[Hugh Sakols Silver Member Posts: 80]

Cameras, Lenses and Shooting Gear

on: July 14, 2019 at 7:00 pm

It appears that the micro 4/3 market is somewhat stagnant.  In some way, this is refreshing just like the days when one would keep their Nikon F for 20 plus years.   For many of us, micro 4/3 is all one needs.  Maybe there isn’t much more one can do with a sensor that size, but I’d hate to see it become a passing fad.  Surly, Olympus and Panasonic have something up their sleeve?  Yes, my Nikon Z7 isn’t that much larger, but that all changes when adding lenses.  When I travel I usually just bring my Olympus EM5 and few compact primes – perfect.

[Kevin Raber Silver Member Posts: 1311]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #1 on: July 14, 2019 at 9:41 pm

Hugh, I have had the opportunity to shoot with the Olympus EM1X and the camera is exceptional.  Quite big for an M4/3 camera but feature-packed.  The AF must be seen to be appreciated.  The multi-exposure large file option is sweet and can be used handheld.  The long exposure capability handheld is amazing.  The build quality of this camera is very good and so solid.  I know of no full-frame camera doing all the things this camera does. The other Olympus cameras are really nice. The beauty of hand holding a 600mm equivalent with these systems is also special.  The question for those looking at these systems is how big of a print are you going to want to make?  The Panasonic cameras are best known for their video capability.  We use a number of Pany cameras for content.

We will try to do more with the EM1X in the future and another possible video.  I’m sure there are others that may want to chime in on this.

 

Kevin Raber
Owner and Publisher of photoPXL

[Robert Peterson Gold Member Posts: 9]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #2 on: July 14, 2019 at 11:21 pm

Hugh Sakols wrote:

It appears that the micro 4/3 market is somewhat stagnant. … Surly, Olympus and Panasonic have something up their sleeve?

Andy Rouse now shoots with an Olympus E-M1X, along with other brands, and finds he really likes the E-M1X. Here’s his June 5th blog entries describing his early experience with the kit: Time for something new

Various reviews list the body’s features, including

• Hand-held high-res shot mode
• Pro Capture mode records frames before you hit the shutter
• Up 7.5EV of image stabilization
• Dual SD memory card slots
• Up to 60 fps Raw + JPEG capture

In some of his other writings Andy describes his successful use of the Pro Capture mode, in which the camera begins capturing images when you half-press the shutter, but only saves frames captured just before you fully press the shutter. For fast moving subjects, such as sports and wildlife, this feature means your reflexes no longer need to exactly anticipate the decisive moment, but only to quickly recognize that the moment happened.

Based on Andy’s experience I’d say the E-M1X offers a very interesting mix of features not yet found elsewhere. If that’s stagnation I hope other manufacturers also stagnate!

Bob

[Gerner Christensen Silver Member Posts: 17]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #3 on: July 25, 2019 at 4:25 am

Next step for u43 (but of course for all sensor sizes) will be organic sensors and global shutters. Just my 5 cents.

[Robert Azzi Participant Posts: 7]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #4 on: July 30, 2019 at 1:34 pm

It is great to see this topic posted.  I purchased the EP1 when it came out and was on every new camera waiting list at my local (now defunct) camera store up to the EM1 II.  It is my go to camera and because of the quality, size and weight of the lenses in particular, I don’t see myself going to a FF camera.  I am a simple hobbyist and my prints are 12×18 and smaller.  I hope Olympus has sufficient financial strength to be continue the M4/3 product line.  It is intriguing to see how much software is embedded into phones with tiny little sensors.  Olympus seems well positioned to continuing to introduce software technology to a much larger sensor.  Perhaps something will come out of the event they are hosting in August that has been noted on some websites.  I must be attracted to the underdog with camera systems.  My first SLR was a Yashica FR1.  Everyone else was buying Canon AE1.

 

[Ysengrain Wolf Participant Posts: 8]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #5 on: August 3, 2019 at 3:45 am

I remember Michael’s papers on OM D M1 a few years ago. The results were impressive.

[Kelly Bolin Participant Posts: 5]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #6 on: August 13, 2019 at 1:16 am

The M4/3 platform is impressive (as noted above) however I do wonder about their long term financial viability.  I owned both Canon & Olympus gear and generally found I left my Olympus gear behind more times than not.  Then I switched to Sony (happy to be in that camp) and sold all my Canon & Olympus gear.  I feel I get better image results with the Sony compared to Canon and have a smaller set of gear in Sony.  Although the Olympus gear is smaller than Sony I just didn’t get a good feel for the ergonomics of it, I guess that’s why it got left behind so often.

