Is now the time to go Micro Four Thirds with MPB?

Shooting in bad weather is no problem at all with the OM-1 which has environmental sealing rated to IP53. Image credit Will Cheung.

Twenty twenty-four could be an epic year for new cameras. It is no coincidence that Canon, Nikon and Sony introduce pro flagship cameras ready for huge global events and 2024 is Olympic year with the summer games taking place in Paris, so expect big news later this spring. 

The year has certainly kicked off strongly with OM Systems introducing the much anticipated follow up to its highly respected OM-1 even though it has only been around for two years. The OM-1 Mark II is a significant advance on its predecessor in key performance areas, notably with its more flexible, more effective AF system and its increased buffer size which allows much greater burst shooting capacity. Other notable advances include an improved IBIS system with 8.5EV benefit, 14-bit Hi-Res shot mode and Live ND now available to 7 stops.

The OM-1’s 20 megapixel quad pixel stacked CMOS sensor gives an excellent AF performance and has improved features such as handheld hi-res shot mode, which produces equivalent 50 megapixel images. Tripod hi-res shot modes gives 80 megapixel files. Image credit Will Cheung.

However, putting the headline changes aside, the two cameras are very similar. They share the same sensor, a 20 megapixel quad-pixel AF, stacked CMOS, and have broadly identical features which include the marginally less capable IBIS, Hi-res shot mode and Live ND.

As is often the case when a new camera becomes available, the model it succeeds can become better value in both new and used camera markets. The OM-1 Mark II has been introduced with a guide price of £2199 body only while current street price of a new OM-1 is £1949 body only. To what degree the OM-1 becomes even better value we won’t know until pre-orders for the new model have been fulfilled and there’s a good flow of stock onto the dealers’ shelves. 

With early adopters trading in their existing cameras to release funds to buy the new model, now is a good time to look at the used market if you’re looking to get into the Micro Four Thirds system. Or perhaps you’ve already committed to MFT and looking for a camera upgrade and the OM-1 would be a serious contender for that role.

With the OM-1’s Live ND feature there is the choice of dialling in 1-6 stops of neutral density, so you can shoot at slow speeds without needing to add physical filters to the front of the lens. This scene was taken at 4secs at f/11 with an OM 12-40mm f/2.8 lens. Image credit Will Cheung.

The Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system is championed by OM System and Panasonic and there’s plenty of third party support when it comes to the choice of lenses and accessories. The image format measures 17.3x13mm, so it’s much smaller than 35mm full-frame. The smaller format brings with it more compact camera and lenses and that has huge benefits when it comes to portability, especially for those who like to travel light as well as for photographers who prefer working with an extensive system of mostly telephoto lenses.

The smaller MFT format gives a lens crop factor of 2x and this in practice, means a 50mm lens, which is standard on full-frame, gives an equivalent 100mm field of view on MFT. The benefit of this is most important with telephoto lenses where big savings in size and weight can be enjoyed.

Give the OM-1 a challenging scene such as this shot taken into strong lighting and the camera’s advanced metering system works really well, as this out of the camera JPEG shows. The exposure was 1/2000sec at f/9 and ISO 200. Image credit Will Cheung.

With MPB, ‘like new’ samples of the OM-1 body only are available from £1199 to £1239. To see what differences there are between each sample, just click on the camera that interests you to see high quality photographs of the actual item on sale. In addition, there’s a list of the accessories that come with that particular sample. In the unlikely event that you don’t like what you see then just click on another model until you find the perfect partner for you. Then it’s time to go through the trade-in or purchase procedure, which itself is a smooth transparent process and you are guided through each step.

So, if the MFT format appeals, now’s a great time to consider switching over and MPB is there to help to get the most from your budget.

News from MPB

The camera market continues to perform strongly

Data published by the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) shows that the new Digital Interchangeable Lens Cameras (DILC) enjoyed another solid year of consecutive growth with the value of the global retail market increasing 5.37% year-on-year. The market is dominated by mirrorless cameras which now represent more than 81% of the DILC market, up from 69% in 2022, and if that trend continues this could be set to reach 100% of the market by 2026.

Commenting on the data, Matt Barker, CEO, MPB said: “2023 was another strong year for the new camera market—now worth $16bn, representing a third consecutive year of growth—and this positive trajectory is expected to continue. From consumers to enthusiasts, we’re seeing an acceleration in the move towards mirrorless, which we know will continue.

As the cost of new lenses increases again, we anticipate more photographers turning to the used market in order to buy or upgrade their kit as they continue to embrace creativity in the year ahead.”

For the full story click here.

MPB Explained

You need kit to take photographs and produce videos, and taking the used route is a cost-effective way of making the most of your budget and keeping up with the latest developments in imaging technology.

MPB is one of the biggest used retailers with bases in the UK, Germany and the USA.

Trading with MPB the process is fair, safe, painless and incredibly easy.

Whether you have kit to sell, want to make a purchase or part exchange, start by going to the MPB website which is intuitive and straightforward to use.

If you have kit to trade, just start typing the name in and a list of suggestions from MPB’s huge database will appear. If a name on that list matches your product click on it and add its condition; if not, continue typing in the whole name and condition.

It’s worth bearing in mind that MPB’s database covers much more than cameras and lenses so if you have, for example, a photo backpack, tripod or filters to sell these can be shown as you type in their name too.

With all your kit listed, add contact details and a quote will appear in your inbox soon afterwards, although manually entered items will take one working day.

If you are happy with the quote, accept it and follow the instructions to get the kit ready for courier collection on a day to suit you. For higher-value deals, an MPB account manager will also be in touch, so you have a personal point of contact if you have any queries.

Once received by MPB, you will get a notification and after checking by its product specialists you will receive a final quote. This can vary from the original quote if there is a missing item – like a battery not being supplied – or your assessed condition differs from the actual condition.

A quote can go down, but it can also increase if the kit’s condition is better than your assessment.

The whole process doesn’t take long and MPB are in touch by e-mail at every step so you’re never in the dark, and only when you are totally happy with the deal, pass on your payment details or pay the balance in the case of part-exchange. Either way, the money or your new kit will be with you soon after.

Get A Quote From MPB Today

About MPB

• MPB is the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video kit.
• MPB are the simple, safe and circular way to trade, upgrade and get paid.
• MPB is not a marketplace, instead buying directly from visual storytellers and evaluating all items before reselling MPB-approved kit.
• MPB’s dynamic pricing engine provides the right price upfront for all items.
• Circularity is at the centre of MPB, promoting sustainability, diversity and inclusion in everything they do.
• MPB prioritises inclusive recruitment and supports employees with extensive training and development. They promote inclusive visual storytelling and an inclusive circular economy.
• MPB’s business model is 100% circular. All packaging is 100% plastic-free. Their cloud-based platform uses 100% renewable electricity.
• MPB has served over 625,000 visual storytellers while recirculating more than 400,000 products annually
• MPB provides first-class customer service. Customers can receive support through their Help Centre or by speaking directly with a kit expert.
• MPB’s product specialists are trusted by thousands of visual storytellers in the UK.
• MPB is rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot with over 19,000 reviews.

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