In 1999, Olympus engineer Katsuhiro Takada selected 4/3"-type sensor as optimal for small cameras.
That was in 1999. That was how the 4/3 sensor size was adopted by Olympus.
Why did he not choose APS-C or full frame in 1999?
Because in that 1999 era, full frame sensor was prohibitively expensive.
In addition, the battery, memory card, LCD, sensor technologies were still backward in 1999.
The world was not yet ready. (Sony got their timing right later on, in 2013 to introduce full frame digital mirrorless ILC).
Later Olympus moved on from 4/3 (with mirror) systems to M43.
In 2008 Olympus got 1 thing right. They went mirrorless with M43.
In 2008 era Canon and Nikon were happily selling DSLR ILC.
There was no incentive for Canon and Nikon to adopt full frame digital mirrorless ILC and stop selling DSLR.
Both were raking in gazillions of $ selling DSLR to consumers.
Olympus fraud scandal broke in Oct 2011.
Effectively, it means Olympus parent company was in a life and death crisis.
These fraud losses badly limited the Olympus Camera Division’s ability to adapt in the camera industry.
Japan Incorporated closed ranks to rescue Japanese ailing companies. Sony saved Olympus at a critical moment.
Sony introduced FULL FRAME digital mirrorless ILC in 2013.
Sony began eating Canon's & Nikon's lunch until it became an existential threat.
Both Canon & Nikon realized that if they don't change their attitude, it will soon be the END for them.
Fortunately for both Canon & Nikon, their top management were humble enough to admit their mistakes.
Canon & Nikon launched their full frame digital mirrorless ILC in 2018. That was just 5 years ago.
See how quickly Canon and Nikon scrambled to churn out a string of RF mount and Z mount cameras.
Canon and Nikon don't mess around once they have made up their mind to go full frame digital mirrorless ILC.
They are fearsome competitors.
We must thank Sony for kicking Canon & Nikon to make full frame digital mirrorless ILC. This is forever in Sony's merit.
Unfortunately for Olympus, their top management had a fixation about M43.
Which is very strange. Olympus Camera Division is a camera company. It is NOT a M43 sensor company.
The size of the sensor a manufacturer adopts in its cameras is merely a means to an end.
If the overwhelming majority of the worldwide consumer market demands a X size sensor camera, then make that to sell. X size can be {below 1 inch} or 1 inch or M43 or APS-C or Full Frame or Medium Format or Large Format. It is called {Sell to the customer what he wants}, you dopes at Olympus.
In other words, Olympus Camera Division was getting their company staff/resources to charge up the WRONG hill. It was comical and sad to observe.
Olympus was unable to admit its mistake. Even when the M43 world market share shrank drastically. Olympus lost huge chunks of money (hundreds of millions?) over many years. It was drowning in a sea of red ink.
Olympus appointed "ambassadors" to say only good things and constantly heap praise on M43.
It is like an emperor in ancient China surrounded by eunuchs whose main job was to flatter him.
As a result, Olympus Camera Division top management was out of touch with the real world.
OMDS has more or less adopted the same attitude as the now dead Olympus Camera Division regarding sensor size for its cameras.
In that case remember the idiom "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
As per thread topic - Monitor and watch what happens.
That was in 1999. That was how the 4/3 sensor size was adopted by Olympus.
Why did he not choose APS-C or full frame in 1999?
Because in that 1999 era, full frame sensor was prohibitively expensive.
In addition, the battery, memory card, LCD, sensor technologies were still backward in 1999.
The world was not yet ready. (Sony got their timing right later on, in 2013 to introduce full frame digital mirrorless ILC).
Later Olympus moved on from 4/3 (with mirror) systems to M43.
In 2008 Olympus got 1 thing right. They went mirrorless with M43.
In 2008 era Canon and Nikon were happily selling DSLR ILC.
There was no incentive for Canon and Nikon to adopt full frame digital mirrorless ILC and stop selling DSLR.
Both were raking in gazillions of $ selling DSLR to consumers.
Olympus fraud scandal broke in Oct 2011.
Effectively, it means Olympus parent company was in a life and death crisis.
These fraud losses badly limited the Olympus Camera Division’s ability to adapt in the camera industry.
Japan Incorporated closed ranks to rescue Japanese ailing companies. Sony saved Olympus at a critical moment.
Sony introduced FULL FRAME digital mirrorless ILC in 2013.
Sony began eating Canon's & Nikon's lunch until it became an existential threat.
Both Canon & Nikon realized that if they don't change their attitude, it will soon be the END for them.
Fortunately for both Canon & Nikon, their top management were humble enough to admit their mistakes.
Canon & Nikon launched their full frame digital mirrorless ILC in 2018. That was just 5 years ago.
See how quickly Canon and Nikon scrambled to churn out a string of RF mount and Z mount cameras.
Canon and Nikon don't mess around once they have made up their mind to go full frame digital mirrorless ILC.
They are fearsome competitors.
