I'm thinking of rationalising my camera collection

[Cowabunga]

So will have some for sale. Micro four-thirds, so nice and light weight. Will be replaced by a new more professional grade M4/3 camera. I love the format.

I've not decided exactly what I'm going to sell yet but it could be an Olympus E-M10 Mkii, a Panasonic G7 and a G6. Very low shutter counts [photography shared between bodies]. Also may sell a lens or two, which are separate transactions from the bodies. Not decided anything yet, especially not prices. If you are interested, think about it. In the meantime here are a few pictures I took recently and some just this afternoon.

The cameras at the top left and right are respectively the G6 and G7.
Bottom right are the GX80 with which I happened to shoot the pictures below.
To the left of that, or third from the right in the bottom row is the E-M10 Mkii
Bottom left is my Sony A57, which is the eldest of the bunch, which I may sell complete with two primes and two telephoto lenses with a bag and all the kit.
All the original boxes and contents are to go with whichever I sell. Every one in immaculate condition.

Should have edited this one to level the lake a bit.

 

[Poncherello1976]

Looking for a camera for a beginner to get in to photography and just wondered if any of these might suit someone starting out. My son and wife are interested in developing! their photography skills, and we are looking for a second hand camera. If the Sony camera comes with a few lenses then that may be a good start. I am not sure what is needed and happy to trust your judgment if you think one of those cameras would suit. Then also what kind of money would you like for each of the cameras?

 

[Cowabunga]

Looking for a camera for a beginner to get in to photography and just wondered if any of these might suit someone starting out. My son and wife are interested in developing! their photography skills, and we are looking for a second hand camera. If the Sony camera comes with a few lenses then that may be a good start. I am not sure what is needed and happy to trust your judgment if you think one of those cameras would suit. Then also what kind of money would you like for each of the cameras?

My Sony A57 kit with two very bright primes will give lovely photos with out of focus backgrounds if so desired and it also comes with two telescopic lenses for general use, plus bag, battery and SD card, charger and strap. Basically everything you need. It is also a great video camera.
The lenses are worth more than the body but I have not priced it up yet.

It is a great APS-C starter camera in my opinion. Indeed it is very modern and as sophisticated as you want it to be, from being a point and shoot to a more creative customisable piece of equipment. It is all in immaculate condition and works perfectly.

The Panasonic G6 is another good one. Selling that without any lenses. Lenses are not cheap though, however there are plenty available from Panasonic, Olympus and Sigma available on eBay that will work perfectly. This again is a great starter camera and is the body that persuaded me to sell my Nikon DSLR kit and concentrate on hybrid cameras, which both of these are.

Here are a couple of reviews of the Sony A57.

Sony Alpha A57 SLT Digital SLR Review

Sony's latest camera is the A57 and looks more like the A65 than the model it's replacing, the A55, find out how it performs in our review.

www.ephotozine.com

 

[Poncherello1976]

Thank you for the reply. The Sony looks interesting. I would be interested to know a price when you have it sorted out please.

 

[Cowabunga]

The Sony in question is the one at the bottom left seen fitted with the 50mm f1.8 'portrait lens'. The one to the right is an A7 III full frame with approximately the equivalent lens, even though it is three times the size and weight. The A7 as shown [for context] cost £2200 as seen with a budget Viltrox brand lens.

The price for the A57 with 18-55 kit lens, two working batteries, charger and an SD card, ready to use immediately, is £180
Its sells with a zoom lens, £50. A 35mm f1.8 [equivalent to 50mm full frame] prime, plus 50mm f1.8 [as seen] at £99 each. Total £428.

Total sales price including £16 carriage is £444

I believe that I have most if not all of the original boxes for all parts which, if present, will be used to package the components.
I honestly don't think you will find a nicer camera set anywhere for anything like the price. The shutter count is only 10,973 as of this instant, with some for sale on eBay having been bought with unspecified count and subsequently found to have over 400,000 shutter count.

Bear in mind that most photographers spend far more on lenses than on bodies and I have spent three times this price on a single lens before now.
PM me or reply here if interested in what I consider to be a real bargain.

