisfies those who love outdoor activities, extreme activities like mountain climbing and diving. The OM-1 series is designed as a one-of-a-kind tool for photographers to go deep into nature create never-before-seen images and art. The OM-5 series is positioned in outdoor activity areas such as mountains, forests, and camping areas. The OM-3 series covers everything from photo sharing of travel destinations to ordinary life, and it allows users to take authentic and artistic works. That’s a simple description of the product lines and how they are positioned.
Currently, the average person views our brand image as an outdoor brand. However, our definition of the outdoor field is from mountain to city to ocean—everything outdoors is part of our outdoor field definition.
So is the OM-5's weather sealing better than the OM-3's?
Togashi-san: Basically, the level of weather sealing quality and performance is the same. However, the OM-5's body size is smaller than OM-3, and the weight is also lighter. Those who love mountain climbing need to prioritize weight, so heavy equipment is not good for their activities. These two products differ in size and weight, but ensure reliable performance for use in the outdoor field.
DE: So a quick summary might be that the OM-1 is for adventurers (or others) looking for the ultimate photographic tool, the OM-5 is for hikers, campers and backpackers and the OM-3 is more for ordinary daily use but is built so it can withstand the elements.
Togashi-san: Yes, that’s a simple summary.
Viewfinder Technology
The OM-1 Mark II's viewfinder is very crisp. The OM-3's viewfinder has a lower resolution. Have you had any pushback or negative feedback about this difference?
Togashi-san: The pixel count of the OM-3's EVF is the same as the OM-5, but actually we have made improvements from the OM-5's EVF. In outdoor conditions, there's sometimes significant brightness variations. When users are in such situations, the visibility of the OM-3's EVF is really improved.
Koyama-san: I saw some concerns on social media regarding the EVF pixel count, but users who have actually tried the OM-3's EVF say they have no concerns—it's enough, they're satisfied. Already some end users who've tried our product easily see the difference between the viewfinders of the OM-5 and OM-3.
How does the dynamic range compare across all three OM models?
Koyama-san: The dynamic range is wider in the OM-1 Mark II's EVF than in the OM-3's, and the OM-3's is wider than the OM-5's. The OM-3's EVF is also brighter than the OM-5's.
So it's the same pixel count but much more dynamic range. That's very important for photography.
Togashi-san: Yes, exactly. When taking photos of clouds in the sky, you need to be able to see where the clouds are to frame your photos properly.
Ed. note: This last summarized a bit of back and forth; I think I might have been the one who mentioned framing clouds in the sky as an example of where EVFs have often struggled in the past, but Togashi-san agreed with the example. Looking through the three viewfinders at the show, I obviously preferred the one on the OM-1 Mark II, the well-formed and smooth letters and numbers in the user interface were more pleasant than the slightly pixelated ones in the OM-3 and OM-5. That said though, I found it almost impossible to notice differences in fine subject detail between the two resolutions, at least with the sort of natural subjects available to point the camera at. You might be able to see differences when looking at test charts, but in any practical scenario you’d use magnified live view with any of the models if you’re that interested in fine detail or focus. I expect this will be a controversial point based on personal preferences, but I’d encourage anyone interested to actually pick up either the OM-3 or OM-5 together with an OM-1 Mark II and spend some time looking at fine detail to see if it would really make a difference to your photography.
Color Control Features
The color control really stands out in the OM-3. You have the four color and black and white settings that are like film, but then users can have so much control for fine-tuning. It reminded me of the PEN-F. Are the controls exactly the same, or have you made enhancements or changes with the OM-3?
Koyama-san: From an operation perspective, it's almost the same as the PEN-F. The operation is almost the same, but the unique point of the OM-3 is that users can combine color profile control with computational photography features like Live Graduated ND. This allows users to realize their own unique expressions.
Ed. note: This is a useful addition. OM SYSTEM’s computational photography features like graduated neutral density filtration, conventional ND, focus stacking, etc are valuable tools that the PEN-F lacked.
Will There be a PEN-F Successor?
Used copies of the PEN-F selling for very high prices on eBay. Have you had any contact with PEN-F users about the OM-3, and what have you heard about how they feel about it?
Koyama-san: First of all, the OM-3 is not a successor to the PEN-F. From customer feedback, we understand that the PEN-F is appreciated for various reasons, including its rangefinder style, craftsmanship-inspired exterior, and the profile control features. Rather than simply replicating the PEN-F, we need to carefully consider what makes it so beloved as we explore new ways to deliver an enjoyable photographic experience.
