E-PL6 kit for $299 - the best mFT entry level deal?

sderdiarian wrote:

How many of you have been asked by a friend or family member what camera should they buy as an upgrade from their smartphone and, oh, by the way, they don't have much money to spend? First instinct, run and hide!

This came up Sunday at a gathering at our home. I showed my friend my GM1, which he loved, but when I mentioned it was $499 on sale last X-mas, he said that was more than he wanted to spend. When he also mentioned he could get a Canikon DSLR at BB for that price, we had "that" conversation, you know, the smaller does not mean inferior (just the opposite), big brand names do not mean better and the mFT advantages bit.

Knowing my friend likes to travel, I went to the "which camera will he appreciate the most given his limited knowledge (i.e., which won't bite me later ) rule. After checking into where things currently stand, my shortlist initially included:

• Panasonic ZS50 travel zoom: $347, EVF and 3" LCD, 12MP sensor for less noise, 24-720mm/OIS lens, video features, flash, 8 oz.; downsides, slow f3.3-6.4 lens and small 1/2.3" sensor (same as some smartphones). Likely the safest choice, though.
• XZ-2 for a fast compact: currently $239 reconditioned thru GetOlympus (a steal), f1.8-2.5 28-112 lens, 1/1.7"sensor, flash, Olympus colors, enthusiast grade build; downsides, limited focal range, no EVF. If he's serious, an excellent choice.
• GM1 kit: $449, featherweight ILC with sharp 24-64mm (35mm equiv.) kit lens, 16 MP 4/3's sensor, flash; downsides, no EVF, no IBIS, swapping lenses. Price is higher than he planned, but might be worth the stretch to him.
• E-M10 2 lens kit: $599, small and light full-featured ILC, 16 MP 4/3's sensor, Olympus colors; downsides, size, swapping lenses. The price (while a bargain to those on this site, high to this novice) would be a stumbling block, but in good conscience I felt this great value for a camera he could grow with bore mentioning.

Then I stumbled across the E-PL6 kit on Amazon for $299.

While I always liked the styling and features of the E-PL5 (16MP Sony mFT sensor, Truepic VI processing, flip screen, IBIS, 8 fps, My Sets, 1/4000 shutter, small size), I didn't realize the E-PL6 added time-lapse shooting and improved 3-axis IBIS (E-PL5 has 2-axis), the latter a game changer to me.

It's also a handsome camera in black, having a nice enthusiast look about it:

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-E-PL6-Digital-Camera-14-42mm/dp/B00VNW5ALS/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1444826893&sr=1-1&keywords=olympus+pen+e-pl6

I came to the conclusion that while not as small as the GM1, an E-PL6 2 lens kit can be had for under $400, making it arguably the best deal for those on a tight budget looking to truly upgrade from a smartphone.

I'd be interested in what others might recommend given a $400 maximum price and a novice looking to upgrade from a smartphone.

To me, a 28-300mm (35mm equiv.) optical range would be desirable as would a larger sensor, along with ease of use and small size. A fast lens would also be up there, but this leads to compromises in optical range (i.e., the XZ-2) which may frustrate a traveler, or in a price out of their reach. Depends on priorities.

Personally I'd go with either the GM1 or EM10.  The GM1 is a tiny gem and I love mine.  That said, as an only camera it might not be the best bet.  Larger cameras are just going to be usable for a wider range of uses.  The EM10 gives you everything you need to do most photography in a relatively small package.  It has a built in flash so no need to carry around one like with the ePL6.  It also has a viewfinder which is definitely useful especially if it is your only camera.  To me the EPL6 just makes no sense.  It is larger than a GM1 yet lacks both a flash or viewfinder built into the body.  You also can't use viewfinder and flash at same time.  It might have good technical specs, but the design just makes no sense to me.