We must thank Sony for kicking Canon & Nikon to make full frame digital mirrorless ILC. This is forever in Sony's merit.
Unfortunately for Olympus, their top management had a fixation about M43.
Which is very strange. Olympus Camera Division is a camera company. It is NOT a M43 sensor company.
The size of the sensor a manufacturer adopts in its cameras is merely a means to an end.
If the overwhelming majority of the worldwide consumer market demands a X size sensor camera, then make that to sell. X size can be {below 1 inch} or 1 inch or M43 or APS-C or Full Frame or Medium Format or Large Format. It is called {Sell to the customer what he wants}, you dopes at Olympus.
In other words, Olympus Camera Division was getting their company staff/resources to charge up the WRONG hill. It was comical and sad to observe.
Olympus was unable to admit its mistake. Even when the M43 world market share shrank drastically. Olympus lost huge chunks of money (hundreds of millions?) over many years. It was drowning in a sea of red ink.
Olympus appointed "ambassadors" to say only good things and constantly heap praise on M43.
It is like an emperor in ancient China surrounded by eunuchs whose main job was to flatter him.
As a result, Olympus Camera Division top management was out of touch with the real world.
OMDS has more or less adopted the same attitude as the now dead Olympus Camera Division regarding sensor size for its cameras.
In that case remember the idiom "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
As per thread topic - Monitor and watch what happens.
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Manufacturers who went Full Frame with digital sensors:
Contax (last model introduced in 2000)
Kodak (last model introduced in 2002)
Pentax (last model introduced in 2018)
Sigma (last model introduced in 2019)
Leica SLR (last model introduced in 2020)
If Full Frame is the formula for success, why did all these manufacturers stopped introducing new models (probably gave up)?????
Except for Sony, Nikon and Canon, all the rest seemed not to be able to make any significant headway into the Full Frame market.
The only manufacturer that keeps on trying is Panasonic, who have just introduced the S5ii 2 months ago.
But it has also revamped some of its M43 lenses recently announced new developments for its M43 line.
Looks like Panasonic still going to maintain its M43 line up.
Olympus is not stubborn, but smart enough to stay in the blue ocean and not jump into the red sea!
Contax (last model introduced in 2000)
Kodak (last model introduced in 2002)
Pentax (last model introduced in 2018)
Sigma (last model introduced in 2019)
Leica SLR (last model introduced in 2020)
If Full Frame is the formula for success, why did all these manufacturers stopped introducing new models (probably gave up)?????
Except for Sony, Nikon and Canon, all the rest seemed not to be able to make any significant headway into the Full Frame market.
The only manufacturer that keeps on trying is Panasonic, who have just introduced the S5ii 2 months ago.
But it has also revamped some of its M43 lenses recently announced new developments for its M43 line.
Looks like Panasonic still going to maintain its M43 line up.
Olympus is not stubborn, but smart enough to stay in the blue ocean and not jump into the red sea!
Debate is healthy. Fullframe or m43 or apsc for that matter is something a photography enthusiast or a professional have to decide what serves them best.
What is Best for what although the cliche is there is no best camera or format. @ricohflex's mere insistence that FF is superior "in all aspects" and @Pitachu assertion that m43 is compact and light weight suits travel, hiking, sports and wildlife.
Neither is right or wrong but only arguing on the perceived advantages of FF or m43. What is the beginner , hobbyist or professional to make of it?
Now here is what I have gleaned from the internet and YouTube,
From the manufacturer or business side of course Sony, canon and Nikon would have you
believe fullframe is a winner whilst catering to professionals which is a small niche market and judging from their spending habits it is most likely a one time investment and a professional is not likely to change his gear until it breaks when it earns him income to offset his ROI ( return on investment ). So the big boys perpetuate the Fullframe myth while side stepping the fact that the majority of people use their phones as it is always on them for convenience.
Killing 2 birds with one stone what better way to tap the photography hobbyists for profit thinking new gear will improve their photography. In part I have to acknowledge that technology has indeed make photography "easier" and better the fact remains that gear don't make photos but photographers do.
For the professional whether for commercial, portrait, fashion , architectural, real estate photography in controlled lighting it is the preferred format. But there are professionals who for personal reasons have chosen m43 or even apsc for their professional output serving their clients without compromise.
For sports/action and wildlife again fullframe trumps smaller format like m43 and apsc for dynamic range and lowlight. But in reality if light is bright and sufficient FF and smaller sensors are head to head although some might argue FF cameras with higher resolution sensors are advantages when it comes to cropping which is evident for bird and other wildlife scenarios especially in low light. For artistic rendering Fullframe with the longer focal length like 600mm gives a smoother and pleasing
bokeh or out of focus background that smaller sensors like m43 with greater depth of field seem at the disadvantage. To get equivalent bokeh m43 focal length need to employ fullframe focal length of 600mm which translate to 1200mm for m43. Of course it's not straight forward as much depends on lens to subject distance and subject to background distance. A shorter focal length is also possible to render pleasing bokeh.
