I don’t just shoot with older cameras. I also use a Fujifilm X-T5 for travel and a Canon EOS R8 for video and product photography. I also review many of the latest cameras, so I have plenty of context for comparing the performance of older used models. For regular everyday stills photography, I think so little has changed or advanced over the past ten years that most beginners and enthusiasts, even many professionals, will be perfectly happy with most of the mid-high-end cameras from the past decade.
Olympus
Olympus has a long history in photography, making its name back in the days of film with iconic 35mm SLRs like the OM-series and the miniature half-frame Pen cameras. It took a bold step into the digital world with the Micro Four Thirds format, and while it hasn't achieved the same popularity as full frame systems, it's still a serious force in the market. Olympus cameras have split from the parent company and been renamed OM Digital.
My top 10 best used cameras to buy today: and I’ve owned all of them
This is not an exhaustive list! There are still lots of older cameras I will try to get hold of when good ones become available and funds permit. This list is of cameras I own right now or have owned, and which I think are particularly interesting buys. I happen to think that some of the best cameras have already been made, and that the new cameras now being released are not necessarily better than the ones we already had and which have now passed into history.
Olympus PEN-F review in 2024
The Pen-F was a high-water mark for the PEN brand, with its beautiful design and construction and surprising practicality. Today, the lack of 4K video will be an obstacle for vloggers and hybrid shooters, but for stills photography it’s as effective now as when it was launched in 2016. All this is reflected in its scarcity and high used prices, however.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 III review in 2023
Verdict: 4.5 stars The OM-D E-M1 III may have been superseded by the OM-1, but it runs it very close in so many areas that – depending on the type of photography you do – it could prove just as good. You can occasionally buy it new, but it’s most likely you’ll need to buy used. I bought my example in excellent condition from MPB at well under half the price of a new OM-1.
Do lenses matter more than megapixels?
We assume that megapixels matter more than anything, and that a good lens on a high-resolution full frame camera will still be better than an excellent lens on a lower-resolution camera, right? Well, I thought I’d check.
Are the kit lenses that come with cameras any good?
There is no one-size-fits-all standard zoom for everyone, and while a kit lens will be fine for some users, others might need to move on or use something different.
I finally traded in my Olympus MFT… for a bigger one
Yes, the 12-40mm was a bit big on the E-M5 body, but I would get used to that. I thought. Well I didn’t. So I got the screw-on grip for the E-M5 III which made it better to hold with bigger lenses. It helped, but then it felt like a small camera made artificially big.
Olympus PEN E-P7 review
Verdict: 4.5 stars There’s a lot to find fault with in the E-P7’s specs. It has an MFT sensor, it has no viewfinder, it doesn’t even have phase detect AF and it’s expensive for what you get. What changes your mind is using it. It’s pocket sized but handles brilliantly, its 14-42mm kit lens is compact like no other, its AF is lightning fast and Olympus’s creative color and Art Filter modes are in a league of their own. The specs don’t tell the story; this camera has real class.