Just Posted: Olympus E-PM2 Review

It's certainly going to keep me away from the E-PM2 as I've been considering getting my first ILC. I've only ever owned P&S cameras and I'm used to having a mode dial and straightforward menus. I'm not interested in taking a step backwards in ergonomics and control. It's had me looking more at the NEX-3N, which also lacks a mode dial but feels more configurable. If the E-PL5 was closer in price to the NEX-3N, there's a very good chance I would have already purchased one.

That said, I think I understand what they're going for. I may have a better sense of what I want in a camera than most P&S upgraders while simultaneously undervaluing certain features like the hot shoe that more experienced ILC users like having.

Physical mode dial is not necessary. The E-PL5 is not really better because of a physical mode dial. The best benefit is to remap the mode dial to your mysets, about the only menu option that is truly a PITB to use! Changing mode via touch screen is very easy and it makes sense as opposed to tilting the camera and focusing on reading your mode dial, your eyes remain where it belongs, on the liveview, or on your EVF. Physical mode dials are more old fashioned than they are better in user interaction IMO. The mode setting is *displayed* whether in liveview or EVF. Keep in mind my DSLR does not do this...it does not tell me what mode it is in if I look through the OVF, I need to pull back and look on top of the camera...again a traditional and pointless user interaction that is arguably outdated.

The #1 user interactions that matters to me would be focus control and exposure controls. IMO most entry level to even expensive DSLRs absolutely are *poor* at focus control.

No, I sold the E-PM1 out. I have the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 which, although low-priced, does very well. I also have legacy manual-focus glass (although as of late I don't use it as much).

I used to think the same. That on paper and according to the studio shots, I was getting poorer real-life keeper rates or soft micro-blur shots consistently. However this is when comparing against camera's where I have no stabilization at all with built in OVF. So what do you know, the moment I turn off IBIS, and bought a $100 EVF, I get just as good keeper rate if not better cause now I have a tiny camera that shoots 8fps like a 7D...something my big 5DMKII or my current 6D shoot about half the rate.

The lowest I see is 424. on ebay (however with kit lens)... see link.

www.ebay.com/ctg/Olympus-PEN-E-PM2-16-1-MP-Digital-Camera-Black-Kit-w-M-Zuiko-Digital-14-42mm-II-lens-Lens-/129820028

or $369 for EPM2 for body only (from Taiwan) . Add shipping and duties!
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5360.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=Olympus+EPM2+body&_sacat=0&_from=R40

I would rather buy from Amazon (USA) or local retailer than ebay, but that is just my opinion. Yours may be different.

Adrian,

Where are you? I saw $349 (obo!) + $8 shipping in the U.S., unless somebody has bought it in the past couple of minutes, which does happen.

EDIT: It's still there, 11:56 A.M. EST. I'd link to it, but I'm sure that's not allowed.

I just checked again, and it's not new. Used w/ a few hundred shots. Sorry for the confusion. The camera is shown inside packaging on the listing, which confused me.

So E-M5 has stronger noise reduction at default than E-PM2? That's surprising.
Shadows look much more noisy even than for E-PM1. Isn't that a mistake in the review, maybe noise filter was set to "low"?

I see that my favorite stalker ET2 has decided to contribute nothing as usual but personal attacks.

I've been a m43 user for years so I'm well within my right to contribute to the discussion in any way I can.

Can't DPR please do something to get this guy off my back? It's really creepy how he follows me around and flames me about the most minor things.

@bobbarber

Was only making a minor point about AF performance in bright light vs low light. If I have an EPL5 and V1, a comparison seemed appropriate. I did not know that mentioning Nikon 1 was a faux pas, but now I know.

It is funny that some m43 users here weren't so kind to excited Nikon 1 users in the 32 f/1.2 announcement with absolutely rude comments about 1" garbage and "dead system". But here, the mere mention of another brand is strictly forbidden. Yet some users have no qualms telling happy Nikon 1 users what sh*t cameras they have purchased.

I've been using m43 since GF1 days and if I can add something positive to the discussion I will. I'm always as polite as possible. Now I know to praise all m43 cameras and never bring up other brands of any kind.

As far as ET2, you don't know the situation, so mind your business and stay out of it.

marike6

Either you have a problem with the English language, or you are extremely mean-spirited.

