Next US superdeal: Olympus E-P2 body for $249.
And here it is the next Super Deal for our US readers. The Olympus E-P2 (body only) sells for $249 at Amazon (Click here). That’s a $40 price drop over last week. For $249 you get an excellent camera that costs less than most average compact cameras with super tiny sensor! Yep, that’s the new digital world…two years ago the Olympus E-P2 price was close to $1,000! This should remind us to invest our money in good lenses more than in cameras! A lens like the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 that has been announced about the same time of the E-P2 kept the same value over the two years!
P.S: We Europeans have to look at Olympusmarket to find some similar deals. Currently there are E-PL3 (Click here), E-PM1 (Click here), E-PL1 (Click here) and E-PL2 (Click here) on auction.
Narretz
2 years ago |That is why I am waiting buying the EM-5. However, I don’t think the price on this baby will fall so sharply.
Mikey
2 years ago |I think the evolution seen in the last few generations has been pretty significant in the micro four thirds camp, especially in regards to autofocus.
In two or three years when buyers can get cameras like the E-P3 and E-M5 for around these prices, well those will be pretty amazing times.
Cameron
2 years ago |Nice strap. Where’s it from?
admin
2 years ago |I don’t recall yet. I guess it is from a japanese strip maker.
lnqo-M
2 years ago |This strap is Pen orginal strap it come in colour, white, brown and black.
MP
2 years ago |+1
Mike
2 years ago |I would buy one if there was a u4/3 lens available in the price/performance range of the $120 Canon 50mm f/1.8 – any suggestions?
achiinto4
2 years ago |How about a 50mm f1.4 zuiko from OM series. I got one for 50$
Mike
2 years ago |That’s tempting, the price is right, but I don’t think I could manually focus at f1.4 on anything moving, and 50mm is a little long on u4/3 for a walk about. I thought u4/3 compromises on sensor size to supposedly make lenses small and therefore more affordable, yet no one can make a fast normal autofocus lens for < $400 ? I was pleasantly surprised to find a new Sigma 30mm f/2.8 $200 lens – but that's not quite fast enough for indoor shooting without a flash. I suppose its only a matter of time before u4/3 lens lineups mature, but I could see it being another decade.
Brian
2 years ago |The 20/1.7 can be found around $250-300 on a good day, while the 25/1.4 can picked up at $450 when stocks are flush. Compared to Canon’s APS-C lineup, m43 arguably has a more mature native lens lineup than even Canon with their crop format cameras.
sneye
2 years ago |Ah. The E-P2 is one camera I’m still very fond of. It can produce fantastic results and has decent speed and functionality even by 2012 standards. It will be remembered as one of the few modern classics of our time I can’t believe the price. Such a bargain.
lnqo-M
2 years ago |Maybe only body, so i think not VF2 is by camera?
amalric
2 years ago |I got an E-P2 cheaply, and later and E-PL3 almost for free. Playing with the two cameras I discovered that the 14-42 II IR is almost as fast on the the E-P2 than on the E-PL3.
This means that the E-P2 was never the slow focusser that opinion made it. So get one!
The only limitation it that it will process images, including the EVF, at 60 MHz instead of 120 Mhz of the 3d gen. but that you really feel only at night.
It’s a fairweather camera, but an excellent one, with the DR and colour depth of a dSLR, but with the excellent pocketable design, and the sturdiness of a tank.
Charlie
2 years ago |How much were these originally???
Camaman
2 years ago |LOL! Why would you buy an EP2 when you have in stores EP3!?
JimD
2 years ago |$
amalric
2 years ago |I have both, and they fill different needs. I use the E-P2 for landscape, with heavier lenses, while the PL3 is perfect for street shooting.
I can predict more easily what the P2 will do, while the PL3 is sharper but is always at risk of denoising artefacts.
So having both is nice, also in case the shutter of one fails, like it happened to me before.
Camaman
2 years ago |I was being sarcastic.
The price is great and IMO one of the best ways to get into this system.
ght
2 years ago |There are STILL new EP2′s available?! How much longer is it going to take for Olympus to get rid of all these old models? I wonder if this backlog of old models is going to delay the introduction of Pens incorporating E-M5 technology? They’re still trying to get $600 for EPL2′s! There were a string of Pens with very modest improvements that aren’t nearly as impressive as recent Pens. I consider the EP3/EPL3/EPM-1 to be legit improvements and the E-M5 looks to be a huge improvement. Olympus needs to blow out the remaining EPL2′S- I can’t imagine too many people are gonna pay $600 for it.
