A Digital Camera That Swaps Lenses, Priced to Please

A Digital Camera That Swaps Lenses, Priced to Please Any serious photographer can quickly point out energy saving lampthe benefit of a digital camera with a large image sensor. Simply put, bigger sensors — not more pixels — yield better photos.

But even pros don’t always want a bulky digital single-lens reflex camera. And that, in part, is why so-called Micro Four Thirds cameras are redefining the middle ground of digital photography.

Just ask Tyson Robichaud, a professional photographer from Portland, Ore., who recently bought a Panasonic Micro Four Thirds model, the Lumix DMC-GF1. “I wanted a camera that I could bring with me when I didn’t want to carry a big camera, but one that still provided good low-light, high-quality image performance,” Mr. Robichaud said.

For the amateur photographer with aspirations to take great photos, this new category of cameras can be the step up from a point-and-shoot model. The Micro Four Thirds camera fits the space between bulky, complicated digital S.L.R.’s and pocketable user-friendly compact shooters.

Holding one for the first time is a revelation, particularly for those who have considered stepping up to a D.S.L.R. but found their size and heft intimidating.

In every aspect — depth, height, length, and weight — the hybrid cameras and their lenses are appreciably smaller because of a design that omits the mirror box and pentaprism of D.S.L.R.’s (although lack of a mirror also eliminates the optical viewfinder). They fit in your hands comfortably, and hanging one around your neck won’t feel like you’re bearing a small kitchen appliance.

Olympus and Panasonic came up with the Micro Four Thirds format in 2008 to break the lock Nikon and Canon had on the high-end D.S.L.R. market, said Chris Chute, research managerenergy saving lamp for digital imaging at IDC. Like a D.S.L.R., Micro Four Thirds cameras have a variety of interchangeable lenses.