The Olympus E-P3 is in stock now!
The hottest color and lens combo in the E-P3 is the ONE that is in stock now at B&H photo – $899. Act fast! Click here to get it, these have been selling out pretty fast! After reviewing the camera and new 12mm, I ended up keeping the review sample and yes, I had to pay full price! Great camera and improvement over past PENS. Just wanted to spread the word as there are a few of you looking for this exact color/lens combo!
I will be getting a Sony NEX-C3 today so will be heading to Las Vegas to review it and to finish my review of the the SLR Magic 28 2.8 E Mount lens and 50mm 0.95 for E mount. Woohoo! If anyone is in Vegas on Wednesday/Thursday send me an email and maybe we can meet up for a quick chat!
OH, and all Micro 4/3 owners THIS LENS is the lens to watch for – Cant wait to see how this one does. FINALLY!! Fast primes are coming to M4/3 users!
AND…as of 08/17, B&H released the new Olympus 45 1.8 lens for pre-order and I am hearing whisperings that it is arriving VERY VERY soon. This appears to be a fantastic lens, equaling a 90mm in 35mm and with a fast aperture. I have spoken with a couple of people who have been testing this lens already and they LOVE it. $399, so not a bank breaker like the 12mm f/2.
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Will you also be testing the new 45mm f/1.8 from Olympus? That could be a nice portrait lens!
Yes I will, looks like a good one. I spoke with someone who has been shooting one (testing) and they LOVE it. I pre-ordered one so should get it soon.
Hi Steve
Tomorrow I will be heading to Vegas and stay until Tuesday. Maybe I will run into you on the street. But it looks like that you will be gone by Friday.
D!RK
Yea, I will be there for a short time. Tonight and tomorrow.
hmmm…..I am not a NEX fanboy..but that seems like a lot of camera for $599…..
899 for body and mediocre 17mm, 799 for 12mm, 599 for the new 25mm Summilux, 399 for the 45mm, 200 for an EVF, add some spare batteries=USD 3000 or so. A lot of money for a mft system.
No its not cheap, but its the price one has to pay if they want a PEN style body with IBIS, some good quality fast native prime lenses and a good VF.
Most people would probably be just as happy with the steals you can get on a EPL1 or 2 with a 14-42 for sub $500 these days, or the equally nice Panny G3 with 14-42 which has a great EVF built into it.
Some users really enjoy quality glass though, regardless of the mount, and I personally think its great that m4/3 is catering to a wide range of users.
Not everyone wants or can afford a $800 12mm f2.0, but there are lower cost alternatives such as the 14mm f2.5, or even the kit zooms.
There is really something for everyone in m4/3 right now which is fantastic. NEX for example is a good camera, but there are still no good quality native lenses as of yet. The ones they have are fine for many of the users but it leaves a group out that wants higher end performance.
I think any system needs to have both high and lower end offerings, even Leica does. Not everyone wants or can afford a 50 Lux ASPH but they offer some great bang for the buck with the Sumarit line. Canon has the L glass and the consumer grade lenses, so on and so forth.
You can’t look at just the flagship body and top of the line lenses in m4/3 and say that represents the system as a whole any more than you can take a Canon 1Ds mkIII and a bunch of L primes and say its $15,000 for an EF mount system.
EP3, 12mm, 25mm etc are the extreme side of things. Thats the stuff thats going to appeal to a small minority of users, but luckily they have something for those folks.
$3k is not cheap, you are right, but at the same time, it could be seen as quite a deal when your used to Leica/Zeiss prices.
I’ve got the 12mm f2.0 and again, I realize $800 isn’t cheap, but its also a fantastic lens and would cost easily twice that much were it for the M mount.
Sigma is also getting into m4/3 as well so no doubt plenty more lower priced options coming from them as well.
Thats the true strength of a system, something for everyone, at all price points and focal lengths.
You shpuld become an Oly rep. I went out the other day and came back home with a black EP3 with kit zoom and the 12mm
. Ok, what can I say. It is just exactly what Steve writes, the EP3 is fun, a lot of fun. And the 12mm is a superb lens. AF speed, touch screen (much more than a gimmick) make the EP3 propably one of the best street shooters combo.
The 12mm completely transformed my opinion on my old E-P1 from should sell to it’s a keeper.
I just pre-ordered the 45mm from B&H ( and unusually they will not charge until it’s shipped ).
Yea, the 12mm is fantastic. Looking forward to the 45 and 25 primes. B&H no longer charges pre-orders, only when they ship.
The black version is now in stock @ B&H
Amazon has the camera with the 14-42 bundle for the zoom crowd(it’s a really good zoom apparently) http://amzn.to/mSXmJ3
Judging by Steve’s review and the general consensus this is a great camera,If any model would make me jump the micro 4/3 format..
The Olympus E-P3 and 17mm in black is now in stock @ B+H
Ugh this camera it a beauty! I’m still rocking an E-PL1, but it does well for me with the Panny 20mm. Maybe if I save up for a year or two I’ll pick one of these babies up, or the E-P6 which will be out by then (Kidding, mostly). And ogh that 12mm lens…sigh….so awesome looking.
As for the NEX, my mom has a NEX-5 and while it is a great camera I just can’t get past the “Sony” interface. Maybe the C3 will improve it but honestly Sony just hasn’t ever been good with interface design (IMO). Quality camera though.