Nobody has a problem with people mentioning other brands. It is the incessant shilling that you do for Nikon that is the problem. I gave you an example, Thom Hogan, of someone who is a Nikon advocate, but also objectively evaluates other brands. Follow it.

Please don't portray yourself as a victim of people who don't understand how wonderful your "advice" is. I think people are saying "Enough is enough!"

If you want to be taken seriously (because you aren't, at least by me), state your case, and give other brands their due when they merit it. When you say that you are being criticized for merely mentioning a brand, when everybody on this forum knows that you are a tiresome, unfair, relentless shill for Nikon, your credibility is shot. You obviously aren't being fair, and people will interpret everything else you say in light of that.

@bobbarber

You'll notice that my parent post got quite a few upvotes so obviously not everybody is as sensitive as you.

But I've been a m43 user since almost the beginning of the m43 consortium and have way more m43 cameras than any other type. AFAIK, you don't even use m43 so you have a lot of nerve coming on here talking about credibility or telling me what I can and cannot say!!!

Who the heck do you think you are? This is a public forum and last time I checked you were not the sheriff of m43 or the DPR front page. If others have some issue, I'm quite sure they can speak for themselves.

I don't need to be lectured by you and it's a joke that you think you have the right to do so.

And frankly the fact that you are getting all bent out of shape about cameras you don't even use is just plain weird.

I barely said anything, so just back off.

Marike6,

I've shot G1, G2, and GH2.

I'm not lecturing you. I'm just telling you that to me you have no credibility.

The principle is simple. In any kind of persuasive argument, if you exaggerate, people question your credibility. For example, if you start an essay on recycling aluminum with, "this is the most serious problem the world faces today," since recycling aluminum ISN'T the most serious problem the world faces today, the reader questions the rest of your essay, even if it is well-supported and factual.

In your case, exaggerations like, "I merely mentioned another product" have the same effect. Out of all the dpreview forums I've been on, you're the worst case of a brand-specific shill. Do you think that saying, "I shoot m43" is some sort of camouflage?

By all means post, I encourage you, just know that you aren't being taken seriously by me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I look to people who make objective evaluations of equipment for opinions, not brand shills.

I'm glad that you are encouraging me to post. I feel so much better.

As far as credibility, since I've used almost every m43 camera made since the GF1, I can assure you that I can discuss these cameras more intelligently than you ever could. Who you do and do not find credible, or who you think is biased on these forums doesn't concern me in the slightest.

Your self-importance is absolutely astonishing.

Stop whining about innocuous comments above and telling others what they can and cannot post, and worry about yourself. AFAIK, you are not forum moderator. And as long people are polite and respectful to others you have zero input on anything I comment on.

If you want to contribute something to the discussion and comment on your experiences with the PEN cameras feel free. What I do within the forum rules and guidelines is my business.

marike6,

But you're wrong. You can't discuss these cameras more intelligently than I can, or at least you won't, because your only interest is in shilling Nikon products. Everybody knows this. What you say is rather limited. I could tell a four-year old that you always conclude that Nikon products are best, and the four-year old could correctly predict the point of your next post. What intelligence is there in that?

I joined in to this thread after a long series of complaints from other posters about your Nikon shilling, which seems to be the case with you quite often. That others feel the same way that I do means that it isn't self.

I've gone on about this topic at much greater length against m43 shills in the m43 forum than I have here. I'm not against Nikon, I just can't stand brand shills like yourself polluting what ideally should be a non-biased discussion of camera equipment.

marike6

No, I am not a sheriff. I am something like a detective in an interview, who already knows the answers to the questions he is asking. He just wants to see if the other person is truthful.

Everyone knows you're a Nikon shill, that you do not evaluate equipment objectively, but look only for opportunities to shill Nikon products. That is not at issue. What is at issue is whether or not you stop ruining every thread by looking for opportunities to promote Nikon products. If you were to do so, it would delight other posters.

Nobody is interested in your explanations of why you post, because frankly, we already know. It is to promote the products of Nikon, Inc.

I hope this helps.

Aside from being Nikon shill, he also gets really upset if non-Nikon cameras get good reviews. Just read his comments in A99 review. He was banging his head on the walls because DPR rated it higher than D800.

Bob, I pretty well know how things are as I work as a translator myself.
It's just that when I say I take so much time for every step, I cannot understand why there are so many mistakes each and every time. If a review takes several weeks, there should be the one hour to proofread it. If they don't have the time, ask some student, they'll be happy to do it for the opportunity to be at dpr.

