Is the E-PL6 the best camera deal at the moment?

Nomadical wrote:

Before I pull the trigger later on this week or so, just wanted to ask. Those of you who have this or the PL5; how would you say it does at high iso? I'm not entirely sure if I trust static studio comparisons versus daily shooting, so I wanted to ask from you guys who have experience.

I had to ditch my Panasonic G5 because it didn't fair well in low light, not even close to the GX7 which did great at keeping noise down but that had its own quirks. I keep reading mixed views on the PL5, with some saying it's only usable up to 800 iso and others up to 1600.

The first cam I had actually considered this week was the Rebel SL1 due to its smaller SLR size and cheap used price but the quality from some pics shows it being inferior to the Em10 sensor. Canon does make some pancake lenses now too but they're f2.8 compared to Oly/Panny's f1 primes. Much cheaper though, quite tempting.

I might actually hold onto the kit lens if I grab this PL6 after the few replies, thanks.

I shoot low light music performance venues from time to time.

I typically use a FF like Canon 6D etc but purchased the PL5 a few years back with a set of the popular primes. Found that at higher iso settings like above 800, I was at first a bit disappointed with the amount of noise and lack of detail esp. once post processed and even small amounts of noise reduction was applied. Here is a shot taken hand held at one of the worst lit blues bar dives in Seattle, Highway 99. I used an Oly 45mm prime at 1/125 s and iso set to 1600. No post processing, just straight out of the Oly PL5. The venues lighting is the typical multicolored lighting that few cameras are able to deal with correctly. I've used my Canon 6D at the same venue with much nicer results as one would expect.

The Nearly Dan tribute band at Highway 99 in downtown Seattle