The PL6 is an excellent 16mp entry level MFT camera

I missed out on the $300 clearance PL6 bundles where you got the camera and the 14-42 II R kit lens, and for an extra $100 Olympus included the 40-150 R telephoto.  But, I managed to buy a pristine PL6 body online, only 500 clicks,  for $190 delivered, and it has a six month warranty from a reputable camera shop.  The PL6 is cheap, is the first thing to consider.

What do you NOT get with a PL6 that would would with a PL7 or PL8?  The newer cameras have built in WiFi and 3 axis stabilization, the dial on the back is moved to the top of the camera, and a few other small refinements.  Mainly, the newer cameras are arguably more stylish.

My love for the first generation Olympus MFT cameras I own remains unchanged.  The 12mp sensor cameras delivered excellent performance at lower ISO settings, and the 16mp sensor in the PL6 allows for usable photos beyond ISO1600.  The 16mp sensor is a better mousetrap, but the old mousetrap worked very well.

What do you get with the PL6, other than the improved 16mp sensor?

These cameras have the excellent touch screen that folds both up and down, allowing you to compose shots with live view above your head or from your waist.  They have the ability to use the touch screen to focus during video, and a 99 shot time lapse feature, and the excellent touch and shoot feature from the P3.  The camera body itself is small, compact, and easy to carry around.  Use a FlashAir card and your camera hooks right up to your smartphone using the current Olympus share app. There's a lot to love in a PL6, for not much money.

The image quality of the PL6 is virtually the same as any other Olympus 16mp sensor camera.  The two axis stabilization works, to at least two stops, and allows you to shoot legacy glass with stabilized lenses.  The video is good enough for viewing on HD screens.  It takes every MFT lens ever made.

That's a lot of camera, for two hundred bucks.

My first MFT camera was, actually slightly under a year ago, E-PL6 with 14-42mm R II for 200€. Brand new.

It's not a bad camera at all and for that price it's borderline amazing. For stills of something that does not move extremely fast in not too dark conditions it works fine. The IBIS is a bit rudimentary and the focusing, while not at all bad, is noticeably better in my GX80. Neither of these is an issue to me for 80-90% of the time.

The biggest problem of E-PL6 is that the 1080p@30fps video is at most passable. That's not an issue for many I bet and while I could live with 1080p@30fps, cameras like GX80 are just lightyears ahead in video quality.

For $190 I got the body, a body cap, a charger, and a battery, and a six month warranty from a reputable camera shop. I have bucko lenses, including that neat little f2.8 Oly pancake.

Last Friday I visited a brick and mortar camera shop in Columbia, Missouri.  They had a PL8 with the pancake 14-42EZ for sale at $650, plus tax, that would have made the set up $700.

For $500 I can find a used 12-40 f2.8 lens, I'll betcha.

i already have the $200 PL6 camera body to hang it on.

The PL6 is likely the best bargain in a used Olympus rangefinder style 16mp MFT camera body.

You hear about buying a camera that's good for the way you shoot, and the PL6 is good, for the way I shoot.  My first and foremost requirement for a MFT camera is that it cannot offend my subjects and has to make me look like a tourist or a shutterbug, instead of a government agent or private detective.  I travel to some places that make Deliverance look like it was filmed. in an urban setting.

The PL6 is a rangefinder styled Olympus MFT camera.  Put a Navajo styled strap on in and you won't be mistaken for BTF.

I have a VF-2 viewfinder and only use it among good friends.  It's offensive to aim a camera at strangers, and using live view is less offensive.

Since I prefer the rangefinder style MFT camera, The PL6 is about the cheapest way to get one in 16mp.