Is 4/3 running out of ideas and hitting the death bed?

Is GF2 the beginning of end of ideas for 4/3? Is the onslaught of APSC through cameras like Nex series making the micro 4/3 manufacturers like Panasonic scramble for ideas? Just few things that I ponder.

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• Vishnu

wish1510 said:

Is GF2 the beginning of end of ideas for 4/3? Is the onslaught of APSC through cameras like Nex series making the micro 4/3 manufacturers like Panasonic scramble for ideas? Just few things that I ponder.

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Olympus is the sole manufacturer who believes that there will be some market for 4/3, but most commentators see that the dSLR cameras that Olympus is now producing are very much at the end of a street with no exit and that the future for both Panasonic and Olympus has to lie in the micro four thirds (m43) arena. The GF2 is clearly an entry level camera and not the next step forward that some hoped it might be. We'll have to wait a little longer for that.

Both companies are building on their strengths in m43 systems at present. Both are publishing roadmaps for the range of m43 lenses they plan to produce, and the speed of lens development has been very rapid by traditional industry benchmarks even if it will never be fast enough for some commentators.

Olympus initially stated an intention to produce a 'professional' m43 body, so maybe that is next in their pipeline for m43 bodies. I would be surprised if Panasonic was thinking differently with probably the GF3 or GH3 being developed with weather-sealing and other good things in mind. If Olympus and Panasonic come to a working relationship to share their technologies more widely, we the consumers could be in for a treat. Imagine a 'professional' m43 camera with the Olympus jpg engine (although I am quite happy with Panasonic's present offerings here) and Olympus's IBIS (In body image stabilisation), then Panasonic's speedy autofocus and video technologies, all wrapped up in a weather-sealed body... dream, dream

So to answer your original question 4/3 looks like it is heading nowhere but m43 may have a healthy future. I have made a big investment in m43 lenses and hope that I was not mistaken.

wish1510 said:

Is GF2 the beginning of end of ideas for 4/3? Is the onslaught of APSC through cameras like Nex series making the micro 4/3 manufacturers like Panasonic scramble for ideas? Just few things that I ponder.

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The new GF2 was designed with one thing in mind... compete directly with the Sony NEX and become the smallest M4/3 camera.

Panasonic's real screwup was in naming it the GF2. I believe that most who bought the GF1 bought it due to the form factor (Non Mini-DSLR and boxy) with good external controls. That's one of the reasons I bought it rather than other models.

I'm sure Panasonic has other options... I just think this was a marketing screwup with the GF2 name. Had it been called the GFX or GFPS or GFPOS.. none of these negative / disappointed posts would have appeared.. including mine.

I'm sure they'll sell a ton of the GF2 cameras.. there's a whole new crop of iphone/ipad junkies just loving the idea of swiping a camera menu and pressing the touchscreen to take a photo.... but they'll gripe about not being able to text someone on it.

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Jim Radcliffe
http://www.boxedlight.com
http://www.oceona.com

The ability to 'see' the shot is more important than the gear used to capture it.

I see you did not ponder much, just recycled 2-3 nonths old c*&p.

To whom that may concern: fresh ideas cross the minds of #### every 10 minutes. Be aware and stay away.
Krishnu.

wish1510 said:

Is GF2 the beginning of end of ideas for 4/3? Is the onslaught of APSC through cameras like Nex series making the micro 4/3 manufacturers like Panasonic scramble for ideas? Just few things that I ponder.

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• Vishnu

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DSC-R1, DMC-G1(14-45)

You better ponder something else. m4/3 (= Olympus and Panasonic) is now out since ? - two years? It has released so many innovations, first timers and superlatives in such a small time frame that the DSLR competion can only dream of.

