Good news for OM Digital Solutions Corporation (the new owner of Olympus mirrorless cameras) and Panasonic: Based on the latest BCN Ranking data, sales of their Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lenses topped the charts in 2020 in Japan with 21.7% share of the Interchangeable Lens Camera (ILC) market.
Technically, since both Olympus and Panasonic MFT mirrorless cameras use the same lens mount, their MFT mirrorless cameras accept each other’s lenses. Also, since the MFT image sensor is smaller than a full-frame image sensor (though still more than big enough for delivering the excellent image quality that professional photographers demand), their MFT lenses can be much smaller and lighter than their full-frame competitors. This size and weight advantage no doubt account for much of the reason why MFT remains popular in Japan.
NEWS RELEASE
Micro Four Thirds Achieved the Best-Selling Lens Mount Type in the Japanese Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera Market in 2020
Tokyo, Japan, January 29, 2021 – OM Digital Solutions Corporation1 and Panasonic Corporation2 are pleased to announce that the Micro Four Thirds System, the standard both companies jointly announced in 2008, was the best-selling3 lens-mount type in the Japanese interchangeable lens digital camera market in 2020.
The Micro Four Thirds System offers product lineup development opportunities unique to a joint standard, fulfilling market needs and further enhancing imaging enjoyment. There are now 56 participating companies in the Micro Four Thirds consortium, including BtoB corporations, demonstrating commitment to the standard. Four new interchangeable lens cameras conforming to the Micro Four Thirds System standard were introduced in 2020, in an effort to revitalize the domestic market in Japan. As a result, Micro Four Thirds products achieved a 21.7% share in the Japanese market, making them the top-selling by lens mount type3.
As the company responsible for initiating both the Four Thirds System and the Micro Four Thirds System standards, OM Digital Solutions and Panasonic will continue to develop and enhance the product line-up to meet the diverse needs of our customers.
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Micro Four Thirds standard
The outlines of the standards can be found on the following website.
https://www.four-thirds.org/en/
Company names and product names contained in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
1 Olympus Imaging Corporation at the time of announcement in 2008
2 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. at the time of announcement in 2008
3 According to in-house research, based on BCN Ranking data. Unit share of interchangeable lens digital cameras by lens mount type from January to December 2020
