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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Adey Baker" data-source="post: 1763481" data-attributes="member: 1805">I reckon the Micro 4/3rd system will be the way to go for those looking for a compact outfit. Eventually, most DSLR systems will drop the mirror mechanism in favour of (hopefully ever-improving) EVFs but there won't be a huge saving in size and weight - rather an increase in live-view functionality and quieter operation.The Micro 4/3rds system is what the 4/3rds ought to have been all along! The technology has just had to catch up and I agree with comments above that the older 4/3rds system is the one that may fall away, though the lenses and accessories will be useable via adapters, as will other types such as Olympus OM and Leica R and M, etc.Unfortunately, the manufacturers are 'drip-feeding' us new models again, so we may have to wait a while for the 'right' model to come along for our purposes. How many have rushed in and bough the first Olympus (EP1) when they really wanted the next model with optional EVF or the one after that with built-in flash - or indeed the next one that has a built-in flash and EVF without too much increase in body size!Panasonic have introduced a quite high-priced (high-quality?) Leica-brand 45mm macro especially for the Micro 4/3rd system so an ideal system may well be on the way eventually. The 'mix and match' idea of the format is one of its big selling points so lets hope it continues so we can choose precisely which camera body and which lenses make up our ideal system.I have a Canon 40D with Sigma 400mm F5.6 lens which is quite small and light compared to many birding outfits (where 1D-series and 500mm F4 are the norm), but it's more than enough to carry around all day (especially when on holiday trying to photograph butterflies in the hotter conditions of southern Europe!), so a Micro 4/3rd system with perhaps a next-generation Olympus 'Pen' body together with a compact close-focus 300mm, the above-mentioned macro and an all-purpose compact zoom lens would suit me down to the ground. I'm not holding my breath, but perhaps I ought to start counting my pennies...</blockquote>

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