Beyond Digital Point-And-Shoot

Point-And-Shoot cameras are wonderful. They are fast, accurate and capable of delivering 13"x19" prints. But then there is the problem what do you do if you want to make long time exposures, sweep panoramas or just simply be able to have full control of motion as well as what's in focus and what's out of focus. Micro Four Thirds cameras offer a partial answer and so do full sensor Single Lens Reflex cameras but neither offer a full solution. The Olympus PE series Panasonic GF series and Sony NEX series cameras are Micro Four Thirds cameras. Each line of cameras offer different features. The Panasonic camera probably offers the most for the money with it's ability to do 60 second exposures, having the most lenses available and being a smaller body. But the Sony camera with it's ability to only do 30 second exposures, having less lenses available and larger body may look like a lesser camera. I like this camera the best of the 3 for it's one unique feature - sweep panorama.

The fact that these cameras don't have a mirror making it impossible to have thru the lens viewing - a standard in SLRs and having no B exposure option making it difficult to use for night photography are both serious deficits making it difficult to use these as primary cameras with similar priced SLRs getting lighter and smaller with each new model. The third generation of these cameras are a good choice for anyone who's primary need is a small, light camera.

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