We come to the subject of autofocus, again professional fullframe cameras and large aperture lenses like F4 or F 2.8 does render sharp and pleasing photos but not many hobbyist photographers can afford or want to pay high prices for equipment. Gear does matter. For less money yet flagship models of m43 or apsc camera bodies offer same performance with.their pro lenses of course.
What about super telephoto lenses for sports and wildlife? The good news is third party manufactures like Sigma and Tamron have introduced 150 - 600mm lenses namely the G2 tamron and sigma contemporary and sport models. These 3 lenses have their pros and cons so photographers should decide what they want or value in performance for each lens. Is it size and weight, image quality and autofocus performance.
If you watch the reviews of these super telephoto lenses you will undoubtedly discover which format that they are designed for but it is a mixed bag. You need to try or test it for yourself.
Already photographers are urging Sony to go medium format.
What is Best for what although the cliche is there is no best camera or format. @ricohflex's mere insistence that FF is superior "in all aspects" and @Pitachu assertion that m43 is compact and light weight suits travel, hiking, sports and wildlife.
Neither is right or wrong but only arguing on the perceived advantages of FF or m43. What is the beginner , hobbyist or professional to make of it?
Now here is what I have gleaned from the internet and YouTube,
From the manufacturer or business side of course Sony, canon and Nikon would have you
believe fullframe is a winner whilst catering to professionals which is a small niche market and judging from their spending habits it is most likely a one time investment and a professional is not likely to change his gear until it breaks when it earns him income to offset his ROI ( return on investment ). So the big boys perpetuate the Fullframe myth while side stepping the fact that the majority of people use their phones as it is always on them for convenience.
Killing 2 birds with one stone what better way to tap the photography hobbyists for profit thinking new gear will improve their photography. In part I have to acknowledge that technology has indeed make photography "easier" and better the fact remains that gear don't make photos but photographers do.
For the professional whether for commercial, portrait, fashion , architectural, real estate photography in controlled lighting it is the preferred format. But there are professionals who for personal reasons have chosen m43 or even apsc for their professional output serving their clients without compromise.
For sports/action and wildlife again fullframe trumps smaller format like m43 and apsc for dynamic range and lowlight. But in reality if light is bright and sufficient FF and smaller sensors are head to head although some might argue FF cameras with higher resolution sensors are advantages when it comes to cropping which is evident for bird and other wildlife scenarios especially in low light. For artistic rendering Fullframe with the longer focal length like 600mm gives a smoother and pleasing
bokeh or out of focus background that smaller sensors like m43 with greater depth of field seem at the disadvantage. To get equivalent bokeh m43 focal length need to employ fullframe focal length of 600mm which translate to 1200mm for m43. Of course it's not straight forward as much depends on lens to subject distance and subject to background distance. A shorter focal length is also possible to render pleasing bokeh.
We come to the subject of autofocus, again professional fullframe cameras and large aperture lenses like F4 or F 2.8 does render sharp and pleasing photos but not many hobbyist photographers can afford or want to pay high prices for equipment. Gear does matter. For less money yet flagship models of m43 or apsc camera bodies offer same performance with.their pro lenses of course.
What about super telephoto lenses for sports and wildlife? The good news is third party manufactures like Sigma and Tamron have introduced 150 - 600mm lenses namely the G2 tamron and sigma contemporary and sport models. These 3 lenses have their pros and cons so photographers should decide what they want or value in performance for each lens. Is it size and weight, image quality and autofocus performance.
If you watch the reviews of these super telephoto lenses you will undoubtedly discover which format that they are designed for but it is a mixed bag. You need to try or test it for yourself.
Already photographers are urging Sony to go medium format.
Well Said. Yeah.... it is not like one format is better than another.
It is choosing the right tool for the right situation.
Having M43 offers an alternative tool for photographers to choose to use.
It is choosing the right tool for the right situation.
Having M43 offers an alternative tool for photographers to choose to use.
Debate is healthy. Fullframe or m43 or apsc for that matter is something a photography enthusiast or a professional have to decide what serves them best.
What is Best for what although the cliche is there is no best camera or format. @ricohflex's mere insistence that FF is superior "in all aspects" and @Pitachu assertion that m43 is compact and light weight suits travel, hiking, sports and wildlife.
Neither is right or wrong but only arguing on the perceived advantages of FF or m43. What is the beginner , hobbyist or professional to make of it?
Now here is what I have gleaned from the internet and YouTube,
From the manufacturer or business side of course Sony, canon and Nikon would have you
believe fullframe is a winner whilst catering to professionals which is a small niche market and judging from their spending habits it is most likely a one time investment and a professional is not likely to change his gear until it breaks when it earns him income to offset his ROI ( return on investment ). So the big boys perpetuate the Fullframe myth while side stepping the fact that the majority of people use their phones as it is always on them for convenience.
Killing 2 birds with one stone what better way to tap the photography hobbyists for profit thinking new gear will improve their photography. In part I have to acknowledge that technology has indeed make photography "easier" and better the fact remains that gear don't make photos but photographers do.
