Olympus PEN E-P2 Micro Four-Thirds camera
Optical extras
Review Not long after Olympus introduced it first Micro Four-Thirds camera, the PEN EP-1, a second in the digital PEN series appeared. While the PEN EP-2 is essentially the same as the PEN EP-1 reviewed last year, it does have some extra features to entice seasoned photographers to the fledgling Micro Four-Thirds format. With Register Hardware’s review of the latest Olympus PEN, the PL-1 coming soon, a peek at the EP-2 seemed in order to see just what’s on offer in this lookalike range.
Olympus' PEN E-P2: enough to tempt the DSLR faithful?
Maintaining all the key features of its predecessor, the E-P2 shows off a new colour scheme and interesting additions: a hotshoe port for the electronic viewfinder or external microphone; AF tracking; additional Art filters; a new colour temperature enhancing system; remote slideshow control using HDMI and the ability to record videos in manual mode. The upgrade does not come cheap, as this incarnation currently sells for £300 more than the original E-P1, with the 14-42mm lens and the external EVF bundle priced at £899.
Paying tribute to the original 1959 Olympus Pen, the E-P2 has a wonderfully stylish and retro look with a new black metal finish. The lightweight and compact body feels very solid and handling is improved greatly by a leather-effect plastic handgrip on the left front of the camera.
The arrangement of the commands though is rather less accomplished. The silver Shooting Mode dial (Programme, i-Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, Scene Mode) is recessed within the top plate and operated by a plastic wheel on the back that’s a bit awkward to use as it doesn’t really protrude enough. The other main command dials are a large vertical thumb wheel, used for zooming and changing menu items, and a navigation pad surrounded by a slim circular wheel.
The navpad works pretty well for accessing key options like AF, WB, ISO, but in Manual mode the combination of thumb and navigation wheel used to set the aperture and shutter speed is not intuitive and it allows for only one of the commands to be controlled at once. The more straightforward forefinger and thumb wheels found on most DSLR cameras might have been less elegant, but surely more functional. The other direct access buttons on the right of the LCD screen are also hard to reach while gripping the camera.
The hotshoe also mounts the VF-2 viewfinder attachment
The E-P2 offers the same 3in 230,000 pixels LCD panel found on the E-P1. Although it is bright and seems large on this body, manual focusing is a challenge, as this camera really would do with a higher resolution screen. The screen and the lack of viewfinder were responsible for most of the criticism addressed to the E-P1, as this model had only a £100 clip-on optical viewfinder to offer as an alternative.
COMMENTS
e-p1 now a steal
Warning : I'm an e-p1 user, and as everybody knows, nobody likes to appear like a fool for his buying decisions, so feel free to think I'm prejudiced in favour of the e-p1.
So, just to address some lapses of the main article :
1) AF. The e-p1 has been brought to par with the e-p2 by the latest (1.4) firmware upgrade. The e-p2 is vastly superior to the originally released e-p1, but who would freeze his camera when bugs are corrected quickly by the manufacturer ? E-p1 still lacks AF tracking, though.
2) Art filters. While the 2 new filters were not ported in-body to the e-p1, Olympus newly released raw software 'Viewer 2' allows e-p1 owners to apply said filters afterward while post processing their pictures. Nice touch here Olympus.
3) MF focusing of legacy lenses is perfectly adequate on the back lcd. This lcd may not be as shiny a it is on competing bodies, but don't kid yourself, it's perfectly adequate and contrasts are better than most better spec'd lcds. This is a viewfinder, not a TV set. So if you have no vision troubles, there's no real need to pay 3 time the price (current discounts included) of an e-p1 for an e-p2.
4) Owners of an e-p2 I know are in love with the VF-2. To avoid sucking batteries dry quickly, they simply turn off the back LCD ; rocket science, I know.
5) Flash. For a long time, the small FL-14 was given free by Olympus with the e-p1 body. Another reason to have bought this camera soon. Does a correct job (ng 20 at 200 iso). Insoluble dilemma for e-p2 shooters who need to choose between flash and VF-2, not so much a problem for e-p1 users.
6) Conclusion : all olympus cameras (including the e-pl1) produce outstanding images with, at the moment, the widest range of adaptable lenses. Almost post-processing free. Out of camera jpegs are the best, full stop. You go shoot graphs, bar charts, curves all day long if you like, personally I'm out to capture real peoples with a revolutionary camera ideally suited to street shooting. Perfect it is not, but considering the only other model besting it in that field is the Leica M9 reviewed here, I'm happy.
The 14-52 mZD is good for the money
I struggle to understand why minor points made in lens reviews are so often blown out of all proportion by those who read them. The 14-42 mZD is very sharp for the money (a property of optical design they had to get right) while those issues that can be corrected in firmware (accept for CA, which is minimal) are corrected in firmware. I'm sure there are issues in a lens this price but I'm not pointlessly sad enough to examine a large print with a magnifying glass to find them.
Great cameras
I like this range of cameras - I have had the E-PL1 for a week or so and having come from a more typical compact digital camera I am amazed by the picture quality. There may be a problem with the sharpness of the 14-42mm kit zoom but I cant say I notice it. However I will say it seems a bit slow compared to the Panasonic 20mm lens. I also bought the VF-2 and it has a great picture but the rear LCD (even smaller than the one on the E-P1/2) is good enough for manual focussing so long as you use the zoom function. Unlike its bigger brothers the e-pl1 has a built in flash, but I cant say that I use it much - the 20mm pancake lens is good enough to avoid needing the flash in most conditions (plus I have never liked the look of photos taken with flash).
E-PL1
I have owned my E-PL1 since April when it first became available in the states. I am very happy with it. I wish the factory lens was faster. I know, I am so old school about it. There are also two new lenses about to be released, and boy am I tempted to make the new 14-150 mm lens my new standard. I also like the little flash unit for fill jobs, but it is pretty useless otherwise.
I run a school Yearbook and this camera was/is a major upgrade to the point and shoots my students and school own. If I could, I'd buy a dozen, add a few flash units, and my students would take much better photos at a reasonable price compared to DSLRs.
I've just begun to use the video function a bit as a total newbie. This tool makes it easy with a built in mic. Of course the mic is no substitute for a one on a cable or a remote, but it does save a bit.
I wonder how your upcoming review on the E-PL1 will read?
Not quite that bad
In the speed range 1/100 to 1/200 and worse at 1/160 the shutter makes the lens vibrate slightly. The conclusion of the above article is that this is visible in prints larger than 19in.
A firmware update to the IS fixes some of this.
Final conclusion: "We went through a period of disappointment with the Olympus E-P1 when we first discovered this issue, but we're glad we took the time to pinpoint why and when the blur occurs. We can now resume liking and using the E-P1 as much as before."
