It is a very nice camera, but i would only talk about what i do not like it about since there are already loads of skilled comments on E-P1.
1. the back dial wheel is very hard to use unless you disable the up/down/left/right function.
2. is part of the camera body made of plastic?
3. shutter is a small bit loud.
4. focusing is kind of slow.
5. last thing, i do not recognize how to carry the camera. I hope i can find a Zing pouch which can hold it.
I did not buy E-P1 since i want a black camera body, and i had thought the EVF would be a must for my Leica M lenses. But when i got E-P2 i realized with the intention of EVF does not make it quicker to use a manual lens compared to back LCD. And the plastic EVF is so huge (and brittle possibly), this made the camera body not skilled looking and not skilled handling because your nose touches LCD all the time when using EVF.
So if your budget is kind of forceful, i would recommend E-P1 given the $340.00 ($450.00 price difference for the zoom lens kit!!!) price difference.
I am a long-time amateur photographer. I gave up on digital SLRs for the simple reason with the intention of I always finished up only carrying them and their accessories on huge occasions or holidays. Result was, I had a camera, but few pictures.
Next I bought a skilled pocket cameras, e.g. Panasonic etc and most recently the Ricoh GX200 which the E-P2 is replacing. These were nice. Picture-taking resumed but slow response compared to DSLRs and overall quality of the finished product always left a affront feeling of disappointment. With imaging chips of the size they use, this is only to be expected (solely as compact cassettes by definition could not deliver decent audio).
Enter the E-P2 with its much larger sensor. I have had my E-P2 with 17mm pancake lens for a week now and simply like it. Responsive as an SLR, chunky but hardly larger than the Ricoh, it works like a dream in auto and more manual modes. (And who needs a zoom with this kind of resolution? – Solely crop the bit you want from the immense pictures it takes).
In brief, and avoiding tech talk, this is a quality piece of kit. Looks like quality. Feels like quality. Works like quality. It’s an SLR in a pocket camera body. (And – with apologies to the reviewer above – I like the silent chunky sound and feel of the shutter.)
I reckon I’ve found ‘my’ camera at last – at the end of long, dollar-strewn trail!.
Olympus `PEN’ E-P2 is Olympus second micro four third system camera which is an improved version of Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 17mm f/2.8 Lens and Viewfinder (Silver). Both cameras has very similar body design and features. The main different is E-P2 has discretionary electronic viewfinder and external microphone while E-P1 does not. Because they are very similar, Loads of part of this review is applicable to E-P1 as well.
Olympus E-P2 main specs (mutual with E-P1)
* 12MP Be in this world Mos sensor 4/3 sensor
* HD 720p video at 30 fps with stereo sound recording
* Built In Image Stabilization
* Dust removal mechanism (SSWF)
* Eight Art filters for creative processing and fun (E-P1 has six)
* 3 frames per second continuous shooting.
* No built-in flash nor AF help light
Below are new features with the intention of added to Olympus E-P2
* Manual focus and gap control in video mode
* AF tracking (focus lock for moving objects)
* Magnified Focus Help
* Tiltable hi-res electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage and 1.15X magnification
* Discretionary microphone adapter for better sound
BODY & CONTROL
Olympus E-P2 weights 385 g with reminiscence card and battery. The dimension is 4.74in (W) x 2.75in. (H) x 1.37 in (D) / 120.5 mm (W) x 70mm (H) x 35mm (D) (excluding protrusions). It is significantly smaller than regular DSLR camera. Camera body is around 120g lighter than beginner DSLR camera. It feels solid and dense. If you are coming from compact camera, you will feel this camera a bit heavy. It is around 2-3 times heavier than advanced compact camera. If you are coming from DSLR camera especially from Olympus DSLR camera, you will like the saving in size. But, this camera is not light. For comparison, E-420 weights 370g and E-620 weights 475g body only.
With the intention of being said, E-P1/2 is not a pocket-able camera (it will fits only in large jacket/coat pocket). You might find yourself carrying it around more than you carry a DSLR camera, but this camera can’t compete with compact camera in portability.
Olympus E-P2 construction quality and design are creditable of praise. The outer shell are 85% metal. Plastic are still there for buttons and around dial. Design wise, it is very classy, retro style. I especially like the leather feel grip. But, some people might prefer more industrial design like Leica X1 or Panasonic GF1. It depends on each individual taste.
Olympus E-P2 has one thumb dial, one around dial, and four-way controller and two customizable function buttons. To change major background such as ISO, AF mode, WB are very simple because there are dedicated buttons embedded in four-way controller. You can also access quick menu by pressing OK button. Sorry to say, the quick menu is unlike super control panel with the intention of I find in Olympus DSLR cameras. It is more similar to compact camera function menu.
