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.

The PEN-F looks nice but is awfully expensive (~$1000). The E-PL8 (~$550) doesn't seem to have great reviews. 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?

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?

Is the E-P5 already out of date or still a good buy?

Best buy in Pen type camera right now is to find a leftover EPL7.  I got one for $250 w kit lens (deal no longer available).   Pretty decent camera for what it is.  Pen F is too pricey for me.  I see little to like in EPL8 over EPL7 for the money.  EP5 was the Pen line they should have kept going.  If you find one cheap and you are sure it is good then it is a viable option.