ALL ABOUT MICRO FOUR THIRDS CAMERAS [UPDATED]

After having covered in the previous posts a large selection of digital SLR cameras ( here the list ) and compact cameras ( here ), it is time to update our article on Micro Four Thirds cameras . Many of you have been asking me about this type of camera and whether it is worth it or not, so today, more than a normal post, what I plan to share with you is a complete and comprehensive dossier on Micro Four Thirds cameras. Today we'll see:

What is a Micro Four Thirds camera?
What are its advantages?
What are its drawbacks?
Who is the ideal user of these cameras
Gallery

1. WHAT IS A MICRO CHAMBER FOUR TERCIOS?

Contrary to what many might think, Micro Four Thirds (4/3) is not a brand of cameras. It is a standard of advanced performance cameras, generally small and thin body, and whose objectives are interchangeable with each other . Two companies joined forces to create this standard or camera system: Panasonic and Olympus first introduced it in 2008, and it is still in force today. Much has rained since then, and the micro 4/3 is already a very consolidated system with a good reception by consumers, as well as a good variety of objectives and accessories of the main brands. You may know them as EVIL or mirrorless as they are . Now, not all mirrroless or EVIL are micro 4/3. That depends mainly on the size of the sensor . Some EVIL mount an APS-C sensor , others micro 4/3 and others even Full Frame. The main difference with a SLR camera is that they do not have a mirror, which means they need very little space between the sensor and the lens. This simple fact allows the space (and weight) of the camera to be considerably reduced. The sensor, as you can see in the following graph, is smaller than the APS-C (17.3 x 13.8 mm) although, today, just as competitive. The 4/3 micro cameras also differ from the rest of the formats, because they have an x2 conversion factor . Leaving aside the technical issue, and counted in a very simplified manner, Micro Four Thirds cameras are very similar in performance to digital SLR cameras, but with the size and manageability of a digital compact camera.

2 ADVANTAGES OF MICRO FOUR TERTIUS CAMERAS

These cameras combine the advantages of compact cameras on the one hand and those of SLRs on the other hand, which makes them unique. Let's see some of its advantages.

Small cameras They are cameras as small as any compact camera, which is a real advantage for all those who do not like to go around carrying the weight of an SLR camera. Therefore, they are ideal for traveling , for street photography or, simply, for those who enjoy the comfort and discretion of a small and light camera.

Small and light, ideal for traveling with them

As I said above, the main difference is that they do not have a mirror. This allows compacting size and weight. A compact appearance, but with a much more powerful interior.
Quality of the photos. The quality of the photos produced by this type of cameras has nothing to envy, in general, to that of the DSLRs of APS-C sensors, in many cases it is even greater, and it is far superior to the quality of a camera compact digital
Exchangeable Objectives Unlike the compact cameras or Bridge, with these cameras you can not only change the lens but also exchange them between the different models and 4/3 micro brands, even analog models. You can know more about the compatibility of objectives here.
Objectives of good quality. Manufacturers strive to create quality objectives; They are usually well compensated in size with respect to the body of these cameras, being well built, solid and robust. In general, it is difficult to find poor quality objectives in this format.
In addition, they have a very wide offer and many of the major brands of objectives working in this format. So we don't have to suffer in case we will find the right objective or not .
Very careful design. If you are one of those who buy by sight, you will fall into temptation. These cameras, in general, are beautiful. Many retro-style designs, silver tones, imitation leather ...

Retro designs

Larger sensors. The sensor of a Micro Four Thirds camera is noticeably larger than that of a compact camera (up to 9 times larger), which leads to a photo quality difficult to overcome with a compact camera.
Top Videos. Cameras of this type offer better performance than SLRs (in general) in terms of autofocus in video recording. In them the autofocus is much faster, and many of them already record in 4K.
Good connectivity They are cameras designed for immediacy, to share your photos quickly in your RRSS, to interact with your phone. In short, to work quickly and without wires.

In short, you can access a high-performance camera, with high-quality lenses, at a more affordable price than its equivalent in SLR devices.

3 DISADVANTAGES OF MICRO FOUR TERTIUS CAMERAS

Not everything is good news on these cameras. They also have their drawbacks which, in my opinion, are:

Photo quality slightly lower. Micro 4/3 cameras have a smaller size sensor than that of digital SLRs, which ends up being negatively reflected in the quality of photos in specific situations such as low-light scenarios. However, it should be noted that there are practically no differences with the APS-C. Only a very trained user, very demanding, or who needs large extensions will notice the difference;).
Slow autofocus in colors. When we photograph a scene with several objects and backgrounds of similar colors, the camera has a hard time focusing quickly. This is also not a great disadvantage since many of the SLR cameras do the same, but it is so light that it becomes imperceptible.
Non-existent viewer, or electronic. The Micro Four Thirds cameras are so small that no display actual (optical) as the classic cameras. What some do incorporate is an electronic viewfinder, which is the closest thing to a screen but small.

For some it will be an absolute advantage, since it allows, among other things, to preview the scene with the settings (blur, light, etc.) directly from the viewfinder. For others, a nuisance . That goes to taste.

They spend more battery than a SLR. Logically since everything is digital: the touch screen, the viewfinder, the connectivity, etc. This translates into greater battery consumption than cameras with optical viewfinders or non-touch screens.

4. WHO IS THE IDEAL USER OF THESE CAMERAS

There is an ideal camera type for each type of user. If you think you meet the following profile then your next camera has to be definitely a Micro Four Thirds: You are fond of photography. You don't dedicate yourself to photography in a professional way (you don't earn money from it to live). You love taking good photos and, frequently, you admire a photo you see around wondering what that photo has for you to like. You like to have the camera always (or almost always) at hand, in your bag or backpack. You hate having to carry heavy photography equipment, you hate it so much that if you had an SLR camera at home it is very likely that you would go out without it on many occasions because of how cumbersome it would be to carry it. You don't put limits on learning. The love of photography is not a day's thing. In the future you want to expand your team, try new techniques. Never stop learning and have your team live up to your thirst for knowledge. The compact cameras have always seemed very practical but they always fell short and none of them ever fully met your expectations. You think a compact camera would be fine to get out of the way, for a casual photo on a birthday, etc., but NOT for you. You think that what you need is a camera that gives you a higher level of control, you like to control the camera, control the lens, change the focal length, play with the focus and blur, focus on the subject and blur the background, capture a landscape panoramic and wide, etc. Friend or friend, if you identify yourself with the last four paragraphs, don't turn it over: you need a Micro Four Thirds camera.