Like E-P1, Olympus E-P2 does not have built-in flash. This is quite a blunder by Olympus because built-in flash is very useful for various scene, where you want to use flash to fill-in shadow or use it to light up an exceptionally dark room.
Ergonomically, it is very pleasing. The curves are in the right place. The protruding leather grip is really nice. Buttons and dials are placed within get to of your right hand thumb.
LCD SCREEN & ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER
Olympus E-P2 has 3 LCD screen with 230k dots. It is valuable compared to loads of other DSLR and compact camera which has 460k or 910k. But, it is skilled enough for valuable review and arrangement. It is also quite clear for manual focusing.
The electronic viewfinder is very bright and huge. It has more than 1 million dots. Manual focusing is very clear and simple, thanks to 10x full screen magnification. In low light condition, the viewfinder become grainy and it is harder to focus. Compared to viewing optical viewfinder, my eyes get tired quicker when viewing EVF for a long time. In practice, you need to choose whether you want to use the rear LCD panel or viewfinder to compose a picture. You can’t activate both.
A further criticism of the EVF is the built quality, it is has plastic shell which does not complement E-P2 metal body. It is also huge and not very attractive. But, the EVF is stick to the hot shoe steadily. So you don’t have to worry about the EVF slipping away from camera body.The EVF as compositional tool is not ideal, but it is skilled and practical enough to use regularly.
IMAGE QUALITY
Image quality I get from the camera and 17mm f/2.8 pancake is not very stellar. It is hard to get tack astute image in pixel size although I have use small gap like f/8 or f/16. For web allotment, it is perfectly fine. Loads of says with the intention of the 14-42mm (I don’t have this lens for this review) is better than the 17mm f/2.8 which is disappointing because prime lenses are usually sharper.
Image in high ISO quality is quality is similar to Olympus DSLR in all-purpose. It is generally very skilled up to ISO 800. But noise is also noticeable in low ISO background such as 400 especially in shadow area. Noise saving will help to smooth out the noise at the expense of point and sharpness. I don’t recommend to use in camera noise saving at all. ISO 6400 is available, but it there are too much noise and the image loss its dependability.
OTHER FEATURES
One fantastic figure Olympus E-P2 has is built-in stabilization. This is money saver and very practical to use. Unlike Canon, Nikon and Panasonic DSLR cameras, You can use image stabilization for any lens you mount with it. This is awesome for prime lenses. Although it has limitation such as you can’t freeze subject with IS, but it is awesome for low light still photography.
When you record movie, there is also digital / electronic IS with the intention of help to keep the movie steady. You also can control gap in movie recording mode. These are fantastic in practice. The implementation of movie recording is better than some DSLR cameras with movie mode in the market.
In addition, there are a few minor things with the intention of I don’t like about E-P2:
* Menu interface is a bit confusing because loads of abbreviation and some even only use a symbol to represent a menu item.
* Shutter sound is quieter than predictable DSLR, but it is noticeable louder compare to compact cameras.
AUTO FOCUS & GENERAL PERFORMANCE
When Olympus E-P1 was launched, loads of people expect its auto focus speed will be as skilled as Panasonic m43 cameras. But it fell small. Sorry to say, E-P2’s AF is the same as E-P1. In practice, AF routine is about the same as compact camera. It takes around 1 second to focus in skilled light. In low light circumstances such as inside restaurant, it takes 2-3 seconds. On the other hand, AF speed in Panasonic m43 cameras are very close to DSLR camera, around .33 sec.
In addition, changing auto focus point is a hassle. You need to go to quick menu and then change the points. There are auto AF and 11 AF areas with the intention of you can brilliant. Fortunately, manual focus is simple to use and very practical because of automatic magnification when you try to focus with MF mode.
Other than AF routine, E-P2 all-purpose routine is very skilled. Start up and shut down is approx. 1 second. Shutter lag is nearly none. Continuous shooting is similar to loads of beginner DSLR camera in the market, 3 frames per second.
ART FILTERS
Art filters make different effect or mood in the picture or video. It could really enhanced the picture / video if you choose it appropriately. For example, soft focus is fantastic for beauty shot, diorama is skilled for landscape etc. Art filters are not photo processing after you take picture. The effect is immediate. You don’t get access to original file and control on how it is being processed. I reckon Art filters are quite fun, but it is not a deal breaker because you can always realize those effects by processing the image in your image editing software.