For the professional whether for commercial, portrait, fashion , architectural, real estate photography in controlled lighting it is the preferred format. But there are professionals who for personal reasons have chosen m43 or even apsc for their professional output serving their clients without compromise.
For sports/action and wildlife again fullframe trumps smaller format like m43 and apsc for dynamic range and lowlight. But in reality if light is bright and sufficient FF and smaller sensors are head to head although some might argue FF cameras with higher resolution sensors are advantages when it comes to cropping which is evident for bird and other wildlife scenarios especially in low light. For artistic rendering Fullframe with the longer focal length like 600mm gives a smoother and pleasing
bokeh or out of focus background that smaller sensors like m43 with greater depth of field seem at the disadvantage. To get equivalent bokeh m43 focal length need to employ fullframe focal length of 600mm which translate to 1200mm for m43. Of course it's not straight forward as much depends on lens to subject distance and subject to background distance. A shorter focal length is also possible to render pleasing bokeh.
We come to the subject of autofocus, again professional fullframe cameras and large aperture lenses like F4 or F 2.8 does render sharp and pleasing photos but not many hobbyist photographers can afford or want to pay high prices for equipment. Gear does matter. For less money yet flagship models of m43 or apsc camera bodies offer same performance with.their pro lenses of course.
What about super telephoto lenses for sports and wildlife? The good news is third party manufactures like Sigma and Tamron have introduced 150 - 600mm lenses namely the G2 tamron and sigma contemporary and sport models. These 3 lenses have their pros and cons so photographers should decide what they want or value in performance for each lens. Is it size and weight, image quality and autofocus performance.
If you watch the reviews of these super telephoto lenses you will undoubtedly discover which format that they are designed for but it is a mixed bag. You need to try or test it for yourself.
Already photographers are urging Sony to go medium format.
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Two persons made separate videos to tell why they stopped being a (Lumix M43) ambassador.
Is this a sign that M43 has no future? Hmm... No idea why they wish to explain it.
Robin Wong's video on his quitting as an Olympus visionary is already featured in this forum.
They usually say they still love the brand/camera/company. The typical motherhood statements.
YouTube is about MARKETING.
If the reviewer is no longer marketing OMDS/Lumix as an ambassador,
He is marketing himself, his channel and his new YouTube video content.
Is this a sign that M43 has no future? Hmm... No idea why they wish to explain it.
Robin Wong's video on his quitting as an Olympus visionary is already featured in this forum.
They usually say they still love the brand/camera/company. The typical motherhood statements.
YouTube is about MARKETING.
If the reviewer is no longer marketing OMDS/Lumix as an ambassador,
He is marketing himself, his channel and his new YouTube video content.
Haha..Ricohflex you are cute and you are absolutely right. YouTube is about marketing of big and small corporate companies as well as individuals.
The first video , he explains that in reality he is an Australian, a travel photographer and because he is white Panasonic thought he is European ( marketing region). His deal was that in lieu of money he wanted free Lumix to play with. Because of economic reasons Panasonic Europe said it had difficulty sending equipment to him since he was mostly outside EU on his travels. Apart from this he said he is not a people person preferring to be by himself so it is more his personality that impacted his decision to quit preferring his freedom more than anything else. Plus he is more into video and found Lumix cameras wanting in terms of autofocus and low light preferring to use Sony gear. So you have it. His creative needs are more satisfied by going over to Sony.
As for Matti Sulanto, it is also for personal reasons like wanting to conduct live photo workshops but found m43 collaborators lacking. Reason being finland is a small country and panasonic is small too and therefore m43 market is small. He also needed to earn money for self sustainance plus freedom hence his quitting Lumix.
The first video , he explains that in reality he is an Australian, a travel photographer and because he is white Panasonic thought he is European ( marketing region). His deal was that in lieu of money he wanted free Lumix to play with. Because of economic reasons Panasonic Europe said it had difficulty sending equipment to him since he was mostly outside EU on his travels. Apart from this he said he is not a people person preferring to be by himself so it is more his personality that impacted his decision to quit preferring his freedom more than anything else. Plus he is more into video and found Lumix cameras wanting in terms of autofocus and low light preferring to use Sony gear. So you have it. His creative needs are more satisfied by going over to Sony.
As for Matti Sulanto, it is also for personal reasons like wanting to conduct live photo workshops but found m43 collaborators lacking. Reason being finland is a small country and panasonic is small too and therefore m43 market is small. He also needed to earn money for self sustainance plus freedom hence his quitting Lumix.
He really said essentially that M43 OMDS and Panasonic should make fun cameras for people switching from phones as there are now too many features in cameras to make use of. The kiss principle, keep it simple and fun.
Chris has reviewed and handled so many cameras and his current personal equipment is an OM-1. He is not an ambassador.
I watched the 2 videos. It is more of a "political" issue, just like Robin Wong's case.
