Folk that know stuff about cameras…Compact System advice please.

Need to get a camera ordered this week!

After consultations with a friend who seems to know stuff, it’s a choice between these two:

Olympus Pen E-PL5 Compact System Camera

Or:

Canon EOS M Compact System Camera

Apologies in advance…I know nothing about cameras but mrs deadly really wants something like one of these for her birthday. I know only one forum that could give me honest 🙂 advice on this matter.

I think the Canon got slated, didn’t it? However the Oly is the latest generation of their Pens and is pretty sophisticated. Many more lenses available for m4/3. Also lots of nice retro style leather accessories and the like.

Sorry I can’t comment on those two but I’ve just got and fallen for the Sony Cyber shot HX50

http://www.johnlewis.com/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-hx50-camera-hd-1080p-20-4mp-30x-optical-zoom-wi-fi-3-lcd-screen-with-8gb-card-black/p489436

Under £200 Pocket sized, x30 optical zoom, x60 digital zoom.

I’m still playing around with the settings but it gets a 9/10 from me, I’ve not found the B&W function as yet.

On long zoom

Depth of field

International Space Station, 30 second shutter speed

On x55 zoom

And although no B&W you can pick out colours like this shot

Thanks mol…I was leaning towards the Oly tbh…but lack of knowledge is scaring me.

I’ve got an E-PL3 and have been really happy with the results. I’ve bought some extra lenses too. I really like the size of it as I just didn’t use my DSLR when out on the bike, it was too big to cart around. Really happy with the results I’m getting.

Industry Nine hub shells by Shuttered UK[/url], on Flickr

JB102956 by Shuttered UK[/url], on Flickr

JB1Bedham Chapel and Dame School02243 by Shuttered UK[/url], on Flickr

Wire spinning by Shuttered UK[/url], on Flickr

Read dpreview.com for starters.

Best thing to happen to compact systems for ages is the new Oly pancake zoom lens, I reckon. Normal kit zoom that folds away to make the camera actually fit in your pocket. Not cheap tho.

Oly

Ok, so I’m about to pull the trigger on the Oly. Do I need to buy some kind of memory card with it? Or does it have internal memory? 😕

You need a memory card.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_support_faqs.asp?id=1628#5

Erm…what kind of memory card? (Sorry, utterly clueless)

See edit above. Try mymemory.co.uk

Ah sorry, missed your edit. Thanks.