Is the E-PL6 the best camera deal at the moment?

I find the price unreal, is there some reason it's only $300 brand new? I realize there is the newer E-PL7 and the OMD series, but I just can't believe how cheap it is. Even with inferior IBIS and no EVF. Panasonic's little GF cams aren't even close to this cheap.

Comparing high iso pics on imaging resource, I was blown away at how good and sharp the pics looked coming from the PL5 (same sensor). They easily beat out the current Rebel lineup, Panasonic GF/GX7 and even the Nikon D3300.

After having sold my G5 and being disappointed in the RX100 III, I'm now just looking for something nice and cheap that delivers in low light. Is there anything better on the market that can be found at this price? This $300 cam + prime sounds like the top budget system on the market, even trumping used DSLR gear.

I was originally looking for Fujifilm X30 or Nikon P7800 and they are in the $500 range. I know they are different class of non interchangeable lens rangefinder type cameras. But after the E-PL6 came out at only $2.99 - it became a no brainer. The E-PL6 is quite a bit smaller and lighter than both Fuji & Nikon - plus has a much larger sensor.

So yes the E-PL6 is the best deal now. It even costs a little less than its twin E-PL5 - which has less feature than the 6.

Richard

I had the EPL5 a couple of years and it never gave me any troubles

A darn fine camera in its own right

I find the rear control a bit fiddly but other than that not much to reproach

The EPL7 fixes the issue but costs more even though you can get a refurbished one from Olympus for less (got mine for $350.00)

Even though the EPMs can be gotten for cheaper you may want to skip them for the EPL5 sensor is a newer and better gen

Best wishes

Cheers,

For those of us with M43 lenses already, this is a terrific deal.  I bought one and sold the kit lens,  I have neen thrilled with the performance of my E-M10 and had been searching for a smaller, coat pocket camera as a back up.  I bought a used Fuji X10, and while fun to use, had a significant fall off in IQ.  The Sony RX series was compelling, but expensive - same with the Lumix GM1.

I am very happy with the E-PL6.  The IQ is basically as good as my E-M10, so I don't feel I am compromising when I use it.  For daylight shooting I mount the 12-32 on it and a telephoto on the E-M10 and am ready for anything.

An E-PM2 would provide similar IQ, but the E-PL6 has better controls.

Nomadical wrote:

I find the price unreal, is there some reason it's only $300 brand new? I realize there is the newer E-PL7 and the OMD series, but I just can't believe how cheap it is. Even with inferior IBIS and no EVF. Panasonic's little GF cams aren't even close to this cheap.

Comparing high iso pics on imaging resource, I was blown away at how good and sharp the pics looked coming from the PL5 (same sensor). They easily beat out the current Rebel lineup, Panasonic GF/GX7 and even the Nikon D3300.

After having sold my G5 and being disappointed in the RX100 III, I'm now just looking for something nice and cheap that delivers in low light. Is there anything better on the market that can be found at this price? This $300 cam + prime sounds like the top budget system on the market, even trumping used DSLR gear.

I bought the EPL-6 at $299 from Amazon. Olympus USA claims it has 3 axis IBIS. Olympus Malaysia in their lit says 2 axis. I tested mine against my E-M10 (3 axis), both at 90mm, 35mm equiv., down to 1/2 second and couldn't tell any diff. (I'm not a pixel peeper). The Panny GF7 seems to be available for about $450 now with the 12-32 lens. Both kit zooms are slow, but if you put a 12, 15, 17, 20 or 25mm lens on the Panny you have no stabilization at all in low light. Reports also indicate that the GF7 is not built as well as the EPL-6. The advantages of the GF7 are better video (I don't shoot any) and larger viewing area for stills (not a deal breaker). The EPL-6 has the same sensor as the EM-5 and EM-10, but the Trupic 6 processor, so no 0 second anti-shock. I haven't seen any shutter shock yet. My main complaint against the EPL-6 is the grip - it was more comfortable without it, forcing me to pay another $20 for the MCG-2 grip which is much better. Hope this helps in your decision.

The EPL-6 is an EPL-5 with a few added firmware functions and a slightly different finish on the body. I understand that in Europe and Asia it was sold as a kit with the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ pancake zoom. When they released the EPL-6 here in the U.S., they changed to kit lens to the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 R II zoom like the EPL-5 kit.

