Micro Four Thirds vs. Four Thirds vs. dSLR
If you're tired of letting your point-and-shoot control your shots and want to upgrade to a more advanced camera, there are plenty of choices out there. You may have come across dSLRs such as the Canon EOS 500D and Nikon D5000. Then there are shooters like the Olympus E-620 which uses the Four Thirds System. Last but not least, there is the Micro Four Thirds System found on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1.
How different are they from one another? The fact is, Four Thirds cameras are based on similar technology as dSLRs and widely regarded as dSLRs. However, Micro Four Thirds shooters, on the other hand, are a different ball game altogether. To find out more about the new technology, click here.
Besides minor cosmetic differences, there are actually more variations between these three classes of cameras. Here's a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each category.
Optics
| Micro Four Thirds |
Four Thirds |
dSLR |
- Four lenses only and are from Panasonic.
- Four Thirds lenses can be used via an adapter.
- Third-party adapters allow usage of lenses for dSLRs.
- Certain functions such as autofocus and optical image stabilizer may not work properly with non-Micro Four Thirds lenses.
- Non-Micro Four Thirds optics are bigger and may look weird on Micro Four Thirds cameras.
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- Lenses manufactured by Olympus, Panasonic, Leica and Sigma.
- Covers a wide range of focal length, including macro lenses.
- Compatible with Micro Four Thirds System.
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- Major players such as Canon and Nikon have many optics available, including specialized lenses like tilt-shift glasses.
- Sony Alpha dSLRs are compatible with heritage Konica-Minolta lenses, too.
- Lens manufacturers like Sigma and Tamron offer good selection of third-party optics to use with Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras.
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Verdict: All is fair here because with the appropriate adapters, Micro Four Thirds cameras have access to almost any optics on the market. But it should be noted thatit needs to rely heavily on these adapters in order to woo photographers to use the new technology.
Tags:
DSLR,
Sony Corp.,
Adapter,
Camera,
Konica
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