Micro Four Thirds --Feeling the squeeze March 2019

I was an early adopter of the M43 system.  I bought a Panasonic Lumix G1 when it became available in Australia in 2009 and have bought and used many M43 cameras and lenses since then.

I had been using Canon APS-C DSLRs for several years, starting with the EOS 20D then 40D, 450D and 60D.  For the most part I enjoyed using these cameras which made good pictures.

They had just one major problem which became a deal breaker for me. That was inaccurate, unreliable autofocus.

I also became aware around ten years ago that the DSLR as a camera type was at the end of its evolutionary journey. I realised that the whole complicated assemblage of flippy mirror, submirror, AF module, focus screen and prism were near the end of their useful life, soon to be replaced by the mechanically simpler (but computationally more demanding) mirrorless type.  

I would have been happy to stay with Canon and APS-C if a mirrorless version had appeared on the scene around 2008-2010. 

My attraction to M43 was not much about the sensor size which did enable a reduction in kit size but was more about the appeal of the mirrorless system and its capacity for reliably accurate single shot autofocus.

Panasonic Lumix M43 offered this from the start and continues to do so.

In the first few years M43 models had noisy sensors, poor performance and poor ergonomics.

Introduction of the M43 system at the same time as the global financial crisis could not have helped

By the way,  I did buy an Olympus M43 camera, just the one, mind you. It was an EM-5 with several lenses. I won’t dwell on my Olympus experience too much but in summary I found the menus incomprehensible, the camera awkward to operate without the accessory handle and burdened with a redundant shutter button and dial with the handle. The coup de grâce for me was an afternoon photographing a grandson’s soccer game which produced 2 of 250 frames in focus.  Obviously Olympus’ AF has improved since than but even so the menus are still weird and I don’t enjoy working with the Oly user interface.

Now Lumix has some really excellent M43 cameras and lenses with great stills and video capability. 

So M43 or at least the Lumix side of the family should be riding high now.

But that appears not to be the case. No doubt this is partly due to the decline in the entire camera market. The falling tide lowers all boats and strands some in the mud.

However I think there is more to it. 

I think M43 is being squeezed from above by the full frame mirrorless cavalcade and from below by high powered bridge cameras like the Sony RX10.4 and potentially by advanced compacts.

Let’s look at the squeeze from above first.

The photo shows a full frame Canon EOS RP with RF 35mm f1.8 lens attached. This kit, with a spare battery thrown in sells for AUD2649, over the counter, retail, GST paid.

The M43 G9 with Pana-Leica 15mm f1.7 lens costs AUD2675.

So here we have a full frame camera with walk-about stabilised prime lens fitted for the same price as the M43 body with a quality walk-about lens of similar effective focal length.

What’s more they are about the same size and will fit into the same carry bag.

OK to be fair the EOS RP is the entry model in the Canon RF range and the G9 is the high speed sports model in the Lumix M43 range. But apart from the frame rate in continuous drive and video specs the two cameras are not so greatly different in capability.  For still photos the Canon should have an advantage due to the larger sensor.

In addition Canon has developed its own completely new type of autofocus system for mirrorless cameras called Dual Pixel Autofocus (DPAF). I have experienced this in the EOS M50 and Powershot G1X and found it works very well. By all reports it also works very well in the EOS RF cameras  for Single Shot and Servo AF and video with good accuracy and reliability.

Which kit do you think  the sales staff will find easiest to sell ? 

Now let’s turn to the squeeze from below.

I recently attended a promotional outing laid on by Panasonic to promote the G9 with 100-400mm lens for action,  sports,  birds and similar.

I am delighted to see Panasonic at last putting some serious effort into promoting its products which these days really do have a good story to tell.

So a group of us got to play around with G9 bodies fitted with the Pana-Leica 100-400mm lens.  The experience was very good. The G9 is very nice to use and the lens performs very well.

BUT

I did not buy a G9 or the 100-400mm lens because I own and use a Sony RX10.4. This camera has a bit less reach at the long end of the zoom but as far as I could tell is otherwise every bit as good at sports, action, wildlife and birds as the M43 kit.

Plus, of course, the lens has a fully functioning wide end which gives the RX10.4 great capability as a do-anything model. With the M43 kit you have to add a good standard zoom such as the 12-60mm and that still leaves a bit of a gap in the focal length spectrum.

At current Sydney retail prices the G9 sells for $2000, the PL 100-400 is $1800 and the PL12-60mm f2.8-4 is $1000: Total $4800.

You can have the Sony RX10.4 from the same vendor for $2300.  Half the price, a fraction the size and weight  and you never have to change lenses.

It seems to me the G9 combo it is going to be a tough sell if the buyer knows just how good is the RX10.4.

But wait, there’s more. Well,  there could be more but nobody makes the camera I am about to describe.

Here is the thing: A camera with a fixed, non removable multi barrel zoom can accommodate a lens of greater zoom range and/or greater aperture and/or smaller dimensions, or all three, than an interchangeable lens camera with a removable zoom lens.

The reason for this is that when the lens side and camera side mounts are no longer required the lens can

a) be closer to the imaging sensor and

b) have a multi barrel collapsing design.

It is possible right now for any of the camera makers to produce something like my Mockup 16, which you can see in the pictures.

This could have a four thirds or APS-C sensor and a high quality zoom ranging from wide to short tele with a decently wide aperture. The smaller sensor allows greater freedom in lens specs.

Now here is the next thing: Lots of camera buyers get an ILC, mount a standard kit zoom  and leave 

it there. 

These buyers would be much better served by something like Mockup16 than any ILC with kit lens.

It seems to me that if Panasonic had

a) done a proper job upgrading the LX100 to use the “full frame” M43 sensor, given it a better lens , better EVF, more reliable AF, proper handle and articulated screen and

b) done a proper job upgrading the FZ1000 with a 24-600mm lens and more burst speed

then:

There might not be much need for the M43 system at all.

I suspect that Panasonic is doing what many observers including me have thought Canon has done  for years: That is deliberately withholding features and capability from low end models to make them relatively unattractive in a bid to entice buyers up to a higher price point.

But whether that is true or not it may be irrelevant.

You see, right now there is one single camera,  the Sony RX10.4, which can do most things the entire M43 system can do.

The main things missing from the RX10.4 are

* Compact dimensions: The RX10.4 is larger and heavier than some M43 kits. (but much smaller than others, see above)

* No  4K photo.

* The auto pano stitching software needs an upgrade.

* There is no ultra wide angle capability. Could an UWA accessory lens be fitted ?

* The screen is not fully articulated.