During a recent interview, OM System executives acknowledged that proposals to develop full-frame or APS-C cameras have surfaced repeatedly within the company over the years. Kataoka admitted that shortly after Micro Four Thirds launched, he personally considered expanding into full-frame or APS-C as a future direction; however, a senior colleague challenged him on whether they had truly exhausted the potential of Micro Four Thirds before looking elsewhere. Taking that advice to heart, Kataoka spent the next 15 years focusing on how to push MFT to surpass expectations rather than switching formats. Shirota shared a similar perspective, noting that while he weighed what a transition to full-frame would look like, the unique value OM System wants to deliver requires the compact nature of Micro Four Thirds. Both executives believe that although a physical gap between sensor sizes will always exist, once MFT image quality reaches a threshold that fully satisfies users, the difference ceases to matter – allowing OM System to forge its own R&D path by creating things that don’t yet exist in the world rather than following competitors into the crowded full-frame market.
Recap of the interview:
