Second hand camera recommendation for under £250

[Idaho]

I did have a search, and there are a few old similar threads, but as the market moves a lot in 4 years, I have started another.

So I'd like a camera that takes nice pictures. Low light isn't a priority. It will be mainly for holidays and family events. I've had good 35mm slrs decades ago. But since digital, I've either had a compact Lumix thing or phone cameras.

Any recommendations? I've seen nikon d90s for that kind of money, and vaguely remember when they were good digital slrs... But am pretty ignorant as to whether that would be a good choice.

 

[editor]

You can pick up cheap s/hand Micro Four Thirds cameras (Olympus/Lumix) that night fit the bill and offer flexibility.

 

[weltweit]

I am also considering a used camera.

I spend quite a lot of time looking on here: mpb.com - Buy or Sell Used Photo & Video Equipment

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Watches thread. Modern phone cameras are ace and I don't want anything nearly as big as an SLR but sometimes have a hankering for something better.

 

[Idaho]

There is a Olympus PEN E - PL2 with a lens on ebay for £150. Is that a good deal?

I'm assuming that any of these modern compacts will be superior to a phone camera?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

There is a Olympus PEN E - PL2 with a lens on ebay for £150. Is that a good deal?

I'd say it was pretty average. It would be unlikely to go much below that. Bear in mind though that the E-PL2 is from 2011 and you might be able to get a more recent model in the same series for about the same - prices crash pretty quickly down to the same level.

I'm assuming that any of these modern compacts will be superior to a phone camera?

Oh yes, particularly in decent light. My main "chuck it in my bag in case I see something" camera is a Panasonic GF2 which is the same vintage as the E-PL2—I still get people saying "seeing these shots reminds me how real cameras do take better photos".

 

[Idaho]

Ok, so worth going for the E-PL3 or 4? What would be a good price on those do you think?

There seems to be a "mini" version too. Not sure which generation they are the equivalent of.

 

[Idaho]

Check out the last paragraph on this description:

Olympus PEN E-PL2 12.3MP Digital Camera - Black w/ 14-42mm Lens

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Ok, so worth going for the E-PL3 or 4? What would be a good price on those do you think?

There seems to be a "mini" version too. Not sure which generation they are the equivalent of.

I had a look on eBay and there don't seem to be many 3s or 4s around, and above that there's definitely a price increase, so... I think that £150 is okay for the 2. I had a look at equivalent Panasonics and they're all about the same price tbh. No idea what a mini is - maybe somebody who knows more about Olympus could say.

 

[editor]

Any of those Olympus cameras will be perfect for general shooting, with the bonus of interchangeable lenses.

The differences between the lite, mini and regular versions are explained here: Olympus PEN E-P3, PEN Lite E-PL3, and PEN Mini E-PM1 Preview

 

[Idaho]

Thanks. I'll just keep watching the ep3 auctions and try and spike a last minute bargain.

 

[MBV]

Panasonic LX5?

 

[Idaho]

Not seeing that many of those on ebay.

 

[editor]

Panasonic LX5?

The Olympus will seriously outperform that camera. I know because I've still got one!

 

[MBV]

Fair enough. I'm a bit out of touch since getting my lx100.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[editor]

Fair enough. I'm a bit out of touch since getting my lx100.

Here's a comparison of the sensor sizes (Olympus is MFT)

 

[ViolentPanda]

I've got a pair of Panasonic Lumix GF1s. I like them a lot, although they're not as dinky body-wise as the Olympus EP models, and I prefer them over FridgeMagnet 's GF2 because they don't depend on a touchscreen for function changes.

 

[Idaho]

Hmm... Possibility of mission creep.

Jessops are selling the pen 7 with lens for £400:

http://www.jessops.com/online.store...qZPE_klYOZBD5yHu2n_fKubHbn6-SyJ0FEaAmau8P8HAQ

 

[FridgeMagnet]

You might want to check local second hand shops as well - I just saw an E-PL2 with kit lens for £95 in one.

 

[editor]

Hmm... Possibility of mission creep.

Jessops are selling the pen 7 with lens for £400:

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/94099/Show.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA&utm_term=PEN E-PL7 Compact System Camera in White + 14-42mm EZ Lens&gclid=Cj0KEQiA_KvEBRCtzNil4-KR-LIBEiQAmgekFykALShTMqZPE_klYOZBD5yHu2n_fKubHbn6-SyJ0FEaAmau8P8HAQ

It's worth looking in CeX second hand shops too. They have some great prices.

 

[Idaho]

Just watching this one atm:

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332099948402

So many lenses to play with! I reckon anything under £250 is a very good deal as it would be easy to upgrade the body.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I got all fired up to start bidding and then realised I have to be sensible.

Is there much in when it comes to very low light performance comparing the Olympus PEN 3 and Lumix G3? Some people underground today were properly lighting up the mine and appear to have some awesome photos.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I got all fired up to start bidding and then realised I have to be sensible.

Is there much in when it comes to very low light performance comparing the Olympus PEN 3 and Lumix G3? Some people underground today were properly lighting up the mine and appear to have some awesome photos.

You won't find a lot of difference between contemporary consumer cameras with the same sensor size. At that age, their low-light performance will be pretty shitty; shooting past ISO800 wouldn't be advisable if you want anything pretty and even that might be too grainy.

The higher-end Olympus and Panasonic models have much better high-ISO output - the OM-D was pretty famous for it - and more recent consumer ones will be better at high-ISO as well (I have a Panasonic G5, a "consumer" model, which I've taken some decent night street shots with).

If people were "lighting up the mine" with flash they'll have been shooting at low ISOs if they had big enough flashes, and quality there hasn't changed a lot over the years. That's why I say above that the E-PL2 would be fine in "decent light".

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Thanks FridgeMagnet, very useful to know. Pictures weren't even using flashes. Just a few people with high power lamps!

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Thanks FridgeMagnet, very useful to know. Pictures weren't even using flashes. Just a few people with high power lamps!

Something else that I should mention if you're thinking of buying one is that you need to use good lenses in low light even with more modern cameras. I say I've got decent night street shots with the G5 but that was with a fast lens designed for low light conditions that cost about as much as the camera itself (though I got the camera cheap). You won't get that with the kit lens, which would capture maybe 7x less light.

Still, if you know you want to shoot in particular conditions, it's better to spend money on lenses than bodies. Lenses you can keep using, they're an investment; bodies can be upgraded any time as long as they keep making them for that system. IMO Micro 4/3 (i.e. the Panasonic and Olympus ones we're talking about here) is good in that respect as there are two big companies heavily invested in making both bodies and lenses so they're unlikely to just quit any time soon.

 

[Idaho]

Just watching this one atm:

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332099948402

So many lenses to play with! I reckon anything under £250 is a very good deal as it would be easy to upgrade the body.

It went for £333, which is still good value. I bid up to £300.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Something else that I should mention if you're thinking of buying one is that you need to use good lenses in low light even with more modern cameras. I say I've got decent night street shots with the G5 but that was with a fast lens designed for low light conditions that cost about as much as the camera itself (though I got the camera cheap). You won't get that with the kit lens, which would capture maybe 7x less light.

Still, if you know you want to shoot in particular conditions, it's better to spend money on lenses than bodies. Lenses you can keep using, they're an investment; bodies can be upgraded any time as long as they keep making them for that system. IMO Micro 4/3 (i.e. the Panasonic and Olympus ones we're talking about here) is good in that respect as there are two big companies heavily invested in making both bodies and lenses so they're unlikely to just quit any time soon.

I was warned today about how it could fast become an expensive hobby. Think my main use would be out in daylight. Hills and landscapes with a bit of underground stuff as a bonus.

I'm trying not to get caught up like I always do massive increase in requirements before I've even started using it. I'm thinking that either of the options is still going to be a good improvement on my phone even with the stock lenses?

 

[Idaho]

So pretty... Must resist blowing budget...

Olympus Pen E-PL8 Brown Camera with 14-42mm EZ Pancake Zoom Lens - New & UK

 

[sealion]

Are either of these any good ?

Samsung WB100 16M, A - CeX (UK): - Buy, Sell, Donate

Nikon Coolpix L820 Review | PhotographyBLOG

Both secondhand and available for £80 at CEX.

 

[editor]

If I had £250 to buy only one camera, I'd try and find a s/hand Ricoh GR. Every time.