Best camera system purchase for $399 is still m43???

Chi Pham wrote:

I read that the LiveView feature is not as good as mirrorless which means very unpleasant shooting experiences and the non-tilting LCD is a huge negative.

Also, there will be no more lens purchases. I know my family member very well.

Spend once and be done with it so the argument of having alot of lens doesn't hold.

At the same time, there's a lot of lens available if he ever needs to upgrade in the m43 format.

PS: Portability for vacation is a huge huge bonus!

If the potential owner is unlikely to add any more lenses... then the EPL6 two lens kit should be ideal for their needs. Both kit lenses are pretty impressive, and together they cover a very useful shooting range.

As far as lens upgrades go, M4/3 has plenty of good options, as you duly noted. But anyone who wants to spend $400 "and be done with it" is unlikely to want to buy any $1,000 lenses. Not from Olympus, nor from Nikon.

The EPL6 two lens kit is a very good place to start. You could stop right there with much more capability than a $900 Sony RX100 camera at less than half the cost. Or it could become your second camera if you ever decide to move up. And it is still a relatively small camera.

Plus, the size and weight difference is embarrassing for Nikon. The Nikon with normal kit lens is 700 grams. The Panasonic kit weighs in around 440 grams.

DSLRs do have some advantages over MILC cameras, but none that would be important for a casual amateur shooter. They rarely prefer OVF or EVFs because they are accustomed to framing with the LCD from their P&S or cell phone.