An Essential Guide to Micro Four Thirds Camera Systems

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An Essential Guide to Micro Four Thirds Camera Systems image

Micro Four Thirds camera systems, also written as MFT or Micro 4/3rds, are one of the crop formats that are smaller than Full Frame but still seen as one of the digital formats that are professionally capable.

The Micro Four Thirds camera format is joined in the realm of crop format sensors by the larger APS-C format seen in mirrorless and DSLR cameras and the smaller 1”-Type format found in some video camcorders and better point-and-shoot cameras. Any Micro Four Thirds camera will be a mirrorless camera instead of a DSLR-style one.

A Micro Four Thirds camera has superb still imaging capabilities, and the format is one of the industry standards for high-end video production. Panasonic, Olympus, and Blackmagic are three of the most prolific manufacturers of the Micro Four Thirds camera format.

Many Micro Four Thirds camera models are advanced intermediate or full-fledged professional cameras. Buying a preowned MFT camera from the online platform MPB is a wonderful way to get a higher-end camera without spending your entire budget on these excellent quality tools. You can also trade-in or sell your current equipment through MPB to take full advantage of their online platform.

This article discusses three great buys in the Micro Four Thirds camera system, ranked Good, Better, and Best. Plus, I’ll give you a little guided tour of the idea behind the MFT camera format, as I usually do when discussing camera and lens options.

The Complete Micro Four Thirds Camera Story

Complete Micro Four Thirds Camera Story image

The original Four Thirds (4/3rds) camera system digital format was introduced in 2003, with the Micro Four Thirds camera format coming in 2008. The original 4/3rds format cameras were designed as DSLRs, while the MFT camera system is entirely mirrorless.

MFT and the original 4/3rds format were designed to make very compact cameras and lenses capable of producing professional-level images and video files. Both share the same digital sensor size, 17.3mm X 13mm, which is an aspect ratio of 4:3 as opposed to the 35mm film format’s 3:2 aspect ratio shared by the APS-C format.

The Micro Four Thirds camera format aspect ratio is very close to the old film movie format Super-16. This is part of why MFT is a favorite for videography and professional-level digital cinematography.

Here is a great video from That Micro 4/3 Guy explaining the aspect ratio differences and why a Micro Four Thirds camera has an optimal format for a wide variety of applications:

All Micro Four Third camera systems are mirrorless with electronic viewfinders or view screens, and most have in-camera image stabilization. The extremely short flange to film plane distance allows adapters to fit virtually any popular lens mount to the MFT camera mount. MFT has a crop factor for lenses of 2X compared to Full Frame or 35mm film.

Okay, this may not be the complete MFT story, but it gets us where we need to be to show some awesome MFT camera options!

Good Micro Four Thirds Camera - Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

Panasonic Lumix DMC GX85 image

As our "good" Micro Four Thirds camera choice, I’ve picked a slightly older camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85, which was released in 2016. This camera has interchangeable lenses in the MFT lens mount, a 16MP sensor, and 5-axis in-camera image stabilization.

It has 4K video capability, 49 AF points, and a maximum shutter speed of 1/16,000 of a second. It lacks an articulated viewscreen and has no external microphone input, plus it uses a micro USB type B port. However, the camera body design is a very compact rangefinder form.

Better Micro Four Thirds Camera - OM SYSTEM OM-1

Olympus OM System OM 1 image

In the Micro Four Thirds camera “better” slot, I put the fantastic Olympus OM System OM-1 of 2022. It has 4K video and is an excellent camera for still imaging with its weather sealing and great ergonomics.

For video, it has a built-in microphone, a mic jack, a headphone jack, HDMI and USB Type C out, and a maximum frame rate of 60 fps. For still imaging, it has a maximum shutter speed of 1/32,000 of a second, 1053 AF points, and a 20.4MP sensor.

The camera body is made to mimic the form factor of a compact SLR and has a generous handgrip. The rear viewscreen is fully articulated and doubles as a touchscreen control panel.

Best Micro Four Thirds Camera - Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6

Panasonic Lumix DC GH6 image

In the “best” slot for Micro Four Thirds cameras, I put the fantastic Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6 of 2022. Take everything I just said about the Olympus OM-1 and add to it a maximum video frame rate of 240 fps, maximum shutter speed of 1/32,000 of a second, 10-bit video recording, 7.5 stops of image stabilization, and 100% viewfinder coverage.

The MFT sensor is 25.2MP and has a low ISO setting of 100 for the lowest noise and highest resolution still imaging files. It has dual memory card slots and is preprogrammed with V-Log/V-Gamut and 13-stops of dynamic range with Dynamic Range Boost.

This Panasonic Micro Four Thirds camera is the best hybrid video/still camera in this format and is very compact and lightweight for a full-fledged professional-level camera system.

MFT Camera Lenses

MFT Camera Lenses image

Whether using your Micro Four Thirds camera for video recording or still imaging, you’ll want to pair it with the best lenses, too. Here is a short list of pro-quality MFT camera lenses available from MPB:

Micro Four Thirds Camera Systems - Final Thoughts

Micro Four Thirds Camera Systems image

As I said at the start, every Micro Four Thirds camera has superb still imaging capabilities, and the format is one of the industry standards for high-end video production. These fine cameras are super compact, lightweight, and fully pro-capable. It’s the whole package!

Buying your MFT camera or lens through the MPB will maximize your budget for high-end imaging and video equipment - have a look at their current inventory to see what cameras and lenses you can add to your camera bag!