Originally posted by Alfisti John my problem is, as much as i want something smaller, add a zoom lens and suddenly it's not so small .... so you're stuck with primes to keep it 'real'.
'Not so small' is a relative term. While an M43 EVIL with a kit zoom is not as small as a supercompact like the Canon G10, it appears to be smaller than a similar dSLR:
There are people in this thread that know way more than I do about this subject. If the photos above are somehow deceptive or misleading, please share.
Speaking as someone that just rode a motorcycle through Eastern Europe with 2 dSLR bodies and 2 DA* zooms (16-50/F2.8 and 50-135/F2.8) slung over their shoulder, any reduction in size and weight is welcome. If photography was just a hobby, or if the primary output target was the web, I'd be seriously considering the new M43s.
My point is that the current size and weight advantages of the M43 format over dSLRs is enough to make the current buyers of an entry dSLR + a couple of kit lenses reconsider their decision. Based on my (entirely) unscientific observations on my trip, there are a lot of dSLR owners that fit into this category - they buy a body with one or two kit lenses, take it on vacation, and then maybe, just maybe, buy another lens somewhere down the road. And I don't think that this is a new phenomena - just look at all the 20 year old SLRs with 2-3 lenses for sale on Craigslist. There's a whole segment of camera enthusiasts that move up to supercompacts, imagine themselves getting more 'serious' about photography, buy an SLR, but never get that serious - as serious as most of the people here. M43 is perfect for them.
And while the size advantages diminish as the focal length increases, I'd argue that the audience I'm describing aren't buying 200mm telephotos and zooms in large quantities. Further, they're probably completely happy with the 2x FOV factor of M43 and think that their 100mm zooms are, in effect, 200mm.
We - who frequent this forum and pore over lens review and discuss circles of confusion and talk about camera systems - aren't the target audience.