[HELP] Oly E-PL7, Pany GX8, or something else for beginner

The E-PL7 cannot be put into the Olympus PT-EP10 housing. There is a "problems" with Olympus housings: #1.: two types of standards, so the domeports and planports cannot be exchanged (in addition it seems to me that the Olympus E-PL7 housing is a third standard by its own).

Because of this upgrading to another camera model (what many people do every 5-10 years as technology improves) is expensive.

In addition the housings are: #1. plastic (light, what is positive, but prone to fogging of the front glass) and #2.: do not have vacuum leak detector and prone to flooding (actually my wife flooded her E-PL6 in September, so I cannot offer it along with the housing).

=> For the beginning a cheap second hand setup with plastic housing is probably very good (This is how my wife upgraded from compact to mft years ago). Olympus plastic housing plus camera body, you can get this probably for between 200-400$) - I would not buy anything new for this camera and spend 1000+ on a plastic housing for E-PL7...

=> Alternatively you can look for a second hand housing from e.g. Nauticam (I am more than satisfied with this brand, I recommend them) for GX8 (In case such a housing is available from Nauticam). I also purchased my Nauticam housings so far second hand (EM5II and EM1II, <50% from new price). In case you want to upgrade you keep all lenses, zoomgears and ports and just buy new camera and housing (I see you write that you want something durable, so this is probably the way)...

=> In case it is difficult to find second hand housings for your cameras, I would not invest a lot of money for special housings, but go for another camera (In Wetpixel announces, I saw recently a Olympus EM1-I plus Nauticam housing and 45o viewfinder for 1000$ (already the viewfinder costs this new) - I would have bought immediately, but no need at the moment).

I started two years ago with EM5-II as main camera both over and under water in (second hand) Nauticam and acquired several great lenses and domeports (see ma gearlist). The idea is that both my wife and me use Nauticam housing, so we can share these great lenses and ports and she does not need to buy separate domeports...

Wolfgang