why is it so expensive? any cheaper alternative?

>>3098283
>any cheaper alternative?
Ur smartphone. Chances are that you already have one, so - FREE/Price of photo app.

It's a fucking steal for what it is to be honest.

why are there no good cheap (<$300 USD) compacts with a minimum m4/3 sensor?

>>3098313

Why would there be?

>>3098313

There are used. wtf do you people want, money for nothing and chicks for free?

>>3098283
I bought an old 10mp version and it's alright. Way cheaper and gets the job done. If you're using a point and shoot, it's good enough. If you want better quality, get a DSLR

>>3098313
Canon g series is good. I had the G1x as my first digital and it was great

File: 2673406559_2d7a644fa7.jpg (79KB, 500x333px) Image search: [Google]

79KB, 500x333px

>>3098283
GRIII with viewfinder when?

Get a Panasonic GX1. Interchangeable lenses, 16 megapickles, silent shutter mode. One downside is that the EVF is separate and may be hard to find

>>3098283
Because it's the only one, people will pay the price, and it's worth it.

>>3098283
Are you fucking kidding me? Where are you from? Uzbekistan?

>>3098283
http://www.ebay.com/itm/332264526560

Got mine today. Shutter count = 10. Not bad for $45. Add cap and battery for another $20 and I'm up and running. Not a GR, but a pretty interesting specimen of Ricoh's vision of the photography market. I love the bleak, almost Stalinist design of these things.

Now all I need is the A-16 module and viewfinder, which should run me roughly 10x what I've spent so far.

These things are fucking expensive if you want to get serious about them, but you can get started cheap.
GR IIs and IIIs don't cost all that much. GX200 is really cheap and is remarkably small once you get one in your hand.