This is an always up-to-date guide to the best deals on Micro Four Thirds cameras, lenses, accessories and other cool things related to photography. If you’ve spotted a deal, feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Current Deals

A lot of things that were discounted on Black Friday / Cyber Monday, are still on sale for now. Here’s what I have compiled for current deals:

Olympus Store Sale – Olympus Store Sale! The entire OM-D line are at all-time price lows (Amazon is also matching this deal).

But the best deals right now are at the Olympus Reconditioned Outlet, where the E-M1, E-M5 II are currently under $600! One of my fave budget portrait lenses, the Olympus 45mm 1.8 is under $200. Everything comes with a 90 day warranty from the reconditioned market. But quantities are limited, so you have to be fast. Enter Coupon Code LOVESUMMER for 20% off, the sale ends on 6/22/2016.

Panasonic G7:

Panasonic G7 + 14-42mm Kit Lens + FREE Ritz Camera Kit including 10 items including a tripod, case, 64gb SD card and more for $598 at Amazon.

Panasonic G7 + 14-42mm Kit Lens + $100 B&H Gift Card for $598 at B&H Photo.

Olympus 40-150mm f4-5.6 Lens: At Amazon for only $99!

Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8: This won’t last long. Over $300 lower than the previous recorded low, it’s currently available new for $770 (Warranty) on Amazon. Update: Now $849, but the international version (no warranty) is $790. 

 

Price Watch

I love when competition drives down prices, and that’s what this price watch section is about. For example, the release of the new Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 pushes down the price for the comparable Olympus 45mm f1.8. Or another 4k option like the G7 pushes down the price of the GH4, etc.

The best deals are typically found through eBay sellers located in Asia. When you’re buying from a country outside of your own, you’re buying off of the “gray market.” Though that’s typically where the best deals are found, the caveat is that manufacturers typically won’t honor your warranty. Olympus dropped their Worldwide Warranty last year. Personally, I have no issue with buying off the gray market but perhaps I’m a little lucky as I’ve never had a camera fail on me. Another downside is that shipping times tend be longer, most sellers specify their timeframe but it’s usually about a week or two.

Olympus 45mm f1.8 – One of my favorites, and I recently wrote a review for it last month. A lot of things happened that allowed this fantastic lens to drop to new lows of ~$200 used. Panasonic recently added yet another lens in this focal length range, this time a 42.5mm f1.7. Recent reviews indicate that both are fairly comparable. Though the Panasonic does have Optical Image Stabilization, something to consider if you have a Panasonic body (compatible Olympus cameras use IBIS).

At ~$250 new ($200 used), that’s a steal for this lens and if you can find one with a lens hood, even better as that will save you $15. You can check current prices on eBay here, or on Amazon here.

Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 – My most recent lens purchase, used prices have dropped since the release of the Olympus 40-150mm f2.8. Though this lens doesn’t have the extended reach, it’s smaller and has O.I.S. Though LensTip or DxOMark scores haven’t been released for the Olympus 40-150mm f2.8, if comparisons are similar to their other premium lenses, the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 and Olympus 12-40mm f2.8, Panasonic likely has the edge here for sharpness.

Originally retailing at $1500, it’s currently selling used for ~$750 on Amazon and eBay. Updated: See Current Deals Section Above

Panasonic GH4 – The world’s first interchangeable lens 4k mirrorless camera now has a few competitors, including from within the Panasonic line. The G7 as the most affordable 4k mirrorless camera, and the new GX8 also has 4k as well. But the GH4 still reigns king for video (comparison), and is still the only camera with the coveted V-Log profile.

The GH4 is now for sale new for $977 from many reputable sellers on eBay.

Panasonic GX8 – The Panasonic GX8 is currently at $891 Shipped on eBay, impressive considering it just released and you can now get it over $300 less. 

Resources:

• The Best Micro Four Thirds Camera for YOU. This guide can help you determine which camera is best for you and your budget. But sometimes, the best camera is the one on sale – so be sure to checkout the deals below.
• The Complete Guide to Micro Four Thirds Lenses – I always say invest in lenses, it’s more important than the camera body you use. Be sure to checkout this guide if you haven’t done so already.
• Canon FD Lenses – Another advantage to µ43 is that you can use almost any lens out there with an adapter. The legacy Canon FD lenses are something worth checking out, they tend to be much cheaper than native lens counterparts, but that does come with disadvantages. Checkout the guide for more info.
• Lightweight Tripods – A list of some of my favorite lightweight tripods, a perfect compliment to mirrorless cameras.
• TTL Flashes for Micro Four Thirds – A guide to TTL flashes for Micro Four Thirds.

Tips for Buying Used Gear:

I purchase a lot of gear on the used market and have never had any issues. I buy mostly on Amazon and eBay, because that’s where the lowest prices tend to be plus both sites have fraud protection for the buyer. With that being said, there are plenty of things to look out for:

• Shutter Count – Like a car, a camera has many moving parts. And shutter actuations are like a cars milage. Most shutters are rated at 100,000+ actuations, though not a guarantee, it’s something to look out for when shopping for used cameras. Most sellers don’t list this information, not because they’re hiding anything, but because it’s a hidden feature on many cameras. Here’s a guide to finding out your shutter actuations count on Olympus and Panasonic cameras.
• Lenses – Obviously, check the physical condition. But more importantly, check both the front and back glass elements, and for proper focus. If you have a new-ish smartphone, turn on the LED Flashlight and shine it through the lens to help you find any scratches.
• Buying Legacy Lenses – Because legacy lenses are often 20+ years old, there’s a few things to look out for, such as haze, dust and/or fungus buildup inside of the lens. Again, shining a flashlight through can help you out. Also check for smooth focus as the focus ring can loosen over years, and move up and down throughout the aperture range to make sure it’s still working.
• Common problems – Some cameras have common problems that you should look out for. For example the Panasonic GX1 has an issue with LCD delamination, not a deal breaker, but something you should consider. The original EM5 had a problem with the eyecup on the viewfinder falling off. Again, not a huge problem but a replacement is about $15-20. Just something to keep in mind when shopping around.
• Good Feedback – Sellers should have good feedback/reviews, but don’t shy away from sellers with little feedback but do detailed descriptions and good photos… there’s many people out there like me who don’t sell a lot on eBay thus have less than 100 total feedback.

Questions? Feel free to @ or DM me on social, I’m usually pretty good about getting back to everyone.