Smaller System, Bigger Possibilities - Micro Four Thirds
9 September 2008

Just when you thought that things camera wise couldn't get smaller, Olympus joined with Matsushita Electronics to miniaturize something else. A completely new body and lens standard. The Micro Four Thirds system is being touted as the most significant camera development of the year. It not only introduces a whole new standard but opens up the possibility of compact cameras with interchangeable lenses. That means DSLRs won't be the only ones on the block with versatility.

Always the major complaint with DSLRs is that they are big and heavy. The body is often very weighty to begin with, what with all those electronic parts and the pentaprism and mirror. Add to that equation the lens with all those lens elements and parts, you get a very heavy machine that a lot of people don't always want to carry around, even if DSLRs often trump compact cameras in image quality and control. The reason DSLRs are so popular is not only because they take great photographs, but you have the option of a range of lenses from zoom, to wide angle to prime lenses. It makes photography much more interesting and fun when you have such versatility.

Now the possibility of introducing that versatility to compact cameras is exciting. A whole new branch of smaller compact cameras that are lighter, smaller and have a range of lenses to choose from. Don't be expecting lenses on super thin cameras like the Sony T300, it will be more like bridging cameras but they will still be much smaller than even the smallest DSLRs. The Micro Four Thirds lenses will require only half the back focus distance to normal Four Thirds lenses. That is the distance between the lens mount (approximately) and the sensor is cut from 40mm to 20mm and the diameter is cut down a further 6mm. That's a pretty big difference.

Now everything isn't sunshine and daisies, you can't make something smaller without sacrificing something. In the case of Micro Four Thirds, the cameras that have these mounts will lose their mirror boxes. That means no more viewfinder, so either you'll have to take photos while looking at the live view on the LCD or use an EVF. The autofocus will also be different. It won't be phase-detect AF like in DSLRs already, which depends on the mirror box and a few little extras inside. Instead it will probably be contrast-detect AF which is a little slower.

Nevertheless, the introduction of the Micro Four Thirds system is a major advancement in camera technology. There isn't a camera yet and there isn't a large collection of lenses to rival what's available to DSLRs, but this is a beginning that's signalling a change in the wind. Olympus and Panasonic both insist they are developing cameras for us in this technology as well as lenses so it won't be long before we see a line of digital compact cameras that combine the useful adaptability of DSLRs with the small portability of compact cameras.