@ricohflex for more than 2 years you have been saying M43 has no future.
M43 is still around and quite a lot of new interests lately
But I think it is time for you to state what camera system are you using and
what areas of photography eg. Events, Birding, Portraits etc OR you don't even actively take photos.
At least we know where are you coming from?
Otherwise, if you continue to ignore all our clarifications, we just treat it that you are just a keyboard and not a phototographer and probably engaged by come competitors to keep attacking M43 with no basis
@ricohflex for more than 2 years you have been saying M43 has no future.
M43 is still around and quite a lot of new interests lately
But I think it is time for you to state what camera system are you using and
what areas of photography eg. Events, Birding, Portraits etc OR you don't even actively take photos.
At least we know where are you coming from?
Otherwise, if you continue to ignore all our clarifications, we just treat it that you are just a keyboard and not a phototographer and probably engaged by come competitors to keep attacking M43 with no basis
The YouTube uploader coincidentally made a video that directly addresses this thread's title topic.
In the first minute of the video he says:
Quote [
"the whole micro four thirds industry is on a constant decline"
"especially 2022 was not a very good year for the MFT industry"
"in this video we'll try to understand whether there is any future for micro four thirds or not"
] UnQuote
Short answer to video uploader is:
One of them is much smaller and lighter than the other - but has a sensor almost 4 times larger.
Body Only Launch prices:
Sony A7c price is $2454
Olympus Singapore had on its website shown 2020 so-called "promotion price" of SGD$4448 for the E-M1x body.
credit: cameradecision.com
In the first minute of the video he says:
Quote [
"the whole micro four thirds industry is on a constant decline"
"especially 2022 was not a very good year for the MFT industry"
"in this video we'll try to understand whether there is any future for micro four thirds or not"
] UnQuote
Short answer to video uploader is:
One of them is much smaller and lighter than the other - but has a sensor almost 4 times larger.
Body Only Launch prices:
Sony A7c price is $2454
Olympus Singapore had on its website shown 2020 so-called "promotion price" of SGD$4448 for the E-M1x body.
credit: cameradecision.com
Last edited:
Ricohflex, To challenge m43 you need to be smart who you pick as your spokesman, Camera zone is not one of them . As you said in your last post, YouTube is a marketing tool and for revenue generation. If you look at camera zone"s videos they use other people's clips to string up a video which is legal as long as it's not the whole video, the term is fair use and don't take much effort. Judging from the accent it is half American and half British ( Indian ). I"m not racist but pointing out their penchant for easy money. As for the pictorial comparison, the em1x is designed for professional use so it's size is substantial for big hands and balance for long super telephoto lens. No different from the flagship sports and action cameras
of canon and Nikon.
of canon and Nikon.
The YouTube uploader coincidentally made a video that directly addresses this thread's title topic.
In the first minute of the video he says:
Quote [
"the whole micro four thirds industry is on a constant decline"
"especially 2022 was not a very good year for the MFT industry"
"in this video we'll try to understand whether there is any future for micro four thirds or not"
] UnQuote
Short answer to video uploader is:
One of them is much smaller and lighter than the other - but has a sensor almost 4 times larger.
credit: cameradecision.com
Last edited:
@ricohflex, compare camera zone Vs 247 media group. Taking other people's ideas and slick editing with clickbait titles and 16k subscribers to 247 media group ( only 6.5k subscribers ) who shows his face and has 35 years as a professional photographer who do it because of his photographic passion and his American accent is perfect.
This is the real deal but just because he has a beard and wear a turban? Go figure.
This is the real deal but just because he has a beard and wear a turban? Go figure.
@ricohflex you did not answer me on my question on which camera or area of photography you are in, so we assume you are just a keyboard warrior copying news and videos which you felt can be used to downplay M43 and post it here.
Well, let's that a look at how well Canon, the no. 1 player is doing.
seekingalpha.com
And Nikon
petapixel.com
These players are not doing well do.
The truth is that the whole camera industry in declining, not that M43 is declining but the rest are doing really well.
That is the reason why DPreview has been losing money (not enough advertisement revenue) and is shutting down.
Like I say, go and enjoy photography if you can, instead of reading news about M43 and posting here.
Well, let's that a look at how well Canon, the no. 1 player is doing.
Strong Decline In Camera Sales Exposes Canon To A Lingering Downtrend This Year (OTCMKTS:CAJPY)
Canon is still the no.1 DSLR camera and lens vendor in the world.
seekingalpha.com
And Nikon
Is Nikon Caught in a Perfect Storm?
Nikon's quarterly report for the end of 2021 reveals a company that may be stuck between a rock and a hard place for DSLR and mirrorless.
These players are not doing well do.
The truth is that the whole camera industry in declining, not that M43 is declining but the rest are doing really well.
That is the reason why DPreview has been losing money (not enough advertisement revenue) and is shutting down.
Like I say, go and enjoy photography if you can, instead of reading news about M43 and posting here.
The YouTube uploader coincidentally made a video that directly addresses this thread's title topic.
