Sad Used Prices for EM-1 first edition

averacpa wrote:

Tom Caldwell wrote:

averacpa wrote:

Just out of curiosity, today I checked KEH for selling (to KEH) prices on both my EM1 and GX7 camera bodies both in excellent plus condition. While the EM1 only fetches $95 dollars US, they will give me $129 for the GX7 yet the EM1 is superior in so many ways.

Owning both cameras mentioned I would dispute your assertion that the E-M1 is superior.

The GX7 was and remains a classic - a prefect rendition of the RF-Style body in digital format.

The interface is very intuitive and Panasonic certainly fitted it up with every bit of technology they had when it launched. Unlike my E-M1 my GX7 has been 100% reliable and has had a lot more use. Today I still use it in parallel with a GX85 and GX9 - in no way do I consider the GX7 inferior for practical use.

In terms of percent of value, the $600 GX7 bought new is holding up so much better than the EM1 (also bought new), which in my case was overhauled by Olympus last year for green blobs in the EVF. They replaced the viewfinder and the rear dial and brought the camera back to specs, although the rear dial in my opinion was not needed (already replace once and working perfectly).

My E-M1 had evf “blobs” (developed within months of ownership) which were fixed with the dodgy back wheel (as supplied). The repaired wheel survived but despite careful use the blobs eventually returned. Furthermore the I (personally) think that the GX7 interface is about perfect and intuitive whilst the E-M1 interface has to be learned and assimilated over a much longer period of time. Luckily the Olympus repair centres have a good reputation as they must be needed more often. I would rather own stuff that never fails.

None of my several Panasonic camera bodies have ever developed “blobs” in the evf and I of course use identical dioptre settings and use them in a similar manner.

So the need for your Olympus to be serviced back up to specs has been the answer your own curiosity. You did not mention if the GX7 needed to be repaired.

Anyone buying a second hand E-M1 will no doubt take into account the lottery of their reputation for breakages - and I see that neither of use mentions “strap lugs”.

I am still quite happy with the images they both take and will hold onto them for a while longer. Funny how many of Nikon film cameras are still selling used for more than their original cost (if in good condition).

Try buying a Panasonic GM5 these days.

Everyone has their favorites and that is my GX-7 with its form factor and menu ease, but on a safari last year, my EM1 out performed it and my Em5 Mk II when using with long telephoto lenses like the Pany 100-300 and the Oly 45-150 Pro (focusing speed and capture capabilities during especially late evening hours). The GX7 was never really designed to handle in terms of weight and handling balance. long telephoto lenses.

As for the lugs, no issue here, but I use a RRS bracket and a secondary strap point attached to the bracket which takes the load off the lugs directly. Oly replaced out of warranty the first rear dial issue. Two small blogs occurred just last year, during the said safari trip. Oly fixed them at their standard cost and replaced the rear dial again.

I am not complaining about the depreciation of technology, just pointing out an observation. I agree that because of the rear dial, lug and blob issues, the camera body may be too much of a risk to take buying one used.

I think that we basically agree.

These are two different styles of camera bodies each made for slightly different mode of use - which in fact they each do very well. There is basically no issue with the E-M1 as a camera - but its unreliability in several well documented ways is well documented.

On the other hand I have a very short fuse for product that breaks down in this day and age of supposed high quality control.  I cannot so really easily forgive Olympus just because they fixed something that should not have gone wrong. Gone are the days where good warranty saved the day. I cannot think of any of the multiplicity of Japanese sourced product I have bought - not only camera gear - where it has actually broken inside the warranty period - even if it has ever broken at all that was not my fault.

Most likely you just take the broken gear back to the shop where you purchased it and they give you a brand new one off the shelf.  This of course is early breakages which are most common and usually not a Japanese brand.

Broken tripod mounts on the E-M5iii have surfaced.  It might be a case of misuse (with respect to those afflicted).  But on the other hand can we document tripod mount failures on other cameras irrespective of brand and no doubt suffering equal amounts of similar “abuse”.

Olympus seems easy to forgive.  Panasonic gets different rules - when it breaks it becomes a national tragedy because they so rarely break.

I have just brought out my E-M1 from mothballs - I gave it a hug - it is really a nice camera body.  Surprise - the battery still had good charge.  I wish that I could say the same thing about my Sony A7R or NEX6 - their batteries seem to flatten furiously when not being used.

While I am complaining - the Panasonic S1 has a battery as big as a bus - not sure what it is doing to support the camera but when I carry my GX7 I carry a much smaller spare battery which I rarely need - when I carry the S1 I carry another bus-size-battery which I surely always do need.  Something to do with the big bright evf that everybody yearns for?