COMPETITORS
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Lens is certainly the main competitor of Olympus E-P2. GF1’s AF routine is better than E-P1/2 but it does not have built-in image stabilization. Panasonic has better prime lens in their bundle, while Olympus E-P2 has better discretionary electronic viewfinder. GF1 also has built-in flash which E-P2 lacks. It is tough to choose, but I am leaning towards E-P2 but with Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens.
Panasonic DMC-GH1 12.1MP Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera with 1080p HD Video is also a four thirds system camera, but it is a lot larger because it has protruding grip and built-in viewfinder which make this camera similar to beginner DSLR camera. Like GF1, it has better auto focus routine. The cool thing is this camera is bundled with versatile and silent 14-140mm zoom lens.
Nikon D90 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens is not a micro four thirds camera, so it is not as compact as E-P2. But it has a similar price range. D90 is better in low light because it has larger sensor, and quicker auto focus especially when tracking moving subject. But, Nikon D90’s video figure is very valuable and hard to use.
Leica X1 12.2MP APS-C CMOS Digital Camera is a compact camera with the intention of has DSLR quality sensor and flat 35mm lens. Leica X1 is significantly more expensive than Olympus E-P2. The main advantage of X1 lies in the construction quality, lens, image sensor and prestige.
CONCLUSION
Olympus E-P2 is a handsome camera with loads of things to like and dislike at the same time. I like the design, built-in image stabilization, but I despise the fact with the intention of the AF speed is not improved from E-P1 and low quality 17mm prime lens. Currently E-P2 is $300 more expensive than E-P1. If you are used to compose picture with LCD screen rather than electronic viewfinder, you can save money by getting E-P1. Compared to Panasonic GF1, I am leaning towards E-P2 because of the built-in stabilization and overall design. But, I am surprised with the intention of Olympus 17 mm pancake lens does not deliver quality image. Therefore, I recommend you to get Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens instead. With with the intention of amalgamation, it will be a fantastic tool even in the most hard light condition.
Subjective Rating – Relative to beginner DSLR cameras unrestricted in 2009
Image Quality : 3/5 (with 17mm) 4/5 in all-purpose
Features : 5/5
Routine : 4/5
Body and Handling : 4/5
Value for Money : 3/5
Please visit my blog (you can find the address in my profile) for iso comparison, art filters and samples metaphors.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
It is a very nice camera, but i would only talk about what i do not like it about since there are already loads of skilled comments on E-P1.
1. the back dial wheel is very hard to use unless you disable the up/down/left/right function.
2. is part of the camera body made of plastic?
3. shutter is a small bit loud.
4. focusing is kind of slow.
5. last thing, i do not recognize how to carry the camera. I hope i can find a Zing pouch which can hold it.
I did not buy E-P1 since i want a black camera body, and i had thought the EVF would be a must for my Leica M lenses. But when i got E-P2 i realized with the intention of EVF does not make it quicker to use a manual lens compared to back LCD. And the plastic EVF is so huge (and brittle possibly), this made the camera body not skilled looking and not skilled handling because your nose touches LCD all the time when using EVF.
So if your budget is kind of forceful, i would recommend E-P1 given the $340.00 ($450.00 price difference for the zoom lens kit!!!) price difference.
I am a long-time amateur photographer. I gave up on digital SLRs for the simple reason with the intention of I always finished up only carrying them and their accessories on huge occasions or holidays. Result was, I had a camera, but few pictures.
Next I bought a skilled pocket cameras, e.g. Panasonic etc and most recently the Ricoh GX200 which the E-P2 is replacing. These were nice. Picture-taking resumed but slow response compared to DSLRs and overall quality of the finished product always left a affront feeling of disappointment. With imaging chips of the size they use, this is only to be expected (solely as compact cassettes by definition could not deliver decent audio).
Enter the E-P2 with its much larger sensor. I have had my E-P2 with 17mm pancake lens for a week now and simply like it. Responsive as an SLR, chunky but hardly larger than the Ricoh, it works like a dream in auto and more manual modes. (And who needs a zoom with this kind of resolution? – Solely crop the bit you want from the immense pictures it takes).
In brief, and avoiding tech talk, this is a quality piece of kit. Looks like quality. Feels like quality. Works like quality. It’s an SLR in a pocket camera body. (And – with apologies to the reviewer above – I like the silent chunky sound and feel of the shutter.)
I reckon I’ve found ‘my’ camera at last – at the end of long, dollar-strewn trail!.
