FULL STEAM AHEAD, LUMIX

MrALLCAPS wrote:

They also have to try and lure Olympus users to their brand, instead of them leaving to say, a Fujifilm or Sony.

This is a perfect time to strike and double down on M43. It's theirs for the taking.

I hope that Panasonic will stay committed to m4/3 for the long haul. The Panasonic GF1 with 20mm f/1.7 pancake was the kit that attracted me to m4/3 in the first place, and I loved it. I thought I was just buying it as a portable alternative to my Nikon DSLR kit, but it ended up being my first step into an alternate camera universe that would offer one solution after another to everything that bugged me about my DSLR gear. The original E-M5 is what drew me to Olympus. I stayed with Olympus after that when it came to new bodies and lenses, but with each purchase I was tempted by the Panasonic equivalent.

I've known from the beginning that m4/3 was an alternate path that might not be around forever, but I considered the fact that it was one mount supported by both Panasonic and Olympus to be one of the format's strengths. Both companies have brought innovation and quality to m4/3 shooters, and while I hope I will shoot with my E-M1 Mark II for many years I won't be disappointed at all if my next camera is a Panasonic.

I have taken long hard looks at Fuji and Sony. I even considered returning to Nikon (which I shot with for many years) and their Z system. No matter how I looked at it, only m4/3 offered the kit that I wanted to carry and shoot with. Maybe that will change in 10 years, but as I get older (10 years will put me within 5 years of retirement) I don't see myself wanting to go back to carrying around larger and heavier kits.

One thing is for sure: The entire camera industry is suffering due to "Last camera" syndrome. Most of us amateurs just don't have compelling reasons to upgrade with the frequency that we used to. I'm sure my Olympus E-M1 Mark II isn't my last camera, but I don't see me needing to replace it for a long time (unless it breaks and I can't get it repaired).