On Thursday 23 May, OM Digital Solutions Co, previously known to photographers as Olympus, announced that its interchangeable lens, the M.Zuiko Digital Ed 90mm F3.5 Macro IS Pro, has won the 2024 Technology Award from the Society of Photography and Imaging of Japan.
In 2023, the company won the same award for its mirrorless camera the OM System OM-1, making this the second consecutive year the company has been awarded the accolade.
The award is given to innovators who have made outstanding technical achievements in photography and other related fields. Specifically, the award was for “expanding the scope of photography with the macro-oriented OM System M.Zuiko 90mm Macro.”
The winners were Yuge Kazunori (Product Development), Hayashi Osamu (same company), and Hayashi Tetsuya (EL System) from the Development Division of OM Systems.
The judges were impressed by the 4x macro magnification in 35mm format, its fast and accurate focus mechanism, and its depth of field correction technology. The lens was also praised for its image stabilization function which allows handheld macro photography, allowing users to use their cameras in situations where a tripod would usually be needed.
On 01 January 2021, 95 percent of the Olympus Imaging Division was transferred to holding company OJ Holdings, Ltd, owned by Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), with Olympus retaining a five percent stake.
As of 2021 Olympus cameras – such as the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III – along with new products began being sold and serviced by OM Digital Solutions Corporation.
In 2022, the first camera bearing the OM System brand logo was released, the OM System OM-5. In 2023, OM Digital Solutions opened its Production Technology Center, “a base for lens innovation.”
It said: “Located in Hachioji City, Tokyo, near our R&D center, this facility delivers one-stop verification of processes from the planning and development stage of optical lenses to the polishing, molding, coating, bonding, and exterior coatings. Traditionally this is a difficult process for mass production and is the key to accelerating OM System's lens development in the future.”
Check out the best OM Digital Systems cameras, as well as the best OM Systems lenses.
We've also put together the definitive guide to the best macro lenses.
