2/ Despite 3 cameras so far , there is NOT the beginning of a camera system. think about it . 4 cameras soon and only some zooms ( which now are further separated between photo zooms and video zooms) and NOT one REAL single focal length
I have been in Photography for over 25 years and I can't remember ONE SINGLE time when a format would count 4 camera bodies without a single NOn pancake focal lens or without any focal length in the 24 to 28mm range
It seems like this new format is toy driven by people who want their camera to look and be the size of an i-pod or an i-phone
Firstly, I wholeheartedly agree that with m4/3 there should be a more integrated approach by Panasonic and Olympus over things like IS, AF, lens correction, wireless TTL flash, teleconverter use etc. They do themselves no favours with with inconsistencies and incompatibilities being created now. It will get worse in the long run and the time to sort it out is now, and not later on when it may become a much bigger problem.
Whilst I appreciate your frustration, I think you are also fundamentally misunderstanding what m4/3 is about. Essentially, I think m4/3 is a platform designed to support forthcoming technology that will allow much better integrated video and stills, and allow EVFs to start to compete with reflex viewfinders in terms of functionality and usability. However, the technology isn't really there yet and so in the mean time Panasonic and Olympus are using m4/3 to provide some interesting consumer cameras for which there is a bit of an empty niche, whilst their R&D aims to perfect the cameras that the m4/3 platform was really designed for.
Most other camera systems are built around a type of camera whose general performance, capabilities and possibilities are well known. Except for the sensor, LCD etc, a modern DSLR essentially performs like a film SLR of 10-15 years ago. The drive rate (fps), AF, viewfinder and general size/handling are very similar. So you can get a Canon EOS L lens designed well over 10 years ago, and it still performs similarly well with the newest DSLRs.
However, m4/3 is unlike any other camera system I have known before. No one, not even the manufacturers themselves, really have much idea of what a m4/3 camera will either look like, or perform like in only 5 years time. It is a mount and system designed to support a camera that doesn't really exist, yet. So it would be pointless to launch a whole range of lenses and then find out that in a few years time they weren't really suited to the cameras that then emerge, and as a consequence they would have to completely re-design them all. Likewise, it would be pointless introducing a more advanced camera at this point, only for it to be completely outclassed by an entry level m4/3 camera in only 2 years time. So overall, I don't expect either Panasonic or Olympus to launch a proper system for m4/3 until they have a much better idea of the capabilities and performance possible with this type of camera. How could you build a Pro type lens with the best possible AF when you have no idea of the AF performance of a m4/3 camera in only 2 years time
Also, you say you are not interested in video. However, the m4/3 announcement and the White Paper on the Micro Four Thirds Org. website clearly says that a major reason behind the development of m4/3 was for integrated video and stills.
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