Which Olympus PEN has metal casing?

<p>Specifically, is this plastic or metal? It looks very metalic. The $220 price tag is very tempting.</p>

<p>http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830111475&nm_mc=AFC-dealnews&cm_mmc=AFC-dealnews-_-NA-_-NA-_-N82E16830111475</p>

<p>Dpreview says metal. And, yup, that's a heckuva good price. If I didn't already have a Nikon V1 I'd be very tempted.</p>

<p>The lens, including the mount, might be all plastic though. How is Newegg to deal with?</p>

<p>Yes, the E-PL3 is metal all around. The lens is plastic, like Sanford mentioned. It is a very tiny camera body and it has a tilting LCD too, which is not clearly showcased in product images, for some reason. This is a great deal if you are not having a camera. I guess they are clearing their stock because the new models were released.</p>

<p>Note that this does not have the E-M5 Sony sensor - it uses the old Panasonic sensor, which is quite good for daylight, but not great for very low light (still good for indoor shots with fast lenses though).</p>

<p><em>"How is Newegg to deal with?"</em><br>

<em> </em><br>

I've always had good experiences with Newegg. I bought my E-PL1 from them last year. I've been buying computer gear from them for almost 10 years.<br>

<br />That's a great price on the E-PL3! Go for it. I think I paid $299 for my E-PL1 last year.</p>

<p>"This is a great deal if you are not having a camera"<br>

<br>

Isn't THAT the truth. It looks so good but do I need <em>another</em> camera, especially a whole new system? BTW, Newegg is superb. </p>

<p>Don't worry about the "system". I didn't buy into the Nikon 1 series system when I bought the V1 and kit zoom. I got it because at $299 it was a superquick P&S on steroids - exactly what I was looking for. </p>

<p>If I'd hesitated I'd have missed that price and missed out on enjoying thousands of photos this year. My old P&S was painfully slow in comparison, so much so that I rarely bothered to carry it.</p>

<p>At that discounted price for the E-PL3 and lens the only question is whether you could do better for that price. After seeing some independent demo videos for the more recent PEN models, they're virtually as quick as the Nikon 1 in AF and shutter response, with a slightly larger sensor and access to plenty of lenses if you want to experiment later. Looks to me like a great value.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>It looks so good but do I need <em>another</em> camera, especially a whole new system?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Depends on what you have already. If you have another mirrorless system, invest in lenses for it. If you have a DSLR, go for it - you'll find out the appeal of a MILC with very little cost - in time you may drop your DSLR and look back at this decision as one of the smartest you made since you got into digital photography.</p>

<p>I have to say that my DSLR has seen far less use ever since I got my E-PL1. It's much more versatile, much more fun, and has much better image quality than I ever imagined. And my DSLR's 50/1.7, paired with an inexpensive adapter, makes an absolutely lovely portrait lens on the E-PL1.</p>

See what you've done now? But hey, man needs his toys. Any way, I figured I am never gonna buy a

DSLR, certainly not a full frame. For serious enjoyment I have my film gear. This is one step up from my

bread and butter P&S. What finally pushed me over the edge was learning that I could use Thyristor

flashes with the camera. Small cameras always fail in the flash department. The one that comes with this

model looks exceptionally puny. Any experiences with external flash?

<p>Please tell me it ain't so. Lens adaptors cost as much as the camera itself?</p>

<p>Only if you buy the really pricy ones. I paid less than $20 for mine.</p>

<p>Pentax K to Micro Four Thirds adapter:</p>

<p>http://www.amazon.com/RainbowImaging-K-mount-Adapter-Panasonic-USD24-99/dp/B003GRB4EK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1378069907&sr=8-3&keywords=pentax+micro+four+thirds+adapter</p>

<p>Ditto, the Fotodiox and similar adapters like the one R.T. linked to. They're around $20 and work fine if you're comfortable without the automation. I use one on my Nikon V1 with my Nikon F mount and various T-mount lenses. Even without proper metering I can guesstimate the correct exposure within a couple of frames. Even with video, if the exposure "looks right" on the rear screen or in the electronic viewfinder, it's usually close enough and within 1/2 to 1 stop of optimal exposure.</p>

<p>The only other doodad I bought for the V1 was the Flipbac rubbery grip adapter for $10. Helps with ergonomics since I like to carry the camera in one hand with a paracord strap around my wrist. There are more expensive and better looking grip adapters, but the Flipbac is great for the money and nearly identical to the OEM grips already used on many P&S and mirrorless digicams.</p>

<p>Are there adaptors for EF lenses? I haven't seen any and they are the bulk of my lenses. I assume I lose focusing and metering anyway. I doubt very much you can accurately focus using the LCD screen. </p>

<blockquote>

<p>Are there adaptors for EF lenses? </p>

</blockquote>

<p>Here's one:<br>

<a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EOS-EF-Lens-to-Micro-4-3-Four-Thirds-System-Camera-Mount-Adapter-Olympus-/121040616297?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item1c2e953b69">http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EOS-EF-Lens-to-Micro-4-3-Four-Thirds-System-Camera-Mount-Adapter-Olympus-/121040616297?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item1c2e953b69</a><br /><br>

You can also just sell your EF lenses.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I assume I lose focusing and metering anyway.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You lose focusing, but not metering. You can use center weighted and spot. Doesn't even matter much, because you can see real time if areas are blownout or underexposed, so you can do exposure adjustments before pressing the shutter.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I doubt very much you can accurately focus using the LCD screen.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Oh, you certainly can - much better than you could ever focus using an optical viewfinder. You can zoom into the image and check focus very accurately.</p>

<p>Here's an example:<br>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurentiucristofor/8955473282/"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5458/8955473282_31a18e215b.jpg" alt="" width="375" height="500" /></a></p>