14 DAY TRIAL // The Micro Four Thirds standard has become quite popular ever since its introduction, quite a few digital cameras built on this technology making their way onto the market (the most notable coming from Olympus and Panasonic, co-developers of this standard), but it seems that the format might have just gained another very serious ally, namely none other than one of the world's best-known manufacturers of lenses, Carl Zeiss AG. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that Carl Zeiss' participation in the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group will bring quite an extensive package of technical knowledge aboard, that will most likely translate into some impressive leaps forward carried out by this particular digital camera standard.
Of course, consumer will benefit the most from this association, especially since the ZEISS HD Video lenses manufactured by Carl Zeiss AG will be available from now on to users of Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Those of you who're not really that familiar with the Micro Four Thirds standard should know that this technology enables the development of super-compact digital cameras (also known as pocket DSLRs), that deliver very good imaging options in a very compact and portable form factor, as well as the same level of versatility provided by their larger-size counterparts, given the fact that they support interchangeable lenses.
Additional characteristics provided by this standard (compared to the original Four Thirds) include approximately 50% shorter flangeback distance (mount-to-sensor distance), the lens mount outer diameter is approximately 6mm smaller, while the numbers of electrical contacts in mount increases from 9 to 11.
Anyway, coming back to the announcement by Carl Zeiss AG, we can say that it's actually quite a very good piece of news, and we're really looking forward to see just what kind of new and seriously enhanced lenses this partnership will ultimately lead to.