Advantages, Disadvantages and Other Factors
For comparison of the original Four Thirds with competing DSLR system see Four Thirds system#Advantages, disadvantages and other considerations
In comparison with most digital compact cameras and many Bridge cameras, Micro Four Thirds cameras possess larger sensors which may offer better image quality, and interchangeable lenses. Some lenses feature wider apertures than those available on many compacts, allowing more control over depth-of-field and yielding greater creative possibilities. However, Micro Four Thirds cameras also tend to be larger, heavier and more expensive than compact cameras.
In comparison with most digital SLRs, Micro Four Thirds cameras are smaller and lighter. However, they also have smaller sensors (and therefore typically have inferior image quality, especially in low light conditions), and often lack features such as viewfinders and built-in flash units. Micro Four Thirds cameras sometimes afford greater depth-of-field than SLRs depending on the lens used. They are not necessarily cheaper than SLRs.
The much shorter flange focal distance enabled by the removal of the mirror allows normal and wideangle lenses to be made significantly smaller because they do not have to use strongly retrofocal designs.
The Four Thirds sensor format used in MFT cameras is equivalent to a 2.0 crop factor when compared to a 35 mm film camera. This means that the field of view of a MFT lens is the same as a Full Frame lens with twice the focal length. Practically speaking, this means that a 50 mm lens on a MFT body would have a field of view equivalent to a 100 mm lens on a full frame camera. Said another way, normal lenses on MFT cameras would be only 25 mm. For this reason, MFT lenses can be smaller and lighter because to achieve the equivalent 35 mm film camera field of view, the MFT focal length is much shorter. See the table of lenses below to understand the differences better. Typical DSLR sensors such as Canon's APS-C sensors, have a crop factor of 1.6, compared to full frame's (35 mm) 1.0, and Four Thirds 2.0.
Read more about this topic: Micro Four Thirds System
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