But then low and behold, a brand new camera was born.
It had a certain 4/3 aspect sensor that accepted a certain standard native lens and there never was a mirror in the design.
Um, you know not of what you speak. The micro four-thirds standard came from the four thirds standard which very much had a mirror:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Thirds_system
It was digital from the get-go and not based on any existing film standard, but the name comes from the old video tube sizing system--the imaging area of a Four Thirds sensor is equal to that of a video camera tube of 4/3 inch diameter. It has nothing to do with the aspect ratio--that is just a coincidence.
I stand corrected.
The Four Thirds sensor was designed around an earlier DSLR, but all DSLR's are expensive converted SLR's by design.
MFT was a brand new concept.
Make an image taking box that would accept a brand new native lens built around the fairly large 4/3 sensor.
It would operate like a small sensor digital camera that only used live view.
The flapping mirror was never in the process of the design.
But a MFT camera box, would have built in every adjustment possible in a digital camera, plus it would accept every 35mm film lens using an adapter in addition to brand new native lenses.
It was intended to be a consumer product sold by the millions.
It was intended that every camera manufacturer could join and develop a MFT complaint system where the MFT lenses from all manufacturers would work on any MFT camera from any other manufacturer.
And most of all, this brand new system had to directly compete on image quality with APC and FF sensor cameras, without using a mirror. It would never have the theoretical advantages that come from using a larger sensor, so the first gadget had to get it all down right the first time, and arrive full grown on the market.
So to further explain the mature status that MFT cameras represented, on the day I unpacked my Olympus PL-1, I already owned a Canon AE-1 film SLR, and a Canon EOS 350D, and a Canon SX 150 IS, and a smart phone that also took great photographs.
And then mother of Gezzus lookie at what this little camera will do, the first shots!
Holy Sly Old Guy Parson, I did cry!
The very first MFT cameras came on the scene so wonderful, all anybody has to do is put on the lens and point it like a smart phone at something and a near DSLR quality photograph magically is created.
I could upgrade to an OMD M5 II that was a thousand dollars new, and a 12-40 Olympus Pro lens that was also a thousand dollars new, and still take those beautiful pictures, maybe a little more beautiful in poor light. But in good light, my photos have that same "Olympus Look" they always have.
If you pixel peep the newer MFT camera images I'll bet they pixel peep better than the old ones and worse than the latest full frame DSLR's.
But the first MFT cameras had to arrive where they worked, to make near DSLR images using interchangeable lenses on the same concept as a point and shoot.
They got it right, the first time.
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Humansville is a town in the Missouri Ozarks
video af is first class.
