Catalog Olympus 2024

If you conduct a survey among consumers about the Olympus brand, many will say that cameras are produced under it. It is possible that they will also remember voice recorders, which are also quite popular. But in fact, photographic equipment is only part of the product range produced under this brand, which also includes various specialized medical equipment.

However, it should definitely be said here that the rights to the Olympus brand no longer belong to one company. Starting in 2021, it is owned by Olympus Corporation itself (to which it originally belonged), as well as by OM Digital Solutions, founded in 2021. The first is completely focused exclusively on the production of medical equipment and specialized electronics, while the second is engaged in cameras, voice recorders and binoculars, gradually promoting its own brand – OM System. The very first camera with the new name was the mirrorless model OM System OM-1, presented in March 2022.

The history of the Olympus brand began in 1912 – this was the era of the emergence of various Japanese companies, many of which later became legendary. Initially, it was a small production unit specializing in thermometers and simple optical systems, bearing the rather awkward name Takachiho Seisakusho. The name Olympus appeared later, in 1921. The fact is that by that time the management of the young company had an intention to enter the international market, and for this they simply needed a sonorous and well-remembered brand. After some thought, it was decided to turn to ancient Greek mythology.

By the mid-20s, the company abandoned the production of medical equipment and completely switched to optical devices. In 1936, the first Olympus camera appeared, which turned out to be very successful, not only in Japan, but also in foreign markets. This allowed the company to finally get back on its feet and significantly strengthen its position.

After World War II, the company's management (by that time it was called Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.) decided to return to creating medical equipment. Experiments began on the production of various goods. Some of them were successful, others not so much, but overall development went in the right direction, the brand became more and more successful and famous. In 1969, Olympus introduced its first voice recorder – this technology would later play a fairly important role in company life. A significant expansion of the product range led to the fact that in 2003 the manufacturer changed its name to Olympus Corporation, abandoning the word “Optical”.

And in 2021, a significant event occurred – it was decided to sell the production of cameras, consumer optical products and sound recording devices to the Japan Industrial Partners investment fund. This is how the company OM Digital Solutions appeared, which, although it received the rights to the Olympus trademark, is actively developing its own brand. It should be noted that Olympus Corporation has not completely abandoned the production of optical and sound recording equipment. But it focused entirely on products used in healthcare and scientific research, abandoning the consumer segment.

P. S. And finally, we should also mention the M. Zuiko brand, under which Olympus Corporation produced lenses for cameras. Today it is also owned by OM Digital Solutions.