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Thanks so much everyone for the suggestions and recommendations! My Olympus is the original Olympus Pen E-PL1 lol which is why I thought it definitely could just be too old although it does have the 4/3 sensor. I will try switching to shooting RAW instead of JPEG to see if that solves the issue though :) 

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3 hours ago, Kitty1521 said:

My Olympus is the original Olympus Pen E-PL1

On the face of it your 12MP Micro 4/3 camera should not be on any banned camera list and Alamy do sometimes make mistakes there, might be worth asking them. I see that way back in  May 2010 DPReview praised the quality of the jpegs from your camera but you get more control and you can maximise the quality by shooting RAW, however that won't help if the Alamy system is just automatically rejecting your files on the basis of the EXIF camera name alone. Might in any case be the time to look at some of the suggestions above, cameras have got quite a lot better since 2010 and you wouldn't necessarily have to spend too much, particularly if you're happy to buy secondhand, perhaps from a well known dealer with a guarantee.

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With diminishing returns from stock photography I can understand your hesitation at investing in new gear. Had a quick look at your Pen E-PL1 and I believe that, if the lens is OK, with appropriate processing and low ISO the files should be suitable. I know that since scrapping the collapsible kit lens on the Panasonic GX85 I've had no QC problems. RAW files do require work in software before submission. Hope this helps.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I’ve used Panasonic Lumix MFT cameras for several years now and the images sail through QC and sell just fine. I started with the GX85/80 and now use a G85/80 and a G9. They have more than enough dynamic range and image quality. You can still get a GX85 in a two lens bundle with the 12-32 and 45-150 for $500 here in the U.S. I don’t know about other markets. Add the 20mm f1.7 and you’re pretty much set.

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2 hours ago, TABan said:

I’ve used Panasonic Lumix MFT cameras for several years now and the images sail through QC and sell just fine. I started with the GX85/80 and now use a G85/80 and a G9. They have more than enough dynamic range and image quality. You can still get a GX85 in a two lens bundle with the 12-32 and 45-150 for $500 here in the U.S. I don’t know about other markets. Add the 20mm f1.7 and you’re pretty much set.

 

The Lumix GX85 bundle sounds like a very good fit for Alamy. No point in breaking the bank these days.

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On 09/09/2020 at 18:05, John Mitchell said:

 

The Lumix GX85 bundle sounds like a very good fit for Alamy. No point in breaking the bank these days.

I'm using the GX85 with 45-175 (only as the lens was on special at £200) and would not recommend the 12-32 pancake lens, if available with the 12-60 lens that would in my opinion be the one to go for. I'm also using the GX9 with Pana Leica 12-60 which I prefer to the GX85 due to tilting viewfinder and dedicated exposure compensation dial. The only negative is that neither of these cameras support a wired cable release. There are also good deals atm on Sony a6000s which are probably better cameras with aps-c sensors but the lens range is more limited and expensive.

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3 hours ago, Joe Gaul said:

I'm using the GX85 with 45-175 (only as the lens was on special at £200) and would not recommend the 12-32 pancake lens, if available with the 12-60 lens that would in my opinion be the one to go for. I'm also using the GX9 with Pana Leica 12-60 which I prefer to the GX85 due to tilting viewfinder and dedicated exposure compensation dial. The only negative is that neither of these cameras support a wired cable release. There are also good deals atm on Sony a6000s which are probably better cameras with aps-c sensors but the lens range is more limited and expensive.

 

I'm currently using the Sony a6000. It's an excellent camera -- the best I've ever owned -- and a true bargain. Also the 24 MP files are a real boon when it comes to cropping, etc. I was thinking that the inexpensive Lumix bundle that you mentioned might be a good choice for someone with a limited budget who was just starting out on Alamy. You don't really need fancy equipment for most editorial stock photography.

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On 11/09/2020 at 08:33, Joe Gaul said:

I'm using the GX85 with 45-175 (only as the lens was on special at £200) and would not recommend the 12-32 pancake lens, if available with the 12-60 lens that would in my opinion be the one to go for. I'm also using the GX9 with Pana Leica 12-60 which I prefer to the GX85 due to tilting viewfinder and dedicated exposure compensation dial. The only negative is that neither of these cameras support a wired cable release. There are also good deals atm on Sony a6000s which are probably better cameras with aps-c sensors but the lens range is more limited and expensive.