In the first minute of the video he says:
Quote [
"the whole micro four thirds industry is on a constant decline"
"especially 2022 was not a very good year for the MFT industry"
"in this video we'll try to understand whether there is any future for micro four thirds or not"
] UnQuote
Short answer to video uploader is:
One of them is much smaller and lighter than the other - but has a sensor almost 4 times larger.
Body Only Launch prices:
Sony A7c price is $2454
Olympus Singapore had on its website shown 2020 so-called "promotion price" of SGD$4448 for the E-M1x body.
credit: cameradecision.com
Olympus Camera Division never understood that the world has changed since 2008.
That is why a 86 year old camera company was ruined.
When the market and technology situation has drastically changed, the Olympus Camera Division CEO was still directing his company to follow a Very Outdated and Totally Obsolete strategy formulated more than 10 years ago. No wonder Olympus Camera Division got wiped out.
Unfortunately now OMDS in 2023 is repeating this mistake.
There is a big group of consumers who do not buy cameras at all.
Their mobile phone suffices their simple photo taking needs.
This has reduced the pool of potential buyers for the camera industry.
Among the remainder who still buy cameras, there are many types of camera buyers.
A tiny minority (say maybe 1%) are very rich and such buyers can buy multiple systems. Medium format, Full Frame, APS-C and M43. They have it all. Money is no problem. This type of buyer brings out a camera suitable for a specific photo event/outing . Full frame on one day and M43 on another.
The vast majority of ordinary camera buyers are not so lucky. They look for value for money and buy one camera that can fulfill most of their needs.
They do not wish to buy a camera with a dying sensor format. (M43). Not only is there a risk of suddenly becoming obsolete. It may be a social embarrassment.
Much has been said about smallness and lightness of M43 long telephoto gear for wild life, sports and bird shooting. Actually this has been supplanted by APS-C models of major brands. Consumers bought Nikon D500 for this purpose.
Similarly the recent Canon RF mount camera model R7 fulfils this role.
In addition, the Canon RF, Sony E mount and Nikon Z mount APS-C models act as a bridge for users to also buy Full Frame models of their respective brands; some time in the future.
M43 cannot fulfill this role as the size disparity from Full Frame is too wide.
As such it is rejected by the majority of buyers in 2023 and beyond.
The biggest sellers of Canon, Nikon, Sony could be their APS-C models.
Fuji X series all along have been APS-C.
This may change in future as more buyers demand Full Frame.
Canon made EOS R50 that is essentially designed as RF mount replacement of their best selling M50.
Canon has not neglected the buyers who want CHEAP, SMALL, LIGHT, EASY TO USE.
Without the meaningless GIMMICKS that one never use because they fail to work properly or they are simply unnecessary for 99% of the users.
No need for all the fancy stuff like in-body stabilization at this price point. The anti-shake can be in the kit zoom lens.
This group of buyers is a big chunk of the market share.
A low resolution 20MP (M43) small sensor camera cannot suddenly become a big sensor 50 MP camera. In such a camera, you cannot choose from the menu to select 50MP.
But owner of a 50 MP big sensor camera can select from the menu to pick a lower resolution say 20MP, if that is what he wants.
If small size turns you on, nowadays some full frame cameras are smaller in physical size than M43 cameras.
There are many small and light lenses for Full Frame sensor cameras.
From original manufacturer or third party makers.
Most ordinary buyers purchase a basic small zoom kit lens or a few low cost prime lenses with modest focal length and modest apertures.
They are not looking for long telephoto zoom.
They are not looking for F1.2 primes.
They are not looking for 300mm F2.8 prime.
What it means is that most new buyers in 2023 and beyond, will pick either a APS-C or a Full Frame digital mirrorless ILC.
Most will reject M43 cameras.
That is why a 86 year old camera company was ruined.
When the market and technology situation has drastically changed, the Olympus Camera Division CEO was still directing his company to follow a Very Outdated and Totally Obsolete strategy formulated more than 10 years ago. No wonder Olympus Camera Division got wiped out.
Unfortunately now OMDS in 2023 is repeating this mistake.
There is a big group of consumers who do not buy cameras at all.
Their mobile phone suffices their simple photo taking needs.
This has reduced the pool of potential buyers for the camera industry.
Among the remainder who still buy cameras, there are many types of camera buyers.
A tiny minority (say maybe 1%) are very rich and such buyers can buy multiple systems. Medium format, Full Frame, APS-C and M43. They have it all. Money is no problem. This type of buyer brings out a camera suitable for a specific photo event/outing . Full frame on one day and M43 on another.
The vast majority of ordinary camera buyers are not so lucky. They look for value for money and buy one camera that can fulfill most of their needs.
They do not wish to buy a camera with a dying sensor format. (M43). Not only is there a risk of suddenly becoming obsolete. It may be a social embarrassment.
Much has been said about smallness and lightness of M43 long telephoto gear for wild life, sports and bird shooting. Actually this has been supplanted by APS-C models of major brands. Consumers bought Nikon D500 for this purpose.
