The camera club that I recently joined had a club dinner last week. I think I may be the only one in the club who owns m 4/3. Someone who knew that I owned a Panasonic G3 asked me about it, so I pulled it out. Now most everyone at the table had never seen one, or read much about one, so there seemed to be real interest in my camera. When I pulled out my 14mm so they could hold it, one said it was smaller than his lens converter for his Canon camera. Another said he knew what his next camera was going to be. Another who is a world traveler said that these cameras cost less here than they do in Asia. He didn’t own a m 4/3 but was thinking about it.

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I had never seen one till I went on a group shoot. I was so impressed I started saving up for one

Chuck,
I think I own the only MU/43rd's camera in the Transylvania County area of Western North Crolina. At all of he major photographic "hot-spots" around here, I have ne er seen one.


Kanasgowa Tom

Exactly my experience. Other than the GF3 and it's brethren, cameras like the G3 and GH2 aren't available to see in local stores such as Best Buy and the like. It was only after I acquired my G3, and showed it off to our camera club, that two other members embraced the format and went and got theirs.

I believe if the local stores carried more of the models, they would be experiencing a much wider acceptance, and subsequent market share.

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Andy Garcia
Google+ | Zenfolio | My Ramblings on Photography

Twice in the last week someone asked me if my EPL-1 with a Minolta 28mm legacy lens was a film camera. They have no idea and the commercials don't show the merits of m4/3 The new Olympus ads for the Pen is terrible and isn't directed toward the more serious photographer IMO.

It amazes me how so many, even so called enthusiasts, do not keep up with current photographic tech. Soccer moms and dads I understand but photography club members ?! Maybe they're just there looking for a date.

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EP-3, EM-5, 12/50, 12mm, 17mm, 14/42mm, 40/150, 75/300, Nikon 400mm f/3.5 AIS IF ED, HLD6, FL 600R

I just spent a few days in NYC and a few days on a cruise. Tons of cameras. The only m4/3s cam I saw other than my E-PM1 was an E-PL1 with kit lens. It looked like it had lots of miles on it.

It's amazing that this gear is still pretty much of a secret in the US.

Mu43 cameras are pretty common around here (at least, not a rarity, and on display at all big box stores), but remember a lot of semi-serious photographers just like taking photographs, and will research stuff available for their own systems, but not necessarily know what other brands are up to. Once you 'lock in' to Nikon or Canon, most don't switch out.

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EOS: 5DII, 30DIR, 24-105L, 35L, 135L, 15/2.8 FE, Σ 50/1.4, Σ 105/2.8 macro
Mu43: GF2, E-M5, P14/2.5, P20/1.7, O45/1.8, P7-14, O12-50, P12-35, P100-300
Legacy: Contax Zeiss 50/1.4, 35/2.8, Leica R 50/2.0, 28/2.8, Pentax 50/1.7

As I reported in another thread, on a recent visit to 10 different European cities, 99% of the ILCs I saw were DSLRs. I saw maybe half a dozen m43 cameras in 2 weeks. On a vacation to New Orleans last fall I saw 1 person using a red G2, and noticed one person with a NEX. Otherwise, it was all DSLRs.

Market penetration, and awareness, is very poor in the US. I saw an Oly ad on ESPN a couple of days ago, so maybe that will start to change.

I saw a GH2 once in public....at the Eukanuba Dog Show...a man had it on a tripod taking video of his mother who was showing her dog.