Is Micro Four Thirds Coming Back?

credits: OM System

The Micro Four Thirds system has had a pretty turbulent few years. Olympus stepped away from the camera business, Panasonic shifted a lot of its attention to full-frame, and for a while it felt like MFT was slowly fading out. But recently, both OM Digital Solutions and Panasonic have started sounding a bit more optimistic again, and this time there are some more concrete signs behind it. One of the bigger changes is that OM System CEO Shigemi Sugimoto is now the majority shareholder, replacing Japan Industrial Partners. That could mean faster decisions and more direct investment, and the fact that Sugimoto is taking that step himself suggests a certain level of confidence.

All this is also showing up in what OM System is saying publicly. The company is in a stable financial position and able to invest in new products. A new PEN camera is already in development, with the design phase underway and progress apparently going well. At the same time, OM System seems to be softening its stance on compact cameras. A year ago, the idea was mostly dismissed, but now the company is acknowledging that demand has been picking up again, especially from people who find system cameras too expensive. On the lens side, the focus is on smaller wide-angle and prime lenses, which fits with what MFT has always been about.

Panasonic is also pushing back on the idea that MFT is being phased out. Even with its strong focus on full-frame, the company says it is still actively developing Micro Four Thirds and sees it as an important part of its lineup. The emphasis is still on mobility and speed, which comes from the smaller bodies and lenses. At the same time, Panasonic is fairly open about the limits of the format, especially when it comes to pushing resolution higher. Instead, the focus seems to be on improving things like dynamic range and noise performance through processing and newer sensor tech. None of this guarantees a major comeback, but compared to the silence of the past few years, it does suggest there is some wind back in the sails.