At least in USA some Micro Four Thirds cameras are now cheaper than high end compact cameras! The black GF2 with 14-42mm lens now sells for $299 at Amazon (Click here and than look on the right sidebar under “more buying choice”). That’s $68 less(!) than the Panasonic LX5. I know we are comparing apple with oranges. The LX5 fits in your pocket while the GF2 with 14-42mm will not. But at that price even the not so hot-seller GF2 gets very attractive.
There are also other price drops on Panasonic products.The Gh2+14-140mm has a $300 rebate at BHphoto (Click here).
Maybe this is the result of the pressure they get from Sony and Nikon. The Sony NEX-5n is a real hot-seller and Nikon is doing better than I would have expected (Source: Amazon Ranking). Time to lower the price of the new [shoplink 26836]GX1[/shoplink] too Panasonic š
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The LX-5 Doesn’t fit in my pocket.
Perhaps a larger pocket is called for. š
+1
That’s cheaper than the lens alone. “Buy discounted lens, get free camera!”
High-end compacts will either have to get larger sensors, or die out.
But m43 are compact only with pancake prime or X zoom.
Wrong!
CF2 is very hot seller.
Admin, it was recently in one of your articles – Amazon #1.
It’s not simply pocketability that makes for portability. In 1976 I worked on the Dakota Photo Documentary Project. My primary camera kit consisted of an Olympus OM-1, with three lenses, two of which I carried in my jacket pockets: 24 f2.8, 50 f1.8, and 100 f2.8. While the other guys were lugging around big camera bags with heavy Nikons, I worked light, fast, and unobtrusively with my Olympus. Most of the time it was the 24 that was on the body, which I carried off my shoulder, not banging against my chest.
For large format, I used an absolute jewel, a Nagaoka flat-bed field folding 4×5 view camera with the 135 mm. Goertz Dagor.
From high-end compacts only Canon S95 (now S100) fits in pocket.
+1
GF2 has been replaced LX5 has not. Can’t be easy to sell a GF2 when people who wants small will choose the GF3 and more advanced users will get the GX1. And those who want something really pocketable with decent zoom will buy the LX5 (or S100)
LX5 also has a nice and bright lens?
GF2 with 14mm is sold (in Sweden and also elsewhere?) for the same prize as the 14mm alone. You actually get the GF2 for FREE.
Why? I believe there is a wast amount of them in stock which has not been sold out when the GF3 came. But I am not really convinced as I overheard a conversation with a Panasonic rep who really complained of the bad sales of the GF3. They could not understand why it sold so badly and was discussing this with a photo sales shop rep.
So why then sell out GF2? Not easy to understand if, saying if, the GF3 sells that bad. Maybe it has been a way to clear stocks for the coming GX1?
Lower the prize for GX1 due to competition from Nikon and Sony? NOT YET anyway. Panasonic has a large order backlog from retailers for the GX1. And as long as they can’t deliver to retailers/shops quick enough (which is the case now they told me) they will certainly not drop the prize. Simple.
In the Netherlands, the E-PL1 is now available for ā¬269 including the kit lens. Others are coming down too. It’s pretty smart for Olympus to have made the E-PL1 two years ago as a budget model now that there is increased competition.
+1.
I had GF2 + 14 mm + Adobe Lightroom 3 for very good price.
I have sold unused Lightroom.
As a result GF2 + 14 mm, became CHEAPER than only the pancake price.
This is the best deal with photo equipment I ever had!
Don’t write off the GF2 yet. If you use the 14mm or 20mm it’s pocketable and fun.
You get the same (excellent) sensor as the GF1 and if you’re processing RAW then the outdated jpg engine is irrelevant.
The thumbwheel gives you all the aperture and shutter speed manual control that you’ll get from the GX1.
Keep an eye on the twin kit for GF2, there are going to be some smart buying bargains as the GF2 gets phased out.
I would have gone for GF2 with the 14mm and the 20mm if it wasnĀ“t for the slow AF with the 20mm lens. The 20mm is even quite slow on the GF3 which made me really sad. The 14 and the 20 is the only lenses IĀ“ll ever need, but as there is no way to manually focus in a superfast and accurate way, and AF is just to slow for capturing a “street-moment” IĀ“ll have to wait for something better, or just keep shooting film with my unbelievably fast manual-focus-fingers on my Nikon Fm2.
Ok the deal is only $389 now. Not sure if it’s really that much of a deal.
I bet the discounted price always happen online or through time like black friday for US or European or limited Asian country. That’s way I buy my EPL-1 with discounted price, extra bag and extra battery last year while visiting NY during Black Friday. The same price only reach here in my country this late year without extra bag nor extra battery. I miss the black Friday….
Yes, good observation — the GF2 and also the Pen EP-2 are both reasonably new models and very lightly used still under-warranty bodies sell at very attractive prices. The GF2 body only sells used for about $250 as does the EP-2. It’s really a side effect of the proliferation of bodies — the earlier models (which are still quite new) get closed out at a discount and a used body sells at an additional discount.
I’d been sitting on the sidelines for quite a while because I felt that m43 bodies and the lenses were overpriced (compared to entry to mid level DSLRs for example) but then a few things happened. The glass got cheaper, the second generation bodies got cheaper (The Pen 2s and the GF2), and the Olympus 45mm was added to the lineup. So I’m now a happy GF2/20mm f/1.7 owner.
Just 1 week ago, I was able to buy a Panasonic 20mm pancake with GF1 body for 400ā¬ in The Netherlands. Since the lens alone goes for about 350ā¬. That was an extra spare body for 50ā¬. So yes nice deals can be found.
The GF2 has been a top hot seller both in Japan and US for over a month at a price $100 higher than this. This to me means there is a replacement GF4 or GF5 certanly in the pipeline with the G3 sensor and other improvements as GF2 was introduced a year ago. Unlike the EPL1 Pany continued to produce the GF2 concurrently with the newer GF3 which although less featured is smaller hence more popular. The GF2 is a bargain unless you already have a GF1 as I do. Pany has said they will have both a GF line and a higher range GX line.
The amazon deal for $299 GF2 starts on 11/21/11, according to the Sunday flier in the paper.
Hi
The apsc format was already less expensive than micro four third format….and the LX5;
Example: samsung NX. Better bokeh.
The micro four third make autofocus lens very expensive and not with very big aperture… I m disapointed about it.
You might want to take some time and learn what you’re talking about – Bokeh is a function of lens, not sensor….
The size of sensor has an effect on the depth of field available at each focal length – I suspect that’s what you’re clumsily alluding to.
+1
Not apples and oranges, both are meant for the enthusiasts. There’s very little reason to buy a prosumer compact right now, simply read the specs and compare the prices. And it’s almost winter in most countries right now, so portability is less of an issue since people have to wear and carry more :). Good times for m4/3, if only Olympus came out of troubles…
Deelooloo
Sorry but you do not understand….
I use the medium format (Hasselblad, Rolleiflex) for for smooth transitions, bokeh.
The samsung has a better sensor, lightroom treated it very well in terms of noise and dynamics.
You do not understand because my feeling can not be transcribed in English, which is not my native language…
The Samsung with the zoom (NX100) is ā¬ 250. You will never find cheaper.
With the optical light from samsung (pancake) there is a beautiful bokeh, beautiful transitions.
You’re part of people who are blinded by the 4/3…which is despite : too expensive, because the 4 / 3 the lens are very expensive and not very brighter …
And you are part of these people also looking at any price noise away from the pictures, that are looking for photos 12600000 isos (I have never spoken of noise)
Bye
A old photographer…