[shoplink 56566 ebay]
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For a limited quantity you get the E-P5 with 17mm f/1.7 lens and VF-4 EVF with a huge $550 discount at [shoplink 56566 ebay]RobertsCamera eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. On other US stores like BHphoto you have to pay $1,249 for the same kit.
19 Responses
Much as I could care less about the PEN series, you are looking at a free camera. The lens and viewfinder alone can run the same bill. Because the sharp, 17mm f1.8, zone focus lens kicks the fluff out of the all the zooms short of the 12-40mm f2.8, such a beast can make a fantastic street shooter. Keep the excellent electronic viewfinder in your pocket, though. If you are used to view screen shooting, you will use the EVF when sunlight floods the view, and eventually prefer it. It’s the lowest cost, step-up entry into μ43 on offer. The boring, bottom rung entry stiffs you with middling sharpness and a terrible aperture compromise.
Still rather have a gx7.
I bought this kit at full price when it came out. What a disappointment. The E-P5 is not a good camera and that lens is a dud.
I have not heard anyone who has owned the lens say it is a dud, nor any reviewers. Bad mouthing comes from the peanut gallery of pretenders, many of whom are sales chaps who are paid to be derogatory, and the rest are brand bigots. The alternative to the mZuiko 17mm is the slightly sharper, somewhat longer, turtle slow AF, 20mm f1.7 from Panasonic. Both are terrific lenses, fitting similar, but not identical roles. If you like zone-focus, there is only one choice.
I lol’d at “turtle slow’. So true…but i still love that lens!
Well, sharpness isn’t everything, but the 20 is dramatically sharper. The 20 is the sharpest non-telephoto prime… by a significant margin. Renders better too IMO. The 17 1.8 is one of the softest primes. The only softer one is the 17 2.8 it replaced. It renders OK, but it’s quite noticeably soft. Also, you have a second choice for zone focusing. You can zone focus with the much much better PL15. Just flick the on lens switch from AF to MF, choose your focus (or AF then flick the switch), and the lens will keep that focus even if you power down. Besides, aren’t the focus indicators printed on the 17 inaccurate? Olympus should have fixed that long ago. The 17mm 1.8 renders OK, focuses quick, and is (for me) a classic and much used focal length, but it is not at all a sharp lens.
I started out with the 20mm and used it all the time. Optically it’s great, but to say it’s dramatically sharper than the 17mm 1.8 by a significant margin is probably just an opinion. I got the 17mm f1.8 later on and compared them a lot to see which one I should keep, either one of them or both, or none. Indeed there’s more than sharpness. The clutch mechanism, the slight fov difference, purple fringing, the AF sound, and of course AF speed, but had the 20mm really been that much sharper, I would still be using it now. Instead I only kept the 17mm 1.8 as my every day lens.
My opinion on how it renders is subjective, but sharpness is objective. It’s not an opinion. We can measure it, and people have. Lens rentals tested all the m43 regular primes. The 20 is the sharpest. The 17 1.8 is one of the softest, and the difference is significant. You can find it on their blog if you care. Also, while not a head to head comparison, plenty of others have tested both lenses, and you can compare reviews from the same source.
I’m not saying the 17 is bad. Everyone has different standards. Some might not notice or care about its lack of sharpness, but it is one of the softest lenses in M43. Stopping down helps, but it never gets particularly sharp. Also, (and you can see this in objective test data as well) the range of f-stops where it becomes sharp makes for a fairly small shooting envelope (and besides, that defeats the purpose of a fast lens). It renders OK, and it’s not obviously sub-par like the 2.8 version it replaced, but it is a quite soft lens among M43 primes.
I know the stories, that’s why I hesitated so much at first, but I found out I wasn’t exactly shooting with a experimental lomo style lens. So significantly softer for what? For who? That’s what I mean with the opinion and subjective parts of the story. I am not afraid at all to use this lens wide open.
The lens is great (I own it), the camera is great (I own it), the vf4 great (I own it). No idea where that disappointment came from.
A sure sign new PEN is coming out? This is a crazy deal, for anyone who needs a cam.
I just bought a manufacturer refurbished NEX 3n for $120, a sensible price for that camera. Same with the Pen E-pm2 for $199 new. In line with that, this is a ripoff. They have actually been sitting at this price for the last 2 months, and going nowhere.
I do not like the PEN. I love that lens. If you bought an NEX, why are you hanging out here? To remind μ43 fans and customers how stupid they are?
You can’t own pens and other cameras and compare them eh?
More likely, a sure sign that there is a clogged warehouse on clearance. Nobody should be surprised that the PEN tanked. The market for the nifty, rectangular, convenient, highly portable, not small sensor, high resolution camera flew off to the Sony RX100 series.
There is nothing else like it. Outstanding, versatile combo for actual, every day use at a great price, if you care about quality instruments and actually getting those photographs. Also see Mark’s comment about the excellent EVF.
Meh. You would be better off buying the GM5 with the $400 gift card that was advertised yesterday. If you like the lens, use the gift card for it.
I bought this kit a full price and loved it! it makes an awesome travel camera and the 5-axis is amazing. I’ve owned a slew of cameras including high FF and i have to say this is the most fun i’ve had with any camera. Makes a great companion to FF set up. I’d jump on this deal if i didn’t already have one.
This package would have been ideal for me if the lens was the 25mm f1.8 instead…