photo:microfourthirdscomparison
comparison of current Micro Four Thirds cameras
see also:
Last updated Sept 2019.
ranked by features
the leaders
older models with built-in EVF
cameras with optional add-on EVF
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announced June 2021
20mp, 5-axis IS, WiFi, rear tilting screen, 4K video
TruePic VIII image processor
dedicated Profile Control dial on the front that allows for quick and easy switching between standard camera modes to color, monochrome, or filter effect profiles
799 Euro (not marketed in US)
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announced Feb 2020
similar specs to EPL9
$US600 body only
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announced Sept 2016
16mp 8.5fps, 81pt CDAF, 1080 30p video
optional VF-4 electronic viewfinder
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introduced Aug 2014 as a PEN version of the OM-D E-M10 thus 3-axis IS and all the features of the E-M10 except no EVF, no built-in flash (bundled flash included) and in addition, LCD screen can be flipped down for self-portraits and has a 1 sec selfie delay timer
309g, 357g with battery and SD card; 114.9mm W x 67mm H x 38.4mm D
$US599 body only
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quite a few improvements upon the excellent E-M5 but lacks a built-in EVF and may not support optional grip
same 16mp sensor, tiltable touch screen, in-camera IS, burst rates, ART filters as for E-M5 except IS adds automatic panning detection ('S-IS Auto')
shutter speed to 1/8000th sec (best of current Micro Four Thirds)
even faster AF than the E-M5 and now adds:
800 AF points
Small single target AF
Super Spot AF selectable from center of magnified view (0.02% – 0.16% in view image)
manual focus assist Peaking mode
Olympus's 'Photo Story' feature
short shutter lag mode reduces shutter lag to 0.044sec but requires more power consumption
ISO LOW of 100
new movie mode functionality:
flash sync: 1/320 sec. Built-in Pop Up Flash; 1/250 sec. External Flash; Super FP: 1/125-1/4000 sec
AE bracketing for HDR for up to +/- 6EV at 9fps: 3 or 5 frames in 2.0/3.0EV steps, 7 frames in 2.0EV step
20Mbps 1080 30p .MOV HD video
720p MJPEG 10fps Timelapse movies
Intervalometer: Interval Time 1sec. – 24 Hours, Max 99 frames
WiFi control by smartphones
QR barcode easy connect to smartphone
GPS data recording
Live View, Rec view, Wireless touch AF shutter
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420g
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announced May 2013 but for Japanese markets only
3.5fps burst rate with AF, 8fps with AF locked
updates the EPL5 with some of the new features of the E-P5 such as:
even faster AF
small target AF
improved 3D tracking AF
ISO LOW setting of 100
short release time lag mode (shutter lag of only 0.044secs
interval shooting and option of converting to Timelapse movies
dual axis level
image WiFi transfer via iPhone/Android and a Toshiba FlashAir SDHC cards
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entry level compact with optional add-on EVF
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introduced Sept 2012, see
here
entry level compact without hotshoe nor EVF
Yongnuo YN455:
announced July 2021
20mp; 4K 30p;
8mp front facing camera does not use MFT lens;
5“ tilt touch screen
runs Android 10 and Snapdragon SoC
microSD slot up to 256Gb plus 6Gb RAM
PD USB fast charging; BT 5.0; GPS; WiFi; Dual USB-C ports; LED light
4G NanoSim slot to allow live streaming in 4K
670g; 162 x 85 x 56 mm
Panasonic GX850:
Panasonic GF8:
Panasonic GF-7:
Xiaoyi M1 Small Ants:
Panasonic GF-6
announced April 2013
same sensor as GX-1 but improved processing, lower noise and more detail thanks to weaker antialias filter
1.04M dot 180deg touchscreen LCD
smartphone WiFi connectivity
shutter speed to 1/4000th sec, 4.2fps burst rate
first interchangeable lens camera to include Near Field Communications (NFC)
new mode dial on top
$US680 with the new smaller 14-42mm kit lens
Panasonic GF-5
entry level ultra compact without hotshoe nor EVF
