The Four Thirds sensor format is apparently alive and well and growing.
Existing companies were:
▪ Fuji
▪ Kodak
▪ Leica
▪ Olympus
▪ Panasonic
▪ Sanyo
▪ Sigma
And now lens maker Schneider Kreuznach has joined, announced Feb. 4, 2011.
http://www.mu-43.com/f92/schneider-kreuznach-joins-micro-four-thirds-9166/
The "Four Thirds" sensor is an alternative to Full Frame (24x36mm) and other large-to-medium image sensors. A Four Thirds sensor is about one fourth the area of a full frame sensor, but is five to nine times larger than the smaller compact camera and camcorder sensors.
The Four Thirds format allows for much cheaper, lighter lenses and cameras than full frame.
Furthermore, The "Micro Four Thirds" mount positions the lens closer to the sensor than standard "Four Thirds" because it is used on mirror-less cameras, which don't need the extra distance to allow mirror swing-up.
Micro Four Third wide-angle and normal lenses can be cheeper, lighter and better than standard Four Third lenses because they don't need the extra retro-focus components that artificially extend the focal path for that extra distance.
A Micro Four Third camera needs an adapter to use standard Four Third lenses, but the angular-field-of-view by focal-length is consistent between the FT and MFT.
Existing companies were:
▪ Fuji
▪ Kodak
▪ Leica
▪ Olympus
▪ Panasonic
▪ Sanyo
▪ Sigma
And now lens maker Schneider Kreuznach has joined, announced Feb. 4, 2011.
http://www.mu-43.com/f92/schneider-kreuznach-joins-micro-four-thirds-9166/
The "Four Thirds" sensor is an alternative to Full Frame (24x36mm) and other large-to-medium image sensors. A Four Thirds sensor is about one fourth the area of a full frame sensor, but is five to nine times larger than the smaller compact camera and camcorder sensors.
The Four Thirds format allows for much cheaper, lighter lenses and cameras than full frame.
Furthermore, The "Micro Four Thirds" mount positions the lens closer to the sensor than standard "Four Thirds" because it is used on mirror-less cameras, which don't need the extra distance to allow mirror swing-up.
Micro Four Third wide-angle and normal lenses can be cheeper, lighter and better than standard Four Third lenses because they don't need the extra retro-focus components that artificially extend the focal path for that extra distance.
A Micro Four Third camera needs an adapter to use standard Four Third lenses, but the angular-field-of-view by focal-length is consistent between the FT and MFT.
