OM System PEN Preview- FINALLY!

OM System PEN Preview- FINALLY!

September 2026, Carl Garrard

With the announcement of the new PEN, the structural changes at OM are now evidently clear and positive, and it shows the rest of the industry how nimble and logical a camera division can be when run independently.  The new OM System PEN release is an absolute home run as far as I am concerned. Better late than never as they say, as I have been asking Olympus/OM System for an updated EP5 for well over 10 years now. All I wanted for years was the addition of a built in EVF and weather sealing. The new PEN delivers all of that and much more. FINALLY! This release is a now rare example of camera companies listening and doing it right. And honestly, I did not expect that OM System would ever listen. The EP7, while a gorgeous design, was missing what I wanted and I figured that would be as good as it gets. But I am so glad to be wrong, and I am so proud of OM System for doing the right thing here. This is the most exciting release I've seen from the brand so far.

Camera Companies are Designing Out Fundamental Photography and Their Own History

There is something increasingly strange happening in the camera industry. Manufacturers are pushing relentlessly toward mirrorless cameras, computational photography, AI autofocus, ever-higher resolution and increasingly sophisticated electronics, while at the same time a very different photographic economy is flourishing around the things they have largely abandoned: film cameras, DSLRs, old digital cameras and compact cameras.

I don't believe the camera companies are unaware of this. Quite the opposite. They know perfectly well that the used-camera market is growing, that film has experienced a remarkable resurgence, and that old "digicams" have become desirable again. They know what is happening on eBay, at used-camera dealers, in camera shops and among younger photographers discovering equipment from previous generations. The more interesting question is why they have continued moving so decisively away from those products.

I think the answer is largely corporate rather than technological. 

Faithful Readers of Photographic Central- Thank You!

Just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who come to Photographic Central. July of 2026 marks a record traffic month since the blogs inception way back in February of 2011. I have also recently added an easier way to follow the blog which is now located at the very top of the homepage. Photographic Central is in dire need of followers because that feature was so poorly hidden on the homepage for so long (that's completely my fault and oversight). If you want to help the blog, you can by following as well as share it to others you think would benefit! I encourage you to do so if you wish to keep up on all upcoming articles- there are definitely more coming! Again, thank you all so very much for the support over the last 15 years. -Stay focused, Carl.

Back From the Dead: My Sony RX10 Story

Back From the Dead: My Sony RX10 Story

July 2026, Carl Garrard

Until yesterday my original RX10 that I purchased in 2014 was dead to me. In my mind I deemed it as near junk, gathering dust in the corner of a closet waiting to be sold "as is" on eBay or to KEH. Batteries dead, sitting on top of its original box for a few years. Why? Well this Sony RX10 was plagued by a well documented manufacturing defect that allowed fungus to grow under the big front element. This is the only camera (or lens) I've ever owned that has had this issue. Mind you, this is the same RX10 I used to document some of my solo Sierra Nevada backcountry project, the same one I used to take precious images of my daughter when she was only 3 yrs old. From 2014 to 2021 I made thousands of images with this camera. 

Pentax K-50 Review 2026: (Part 1)

Pentax K-50 Review 2026: (Part 1)
February 2026, Carl Garrard

Pentax K-50 Review (updated for the modern market): You'd think that enthusiasts would be uncontrollably jumping for joy because of the kind of DSLRS we get today for the used prices they are set at. But alas, I still see comment after comment about pricing and lack of features and all sorts of other nonsense. Pentax threw the gauntlet at those customers with the K50. It's both reasonably priced and spec'd to the hilt, and can and has come with a class leading weather resistant kit lens to boot. There's simply no arguing that the K50 is a lot of camera for the price by anyone, especially these days with used prices. And when you dig deeper than looking over spec sheets and price, you'll find that there's even more to like about this camera too. While Pentax has largely stopped development and production on DSLR's they left some decent cameras in the wake of the good ol days.