The Olympus OM series was created in the early 1970s under the vision of famed designer Yoshihisa Maitani, who began his career in stills photography before moving into camera design. Maitani believed cameras and lenses should be lighter, smaller and more intuitive without sacrificing performance.

The resulting OM lenses embodied this philosophy: compact, beautifully engineered, and optically superb. They quickly gained a reputation for their sharpness, natural rendering, and rich colour reproduction. Beyond their technical ability, OMs offered something more elusive — a timeless unique character that cinematographers continue to value today for its organic look and smooth, pleasing contrast. However, while their optics remain exceptional, the original housings were never intended for the rigors of professional filmmaking in today’s digital era.

At TLS, we honour that legacy by rehousing the Olympus OM lenses to professional cinema standards. Our process preserves their original optical charm while adding the durability, precision, and usability demanded on modern production sets.

Floating Elements – Preserving Image Quality

Many lenses use floating elements to maintain sharpness across the entire focus range. Locking these elements at a fixed position — whether at infinity, close focus, or mid-distance — can lead to visible image degradation, especially toward the edges. At TLS, we preserve the floating element system in every rehoused Olympus OM lens to ensure consistent resolution, clarity, and contrast at all focus distances.

However, there is one exception with the 50 mm Macro (non-f/1.2), where we have chosen to lock the floating group to achieve greater image circle coverage. This adjustment has been made with care — any loss of image quality is minimal, and focus breathing remains effectively unchanged — while still delivering reliable performance for cinematographers.

Variable Cams – Precision Where It Matters

All TLS lenses, including the Olympus OM range, use variable cams rather than linear cams. This design slows the lens movement at the infinity end and increases movement towards close focus, giving focus pullers greater control and more natural, smoother focus transitions on set. By maintaining variable cams on lenses with floating elements, we ensure consistent focus mechanics across the entire set, making each lens predictable and intuitive to operate.

The Result

The result for the user is a TLS Olympus OM set which delivers reliability and ease of use, paired with a natural, characterful look that stands apart from both clinical and artificially vivid lenses. Cinematographers gain a creative middle ground with the sharpness and clarity of modern optics, combined with the organic, pleasing contrast of classic OMs, while maintaining consistent T-stops throughout the core range.

A Titan Returns. A Legend Reborn!

With the full TLS rehoused Olympus OM range, cinematographers can experience the perfect balance of unique character and modern precision. Available for rehousing — and also to purchase now through our website or distribution channels — the set spans from 18mm to 135mm, each lens combines Maitani’s original optical artistry with TLS engineering — ensuring durability and usability on set. The result is a collection of lenses that not only honour their legendary past but are fully equipped to meet the demands of today’s filmmaking, empowering creatives to focus on capturing stunning images with confidence.

The Art and Engineering Behind TLS Olympus OM Lenses

Key Features

^Core set
*Total approximate length is measured from the flange to the front of lens
**Weight subject to change with further developments  
TBC - To be confirmed