One of the main advantages of Micro Four Thirds is that the cameras and lenses can be much smaller because the sensor is more compact. It is seen by some as odd, then, that the G9 Mark II is so physically large; or at least as large as Panasonic's full-frame S5II.
This past week, the PetaPixel team came across an opinion on a photography blog that we didn't think was fair. In short, it argued that all "small sensor cameras suck," which is just not true.
The OM-1 Mark II has landed with more of a whimper than a bang. It's a great camera but there's not much new about it. However, the rush to pass judgment on what the lack of novel features means for the future of OM System and Micro Four Thirds at large is premature.
OM Digital Solutions Corporation has unveiled the OM System OM-1 Mark II. The successor to 2022's OM-1 flagship camera includes everything that made the OM-1 "the best Micro Four Thirds camera ever made," but the "Mark II" moniker doesn't include the substantial upgrades photographers may be expecting.
OM System may have only announced one lens last year, but it's starting 2024 much stronger with two new Micro Four Thirds offerings: a 9-18mm f/4-5.6 II and the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS.
The last year was huge for the camera industry and saw a swath of new products from just about every manufacturer in support of basically every mount. But narrowing the focus, The PetaPixel Podcast team grades the 2023 performance of every camera maker.
Micro Four Thirds remains an excellent system for photo and video applications. Despite the relatively small image sensor size, Micro Four Thirds cameras like 2022's OM System OM-1 and Panasonic GH6 show that great things come in small packages. However, what about 2023? What new Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses arrived this year?
Panasonic will release a firmware update for the Lumix G9 II that will allow the camera to send Blackmagic RAW and ProRes RAW over HDMI to a compatible recorder.
I'm Back Film is a fascinating product that makes the dream of "digital film" a reality. I'm Back is the first digital film roll and relies upon a 20-megapixel Sony Micro Four Thirds image sensor tucked away inside a film roll canister.
The original Panasonic G9 was quite a revolutionary camera. Built around a modern and intimidatingly professional-looking body, the G9 featured blazing-fast burst rates, an exceptionally good EVF, and motion-compensated multi-shot mode. However, it has been seven years since the G9 launch -- a long time to wait for a successor.
Alongside the new Lumix G9 II Micro Four Thirds camera, the first G Series camera to sport phase-detect autofocus, Panasonic has announced refreshed versions of two of its most popular Micro Four Thirds zoom lenses: the 35-100mm f/2.8 and the 100-400mm f/4-6.3.
Panasonic has announced the long-awaited Panasonic Lumix G9 II, the first Micro Four Thirds camera in the Lumix G Series to feature phase-detect autofocus technology.
After announcing its 50mm f/1.4 Tilt Lens for Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Nikon Z, and Sony E mounts last year, TTArtisan has released its compact tilt lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Pergear has released a second-generation version of its 60mm f/2.8 macro lens that expands it to full-frame support while maintaining 2x macro reproduction.
Venus Optics will launch a crowdfunding campaign for a set of Laowa Nanomorph anamorphic lenses alongside a 1.33x anamorphic adapter at the end of August.
Sirui's new Night Walker lenses are an affordable set of compact cinema-style lenses that cover APS-C and Super35 sensors and feature a bright T1.2 aperture.
Yongnuo, a Chinese maker of lenses, lights, and cameras, has released a new camera designed for live streaming called the Yongnuo YN433.
Venus Optics had a big hit with the original Laowa 24mm f/14 probe lens. What first garnered snickers and jokes, proved to be a unique video lens and the peri-probe lens with a 90-degree rotating end soon followed. Now Laowa has some serious competition from a company with a name I struggle to pronounce.
7Artisans has announced a new 24mm f/1.4 wide-angle prime lens for six APS-C camera mounts that is extremely cheap, but it doesn't have autofocus.
