Micro 4/3 Is Not Dead; Making A Case For Micro 4/3 As The Best “All Around” Camera System

All images illustrating this post were made with a variety of Olympus
Micro 4/3 cameras and Olympus lenses. They include the E-M1, E-M1 Mark II,
E-M1 Mark III, E-M5 and OM-1  (click any image to enlarge)

Goldilocks saw three chairs. She sat in the big chair. “This chair is too big!” she said. She sat in the medium chair. “This chair is too big, too!” she said. She sat in the small chair and said, “This chair is just right.” Goldilocks, Robert Southey, 1837

I want to try to make "a" case for buying and using a Micro 4/3 camera system as the best so-called “Goldilocks system” for general, all-around photography considering versatility, cameras and their features, lens variety, image quality, size, weight and affordability.  Not "the" case but "a" case."  As Goldilocks said, “…just right!”

I believe Micro 4/3 can now give you, as the saying goes, "the biggest bang for your photographic buck."  I'll go as far to say that I believe, with a few exceptions for certain narrowly defined situations and extreme conditions, Micro 4/3 may be the best choice for the majority of enthusiast photographers.  After all, the majority of 'photographers' in the world now use the camera in their mobile phones, which is fine but limited in its ability and versatility.  With Micro 4/3 there are some, but few limitations.  

I find it interesting that many photographers who rave about their iPhone camera at the same time dismiss Micro 4/3 cameras.  Everyone I know who has tried the format came away very pleasantly surprised.  Many converted to Micro 4/3.

Let me come clean and admit I'm a Micro 4/3 format fan.  I've made some of my absolute best photographs with Micro 4/3 cameras in the past 11 years.  Also, over the past decade, I have taken only Micro 4/3 cameras and lenses on several cross-country road trips and I've never regretted not having a camera that is bigger, heavier, more expensive or have been unsatisfied with my images.  I will also add, I'm pretty picky about the quality of my photographic work.  If Micro 4/3 couldn't do the job, I wouldn't be writing this.

More than once over the past few years the gurus who claim to be foreseers of all things photographic have pronounced the Micro 4/3 format dead.  Well, I'm here to tell you that, from what I have seen and read over the past couple of years, the format is far from dead.  In fact, there seems to be a resurgence in its popularity with more photographers using the format now than ever before.  Also there seems to be more information, YouTube videos, tutorials, articles and podcasts talking about Micro 4/3 than ever before.

Since the Imaging Division of Olympus was acquired by JIP and changed to OM Digital Solutions (OM Systems), they have released two cameras and I believe four lenses.  It appears more cameras and lenses are in development.  I believe they are profitable and won't be going away anytime soon.  Panasonic has released an updated model to their GH series in the past many months and the rumors are now rampant that they will soon release a successor version of the very popular, very capable and highly regarded G9 camera body.  Additionally, there is speculation that Panasonic/Lumix may bring their newly developed phase detection autofocus (PDAF) to their Micro 4/3 camera line as they did to their larger sensor line.  That would bode very well for Lumix's Micro 4/3 future.

I want to first get the sensor size and the number of pixels out of the way.  For the most part I no longer consider sensor size as a benefit nor drawback with this current generation of cameras.  In most photographic conditions, for the vast majority of us regular photographers, cameras with all three common sensor formats perform exceedingly well—more than sufficient.  Except for a small number of carefully defined, specialized, extreme or very unusual situations for most of us, a Micro 4/3 sensor will produce excellent image quality.  Yes, larger sensors can give better image quality.  Can.  However, in most situations for the vast majority of photographers, we don't encounter those situations.  Larger sensors can provide shallower depth of field but there are a whole lot of us who actually want more depth of field.  For the most part, I don't think you will be able to tell the difference in an image made with a Micro 4/3 camera or a larger format camera.  Sometimes.  But mostly not.

