WHATS NEXT FOR M43, after Olympus, what future is left?


This is good news for M43 photographers doing streaming.
Yeah of course you can use quite a number of the latest mirrorless cameras for streaming eg. Sony ZV etc but it is going to cost a lot more.
I once saw a group of photographers streaming an event for Epson using 6 cameras and various other control equipment.

Anyway, the good news for M43 users who are not into streaming is this could create a larger demand for M43 lenses and keep the ecology alive and more cost efficient. For those of you who are interested to find out more, can watch the youtube in the link below which gives a good explaination of this new Logitech camera using M43 lenses.

 

X100 VI preorder numbers needs to be taken with a mountain full of salt.
Total shipping for all cameras per year is under 8m units. That’s across all brands and models. Does it sound feasible at all that there are anywhere near 1m preorders for an X100 VI which will take ~5.5yrs to fulfil if an order was taken today at its 15000/month production rate.
We’re talking about figures that may be even an order of magnitude off and being hyped up by the internet (again).
What’s probably happening is the preorder numbers are being distorted immensely because of bots, the same thing that happens with anything scarce these days such as concert tickets. Scalpers find out what is hot and automate bots to stuff the preordering system to turn a quick profit. Even if it’s genuine buyers, many will place preorders in as many places that will accept them and cancel the rest when a unit is secured.

So whilst the x100 success should be studied and perhaps emulated, let’s be a bit more discerning with the information out there.
 

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I agree that we should take preorder numbers with a mountain full of salt :rolleyes:

But on the hand, the figures don't really matter whether it is 10k, 100K or 1 million pre-orders.

What matters to me is both M43 manufacturers OMDS and Panasonic is missing the boat, when both of them have tiny prime lenses to pair with.
What they need to do is to come up with a slightly more advanced sensor and features on their old tiny bodies.

OMDS could have just put the Panasonic G9ii sensor or OM-1 sensor on the OM-5.
Panasonic could have done the same, update the sensor for the GX8.
All the smaller M43 bodies are about 4 years old that it does not make sense to buy a 4 years old or order camera body / sensor.

I am happy with my OM-1 for it's intended purpose of using large teles to shoot wildlife.
But there are times I just want a tiny but capable camera like the X100v or A7C
as a backup or simple street photos or occasions where a huge camera is not so appropriate.

Hopefully Pana / OMDS will put some resources to look into this tiny camera body market.




X100 VI preorder numbers needs to be taken with a mountain full of salt.
Total shipping for all cameras per year is under 8m units. That’s across all brands and models. Does it sound feasible at all that there are anywhere near 1m preorders for an X100 VI which will take ~5.5yrs to fulfil if an order was taken today at its 15000/month production rate.
We’re talking about figures that may be even an order of magnitude off and being hyped up by the internet (again).
What’s probably happening is the preorder numbers are being distorted immensely because of bots, the same thing that happens with anything scarce these days such as concert tickets. Scalpers find out what is hot and automate bots to stuff the preordering system to turn a quick profit. Even if it’s genuine buyers, many will place preorders in as many places that will accept them and cancel the rest when a unit is secured.

So whilst the x100 success should be studied and perhaps emulated, let’s be a bit more discerning with the information out there.
 

I agree that we should take preorder numbers with a mountain full of salt :rolleyes:

But on the hand, the figures don't really matter whether it is 10k, 100K or 1 million pre-orders.

What matters to me is both M43 manufacturers OMDS and Panasonic is missing the boat, when both of them have tiny prime lenses to pair with.
What they need to do is to come up with a slightly more advanced sensor and features on their old tiny bodies.

OMDS could have just put the Panasonic G9ii sensor or OM-1 sensor on the OM-5.
Panasonic could have done the same, update the sensor for the GX8.
All the smaller M43 bodies are about 4 years old that it does not make sense to buy a 4 years old or order camera body / sensor.

I am happy with my OM-1 for it's intended purpose of using large teles to shoot wildlife.
But there are times I just want a tiny but capable camera like the X100v or A7C
as a backup or simple street photos or occasions where a huge camera is not so appropriate.

Hopefully Pana / OMDS will put some resources to look into this tiny camera body market.
Whilst I agree m43 are missing an opportunity in the small and capable sector, and I’ve already previously wrote how I feel about OMDS needing to push out their flagship sensor into other models and the missed opportunities in their M.Zuiko premium series of lenses.
But I think the X100 phenomena is something else. It’s a discreet non-system camera and up until fairly recently the only retro game in town except for Fuji system cameras.
So x100 could be appealing to every other brand owners without needing to think about supporting another system if they bought the camera. It’s much easier to buy an X100 than to learn about the Fuji X-system and figure exactly which model and lenses to pair it with.
I’d argue OMDS will have a bigger hit putting the OM1 sensor into a very high performance rugged compact (not ILC) that can be a companion for every other brand owner. Nobody makes a compact that performs anywhere near flagship ILC levels and I think people would love one. And if it’s a discreet non-ILC model, other brand owners are much more likely to sample/try it than if it’s a system camera.
 

