Little baby flash is in the box with the camera - I've only used it on a couple of occasions but it goes in the bag.To be honest I try and take everything without it and low light performance is good esp. when using the f2.8 17mm if you can stretch to the faster primes you'll be good for most things.
Start up is fine, the kit zoom has to be unlocked to (see the second photo).Burst mode is scarily fast on the sports modes and auto focus is snappy.
I've added a couple of photos of what I carry in the bag minus the drink can which is for size comparison.
I was given the camera with kit lens and WiFi SD card the portrait kit (the telephoto lens and bag) for my 40th last year.
I've added a 17mm F2.8 prime at Christmas but I've decided that will do me for a while!
Everything I carry
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Everything I carry - zooms out
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17mm attached
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Just to add a different view on things (for a change data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7). I've recently been looking at CSC's for travel and see so many good things about the Micro 4/3's, how good the OMD's and Fuji's are etc, but I keep coming back to one thing, DOF. I really like shallow DOF, to the point where ideally I'd like a FF over my APS-C. If I went 4/3 I'd be losing even more of the shallow DOF due to the smaller sensor. Having never used one and been able to compare side by side with my DSLR I'm not entirely sure exactly how much difference there'll be. But I'm striving for shallower DOF rather than more so keep thinking I'd be better with an APS-C CSC (FF too expensive). Yes I could get a f1.4 prime, but for travel I'd want a short zoom which would mean f2.8 at best.
Just food for thought data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
How shallow do you want to be? data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Obviously with a larger sensor you can get shallower DoF but there is plenty of scope.
I'm not bigging myself up here as I don't consider myself anything more than an enthusiastic camera holder but there is a lot you can achieve with M4/3.
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ƒ/5.6 150.0 mm 1/250 ISO 640 Shutter speed priority AE
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ƒ/5.6 42.0 mm 1/100 ISO400 Aperture-priority
I can get pretty shallow DOF on my G5:
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Have plenty more examples data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Okay you have my attention. Reading some more in-depth reviews (I should really be doing some work!), it seems that this is a genuine contender. I've found it with the kit lens for £340, but with a 150-300mm added, just under £400. Possibly not a great lens, though, but might be worth a punt for £60.
Are there others I should be comparing to specifically, when I go for a play on one?
Thanks for the examples guys, some good shallow DOF there. However, I obviously don't know subject to camera distances etc with those so difficult to compare. Also, I mean really shallow, like Dan shallow data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
1st and 3rd close shots (34mm & 20mm respectively) but middle one of the bird was at 150mm (300mm full frame).
Don't know if it helps but Panasonic are doing some fantastic promotions at the moment if purchasing a GH3 or GX7.....
You can get the amazing Leica Summilux Lens for nowt if purchasing a GH3.....
Panasonic Promotions
I see that Fuji have just ended a £100 cashback on their CSC lenses which would have softened the blow for many things.
I know a lot of Olympus owners got a "free" prime recently too, I missed out on one by a few weeks when I got my camera.It certainly pays to look around before you buy as these deals are significant.
I would also suggest you take a regular look in the classifieds here - there are plenty of good cameras going and a fair trade in lenses too.
I narrowed my search to the Canon EOS-M and the Olympus E-PL5.There were other system cameras (Pentax Q, Fuji X, Panasonic, Nikon and Sony) but I was seduced by an excellent deal on the E-PL5 Portrait kit at WEX.The camera and kit replaced my Pentax K100D and lenses in a stroke - that camera hasn't been turned on since.
One note of caution.Some of the Olympus menu settings and controls are not desperately intuitive.I have no idea about other manufacturers other than the Canon which felt simpler with the full touch interface acting like a "grown up" version of my Canon compacts.I didn't spend a great deal of time with either though as I was expecting to learn the ropes on anything new.
If you're demoing the Olympus get them to enable the "Super Control Panel" which needs a tricky trawl through the menus to enable (once only) then allows you to see and adjust lots of settings in one place.
Yeah I see the promotion was from November to March for the free pancake lens/viewfinder ... shame - maybe they'll extend/renew the offer(s), but it looks like Olympus are pushing the OM bodies a bit more at the moment.
I've read that the menus are a bit weird initially, but are okay after a while.
When it's in P&S/Auto/beginner mode, do you need to worry about anything on the screen, other than what you're looking at?
Thanks again - I'm glad I've been able to look around a bit more and stop being seduced by the sexy looks of the NEX series and see other bargains too.