Is there going to be a successor to the PEN-F? Will the PEN line continue to evolve?
Togashi-san: When we decide to make a new product plan, we need to decide on the concept of that product. For the PEN, we are considering what our new PEN should be as an OM SYSTEM brand, not the Olympus brand. We're still thinking about what concept would be best for a new PEN. Then, after deciding on the PEN concept, we'll determine if the exterior design will be similar to the PEN-F or similar to the E-P7 and so on. Currently, we haven't decided yet because we're still considering the overall concept. However, the PEN series is very important for us, so we are indeed thinking about a successor model for the PEN series.
Many people ask why the OM-3's exterior design is not like the PEN-F. This is because we first decided on the concept, which is important, and the camera's exterior design should embody that concept. For the OM-3, the concept is a camera that can take impressive and authentic photos that you will always want to carry with you and that will make you want to take it on your next trip. The Japanese advertising tagline is “Inspiration that will change your life.” From everyday ordinary scenes to amazing landscape while traveling, we want this product to maximize the expressive potential of photographers and capture the beautiful new worlds they haven’t seen before.
The design concept combines "heritage" and "innovation." As you know the film camera OM-1 released over 50 years ago has a design that still feels beautiful today, so it served as a good reference for us to create a universal design that users will want to own for a long time. In this part of our innovation, we aim to establish not only beauty but also functional beauty that enables quick shooting in all weather conditions.
Ed. Note: The part about needing to decide what the fundamental concept of a new PEN-F should be makes sense to me, although my own initial reaction was to just shove the OM-3 guts into a PEN-F body. On the other hand, the PEN-F is a lot different than the E-P7, which has also been very popular, especially in Japan. It’ll be interesting to see how OM SYSTEM ends up defining the PEN-F “concept” going forward.
Design Philosophy - Further Discussion of the OM-3 Design
Togashi-san: We had a long discussion about grip versus without grip. We discussed it extensively, but finally decided on this design without the prominent grip.
RDE: Personally, I like a grip. I have fairly large hands, and with a small front on the camera, it's a little harder for me to hold. A grip allows me to wrap my fingers more comfortably.
Togashi-san: To make comfortable shooting without front grips, while maintaining camera holding, we thoughtfully designed thumb rests. With a thumb rest, the OM-3 is designed to work comfortably with lenses up to the 12-100mm F4 PRO.
Ed. note: This condenses a longer, more fragmented bit of discussion. It’s interesting that there apparently was quite a bit of internal … if not “battle”, at least a long decision-making process to decide what to do about a grip on the OM-3. The compromise position was to design it with a well-defined thumb rest on the camera’s rear panel. This does make it easier to hold with a heavier lens on the front. It was interesting to me that they set the 12-100mm F4.0 PRO lens as the weight threshold for comfort. It’s my personal favorite lens of all time, super sharp across its ~8x zoom range and right about at the level of size and weight that would decide for or against keeping it on the camera all the time. For me, it’s the ultimate “vacation lens”, but with great image quality vs the category as a whole.
Lens Announcements and Strategy
Your lens announcements this time are very interesting. The optical formula is still the same inside, but you've added new value in other ways, like weather sealing on the 17mm and 25mm, and especially with Sync IS on the 100-400mm. What are your expectations for sales of these lenses? Do you think there will be a lot of upgrade business from current owners, or will it be more new people buying?
Togashi-san: We expect about half and half. Let me explain about the changes to the 17mm and 25mm lenses. Firstly, we changed the exterior design. The original lenses were designed to match older Micro Four Thirds cameras. It has been about 10 years since those first lenses were launched, and camera body designs have changed significantly. So, considering our future plans, we updated the lens design of the 17mm and 25mm.
We added splash-proof capability to match our brand concept. Just like many people use parkas in the city to protect against weather, this splash-proof technology is valuable for all users, even in the cities. When traveling overseas, if your camera is damaged by unexpected rain, you can't enjoy your trip. So, providing weather-sealed lenses helps ensure a safe photographic travel experience for all people, not just enthusiasts.
In Japan, we're seeing pre-order numbers for these premium lenses that are higher than our expectations, suggesting we're attracting both existing users and new customers.