As far as 20mp is concerned, don’t fool yourself.  Twenty million pixels is sufficient for almost all of our ‘normal’ uses.  If you believe you ‘need’ more than that, then you have special needs.  You may want more than 20mp, but I don't think you need them unless your needs are outside of the what is required by the vast majority of photographers.  I know I've written that my new 'sweet spot' for sensor resolution is about 40-45mp.  I love the resolution.  I love punching in to see the detail.  But, I don't need it.  I like the extra resolution.  But I really don't need it considering what I do with my images.  I consider the extra resolution like a spare tire in my car.  I might, someday, under specific circumstances need it, but in all likely hood I'll never need it.  Remember, I’m making a case for general all-around photography, not highly specialized photographic circumstances.  So there’s that.

Also, Micro 4/3 is not the answer to all photographic situations.  Nor is full frame.  Nor is APS-C nor medium format.  Each genre of photography has a system, sensor format or sensor resolution, specific lens or feature that best meets the needs for that type of photography.  It is not solely a property of sensor size but the entire system.  I'll readily admit that a so-called full frame sensor is superior to a Micro 4/3 sensor, but the question remains, "With the kinds of photography do you practice and what you do with your images, will you take advantage of those few superior qualities?  Are you willing to pay the extra price in money, size, weight and computer needs for those rare situations when a larger sensor gives you that little bit extra quality?"  That said, as I have already written, I think Micro 4/3 is the best 'general photography' system with the best compromises considering size, weight, capabilities, features, versatility, price, portability and image quality.  That's just my opinion.  Remember, opinions are neither right not wrong, just opinions so don't get ugly with your comments, please!

In the past, I would have written the last paragraph about APS-C sensors.  However, sensor technology and their associated image processors have made remarkable strides in image quality.  What may have required a 35mm-sized sensor a decade ago, then APS-C sized sensor a few years ago, now is just fine with a Micro 4/3 sensor.  Think about how sensor technology has changed in the past 15 years and think how it might change over the next several.  

Not only are the sensors and image processors much improved over the past, but the Micro 4/3 cameras are impressive.  Recently, I had the opportunity to use an OM Systems OM-1 camera and a couple of lenses.  Because of that experience I am going to speak from the standpoint of Micro 4/3 in general but also about that camera in particular as I was quite taken by its improvements over my previous Micro 4/3 cameras.   Previously, I owned numerous Micro 4/3 cameras starting with the Olympus OMD E-M5 that I purchased in 2012.  Since then I've owned and used personally and professionally* an E-M1, E-M1 Mark II, E-M1 Mark III, Olympus Pen-F, Panasonic G1 and Panasonic G9.  I've shot well over 50,000 images with Micro 4/3 cameras in many different environments and under many different circumstances so I can speak from 'some' experience.  My stock photography 'customers' for my photographs had never once asked from what format the images I supplied to them came.  They never turned one down because it wasn't shot with a larger format camera.  Now, about the OM Systems OM-1.

First, the OM Systems OM-1 struck me as one of the most well engineered, robust, well put together and good feeling to hold cameras I've ever used.  It feels more solid with more metal components and with as good or better fit and finish as any camera out there today.  I found the camera as or more feature rich than any other camera of which I am aware.  I think the OM-1 may be the most ‘complete’ camera with unmatched features on the market today.  It is an amazing picture-taking machine.  Additionally, I found the image quality indiscernible from my Fujifilm or Nikon cameras.  I will qualify that with the fact that I didn't photograph under extreme conditions such as extremely low or no light or extremely high ISOs.  But from the research I've done, I've seen many images made at ISOs up to 12,800 that, with the application of the newest sophisticated AI based noise reduction software, look amazing!  But I will qualify that by saying I was looking at the images from about 12 inches away on my 65 inch 4K television.  But it gave me a good idea that fine detail and image sharpness was retained even at ISO 12,800 with AI noise reduction.  See some of Andy Rouse's YouTube videos for examples, if interested.

If you never have been a Micro 4/3 user, I bet you have questions.  Let me try to anticipate some you might have.  Consider these questions you may have about Micro 4/3, if you will?

Do you need image stabilization?  

