Even Photographers Who Preordered the OM System PEN Might Wait Until Next Spring To Get It

The OM System PEN is expected to begin shipping to customers this week, but per OM Digital Solutions (OMDS) in Japan, not everyone will be able to get their hands on it at launch.

As 43 Rumors reports, OM System released a statement in Japan that the PEN and associated accessories, which will begin shipping in Japan in late October, will be hard to come by for a while following launch.

OM Digital Solutions says that even some Japanese customers who preordered the camera may have to wait until “spring 2027 or later” to receive their order, depending on the specific product type and color they ordered.

OMDS in Japan says the OM System PEN body in black and silver, plus the kit with the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III lens and the “Double Zoom” kit, received “substantial” preorder volume that far outpaced the company’s supply.

“We have received a substantial volume of pre-orders for the ‘OM SYSTEM PEN,’ and as a result, we anticipate that it will take a considerable amount of time to deliver the products, even for customers who have already placed reservations,” OMDS says in a machine-translated statement.

“We offer our deepest apologies to customers waiting for their products and to all affected parties for the inconvenience caused,” the company continues, adding that it is doing everything possible to deliver products as quickly as possible.

As regular PetaPixel readers know, statements like this are fairly typical for Japanese companies. They must issue alerts when they can’t fulfill orders as expected.

However, chalking this up to just another one of those statements would be a mistake. PetaPixel spoke with a well-placed source about demand for the OM System PEN, and it is safe to say it is very popular so far. The OM System PEN might be just the product the company needed as it prepares for its next chapter under new, independent ownership.

This is not just an instance of OM System failing to make enough units because it, like many camera companies, is excessively averse to having too much inventory. It is more like the OM System PEN is selling like gangbusters ahead of launch, and keeping up with demand is simply not possible.

PetaPixel intends to explore just how popular the OM System PEN is in a follow-up story. For now, though, it’s safe to say that, unfortunately, even some photographers who preordered the camera might be waiting a while. Hopefully this doesn’t become another Fujifilm X100VI situation where photographers have to wait two and a half years (and counting) for the camera to be in stock routinely.

At least for now, photographers in the U.S. can preorder the PEN in either black or silver with a reported ship date of October 14. Time will tell how long that remains true. There is reason to believe the lack of stock won’t be limited to the Japanese market.

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Image creditsPhotos by Erin Thomson for PetaPixel