 

[Paul Wright Participant Posts: 2]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #7 on: August 13, 2019 at 4:05 am

I got a Panasonic G9 MFT basically for fun and as a travel camera. But it has comprehensively outstripped my expectations. It regularly comes along on jobs with me now and does deliver the goods. As a rusted on full frame shooter working with 1DX and 5D MkIV the quality of the G9 images continues to astound. The AF accuracy combined with the Dual IS system (sensor and lens) delivers a keeper rate exceeding the two Canons.  When push comes to shove I’m under no illusions on the capacity of FF vs MFT, but if you pick your project, the G9 is a brilliant tool.

-pw

[Peter Gallagher]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #8 on: September 12, 2019 at 6:10 am

I agree with Gerner: Olympus seems likely to follow Panasonic down the organic sensor path, although I doubt they have the financial resources, as Pana does, to build their own.

I’m guessing for them it’s all digital improvement from here on: including much faster low-power multi-core processors in their pro-summer models that succeed the OM-D EM-1 line. The EM-X gives us a hint. I suspect µ-4/3 lens-manufacturers like Zuiko-Oly are ‘married’ to their lens format just as much as we are and will stick to the size-format for some time to come for the same reason I will…

I am happily ‘married’ to Zuiko Pro lenses (and to the 75mm non-pro ƒ1.8) because of their great quality, robustness and weight compared to the FF lenses from Nikkor/Sigma/Tamron/Zeiss that I formerly owned. But also, the 4/3 sensor produces resolutions as high as I will ever want for printing up to A2 size. This is a physical equation that isn’t going to change any time soon (with ink-jet printing, anyway). I find MF resolution, such as from the Fuji GFX 100, dazzling. But I’m no more likely to use it than drive a Bugatti Veyron. Don’t wanna.

BTW: best wishes to Kevin and Chris on this site that I’ve just found. Been waiting for this.

Peter

• This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by Peter Gallagher. Reason: typos

[Kevin Raber Silver Member Posts: 1311]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #9 on: September 12, 2019 at 11:02 am

Thanks, Peter, good to have you here.

Kevin Raber
Owner and Publisher of photoPXL

[Gerner Christensen Silver Member Posts: 17]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #10 on: September 12, 2019 at 1:33 pm

Peter Gallagher wrote:

I agree with Gerner: Olympus seems likely to follow Panasonic down the organic sensor path, although I doubt they have the financial resources, as Pana does, to build their own.

I’m guessing for them it’s all digital improvement from here on: including much faster low-power multi-core processors in their pro-summer models that succeed the OM-D EM-1 line. The EM-X gives us a hint. I suspect µ-4/3 lens-manufacturers like Zuiko-Oly are ‘married’ to their lens format just as much as we are and will stick to the size-format for some time to come for the same reason I will…

I am happily ‘married’ to Zuiko Pro lenses (and to the 75mm non-pro ƒ1.8) because of their great quality, robustness and weight compared to the FF lenses from Nikkor/Sigma/Tamron/Zeiss that I formerly owned. But also, the 4/3 sensor produces resolutions as high as I will ever want for printing up to A2 size. This is a physical equation that isn’t going to change any time soon (with ink-jet printing, anyway). I find MF resolution, such as from the Fuji GFX 100, dazzling. But I’m no more likely to use it than drive a Bugatti Veyron. Don’t wanna.

BTW: best wishes to Kevin and Chris on this site that I’ve just found. Been waiting for this.

Peter

Peter, let’s not forget that Sony owns (is it 51% ?) of the Oly imagine devision. So I am shure they have organic sensors up their sleves.

And just a stray thought: Canons new 80MP sesnor has the sme pixel pitch as both the Panys and the Olys. Thought about that. Even I am a bit off topic here, I don’t like the socalled pixel count race. Progression? No rather regression 🙂

For many who are not shooting fast moving objects, stitching with u43’s is up to it regarding resolution IMO.

[Mark Kinsman Participant Posts: 7]

Re: What's going on with micro 4/3

Reply #11 on: September 14, 2019 at 10:39 am

Gerner Christensen wrote:

Peter, let’s not forget that Sony owns (is it 51% ?) of the Oly imagine devision. So I am shure they have organic sensors up their sleeves.  …
…For many who are not shooting fast moving objects, stitching with u43’s is up to it regarding resolution IMO.

Sony recently sold all their shares of Olympus back to Olympus.

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