Olympus `PEN’ E-P2 is Olympus second micro four third system camera which is an improved version of Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 17mm f/2.8 Lens and Viewfinder (Silver). Both cameras has very similar body design and features. The main different is E-P2 has discretionary electronic viewfinder and external microphone while E-P1 does not. Because they are very similar, Loads of part of this review is applicable to E-P1 as well.
Olympus E-P2 main specs (mutual with E-P1)
* 12MP Be in this world Mos sensor 4/3 sensor
* HD 720p video at 30 fps with stereo sound recording
* Built In Image Stabilization
* Dust removal mechanism (SSWF)
* Eight Art filters for creative processing and fun (E-P1 has six)
* 3 frames per second continuous shooting.
* No built-in flash nor AF help light
Below are new features with the intention of added to Olympus E-P2
* Manual focus and gap control in video mode
* AF tracking (focus lock for moving objects)
* Magnified Focus Help
* Tiltable hi-res electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage and 1.15X magnification
* Discretionary microphone adapter for better sound
BODY & CONTROL
Olympus E-P2 weights 385 g with reminiscence card and battery. The dimension is 4.74in (W) x 2.75in. (H) x 1.37 in (D) / 120.5 mm (W) x 70mm (H) x 35mm (D) (excluding protrusions). It is significantly smaller than regular DSLR camera. Camera body is around 120g lighter than beginner DSLR camera. It feels solid and dense. If you are coming from compact camera, you will feel this camera a bit heavy. It is around 2-3 times heavier than advanced compact camera. If you are coming from DSLR camera especially from Olympus DSLR camera, you will like the saving in size. But, this camera is not light. For comparison, E-420 weights 370g and E-620 weights 475g body only.
With the intention of being said, E-P1/2 is not a pocket-able camera (it will fits only in large jacket/coat pocket). You might find yourself carrying it around more than you carry a DSLR camera, but this camera can’t compete with compact camera in portability.
Olympus E-P2 construction quality and design are creditable of praise. The outer shell are 85% metal. Plastic are still there for buttons and around dial. Design wise, it is very classy, retro style. I especially like the leather feel grip. But, some people might prefer more industrial design like Leica X1 or Panasonic GF1. It depends on each individual taste.
Olympus E-P2 has one thumb dial, one around dial, and four-way controller and two customizable function buttons. To change major background such as ISO, AF mode, WB are very simple because there are dedicated buttons embedded in four-way controller. You can also access quick menu by pressing OK button. Sorry to say, the quick menu is unlike super control panel with the intention of I find in Olympus DSLR cameras. It is more similar to compact camera function menu.
Like E-P1, Olympus E-P2 does not have built-in flash. This is quite a blunder by Olympus because built-in flash is very useful for various scene, where you want to use flash to fill-in shadow or use it to light up an exceptionally dark room.
Ergonomically, it is very pleasing. The curves are in the right place. The protruding leather grip is really nice. Buttons and dials are placed within get to of your right hand thumb.
LCD SCREEN & ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER
Olympus E-P2 has 3 LCD screen with 230k dots. It is valuable compared to loads of other DSLR and compact camera which has 460k or 910k. But, it is skilled enough for valuable review and arrangement. It is also quite clear for manual focusing.
The electronic viewfinder is very bright and huge. It has more than 1 million dots. Manual focusing is very clear and simple, thanks to 10x full screen magnification. In low light condition, the viewfinder become grainy and it is harder to focus. Compared to viewing optical viewfinder, my eyes get tired quicker when viewing EVF for a long time. In practice, you need to choose whether you want to use the rear LCD panel or viewfinder to compose a picture. You can’t activate both.
A further criticism of the EVF is the built quality, it is has plastic shell which does not complement E-P2 metal body. It is also huge and not very attractive. But, the EVF is stick to the hot shoe steadily. So you don’t have to worry about the EVF slipping away from camera body.The EVF as compositional tool is not ideal, but it is skilled and practical enough to use regularly.
IMAGE QUALITY
Image quality I get from the camera and 17mm f/2.8 pancake is not very stellar. It is hard to get tack astute image in pixel size although I have use small gap like f/8 or f/16. For web allotment, it is perfectly fine. Loads of says with the intention of the 14-42mm (I don’t have this lens for this review) is better than the 17mm f/2.8 which is disappointing because prime lenses are usually sharper.
Image in high ISO quality is quality is similar to Olympus DSLR in all-purpose. It is generally very skilled up to ISO 800. But noise is also noticeable in low ISO background such as 400 especially in shadow area. Noise saving will help to smooth out the noise at the expense of point and sharpness. I don’t recommend to use in camera noise saving at all. ISO 6400 is available, but it there are too much noise and the image loss its dependability.
