Songdian Says it is Making a Micro Four Thirds Camera and Lens

Mar 18, 2026

Jeremy Gray

A highly pixelated image of a camera on a white background; the specific details of the camera are unclear due to the heavy blurring. — For illustrative purposes only

Just over a month ago, Chinese imaging technology company Shenzen Sonida Digital Technology Co. Ltd. (Sonida), joined the Micro Four Thirds system. Sonida makes Songdian-branded cameras, which are typically low-cost compact models.

Songdian cameras heavily emphasize affordability, and the company’s current lineup is full of cameras that can fairly be called “scameras.” At best, they are knock-offs of trendy models. The company has a Fujifilm X100-inspired compact camera that Amateur Photographer called “the worst camera I’ve ever used.” The company also has action cameras, instant film cameras, and even DSLR-styled all-in-one zooms. If there’s a reasonably popular camera model, there is probably a Songdian lookalike at bottom-dollar prices.

The image features the Micro Four Thirds logo on the left and the word "SONGIAN" with a red camera icon replacing the "G" on the right, above two Chinese characters.

That said, Sonida is a very real, legitimate member of the Micro Four Thirds system, and OM Digital Solutions, maker of OM System cameras and lenses, is happy to welcome the company into the fold. Speaking on behalf of the Micro Four Thirds system last month, OM Digital Solutions said it expects Sonida to launch new Micro Four Thirds products soon to “further expand the enjoyment of imaging and video creation.”

As 43 Rumors reports, Songdian announced a pair of new compact cameras this week, including the DC226 Pro and the VE228. While these two cameras are not very interesting, sporting Type 1 and Type 1/1.4 image sensors and knock-off designs, the company also revealed that a brand-new Micro Four Thirds camera and lens are under development now.

Details are exceedingly scarce; all the company said is that it is making a Micro Four Thirds camera and lens, so the timeline remains opaque. However, this is still interesting news. While many of Songdian’s products may fail to excite dedicated, enthusiastic photographers, that does not mean Songdian’s Micro Four Thirds products can’t be good. Perhaps the company can survey the Micro Four Thirds landscape and fill a void with an interesting, worthwhile product.

Front view of a black and silver Olympus PEN digital camera body, showing the lens mount without a lens attached and various control dials on the top. — Photographers really miss the Olympus PEN series. This is the PEN E-PL9 announced way back in 2018, which has since been discontinued.

43 Rumors hopes for “something PEN alike,” and that could definitely be a fun choice. Songdian has a proclivity for making versions of trendy cameras, so a new PEN-style camera makes sense.

The company could also opt for a compact Micro Four Thirds camera with a built-in lens. Nothing is stopping them from taking that approach, and it’s an area where neither OM System nor Panasonic has done much in a very long time.

A black Panasonic Lumix digital camera with a large Leica lens, various control dials, and a textured grip is shown angled to the right on a white background. — The Panasonic LX100 II, a Micro Four Thirds camera with a built-in lens, was also released in 2018.

This is, of course, all speculation. New product development can take quite a while, after all. For example, Hangzhou Xingxi Technology Co. Ltd., also known as YoloLiv, joined the Micro Four Thirds system in October 2023 but didn’t release its first Micro Four Thirds product until the YoloCam S7 last summer. Its first Micro Four Thirds lens, the unique 18mm f/1.4, was just announced last week.