Micro 4/3 sensor: Does this make sense? A friend of mine told me that 210 mm lens on a camera with a micro 4/3 sensor is like a 300 mm lens.

traveler5450 Loc: Maryland, USA

Does this make sense? A friend of mine told me that 210 mm lens on a camera with a micro 4/3 sensor is like a 300 mm lens.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

traveler5450 wrote:

Does this make sense? A friend of mine told me that 210 mm lens on a camera with a micro 4/3 sensor is like a 300 mm lens.

Traveler, welcome to the Hog.
Yes that makes some sense. Might be 300, might be more.
But it's not the lens, it's just the field of view on a small sensor, at least compared to a bigger sensor. ;-)
SS

amehta Loc: Boston

traveler5450 wrote:

Does this make sense? A friend of mine told me that 210 mm lens on a camera with a micro 4/3 sensor is like a 300 mm lens.

The focal length of a lens is the focal length of the lens, that does not change.

The field of view, however, does change with different sensor sizes. The micro 4/3 sensor has a "crop factor" of about 2x, so the field of view of the 210mm lens is similar to a 420mm lens on a full frame/35mm camera.

Your friend may have been considering the lens on an APS-C camera, which would have a field of view similar to a 315mm lens (35mm equivalent).

RJM Loc: Cardiff, S Wales, UK

traveler5450 wrote:

Does this make sense? A friend of mine told me that 210 mm lens on a camera with a micro 4/3 sensor is like a 300 mm lens.

No, it's a x2 crop so it makes a 210mm lens 420mm !! :)

traveler5450 Loc: Maryland, USA

RJM wrote:

No, it's a x2 crop so it makes a 210mm lens 420mm !! :)

That simplifies matters. So I just have to double the size for all my lens new and old. The Olympus ME5 came with a 12- 50 mm zoom

RJM Loc: Cardiff, S Wales, UK

traveler5450 wrote:

That simplifies matters. So I just have to double the size for all my lens new and old. The Olympus ME5 came with a 12- 50 mm zoom

That's a good lens!

so it's 24-100 on a FF equivalent.

I have that lens and the 12-40 F2.8 Pro lens.

In some ways I prefer the 12-50 as it's lighter and has a superb macro function (43mm so 86mm FF equivalent. The 12-40 is stellar but the 12-50 you have isn't bad!

Enjoy the EM-5. It's a cracker and I wish I hadn't sold mine when I got the EM-1

traveler5450 Loc: Maryland, USA

RJM wrote:

That's a good lens!

so it's 24-100 on a FF equivalent.

I have that lens and the 12-40 F2.8 Pro lens.

In some ways I prefer the 12-50 as it's lighter and has a superb macro function (43mm so 86mm FF equivalent. The 12-40 is stellar but the 12-50 you have isn't bad!

Enjoy the EM-5. It's a cracker and I wish I hadn't sold mine when I got the EM-1

The ME5 is really a great camera. I returned to photography after 25 years. Practically everything has changed. I still have my dark room equipment that I have give away. i am re-learing everything from the ground up. In future may I contact you with questions about the ME5?

RJM Loc: Cardiff, S Wales, UK

Hi

yes, no problems contacting me about the EM5 or any micro four thirds lenses etc.

amehta Loc: Boston

RJM wrote:

Hi

yes, no problems contacting me about the EM5 or any micro four thirds lenses etc.

:thumbup:

There are many very helpful people like RJM on UHH willing to discuss photography!

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

traveler5450 wrote:

That simplifies matters. So I just have to double the size for all my lens new and old. The Olympus ME5 came with a 12- 50 mm zoom

To be clear, the focal length of a lens does not change, EVER! Smaller cameras sensors like on a Micro 4/3s give the impression you're zoomed in closer because of the angle of view. The "standard" is the 35mm full frame sensor. Small sensors like those on various APS-C dslrs, Micro 4/3s, point & shoot cameras and any other cameras with smaller sensors use a multiplying factor called the crop factor.

A Micro 4/3s camera has a crop factor of around 2. As a result, for that particular sensor size, the actual focal length must be multiplied by 2 to give you the 35mm equivalent angle of view. The focal length of the lens itself does not change. Some point and shoots like the Canon SX50 are advertised as 24-1200 mm (35mm equivalent). In reality, the lens in that camera is actually 4.3 - 215mm due to that cameras crop factor of 5.6.

hb3 Loc: Texas

traveler5450 wrote:

Does this make sense? A friend of mine told me that 210 mm lens on a camera with a micro 4/3 sensor is like a 300 mm lens.

Your friend is incorrect...the equivalent reach with a micro 4/3 sensor is double...in this case 420mm equivalent...

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

traveler5450 wrote:

The ME5 is really a great camera. I returned to photography after 25 years. Practically everything has changed. I still have my dark room equipment that I have give away. i am re-learing everything from the ground up. In future may I contact you with questions about the ME5?

Me too! I once built an amazing darkroom. I could print and process up to 16x20 in color from 2 1/4 inch film.

Digital replaced film and a job change forced me to give up the darkroom permanently. It really hurt.

Three years ago it was my turn to discover RAW, and Lightroom. This year it is the M 4/3 system. It is personally a thrilling replacement to my long mourned darkroom.

Recently I scanned an old 35 mm B&W negative to make a print. The digital scan and ink jet print is better than I was able to ever do in the darkroom.

Have fun with your camera!