UPDATE: E-PM2 two lens kit for $349 at BHphoto (Click here).
There is a great E-Pl5 deal at Adorama and BHphoto:
1) BHphoto sells the Olympus E-PL5 superkit (Click here) for $499 and you get:
– Olympus E-PL5 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5 II Lens
– Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40mm-150mm f/4-5.6 “R” Lens
– Ruggard Streak 15 Shoulder Bag (Black with Yellow Accenting)
This runs for the Black (Click here), Silver (Click here) and White (Click here) E-Pl5!
2) Adorama sells the Olympus E-PL5 superkit (Click here) kit for $499 and you get:
– Olympus E-PL5 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5 II Lens
– Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40mm-150mm f/4-5.6 “R” Lens
– Olympus Mini-Messenger Bag with Shoulder Strap
– SanDisk 32GB Class 10, Extreme Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Memory Card
– 4% Back in reward
This runs for the Black (Click here), Silver (Click here) and White (Click here) E-Pl5!
More new US deals:
Rokinon 300mm f/6.3 Mirror Camera Lens for $229 at Groupon (Click here).
Rokinon 8mm Fisheye Lens for $229 at Groupon (Click here).
18 Responses
The Amazon links are for the E-PM. That was on sale for $349 last week
Lucky US !
In Canada, same deal at future shop for $450
I’m not seeing it, only the one lens kit for $450.
Disregard, found it. Thanks for the heads up.
Seems like the Future Shop Canada $449 kit includes the 40-150 lens while Olympus Canada $499 kit includes the newer 40-150 R lens.
Fire sale!
Both of these cameras would have had a chance if they had built-in viewfinders. And don’t get me started on the E-P5…. What a debacle!
I own an E-P5 and an E-PL6 that I ordered from Hong Kong. Each has its own VF-4. I think both cameras are fantastic! They break down for travel and when in use have the BEST MFT viewfinder centrally located and easily accessible for right and left eye users. The fact the the viewfinder is an attached unit allows the bodies to remain small, especially in the case of the E-PL6. I do not use flash..but if I need to I can use my E-P5. If you must have an in-camera viewfinder there are other choices in the MFT System. I do not think that every camera body made needs to conform to my needs only. Different strokes for different folks. MFT is very rich in choices!
I understand what you are saying, but for the masses to embrace this format and keep it alive, the experience needs to be more dSLR-like, not point and shoot-like. Purchasing a separate viewfinder is not what people want. It looks like it’s a point and shoot trying to be a dSLR, and not like a equal or better alternative to a bulkier dSLR.
I have tried to guide many people to this format, and they don’t think these cameras are as good as a Rebel or D3000/5000. And that’s for two main reasons, no viewfinder, and no built-in flash. You have to add them on. They just say, “ehh, I’ll get a Canon or Nikon.” These are people who want to set their camera to auto, by the way! Don’t get me wrong, they look at the GH3, GX-7, E-P5, E-M5 and especially the E-M1 and are intrigued, but the prices are out of the entry level.
The absolute lowest end Canon has a viewfinder, flash, mode dial, ISO button, thumb dial, among other buttons to control exposure. Until Olympus and Panasonic get this, and incorporate this into every camera body they have, they can’t expect to sell these cameras at or above dSLR prices. Like it or not, these cameras have to be every bit the same, and I argue, better, to compete. This is definitely not the case at the entry level.
When I moved to m43 about 4 years ago, I was missing my Canon gear, but I stuck with it. I saw the potential for a fantastic balance of size and image quality. We are there now, BUT they have to make the experience the same up and down the entire line.
I argue that you can pick up the lowest end Canon Rebel and the dSLR experience is the same all the way up to the 1D. Of course build, speed, buttons, viewfinder, etc increase as you go up the line. However, the fundamental experience is the same. That is NOT the case with m43. Choice is a bad excuse.
So you are saying that EVERY MFT camera must be made in the style of a Canon Rebel.
