Thoughts on the new OM System PEN

Olympus—er, I mean OM System—just released a new camera simply called PEN. I’ve had a few requests to talk about it, and give my opinion. I wasn’t going to, but I had the opportunity to see the new PEN in-person while I was at the FocusPoint Expo in Denver, and got a brief demo from the OM System staff at the event. I was surprised by something, so I thought maybe I should discuss it. First of all, I think a lot of the excitement around this release is because there are so few Micro-Four-Thirds cameras announced each year. Between Panasonic and Olympus, there are usually only two or three new M43 models annually. Last year saw two, and, so far in 2026, this is it. The last camera before this one was the OM-5 Mark II, released 14 months ago. If you are in that system, this must feel like Christmas morning. From the outside looking in, M43 seems to be barely holding on, nearly on the brink of extinction. I’m not even sure if Panasonic is actually still in this market, as it’s been…