Three Cheers for Micro Four Thirds — James Rodkey
I’ve been shooting micro four thirds cameras for almost a decade. In this post I explain the benefits and drawbacks of the system and suggest that many more photographers should make the switch from full frame to MFT cameras.
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In sum
I said in the preamble that there is no best camera system for everyone, and that’s important to reiterate here at the end of my encomium of MFT cameras. There are professionals out there, for example, who are making fine art prints or doing highly specialized photography that demands certain specs and capabilities. MFT cameras may not be for them. Then, though, there’s everybody else - the hobbyists, enthusiasts, and even part-time professionals who take pictures for creative and recreational purposes. People like me, and probably you, reader. People who would be perfectly happy shooting MFT cameras, if only they saw past the hype of full frame (a lot of it is hype) and looked without bias at what smaller sensor cameras have to offer. There are way too many people out there - I know because I used to be one - who have an interchangeable lens camera but don’t use it very often, partly because it’s expensive, but mostly because it’s too bulky and heavy to take out anywhere. On my recent trip to Fiji (for which my OM-1 and 12-100mm f/4 lens was more than sufficient), a colleague of mine said at dinner one night that she used to have an expensive DSLR but got rid of it because it was too much of a hassle to carry around, even on vacation when she wanted good photos. Now she just uses her phone instead.
It doesn’t have to be this way! Your choices are not a $5,000 Sony alpha or an iPhone. You can walk a middle path with smaller, cheaper, lighter gear that still produces stunning images. There is so much choice available to photographers of every aspiration that everyone should be able to find the right fit. I think, though, that persistent misconceptions about image quality mislead many photographers into bad decisions.
So, if you’ve got a giant camera that you rarely ever use; if you only have one lens for your interchangeable lens camera because you can’t justify the additional cost; if all you do with your photos is share them on social media and make prints for your house, you should probably be shooting micro four thirds.
Just my opinion. Three cheers for MFT!