Yongnuo YN450
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announced Oct 2013
similar size to the Sony RX100
very compact 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH MegaOIS kit lens
electronic shutter 60sec to 1/16000th sec
WiFi but no NFC
1080 HD video at 60i/30p
popup flash, no hot shoe
focus peaking
PiP magnification for manual focus
3.0-inch, 1036K dot touch-sensitive LCD screen
98.5 x 54.9 x 30.4 mm (3.88 x 2.16 x 1.20”)
274 g (0.60 lb / 9.60 oz)
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lens cameras ONLY designed to be used remotely such as with smartphones or drones
these have no viewfinder screen or EVF
Alice camera
DJI Zenmuse X5S Inspire 2 drone
2016 model
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new CineCore 2.0 image processing system; 20.8mp 12.8 stop dynamic range at ISO 100
incredible 5.2K 30fps CinemaDNG 12 bit 4.2Gbps video and Apple ProRes 1.3Gbps video
4K 60fps CinemaDNG at 4.0Gbps with a 2.7x crop factor
4K 30fps CinemaDNG at 2.4Gbps at usual 2.0 crop factor
4K 60fps using H.264 and 4K 30fps using H.265 (both at 100Mbps)
1080HD at 120fps 100Mbps or 30fps at 60Mbps
Continuous DNG burst shooting at 20fps with 20.8MP images
supports 8 MFT lenses in range 9-45mm
7km remote DJI focus range!
2 batteries allow almost 30 minute flight
special DJI CINESSD SSD memory card for the CinemaDNG, Apple ProRes mode or 20fps DNG raw burst capture
standard microSD card for H.264 or H.265 capture
$US1899 for camera ($US2999 for the Inspire 2 drone making ?$US6000 for full drone/camera/SSD/battery outfit)
Power Vision pro 4K cinematography drone
announced Oct 2016
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4kg, 5km range, 29.5 minute flight time
collapsible down to 340 x 285 x 296mm
detects obstacles within 10m and sends a sound alert
ImageVision Z Camera C1:
announced 2016
4K video;
$US599
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Yuneec Tornado CG04
modular video cameras
Bosma G1
announced in May 2021
33mp Sony BSI sensor
8K 10bit video
Craft camera
high speed video cameras
fps1000 HEX Platinum
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MFT sensor size but only 1280×860 pixels giving 13.7 micron size photosites which should allow incredibly high ISO
720p video at 4000 fps with global shutter, 128Gb internal memory and can save at 43 Gb/sec
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older cameras with fast AF but older sensors
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12mp, built-in flash, touch screen fixed OLED display, 10 ART filters, built-in IS
consider getting the body only and buying the Panasonic 3x power zoom if you are willing to pay a premium for a really compact lens.
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Panasonic GF-3
older cameras with older sensors and MUCH slower AF - only buy if prime use is MF lenses or money is an issue
Olympus E-PL2
Olympus E-P2
Olympus E-PL1
Olympus E-P1 - no remote TTL flash
Panasonic GF1 - no IS, no remote TTL flash
Panasonic G2 - no IS, no remote TTL flash
Panasonic G10 - no IS, no remote TTL flash
Panasonic G1 - no IS, no remote TTL flash
common features
much higher image quality than point and shoot cameras as their sensors are some 6x larger
smaller sensors than dSLRs and thus have marginally more noise at high ISO and marginally less dynamic range capability, but the trade off is much smaller lenses and cameras.
can use almost any lens ever made via adapters in manual focus mode
do not have optical viewfinders but electronic viewfinders
are not weather-proofed (except for the Olympus OM-D EM-5 and the Panasonic GH-3)
have much easier live view and hence manual focus on legacy lenses than dSLRs as there is no need to move a mirror out of the way
are quieter and smaller than dSLRs
the latest generation have AF as fast as or faster than dSLRs for static subjects
are not well suited to hand-holding with large, heavy lenses such as a 70-200mm f/2.8 but Panasonic is making compact 12-35mm and 35-100mm f/2.8 lenses which should be very nice albeit expensive.