For those interested, I've bought an Olympus OMD E-M1 MkII as a new toy. I love cameras and photography and just can't help myself.

 

[Poncherello1976]

Thank you for coming back with a price. I am interested and am waiting for the wife to decide. We appreciate that it will make a good starter pack, and the price that some lenses go for.
I will hopefully be able to come back to you tomorrow at some point with a decision.
Many Thanks.

 

[Cowabunga]

Thank you for coming back with a price. I am interested and am waiting for the wife to decide. We appreciate that it will make a good starter pack, and the price that some lenses go for.
I will hopefully be able to come back to you tomorrow at some point with a decision.
Many Thanks.

No worries. A camera like this, which isn't too big or heavy, is ideal for all kinds of uses but it obviously isn't pocketable. Very few good cameras under £750 new or £550 used, such as the Ricoh GRiii, are. Even then you are stuck with a very limited focal range [zoom]. The GRii has no zoom whatsoever and is basically fixed like a smartphone camera but with way better picture quality in poor light. The Sony RX100 vii is a great advanced compact camera at between £850 and £900. This sort of money is the going rate for good fixed lens compact cameras.

Please don't be tempted to go for a compact basic camera, even a travel-zoom like a Panasonic TZ100, because they are not built last and have very poor low light capability, and smartphones have almost killed that market dead. If going for a camera at all, you should get something that is good step up, and you get that with the f1.8 prime [not zoom] lenses and optical telephoto lenses with efficient in-body stabilisation for slow shutter speeds and sharp telephoto with compacted perspective. This applies whatever you eventually decide.
A good smartphone plus a good hybrid larger sensor camera with lenses covers all your needs. If a first camera you certainly don't want/need an ultra sophisticated camera like an Olympus with labyrinthian deep menu's designed to baffle. I took a few photos of the cows as I guided them to the field just now and even though I'm used to an Olympus E-M10 and have taken some hours to set it up as near as I can to how I want it, at least initially, the E-M1 professional camera had me scratching my head for a while. Which is why I took it out and shot a few exposure this evening [it doesn't cost anything to shoot with a digital camera].

If at a social gathering or an important shoot, like a wedding, the last thing I want is to waste time and miss shots because I'm lost in the menu. Luckily they all have iA mode that is basically point and shoot. The Sony A57 has auto-portrait feature which automatically copies a photo and crops it to give a lovely portrait by recognising a face. It does this and leaves the original as well so you can store it on a computer or crop and adjust it yourself if you like.

 

[Poncherello1976]

Thank you for all your information, it is very much appreciated. Even the Sony looks quite complicated to a beginner!
We would like to buy it please, so I will PM you our details.

 

[Cowabunga]

Thank you. Get into the habit of using Aperture Priority [A on the dial] or for fast moving subjects, Shutter priority from the beginning. You can shoot at 10 frames a second off the dial with autofocus continuous or 12 with focus fixed on the first frame. Take your time and if getting frustrated in the early days, don't hesitate to use iAuto mode. You will soon get good at it as this, while being capable of very sophisticated use, is really a very user friendly camera.
Like all precision instruments though it deserves treating with respect. I give cameras this respect because I love them aesthetically as well as for their utility.
Enjoy!

 

[PSQ]

@Cowabunga I don’t suppose you’re selling any AF-S lenses bigger than a 55-200mm that would fit a D5000? (Yes, the one I bought from you in a previous reduction sale).

 

[Cowabunga]

@Cowabunga I don’t suppose you’re selling any AF-S lenses bigger than a 55-200mm that would fit a D5000? (Yes, the one I bought from you in a previous reduction sale).

Nothing Nikon currently. I'm sure you could find one on eBay though. How are you getting on with it? It's been a good while.

 

[PSQ]

Nothing Nikon currently. I'm sure you could find one on eBay though. How are you getting on with it? It's been a good while.

It’s going fine, but It’s more camera than I’ll ever need. If I’ve learned one thing from using it then it’s an appreciation of the the skill of good photographers
It’s mostly been used for photographing motorsports, ‘low flying’ and for ‘shooting’ hare coursers (they really don’t like having their picture taken ), hence the need for a longer lens.