Unexpected aid: Stefan Daniel from Leica says

Mizuwari interviewed Stefan Daniel from Leica. And he made quite a strong  statement about the MFT world. When asked:

So, for you, the fear that some have about abandoning the Micro 4/3 after the launch of the Lumix S 24 x 36 mm by Panasonic is completely unfounded?

ANSWER: Yes quite. I can not speak for Panasonic, of course. I do not know their plans either. But I can tell you that at the level of use, formats smaller than the 24 x 36 mm still have good days in front of them, with very strong assets in terms of size. This is why we also offer CL and TL in APS-C …

Moreover he feels good about the digital camera market as a whole:

“If we look at the market in the long term, the number of devices sold today is higher than the best times for film.

we are seeing growth, and even, very strong growth in 24 x 36 mm hybrid, and a decline in SLR cameras.

Even if the 24 x 36 mm is the fastest growing segment, I’m not sure it will sign the death of smaller formats such as APS-C and Micro 4/3. Because a 24 x 36 mm autofocus camera, be it SLR or hybrid, will necessarily be larger in terms of optics than a device using a smaller sensor.”