are best used with wide aperture prime lenses (eg. 12mm f/2.0, 20mm f/1.7, 25mm f/1.4, 45mm f/1.8, 75mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.4)
are still not as good as a dSLR for AF tracking of fast moving subjects such as birds in flight.
they lack pro and some other features such as intervalometer, fast flash sync (only 1/160th - 1/180th sec), GPS, auto-HDR, TTL compatibility with Pocket Wizard Flex TT5 radio flash system, etc
all use SD-type memory cards
all can shoot HD video although GH-2 and GH-3 do it at higher quality
some major differences between Panasonic and Olympus
Olympus cameras and the Panasonic GX7 have a built-in image stabiliser which can reduce camera shake with ANY lens – you need to set focal length for legacy lenses
other Panasonic cameras only have IS if the lens has optical IS – and this means only Panasonic OIS lenses
brand-specific add-on EVFs:
Olympus has far better flash capabilities although the latest Panasonic models are finally catching up – good manual output control, remote TTL flash, TTL flash with legacy lenses, and 1/250th or 1/320th x-sync with the new cameras and flashes
none of the Panasonic cameras support remote TTL flash (except the GH-3, GH-4 and presumably the GX7) while the Olympus cameras do (you need the
Olympus flashes ending in R for this to work, or Panasonic flashes ending in L, or the latest
Metz flashes)
I presume the Panasonic cameras are like my GH-1 and give incorrect exposures in TTL flash mode with legacy lenses – if you use legacy lenses a lot, consider the Olympus cameras as not only you get IS but TTL flash and remote TTL flash.
the Panasonic GH-3 is the 1st Panasonic to support remote TTL wireless flash
Different post-processing “ART” filters or “Film Modes”
only the GH-1 and GH-2 have an over-sized sensor for native, uncropped 16:9 images
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if you want the best HD video quality then the Panasonic GH-4 is the way to go.
videos on the Panasonic cameras have less jello artefact than the current Olympus cameras and are generally higher quality
If you primarily want to use small manual focus legacy lenses, then the Olympus cameras may be the better option as you get IS, TTL flash, and remote TTL flash and the E-P5 is better balanced with legacy lenses than is the GF-6, but you do miss out on Panasonic’s picture-in-picture manual focus functionality.
The smallest are the Panasonic GF-6 and the Olympus E-PM2 which may suit some who just want much better image quality than a point and shoot, but still a small camera, but these lack important features such as a hotshoe, ability to use an EVF, various controls and menu items (eg. no flash exposure compensation on the GF-3), the lack of which may be very annoying for those who want to get a bit more serious or use flash.
Unlike Olympus E-series dSLRs, none of the current Pens have IR remote control capability, but all except E-PL1 can use the RM-UC1 wired remote cable. The situation appears to be the same for the Panasonic cameras but of course, they have a different wired connector. You can buy 3rd party wired units which allow timer, intervalometer functions as well as radio wireless remote function.
other brands
Kodak
in Jan 2013, JK Imaging which had purchased the licence for the Kodak trademark, announced it will market a Micro Four Thirds camera, the Kodak S1, which will have a Sony sensor and include WiFi connectivity to smartphones.
