The Changing World of Photography

Micro 4/3 Cameras 

If it's good enough for National Geographic, then it's good enough for me!

Olympus E-PL2, Olympus 14-42mm, 1/400th, f/10, ISO 200
Scott Rokis climbing Bear Creek Spire, High Sierra

I recently sold several photos to National Geographic for use in an upcoming Sierra map project, but this particular image was unique because it was made with my new lightweight adventure camera.   As photographers, we are always looking for more from our cameras, which usually means bigger sensors and higher megapixel count at the expense of light weight and ease of carrying.  In an effort to reduce weight in the mountains I  often resort to carrying a point and shoot camera, but always end up being frustrated by its lack of control and slow frame rate.  So this past summer I made my first foray into the new world of mirrorless Micro 4/3 cameras by buying a tiny Olympus E-PL2 and matching 14-42mm kit lens (28-84 in 35mm format).   Who wouldn't want a camera that shoots 3fps, has interchangeable lenses, has decent ISO abilities, weighs less than a pound, and fits into a jacket pocket?   While the image quality and speed of the new camera don't quite match up to my D700, the Olympus has all of the "necessary" features at about  30% the weight.

There is no doubt that carrying my 4/3 camera is a trade off in terms of image quality from a DSLR, but in certain situations light weight trumps absolute image quality.  With smaller image sensors, 4/3 cameras are not going to hold up under major enlargements the same way that my full frame cameras do, but how often do I really need to make a 30x40 print from an adventure shoot anyway?  To me, the bigger issue is that with a DSLR, as soon as the terrain gets technical the camera goes into the pack.  In fact, it might be left in the car all together to save weight.  Either way, I end the trip without any images.  Since I got my E-PL2, it has always ridden around my neck and under my shoulder.  When the going gets rough, I just tuck it under my pack strap to keep it out of the way.   Aside from a few spectacular scratches on the camera, this new way of shooting has paid off with lots of spontaneous images that would have otherwise been missed.

While Micro 4/3 cameras might not be for everyone,  if you want to save major weight while still maintaining most of the features of a DSLR,  I encourage you to take a look.  I personally am looking forward to the upcoming Olympus OM-D which sports a built in viewfinder, 16 megapixels, 9fps, and the fastest autofocus yet in a 4/3 camera.  Mine is already on order and I think it will be a  real contender to replace my DSLR on adventures where I have to carry my camera along with food, camping, and climbing gear.