REVIEW: Olympus PEN E-PL2 - by ed9119

[edutilos-]

lol ! the hole where the viewfinder is supposed to be is to connect the EVF to the camera's electronics interface so that an image can be shown on the EVF

so... the hotshoe anchors the EVF (but no interface) while the hole is the image 'lifeline' to the camera .... sorry they did not give me a EVF

Ah, I see now. Thanks.

I think the Black one that they have on DPreview's page looks much better!

 

[ed9119]

I played around with the Art filters a bit given it was such a drabby day....

BW Dynamic (Art Filter) was a little too strong for my flavor .... and sometimes too grainy and very contrasty .... but if Oly wanted a early days (1940's) feel, ha ha, I think they achieved it

Vibrant (Art Filter) (note the Red)

 

[ed9119]

i finally figured out how to configure the Fn button ....

1. go to menu
2. go to the spanner icon
3. go to MENU DISPLAY
4. turn on MENU DISPLAY

then go backwards and you will suddenly see 2 additional icons

a. 2-meshing gears icon
b. a USB (?) icon

The 2-meshing gear icon leads you to gear- A to gear-J , 10 in total and a whole load of other goodies (function settings)

Essentially these steps above lead you to a whole flood of extra functions and settings

I cannott understand the logic of this .... hiding these 2 critical icons. Olympus said that it is to avoid newbies messing with functions they are not familiar with ..... sorry , this sounds like the iPhone4 epic fail when Apple tried to talk their way out of the reception issue.....

My advise.... just list out and display those 2 hidden Icons

Anyway its no big deal.... either read your manual for that secret handshake and/or hope that the next firmware fixes this ...... after all, we're just at Ver 1.0

---------------

Oops forgot to continue on how to dedicate the Fn button to one's preferred must-have function

So after 'setting free' the other 2 icons

1. go into the gears icon
2. u will see gear-A through gear-J
3. Go into gear-B (Button/Dial)
4. At the top first function is AEL/AFL .... dont be fooled... wrong door
5. Go down to Button Function
6. right at the top you see Fn and AEL/AFL
7. go in and u will see it set at OFF
8. go up and down to see what function you want to dedicate the Fn for... I chose AEL/AFL which is actually AEL ONLY

So ALL this above just to set Fn button (for me, AEL) .... I thought it was unnecessary and painful ....and potentially sales-killing (there are some MUST HAVE functions that are essential to even half serious enthusiasts and hiding the default Fn accessibility like this is not a good idea) ..... potential clients might not even bother to dig any deeper and just look elsewhere

With these 2 icons now visible ......... the EPL2 story becomes MUCH MUCH clearer and very interesting ....

 

[ricleo]

thanks for the review so far ed, I just got myself an EPL2 as well.

Just like to point out that the old EP1/EP2/EPL1 batteries can still be used in the EPL2 although model numbers are different. Whether the new charger can charge the old batteries or vice versa i have no idea yet.

 

[potatoball]

Would u be able to test the Image Stabilizer (IS) in the EPL2?

Is it really an advantage if u have an IS in the body instead of having it in the lens (like panasonic's)?

Appreciate to get your comments on this issue.

Thanks.

 

[Oly5050]

Would u be able to test the Image Stabilizer (IS) in the EPL2?

Is it really an advantage if u have an IS in the body instead of having it in the lens (like panasonic's)?

Appreciate to get your comments on this issue.

Thanks.

YES YES YES YES and YES!!

First - all ur future lenses, u dun have to pay for lens IS anymore. U already have body IS
Second - ANY lens u put on, already got IS, because of body IS
Third - Ur lenses are lighter and more compact and like above, cheaper
Four -IS the sensor is better than ISing the lens elements (engineering and optics thingy)
Fifth - Olympus is thinking for you when they give u body IS. Canon and Nikon are thinking of themselves when they give u Lens VR. Because everytime they sell VR lens, they are selling u IS. Whereas Olympus only sells their IS once to you in the body.

To me, IS is a must nowadays. I easily shoot below 1/10 with no problem. I tried shooting with a GF2 that day, even at 1/20-1/30 - there is camera shake. So....to me it is a very critical component of my photography. It allows me to shoot lower ISO, dun have to use flash because I can easily reduce my shutter speed way low and still one hand-hold the shot and it comes out sharp.

 

[mexican88]

so IS body (e-pl2) + IS lens (lumix 20mm) = super stable IS?

 

[spidey89]

I know what a hotshoe cover is, below that, there is something with "Olympus"

Fake VF???

Its actually the dataport for variety of accessories, as Ed said, its for EVF, but can be used for stero mic input, the new macro arm lights, the new bluetooth penpal and whatever funny things they may have in the future

thanks for the review so far ed, I just got myself an EPL2 as well.

Just like to point out that the old EP1/EP2/EPL1 batteries can still be used in the EPL2 although model numbers are different. Whether the new charger can charge the old batteries or vice versa i have no idea yet.

