Olympus E-P3 PEN 12.3MP Digital Camera with M. Zuiko Digital 14-42mm II R f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens - $449 w/ FS @ Adorama

too bad the 17mm 2.8 is worth nothing now that the 17mm 1.8 is out.

Last-gen image quality, not worth picking up unless it's dirt cheap. Olympus just re-used the same sensor from the E-P1, which wasn't really competitive even when new. Skip this, and get at least an E-PM2 or E-PL5.

Quote from shnitz : Last-gen image quality, not worth picking up unless it's dirt cheap. Olympus just re-used the same sensor from the E-P1, which wasn't really competitive even when new. Skip this, and get at least an E-PM2 or E-PL5.

This camera received a 74% (recommended) score from dpreview @ MSRP ($899). This is a great deal on a camera that is more than capable in the right hands. The lens alone will bring `$200 on ebay, making this a nearly unbeatable `$250 body.

In fact, the last new M Zuiko 17mm 2.8 sold on ebay went for 238.49.

Quote from gabe23111 : Black [adorama.com] Silver [adorama.com] White [adorama.com] Also available @ $449: Olympus E-P3 Pen Digital Camera, Silver with M.Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 Silver Lens [adorama.com] Olympus E-P3 Pen Digital Camera, White, with M.Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 Silver Lens [adorama.com]

don't forget 2% FW cash back at Adorama right now

Quote from jasonh328 : This camera received a 74% (recommended) score from dpreview @ MSRP ($899). This is a great deal on a camera that is more than capable in the right hands. The lens alone will bring `$200 on ebay, making this a nearly unbeatable `$250 body. In fact, the last new M Zuiko 17mm 2.8 sold on ebay went for 238.49.

Why did you quote yourself? What does one individual transaction mean anyway? You need to look at the seller rating, the item condition, you don't know if it was a one in a million purchase made by a stupid individual, etc. The auction you're talking about was a camera store with a rating of over 70,000 so I don't think it quite applies to this discussion:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Olympus-M...51a6e1d74f
Look at the average selling price instead. Plus, once you bought the lens, it is NOT new anymore, even if you never use it. Someone that buys from you won't get a box, and won't get a warranty, so don't expect someone without a multi-thousand feedback rating selling their own unboxed lens to get $240. There are multiple lenses asking for less that did not sell. I'm seeing this lens sell for as low as $100, and don't forget to calculate selling and listing fees into it, so your armchair dealing needs a little asterisk.


And who cares what a camera received when it was new? The 6 megapixel Nikon D100 from many years ago also received a "highly recommended" too, but today it's a bunk camera. When the E-M5 was released, it turned Olympus' micro 4/3 lineup on its head and drew a line in the sand. All older cameras need not apply. The E-PL5 has enough improved image quality, plus some other nice features, that it's worth the difference in price, which again is much less than you claim. Third, Amazon never gives lower than a 65%, so if you re-calculate the score setting that as the baseline, you'll notice that the E-P3 was decidedly below average, even when new, much less today. Since cameras are so closely tied to semiconductors and processors, they become obsolete as fast as semiconductors and processors. Why buy a below-average camera from yesteryear? It's as poor an idea as buying a two year old laptop. Because DPReview is owned by Amazon, and Amazon is in the business of getting cameras into people's hands, you will find that they will always pad their statements.