Panasonic may actually be considering APS-C L Mount cameras
Sep 9, 2020
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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Well, this is interesting… and odd. According to a report on 43Rumors, Panasonic is actually considering an entry-level APS-C camera system based around the Panasonic L-Mount. This would be a big concern for a lot of existing Panasonic (and Olympus) customers who’ve locked themselves into the Micro Four Thirds system, if true.
They say the information comes from “trusted sources” and that they’re “99% confident” that it’s true. But even if it is, all that may be true is that they’re considering it. It’s not 99% true that it’ll actually happen.
The post on 43Rumors says that Sigma is apparently not happy at all with the progress of L-Mount and is urging Panasonic to focus more on the system. It was natural to expect Sigma to focus on lenses and Panasonic to focus on the cameras. But so far, Panasonic seems to have focused primarily on the higher end – presumably so as not to potentially cannibalise MFT sales – which limits sales from a wider market.
But you know what’d make me buy an L mount camera? A full-frame Foveon sensor. There, I said it.
43Rumors also say that Panasonic sees Canon as their biggest competitor in the video segment, which makes a lot of sense given the popularity of Canon’s DSLRs and mirrorless cameras for video and their capabilities. I expect, however, that with the release of the Sony A7S III and Sony now finally offering 10-Bit video and RAW over HDMI that another competitor in the video space might be entering Panasonic’s sights in the near future.
But in order to draw more people into the L mount system at a lower cost, they say that Panasonic is actually considering an entry-level APS-C camera. Something that would get people buying (Sigma’s?) L mount lenses that they can then use on the full-frame bodies as their needs and abilities grow and they decide to upgrade.
With full-frame cameras like the Canon EOS RP and Nikon Z5 at a pretty low price point, I think Panasonic should just stick with full-frame and MFT. APS-C was a tech limitation of 20 years ago. These days, other than allowing people to get more use out of their old APS-C lenses, with few exceptions, there’s really no reason to continue it with full-frame prices dropping so much (and the used market flooded with cheap full-frame DSLRs).
With the future of Olympus uncertain, Panasonic switching gears towards APS-C for the L Mount would potentially mean the death of Micro Four Thirds whether Panasonic intends to do that or not. I think going APS-C would be a very bad idea for Panasonic and I think it’s for the same reason that Fuji refuses to pursue full-frame.
Fuji offers APS-C and Medium Format cameras. Both systems perform very well and they both have many happy customers. For Fuji to release full-frame bodies, it would just confuse customers and cannibalise either APS-C or medium format sales or both. I think Panasonic releasing an APS-C L mount camera would do the same for Micro Four Thirds – and a lot of MFT shooters may dump the brand entirely out of spite, feeling that Panasonic has now cast them aside.
It will be interesting to see how the L mount alliance plays out from here, though, whether Panasonic chooses to pursue APS-C or not.
[via 43Rumors]
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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7 responses to “Panasonic may actually be considering APS-C L Mount cameras”
On the other hand, an APS-C model may let you use both FF L mount lens as well as 4/3 lens with an adapter in crop mode. Essentially, a bridge line to get 4/3 people to cross over to APS-C and may be then FF L mount.
The laws of physics would make that pretty much impossible, though. L mount lenses are too large to fit through the lens opening on M43 bodies, and even if they did, the flange distances are too similar. M43 lenses aren’t going to work on L mount, either and wouldn’t project a large enough image circle for it to be worth it on a larger sensor.
There’s really no other hand in this case. :)
just to add some numbers: the MFT flange distance is just 0.7 mm shorter than in L mount but diameter is 13.6 mm smaller, also because MFT is a 2x crop mount (image projected on the sensor is half-size with respect to full-frame) while L mount is full-frame. Nevertheless, L-mount does support APS-C that has 1.5x crop factor so a MFT lens cannot be used on any L-mount camera (FF and APSC), while in theory an L-mount lens might be used on a MFT camera with a special adapter – numbers taken from LightPoint lens/camera mounts data
The mount itself is thicker than the 0.7mm flange distance difference and would need to go at least partially inside the camera – which would be impossible because you can’t stick a 51.6mm peg in a 38mm hole.
The only way (theoretical or not) would be to have it sit way further forward from the camera (whatever thickness the L mount itself requires + enough material on the adapter to make it solid), increasing the distance from the sensor and using a corrective diopter to bring things back – which anybody who’s used an M42 to Nikon F adapter that retains infinity focus will tell you, they suck. If that was worth doing, Fotodiox, Viltrox or somebody would’ve made it by now. :)
John Aldred They are talking about the APS-C body however, which would be larger than the M43 and the sensor could be in corp mode so the M43 lens could work optically. FF L mount lens would also work with a crop factor, similar on FF E & Z mounts lens on APS-C bodies.
Hugh Dom Yes, I mentioned both ways. There is no way you can put an M43 lens on an L mount body. It doesn’t matter whether it’s full-frame or APS.C. It’s physically impossible.The MFT flange distance is smaller than L mount. The lens itself would have to physically sit inside the mount.
For companies like Fuji (and Panasonic) having two systems is already kind of stretch on their R&D ressources. I cannot see either of them starting a third.