Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 + 14-42mm lens, Refurb, Purple, $240 shipped @ Cameta Camera

Quote from shnitz : Good price on the E-PM1! The lens alone sells used for about $100-$150, so you are getting the camera body for less than $100! It doesn't have anywhere near the image quality of the newer micro 4/3 cameras, but you are getting the body for essentially nothing. And that's pretty much the best image quality midrange lens you can get for the system, besides the $1,200 Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8. This camera is basically the smallest possible body they could think of making around the sensor. And for the love of god, please nobody buy yourself the E-420, haha. There is a reason that 4/3 DSLRs died, and that's because it wasn't a good system. Optically it was fine, but didn't have any of the advantages that it promised, and that the competition today can do much better for much cheaper. Any lenses for the system are ridiculously expensive, not worth investing in.

what are you talking about? Newer camera you mean the OM-D the only one being newer. Correct me if I am wrong, E-P3, EPL3, EM1 all use the same Panasonic sensor and have the same IQ.
The E-PM2 & E-PL5 isn't even out yet. While the 14-42mm kit lens is the worst lens out of all the m4/3 line up, it's not bad, it's just worst out of all the m4/3 lens. "Best image quality you can get for the system" ?!? where did you get that.
Here's a selection of tests. http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2...st-results

So the standard zoom lens you have 14-45mm, 12-50mm, 12-35mm, 14-42mm.
Also there's travel zoom 14-140mm and 14-150mm, and 14-14mm is the worst out of all of them.

Then goes on bashing the 4/3 system, which I agree it doesn't carry the promise of "light travel kit." But that's as far as it goes on agreeing with each other, I almost lol'd when you said "[4/3 lenses are] ridiculously expensive NOT worth investing in" is just oh lets find a word, yes ridiculous. I didn't laugh because it's not funny just absurd.

So in 4/3 we have high grade lenses 14-54mm I or II, 12-60m, 11-22mm. All three of them have image quality that would trump 12-35mm. So you don't want high grade lenses? Standard grade 4/3 lenses would beat the m4/3 lenses on all the comparable zoom range. 14-42mm beats the m version, 9-18mm as well, there goes 12-60mm. So any 4/3 lens are pretty much a tad better, some by a mile, and some even cheaper than the m version. Btw have you hold the 12-35mm and actual put that onto the E-PM1? Doesn't really balance well.

Base on your laughable comment, I would conclude that you are a light camera user. Who would choose size over image quality. Which is fine, most DCs are crappy. HOwever, since you don't think anything better than 14-42mm is worth investing in, then I suggest look real hard at XZ-2 types of camera, for example the Canon G1X, I think G1X has better IQ than the 14-42. Or even the stunning Sigma DP1 Merrill, but it has crappy ISO & fixed focal lens, so you probably has something weird to say about that. Well, that's another story.