Similarly the recent Canon RF mount camera model R7 fulfils this role.
In addition, the Canon RF, Sony E mount and Nikon Z mount APS-C models act as a bridge for users to also buy Full Frame models of their respective brands; some time in the future.
M43 cannot fulfill this role as the size disparity from Full Frame is too wide.
As such it is rejected by the majority of buyers in 2023 and beyond.
The biggest sellers of Canon, Nikon, Sony could be their APS-C models.
Fuji X series all along have been APS-C.
This may change in future as more buyers demand Full Frame.
Canon made EOS R50 that is essentially designed as RF mount replacement of their best selling M50.
Canon has not neglected the buyers who want CHEAP, SMALL, LIGHT, EASY TO USE.
Without the meaningless GIMMICKS that one never use because they fail to work properly or they are simply unnecessary for 99% of the users.
No need for all the fancy stuff like in-body stabilization at this price point. The anti-shake can be in the kit zoom lens.
This group of buyers is a big chunk of the market share.
A low resolution 20MP (M43) small sensor camera cannot suddenly become a big sensor 50 MP camera. In such a camera, you cannot choose from the menu to select 50MP.
But owner of a 50 MP big sensor camera can select from the menu to pick a lower resolution say 20MP, if that is what he wants.
If small size turns you on, nowadays some full frame cameras are smaller in physical size than M43 cameras.
There are many small and light lenses for Full Frame sensor cameras.
From original manufacturer or third party makers.
Most ordinary buyers purchase a basic small zoom kit lens or a few low cost prime lenses with modest focal length and modest apertures.
They are not looking for long telephoto zoom.
They are not looking for F1.2 primes.
They are not looking for 300mm F2.8 prime.
What it means is that most new buyers in 2023 and beyond, will pick either a APS-C or a Full Frame digital mirrorless ILC.
Most will reject M43 cameras.
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Yes, gone are the market where the general public will go and get a camera larger than compact to capture some happy moments in their life.
Almost all my friends and relatives who do not have photography as a hobby now just use their mobile phones.
Photographers on the other hand know what they want to shoot or what they want to learn how to shoot.
My son who is interested in Portraits started with a A7iii Full Frame, mainly because FF offer better bokehs.
For me, I am an outdoor person and some groups I am on holidays with trek for 8 to 9 days, so the Olympus M43 makes more sense for me. I could use my son's A7 (which I do on some trips) but generally a M43 system suits me better especially when in my itinerary I need focal range of 200mm or more. I just do not want to allocate a big portion of my backpack for a 70-200 F4 lenses.
My personal recommendation is either go with Full Frame or M43. For APS the only choice is Fujifilm, as there is no commitment from Sony, Canon and Nikon to manufacture a wider range of lenses for their APC formats. To me using a FF lenses on a APC format is costly and unwieldy. Dont't be fooled by all ads on compatibility! Go and try out Nikon, Canon and Sony APS cameras with their Full Frame lenses or vice versa.
By the way, there is no sudden death of any camera system or social embarassment unless @ricohflex you are using your camera gear to show off as a social status. This probably explains all your nonsensical posts. All the photo groups I am with (those ppl interested in photography) are always on the look out for photo opportunities. We don't look at who use what gear!!!!! For what? Only ppl like @ricohflex who have a 50mp or a 20mp camera.......LOL LOL
One old photographer in our group who still using his 18mp Canon DSLR always have the best composition and photos with his very old Canon DSLR whenever we share photos!
People reject M43???? Well if you baulk at small sensor and small resolution, probably you will reject. But for those who realized the benefits of smaller sensors and lesser resolution, they will choose M43 (like everyone else in this forum). Go and join some OM groups in facebook. Almost everyday there are new users. These are people who have decided M43 is the format for them!
Almost all my friends and relatives who do not have photography as a hobby now just use their mobile phones.
Photographers on the other hand know what they want to shoot or what they want to learn how to shoot.
My son who is interested in Portraits started with a A7iii Full Frame, mainly because FF offer better bokehs.
For me, I am an outdoor person and some groups I am on holidays with trek for 8 to 9 days, so the Olympus M43 makes more sense for me. I could use my son's A7 (which I do on some trips) but generally a M43 system suits me better especially when in my itinerary I need focal range of 200mm or more. I just do not want to allocate a big portion of my backpack for a 70-200 F4 lenses.
My personal recommendation is either go with Full Frame or M43. For APS the only choice is Fujifilm, as there is no commitment from Sony, Canon and Nikon to manufacture a wider range of lenses for their APC formats. To me using a FF lenses on a APC format is costly and unwieldy. Dont't be fooled by all ads on compatibility! Go and try out Nikon, Canon and Sony APS cameras with their Full Frame lenses or vice versa.
