[Leica] Re: 4/3 size

[lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

On Mar 8, 2007, at 10:23 AM, Frank wrote:

> The 4/3 system seeks to avoid
> the optical problems but  has the shortcomings of a smaller sensor.
> There is nothing about the 4/3 system which would lead to smaller
> lenses - faster lenses with less compromise and smaller bodies are
> possible.

I regularly use my old OM series lenses on my Oly E-500 with the aid  
of a lens mount adapter. The E-500 with an OM 50 mm f1.8 Zukio or a  
35 mm f2.8 Zukio is not significantly bigger, and certainly lighter,  
than an OM camera with the same lenses. The width is slightly less  
than the OM although the prism extends about 1/2" higher. If you  
appreciate the small size of the OM cameras, you will also appreciate  
the size of the E-500 with the OM lenses.

The downside is that there is no autofocusing with the OM lenses and  
that the much smaller ground glass viewfinder of the E-500 makes  
focusing more difficult. The camera must be used in the manual mode.  
Performance with either lens, and, in fact, all the other Oly lenses  
is up to OM standards. Now if only Olympus made a cheap 50 mm  
equivalent lens for the 4/3 system of the same dimensions as the OM  
lenses, we would have the best of both worlds. I don't call $1500  
cheap for a lens that in its 35 mm film incarnation would have sold  
for 1/5th of the price.

Larry Z