What Future for M43?

[JeffS7444]

Surprisingly, it seems that Olympus-branded cameras will continue, at least for awhile: As of earlier this month:
https://photorumors.com/2020/09/10/...ers-acquisition-of-olympuss-imaging-business/
After "awhile" passes, who knows. Perhaps new cameras and lenses will simply be known as "Pen" and "Zuiko", or they could license the Olympus name much as Leica cameras use the Leica name and logo owned by Leica Geosystems.

If Vaio computers are anything to go by, it seems that Japan Industrial Partners actually do strive to keep industries and skills alive in Japan.

For now, I plan to hang onto my Pen-F and lenses because they are useful, and lenses like the Zuiko Pro 17/1.2 certainly are interesting, whereas I doubt I'd care to carry around a 35/1.2 lens designed for a full-frame system.

 

[Ricoh]

Just maybe, Alice injecting new life in MFT:

https://www.dpreview.com/news/72412...ses-smartphone-ai-with-interchangeable-lenses

 

[fireblade]

Looks like Olympus are going to do well.
https://shop.olympus.com.au/news/post/definitive-agreement

 

[emraphoto]

The M43 sensor is far too small for any serious imagery. I've personally never had any use for it.

If you're serious about photography you'd be looking for a larger sensor (at least a APS-C [1.5x Crop Factor]). Otherwise, your cell phone will do.

This is nonsense. I currently use M43 and in the past have used point and shoots with tiny sensors. I don’t own a full frame digital camera and haven’t for years. I have had work in some of the largest news outlets in the world for a few years Now and never has the editor asked what I shot it on.

 

[aizan]

https://www.43rumors.com/will-panasonic-transform-their-mft-product-line-to-focus-on-vloggers/

Rumors are that Panasonic will focus M4/3 on vlogging. Yay!

 

[traveler_101]

Just maybe, Alice injecting new life in MFT:

https://www.dpreview.com/news/72412...ses-smartphone-ai-with-interchangeable-lenses

This is interesting, the triumph of the smartphone: the camera reduced to a smart phone attachment. It is another step toward a future dominated by computer-enhanced digital image making. Photography, by contrast, is really an analogue technology, which will survive in film.

"The Alice Camera native app will provide you with a familiar smartphone user interface and experience. It will be easy to use and navigate with touchscreen interface and customisation. The camera system and firmware will improve with future software updates through our app.

"We want to give creatives as much control as possible. We will be providing open-source software access to Alice allowing you to deeply customise your creative process, encouraging collaboration and software development. Regular software updates means Alice will stay up-to-date with the latest computational photography technology and features."

 

[FrozenInTime]

A bulky camera attachment for a phone is as convenient as phone built into a shoe ( Agent 86 ;-)

 

[jmilkins]

Olympus' latest announcement - 30 Sept - is positive in my view,all things considered...

https://www.olympus-global.com/ir/data/announcement/2020.html

 

[wjlapier]

I daughter has my old Sony QX10 and loves it. I bought an Olympus AIR A01 and though I don't use it a lot I still can't part with it.

Now if Fujifilm made something similar to the A01...!

 

[Forest_rain]

I've gone through many threads like this in the past. All serve to lower the cost of M4/3 cameras - which is great for me, since I want to buy a new one. The OM-D series seems to keep steady in price though, I think people like the manual controls and retro look reminiscent of Fuji.

 

[fireblade]

I've gone through many threads like this in the past. All serve to lower the cost of M4/3 cameras - which is great for me, since I want to buy a new one. The OM-D series seems to keep steady in price though, I think people like the manual controls and retro look reminiscent of Fuji.

I purchased the original OMD when it was released and still have it. Great camera. That good, the system and the lenses, i have just purchased the Series iii. Like you said, the second hand prices are steady.

 

[jvo]

m43 is dying, just doesn't know it.... everybody needs to send me their m43 bodies and lenses...



my promise - i will provide an honored after-life!😀

 

[Bingley]

M4/3 is a great system for travel photography, but also for shooting wildlife (a far reaching birding lens will fit in a small bag), for macro photography (the small sensor provides greater appearent magnification), for architecture (more depth of field), for street photography (small sized and nearly silent bodies) etc.

In fact I use a lot my M4/3 cameras for all sorts of things. A couple of Panasonic GM5 with a 7-14/4 zoom and a 25/0.95 Nokton make a wonderfully compact and versatile travel kit perfectly capable of taking flawless pictures in most circumstances.

Modern sensors, progress made in optics and better image processing have considerably enhanced image quality in recent M4/3 cameras and lenses. Of course, this is also true for other systems (including smartphones), but I think the M4/3 system sits just at the right spot midway between smartphones (still limited in performance ans versatility) and larger (and admittedly more capable) formats like 24x36 or MF.

Cheers!

Abbazz

I agree with this. I bought into the MFT system years ago, and have stuck w it as it has evolved. In addition to the pluses noted above, MFT cameras (esp Olympus) have really fast AF. When I upgraded to an Oly Pen F a couole of years ago, I also picked up a new Fuji X100T, mainly bc I’ve always liked the IQ from Fuji cameras. But w/in 6 mos the X100T was gone and the Pen F stayed. The AF and low light performance of the X100T was what did it for me... the Pen F ran circles around it. The Pen F is also a great camera for street photography... silent, discrete, w wonderful lenses, and v fast to use. These days, I use it for candids of my baby granddaughter, but once travel becomes more possible it will be the sidekick to my Leica M-E 240.

