Panasonic Wants to Make a Cheaper L-Mount Camera, But No Plans for APS-C

In a recent interview with Photorend, the Director of Imaging at Panasonic, Yosuke Yamane, revealed some of the company’s plans moving forward. Highlights include a teaser for a more affordable L-mount camera, reiterating the brand’s commitment to Micro 4/3, and much more.

The full interview (translated) touches on all of the most pressing questions that full-frame and Micro 4/3 users had for Panasonic’s top brass: what are the plans for the S-series full-frame mirrorless cameras? Will there be an APS-C L-mount camera? And is Panasonic still committed to Micro 4/3 moving forward?

You can read the full interview here, but a few key takeaways worth noting include:

  • The S1 is the brand’s best-seller in the full-frame mirrorless space.
  • The brand would like to “allow as many people as possible to enjoy Lumix cameras” by expanding the L-mount product line. Keep an eye out for an entry-level model.
  • Panasonic has no plans to release an APS-C sensor L-mount camera. “We have two sizes of sensors,” says Yosuke-san. “If we have three, this could cause confusion.”
  • Panasonic remains committed to Micro 4/3 because “there are two categories of users”: those who value mobility (M43 shooters) and those who demand the best photo/video quality (full-frame shooters).
  • Micro 4/3 remains important for mobility because the smaller sensor allows for smaller lenses. Even smaller full-frame cameras (i.e. mirrorless) still require large full-frame lenses.
  • Thanks to the location of its Chinese factory, Panasonic’s production wasn’t badly impacted by coronavirus shutdowns in China. However, this answer was given on March 5th, before other global supply chains became compromised.

The full interview is definitely worth a read if you’re a Panasonic user, or are simply curious what the mirrorless market will look like moving forward. Each brand is taking a different approach: Nikon is releasing both APS-C and full-frame cameras on the Z-Mount, Canon plans to keep the EOS M mount around for APS-C purposes, and Panasonic sees its future in full-frame and Micro 4/3, using two different mounts.

Only time will tell which approach is most lucrative; or, given the current state of the world economy, most sustainable in the midst of a crisis.

(via L Rumors)

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