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45-684: The Olympus PEN E-PL3 announced on 30 June 2011 is Olympus Corporation's seventh camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system design standard. The E-PL3 succeeds the Olympus PEN E-PL2 , and was announced in concert with two other models, the Olympus PEN E-P3 (the flagship version), and the Olympus PEN E-PM1 (a new "Mini" version of the PEN camera line with similar features to

90-611: A corporate corruption investigation with multiple arrests. In 2016, it paid US$ 646   million (equivalent to $ 804   million in 2023) in fines associated with its illegal, long running, kickback scheme. In 1936, Olympus introduced its first camera, the Semi-Olympus I, fitted with the first Zuiko -branded lens. The Olympus Chrome Six was a series of folding cameras made by Takachiho, and later Olympus, from 1948 to 1956, for 6×4.5 cm or 6×6 cm exposures on 120 film. The first innovative camera series from Olympus

135-464: A 120 Hz refresh rate for its sensor, similar to the technology used in the recently released Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and G3 cameras. Olympus claims, based on in-house testing, that the E-PL3, along with its E-PM1 cousin, have similar characteristics to the flagship E-P3, which according to Olympus has the world's fastest autofocus speed of any camera as of the product announcement date. The benefits of

180-450: A 50 billion yen capital injection from Sony. On 22 February 2013, Sony became the largest shareholder (11.46%) of Olympus, later cutting that stake in half during one of its own restructurings, only to sell its entire remaining stake in Olympus, totaling 5% of the company, after a request by activist investor Daniel S. Loeb to do so, in 2019. According to its 2011 Annual Report, Olympus

225-416: A 70 percent share of the global endoscope market, estimated to be worth approximately US$ 2.5 billion. It was formerly also a maker of cameras , camera lenses and dictaphones , until it divested this part to OM Digital Solutions in 2020. In 2011, Olympus attracted worldwide media scrutiny when it fired its CEO Michael Christopher Woodford for whistleblowing , and the matter snowballed into

270-722: A British manufacturer was purchased. With a comprehensive product range, Olympus accounts for a large share of the world market in gastrointestinal endoscopes. It has roughly 70% share of the global market whose estimated valued at US$ 2.5 billion. On 28 September 2012, Olympus and Sony announced that the two companies will establish a joint venture—Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc—to develop new surgical endoscopes with 4K resolution (or higher) and 3D capability. On 16 September 2015, Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc announced that their jointly developed 4K surgical endoscopy system would be commercialized and made available for purchase in early October 2015, and would be sold by Olympus under

315-799: A complete range of microscopes, which covers applications from education and routine studies up to state of the art research imaging systems, both in life science and materials science. Olympus Scientific Solutions Americas Corporation is a Waltham, Massachusetts -based manufacturer, and is a subsidiary of Olympus Corporation. One of its companies, for example, is Olympus Imaging and Measuring Systems, specializing in imaging instruments for testing and measurement during industrial inspections. Olympus manufactures and sells industrial scanners, flaw detectors , probes and transducers, thickness gages, digital cameras, image analysis software, industrial videoscopes, fiberscopes , light sources, XRF and XRD analyzers, and high-speed video cameras. Shareholding in Olympus

360-467: A jointly developed Endoscopic Ultrasound System (EUS) that takes advantage of both companies’ experience in endoscopy and sonography. Since the beginning, the company has been a manufacturer of microscopes and optics for specialised needs, such as medical use. The first microscope manufactured at Olympus was called the Asahi. Currently, Olympus is a worldwide renowned manufacturer of microscopes. Olympus offers

405-597: A lower resolution and a locking device. [REDACTED] Media related to Olympus E-PL3 at Wikimedia Commons No Video | Weather Sealed | All the Rest Olympus Corporation Olympus Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of optics and reprography products, headquartered in Hachioji , Tokyo. Olympus was established in 1919, initially specializing in microscopes and thermometers , and later in imaging . Olympus holds roughly

450-537: A new trend towards more compact cameras and lenses, being much smaller than its competitors and presenting innovative design features such as off-the-film (OTF) metering and OTF flash automation. Eventually the system included 14 different bodies, approximately 60 Zuiko -branded lenses, and numerous camera accessories. In 1983, Olympus, along with Canon, branded a range of video recording equipment manufactured by JVC , and called it "Olympus Video Photography", even employing renowned photographer Terance Donovan to promote

