Micro Four Thirds is receiving a massive amount of attention around the internet. For full coverage of the news and reactions abroad, see 1001 Noisy Cameras' roundup.
The expert analysis thus far ranges from Michael Reichmann's cool response to Phil Askey's declaration that "This is without doubt the most exciting digital photography announcement this year." One of the most thoughtful analyses comes from Dave Etchells of The Imaging Resource. Dave discusses in some detail the what, the why, and the how of Micro Four Thirds, along with whither Four Thirds goest.
Amongst all the information and excitement, many are pointing out the obvious reasons to hold off the celebration. For one, we have no idea when we might expect the fruits of this new system. In fact, we know very little beyond the flange back distance, lens mount diameter, fact that there will be no mirror, and that there will be two additional contact pins on the lens-body interface. At a joint press conference, Olympus and Panasonic demonstrated the Four Thirds to Micro Four Thirds adapter as well as what appears to be a prototype Micro Four Thirds telephoto zoom lens alongside its Four Thirds counterpart. Outside of that, I've seen nothing resembling an actual Micro Four Thirds product or a timeline for development.
Of course this being a Photokina year, we are free to hope can hope for sooner rather than later. Panasonic and Olympus have renewed their vows, and Sigma will support the new standard, but what of Leica? One interesting aspect of the new standard is that the 20mm flange back distance is less than that for the Leica M mount. Thus it should be straightforward to design an adapter allowing the use of Leica M lenses on Micro Four Thirds bodies. Some are speculating that the rumored digital CM will utilize this new standard. So far there is no good evidence in support. However, some intriguing bits were posted a few hours ago in the DPReview forums. A poster by the name of Bootstrap has developed a reputation in the DPR forums for his advance knowledge about upcoming Four Thirds products. Here are is the recent exchange:
He really isn't saying anything there, but given his track record, some of us have come to pay attention to what Bootstrap isn't saying! A rangefinder-coupled optical viewfinder (perhaps utilizing those two addition contact pins for lens-camera communication?) would make a sweet addition to the contrast-detect autofocus we're all expecting with this system. I'd still put that possiblility in the hope, or perhaps the dream category. Yet Bootstrap had one more thing to say: "Please remember that DPReview, and others, are still bound by the NDA and there's a bit more information yet to be released." Hopefully this means that we can expect more information soon!
Obviously the Micro Four Thirds System is huge news for those of us in serious pursuit of photography using compact cameras. At a minimum it represents the dedication of Olympus, Panasonic, and Sigma to the implementation of larger sensors in small systems. It may well additionally represent the first consumer level convergence of quality still and video imaging.
As alluded to above, we have precious little information about this system. Naturally, enthusiasts are excited about the possibilities. Yet we ought also to consider for whom this new standard exists. The prototype lens shown at DC Watch wasn't a 17.5mm Summicron; it was a consumer-level telephoto zoom. The press release from Olympus specifies that this new standard aims to capture a significant portion of those who "choose compact models because they find digital SLR cameras to be 'big, heavy, and difficult to operate.'" The market for such a system is of course much broader than the readership of this blog. As was the case with the E-410 and E-420, Olympus is targeting the "point and shoot" crowd by offering them a less daunting upgrade path. Specifically, family and women users are a focus for Micro Four Thirds. We all stand to benefit as a result.
One final note: Some are posing the question as to whether Micro Four Thirds will kill off the fixed lens advanced compact cameras. I don't think there is much chance of this. If you take away the significance of this being a standard, the only thing that distinguishes Micro Four Thirds from other compact cameras is that the sensor is larger (more than five times larger than the sensor on cameras such as the LX3 and G9) and the lenses are interchangeable. The same design limitations apply. For example, with current technology a Four Thirds sensor is simply not going to work well in a G9-sized camera with a reasonably fast 6x zoom. Compare the sizes of a 1/1.8" sensor superzoom such as the Panasonic FZ50 with that of any 1/2.5" superzoom. Moderate changes in sensor size necessitate large adjustments in camera size, lens speed, and/or zoom range. I imagine that the smallest sensor, smallest zoom range dedicated cameras will be replaced by the cameras in our cell phones. However, there will long be a need for advanced cameras with sensor sizes in between those of camera phone and Four Thirds. The compact RAWsumer isn't going anywhere soon.