The OM-1 provides 7 stops of in-camera IBIS stabilization alone and 8 stops when using a lens that syncs with the camera.  That applies to most of the Olympus/OM Systems Pro lenses.  Other cameras may provide just a stop less but still impressive.  Eight stops is quite remarkable and most likely due to Om/Olympus' long experience and smaller sensor which allows more efficient image stabilization as the sensor mass is less and allows it to move faster and more accurately.

Do you need a wide variety of excellent available native lenses with no adapters needed?

There are a lot of Micro 4/3 lenses available.  I may have missed some but currently 30 Olympus/OM lenses available, 34 Panasonic lenses,  7 German made lenses, 16 Zeiss lenses (including Cine lenses), 43 Japanese-made lenses (including Cine lenses), 51 Korean-made lenses (including Cine lenses), 1 Russian-made lens, 7 Swedish-made lenses and 143 Chinese-made lenses (some of which are designed for larger formats but have m4/3 versions as well).  That adds up to 332 lenses available for your Micro 4/3 camera!  Do you think you can find what you need and/or want no matter what types of photography you want to do?  I can't imagine that you can't find what you are looking for to fully meet your needs. (lens list came from here: Micro Four Thirds Lenses - A Complete List | Alik Griffin)

Do you need high resolution files on occasion?  

The 20mp stacked, back-side illuminated sensor of the OM-1 has many advantages in speed and cost.  It’s readout is one of the fastest in the market.  But sometimes, for a specific reason, we want an image with more pixels.  The OM-1 has a 50mp handheld and 80mp tripod-mounted hi-res image file feature available but with some caveats, of course.  But it is available, if needed.  In addition, with high resolution files you have less digital noise and more dynamic range.  A nice benefit.

Do Menus confuse you?  When a menu item is grayed out, do you wonder why? 

The OM-1 has a new intuitive, color-coded and straightforward menu system.  In fact, how many times have you wanted to invoke a feature only to find it grayed out and you have no idea why?  The OM-1 tells you why and you then can adjust your settings so that feature is now available.  Also, there are several pages of “My Menu” available in which to place your most frequently used items for quick access.  Not knowing why a feature was grayed out was one of my biggest complaints in the past.  Now the problem has been solved.  Thoughtful.

Do you want deeper depth of field so your landscape, nature and macro shots are in focus front to back?

Micro 4/3 offers a two stop advantage in depth of field at the same aperture as full frame.  By watching YouTube you would think that the only thing that matters is extremely shallow depth of field.  Not so!  Landscape, nature, travel and family photographers appreciate everything in their composition sharp.  If you need to blur the background on occasion, that can be done in Photoshop.  If your background is already blurry, you can never recover it.  But if your background is sharp, you can always blur it in editing.

Are you worried about digital noise at higher ISOs?  

No real need anymore with the availability of sophisticated AI based noise removal programs such as DXO Pure Raw3, Topaz Photo AI, Topaz DeNoise AI or the new Lightroom DeNoise AI feature.  I’ve seen many, many photos shot as high as ISO 12,800 which, when the new AI noise reduction is applied, look amazing!  That will also improve as the technology is improved.

Are you concerned about Micro 4/3 not having enough dynamic range? 

I was.  But that was years ago.  When encountering a scene that I thought needed more dynamic range than my sensor would allow, I quickly switched into auto exposure bracketing mode.  Most of the time, I shot my brackets handheld as the Olympus cameras are super quick firing off the number of bracketed exposures you may have dialed in.  However, almost always (I would say always but there may have been a time or two) I never needed to use the bracketed exposures.  The image files were malleable enough that I was able to keep highlight detail as well as shadow detail in just the one file.  That was surprising but I came understand that there was more capabilities in dynamic range than I had originally thought.

Do you want small? 

There used to be a trend to reduce the size of cameras.  That happened until everyone started complaining that cameras got just a bit too small.  I still see photographers complain that their little finger won't fit on the camera body.  Photographers buy accessories to add to the bottom of their cameras so their little fingers don't hang off.  Micro 4/3 cameras are about as small as most of us will want.  Much smaller than the new Nikon Z8, for example.  Also, small applies more directly to Micro 4/3 lenses.  Some are surprisingly tiny and all are smaller than equivalent lenses from larger formats, with one exception—Leica.  They continue to make very small lenses for their cameras, but at what cost and weight?  You can't find smaller lenses than you will with Micro 4/3.

