The Best Budget Camera No One Buys

After years of financial scandal and an inevitable shift in ownership, this once popular range of mirrorless cameras are now at risk of becoming entirely forgotten about. But, the silver lining is that these cameras can now be found in abundance on the second hand market at very affordable prices - and they’re pretty damn good! I’m talking about the Olympus PEN range of cameras, and more specifically, the Olympus Pen E-PL8.

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⏳ TIME STAMPS ⏳
Intro - @0:00
Olympus Pen History - @0:21
Unpopular Opinion Of The Day - @0:46
Build Quality - @1:49
The Pen Family Tree - @2:18
Why The E-PL8? - @3:10
Features - @3:47
The Sensor - @4:35
Lenses - @6:08
Price - @7:09
Another Option - @7:41

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⚠ PLEASE NOTE ⚠

All of the opinions expressed in this video are my own based on my personal experience whilst using the equipment/software featured. Whilst some videos may include paid sponsorship, I never allow manufactuers to dictate what I can or can't say about their product(s). Their money helps to cover the cost of video production, it does NOT buy my opinion.
My videos are designed to be both informative and entertaining and are made to the best of my abilities. I am only human so I do occationally make mistakes, and whilst corrections are always welcomed in the comments, please be polite and courteous and refrain from being a total cockwomble. 👍

#olympus #olympuspen #e-pl8 #mirrorlesscamera #streetphotgraphy #streetphotographer

[MinoltaCamera]

5:00 England is cloudy (6500K) and you set Sunny (5500K) so you get cooler photos. If you set Tungsten (3200K) you will get even cooler photos. If you want to get warmer photos, you need to be above the temperature, not below. So for a cloudy day (6500K) you need to set it to shade (7000K). Or just choose the Kelvin temperature manually

[mayathompson]

I’m an Olympus girl since the beginning of time. These are like Toyotas of cameras. I have so many vintage lenses I can use. I also use it for my photography work.

[mattwaller]

Wow, a lot of comments already, I'll throw in my redundant kudos for calling out this great camera. I did street photography with an E-PL8 for years, actually owned two of them. Buyers should be aware that the E-PL8 was the LAST Pen Lite model to support the external flash or the VF-4 external EVF. The E-PL9 and 10 also dumbed down some menu items like the number of customizable buttons. I currently shoot with the E-PL10, which added full silent shutter and is also, in my opinion, in all-black, the best-looking model of the bunch. Cheers!

[stephenbrasure]

Good information here. My first micro 4/3 cameras were the PL-2 followed by the PL-5. I found that getting the VF 4 viewfinder made the camera a lot more fun to use. After using the PL-5, I moved up to the M10 and found it to be such a better camera, especially for the ability to hold the camera up to your eye and make multiple adjustments without moving it.
I still use it's successor, an M10 Mark II along with a M1 Mark II and think the micro 4/3 system is a great choice for many photographers.

[isthatxavier]

I compared some shots with the Canon r50 lens kit, and surprisingly, the epl-8 took sharper, better looking jpgs. Raw files were easier to work too, had a certain look that I cannot explain. They just looked good.

[danncorbit]

I have a PL-7 that I use when I want ultra lightweight. For instance, for the long steep hike up Mt Rainier/Tahoma I don't want to haul 15Kg of full frame gear to Comet falls. My Pen camera is perfect for that.

[thedarkslide]

3:00 The number four in many Asian languages sounds similar to the word death, so it is considered an unlucky number in most Asian cultures, so companies avoid naming their products with anything "four" in it.

[GeorgeSazo]

I bought PEN EP7 a month or so ago. It's a fantastic camera: compact, light and with a great image quality. It's always with me even when going to buy bread across the street. Neither FF nor APSC cameras can match portability. The only drawback that Micro 4/3 had - low light performance is practically not an issue today with the powerful denoising apps. I think it's the perfect time for micro 4/3 and the fact that OM Systems is hardly coping with orders only proves this.