George,

True enough. Sometimes all it takes is another pair of eyes. And I'm not advocating sloppiness in writing or publishing!

Let me give the answer. The test images of DPreview prove that especially the Raw images at high ISO are better with the E-PM2. That is amazing if you compare the difference in sensor size....!
Still I am curious what will be the other of "the lots of ways".

Faster AF would be one. Touch to set focus point another. Ability to take EVF would be another. Faster burst rates. Ability to change lenses - can't stick a 50mm or 90mm equiv on a GR. Price (around half the price of the GR). Option of faster lenses, stuck at Max f2.8 on the GR.

GR is awesome, but in lots of way the E-PM2 is a wholly more practical camera, if not as 'interesting'.

Not sure the EPM2 is "better in a lot of ways". In some ways, perhaps. High ISO performance may be close, but overall the RAW Studio Scene does show the Ricoh GR and Coolpix A producing a sharper image. That they are as close as they are is good news for m43 users.

The EVF of the E-PM2 is a bit better than the GV-1 OVF mainly because of visible AF points and shooting data of the VF-2.

The grip, ergonomics and menu systems on all GR cameras are are about as good as it gets. I'd like to see future PENs have a grip more similar to the deeper GX1 grip. And the missing command dial on the PENs might not appeal to everybody (the wheel around the 4-way controller takes getting used to).

The collapsible lens on the GR is going to make it a bit more pocket friendly than even the smallest the E-PM2 / 14 2.5 combo. Price is similar which shows how aggressively Ricoh priced the GR compared to similar cameras, i.e. Sigma DP and Coolpix A.

The 3N is also a very nice entry level offering especially with the pancake zoom, but I just cannot forgive Sony for still using their second rate sensors in the cheaper cameras.

Olympus went all-in with this generation and should be commended for this.

I think aside from the EP-5, which is a bit expensive, the rest of the lineup is very well positioned.

That just makes no sense?! Are you saying Sony's 16MP sensor is inferior? To what? The 24MP in the NEX-7? The one that is universally panned as not being as good as the 16MP? I honestly don't know what you mean?

@Abortabort
It would have been nice to have the PDAF sensor in the 3N, Im sure thats what he is meaning.

@Timbits - Goes to show the silly levels of hype around the OM-D and any mention of a camera having 'the OM-D sensor' is treated like it is on another plane.... At any rate, back in reality, the 3n sensor is better in every regard. End of story.

The 3n, isn't as good a camera in my opinion, owning a 5n and an E-PM2, but the sensor is definitely that bit better.

Also the UI is fine. It is incredibly DEEP in customisation, but with the SCP and a few other tweaks this would have to be one of the better interfaces I have used. The Samsung is no better, though it 'looks' a little prettier, but weak in pure customisation that you get on the Olympus. But I know nobody is allowed to say anything bad about your beloved Samsung ;) The Olympus, even the cheapest E-PM's have customisations to make a 1DX blush.

The NEX is horrible, but quick-nav on the NEX-6 is kind of a poor mans SCP. Also lacks and strong level of customisation. EOS-M is somewhere in between not great but not horrible either

You do realize the EPM2 has a dedicated FN button also....and there is enough button programmability to set it up just about any way you want. (I have the FN button set to AE lock, and the down position on the control dial to ISO, and have, as a result, everything I need just a quick button press away).
I tried the EPL5 first, and did not like how it sat in my hand at all. The flippy screen led to some cramped holding for me, and the EPM2 works much better in that regard. Since I plan to get the viewfinder, a flip screen is not particularly important for me anyway, and I don't find the lack of mode dial a big deal since I spend most of my time in Aperture priority anyway. It's a great little camera!

I'm with jalywol! The E-PM2 is smaller yet better to hold than the E-PL5 due to not having the flip screen. I also use mine with an EVF so it make little difference, other than the size advantage. Olympus have ruined their cameras before with flippy screens, all except the E-P5 would have been better without them.

Mode dial is a button press away at all times. I use two modes on a camera like this Aperture priority and Manual.

The E-PL5 has one additional button which I might find useful, but not a couple $$$ more useful (the price difference here in Australia - other markets will be different).

HI Barney, thank you for your patient handling of all us high-maintenance trolls down here in Commentistan :)