Do you want lightweight? 

Along with small is lighter weight with both Micro 4/3 lenses and cameras.  The lenses don't come any smaller.  Many of us don’t want to carry a large heavy kit anymore.  Micro 4/3 could be the answer.

Have you been looking for a small, lightweight travel kit? 

An OM-5 with a 12-100mm f/4 lens can handle almost all of your travel needs.  You can add a small 8-25mm f/4 Pro lens or a small wide prime.  If you like to shoot with primes, there are many small ones with excellent image quality available with the entire kit fitting in a waist pack or small 3 liter sling bag.

Do you want reasonable in cost? 

I will admit some think that the OM-1 is a pricey camera.  The OM-1 is currently selling for $1999.99 US (August 2023), which is half of what you will pay for cameras with similar AF and subject recognition abilities and those expensive cameras have a lot fewer features.  The OM-1, in my opinion, is one heck of a bargain. But borrowing a phrase used in professional boxing, the OM-1 is 'pound for pound' one of, if not the best, value for you money on the market today.  There are so many features and capabilities built in to this camera that I can't think of any other that can touch it for all around versatility and the ability to handle almost any type of situation you encounter.  I'll list some of the camera's features below but the list is long.

Do you need weather sealing?  

The OM-1 has an IP rating 53 and they demonstrate its capabilities by actually running streams of water over the camera!  Really!  The 5 represents 5 out of a possible 6 dust resistance rating and the three represents placing the camera for three minutes under a 60 degree angle stream of water.  I don't remember any other camera manufacturer giving dust/moisture resistance official ratings for their cameras (I think I may have seen one very recently for a new Leica camera, however, but I'm not sure.)

Planning a trip to Antarctica or the Amazon rain forest or elsewhere where it is really hot or cold? 

The OM-1 can function successfully in temperatures down to 14° F (-10 C) or up to 104° F (40 C).  I've read about photographers who have successfully used the camera to well below 0 degrees F (-17C) and above 105 degrees F (40C).  I think you really don’t have to worry about freezing or overheating the camera.  Many other cameras cannot replicate that.

Do you need long lenses for birds or wildlife?  

How about an easily handholdable100-400mm (200-800mm 35mm field of view [FOV]) or a 150-600mm with a built-in 1.25x tele-converter getting you out to 1000mm FOV!  How about a 600mm f/4 equivalent FOV super telephoto lens the size of a full frame 70-200mm lens?  All very sharp and focus fast.

Do you need excellent video on occasion?  

I'm not a video guy but from what I have read Micro4/3 cameras are well know for their excellent video specs.  I have seen numerous YouTube videos of individuals using a Micro 4/3 camera, walking and recording with none or almost no camera movement.  But, I admit, I can't really be the judge of video.  Remember, this post is about photography, not video.  I also understand some photographers will want to make short videos from time to time and I think Micro 4/3 will serve their needs well.  OM and Olympus cameras are oriented more toward still photography but Panasonic/Lumix's GH5 and GH6 are excellent video cameras—and you can use either brand’s lenses with the other brand’s cameras.  The best of both worlds.

Do you need extreme wide angle lenses?

There are lenses that are as wide as 4mm (8mm FOV in 35mm terms)  Wide enough?

Do you like zoom lenses? 

There are many, many high quality zoom lenses available from both Olympus/OM Systems and Panasonic which can fully fulfill your needs.

Do you like to shoot with only prime lenses? 

The tiny primes are amazing!  There are more available than you'll ever need.

Do you need primes with a fast aperture such as f/1.2?  

Olympus has 17mm, 25mm and 45mm f/1.2 lenses.  Terrific lenses, even when used wide open.  Panasonic/Lumix has a 85mm full frame equivalent lens, the 42.5mm f/1.2, that is amazing as well!

Do you need fast zooms such as f/2.8?  

