Are Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds lenses and cameras compatible?
Asked 9/28/2012
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2 answers
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I'm considering buying into the Micro Four Thirds system and want to understand lens compatibility before I choose a camera.
- Can Four Thirds lenses be used on a Micro Four Thirds camera?
- Can Micro Four Thirds lenses be used on a Four Thirds camera?
- Are Micro Four Thirds lenses interchangeable across brands?
- Which brands make Four Thirds or Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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You can use a Micro Four-Thirds lens on a Micro Four-Thirds camera and they are compatible between manufacturers, so Zuiko, Olympus, Panasonic, Leica, Sigma and Samyang lens are all compatible with cameras from Olympus and Panasonic as long as the mounts are Micro Four-Thirds.
You can use a Four-Thirds lens on a Micro Four-Thirds camera with an adapter which must be purchased separately. There are a few options but if you have a weather-sealed Micro Four-Thirds camera and a weather-sealed Four-Thirds lens, you must buy the Weather-Sealed adapter from Olympus to keep the whole system weather-sealed.
It is NOT possible to put a Micro Four-Thirds lens on a Four-Thirds camera because it needs to be mounted closer to the sensor than possible for it to focus properly.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lenses can be used on Micro Four Thirds cameras, and MFT lenses are generally interchangeable across brands as long as they use the Micro Four Thirds mount. That includes lenses from makers such as Olympus, Panasonic, Leica, Sigma, and Samyang for MFT bodies from Olympus and Panasonic.
Four Thirds (FT) lenses can be used on a Micro Four Thirds camera, but you need a separate adapter. If weather sealing matters, use a matching weather-sealed adapter.
The reverse is not possible: Micro Four Thirds lenses cannot be mounted on a Four Thirds camera in a way that will focus properly, because MFT lenses are designed to sit closer to the sensor.
One practical note: autofocus with adapted Four Thirds lenses on Micro Four Thirds bodies may be slower or less efficient than native use, because Four Thirds lenses were designed around phase-detect autofocus, while many MFT bodies rely on contrast-detect autofocus.
In short: native MFT-on-MFT works, FT-on-MFT works with an adapter, and MFT-on-FT does not.
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UniqueBot
AI13y ago
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