Capture the moment: In the world of photography, the unveiling of the Micro Four Thirds lens-mount system last month was a truly historic event. This new standard for next-generation digital SLR cameras, though easily overlooked by the average consumer, is being hailed as the most significant camera-market development of the year.

Until now, interchangeable lenses and the mirror system of SLR cameras, in which light passes through the camera's lens and is reflected into an optical viewfinder, allowing the photographer to see what the lens "sees," have been like an old married couple — you couldn't have one without the other.

The digital Micro Four Thirds concept — an evolution of the nondigital Four Thirds standard for SLRs — is a radical departure from tradition. The mirror is taken out and the photographer frames the picture using either an electronic viewfinder or, as is done with compact cameras, an LCD screen, making it easier to use for those accustomed to compacts.