If you have manual focus lenses from your SLR days, this is currently the best deal on a camera body to bring those lenses back to life. There are inexpensive adapters for using lots of SLR lens types, and some old rangefinder lens types, with Micro Four Thirds cameras such as this one. With your old lens mounted, just set the camera mode to A for aperture priority, set the aperture on the lens to your desired f-stop, and the camera will automatically adjust the shutter and ISO for a good exposure. Manually focusing your lens is made easier because the viewfinder can magnify the subject you're focusing on.

Moreover, the camera has in-body image stabilization, so the sensor compensates for camera shake. You just choose your lens's focal length from a menu, and the camera will permit slower shutter speeds without blur. Other camera lines put their image stabilization in their lenses, but the Olympus PENs have it in the body, so it can be used with any lens you mount on the... Read more

This is certainly a no brainer, given the extremely low cost. I am using it with the lenses that I purchased for my Panasonic Lumix G3. This OLYMPUS E-PL1 serves as my every day carry camera, for grabbing shots that pop-up, who knows when. Only thing I don't like is the lack of a viewfinder, to deal with the hard to see display in brite day light and having the Lumix G3 with its articulating display has also spoiled me. But, the E-PL1 is certainly a great buy at this cost and my intended use. It replaces my old Canon PowerShot A620 which goes to a new home with a friend. My ultimate carry camera is still my tiny Canon PowerShot S230 Digital ELPH, built like a tank... much like this OLYMPUS E-PL1 appears to be, but with much greater capability, of course.
FWIW,
-Rod

Hola Gente:

A few weeks ago I was a little afraid about to buy this camera or the Lumix DMG-G10, specially after reading tons of crap about the extremely slow auto focus function, and bought the Lumix G-10, and the Olympus WA 19/14mm lens. Well they don't work fine after all and the Auto Rotate funtion is not available neither the anti-shake because in the Oly is in the lens and with Lumix is the Lumix is in the body, at the end you will get NOTHING!

Well, I did a big mistake buying the Lumix, and all crap about slowly auto focus is just that, a crap! This E-PL1 is faster than the Lumix and I don't understand why the people think the opposite.

This camera with the WA 9/14mm lens is the best option and at affordable price, both, the body and the super WA 9/14mm lens.

I was really frustated with the Lumix DMG G-10.

Saludos, Allan.