Not everyone’s going full frame

AS OUR lead story mentions, full frame isn’t the only game in town when it comes to mirrorless cameras. Fujifilm remains a very strong player, and the X-T3 (released in September) so impressed AP’s testing team that our features editor has already gone out and bought one.

Panasonic, meanwhile, has been buoyed by its involvement in the L-mount Alliance with Leica and Sigma, and by the announcement of the S1 and S1R full-frame mirrorless models (expected early next year), along with a raft of new lenses.

So where does all this leave Olympus, its partner in Micro Four Thirds, and another major player in the mirrorless market? The company only released one new camera this year, the E- PL9 (above).

The official word is that the company is still committed to Micro Four Thirds, and that its smaller, lighter mirrorless camera will continue to appeal to users who don’t want the relative bulk that comes with cameras with big sensors. High- quality telephoto lenses and improved image stabilisation remain key priorities and it celebrates its centenary in 2019, so there are rumours of a new OM-D camera release in spring. Prudent strategising or a company caught napping? Only time will tell...