495-496: Is dispersed, and the company's key institutional investors are largely passive. As of 31 March 2011, investors included Nippon Life Insurance (8.4%), Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (4.98%), and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking (3.13%), and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (2.55%). Foreign institutions and individuals spoke for 27.71% of Olympus shares. On 28 September 2012, Olympus and Sony announced that Olympus would receive

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540-645: Is the designer of the Four Thirds system standard for digital single-lens reflex cameras . Olympus's Four Thirds system flagship DSLR camera was the E-5 , released in 2010. Olympus is also the largest manufacturer of Four Thirds lenses, under the Zuiko Digital brand. After the introduction of the Micro Four Thirds system , and the general market growth of the Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras ,

585-648: Is yet to be charged criminally. Preceding executive Yasuo Takeuchi was assigned the new CEO. Share prices dropped by 6% following the news. Olympus Chrome Six In 1948, Olympus launched the Chrome Six I , an updated version of the Olympus Six of 1940 and its first postwar release of a folding camera for 120 film. The cameras were produced at the Suwa Plant in Nagano Prefecture . They were packaged and shipped on

630-594: The MILC cameras made Olympus introduce a new series in their lineup, which was the modern, digital implementation of the legendary OM series , the OM-D . It maintained the Micro Four Thirds system , but added a built-in electronic viewfinder , a more ergonomic button layout packaged in a retro style chassis. The first model in this family was the E-M5 , released in 2012. Since then, Olympus has developed their two lines ( PEN and OM-D ) and

675-476: The Micro Four Thirds system , still alongside Panasonic . The latest Olympus camera is the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV as of 20 August 2020. At one time, Olympus cameras used only the proprietary xD-Picture Card for storage media. This storage solution is less popular than more common formats, and recent cameras can use SD and CompactFlash cards. The most recent development is Olympus's focus on

720-532: The Micro Four Thirds system . Olympus has also been using special proprietary USB cables, such as the CB-USB8, instead of following standards. Olympus first introduced the Microcassette . The Olympus Pearlcorder L400, released in the 1980s, was the smallest and lightest microcassette voice recorder ever offered for sale, 2.9 (L) × 0.8 (H) × 2.0 in. (W) / 73 (L) × 20 (H) × 52 (W) 3.2 oz (91 g). In 2012,

765-405: The cover-up , was reportedly awarded £10 million ($ 16 million) in damages for defamation and wrongful dismissal . In the wake of this turmoil, Olympus announced plans to shed 2,700 jobs (seven percent of its workforce) and shut 40 percent of its 30 manufacturing plants by 2015. On 1 April 2011, Michael Christopher Woodford , 51, was named president and chief operating officer –

810-481: The local culture , the matter quickly snowballed into a corporate corruption scandal concerning alleged concealment of more than ¥117.7 billion ($ 1.5 billion) in investment losses , kickbacks , and covert payments to criminal organizations dating back as far as the 1980s. One of the longest-lasting accounting scandals in Japanese corporate history, the incident wiped out over three-quarters of

855-507: The yakuza . The company responded on 19 October that "major differences had arisen between Mr. Woodford and other management regarding the direction and conduct of the company’s business". On the Gyrus acquisition, it also declared the Audit Board's view that "no dishonesty or illegality is found in the transaction itself, nor any breach of obligation to good management or any systematic errors by

900-507: The 120 Hz refresh rate also provides the ability for continuous autofocus tracking during bursts of exposures, a faster shutter response (less lag) and less blackout time between exposures. The E-PL3 lacks the E-P3 capacitive touchscreen for creative camera control, and the E-P3 OLED type display that is supposed to vastly improve performance in sunny conditions, and off-angle viewing. Instead,

945-413: The E-PL3 has a tiltable LCD, which allows easy above the head, waist level, or low off the ground viewing. The E-PL3 continues with the proprietary Accessory Port, a power and communication port, which allows the use of various accessories, such as an external stereo microphone for HD video recording, LED macro lights, and a bluetooth communications adapter. The accessory port continues to be compatible with

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990-639: The E-PL3). The E-PL3 is commonly said to be the "Lite" (less full featured) version of the E-P3, much as the E-PL1 and E-PL2 were "Lite" versions of the E-P1 and E-P2, respectively. The E-PL3 addresses some of the concerns that critics had about previous PEN models: slow handling, due to slow autofocus speed and difficulty seeing the LCD panel under certain (e.g., bright, sunny) conditions. The E-PL3 increases autofocus speed through use of

