Micro Four Thirds
MICRO FOUR THIRDS: THE UK LEADS THEWAY!
It's not often we get to report that the UK's been quick on the uptake of a new trend - despite some fantastic products on the market we're still lagging behind Europe in terms of photobooks, and we haven't caught up with the US on cameraphone usage yet. However, Pixel is pleased to report that our market is actually storming ahead when it comes to Micro Four Thirds.
A relatively new addition to the
market, this format offers the benefits of interchangeable lenses in a compact, lightweight body thanks to a mirrorless design, which has been a hit with UK users.
One in ten of the
interchangeable lens cameras sold in the crucial last month of 2009 was a Micro Four Thirds model - a huge slice of a pie which includes the entire DSLR market. GFK's results for the period showed that approximately 6,600 Micro Four Thirds cameras were sold in the UK, which itself added up to more than half of the Micro Four Thirds system's sales volumes in 11 major Western European countries.
For once we are ahead of our
European counterparts, which can only be a good thing for sales of
these models. They're clearly going to be a big part of the future of digital photography, and have been willingly embraced by the UK's photographic consumers.
Micro Four Thirds lenses
themselves are lightweight and compact, making the whole set up an appealing option for the consumer who wants high quality imaging and creative freedom without the weight and bulk of a traditional DSLR.
For those who have already
invested in DSLR kit but want something more portable, Micro Four Thirds cameras are an ideal option because, with the right adapters, many of the lenses they have bought for their DSLR can also be used with a Micro Four Thirds model.
Of course, in the retail business
it's not all about the number of units shifted - what use is a sale if it can't make you a profit? GfK's Western Europe fourth quarter 2009 sales figures put interchangeable lens cameras, both DSLR and mirrorless, as about ten percent of camera sales by volume, but over thirty percent of camera sales by value, and Micro Four Thirds, within this, was about 3% of
of the year, reached the ninth and tenth position in the list, respectively, and accounted for more than five percent of total sales. Overall, MFT accounted for more than 15% of interchangeable lens sales in Japan by the end of last year.
Just over halfway through 2010,
and every indication is that the inclining trend in Micro Four Thirds
The latest hints from Japan are that the technology is very close to matching SLRs in terms of viewfinder and autofocus performance
the volume. With a relatively low number of models on the market and a new presence in consumer consciousness, Micro Four Thirds cameras seem to be holding their margins.
The Camera and Imaging
Products Association (CIPA) has also released figures showing similar trends. Micro Four Thirds has also taken off in Japan, where CIPA is based. There were four MFT models available in Japan in 2009, and they all ranked amongst the top twenty best selling cameras. The Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic GF1, despite both being released in the latter half
sales is continuing steadily. "Believe it or not the 'compact
system camera' segment now accounts for almost 40% of interchangeable lens camera sales in Japan," says Mark Thackara, Olympus UK, who created a storm around Micro Four Thirds with the launch of the PEN Micro Four Thirds Series. These cameras combined retro styling - which invoked the original Olympus Pen cameras, dating back to 1959 - with a compact mirrorless body, interchangeable lenses and impressive imaging quality.
"The extent of the format's success in Japan has not yet been
16 Pixel Imaging Guide
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