I think that these cameras are beautiful because someone was able to think out of the box. The fact that there is so much variety is wonderful.
Personally, if a dumb American wants a big DSLR as his only camera, my attitude is..let him have it. (BTW, I am a US citizen).
If your dream comes true…I will shoot in another format.
No no no…. Perhaps I wasn’t clear. What people are looking for is a certain experience. Holding a camera with a zoom lens out in front of you like a point and shoot is cumbersome. You need a viewfinder, a flash, and certain basic controls to make it more of a dSLR experience in a much more beautiful package. People at the entry-level, especially, do not want to buy or carry add-ons.
The Pen cameras are beautiful. However, they feel like point and shoots in the way you handle them. With the exception of the E-P5, the controls on the Pens are severely lacking. And the E-P5, as amazing as that camera is, is like a very expensive point and shoot without a viewfinder.
My point is, these cameras will not be taken seriously BY THE LARGER MASS MARKET unless you have basic “higher-end” control throughout the line. Which is what I was referring to when I mentioned the most basic Canon Rebel all the way up to the 1D. Look at any Rebel, the cheapest one, and you have infinitely more control than with any comparbly priced or even higher priced m43 camera. And I’m not talking about older models that sell for next to nothing. People want current models, not last year’s news.
I bought the E-PM2 because it’s so low priced right now. I like the camera, but that’s because I’m familiar with the menus and I know what I’m doing. BUT I will be the first to say, the shooting EXPERIENCE is more like a point and shoot than a dSLR. The results are certainly that of a dSLR, but I argue that’s not really what people really care about when you are talking about the broader market. Especially, when they are about to “invest” in a system.
People are not buying SLRs because there PEN models without a viewfinder. They are buying SLRs because they are less expensive. If m43 is going to compete with SLRs cameras like the G6 need to be priced at $500 with the kit lens, not $650.
If someone wants a camera that takes better pictures but has no intentions of using anything except the green full auto mode walks into a BestBuy they will have to choose between a Nikon D3200 at $500 and a Panasonic G6 at $650. If they do not care about size and weight they have little reason to spend the extra $150. For people that only take their camera out on special occasions at home or on vacations that do not involve a lot of walking the extra weight of a SLR is not a big deal. And most entry level SLRs are the smallest SLRs available. When someone I know wants better pictures but has no interest in photography asks what sort of camera they should buy I point them to an entry level SLR. A D3200 has more dynamic range, better low light performance, can focus on moving children better than any m43 camera and costs less. Telling someone in the green full auto crowd to get a m43 camera is giving them bad advice at the current prices.
I really like my GX7 and have no intention of going back to a SLR. For me the size and weight of a camera and a few lenses does matter and I now consider a tilt screen indispensable. There are some other features I really like too that are not available in a SLR like the electronic shutter, ability to use adapted lenses, 100% accurate viewfinder, etc. But that does not mean m43 is the best choice for everyone. And it does not mean every m43 camera has to look the same.
+100
I have the money to buy a GX7 or EM5.
I bought a E-PL5 because it is smaller and fits into my jacket pocket. I don’t want a viewfinder.
The last thing I want to worry about it catching the viewfinder on my jacket pocket, or worry about positioning the camera in the bag or my pocket so the viewfinder isn’t damaged.
I don’t take pictures with flash because flash photography sucks.
I don’t want a DSLR.
Quite obviously, Bob, he is saying nothing of the sort, and pretending to deliberately misunderstand him is just bullying piled on top of envious jingoism.
And Berneck has a point. Olympus itself has said it is not concentrating on P&S anymore. What will it concentrate on? Models with eye level finders. Likewise Fuji is getting mindshare with its X family… all the way down to the XF1 market failure. What’s in common? Eye-level finders. Sony’s don’t-call-it-NEX family’s most recent successes? Eye-level finders.
The market of interested prospects is starting to speak with its dollars, and the camera makers are following.
