Shakeout in the mirrorless market

Yes / No. A company doesn't need to be MAKING CAMERA to be an ally of MFT. There is a plethora of other image-related company who don't make camera body but is part of M43.

Currrently, Sony's huge $645 millions investment in Olympus "qualify" itself as the biggest supporter of MFT [period] Keep in mind also that:

- Sony is in BAD FINANCIAL SHAPE itself (like you said)

Let be honest, Sony "COULD" have just let Olympus suffer a slow death. Olympus was in bad financial scandals and asking Sony for help was its last resort. However, the alliance is form, and the product of this odd couple is stunning: EM5, E-PL5, E-PM2

Without sony, Olympus would be stuck with a noisy 4 years old 12mp Panasonic Sensor (remember Olympus E-P3?).

• http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/olympus-confirms-that-sony-is-now-its-largest-shareholder/