Following up on its 28mm f/13 macro probe lens from 2022, AstrHori has announced a new 18mm f/8 2x Macro Probe Lens designed for APS-C cameras and available in Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, Canon RF, Canon EF, and Micro Four Thirds.
OM Digital has partnered with 3D scanning software developer Arcana Manufacturing to allow OM System cameras to easily and precisely scan transparent or reflective subjects which are typically challenging for imaging systems to properly scan.
Response to the Lumix S5 II has been positive enough that Panasonic has all but confirmed that it will add phase detection autofocus (PDAF) to its future cameras, including Micro Four Thirds (MFT).
Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki says that the company doesn't plan to develop any new Micro Four Thirds (M43) lenses due to demand that is "decreasing very sharply."
Micro Four Thirds (MFT) is perhaps the most derided of all camera formats in modern digital photography. It is constantly overlooked, scoffed at, and is the subject of disdain. It really shouldn't be, and you all are way too hard on it.
OM Digital Solutions is flexing the imaging prowess of Micro Four Thirds (MFT) with the new M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO lens, which showcases just how good photos taken with this relatively small sensor can be.
The Meyer Optik Görlitz 35mm f/2.8 Trioplan II is a unique lens that performs its best when the bokeh is specifically integrated into a shot and not just a coincidence of the defocus area. That means it's not for everyone, but it has its place.
Panasonic has announced that it has redesigned and replaced the previous Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 II ASPH with a new Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-35mm f/2.8 ASPH POWER O.I.S. for the Lumix G Series Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Irix has announced a second version of its 150mm T3.0 cinema lens called the 150mm T3.0 Tele. It doesn't replace the previous version, but makes it more usable for a wider audience by improving the focus and aperture range and removing the macro designation.
Meike has announced a new 25mm f/0.95 manual focus lens for multiple APS-C camera mounts. The $370 optic is currently available for Sony E mount, with the promise of Fujifilm X, Canon EOS M and RF, and Micro Four Thirds coming next month.
OM Digital Solutions has announced the OM System OM-5, a rugged and travel-focused camera that is the first in the company's lineup that doesn't bear the Olympus name.
Meike has announced a new 35mm f/0.95 large aperture lens for six different camera mounts: five APS-C and Micro Four Thirds. While fully manual, it boasts solid image quality and a relatively affordable price.
I've been using the Panasonic GH6 for a few months so we could provide a long-term review for what was once a hotly-anticipated successor to the very popular GH5.
OM Digital Solutions has announced that it is developing the M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS Pro (35mm Equivalent: 180mm), which will be the first high-performance telemacro lens in the M.Zuiko Pro series.
Venus Optics has introduced yet another unique lens to the market: the Laowa Argus 25mm f/0.95 APO for Micro Four Thirds. As a long-time user of the Micro Four Thirds system, I jumped at the opportunity to test drive this lens after I heard “0.95” and “APO” in the same sentence.
TTArtisan has announced a new 50mm f/2 full-frame manual focus lens. Though not the fastest “nifty fifty” in the company arsenal, the standard focal length lens has a natural viewing angle and the company says it has a fast enough aperture to provide high performance in low light.
Meike has introduced a new 10mm f/2 APS-C manual focus prime lens for Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Canon RF, and Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Ben Knoot is a nature photographer and OM SYSTEM Ambassador whose passion for wildlife photography was born from his love of birds. The 26-year-old has traveled the world to document avian life with his OM SYSTEM OM-1 camera and shares his tips for capturing this fast moving and often unpredictable wildlife.
Micro Four Thirds had a lot going for it when it launched as it promised low cost, smaller lenses, and good image quality. So why didn't it become the go-to format?
Meike is making a name for itself as the king of low-cost lenses. Its new 50mm f/0.95 lens is fast, comes in five camera mount options, and costs only $250.
Meike has announced a new ultra-wide 8mm f/2.8 ultra-wide lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The fully manual lens provides a full-frame equivalent focal length of 16mm and offers a minimum focusing distance of just under 10 inches.