Having used both the 12-32 and the 12-60 my opinion is that there's not a lot of difference in sharpness. The 12-60 is a bit sharper, but the 12-32 is plenty sharp for Alamy. The extra range of the 12-60 is nice, but once you put it on a rangefinder style body such as the GX85, you lose the compactness that I found was a great advantage for city work. I sometimes wish I hadn't sold the GX and that lens.

 

As an aside, I also had the Leica 12-60 for a time, but found it really not that much better than the plain Lumix 12-60. It's built better, but that's about it. And since I was using it for event work, I found it still too slow at f4 and 60mm, so I didn't often zoom it that far. I replaced it with the 12-35mm f2.8 for that use and it's a wonderful lens.

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On 16/09/2020 at 07:31, TABan said:

Having used both the 12-32 and the 12-60 my opinion is that there's not a lot of difference in sharpness. The 12-60 is a bit sharper, but the 12-32 is plenty sharp for Alamy. The extra range of the 12-60 is nice, but once you put it on a rangefinder style body such as the GX85, you lose the compactness that I found was a great advantage for city work. I sometimes wish I hadn't sold the GX and that lens.

 

As an aside, I also had the Leica 12-60 for a time, but found it really not that much better than the plain Lumix 12-60. It's built better, but that's about it. And since I was using it for event work, I found it still too slow at f4 and 60mm, so I didn't often zoom it that far. I replaced it with the 12-35mm f2.8 for that use and it's a wonderful lens.

Had my only recent QC fail with the 12-32, maybe I just got a bad copy, it's also a fiddly lens but can only speak as I find and would not use or recommend the lens. Haven't used the Lumix 12-60 but reviews are positive at the price point which is why I suggested it. My choice was between the Olympus 12-100 and Pana-Leica 12-60 and the PL won on size and IQ, it is fine on the GX9. If I were to still shoot events I would use my Canon DSLR cameras. The 45-175 is OK stopped down but a little soft wide open and the relatively small size, internal zoom, and focussing allows more clandestine shots. The lack of a wired cable release for both the GX85 and GX9 is a pain though. Probably the only lens I do enjoy using on the M4/3 system is the Olympus 12mm f2.0 the others I own are simply functional and do the job for stock.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 20/09/2020 at 03:49, Joe Gaul said:

Had my only recent QC fail with the 12-32, maybe I just got a bad copy, it's also a fiddly lens but can only speak as I find and would not use or recommend the lens. Haven't used the Lumix 12-60 but reviews are positive at the price point which is why I suggested it. My choice was between the Olympus 12-100 and Pana-Leica 12-60 and the PL won on size and IQ, it is fine on the GX9. If I were to still shoot events I would use my Canon DSLR cameras. The 45-175 is OK stopped down but a little soft wide open and the relatively small size, internal zoom, and focussing allows more clandestine shots. The lack of a wired cable release for both the GX85 and GX9 is a pain though. Probably the only lens I do enjoy using on the M4/3 system is the Olympus 12mm f2.0 the others I own are simply functional and do the job for stock.

Kit lenses tend to vary in quality more than higher end lenses. The Panasonic app works fine if you can’t use a cable release.

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  • 1 month later...

Kitty I shoot Olympus and many of my first images were shot with a epl-2 which I think was only 12 MP like yours. I've only had a couple rejections over the years. The price of the pen's used have dropped a lot. A 16 MP body can be had in eBay for under $100US. But I think I would contact Alamy if your unable to upload because of the camera. You epl1 should produce good enough image's for Alamy. I own a omg em10 mk3 and a Sony a7 full frame and I shoot 90% of the time with my Olympus. The sony can produce slightly better images, but the Olympus produces more than good enough image's plus is smaller lighter and feels better. I haven't shot with my Pen in years I think I will get it out and shoot with it this week. Relive some of the fond memories I have of it. 

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