1035-525: The Woodford revelations, and asked for "prompt action". Following his dismissal, Woodford passed on information to the British Serious Fraud Office , and requested police protection. He said the payments may have been linked to "forces behind" the Olympus board. Japanese newspaper Sankei suggested that a total of US$ 1.5 billion in acquisition-related advisory payments could be linked to

1080-553: The acquisition of a technology company ITX were also under examination. Woodford noted that an article in Japanese financial magazine Facta in July prompted his suspicion of the transactions. Reports also said the company acquired three other Japanese companies outside its core business, and recognised that the assets were worth US$ 721 million less than their acquisition value 12 months previously. Shareholders expressed concern after Olympus's share price nearly halved in value following

1125-705: The biggest and longest-running loss-hiding arrangements in Japanese corporate history", according to the Wall Street Journal . The company laid the blame for the inappropriate accounting on ex-president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, auditor Hideo Yamada, and executive VP Hisashi Mori. On 21 December 2011, Japanese authorities, including the Tokyo prosecutor's office, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and the Japanese Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission, raided

1170-674: The bladder neck to provide symptom relief. On 14 September 2022, Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc announced that they developed a new model of their 4K surgical endoscopy system, which also allows for Infared imaging and Narrow Band imaging. This new model was made available for purchase in September 2022 by Olympus in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia, Oceania and Japan under the brand name "VISERA ELITE III". On 15 January 2024, Canon Medical Systems Corporation and Olympus Corporation announced that they reached an agreement to collaborate on

1215-412: The board hide significant losses. On 25 September 2012, the company and Kikukawa, Yamada, and Mori pleaded guilty to collusion to submit false financial reports. On 1 March 2016, Olympus agreed to pay $ 646 million of fines to US authorities. On October 28, 2024, CEO Stefan Kaufmann was forced to resign by the Olympus board of directors after allegations of purchasing illegal narcotics. Kaufmann

1260-574: The brand name "VISERA 4K UHD". Olympus has acquired the Israeli medical device company Medi-Tate, a move aimed at enhancing its portfolio in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The acquisition, finalized in February 2021, strengthens Olympus' position in the urological devices market. Medi-Tate specializes in the research, development, manufacturing, and sale of devices designed for minimally invasive treatment of BPH. Its flagship product,

1305-610: The camera body to be a lot smaller than that of a DSLR , while maintaining its image quality and the interchangeability of the lenses. The first product in the Micro Four Thirds system was the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 , released in 2008. The first Olympus-branded MFT camera was the Olympus PEN E-P1 . Because it was very expensive, they made a cheaper option, called the Olympus PEN Lite E-PL1 . The market growth of

1350-426: The company announced that Sony and Fujifilm had offered forming a capital alliance and the company would focus on Mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (MILC). In 2020, Olympus announced that the camera department would be sold to Japan Industrial Partners at the end of the year. In October 2020, Olympus transferred its Imaging division to the newly established OM Digital Solutions . On 1 January 2021, 95% of

1395-629: The company's valuation and led much of the board to resign in disgrace . Investigations were launched across Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, culminating in the arrests of numerous corporate directors , senior managers, auditors , and bankers and raising significant concerns over prevailing standards of corporate governance and transparency , as well as the state of Japanese financial markets . Woodford himself, who stated he had received death threats for his role in exposing

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1440-512: The company's offices in Tokyo. In February 2012, seven Olympus executives were arrested by Japanese police and prosecutors. Former president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa , former executive vice president Hisashi Mori , and former auditor Hideo Yamada were taken into custody on suspicion of violating the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law , along with former bankers Akio Nakagawa and Nobumasa Yokoo and two others, suspected of having helped

1485-459: The day-to-day operations. In 2011, the company attracted worldwide media scrutiny when it fired its newly appointed English chief executive (CEO) Michael Christopher Woodford , a 30-year Olympus veteran, for probing into financial irregularities and unexplained payments totaling hundreds of millions of US dollars. Although the board initially dismissed Woodford's concerns via mass media as "disruptive" and Woodford himself as failing to grasp

