FULL STEAM AHEAD, LUMIX

MrALLCAPS wrote:

When one walks in a camera store, especially these days a camera like the G9 or EM1 will simply be overlooked against a Z6, X-T4 or Canon RP. There are not enough features to set it apart from the competitors, which is why M43 is falling behind.

Now you're talking features, not size.  And to the extent that size is what sets MFT apart, there are small, well-featured cameras.  I can't say what will pop out to anyone who walks into a camera store without any idea of what to buy, nor what a salesperson is going to push on them.  But for people who do value small size and good IQ and actually do some research on their options, the MFT system has appeal, including a lot of small bodies and small lenses.  I don't get why you seem to ignore that simple fact.  I guess it is inconvenient to the theory you are trying to push.

Part of the appeal of the MFT system is that it DOES offer a full range of lenses, including the bigger ones, which are more comfortably used on a bigger body.  So maybe the G9 isn't the typical gateway into MFT, but it sure is an attractive option for many of us who have bought into the system already.

Full frame, APS-C are getting smaller, while M43 is getting larger.

MFT has matured as a system in terms of both bodies and lenses, including small options and big options.  Panasonic is still making the smaller cameras.  You ignore this and ignore this and ignore this, but that doesn't make that fact go away.

The mistakes of Four Thirds have already hit Olympus.

The mindset of wanting larger M43 cameras and that they should exist, will doom M43. Mark my words

It's not that I "want larger cameras."  But when I first held the G9 I thought it was fabulous in my hand, and I knew it was neither too big nor too heavy for me.  Many here feel the same.   Why on earth should that "doom M43?"  I'll "mark your words" as not making any sense.

It's like saying "Honda is an economy car and the company will be doomed if it continues to make 7-passenger SUVs like the Pilot.  It should make 5-passenger SUVs like the CRV!"  You know what, Honda DOES make a 5-passenger CRV, and even a smaller HRV.  There's no reason that making the bigger model as well should doom the company.