Kodak, Olympus, and later Panasonic joined their forces two win in the world of digital cameras that are smaller then Nikon’s or Canon’s DSLR. They created an „open standard“ to win this new market: First the „Four Thirds“ and later the „Micro-Four-Thirds“ (MFT). The word open is a relative term. For me as a software guy this is very closed as these standards are patent protected and available only under non-disclosure agreements. But for standards in photography this is much more open than the rest of the business ecosystem.
The MFT describes the size of the the sensor imaging area with 17.3×13.0 mm², the mechanics and electronic interfaces of the lenses. The size of the sensor is bigger than typical 1-inch and is 30% smaller than APS-C. It was designed purely for mirror-less digital photography and video in mind.
With the huge success of mirror-less digital cameras like the Olympus OM-D and Panasonic Lumix series there are more than 20 camera models, more than 25 zoom lenses, and more than 40 fix focal lenses in the MFT market. Several Olympus, Panasonic, and Leica lenses have an excellent quality reputation.
- Olympus only newest camera bodies in MFT
- Small, that could fit to use-case „(1) snap-shot“
- PEN E-PM2
- PEN E-PL7
- PEN E-P5
- Bigger, that could fit to the use case „(2) semi-pro“
- OM-D E-M1
- OM-D E-M5
- OM-D E-M10
- Small, that could fit to use-case „(1) snap-shot“
- Panasonic Lumix only newest camera bodies in MFT
The small bodies, high quality, and retro look of the MFT cameras also offer good useability.
To-Be-Done here:
- Pick the right small Lumix
- nice GM1 Review
- Pick a small and bright lens
Great Article!