With the digital version of the PEN-F, Olympus introduced a camera back in 2016 that was not only state-of-the-art but also stunningly beautiful. Even at its launch, it was clear: this would become a classic. Sadly, Olympus / OM Digital Solutions has not brought a successor to market so far. Among die-hard PEN-F fans, this has led to in-depth discussions about how a PEN-F II should look. Which features would it have to include, and which ones should be kept. Eight years after the digital PEN-F was unveiled, there are still neither rumours nor any sign from OM Digital Solutions that a successor is coming soon.
PEN E-P7
Instead, the PEN E-P7 was introduced in a similar design. When it launched, I wrote a short article, “Olympus PEN E-P7 introduced”. Clearly, the PEN E-P7 cannot keep up with the beloved PEN-F, neither in functionality nor in looks. Sites like thenextpenf.org make the same point. There, people are trying to convince OM Digital Solutions to release a new PEN-F II. I think they are doomed to fail, because a PEN-F II probably could not live up to the expectations. The first digital version of the PEN-F was very elaborately built and therefore certainly very expensive to manufacture, which was reflected in its price. A new edition would surely be either even more expensive or simply less well built. The expected unit numbers are just very low, so the commercial success is highly questionable. On top of that, the camera does not fit OM Digital Solutions’ new strategy of focusing on outdoor, nature and wildlife.
Building a PEN-F II yourself
There is now the open source project “FourThirdsEye”. It provides an IMX294 on a circuit board together with source code that helps you run the sensor with a Raspberry Pi 5 and a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 board. The IMX294 is a 10.97 megapixel sensor developed for security cameras, and it can also do hardware binning. This way, a single pixel can store different exposures and thereby generate HDR images. In terms of resolution, it is not a sensor that can keep up with current photo-camera sensors, but because the pixels are large, you can expect a high dynamic range and low noise. Now all it takes is someone capable of developing the hardware and the matching software, and a PEN-F II could become a reality. For trademark reasons, the camera would be allowed to carry neither the OM System logo nor the PEN-F II name, but its functionality could be tailored to the users’ wishes. Maybe there is someone in this large community who could pull it off. All it would then take is a Kickstarter campaign and enough backers to fund the project and get it off the ground. Besides developing the hardware, the camera also has to be produced, after all.
What do you think?
What is your opinion? Would a project like this make sense, or is the sensor simply unsuitable after all? Or perhaps a PEN-F II only really makes sense if it comes from OM Digital Solutions? Do you think there is a chance for a PEN-F II from OM Digital Solutions? I am curious about your view of things and would love to discuss it with you in the comments.