How about a 40-150mm f/2.8 zoom?  The rumor sites are now saying that OM Systems may introduce two new fast telephoto zooms—a 50-200mm f/2.8 and a 50-250mm f/4.  That said, those seem to me to overlap quite a bit.  I would be surprised there would be both when considering the number of each they would have to sell to recoup their investment. But still, an 80-300 f/2.8 and a 100-400mm f/2.8 equivlent lens is very useful for many who shoot birds or wildlife.

Do you want fast autofocus? 

The AF in Micro 4/3 cameras is as fast as any in my experience.  The images seems to just 'snap' into sharp focus.  I think that is because the lens elements are smaller and lighter and the linear motors can drive the elements into proper position more quickly than the huge lenses of larger formats.  Couple that with the excellent sharpness of the lenes and you can expect excellent images.  The autofocus system has 1053 quad pixel AF points with 100% coverage with AF down to -8 EV at f/1.2 (and Olympus has three f/1.2 lenses).  If Canon's Dual Pixel AF system has been heralded as excellent, OM's Quad Pixel is potentially even better.

Do you want subject tracking?  

The OM-1 has subject tracking that may not be the absolute best but it is highly regarded for tracking people (with face and auto eye tracking), birds, vehicles, animals, insects, trains, airplanes and motorcycles.

Do you want a high resolution electronic viewfinder? 

The OM-1 has a bright, contrasty electronic viewfinder that has 5.76mp of resolution!  There are only a couple of cameras on the market that offer more than that and those cameras cost a lot more than does the OM-1.  Add to that 120 fps refresh rate of the EVF and an anti-fog coating and it doesn't get much better than that!  I could really see deep into the shadows and I was able to easily see highlight detail using this viewfinder.

Do you need high frame rates? 

Will these figures suit your needs?  With the mechanical shutter 10 fps with selectable 1-10 fps; with the electronic first curtain shutter (anti-shock) 10 fps with selectable 1-10 fps; with the electronic shutter 20 fps with selectable 5, 10, 15, 20 fps with blackout; with high speed sequential shooting (SH1) 120 fps with selectable 60, 100, 120 fps without blackout (no AF between shots); with SH2 high speed sequential shooting 50 fps with selectable 25, 50, fps without blackout (that also includes AF and metering between each shot).

Do you shoot action and don't want to miss the peak moment? 

The OM-1 offers Pro Capture, which at half press of the shutter continually buffers images in the camera and, upon full press, writes those buffered images onto the memory card.  You never miss the peak moment.  Here are some of the stats for Pro Capture.  For 'normal' Pro Capture, you can get 50 fps with selectable 25 or 50 fps without blackout.  For Pro Capture SH1 you can have up to 120 fps with selectable 60, 100, 120 fps; for Pro Capture SH2 you have up to 50 fps with selectable 25, 50 fps.  For normal Pro Capture and Pro Capture SH2 there is AF between each frame.  You can also set a finite number of frames the camera will expose after you fully press the shutter button.  I've used this feature and it is quite remarkable bordering on amazing!

Would it be nice to shoot a night photo and watch your image appear on the LCD? 

With many Olympus cameras you can do just that.  It’s called Live Time.  Set up your camera on a tripod, compose, set your long exposure (multi second or multi minute) and watch the photo gradually appear on the LCD screen!  When it achieves the right density, just end the exposure.  No guessing if you made the right exposure.  You see it happen live.

Have you seen the night shots with headlights or taillights streaking across the frame? Would you like to make those the easy way? 

It’s called Live Composite.  Set your camera on a tripod, set your base exposure for the night shot and then stand back while the camera then adds the streaking lights without altering your base exposure.  Easy peasy.

Do you enjoy long exposures to blur water, clouds and other moving objects? 

The OM-1 has up to 6 stops of neutral density filtration built into its system.  Additionally, you can preview what your final blurred photo will look like on the LCD before pressing the shutter.

Do you want a sensor that stays miraculously clean? 

Since 2012 when I bought my first Olympus camera, I have never had to clean the sensor.  Never.  Not once.  That's the truth.  I can't say that about my Nikon or Fujifilm sensors.  I don't know what system Olympus (now OM Systems) uses, but it truly miraculous!

