Four Thirds System
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The Four Thirds System is a standard for digital SLR camera design and development. The system provides an open standard which, once cameras and lenses are available from multiple manufacturers, should allow for interchange of lenses and bodies from different manufacturers.
Unlike other DSLR systems, Four Thirds has been designed from the ground up to be entirely digital. Lens design has been tailored to requirements of digital sensors. Advantages of the system should include more compact telephoto lenses (a 300 mm Four Thirds Lens would be equivalent to a 600 mm lense for the 35 mm film standard), and more even delivery of light to different parts of the sensor.
The sensor size is smaller than that used in digital 35mm cameras. Sensor size normally relates directly to image quality, however, the manufacturers involved claim that it should be possible to exceed the quality of 35mm film using the system and that the better optics will take better advantage of digital sensors than could be done in the traditional 35 mm form factor.
As of the 2004 Photo Marketing Association Annual Convention and Trade Show, it is supported by the following brands (in alphabetical order):
Commercial products using the standard:
- Olympus E-1 digital camera (November 2003)
- A few Sigma lenses (November 2004)
- Olympus E-300 digital camera (December 2004)
External links
- Official Four Thirds System site (http://www.four-thirds.org)
- My Four Thirds (http://www.myfourthirds.com/): The Photographic Community for the Four Thirds Photographer
- Unofficial 4/3rds System Site (http://www.4-3system.com/)