Micro 4/3 M43 users, what gear makes the M43 system stand out for you?

It was the EM5 w/12-50 kit lens. Coming from a Canon 7D w/15-85 f3.5-5.6, the jewel-like, tiny, and lightweight Olympus blew my mind when my friend let me touch his. Months later, I had bought the same kit and 40-150 R kit telephoto. I enjoyed taking photos so much more that I sold my entire Canon kit soon thereafter. The high performing, rugged, and weather-resistant bodies and lenses have been winners. The selection of terrific lenses have kept me going. Ain't going back.
 
It was the video...yes the video.

I was doing a lot of video stuff in the early 2000s, (mostly hobby, some paid).
About 2011-12, I sold my wonderful, Pany HMC-150 HD camera, and bought a GH2.
1/4 the size, 1/3 the cost, and darn near equivalent video quality.

But I soon found out, the GH2, using a couple Canon FD adapted lens, took pretty darn nice photographs.

And that reignited my photography bug.
And once I discovered RAW and digital photo processing, I was hooked.
I still shoot the occasional video, but still photos are mostly what I do.

No longer have the GH2, but others are in my sig.
 
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All three of my bodies, each with their default lens attached, weigh about 2Kg, in total. Smallest (E-PM2 + 14-42 EZ) is less than 360 grams. Largest (E-M1 MkII + 12-100) is about 1.1Kg.

E-M1 MkII kit, including FTs f/4 7-14 + 12-100 + 75-300 MkII + f/1.8 25 weighs in at around 2.4Kgs. Even with my almost completely buggered, 75 y.o. body, I can still carry this kit quite easily.
 
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Something that made you feel like the system was better for you than other systems, didn't have an available equivalent in other systems, was better than the available equivalent in other systems, or was a better deal than other systems?
Among the ILC systems remaining in development, μ43 seems the least focused on pushing people into bigger, heavier, and more expensive equipment. I get that ILC manufacturers are collectively trying to hold on to revenue by moving upmarket and getting enthusiasts to buy up but, at the same time, the more they do that the smaller they make their addressable market. Having never been in the 135 or larger digital market, it's unsurprising Canikony's aversion to smaller formats and Fuji's disinterest in XC lens development pushed me out of APS-C.

At this point, a phone is adequate to overkill for 95+% of the imaging I do. The remaining <5% is mostly macro and long glass and, even if μ43 wasn't still tops among ILC systems for autofocus bracketing and mme favourable from its crop factor, I'm not interested in lugging around larger format lenses for those uses or trying to get them to fit in a budget.
 
A flippant reply would be the large range and choice of kit, both bodies and lenses.

More specifically, for me it's the Oly 45mm f1.8. I took some of my favourite portrait images with it and a G3 and it's the thing above all others that brought me back to MFT after a necessary foray into Nikon land.
I also love this lens, especially since I discovered the MCON-P02, which turns it into a killer macro shooter.
 
Coming from Fuji gear the real standout when it came to comparisons was the difference between fast standard pro grade zooms.
With Fuji it's the 16-55mm f/2.8. An excellent lens but unstabilized [and only the later Fuji bodies have IBIS] and it's a wopper and deservedly earned the nick name...'the brick'!
With M43 there is the Oly 12-40mm f/2.8 and the Pana 12-35mm f/2.8. Both much smaller and lighter [with the Pana half the weight] and probably similar IQ.
Marry either of those with an Olympus body, with excellent IBIS, even 5 years old, and the comparison with Fuji is quite stark


Fuji VS M43.jpg
 
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Coming from Fuji gear the real standout when it came to comparisons was the difference between fast standard pro grade zooms.
With Fuji it's the 16-55mm f/2.8. An excellent lens but unstabilized [and only the later Fuji bodies have IBIS] and it's a wopper and deservedly earned the nick name...'the brick'!
With M43 there is the Oly 12-40mm f/2.8 and the Pana 12-35mm f/2.8. Both much smaller and lighter [with the Pana half the weight] and probably similar IQ.
Marry either of those with an Olympus body, with excellent IBIS, even 5 years old, and the comparison with Fuji is quite stark


View attachment 327980
The 12-45 is also a perfect little companion to the E-M5iii. Handles well on the E-M1 body too.
 
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