Justin
2 years ago |If we don’t invest in cameras, to what will we connect our good lenses?
Charlie
2 years ago |If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Peter Bjorvand
2 years ago |I see what you did there…and yes it will because the animals of the forest will hear it…
Droboe
2 years ago |Great camera, i have one and have taken wonderful photos. But it’s also frustrating to take low light shots and seeing all that grain and moiré. Which is why I’m going for the OMD baby!
Doug
2 years ago |They are used….. No new ones for this price….
JimD
2 years ago |Olympus sell new product in the standard packaging. The Referb and returns are in different packaging marked reconditioned and sealed with a recon sticker. Oly always acknowledges refurb or returns. I buy referb with no qualms from Olympus, everything has been tested and adjusted after repairs. (most returns do not have anything wrong. I have spent 45 years in electronics services management and I will say the current trend to replace anything has seen a large increase of fully working and functional equipment being returned).
Used! I doubt it. Most countries have strict consumer laws regarding selling prior purchased equipment. Olympus would not allow themselves to be exposed, when they have very good, high quality outlets for returns and reconditioned in their authorised dealer networks. Pvt4545 (Ingram Texas) on ebay comes to mind I have made fine purchases of authorised reconditioned things from him and he packs well for the trip to Sydney.
amalric
2 years ago |I got an E-P2 from SRS Microsystems in the UK for 250 EU, 3 months ago.
It was described as ‘unit for display’, but I am sure they do money by splitting the kit. It was in pristine condition, so v. happy.
When I discovered that it was a fast focusser with the new lenses, it was a moment of bliss. To have both the racy looks and the functionality at that price, if you allow me the pun, is priceless
Farrukh
2 years ago |I’m waiting for the EP3 to drop to this price then pick up a couple more…
Miroslav
2 years ago |“This should remind us to invest our money in good lenses more than in cameras!”
Exactly my philosophy. While waiting for all features I want in a new body, I’m after lenses and flashes for my E-PL1.
bilgy_no1
2 years ago |Yes, better to upgrade bodies at a slow pace and get yourself a good lens lineup that will enable you to explore photography. But better still: work with what you’ve got and focus on making better photos. Not in terms of noise/DR/resolution etc.; but in terms of composition, contrast, colour, sunjects, meaning.
Any camera built in the last five years will allow you to explore many different kinds of photography. There will be better cameras for certain subjects, but that never beats the development of photographic skills.
Finally, the term ‘invest’ in combination with spending money on consumer electronics is a bit misguided. Even wrt the lenses.
bilgy_no1
2 years ago |“For $249 you get an excellent camera that costs less than most average compact cameras with super tiny sensor! Yep, that’s the new digital world…two years ago the Olympus E-P2 price was close to $1,000! This should remind us to invest our money in good lenses more than in cameras! A lens like the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 that has been announced about the same time of the E-P2 kept the same value over the two years!”
This all means that for around $550, you can buy a really good kit with the E-P2 and 20mm f/1.7. It will be compact, high quality, versatile and fun to use.
amalric
2 years ago |This reminds that I have only two cheap native lenses the 17/2.8 and the new kit lens for the E-P2. All the rest is legacy or 4/3. So my investment was minimal, which is nice in the face of the absurd depreciation.
Lagging technology is also my philosophy. I believe we’ll reach soon the limits to growth of the sensor, so I am in no hurry to throw money out of the window. The sirens of marketing deps, do their songs, but I have put wax in my ears
Now I am very curious to watch the X Pro 1 depreciation curve: will it avoid it, or will we be able to buy it for peanuts 2-3 yrs from now?
In the end the only fixed stars are my legacy lenses. Not one has fallen in price, some have increased, and they are my warranty that if a mirrorless system goes bust, I’ll move them to another system. Very peaceful feeling.
Neil Evans
2 years ago |So would you guys recommend an E-P2 or an E-PL2 (or something else) to someone just getting into this? I’m interested in getting into Micro 4/3 but don’t really have the money to put into one of the newer ones I actually want. I’d rather spend it on a lens.
Stravinsky
2 years ago |Ep2 more solid and looks better.
Neil Evans
2 years ago |Thanks! Do you think the performance is about the same? I’ve seen different opinions in different places.
わｋらない
2 years ago |Note that this isn’t from Amazon itself, but from Cameta Camera through Amazon. Cameta is a high volume discount dealer; I’ve seen them a lot on ebay. Apparently legit and apparently reliable, but nevertheless I’ve never used them. They have both 1 star and 5 star ratings on yelp with little in between, so buyer beware……