Do you think you need more pixels?  

Twenty megapixels not enough?  Do you require more?  With Topaz Photo AI and Gigapixel AI you can upsize your files with excellent results, even better than the in-camera super resolution feature.  I've upsized 20mp files to 80mp using the Topaz products and they look like the original except significantly larger.  I did not see a noticeable loss of detail or sharpness.

Do you want to print very large?  

Let's be honest.  How many of you make or have prints made that are larger than 16" X 20" or 16" X 24"?  If you do, I bet it is a rarity.  Prints those sizes are no problem for a well exposed image using a Micro 4/3 camera made with good technique.  So, don’t think you can’t print pretty large with Micro 4/3, in fact larger than almost everyone prints.  I’ve personally had 24” x 30” custom prints made and they were not distinguishable from identical full frame prints.  I showed them to numerous photographers and none could pick out which one was full frame and which one was from Micro 4/3.  20mp is really enough.  I have to admit that to myself as well.  

In fact, I'll make an admission here.  I now shoot with a 26mp Fujifilm X-H2S as well as a 40mp Fujifilm X-T5 and a 45.7mp Nikon Z7II.  Last year, I did some very precise testing making identical images within a few minutes of each other with optimum camera and lens settings, cameras locked down on a tripod, equivalent focal lengths, etc., then examined the image files.  In reality, I had to really search at 100% or more to see any differences in the detail using my 27" computer monitor.  The differences, in my opinion, were negligible.  If I have to search and look that intensively to see any tiny differences in detail, then the differences can't be important unless you make some really, really big enlargements.  Really big!

Do you want a system that allows you to photograph birds and wildlife? 

With blazing frames per second, buffering dozens of images at half press of the shutter so you never miss peak action and tack sharp prime and zoom super telephoto lenses, well, this system may fit the bill. (pun intended! Lol)  Also, the bird subject detection feature works remarkably well.

Do you shoot at night, the stars or the Milky Way? 

With Night View Mode and the Starry Sky mode you can easily see to compose in your viewfinder as well as feel confident your lens is focused at infinity.  Nigh View allows you to see in the viewfinder and Starry Sky sets focus at infinity.  That makes photographing in the dark much easier.

Are you tired of carrying a large tripod to support those large, heavy full frame lenses? 

Because Micro 4/3 lenses are so much smaller and lighter than full frame lenses, you can buy and carry a smaller tripod and still retain excellent stability.  Less expensive too!

Lastly, but probably one of the most important aspects of owning a camera is how does a camera feel in your hand, how logically are the buttons and dials laid out, how customizable are those buttons and dials and how intuitive are the menus? 

This is probably the most important factor for buying a camera for me today.  I'm pleased to say the OM-1 feels great in the hand.  It feels solid with a good grip.  The buttons and dials fall naturally under my fingers and thumb, customization is almost infinite and the new menu system is so much better, logical and intuitive than the old menu system.

There may be more questions that need to be answered.  However, with few exceptions, I think Micro 4/3 can provide everything most photographers need.  With its future looking bright (Japanese sales reports show Micro 4/3 cameras and lenses have risen) and more photographers considering the format, I think Micro 4/3 is here to stay.

As I mentioned, I used an OM-1 for a while and fell in love with it.  Yes, I’m a Micro 4/3 fan, but the OM-1 is an extraordinary camera.  Here is a partial list of built-in features on the OM-1:

Image Aspect ration choices of 4:3, 16:9, 3:2, 1:1 and 3:4

Four separate image stabilization settings

Handheld Assist (shows just how much the camera is 'micro' moving so you can better steady it when taking handheld long exposures)

Two HDR settings which automatically create HDR images in-camera

Multiple exposure

Perspective correction (Keystone compensation both horizontal and vertical in-camera)

Built-in ND filters, up to 6 stops (and you can see the subject’s movement effect live on the LCD!)

