Olympus PEN-F vs E-PL8 vs E-P5

twood0202 wrote:

I have a few micro four thirds lenses and am looking for a new body. I've been using a Panasonic DMC-GX1 and was never really happy with it... I much preferred the Olympus PEN E-PL3 that I had briefly but returned because it lost the date every time I took the battery out. Somehow the GX1 I bought as a replacement never quite did it for me--I constantly have to play with colors in post processing, my panasonic 14-42 power zoom lens has focusing issues, etc.

While not entirely the same spot - I was recently shopping for a new m43 body (as a secondary body to compliment my EM1.2)

The PEN-F looks nice but is awfully expensive (~$1000).

It is very expensive indeed for what it offers. I love the size, looks, everything - but won't pay the price.

The E-PL8 (~$550) doesn't seem to have great reviews.

I had the E-PL7 as my secondary body for a couple of years, and it is what I was looking to replace. The E-PL8 is essentially the same camera. It's not a bad camera per se, but for me it had a few "downers" that made me decide to replace it:

1. Ergonomics - It's a SMALL camera, and while it has tons of advantages, it means that in terms of ergonomics it is just not there. It has only one exposure dial (which is a big no no for me), and the buttons are cramped. You get the overall feeling of shooting a compact. I hate it.

2. EVF. It had none. Annoying as hell.

3. Flash - funny enough - it disturbs me more on my secondary camera than my primary. With my EM1.2 I mostly shoot my "good" pictures - landscape, wildlife, etc. I don't need crappy on camera flash for those. If I do some studio/event work I use a proper flash. But with my "go everywhere" smaller camera (formerly EPL7) - the lack of flash was annoying. I take it out on evenings and sometimes I want just a "crappy" flash photo.

I found a used E-P5 for sale around $380 which seems more appealing, although I find it hard to believe that camera (or at least touch screen) technology hasn't improved substantially since it was released in 2013. Is the E-P5 still competitive or would I regret that body in a couple years?

Keep in mind the E-P5 has outdated IBIS and no EVF as well.

One benefit of the new bodies is then I can get the 14-42EZ lens for a reasonable price with the current deals. Size is important to me, so I'm willing to lose some image quality to get a compact camera that I'll be comfortable carrying around with me during long travel.

Is it crazy to buy the Pen-F?

Crazy?! no.... it's a great camera, and if its your primary one - you get plenty of cool features with it.

Is the E-P5 already out of date or still a good buy?

I would not buy the E-P5.

But I would direct you in another direction. The GX85. It costs a lot less than the Pen-F, and it comes bundled in a very attractive price with the 12-32, which, while has shorter reach than the 14-42, is wider (huge advantage) AND, more importantly, is MUCH BETTER (The 14-42 EZ is a mediocre lens, to put it mildly).

The GX85 has the same form factor (give or take) of the Pen-F. It is AMAZINGLY comfortable to use and shoot with, it has EVF (though not the best one), built in flash, TONS of features, better C-AF than the Pen-F, supports USB charging, and has a lot going for it. 
It costs 697$ with the 12-32, and if you buy it now from BH - they offer it with a bundle that includes the 45-150 for FREE, so basically for 700$ you get the camera and TWO lenses. 
I would say the only REAL downside I find for this camera is the quality of the EVF. It's not the best. Having said that, it IS usable, and it is FAR better than the EVF on EPL8 or EP5 (which are non existent ;))