Olympus sales leader in Japan

About 25 years ago I was privileged to visit the shrine to the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii.

It seemed to me there were more Japanese tourists there than Americans, and just about all them had cameras slung around their necks.

Ever since Missouri’s own Harry S Truman ended World War Two, and had the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on the deck of the USS Missouri, the Japanese have been really peaceful like and have been famous all over the world as camera lovers.

It warms my old heart to learn that Olympus is the top selling mirrorless camera brand in Japan:

1. OLYMPUS OM-D E-M10 Mark III EZ Double Zoom Kit Silver
2. EOS Kiss M Double Zoom Kit White
3. OLYMPUS PEN E-PL9 EZ Double Zoom Kit White
4. s6400 Double Zoom Lens Kit Black
5. EOS Kiss M Double Zoom Kit Black
6. OLYMPUS OM-D E-M10 Mark III EZ Double Zoom Kit Black
7. a6400 Double Zoom Lens Kit Silver
8. LUMIX GF9 Double Lens Kit Orange
9. Z 50 Double Zoom Kit
10. a6100 Double Zoom Lens Kit black

https://youtu.be/r09KAHsjm9I

The only thing that would make me more happy would be to learn OMD Digital being sold to Kodak.

But that’s just a pipe dream, at this point. But Kodak still lives:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak

It warms my old heart to learn that Olympus is the top selling mirrorless camera brand in Japan:

It has been like that for years:

OMD lens mount is #1 in Japan
BCN: Olympus holds 2019->2020 market share in Japan
Olympus yet again #1 in Japan
BCN shows Olympus / Japan entry level models selling well
Olympus has the most sales in Japan
Olympus Japan market share holding
MFT is doing OK in Japan
EM1X is the best seller in Japan
M43 still probably #1 mirrorless mount in Japan
Shares of mirrorless market in Japan. Surprising results
Oly tops Japan mirrorless market; Panny continues to shrink
Olympus quite popular in Japan
Olympus OM-D big in Japan

In Europe, Olympus has always been more successful than in the US, too. I don't know why Olympus has always remained a rather obscure brand in the US (or why it hasn't achieved 'boutique brand' status like Leica, Contax, etc). Maybe because it has never catered to the 'bigger is better' philosophy.

Thanks for that information.

Some of the bombsights used at Pearl Harbor were probably made by Olympus. All the big Japanese optics companies supported the war effort of Imperial Japan.

But after the war ended in total defeat for Japan’s military but leaving their industrial base relatively intact (compared to Germany’s) American importers soon flooded the American market with excellent, cheap Nikons, then Canons, and the Olympus Pen didn’t some along until 1959. By then Nikon, and soon Canon, would start making single reflex lens cameras and selling them in the United States in such numbers that even Leica made a Leicaflex for awhile and Olympus came out with their OM series in 1972.

When I visited Pearl Harbor about 25 years ago I had a Canon AE-1 slung over my neck, but I remember the Japanese tourists having a wide range of SLRs, rangefinders, and then new 35mm point and shoots. The Japanese have been camera enthusiasts for a very long time.

Olympus was always late to the American market, except for mirrorless. I’ll bet they sold a zillion PL1s here in 2010.

But to this day, I’ll bet cheap Canon and Nikon DSLRs are number 1 in American sales of interchangeable lens cameras, with Olympus being one of the leaders in mirrorless cameras.

if an American pays a dime more than a cheap Nikon or Canon DSLR costs, the camera had better make his morning coffee, you know?

You can still buy a Nikanon entry level DSLR with lens for under $400.

If OM Digital would market a new Olympus Pen Lite Special Extra One (PL-SX1) in the United States with all the internals of the latest M-10 Mk 4, 20mp sensor, pop up flash, and in the PL-1 box, using an updated screen,,,

Priced lower than an entry level DSLR kit at $299 with one lens, $399 for two lenses.

They’d be number one in American interchangeable lens cameras as well.

Kodak might want to buy the company then.

It’s all wishful thinking, at this point.

Danielvr wrote:

In Europe, Olympus has always been more successful than in the US, too. I don't know why Olympus has always remained a rather obscure brand in the US (or why it hasn't achieved 'boutique brand' status like Leica, Contax, etc). Maybe because it has never catered to the 'bigger is better' philosophy.

My opinion on why Olympus was never "that" popular in the US is because of marketing. For the US market, Olympus stunk at it. The best marketing stuff for Olympus was always from Europe or Asia, and from visionaries and YouTubers that are not in the US. It seems that in the last 9 months or so, the marketing for Olympus in US is better than it ever was.

....

The only thing that would make me more happy would be to learn OMD Digital being sold to Kodak.

But that’s just a pipe dream, at this point. But Kodak still lives:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak

Kodak still able to fog a mirror, you think?