Live view (in the dark watch your image magically build on the LCD screen and when it looks perfect, end the exposure)

Live composite (make a basic night exposure, then the camera will add only bright object, such as headlights to your exposure without overexposing the basic photo)

Pro Capture (half press the shutter to continually buffer images, then upon full press, say trying to capture peak action, full press the shutter and the camera records all the buffered images before you fully pressed the shutter.  You never miss peak action)

1000 focus points (the entire sensor is covered with cross-type AF points)

High Resolution Imaging (50mp handheld and 80mp tripod mounted imaging)

Digital Tele-Converter (actually upsizes your frame in-camera to the full 20mp count)

Interval Shooting

AE Bracketing

White Balance Bracketing

Focal Length Bracketing

ISO Bracketing

Art Filter Bracketing

Focus bracketing

Focus stacking in-camera

Starry Sky Setting

Subject Detection (bird, animal, automobile, airplane, motorcycle, train)

Eye Detection

AF Sensitivity

Custom Focus boxes

Preset Manual Focus Distances

Four Custom Settings Banks

Separate groups of settings for still and video

Night Vision (boosts your EVF so you can see to compose in near total darkness)

Full touchscreen for focus and/or focus and exposure

W-Fi and Bluetooth with the OI Share App

Several pages of "My Menu" settings for ease of finding your most used menu settings

The OM-1 is truly an amazing picture making machine!

Okay.  What about the negative aspects associated with Micro 4/3?  Well, that is for each of you to decide.  In this post I am attempting to make a case "for" Micro 4/3, not against.  I’m sure you will come up with your own negatives and may decide, for you, he format just won’t work well.  Repeating what I wrote above, Micro 4/3 is not the be all to end all.  It is not the answer for every photographer for every subject and for every circumstance.  I’m also not saying a Micro 4/3 camera system is the best system.  There are other formats and systems that are better for specific kinds of photography or situations.  But I am arguing that for most generalist enthusiast photographers, Micro 4/3, in my opinion, is the best all around system that will meet almost all of your needs almost all of the time for a lot less cost than the larger format systems.  I believe that Micro 4/3 can do everything most of us need to do.

Now, all that said, if you need a camera with a larger sensor, absolutely buy what you need.  If you need or want more pixels, get a camera with more pixels.  If you want a certain brand of camera for whatever reasons, by all means, buy it.  The beauty of the photographic times in which we live is that we have so many great choices and, in again in my opinion, all of them great!

The last question you may have is, "Am I going to sell my Fujifilm and Nikon gear and switch everything over to Micro 4/3 since I'm such an advocate for the format?"  No, that isn't going to happen.  I still like the way my X-T5 handles—the feel, the controls, the menus, etc.—as much if not better than any other digital camera I've owned.  That is the camera I almost always pick up when I go out.  What is not getting much use these days is my Nikon gear.  Since I acquired the X-T5, I've almost not used my Z7II at all.  So there's that.  I have made no decisions as to whether or not to keep it but I've owned at least one Nikon camera continually since 1975 and will always own at least one.

In Conclusion 

Micro 4/3 is not the answer to everyone's photographic needs.  However, I believe, it can more than adequately meet the needs of most photo enthusiasts and a good portion of professional photographers today.  My point in this post is to open your eyes to a camera and format that has been largely disregarded and not seriously considered due to biases produced by influencers and reviewers.  Rent one.  Try one.  I bet you will be more than surprised just how capable the format is.

For another perspective on the merits of small format photography, the excellent photography educator and professional photographer John Greengo wrote a nice piece in his blog.  You can read it here.

As a reminder, one more time, all of this is my opinion based upon working with the format, cameras and lenses over the past 10 years.  Opinions are neither right nor wrong, merely opinions so no ‘attack comments’ please.  That said, I welcome your opinion and arguments against the format as without contrasting information, it is hard to arrive at a best decision.

For a complete list of specifications from the OM Systems website, look here.

*Before I retired and during the current digital photography era, I shot stock photography.  Much of that was with Micro 4/3 cameras.  No art director or buyer every complained or questioned my stock photography quality using Micro 4/3.  Prior to that, over the decades, I shot commercially, forensically (homicides, crime scenes, evidence), weddings, industrial, events, portraits and other genres as either part of my full time work assignments or my part-time work to supplement my full time income.)

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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