BCNreport shared the latest Japanese February sales data:

Lens share by mount:

• E-mount 32.6%
• MFT 13.8%
• Canon EF 11.4%
• Nikon F 9.3%
• Fujifilm X 8.8%
• Nikon Z 8.5%
• Canon RF 7.7%

Lens share by manufacturer:

• Canon 17.1%
• Sigma 16.0%
• Tamron 15.1%
• Sony 14.2%
• Nikon 13.8%
• OM Digital Solutions 8.6%
• Panasonic 4.6%
• Fujifilm 4.2%

via DigicameInfo

All details here: https://www.four-thirds.org/en/ftsday2023/

Nitecore announced the new BB Mini Rechargeable Electronic Air Duster Cleaning Tool for Cameras. You can buy it now on Amazon (worldwide) and eBay.

There are a ton of storage deals on this special BHphoto page.

Hot Kickstarter projects:

1. If you need a flexible, portable high quality 4k Laser projector to show your images and videos than check out the new JMGO N1 Ultra on Kickstarter (Click here). It’s the first gimbal and easily portable 4K Laser projector.
2. The new Benro Theta has collected over 1 million Dollars on Kickstarter (Click here)!
3. Duovox successfully funded their new Night Vision and Sony Starvis powered Monocular on Kickstarter.
4. The new modular Grip sling has been successfully funded on Kickstarter (Click here to back it).

Full Frame vs Micro Four Thirds: What is this Crop Factor thing?

Today deals at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, FotoErhardt DE, FotoKoch DE.
Go inside Sigma’s factory to see how lenses are made (Dpreview).
OM System/Olympus: The Histogram is Wrong; Using Flash with Auto ISO (Rob Trek).
How to Use the Color Green in Photography (42West).
Lav vs. Shotgun Mics for Interviews: Which is For You? (Explora).

Plenty of news on the facebook OMD group, Panasonic FF and the GH5 group.

Why My Favourite Beginners Camera is also Lumix’s Most Hated Camera

Today deals at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, FotoErhardt DE, FotoKoch DE.
Best External Hard Drives for Mac (42West).
OM System OM 1 Focus Stacking Speed & Level Meters & Face Tracking (Rob Trek).
Lensbaby Announces Double Glass II Optic for Composer Pro II (Explora).
Fotodiox, a bracket “Lens-Yoke” that supports a large lens (DC.watch).

Plenty of news on the facebook OMD group, Panasonic FF and the GH5 group.

Yosuke Yamane has been interviewed by Dpreview. This is the part were he talks about MFT:

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He emphasized that the size and portability of Micro Four Thirds lets it deliver things that full-frame systems can’t. ‘Micro Four Thirds is a compact and lightweight system that enables hand-held photography in combination with a telephoto lens, which is not possible with full-frame,’ he said. ‘And we believe it is an indispensable system for achieving a compact body that can be easily carried.’

‘I think the need for small, lightweight cameras that can be carried around all the time like smartphones will increase, especially among the younger generation.’

That combination not only underpins its appeal to groups such as wildlife photographers, but could also give it a role as a gateway for younger users more used to smartphones, he suggested. ‘One of our goals is to tell the story of the benefits of a dedicated camera to teens and people in their 20s. We need to tell them that there is a world that can’t be achieved with a smartphone.’ But to achieve this, ‘you need the portability the smartphone has,’ he said. ‘I think the need for small, lightweight cameras that can be carried around all the time like smartphones will increase, especially among the younger generation.’

He wouldn’t be drawn on whether this might result in a return of the GM series, but said we weren’t the only people expressing an interest in a small, capable camera. ‘The press in Japan ask the same thing,’ he said, ‘but for full-frame.’