Would you make this trade?
 

I have been trying to trade my E-P3 on SC (and quite frankly I forgot the ad was still active) and I recently got some interest. I had been asking for an X10 in trade for my E-P3+VF2. One of the folks that contacted me asked what I would sell the combo for and I realized I could let it go cheap and still have enough to buy an X10. Does that seem like a crazy trade? I have a G2, P14, P20 and O45 so it's not like I'd be giving up on m43 but I find that I often want better low light IQ and from what I have seen the x10 is quite a bit nicer in low light than the E-P3.

Yeah, it sounds like a crazy trade to me... I would trade the G2 instead for the X10.

I mean, functionally I think the E-P3 + VF2 is just so much better in every way. But even if you were to ignore personal preferences and intrinsic value, just looking at the cold hard numbers... you're trading a $1,080 kit (minus value of kit lens) for a $600 camera! o_O

X10 or X100. X100 are about 850 now. So that would be a fair trade. I don't think X10s are any better at low light than the Olympuses.

Having handled both the X100 and the EP3. The EP3 is far better in terms of instant AF and feedback. The X100 may do better high iso, but in low light, it think it would be harder to focus.

Will you be satisfied with one focal length? Are you that dissatisfied with the E-P3, or is it just your usual habit of rotating your camera stock every month or two? No insult, just that I've noticed that every couple of months you swap bodies or lenses.

Not insulted...it's not quite that bad. Recently I have been going through bodies but I do on occasion settle down for...months at a time. :eek:

My son has an x10 and it's a very nice camera, but I wouldn't swap my E P3 for it. I wouldn's swap my E PM1 for it.

No offense Ned (and I do value your opinion) but I got the E-P3 in a trade for an E-PM1+14 so it's not worth anywhere near $1,080 to me. Also value is very much dictated by the market and right now used E-P3's are plentiful and selling (or not selling) for just above $500 and the VF2 can be found as low as $175. I suppose I would get better value selling the gear but I doubt its worth more than $650 if I sold it and maybe a bit more on eBay. Before I got the E-P3 I read a lot about how great it is and while it is, I don't find it significantly better than any other m43 body that I have owned (except maybe the E-PL1). I know that the E-P3 has terrific, AWB, metering, IBIS and a nice capacitive touch screen but I am apparently immune to its charms because I am not finding it an appealing camera to use. As far as i'm concerned the G2 is a far better camera (for me) than the E-P3. The IQ is the same, the ergonomics and handling are light years better than the E-P3 and the combination EVF+articulating screen is much more useful for my needs than the flip up VF2 (of course that's just my preference).

That said, I am not sold that the X10 is a good swap. FWIW the samples of low light and high ISO images from the X10 look a lot nicer to me than those of the E-P3. But...what is stopping me from making the trade is the speed of the E-P3. To me that is the single greatest feature it has. It is fast to AF (with the right lens) and has a fast shutter. That is the one thing that I have found since getting it that I'm really enjoying.

As long as I haven't stepped on your toes, I just felt I should state the perpetual change in your bag. Not that it inhibits your shooting at all, but I did get a chuckle out of three 14's in a month. Your character is one of the reasons I'm on this forum, just promise you won't leave our ranks we've lost too many good contributors.

I have a G2 with a P14, P20 and O45 so I won't be missing anything lens wise. I have 3 m43 bodies...a G2, E-P1 and E-P3 so all I would be doing is ridding myself of an extra body. As far as being dissatisfied with the E-P3...I think it's more accurate to say that I am not finding it significantly different or better than the other bodies I have.

LOL...yeah running through the three 14s was pretty weird even for me. I really had not meant to trade all of them away but got caught up in the horse trading.