Agreed, especially the DoF at any given aperture is twice that of 35mm for the same "frame filling potential".
I think the only thing that is holding Ply/Pana back is size of fast/const aperture zoom lenses -- I am yet to see any such lens that is reasonably portable/compact and m4/3 is mostly about portability/compactness.
I think marketing, if enough people would buy at prices with good margins then Olympus and Panasonic would bring them to the market.
- The whole idea behind m43 is not only small and compact, it is cheap to manufactor for larger margins (and small and compact and the same time).
Good point here, I agree. I think the biggest M4/3 problem is poor High ISO performance. I appreciate the small size of M4/3 gear and fast long lenses get big and heavy fast.
Time will solve that (technology will improve), although DSLR will by then get even better High ISO performance given still significantly larger sensor, but effective difference for customers will likely became smaller very fast.
In my opinion, m43 is currently is "just" a hype. Small fast primes with AF at affordable prices is what could lift m43 ahead of DSLR.
- That is compensating for smaller sensor on resolution as well as to play with depth of field.
- But so far the prices are not very competative with DSLR (too high price premium for "new / fancy" lenses)
One other crucial difference is the Optical vs Electronic view finder.
- Electronic is in the end probably cheaper (optics are typically more expensive than electronics) and it is the only way for Video
- But automatic focus on m43 still has to improve
- DLSR can utilize the LCD and kind of become a mirrorless camera as well
For me using old lenses on m43 body seems to be the only financially reasonable application, but I can't imagine that is Panasonic/Olympus target.
- How about Nikon/Canon/Pentax coming with a camera to enable auto focus on old lenses? (Pentax has 1.7x converter with AF functionality for MF lenses) Or magnification on LCD for easy manual focus control? (Pentax AF systems already confirms focus on MF lenses)
Either way, m43 needs fast auto focus primes at affordable price level.
- Fast (tele) zooms on DSLR are also big and expensive...
- And still for some time the EVF / AF of M43 will also be no real competition to DSLR