For the 100-400mm lens with Sync IS, we're primarily targeting new customers. Even photographers who start bird photography with other brands might be attracted to our system because our strongest advantage for wildlife photography is handheld shooting. It's difficult for entry-level users to successfully photograph birds because their technique hasn't reached the level needed for perfect shots. Using a tripod is often more difficult than our handheld approach, because when the tripod is used, it makes less flexibility in framing compared to handheld shooting. That's why we added Sync IS to this lens—it makes it easier for beginners to frame wildlife subjects stably when using telephoto zooms.
Ed. note: This was an interesting take and one I can see playing out in practice. Leaving aside all the inevitable arguments about what’s truly “equivalent” in lenses between MFT and FF systems, it’s nonetheless true that a 100-400mm on an MFT camera gives you the same relative frame coverage for distant subjects as a 200-800mm on a FF body. Adding OM SYSTEM’ excellent Sync IS for 5.5 stops of stabilization on the tele end (see below) makes a huge difference for less-experienced birders. Personally, I’m lucky if I can even keep the subject in the viewfinder at 800mm equivalent, let alone get a sharp photo of it. For a duffer like me, the combination of very long reach, relatively low weight and 5.5 stops of IS would be the difference between getting a nice shot and a blurred speck somewhere in the frame.
What are the specifications for the Sync IS on the 100-400mm? How many stops of stabilization does it provide?
Togashi-san: With Sync IS, the wide end provides 7 stops of stabilization, and the telephoto end provides 5.5 stops. With lens IS alone (without body stabilization), both the wide and telephoto ends provide 4.5 stops.
User Requests and Lens Development
Between yourselves and Panasonic, there are a lot of Micro Four Thirds lenses now covering many areas. What are users asking for? What kinds of lenses do they feel are still missing?
Togashi-san: We receive feedback from users at events like CP+, at our showroom in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and from photographers. The requests really depend on the shooting genre. For wildlife photographers, they always ask for super-telephoto lenses with lighter weight. For landscape photographers, their requirement is typically for more compact lenses, not just in physical size but also in zoom range. While our standard lens is the focal length of 12-40mm (Approx. 24-80mm, 35mm equivalent), some users would prefer something like a 10-30mm (Approx. 20-60mm, 35mm equivalent) that maintains a compact size.
After launching the OM-3, we've also received new requests for pancake lenses. Another interesting request comes from users of our 7-14mm ultra-wide zoom—they want the ability to use filters with it, which is challenging with the current curved front element design.
Ed. note: This is more about possible future directions than I think I’ve ever gotten out of a camera manufacturer. The nature of the requests makes sense though: For wildlife, the lens can never be too long or too light. As for ultra-wide photos, I’ve never shot a lot of ultra-wide photos but they’re a ton of fun whenever I do. The 7-14mm OM SYSTEM lens was a lot of fun to play with but there were definitely times I’d have loved to be able to put a polarizer on the front to kill reflections and simply couldn’t due to its bulging front element.
Like this but wider?
Togashi-san and Koyama-san said that the most frequent user requests are at the two ends of the focal length range. Wildlife shooters always want more reach with less weight, while landscape photographers would like to see something a little wider than the current 12-40mm f/2.8 and 12-45mm f/4.0 (shown). Maybe a 10-30mm? We'll have to wait and see...
Future Optical Designs
You've managed to release about two new optical designs a year in the past, but recently we've seen more updates to existing designs rather than completely new optics. Can you assure OM SYSTEM users that you'll continue to develop new optical designs?
Togashi-san: Yes, we can assure you of that, though we cannot disclose specific details. You can look at our roadmap to see what’s coming though. The OM-3 is actually the first camera completely developed after OM Digital Solutions was established and started operations independently. For lenses as well, we will continue to launch new optical designs in the future. Please don't worry about our future plans—they will happen.
Ed. note: These are reassuring comments, but of course the proof will be in what we see rolled out. I do see that they have a mid-range tele zoom on their roadmap for later this year. Allowing for the fuzzy ends on the bar, it looks like it’ll be a new 40-150mm zoom, of which they currently have three, an f/4.0-5.6, an f/4 and an f/2.8. The f/4.0-5.6 is the oldest, dating back to 2011, but the f/2.8 PRO first hit the market in 2014. My money would be on a new f/2.8 PRO being next, given how much technology has advanced since 2014 and that customers for an f/2.8 PRO would be among the most demanding.