[TheDiverat]

The E PL8 and Panasonic 12-32 is my favourite street photography setup. Light enough to carry around all day and a great little camera with loads of features

[LifteroBeats]

I almost got the same setup with the Olympus Pen E-PL8 but i went for the Panasonic GX80 paired with the Lumix 20mm f1.7 and after a year of using it for street photography and just taking it with me anywhere i go i can say that its really good at doing the job, its cheap, light and it looks good (i got the silver/black body it looks amazing). So anybody who's looking for a cheap and easy to use setup should really look into m43, cheap, compact, beginner friendly, a great way to start your journey!

[neilcousineau]

Hi just a FIY on the cracked screen. I had the same problem with my older Olympus XZ-2 pocket camera. I ordered a new screen from Japan on eBay, it took 8 weeks for delivery, and I have a local cell phone repair shop replace the old screen with the new screen. All total I paid under $ 200 for the screen, delivery, and repairs. That was a couple of years ago but it is something to look into. Cheers from southern Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada.

[stonkr]

I'm waiting for the PEN 15. Small form factor in your pocket but expands to a more usable size when taken out ready for action. I understand a flash might cause exposure problems and the drive only allows a single shot, maybe two if you're lucky, but the final result is breathtaking.

[charleyb]

The # 4 is considered badluck (death) in Japanese culture and language. So Japanese camera manufacturers usually don't make (skip) model 4. I have no idea why they sometimes also skip model 6.

It's similar to #13 being considered bad luck in Western European and American nations. That comes from catholic history.

[edshotsdotcodotuk]

Not too sure if they fixed the issue but quite a few models from Olympus experienced banding with the Panasonic 20mm 1.7. It happened with my E-M5 and E-PL5 with a Panasonic 20mm. The PanaLeica 15mm 1.7 and the Olympus 17mm 1.8 had no issues. AWB on Olympus with the tungsten light correction has always given me pleasing results on JPEGs. Indeed I think they're often underrated as some of the best in the biz. Add to the fact you can add your own copyright and change the dpi to files even with the most basic models it's very useful. Some of the older models hide the SCP (super control panel) but when that's enabled you barely have to go into the menus with most functions at a touch of a button. Supremely fun and affordable cameras. The 12-40mm 2.8 Olympus lens is nearly all the range most people needed especially with the decent 2x digital teleconvertor. Yes it upscales the file but if you're wanting simplicity and flexibility then it's an excellent feature.

[AdriaOliSal]

I just purchased last week this camera for 200€ second hand with it's 14-42mm default lens and in near perfect condition with all the accessories (flash, bag, charger and a 64Gb sd) and I couldn't be happier!

[MrVara]

I would advise anyone checking out any of the "EPL" series cameras to consider the PEN E-P5 (no "L" in the name). It's older (2013) but is built better, looks better (IMHO), still has a lot of the same tech or better, and actually has better image stabilization and controls thanks to a second dial. Awesome little camera. I love it.

[szecek]

Came here to look at Olympus Pen and ended up with a massive nostalgia after seeing Cambridge in your photos. I moved away from there 7 years ago, but it feels like another lifetime.

[Moonstone-Redux]

Finally, an older camera I actually have!
I got a used E-PL8 as a secondary camera to complement my Nikon D7000 and then when the original 14-42mm broke down I got a Panasonic 12-32mm to really make it compact, though there is a 17mm f/2.8.
Then when I got my Fujifilm X-T2 I passed the E-PL8 to my father though he prefers to use his iPhone to take pictures.

[MakePictures]

what's fun is they also make screen hoods that attach to the screen- when closed it covers the screen, and then you can flip it open into a shade. when the screen is turned up towards you it's like shooting a medium format. very handy for non-confrontational street photography

[kevinblanco]

My first camera is an EPL7 that I still have. Recently bought a Sema-1 microphone adapter that I use at Raves. It’s quirky and fun.