A Completely Unreliable but Deeply Factual Diagram of How the OM Clan Evolved
(Note: This chart is emotionally accurate, if not historically endorsed by Olympus.)
The Roots (The Founders)
Maitani
The patriarch. The reason the family exists.
Favours minimalism, mistrusts large things, believes cameras should fit in a jacket pocket rather than require their own luggage allowance.
Branches into:
- OM-1
- OM-1 MD
- OM-2
Essentially: The branch of “We Don’t Need Electricity But It Does Look Nice.”
The Original Siblings
OM-1 – The Firstborn
Staunch, mechanical, unimpressed by trends.
Descendant of “If it isn’t broken, don’t automate it.”
Gives rise to:
- OM-1n (slightly more grown-up)
- OM-1 MD (went to the gym once and now won’t stop talking about the motor drive)
OM-2 – The Golden Child
The first to embrace electronics without complaining.
Descendant of:
- “Let the meter handle it, I’m busy.”
Gives rise to:
- OM-2n (perfect child)
- OM-2SP (became ambitious, bought a suit)
The Eccentric Cousin Branch
OM-3
Born when Olympus thought,
“What if we made a fully mechanical camera but filled it with technology anyway?”
Gives rise to the titanium branch:
- OM-3Ti – Attend art college, acquired a titanium wardrobe, now speaks sparingly and only in manual mode.
OM-4
The precision freak. Lives with a spot meter in each hand.
Spawns:
- OM-4Ti – Titanium edition.
Slightly more expensive. Slightly more smug.
“Do you want eight spot readings? Because I can give you eight spot readings.”
The ‘We’re Trying Something’ Lineage
OM-30
An experimental offshoot thought to possess supernatural focusing powers.
Raised eyebrows, excitement, and occasional disappointment across the family.
Technically related to:
- optimism
- 1980s engineering
- the belief that instant focus was just around the corner (it wasn’t)
OM-40 / OM PC
This branch introduced LEDs, bold choices, and a fondness for automation.
A child of the mid-80s who grew up listening to synth music.
The Surprise Adoption
OM-2000
Adopted from the reputable but “outside the family tree” Cosina household.
Technically:
- behaves differently
- looks slightly too tall
- always trying its best
- tells people it’s 100% OM and absolutely means it
The rest of the family loves it in the way you love a dog that keeps eating post.
The In-Laws and Distant Relatives
(Mentioned at gatherings, seldom discussed.)
- OM-10 – cheerful, unthreatening, and the only one everyone gets along with.
- OM-20 – the slightly better-dressed sibling.
- OM-F / OM-G – the “we’ll explain later” twins.
- OM-Auto – turned up once, nobody knows whose child it is, but everyone nodded politely.
The OM Family Tree
Closing Notes
The OM Family, like any family, is a bizarre mixture of brilliance, mild eccentricity, and the occasional experimental decision that everyone politely avoids mentioning.
And yet – somehow – it works.
They share a mount.
They share a heritage.
And they share the belief that cameras should be small, elegant, and possibly slightly magical.