From my understanding, like the E-5, the old batteries must be charged in the old chargers only, the new ones can be charged in either the old or new, and cameras can use both old and new, IIRC that is, that one have to check with Olympus

 

[ricleo]

From my understanding, like the E-5, the old batteries must be charged in the old chargers only, the new ones can be charged in either the old or new, and cameras can use both old and new, IIRC that is, that one have to check with Olympus

ok just did a quick test this morning, old battery can be charged with new charger, new battery i duno if can charge with old charger anot, dun wanna risk it. sold my EP2 already hee...

so i am now using my old 3rd party spare batt with the new EPL2

 

[ricleo]

the new battery is quite gimmicky....comes with an extra 4th contact point that only exists in the charger. the internal of the EPL2 only has 3 contact points same as the EP1/2/L1, 4th one is not used at all...

so this 4th point is not really like a data point like the other brands that enable battery life information by %.

 

[spidey89]

I was inform that its to comfrom to a new rule in electronics or something like that hahahah

 

[edutilos-]

Its actually the dataport for variety of accessories, as Ed said, its for EVF, but can be used for stero mic input, the new macro arm lights, the new bluetooth penpal and whatever funny things they may have in the future

Ah, thanks for the clarification.



Ed has perhaps missed out one thing in his review, the price! Definitely an attraction for this one, from what I hear.

 

[spidey89]

Ah, thanks for the clarification.



Ed has perhaps missed out one thing in his review, the price! Definitely an attraction for this one, from what I hear.

No problems, can check inside the four thirds subforum, somewhere inside there is a discussion on price, never kept up with it :bsmilie:

 

[potatoball]

YES YES YES YES and YES!!

First - all ur future lenses, u dun have to pay for lens IS anymore. U already have body IS
Second - ANY lens u put on, already got IS, because of body IS
Third - Ur lenses are lighter and more compact and like above, cheaper
Four -IS the sensor is better than ISing the lens elements (engineering and optics thingy)
Fifth - Olympus is thinking for you when they give u body IS. Canon and Nikon are thinking of themselves when they give u Lens VR. Because everytime they sell VR lens, they are selling u IS. Whereas Olympus only sells their IS once to you in the body.

To me, IS is a must nowadays. I easily shoot below 1/10 with no problem. I tried shooting with a GF2 that day, even at 1/20-1/30 - there is camera shake. So....to me it is a very critical component of my photography. It allows me to shoot lower ISO, dun have to use flash because I can easily reduce my shutter speed way low and still one hand-hold the shot and it comes out sharp.

Thanks for your response. Btw, can anyone of the testers confirm whether EPL-2 can use an IR wireless shutter remote??

 

[Anson]

Four -IS the sensor is better than ISing the lens elements (engineering and optics thingy)
Fifth - Olympus is thinking for you when they give u body IS. Canon and Nikon are thinking of themselves when they give u Lens VR.

OT: IS on lenses have it advantages too, try composition long focal length handheld and you would understand what I meant. Also when you purchase newer lenses which offer better IS technology you do not need to upgrade your body.


At the end of the days, both system have their Pros and Cons...

 

[ed9119]

Ed has perhaps missed out one thing....... the price!

I rarely ask about the price or even its intended market position ... I'd rather just review and comment from a neutral perspective ....

Wow this morning was a cool 23C and still raining at my place.... as requested , I took some low light shots ..... if you want any darker environments the other mods might be able to oblige because I dont know how to set the camera up properly for a night time shot

But I think below is quite dark already (at f8 and 15 sec exposure)

ISO at minimum 200
F 8.0
all 15seconds exposure

shot 1 + crop below

----------------------------------------------------------------

shot 2 + crop below

 

[ed9119]

ISO at minimum 200
F 8.0
all 15seconds exposure

shot 3 + crop

---------------------------------------------------------------------


Below bush scene ..... HERE I must say........ I love how the greens are rendered given the overcast skies and rain
And sorry Olympus Singapore... I did not have a tripod with me so set the camera down on a wet brick in pouring rain with a 2sec delayed shutter release ... dont worry, your camera is still in one piece
ISO 200
F5.6
1/10 sec

 

[Oly5050]

so IS body (e-pl2) + IS lens (lumix 20mm) = super stable IS?

NOPE...it means WAR and conflict!!!

 

[Oly5050]

OT: IS on lenses have it advantages too, try composition long focal length handheld and you would understand what I meant. Also when you purchase newer lenses which offer better IS technology you do not need to upgrade your body.


At the end of the days, both system have their Pros and Cons...

I am not sure of the first advantage, no problem whatsoever with my 300mm zoom.
(600 mm equivalent)

As for your second point, it actually supports body IS. ie. It is better to have body IS. It is cheaper to purchase bodies than to upgrade lenses when new IS/VR technology becomes available. Lenses, u can keep for long time. Bodies - u expect to change every few years, or even yearly, as new technology (beyond VR or IS - this could be better sensor, better JPEG engine, better dust reduction system etc etc) becomes available. I would rather my IS be in the body. My lenses, keep it as dumb as possible - glass, metal, and some gears. And hopefully will last a long time and be future proof for 5-10 years. Keep all the technologu in the body. That one, I am prepared to upgrade every few years. It is a coherent philosophy for me. But I will say, that this is less coherent as a marketing philosophy as mentioned above. Sorry for extended OT, but TS did ask.

 

[chapterone]

How's the AF on this mini beast? The high iso samples look real impressive