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Strange "box" M43 camera?

Hope somebody can help me.. I remember a while back seeing a M43 camera, that was essentially just a small box and the ability to swap lenses. I feel like it was a bit of a flop in terms of sales... Any ideas?

* Am also wondering, what is the absolute smallest M43 camera?

* What M43 camera has the lens mount to the extreme of one side? Either left or right?

* What is the highest mpx M43 camera?

Thanks a lot, much appreciated! :)
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
A couple of links that might prove interesting to you:



As to the highest pixel resolution mFT camera, I'm not sure but I've had both 16 and 20 Mpixel cameras in this format.

G
 

f6cvalkyrie

Well-known member
As to the highest pixel resolution mFT camera, I'm not sure but I've had both 16 and 20 Mpixel cameras in this format.
You're correct, Godfrey, the latest iteration of Olympus cameras, the OM1, has a BSI sensor counting 20MPx
The Panasonic GH6 also comes with a 20 MPx sensor

Stay safe,
Rafael
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
You're correct, Godfrey, the latest iteration of Olympus cameras, the OM1, has a BSI sensor counting 20MPx
The Panasonic GH6 also comes with a 20 MPx sensor

Stay safe,
Rafael
The GH6 has a 25MP sensor, however, for photography, you won't get significantly more resolution than you will get from the OM-1 sensor. The OM-1 sensor is simply a better sensor for that, while the GH6 sensor is more video oriented.

Panasonic makes the BGH1, which is basically a GH5S box camera without viewfinder etc. It's intended for video production only:


Z-Cam, Blackmagic Design and others have all made box cameras in MFT mount, all for video only. Blackmagic's box models seem to be discontinued, but Z-Cam E2 is still available, and it's quite popular among film makers:


The smallest MFT cameras were the Panasonic GM1 and GM5, both out of production. I suppose they were also the models with the lens mount furthest to one side. The smallest current model I believe is the Panasonic GX850 / GX800 / GF9 (same model with different names depending on the region).
 

sklba

Member
* Am also wondering, what is the absolute smallest M43 camera?
I'd wager either the Olympus Air or the Z Cam E1. There might be another boxy camera like the E1 out there. Perhaps it was a Kickstarter project, but I'm forgetting.

If you're considering purchasing either, I'd like to share a few thoughts. I didn't end up getting the Air because every review says the performance of use is bad. It has a hard time staying connected to your phone, which is required unless you wish to shoot blind. The, I think it's Bluetooth, was really buggy, and it never got a patch. It's a shame it didn't. The design idea of this camera is very nice. Think Hasselblad 907x, but for m43. The thing really had potential.

The Z cam...it's ok. As a stills camera, its performance is very weak (one big center focus area, terrible af that's slow), but the images are acceptable enough when taken properly. Video, no matter what the company's official line is, should not be shot with their log profile. It's 8bit and falls apart fast. The regular 4k, from my use, was acceptable enough when shot right, but I've seen people make that footage shine in ways I never could. For under $250, it's a fun little lark and can be "hacked" for "better" video. The people asking $400+ can keep them as far as I'm concerned. When they stopped making them, they went on sale for $250.

If you're searching for some combination of small size, quality, and performance, along with some powerful hacked video options, I'd recommend an EOS-M (the first model) far more. It cost about the same on the used market as either the Air or the E1, and it just flat out a better camera than both in so many ways It's ridiculous.

If you're only going to count mounting m43 lenses....I'd then throw the hat towards a hacked Insta360 One with the bareback lens mount adapter. The price was $1500 for that last I knew.
 
I'd wager either the Olympus Air or the Z Cam E1. There might be another boxy camera like the E1 out there. Perhaps it was a Kickstarter project, but I'm forgetting.

If you're considering purchasing either, I'd like to share a few thoughts. I didn't end up getting the Air because every review says the performance of use is bad. It has a hard time staying connected to your phone, which is required unless you wish to shoot blind. The, I think it's Bluetooth, was really buggy, and it never got a patch. It's a shame it didn't. The design idea of this camera is very nice. Think Hasselblad 907x, but for m43. The thing really had potential.

The Z cam...it's ok. As a stills camera, its performance is very weak (one big center focus area, terrible af that's slow), but the images are acceptable enough when taken properly. Video, no matter what the company's official line is, should not be shot with their log profile. It's 8bit and falls apart fast. The regular 4k, from my use, was acceptable enough when shot right, but I've seen people make that footage shine in ways I never could. For under $250, it's a fun little lark and can be "hacked" for "better" video. The people asking $400+ can keep them as far as I'm concerned. When they stopped making them, they went on sale for $250.

If you're searching for some combination of small size, quality, and performance, along with some powerful hacked video options, I'd recommend an EOS-M (the first model) far more. It cost about the same on the used market as either the Air or the E1, and it just flat out a better camera than both in so many ways It's ridiculous.

If you're only going to count mounting m43 lenses....I'd then throw the hat towards a hacked Insta360 One with the bareback lens mount adapter. The price was $1500 for that last I knew.
Wowsers, thanks so much for the in-depth reply, much appreciated! It was the Olympus Air that i was originally thinking of...

Good advice on the Eos-M, will look into it... :)
 
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