comparison table of the 2012-2013 cameras
Panasonic
|
Panasonic
GH-3 |
Panasonic
G-6 |
Panasonic
GF-6 |
Price at Amazon.com in 2013 |
$US1299 body only |
$US749 with 14-42mm II lens |
$US599 with 14-42mm II lens |
Weight |
550g |
390g |
323g |
Size |
133 x 93 x 82 mm |
122 x 85 x 71 mm |
111 x 65 x 38 mm |
EVF |
1.7mdot EVF with eye sensor auto switching |
1.4mdot EVF with eye sensor auto switching |
No EVF possible |
3" Touch screen LCD |
0.6mp OLED articulating |
1mdot TFT articulating |
1mdot TFT tilting |
HD video |
1080p 24fps72Mbps quality and
1080p 60fps; |
up to 28Mbps, 1080p 60fps |
1080i 60fps |
Over-sized sensor for native,
uncropped 16:9 |
No |
No |
|
Burst rate |
6fps; 20fps cropped electronic
shutter |
5fps AF; 7fps locked AF; |
4.2fps |
Top panel mode switches |
AF mode switch; Drive/self-timer
switch |
? |
? |
External mic socket |
Yes |
Yes? |
No? |
Rear AF-lock button |
Yes |
No? ?use Fn button |
No? |
Subject tracking AF in HD video |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes? |
Pinpoint AF mode |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes? |
Max.ISO |
12,800 |
25,600 |
25,600 |
Max. bulb duration |
4min? |
2min? |
|
Hotshoe |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
White balance presets |
5? |
5? |
5? |
Built-in flash |
GN 12m |
GN 10.5m |
GN 6.3m |
Exposure compensation |
+/- 5EV |
+/- 5EV |
+/- 3EV, ?no flash compensation - a big problem if you want to use flash |
AE bracketing |
+/- 3EV |
+/- 3EV |
+/- 2EV |
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certain lenses may prevent using tripod plates |
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Olympus
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Olympus
E-M5 |
Olympus
E-P5 |
Olympus
E-PL5 "Lite" |
Price at Amazon.com 2013 |
$US949 body only |
$US with 14-42mm lens |
$US549 with 14-42mm lens |
Weight |
425g |
420g |
325g |
Size |
122 x 89 x 43 mm |
122 x 69 x 37 mm |
111 x 64 x 38 mm |
EVF |
1.4mdot EVF plus optional via hot shoe |
optional via hot shoe |
optional via hot shoe |
3" LCD touch screen |
610K dot OLED tilting |
1037K dot tilting |
460K tilting |
HD video |
1080 30p; 20mbps quality; |
1080 30p; 20mbps quality; |
1080 30p |
Over-sized sensor for native,
uncropped 16:9 |
No; |
No; |
No; |
Burst rate |
5fps AF; 9fps AF locked, no IS |
5fps AF; 9fps AF locked, no IS |
8fps AF locked, no IS |
Top panel mode switches |
2 dials |
|
No, and no exposure mode dial? |
External mic socket |
via hotshoe |
via hotshoe |
via hotshoe |
Rear AF-lock button |
Yes, customisable buttons |
|
|
Subject tracking AF in HD video |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes? |
Pinpoint AF mode |
No |
Yes |
No? |
Max.ISO |
25,600 |
25,600 |
25,600 |
Max. bulb duration |
8min plus Timed BULB plus LIVE BULB |
as for E-M5? |
as for E-M5? |
Hotshoe |
Yes, 1/250th sync |
Yes, 1/250th sync; 1/320th for built-in flash |
Yes, 1/250th sync |
White balance presets |
?12 |
?12 |
?12 |
Built-in flash |
No, bundled flash can be master for remote TTL |
Yes, can be master for remote TTL |
No, bundled flash can be master for remote TTL |
Exposure compensation |
+/- 3EV |
+/- 3EV |
+/- 3EV |
AE bracketing |
+/- 3EV |
+/- 3EV |
+/- 2EV |
|
level gauge |
level gauge |
level gauge |
|
art filters |
art filters |
art filters |
WiFi |
via EyeFi SD cards only |
built-in, smartphone controllable |
via Toshiba’s FlashAir WiFi-capable flash cards only for sharing pics to smartphones, etc |
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photo/microfourthirdscomparison.txt · Last modified: 2022/02/23 00:05 by gary1