I'm a huge Olympus/OM SYSTEM fan and want to see you continue and do well. It must be challenging without the huge market share, and now being separate from Olympus, your R&D ability might be more limited. What can you say to people who are concerned about OM Digital Solutions/OM SYSTEM’ ability to continue to invest in R&D and innovate?
Togashi-san: Thanks to our users, since independence from Olympus in 2021, our financial results have continued to be positive. While we cannot share our detailed consolidated financial statements as we are not a publicly traded company, I can tell you that we have achieved consecutive increases in consolidated revenue and profit over the past three fiscal periods. We expect this trend to continue through the current fiscal period, which concludes in March.
Ed. note: This was a surprise. I knew their operations would be on a tight leash, but wouldn’t have bet money that they’d have been profitable. Of course, that could be at the expense of lower R&D budgets than in the past under Olympus, but the simple fact that the new company has been profitable every year since it was spun off is a very encouraging sign indeed.
AI Autofocus Development
AI training is very expensive to do and requires many, many samples. What are your general directions with AI autofocus? Will we be seeing more subject types in the future, or are you working on improving accuracy with existing ones?
Koyama-san: Regarding future AI subject detection, while expanding variety and improving accuracy are important, enhancing usability is perhaps even more crucial. Ultimately, to achieve to be able to use it unconsciously, may be important for some line-ups.
Togashi-san: From a development perspective, we will certainly continue to invest in AI detection technology. However, I personally have one philosophical concern: if we create a perfect AF system, will users still enjoy taking photos? Sometimes the challenge of capturing a difficult shot is part of what motivates photographers. If every shot is guaranteed to succeed, it might become similar to just pushing a button, which might not be as interesting. But this is just my personal concern.
DE: I think autofocus is extremely important. The more the user can capture what they visualize, the better. I think the failure should be in framing, timing, or composition—not in focus accuracy. There are enough challenges in photography without adding focusing difficulties.
Togashi-san: Yes, we will continue to invest in AI AF technology, with a primary focus on improving usability—perhaps having the camera automatically recognize subjects without requiring the user to select specific modes.
TG Series Future
The TG-6 remains very popular according to its web traffic on Imaging Resource. The TG-7 is now its replacement. Do you see the TG series as a continuing strong product line? Is there enough demand to continue evolving it?
Togashi-san: It's certainly possible. Basically, we would like to continue the TG series in the future.
We have also considered if there's potential to invest in entirely new concept compact cameras, like high-end premium models or different variations of the TG series.
However, our current conclusion is that there isn't enough market space to develop new premium compact cameras from a business perspective. We have had previous premium compact models like the XZ-1 and XZ-2 at Olympus, but OM SYSTEM no longer carries those camera line ups. In terms of brand image and recognition, the current OM SYSTEM brand awareness isn’t as high among younger generation photographers. Given the substantial marketing investment required, not only in research and development but also in re-establishing a high-end compact brand image---such a product might not yield sufficient profits.
For the TG series specifically, we've considered concepts like using a larger sensor or adding a longer zoom, but these changes would conflict with the compact size that's crucial to the TG concept. The TG-7's key advantage is its pocket-sized form factor that you can easily carry during outdoor activities. If we compromise that compactness, it would lose its market position.
DE: I wonder if one direction within the same body size might be making it smarter, bringing some of the AI autofocus to it—not for birds, but for people photography.
Togashi-san: Yes, that's certainly a possibility we're considering. We're constantly looking at ways to improve and advance the TG series.
Ed. note: Once again I was very pleasantly surprised by how open OM SYSTEM was about their product plans and market position. Their points about the current TG-7 (their current incarnation of a “Tough” camera that can survive drops, freezing and is waterproof to 15m or 50ft) are strong ones. While it would be nice to give it a bigger sensor and longer zoom, that’d very quickly take it out of its current pocket form factor. (You could give it a longer zoom via a “periscope” design, but that would come at the cost of smaller maximum apertures.)
It’s a perplexing dilemma: Olympus had some very nice advanced compacts with very large-aperture lenses in small bodies and excellent image quality for the time. As Togashi-san notes though, their brand recognition for that kind of camera is pretty low with the current generation, so they’d have to spend a lot in advertising to get it to top-of-mind for potential buyers. - But the TG-7 is limited by the demands of its form factor, so what to do?
