If Mark Twain had a m43 camera he would surely have said "reports of the system's death have been greatly exaggerated"! Truth is that m43 still has a place when you want a system that delivers excellent (but not the best) IQ, small size, light weight, reasonable cost, massive lens range and excellent features (IBIS etc). Any of its component parts (esp the sensor) won't set the world alight, but as a whole it still is very relevant. As I posted in
this thread, I've looked at FF many times but have kept with m43. I could afford FF but I stick with m43 because I like the size/cost/IQ balance - it suits what I do in photography and I don't find the IQ compromise affects me to the point where I want to forgo the wider system benefits.
However, I really do hope that Oly and Panasonic (Oly especially) don't lose sight of the niche that I've described above in their desire to go further and further upmarket with the resulting ballooning in size and cost. The E-M1x is already irrelevant to me and TBH the G9 is too - based on size alone. The Pro primes lenses tempted me somewhat but I've resisted the temptation and now I realise that they would do very little for me except empty my pocket and load up my camera bag.
For me (and I don't know if there are enough like me to influence the manufacturers' directions), I'd like to see:
- A really exceptional E-M5iii. New EVF, new sensor, HHHR, live ND, PDAF, more computation stuff. Price around $1200.
- A refresh of the f1.8/f2 primes - metal, consistent design, improved 12 & 17 IQ, WR
- A T&S lens - ideally around 9-12mm (yes, I know it will be expensive).
I hope that we're not seeing the sunset of m43. It would be a shame since I can't see anywhere else I'd go. I don't like the Fuji haptics or the files. Sony APSC bodies are soulless and the lens range is very poor. Nikon FF is nice, but the size and costs escalates quickly. The Leica CL is nice, but the lens range is again limited and also $$$ for what it is. Please Olympus - keep an aging man happy!!
