Are adapting four thirds lenses on micro four thirds still relevant in the year 2025, and if someone is doing it, what are the pros and cons they get with it? all explained here.
If you are old enough, you might know that one of the great shifts in the photography world was the transition from Four Thirds to Micro Four Thirds, a.k.a. MFT camera systems. Many still hold the classic four third lenses and wonder if it is still worth investing in adapters to use these old timers on MF camera systems. Let’s explain all of that in detail.
Olympus’s Four Third lenses
Released back in 2003 by Olympus and Kodak, this digital camera format was designed to be compact and deliver significantly better picture details than the traditional camera systems of that time, i.e., full-frame and APS-C DSLRs. This setup used a sensor of 17.3mm × 13mm and with significant 2x crop.
Advanced tech of Micro Four Thirds
The industry started to move to mirrorless cameras to ditch bulky camera systems, which led to Olympus and Panasonic releasing another camera system called the Micro Four Thirds system, in which they dropped the DSLR box to make it a more compact system.
This made it pretty much a standard camera system since then, and four thirds were held back since the new generation of MFT systems bring cutting-edge performance in a small package. Like the SIRUI Night Walker T1.2 S35, which offers cinematic grade performance from closeups to wide angles in a handheld lens profile.
Although MFT lenses like the S35 have now immense application, still many use four thirds lenses on micro four thirds with the help of adapters. If you put them side by side, the main difference between the two systems is size, The MFT uses smaller, newer mount systems as compared to bulkier counterparts. The new breed also has as compared to mirrorless system’s contrast detection auto focus & hybrid AF as compared to phase detection AF in four thirds. However, the important part here is that both systems have the same sensor size, ranging from 17.3mmX13mm, and the adapter here can bridge two systems.
The Rise of Adapters
Many OEM and third-party adapters out there will give your lens a new life, but “adapting” four thirds lenses on micro four thirds comes with performance considerations. One of them is the auto focus issues since MFT camera systems use a Contrast Detection AF in their body, which works less efficiently with Four Thirds lenses. You can work around this problem by using a manual focus or a camera system with hybrid AF.
Another thing that might bug you is that the four thirds are bulkier, especially when used with adapters and side by side with other camera lenses. Common in wide-angle lenses, you might also face “vignetting” in four thirds even when both systems share a 2x crop sensor. You can deal with this by manually cropping during post-processing or by enabling lens correction settings on your camera.
You may also lose some electronic functions that you might be used to, including autofocus and aperture control. This can be fixed by using official adapters, but since cameras are always evolving, there is still a chance that using an adapter for four thirds lenses on micro four thirds might not be that smooth an experience.
Having said that, many professionals out there still find a way to use these lenses for their work, but they cannot be used as a main camera for serious professional work. For some, it makes sense to use adapters and even use them for professional domains. For example, the Olympus Zuiko 150mm f/2 four third lens has no direct MFT equivalent, which is an ultra-high-quality lens system and is used by many with adapters.
Moreover, if you own cameras like Panasonic G9/GH5 or Olympus OM-D E-M1 series, then using adapters will give even better results as these systems natively offer Phase Detection AF for better four third lenses.
Adapters: Yay or Nay?
So, is using four thirds lenses on micro four thirds worth it in 2025? Yes, but with a few caveats. These adapters are a great way to give your lenses a new life, but do check the autofocus speed, lens size, and compatibility when mounting on your new MFT camera body.
If you are not an old veteran in this niche and are just starting, then going for native MFT mirrorless cameras is better. We recommend checking out the SIRUI Night Walker T1.2 S35 MFT lens, which offers plenty of performance in a small package and a budget-friendly price.