OTHER FEATURES
One fantastic figure Olympus E-P2 has is built-in stabilization. This is money saver and very practical to use. Unlike Canon, Nikon and Panasonic DSLR cameras, You can use image stabilization for any lens you mount with it. This is awesome for prime lenses. Although it has limitation such as you can’t freeze subject with IS, but it is awesome for low light still photography.
When you record movie, there is also digital / electronic IS with the intention of help to keep the movie steady. You also can control gap in movie recording mode. These are fantastic in practice. The implementation of movie recording is better than some DSLR cameras with movie mode in the market.
In addition, there are a few minor things with the intention of I don’t like about E-P2:
* Menu interface is a bit confusing because loads of abbreviation and some even only use a symbol to represent a menu item.
* Shutter sound is quieter than predictable DSLR, but it is noticeable louder compare to compact cameras.
AUTO FOCUS & GENERAL PERFORMANCE
When Olympus E-P1 was launched, loads of people expect its auto focus speed will be as skilled as Panasonic m43 cameras. But it fell small. Sorry to say, E-P2’s AF is the same as E-P1. In practice, AF routine is about the same as compact camera. It takes around 1 second to focus in skilled light. In low light circumstances such as inside restaurant, it takes 2-3 seconds. On the other hand, AF speed in Panasonic m43 cameras are very close to DSLR camera, around .33 sec.
In addition, changing auto focus point is a hassle. You need to go to quick menu and then change the points. There are auto AF and 11 AF areas with the intention of you can brilliant. Fortunately, manual focus is simple to use and very practical because of automatic magnification when you try to focus with MF mode.
Other than AF routine, E-P2 all-purpose routine is very skilled. Start up and shut down is approx. 1 second. Shutter lag is nearly none. Continuous shooting is similar to loads of beginner DSLR camera in the market, 3 frames per second.
ART FILTERS
Art filters make different effect or mood in the picture or video. It could really enhanced the picture / video if you choose it appropriately. For example, soft focus is fantastic for beauty shot, diorama is skilled for landscape etc. Art filters are not photo processing after you take picture. The effect is immediate. You don’t get access to original file and control on how it is being processed. I reckon Art filters are quite fun, but it is not a deal breaker because you can always realize those effects by processing the image in your image editing software.
COMPETITORS
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Lens is certainly the main competitor of Olympus E-P2. GF1’s AF routine is better than E-P1/2 but it does not have built-in image stabilization. Panasonic has better prime lens in their bundle, while Olympus E-P2 has better discretionary electronic viewfinder. GF1 also has built-in flash which E-P2 lacks. It is tough to choose, but I am leaning towards E-P2 but with Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens.
Panasonic DMC-GH1 12.1MP Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera with 1080p HD Video is also a four thirds system camera, but it is a lot larger because it has protruding grip and built-in viewfinder which make this camera similar to beginner DSLR camera. Like GF1, it has better auto focus routine. The cool thing is this camera is bundled with versatile and silent 14-140mm zoom lens.
Nikon D90 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens is not a micro four thirds camera, so it is not as compact as E-P2. But it has a similar price range. D90 is better in low light because it has larger sensor, and quicker auto focus especially when tracking moving subject. But, Nikon D90’s video figure is very valuable and hard to use.
Leica X1 12.2MP APS-C CMOS Digital Camera is a compact camera with the intention of has DSLR quality sensor and flat 35mm lens. Leica X1 is significantly more expensive than Olympus E-P2. The main advantage of X1 lies in the construction quality, lens, image sensor and prestige.
CONCLUSION
Olympus E-P2 is a handsome camera with loads of things to like and dislike at the same time. I like the design, built-in image stabilization, but I despise the fact with the intention of the AF speed is not improved from E-P1 and low quality 17mm prime lens. Currently E-P2 is $300 more expensive than E-P1. If you are used to compose picture with LCD screen rather than electronic viewfinder, you can save money by getting E-P1. Compared to Panasonic GF1, I am leaning towards E-P2 because of the built-in stabilization and overall design. But, I am surprised with the intention of Olympus 17 mm pancake lens does not deliver quality image. Therefore, I recommend you to get Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens instead. With with the intention of amalgamation, it will be a fantastic tool even in the most hard light condition.
Subjective Rating – Relative to beginner DSLR cameras unrestricted in 2009
Image Quality : 3/5 (with 17mm) 4/5 in all-purpose
Features : 5/5
Routine : 4/5
Body and Handling : 4/5
Value for Money : 3/5
Please visit my blog (you can find the address in my profile) for iso comparison, art filters and samples metaphors.