The Personal Pick - Part Three - Which To Choose...

Which to choose...Oh to be in such an enviable position...

This pleasant reverie is brought to you by the Olympus shelves down at Murray Street - for a good reason - right now the shop can offer you the choice of a cutting edge new camera in the Micro 4/3 format or a range of refurbished Olympus mirror-less equipment at remarkably low prices.

This is not an apples vs oranges question - a keen enthusiast will find that this brand and this format is one of the very best choices for close-range and macro photography. Also for touring and for family shots. Sound like you could use something like that...?

First alternative. The Olympus Pen F. In the view you'll see it has a silver-coloured 12mm lens attached. I should say the photographer intends this to be used for architecture or a landscape. Perhaps a big wedding party in a large building. If the lighting is a little lower the result will still be superb - that is an f:2 lens.

It will also be a sharp shot - Olympus have designed their new cameras with more image stabilisation modes than most of the other makers. As a result you get a chance to work under dimmer light and at longer shutter speeds than ever before. In the course of some experiments with the newest of the OM-D cameras I saw for myself results down at 1/2 and 1 full second that defied belief - but I had taken them myself.

The experimenter is also well catered-for with this camera. It has a full suite of custom programs and art effects that can be called into play with adjustment dials. Some of the art this produces may be a little inadvertent, but that doesn't lessen the charm - it just presents it at surprising intervals. I should proceed cautiously at first with a finger ready on the reset button lest you get so far out in the swamp that you cannot get back...

So...what is the second alternative. Well, it is actually alternatives. There's are more than one temptation in the cabinet next door to the Olympus Pen F. Camera Electronic have secured a solid supply of refurbished Olympus mirror-less camera and lenses for sale at much-reduced prices.

Refurb is not a term to be sneezed at, nor is it a risk. These cameras and lenses carry warranties and you are protected against failure.

You'll see only a small portion of the choices in the picture, though you'll see that three main bodies are featured; the Olympus OM-D  E-M1, E-M5 Mark II, E-M10 and E-M10 Mark II. I note that there are some 12-50mm and 12-40mm f:2.8 PRO lenses on offer. Different horses for different courses, but look at the sign work behind the cameras for the price reductions!

My own choice in these would likely be the OM-D E-M1 with the 12-50mm lens...because I have seen how phenomenally well it copes with macro and close-up subjects. I used the combo for shots of my model petrol station and I don't think they could be bettered with anything at twice this price.