Established in 1919, Olympus Corporation is a Japanese provider of optics and reprography products with an approximate 70% share of the global endoscope market, according to a report released in 2021. The company initially specialized in thermometers and microscopes but has over the years expanded its portfolio to cover cameras, audio, medical equipment, and industrial scanners. The devices offered by the company cover application in education and research as well as medicine. Takachiho Seisakusho founded Olympus to change the domestic production of microscopes in Japan. The first optical microscope manufactured by the organization was referred to as Asahi and was considered a highly treasured industrial device. The organization developed the first world gastrocamera in 1949 for practical use launching its products into the global scene. In 2012, Olympus and Sony unveiled a joint venture to develop new endoscopes with a 4K resolution and 3D capability. The Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. aimed to apply Sony’s electronics technologies in Olympus’ digital imaging equipment. Subsequently, the two corporations released the Olympus 4K big screen for operations room surgery with a cinema-level quality. Furthermore, Olympus and Panasonic started a new development in 2008 called Micro Four Third System based on an interchangeable lens system and mirrorless technology. The absence of mirrors allowed the digital camera to be smaller than the DSLR while still sustaining image quality and interchangeability of lenses. The first device manufactured under this venture was the MFT camera, but due to its high cost, they subsequently released another one called Olympus PEN Lite E-EP 1. Olympus is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange with the trading symbol OCPNY.
With such a rich history, it’s no wonder the company has so many products out there, from new to used. Finding the right documentation can be difficult, especially in the English language. This is the reason why we opened up a section dedicated to Olympus User Manuals, where you can view or download each PDF.