The Sony SLT concept is a dead end as contrast based AF has and will be improved. Sony SLT officially overheats, so that these cameras even seem to be a faulty design. The NEX design looks shiny but is one of the worst camera concepts seen so far (for a system camera). While I do not like the touchscreen only operation paradigm of the GF2, that camera is ergonomically and in many aspects functionally ahead of the NEX. Many reviews showed that despite of the apparently good sensor, the E-mount lenses do not meet the expectations.

Where do you see m4/3 running out of ideas?

• first mirrorless system (2008)
• first consequent live view camera (2008)
• click wheel concept (2008)
• quick menu concept (2008)
• largest EVF (2008, 2010)
• first high quality EVF on a system camera (2008)
• first touch screen on a system camera (2010)
• largest native lens line up for mirrorless cameras (2008 - 2010)
• smallest system camera lenses in its equivalent range (2008 - 2010)
• first native fisheye lens for mirrorless system cameras (2010)
• widest focal range available (soon from 14 to 600mm @ 35mm equiv.) (2010)
• first interchangeable 3D lens (2010)
• best video quality (2009-2010)
• first hybrid camera with full manual video control (2009)
• fastest contrast based auto focus (2010)
• best camera ergonomics (2008 - 2010)
• first mirrorless camera with multiaspect sensor (2009)
• first(?) camera with "flight mode" (= second time zone) good for travelers (2009)
• first (on par with Sony) large sensor video camera compatible with mirrorless still format (2010)
• fastest native prime lenses (0.95 Nokton and 1.7/20mm) (2009, 2010)
• first detachable EVF (2009)
• first collapsible interchangeable lens (2009)
• cheapest mirrorless kit (on par with NEX 3) (2009 - 2010)
• most expensive mirrorless body (2010)
• most available camera bodies (2008 - 2010)
• best JPEG engine (2009)
• first and only underwater housing for a mirrorless system (2009)

So how do you come to conclude that m4/3 is running out of pace? Each year brought a lot of first timers or superlatives within the mirrorless market (= Olympus, Panasonic, Ricoh, Samsung, and Sony).

Really your post is not well founded.

wish1510 said:

Is GF2 the beginning of end of ideas for 4/3? Is the onslaught of APSC through cameras like Nex series making the micro 4/3 manufacturers like Panasonic scramble for ideas? Just few things that I ponder.

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• Vishnu

Click to expand...

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Thomas

I agree sbout the name. I think its probably going to sell well and that could be good for m4/3. I think everyone is crazy about this as they see it as a backward step. I think that its a marketing ploy to bring folks in that wanted a GF1 but I'm expecting this will price down some, i.e., the equivalent of the EPL1 sort of and a NEX competitor size wise, simplicity wise. We can hope there will be something like a GFP* I guess LOL

Diane
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Diane B
http://www.pbase.com/picnic
G1 gallery http://www.pbase.com/picnic/temp_g1

s_grins said:

I see you did not ponder much, just recycled 2-3 nonths old c*&p.

To whom that may concern: fresh ideas cross the minds of #### every 10 minutes. Be aware and stay away.
Krishnu.

Click to expand...

Wow Spelling bee here threatens.

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• Vishnu

• First pinhole cap for mirrorless system cameras

http://www.kickstarter.com/...projects/wanderlust/pinwide-cap-for-micro-4-3-0

;-)

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Thomas

Double post, sorry, something screw up.

• first pinhole cap for mirrorless system cameras

http://www.kickstarter.com/...projects/wanderlust/pinwide-cap-for-micro-4-3-0

;-)

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Thomas

smallest interchangeable camera system with IBIS I'm thinking as well...

Come on. The NEX is one of the slowest focusing CDAF cameras around.
The GH2 focuses 5x faster according to tests.

The reality is Sony, Canon, Nikon and all are years behind micro four thirds. Sony says it will take them over 2 years just come out with a handful of more CDAF lenses. Even then they will still have 6 less than m43 has today!!!

Panasonic is trying to come out with a COMPLETE line up. Something NEX users do not understand.

Oh, and btw, no else come close in video too.