I wanted a backup for my E-M10, went shopping for an EPL-7, and came home with an EPL-5 after my dealer offered me a great deal on an open box EPL-5. The EPL-5 or EPL-6 is an excellent little camera and it comes with the same Sony 16mp sensor used in the E-M5, EP-5, E-M10, EPL-7, and I believe the new E-M5 Mk II, so you won't see any difference in IQ if you are using the same lens. But, for somebody who wants to move from a fixed lens P&S to a mirrorless backup, get into M43 or wants a good backup for their main camera, its a great deal.

I'm not sure exactly why Olympus brought the EPL-6 in to the U.S. all of a sudden and why the strangely decided to price it below the identical, but older EPL-5. But, in 2014 Olympus got a new chairman, new CEO, and a new president of the imaging division. If you read the 2014 Olympus Annual Report, besides continuing to grow the other two highly successful divisions, they are there to stop the financial bleeding in the imaging division and move it into the black. Their game plan includes consolidating and downsizing the division, cleaning out the huge costly backlog of  compact cameras and pretty much eliminating the compact camera line, plus moving forward by bringing, what they call, high margin OM-D cameras and professional grade lenses to the marketplace. OM-D is mentioned throughout the annual report by all three executives while Pen cameras are only mentioned in one paragraph in the entire report that is followed by a chart showing the current imaging division camera lineup. From the comments in that report, I would be surprised if we see another generation of  EP or EPM Pens and possibly the EPL-7 may be the last of that line.

Nomadical wrote:

Thanks for all the info everyone. I had planned on ditching the kit lens and just grabbing a prime plus a telephoto sometime down the line. I'm surprised the kit is actually not that good though and most of you dump it. When I had the GX7, I recall the 14-42 II being very sharp and much improved over the first. Figured Oly had followed suit.

I see some mentions of the GF7 and had initially considered that but even used, it's $400. If Imaging Resource is a good place to judge and compare studio pics, this Oly sensor seems to deliver the best high iso/noise ratio of any mid-range cams out there. I was really surprised to see it even trumping the D3300 and such at 1,600+ iso.

dv312 wrote:

The EPL7 fixes the issue but costs more even though you can get a refurbished one from Olympus for less (got mine for $350.00)

I checked their refurb outlet and they don't have it for any cheaper than $450. There are no used copies on Amazon either which is strange, I guess everyone has been satisfied with it.

I almost opted for the PL5 when it was on sale for $299, and then danced with the PL6 at the same price point. I decided I wanted the newer processor of the PL7/E-M10 (I own an E-M10) and so I looked for some time for a refurb PL7 and didn't see one, maybe I just missed it. I was able to get a used PL7 through a WTB ad on another forum, however they are hard to come by.

"I'm surprised the kit is actually not that good though and most of you dump it."

The kit 14-42 is fine.  Image quality is s a little bit better my other kit zooms of the Nikon 18-55, and Sony 18-55.  And quite a bit better than my Sony E-mount kit zoom 16-50.

Initially it was a little annoying with the unlock and extend button, but I got used to that pretty quickly.

It is true I don't use the kit zoom that much though.  I am just having a great time with the new Olympus 14-150II instead.

Nomadical wrote:

Thanks for all the info everyone. I had planned on ditching the kit lens and just grabbing a prime plus a telephoto sometime down the line. I'm surprised the kit is actually not that good though and most of you dump it. When I had the GX7, I recall the 14-42 II being very sharp and much improved over the first. Figured Oly had followed suit.

I had a GX7 with the 14-42mm II that I gave to my son. No complaints; it was a decent lens. I can't speak for everyone else but, my case, I already had four excellent primes plus the 12-40mm f/2.8 and only went with the EPL-5 kit because it was the only option. I put the 14-42mm on the camera, verified that it worked ok, and put it back in the box. I had a Fuji X-A1 that came with their totally plastic XC 16-50mm kit zoom. The images were OK, but every time I put the hood on, I could hear plastic grinding against plastic. That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the plastic mount on the 14-42mm that came with the EPL-5. Of course, Olympus eliminates that possible problem by not giving you a hood with the kit lens 

Another approach would be to consider a used E-P5.

Bought a mint low use kit with lens and viewfinder off eBay for $600 and sold the viewfinder and 17mm lens for a total of $450 and am extremely happy with the purchase.

Resultant cost = $150 for the E-P5 body

Already have a PL5 with 4 primes and didn't need the lens nor the viewfinder.

The PL5 takes very fine photos but that rear dial is too fiddly and slow for my taste and having the 5 axis ibis and two dedicated parameter dials makes it a much faster and surefooted camera.

Especially if you can get it as an open box kit (camera was never turned on) for $258 as I got one from Amazon just last week