I don’t know where MFT is headed... I hope there’s a niche for it... the high quality native glass and ability to shoot legacy glass as well gives you a lot of options. A real tragedy that Olympus is exiting the camera biz... their recent cameras were outstanding IMHO...

 

[Godfrey]

Reprise: I don't know what the future holds, but my Oly E-1 and E-M1, and lenses, are all still just fine and should be for years to come. They still make fine photos.

I saw a Panasonic GX9 body only for sale in black for about $500 and thought, "Hmm, that would be great for the bicycle with my Olympus Body Cap 15mm f/8 lens!" And it is ... taken on my ride through San Jose today:

Ghost - San Jose 2020
Panasonic GX9 + Olympus Body Cap Lens 15mm f/8
ISO 400 @ f/8 @ 1/800​

Enjoy!

G

 

[Forest_rain]

I'm always impressed by the image quality of Micro 4/3 camera. What's interesting is that the IQ of half frame film cameras is relatively poor. Medium format film is always obviously the highest IQ I usually see, even surpassing full frame digital sensors, in my opinion.


Take the sample photos below. In comparison, I often find it hard to tell the difference between m4/3 pictures and full frame pictures, except in low light and comparing depth of field. Full frame seems great for landscapes especially if the images are edited or done with long exposure.


But for everyday photos, it's really hard for me to tell. On the flip side, my micro 4/3 camera is probably about 1/3rd of the size and weight of my full frame mirrorless. I tend to use it more often because the handling is so much better, and it's more discreet for street photography.


It's the same with rangefinders...I can't even use SLRs anymore because the handling is so much different.

 

[petronius]

I will keep one body just for the 15mm/8 body cap lens!

 

[Bille]

The M43 sensor is far too small for any serious imagery. I've personally never had any use for it.

If you're serious about photography you'd be looking for a larger sensor (at least a APS-C [1.5x Crop Factor]). Otherwise, your cell phone will do.

What is serious imagery? 99.X% of photos taken today are going right in the digital bin. That includes millions of irrelevant "full frame" photos too.

Dont fool yourself. If you cant take a "serious" image with MFT you cant take one in a larger format either.

 

[Ricoh]

What is serious imagery? 99.X% of photos taken today are going right in the digital bin. That includes millions of irrelevant "full frame" photos too.

Dont fool yourself. If you cant take a "serious" image with MFT you cant take one in a larger format either.

I think that’s true. I fooled myself thinking an M240 would make me a better photographer compared to MFT. If anything my output deteriorated, but a lot of that was the learning curve I guess. Today I look at my investment, both camera and M glass, and think to myself In have to use it come what may.
Still have and occasionally use my EM5 and GM5. But having read the thread started by Helen Hill on dirtying digital, I now see the smaller sensor and high iso setting as an opportunity. Oh, and looking at the body cap images above I may have to splash a bit more in that direction.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The M43 sensor is far too small for any serious imagery. I've personally never had any use for it.

If you're serious about photography you'd be looking for a larger sensor (at least a APS-C [1.5x Crop Factor]). Otherwise, your cell phone will do.

The same thing was said about 35mm film vs rollfilm or larger sheet film for decades. APS film hung on for a while with some amazingly innovative cameras and new, spectacular emulsions, but it died and gave way to the "APS" sized sensors. Then no those smaller sensors vs film, then vs full frame sensors were called not serious at all. Now we have phones which can deliver amazing results (and some which are garbage too) yet the M4/3 is leaps and bounds better than a phone in terms of capability and still the latter comes out as an underdog. Now with APS sensors taking over the compact market, somehow they have been elevated to the "serious" level over M4/3. "But APS is so much smaller than 8x10 chrome, one could never do any serious work with that small camera." 😉
Phil Forrest

 

[Forest_rain]

All things considered, APS-C sensors are pretty close to the size of micro 4/3. I think it would be very very difficult to tell the difference in pictures if possible at all.


If you look at a lot of youtube videos, you will see people comparing Micro 4/3 prints to full frame prints. These are really enlarged as well, and people couldn't tell the difference most of the time.


Concerning medium format, I think medium format film is worth it. It's also very expensive, and the cameras are clumsier, so I use it less than I thought I would.


A TLR is a great compromise for me since they're pretty small compared to a MF SLR.


I'm pretty sure cameras with multiple sensors like the Pixii will be the "future" for compact, high quality dedicated cameras in the future. But the cost of creating all those little sensors and tiny lenses seems like almost the same as one bigger sensor anyway.


But we'll see. I don't think anyone would want their phone riddled with cameras more than the 3-4 sensors they already have, but if someone were to hand me a small camera that could take full frame or APS-C quality photos, I'd take it.

The same thing was said about 35mm film vs rollfilm or larger sheet film for decades. APS film hung on for a while with some amazingly innovative cameras and new, spectacular emulsions, but it died and gave way to the "APS" sized sensors. Then no those smaller sensors vs film, then vs full frame sensors were called not serious at all. Now we have phones which can deliver amazing results (and some which are garbage too) yet the M4/3 is leaps and bounds better than a phone in terms of capability and still the latter comes out as an underdog. Now with APS sensors taking over the compact market, somehow they have been elevated to the "serious" level over M4/3. "But APS is so much smaller than 8x10 chrome, one could never do any serious work with that small camera." 😉
Phil Forrest