By the way, there is no sudden death of any camera system or social embarassment unless @ricohflex you are using your camera gear to show off as a social status. This probably explains all your nonsensical posts. All the photo groups I am with (those ppl interested in photography) are always on the look out for photo opportunities. We don't look at who use what gear!!!!! For what? Only ppl like @ricohflex who have a 50mp or a 20mp camera.......LOL LOL
One old photographer in our group who still using his 18mp Canon DSLR always have the best composition and photos with his very old Canon DSLR whenever we share photos!
People reject M43???? Well if you baulk at small sensor and small resolution, probably you will reject. But for those who realized the benefits of smaller sensors and lesser resolution, they will choose M43 (like everyone else in this forum). Go and join some OM groups in facebook. Almost everyday there are new users. These are people who have decided M43 is the format for them!
In the DP review interview with Yosoke Yamane
Interview
He said:
Quote [
‘I think the need for small, lightweight cameras that can be carried around all the time like smartphones will increase, especially among the younger generation.’
] UnQuote
About people expressing an interest in a small, capable camera:
Quote [ 'The press in Japan ask the same thing,' he said, 'but for full-frame.'
] UnQuote
Panasonic executive may have under-estimated how quickly the cameras in mobile phones can improve in future.
Panasonic executive has acknowledged that if a bigger sensor (bigger than M43) camera can have the above stated qualities, then that is what people want.
Sony, Nikon and Canon all know this.
CHEAP, SMALL, LIGHT, EASY TO USE.
That explains the Sony A7C II (future) , A6000 to 6600 series of APS-C bodies.
The Canon R50, R10, R7.
The Nikon Z30, Z50, Zfc
M43 cannot match this competition.
Who says so? The global market share statistics say so.
In a contrarian move, Leica has discontinued its Leica CL and TL2 APS-C bodies.
Concentrating on Full Frame and Medium Format.
But then again, Leica is in a different segment of the market, catering to extremely wealthy buyers.
By definition, Leica also has a small global market share in terms of units sold.
Interview
He said:
Quote [
‘I think the need for small, lightweight cameras that can be carried around all the time like smartphones will increase, especially among the younger generation.’
] UnQuote
About people expressing an interest in a small, capable camera:
Quote [ 'The press in Japan ask the same thing,' he said, 'but for full-frame.'
] UnQuote
Panasonic executive may have under-estimated how quickly the cameras in mobile phones can improve in future.
Panasonic executive has acknowledged that if a bigger sensor (bigger than M43) camera can have the above stated qualities, then that is what people want.
Sony, Nikon and Canon all know this.
CHEAP, SMALL, LIGHT, EASY TO USE.
That explains the Sony A7C II (future) , A6000 to 6600 series of APS-C bodies.
The Canon R50, R10, R7.
The Nikon Z30, Z50, Zfc
M43 cannot match this competition.
Who says so? The global market share statistics say so.
In a contrarian move, Leica has discontinued its Leica CL and TL2 APS-C bodies.
Concentrating on Full Frame and Medium Format.
But then again, Leica is in a different segment of the market, catering to extremely wealthy buyers.
By definition, Leica also has a small global market share in terms of units sold.
Yosoke Yamane is only right in an earlier paragraph which you have purposely omitted to make it fit your wrong accusations below:
The future of Micro Four Thirds
He emphasized that the size and portability of Micro Four Thirds lets it deliver things that full-frame systems can't. 'Micro Four Thirds is a compact and lightweight system that enables hand-held photography in combination with a telephoto lens, which is not possible with full-frame,' he said. 'And we believe it is an indispensable system for achieving a compact body that can be easily carried.'
M43 has small bodies too eg. Olympus Pen. So don't keep using the Sony 7c to compare with larger M43 bodies but miss the whole point: the weight of the complete system you need to carry.
If all you are using is the Sony pancake kit lenses for the Sony 7c (28mm to 60mm F4-5.6 at 24 megapixel sure, it is definitely smaller and lighter.
But the moment you pair the Sony 7c with Sony's excellent G Master lenses, the whole setup become much heavier and unbalanced.
Full Frame system will never be small and light that can be carried like mobile phones because of the need to have larger and heavier lenses.
This is law of physics.
The future of Micro Four Thirds
He emphasized that the size and portability of Micro Four Thirds lets it deliver things that full-frame systems can't. 'Micro Four Thirds is a compact and lightweight system that enables hand-held photography in combination with a telephoto lens, which is not possible with full-frame,' he said. 'And we believe it is an indispensable system for achieving a compact body that can be easily carried.'
M43 has small bodies too eg. Olympus Pen. So don't keep using the Sony 7c to compare with larger M43 bodies but miss the whole point: the weight of the complete system you need to carry.
If all you are using is the Sony pancake kit lenses for the Sony 7c (28mm to 60mm F4-5.6 at 24 megapixel sure, it is definitely smaller and lighter.
But the moment you pair the Sony 7c with Sony's excellent G Master lenses, the whole setup become much heavier and unbalanced.
Full Frame system will never be small and light that can be carried like mobile phones because of the need to have larger and heavier lenses.
This is law of physics.
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