“bullying piled on top of envious jingoism.”???? LOL! Have you been hanging out wit Almaric???? You are selling that to the wrong guy.
I get Berneck’s point….but there already is the Panasonic G6 which I have seen as low as $498. That fits the bill perfectly for the ” DSLR Consumer”. As a matter of fact the whole G line of cameras has always been directed at that group. The style of the camera, the colors, etc. The cameras are “priced right” and fit that bill. They offer a mini DSLR experience.Olympus is coming around to this somewhat perhaps with upcoming release of the “entry-level M5” camera. MFT has something for everyone right now.They just aren’t large…which defeats the whole point of MFT. If you have a consumer who thinks that he must have a large DSLR-type of camera (like his GIGUNDA SUV)…that consumer is not an MFT customer…never will be because they don’t “get” it and they must have the idea that they have in their head.
Also, the last thing I “personally” want is a point and shoot experience…that is why I think the fact that the Pens allow the add-on VF it allows me to have a very small camera with the best MFT sensor available, with ALL the controls that I need, once I set the camera up with all of the customization that it offers. If you know what you are doing it is AMAZING what you can squeeze out of an E-PL6. With the VF attached and all my custom functions set it is nothing like a “point & shoot” experience for this photographer. it’s QUITE advanced. Personally I don’t “get” the GM1 that “is” a P&S experience for too much money (for me)…no VF…no sell.
But, again, that is the strength of MFT…all the different options….I don’t have to like every camera…but there truly is something here for everyone unless you really need something BIG to stroke your ego and impress your friends. š
I donāt think the focusing is any worse than an entry-level dSLR, but Iāll be the first to say it needs to be improved. I also do the same as you, I just guide āauto onlyā crowd toward Canon or Nikon, because they wonāt get the same experience with m43 in that price range.
I think you raise some additional good points. Pricing is terrible. If they are going to compete, they need to price them accordingly. However, my points about the shooting experience needs to be there first and foremost. Another problem is the marketing of these cameras. People really donāt understand that they ARE dSLRs in a smaller, sleeker package. I disagree that many people buy these and donāt care about the size. I think they would gladly buy a smaller camera IF they knew for sure they were not giving anything up. (at the lower end of m43, they are)
For a VERY long time dSLRs were the only cameras that gave you a reasonable assurance that you would āget the shot.ā It has been that way for up until about a year. The vast majority of people do not buy dSLRs (at the entry to mid-level) for sensor size, dynamic range, DOF, etc. They buy them to GET THE SHOT! Nothing more. Many will disagree with this, but you need to step out of the enthusiast/pro mindset. If their iPhones could get the shot, Canon and Nikon would really be hurting. Donāt think that couldnāt happen someday.
I know Iām also going to get a lot of flak for this, but Panasonicās problem is also its brand. The G cameras should be directly competing with the Rebels and D3000/5000ās. They should be making a dent, but they are not. They are arguably better than the Canon and Nikon entry-level, in my opinion. However, people donāt think of Panasonic as a camera company. When they hear Canon and Nikon, even Olympus, they think cameras. When they hear Panasonic, they think TVs or cordless phones. In my opinion, Panasonic has been making more viable alternatives to the dSLR than Olympus. Olympus is finally catching on, but I maintain that they need that shooting experience throughout the line, as well as competitive prices. Iām very interested to see what Olympus does with this entry-level OM-D. BUT, the price, the built-in flash, the wi-fi, etc ALL have to be there.
By the way, this isnāt meant to bash m43. I am looking at this from a purely business point of view. It was very frustrating even for me when I adopted m43 and dumped my Canon gear. I started with Panasonics and moved to Olympus. Iām glad I stuck it out. The E-M5 was finally there, and I was very happy, but the E-M1 is EVERYTHING I had been waiting for, at I think a very fair price. I love that camera, and anybody I let use it loves it also. Actually, the E-P5 was everything I wanted, it addressed the VERY SLIGHT flaws in the E-M5, but with one glaring problemā¦..no viewfinder.