1530-428: The directors recognised." On 26 October, the company announced that to assuage shareholders' concerns, Kikukawa resigned as chairman; he was replaced by Shuichi Takayama. Olympus shares rebounded 23 percent. On 8 November 2011, the company admitted that the money had been used to cover losses on investments dating to the 1990s and that company's accounting practice was "not appropriate", thus coming clean on "one of

1575-421: The first ever foreigner to hold the position – replacing Kikukawa, who became chairman. Woodford, an Olympus veteran of 30 years, was previously executive managing director of Olympus Medical Systems Europa. Olympus appointed Woodford its CEO six months later, but the board suddenly removed him as chief executive two weeks into the job, while allowing him to retain his board seat. Woodford alleged that his removal

1620-484: The high resolution, optional hotshoe mounted VF-2 electronic viewfinder ( EVF ). The VF-2 had a flip angle eyepiece, allowing viewing from 0–90 degrees. The VF-2 had been criticized for being very expensive and for not having a locking device, with some users reporting easy dislodgement of the VF-2 from the hotshoe. To address these criticisms, in July 2011, Olympus announced the introduction of an optional VF-3 EVF, which has

1665-421: The iTind, is a temporarily implanted nitinol device that alleviates lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with BPH. The iTind procedure can be performed by a urologist in various settings, including outpatient hospital facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, or a doctor’s office. The device works by gradually expanding and applying gentle pressure at three specific points, reshaping the prostatic urethra and

1710-449: The market in high-resolution photographic products. As a result of his efforts, Olympus released an 810,000-pixel digital camera for the mass market in 1996, when the resolution of rivals' offerings was less than half. The next year, Olympus hit the market with a 1.41 million pixel camera. By 2001, the company's annual turnover from digital photography was in excess of ¥100 billion. Olympus manufactures compact digital cameras and

1755-408: The range. A second version of the system was available the year after, but this was Olympus's last foray into the world of consumer video equipment until digital cameras became popular. Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, who was later to become president of Olympus, foresaw the demand for the digital SLR, and is credited with the company's strategy in digital photography. He fought for commitment by Olympus to enter

1800-509: The regular Four Thirds system became neglected. Then, in 2017, after three years without a new lens, and seven years without a new body, Olympus officially discontinued the Four Thirds system Olympus and Panasonic started a new development together, called the Micro Four Thirds system . It is an interchangeable lens system, with the Four Thirds sensor size, and no mirrors ( Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera ). The lack of mirrors allowed

1845-585: The same day to camera stores in Tokyo . In 1951 Olympus launched the Olympus Chrome Six IIIA , a successor to the Olympus Chrome Six I. The camera had a film tensioner which held the film flat against the pressure plate, the first implementation of this feature. The Olympus Chrome Six RIIA was launched four years later in 1955. It had a high-precision rangefinder (not coupled with the lens), and

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1890-518: The shares in OM Digital Solutions were transferred to OJ Holdings, Ltd, a specially established subsidiary of Japan Industrial Partners. Olympus retained ownership of the remaining 5%. Olympus manufactures endoscopic, ultrasound, electrocautery, endotherapy, and cleaning and disinfection equipment. The first flexible endoscope in the world was co-developed and manufactured by Olympus in Tokyo. In 1987, KeyMed Medical & Industrial Equipment,

1935-540: Was governed by a 15-person board of directors, with Tsuyoshi Kikukawa its President and CEO, and Michael C. Woodford as President and chief operating officer. Mr Kikukawa resigned in the following year and was arrested by Tokyo police for alleged criminal offenses during and before his term as president and CEO. The corporation in 2011 had three "outside directors". It had a four-member 'Board of Auditors' which supervises and audits directors' performance. The company's executive committee consisted of 28 members, responsible for

1980-530: Was linked to several prior acquisitions he questioned, particularly the US$ 2.2 billion deal in 2008 to acquire British medical equipment maker Gyrus Group. Thomson Reuters reported that US$ 687 million was paid to a middle-man as a success fee – a sum equal to 31% of the purchase price, and which ranks as the highest ever M&A fee. According to the Daily Telegraph , some of the sums paid out relating to

2025-515: Was the Pen , launched in 1959. It used a half-frame format , taking 72 18×24 mm photographs on a standard 36-exposure 35mm film cassette , which made Pen cameras compact and portable for their time. The Pen system design team, led by Yoshihisa Maitani , later created the OM system , a full-frame professional 35mm SLR system designed to compete with Nikon and Canon's bestsellers. The OM system introduced

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