Dissonant view: Sylvain Duford explains why the E-M1II $1,999 pricing might be right

November 8, 2016
reviews
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We read many complains about the pricing of the new Olympus E-M1II. So I thought be fair for once to offer an opposite view from Canadian photographer Sylvain Duford:

But as much as I would have liked this camera to be priced lower, is it really overpriced? Just the fact that almost 4 years of inflation have passed since the original E-M1 plus the fact that the Japanese Yen has appreciated about 20% in the last few months, this alone nearly justifies the entire 33% price hike. Add to this the Japanese earthquake that has caused a rise in sensor prices…

And than there are all the new class leading new features:

I say the technology alone and the amazing capabilities that this camera provides justify the price of entry. These things require a lot of R&D and manufacturing and miniaturising this kind of power isn’t trivial either. Is there any other camera that provides this combination of functionality, speed and ruggedness in such a compact package? I don’t know of any at this time. This is market-leading capability.

I still do believe the price is a big hurdle for many who would have loved to buy the camera. But in Olympus defense I will also say this: Expect ALL camera manufacturers to raise their prices on future new cameras by a 20-30% margin. In a shrinking market and strong YEN perspective things are going to cost more.

Olympus E-M1II preorders:
In USA at BHphoto, Amazon, GetOlympus and Adorama.
In Europe at ParkCameras. WexUK. Digitech.ch.

Olympus E-M1II accessories:
HLD-9 Power Battery Holder at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama and GetOlympus.
BLH-1 Lithium-Ion Battery at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama and GetOlympus.
BCH-1 Battery Charger at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama and GetOlympus.
AC-5 AC Adapter at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama and GetOlympus.
CBG-12 System Backpack at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama and GetOlympus.
CB-USB11 USB Cable at BHphoto, Amazon and Adorama.
CC-1 USB Cable Holder at BHphoto and Adorama.
RM-CB2 Release Cable at BHphoto, Amazon and Adorama.
PT-EP14 Underwater Housing at BHphoto, Adorama and GetOlympus.
PPO-EP03 Underwater Macro Lens Port at BHphoto, Adorama and GetOlympus.
Underwater Diffuser Plate at BHphoto, Adorama and GetOlympus.
O-Ring at BHphoto and Adorama.
LCD Hood at BHphoto and Adorama.
STF-8 Twin Flash at BHphoto, Adorama and GetOlympus.