I’d say that this argues for a new PEN sooner rather than later as it’s a place in the market where they have both demand and a well-proven track record. Other than that, I have no useful insight to share with them: It’s going to be interesting to see how they’ll evolve the brand going forward. For what it’s worth, I think they have a secure position in the adventure/wildlife worlds. People can argue about small FF body sizes and what’s actually “equivalent” in terms of focal length and aperture, but the fact remains that you can get more reach and carry more different lenses with a MFT system. (Even allowing for small body sizes and cutting-edge lens design, the simple fact that an FF lens needs to cover twice the image circle is going to make MFT lenses more compact for equal specs.)
Conclusion
Compared to many of my industry interviews over the years, Togashi-san and Koyama-san were unusually open and frank in this discussion, providing interesting insights into OM SYSTEM's product line strategy and thoughts for the future.
Longtime Olympus/OM SYSTEM enthusiasts (myself included) will find the fact that the company has been profitable every year since its spinoff from Olympus Corporation in January of 2021 comforting. - And particularly that they've now released the OM-3, the first camera designed and developed entirely since the separation. We haven't seen an all-new lens design yet, but the updates to the 17mm F1.8 and 25mm F1.8 and particularly the 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II have delivered strong incremental value, and as they noted, the 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II could serve as an entry point to the brand for photographers currently on other platforms craving longer reach and versatility in a compact package. (Significantly, they don't view this as an either/or decision, but rather a this-AND-that solution. People might stay with their full-frame platform for other use cases but choose an OM SYSTEM solution (perhaps combining the super-compact OM-5 and the 100-400mm II) for adventure and wildlife shooting.
Their approach to continuing the PEN line of compact models is a bit different than you hear from a lot of companies, mainly that the first thing they want to define is what the concept of the camera should be, rather than simply picking a body style and a set of guts with a generic set of features and functions. They very clearly want to continue the PEN line and the PEN-F was a massively popular model. Many of the standout color-oriented controls of the PEN-F have now been implemented and even extended in the new OM-3, so what does that mean for the PEN-F? They could simply update the old PEN-F body with the insides of the OM-3, but that's a simplistic view that might not end up being the best match for what OM SYSTEM customers and PEN-F enthusiasts ultimately want. I think we'll definitely see some sort of a PEN-F successor, but personally feel it's still a ways off in the future, given the executives' openness about the concept of the camera still being undefined.
On the question of new lenses, their roadmap makes clear that we can expect a tele zoom lens somewhere in the range of 40-150mm later this year, but with no definition beyond that. My personal money is on an update to the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO, as that's one of their three models in that focal length range where the benefit of 10 years of lens development since its initial release will make the most difference to target customers.
Finally, there's the much-neglected category of "Tough" cameras, which Olympus was arguably the originator of many years ago, and which continues in the form of the current TG-7. This is still a very active product area for OM SYSTEM, but one where many possible avenues of advancement are closed off due to the tight physical constraints. The market for the TG line has always been one for very compact, pocketable and nearly-indestructible camera bodies, but the requirement for pocketabiity imposes overriding design constraints. Many of the obvious enhancements (a larger sensor or longer zoom lens) just won't fit into the tiny body, so it begs the question of what sorts of improvements a new model could provide. The TG-7 already has 4K recording and sensor-shift IS, so those check-boxes are covered - although its roughly 2.5 stops of IS is very modest by current standards. It also already shoots at up to 20fps, so while there's some possible gain there, it won't be a night/day difference.
So what might a TG-8 look like? The biggest thing I could see being added would be some of OM SYSTEM's smart focus and subject-tracking modes. Whether those could be shoehorned in without further decreasing the already-short battery life is an open question. (The camera's GPS in partucular is a heavy drain on the tiny battery.) Perhaps a slightly larger case would allow significantly more battery capacity, which in turn could support the processor power to offer advanced AF modes as well as higher burst rates. While probably requiring a sensor change, the ability to record 4K without the current crop would be nice, as would bumping up the IS to the kind of levels first Olympus and now OM SYSTEM have always been famous for. If OM SYSTEM could pull all these off, I think it'd make for a worthwhile upgrade, even if not the sort of major leap that would make people (the press) sit up and take notice.
All in all it was an interesting conversation and one that left me feeling good about OM SYSTEM's future. They're clearly operating in a niche of the market, but it's a niche that they've focused on and have uniquely adapted to. When it comes to compact, lightweight, rugged and versatile camera and lens systems, nobody in the business answers that call better than OM SYSTEM.