Fujifilm put their top of the line 40mp sensor from their XT-5 into the X100vi.
That is part of the attraction.
So it is ok that Panasonic put their 26mp sensor from the G9mk2 and OM put their OM-1 sensor to make it sexy :cool:
Whilst I agree m43 are missing an opportunity in the small and capable sector, and I’ve already previously wrote how I feel about OMDS needing to push out their flagship sensor into other models and the missed opportunities in their M.Zuiko premium series of lenses.
But I think the X100 phenomena is something else. It’s a discreet non-system camera and up until fairly recently the only retro game in town except for Fuji system cameras.
So x100 could be appealing to every other brand owners without needing to think about supporting another system if they bought the camera. It’s much easier to buy an X100 than to learn about the Fuji X-system and figure exactly which model and lenses to pair it with.
I’d argue OMDS will have a bigger hit putting the OM1 sensor into a very high performance rugged compact (not ILC) that can be a companion for every other brand owner. Nobody makes a compact that performs anywhere near flagship ILC levels and I think people would love one. And if it’s a discreet non-ILC model, other brand owners are much more likely to sample/try it than if it’s a system camera.
 

Fujifilm put their top of the line 40mp sensor from their XT-5 into the X100vi.
That is part of the attraction.
So it is ok that Panasonic put their 26mp sensor from the G9mk2 and OM put their OM-1 sensor to make it sexy :cool:
Of course it’d be ok, that’s what I’m arguing for.
Fuji were already dominating their segment yet they didn’t hold back on the next iteration and gave it one of its flagship sensors, though I’d argue their 26MP stacked sensor is higher end but perhaps not necessary for the niche the x100 series sits in.
I’m arguing that anyone that wants to compete in this segment shouldn’t hold back, Panasonic or OMDS.
 

Although there is no such law in Japan, like Apple these camera companies are potentially shooting themselves in the foot by such practices. Costs for customers go up, not much innovation.😱

Thread views has crossed 91k. ✌️

 

I know this thread is on What's next for M43.
Although this article is about X100s, but I felt there is a lot for M43 Manufacturers OMDS & Panasonic and in fact all camera manufacturers to learn from the points highlighted during the interview.

 

I know this thread is on What's next for M43.
Although this article is about X100s, but I felt there is a lot for M43 Manufacturers OMDS & Panasonic and in fact all camera manufacturers to learn from the points highlighted during the interview.


This is my take of the linked article. It's nothing new to digital photography since day one, autofocus reliability and tracking, build quality and innovative ideas. The engineering problems have improved with powerful processors but the innovation and ideas are still plaguing the industry because of a conformist culture.

Fujifilm's x100 was borned out of the realisation that point and shoot cameras have been replaced with smartphones. You can say it was a lucky move for Fuji. But the rest of the industry are still reluctant to change because they think that dSLR were the cash cow until it was obvious that mirrorless was the only way forward. They are still in the me - too phase each replicating each other's business models.

Then Fuji also realised that as convenient as the smartphones are, they produced the same "conformist" look to their photographic output or sameness no matter the brand of phone. People want to express their INDIVIDUALITY and style which Fuji offered as film simulations and other adjustments available in their cameras. Other manufacturers offered similar features but did not wow their users. It still continues this sameness.

Now the geopolitical tensions and global economic pressures begin to show. 2024 will be a lackluster year for the camera industry. In Singapore already
the warning to the people is...😱🤪

 

The other manufacturer that is in tune with the market is Sony. Despite having good sales in its A7R series and 6000 series,
it went on to continue to innovate.

M43 Manufacturers really need to listen to the market and do something.

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Sony, Samsung and Omnivision are rumored to be working on new High Megapixel FT sensors.
Can OM Digital and Panasonic benefit from that?

I would think so, as part of the reason why the development on M43 sensors are so slow is probably because of the relatively low volume.
If mobile phone makers start adopting M43 sensors, the volume would be huge and manufacturers like Sony and Samsung would definitely input more resources into the R&D and if the sensor can also be used for M43, we would be seeing a new wave of M43 camera bodies with higher resolution.

Check out the video to hear about that!
 

Yashica has came up with a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lenses Camera that is even smaller than M43.
M43 has an advantage with the smallest very quality market but both Panasonic and OMDS has totally shitfted to the Wildlife niche.
It is time that they take a look at the Portable Vloggers Niche

 

Yashica has came up with a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lenses Camera that is even smaller than M43.
M43 has an advantage with the smallest very quality market but both Panasonic and OMDS has totally shitfted to the Wildlife niche.
It is time that they take a look at the Portable Vloggers Niche


Like I said before , a cheap compact camera. Yashica beat m43 to it but it is still not to late for a me - too camera.😁
 

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