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Just got my E-PL2...

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galexb

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...yesterday, after much deliberating, reading of reviews, opinions and discussions, numerous trips to handle the candidates (E-PL1, GF1, GF2, G2, NEX5, NEX3, D3100, K-x, a33, s95), much to-ing and fro-ing, a a few moments of being about to buy something (only to discover the Amazon price had risen in the last 30 seconds), I finally settled on the E-PL1 to accompany and perhaps replace my Fuji f30.

I narrowed it down because of the price, the IBIS, because most of the stuff I read liked its noise control and raved about its out of camera jpegs, and then just as I was about to push the button I thought, in a year, when the price difference will no longer matter, I'll regret not having a bigger, higher res display, so I threw down the extra cash for the unseen E-PL2.

And now it's here, and very nice it seems too. Solid, well built and responsive. Don't know what sort of pictures it takes because I've only had it a day and I don't have a memory card for it yet. But I have high hopes...
 
Enjoy your new toy! I'm still waiting for mine. Hope to see some pictures when you get the time to give it a work out!
 
I am debating between PL1 and PL2. Here are my thoughts.

The PL1 kit is $430; PL2 is $600 (all in USD). The difference is $170.

I really want the new kit lens for faster AF. If I bought a PL1 kit, sold the kit lens and bought the new lens version, I'd have to pay an extra $70 for the new version (just a guess on my part). So the difference would be narrowed down to $100.

If I wait a bit longer, the PL2 bit may go down in price (or is this just my wishful thinking?). I am not sure if the PL1 price will go down any further; it is already very low (lower than some high-end P&S like XZ-1, Canon G12).

So in the end the difference may be about $50-$70. The better 3" LCD is worth that difference (I do not plan to buy an EVF). I also want more art filters, photos with borders, and higher max shutter speed.

I would love to hear from other people.

Tammy
 
I think you've just made up your mind. Unless it's over your budget and/or you're freaked out about the red dot (non?)issue, get the EPL-2. Unless the 18 gram weight penalty is important to you, those are the only two reasons I can see not to buy an -2 over a -1.

As an EPL-1 owner, I see the following differences as being worth the price premium for an E-PL2. There are other differences, but these are the main ones:

Faster AF with the new kit lens
Better screen resolution
Faster shutter
Remote shutter trigger capable

Don't talk yourself into one or the other. There are valid reasons to buy either, but I think you already know which one you want.
 
If I were buying now, I'd go for the E-PL2 for all the nice little improvements.

As to selling the kit lens and buying the new one seperately for the E-PL1, I'd doubt if it works out that way. Here in the Netherlands, they charge around €300 for the new kit lens, and I expect the old one would raise €50 max (which is the surplus for buying the kit over the body only E-PL1). Might be different in the US though.

Anyway, in Holland the price of the E-PL2 is already nearing €500 (from 599 intro), while the E-PL1 is just above €400. That makes the choice even simpler.
Tammy T said:
453C said:
Remote shutter trigger capable
Click to expand...
I forgot this. Thanks! Now only if I had enough patience to wait for the EPL2 price to go down :)
Click to expand...
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/bilgy_no1
 
Tammy T said:
453C said:
Remote shutter trigger capable
Click to expand...
I forgot this. Thanks! Now only if I had enough patience to wait for the EPL2 price to go down :)
Click to expand...
It's not something I would use a lot, but it opens up other possibilities, like time lapse.

I look at the PEN series a bit differently, in that the chronology of introduction seems to be more important than the actual price. Once you look pass the second control wheel (admittedly, it's important to some), I'd take an EPL-2 over a an EP-2. I hope this points to Olympus realigning their m43 lineup sooner than later.
 
Also, don't forget the added control dial. Should make using it much easier. I personally didn't like the E-PL1 much, but the E-PL2 corrected most of my complaints. I think it's worth the premium right now, although if you can wait maybe 2 months, I'd expect to see it $50-100 off in the spring.

--
--------------------------------------------
Panasonic GF1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grahamgibson/
 
There is about £140 difference in price here in the UK.

with equal image quality, I took the view that the EPL1 was the better buy, with the difference going towards another lens.

I am guessing, but imagine that upgrading to the EPL3 (if that ever gets produced) might be the way to go as that would likely have sensor / engine upgrades.
 
Tammy T said:
I am debating between PL1 and PL2. Here are my thoughts.

The PL1 kit is $430; PL2 is $600 (all in USD). The difference is $170.

I really want the new kit lens for faster AF. If I bought a PL1 kit, sold the kit lens and bought the new lens version, I'd have to pay an extra $70 for the new version (just a guess on my part). So the difference would be narrowed down to $100.

If I wait a bit longer, the PL2 bit may go down in price (or is this just my wishful thinking?). I am not sure if the PL1 price will go down any further; it is already very low (lower than some high-end P&S like XZ-1, Canon G12).

So in the end the difference may be about $50-$70. The better 3" LCD is worth that difference (I do not plan to buy an EVF). I also want more art filters, photos with borders, and higher max shutter speed.

I would love to hear from other people.

Tammy
Click to expand...
Have you considered you can get PL1 kit + EVF for about the same as basic PL2 kit. These cameras are nothing without the EVF IMO; shooting from an LCD screen is diabolically bad.

I'm looking into PL2 kit, but with added EVF you are only $200 less than GH2 kit, and with all it's other features and much faster AF, it's probably worth it.
 
Tammy T said:
I am debating between PL1 and PL2. Here are my thoughts.

The PL1 kit is $430; PL2 is $600 (all in USD). The difference is $170.

I really want the new kit lens for faster AF. If I bought a PL1 kit, sold the kit lens and bought the new lens version, I'd have to pay an extra $70 for the new version (just a guess on my part). So the difference would be narrowed down to $100.

If I wait a bit longer, the PL2 bit may go down in price (or is this just my wishful thinking?). I am not sure if the PL1 price will go down any further; it is already very low (lower than some high-end P&S like XZ-1, Canon G12).

So in the end the difference may be about $50-$70. The better 3" LCD is worth that difference (I do not plan to buy an EVF). I also want more art filters, photos with borders, and higher max shutter speed.

I would love to hear from other people.

Tammy
Click to expand...
I was making the same decison myself a month ago. I ended up with the E-PL1, and am very happy with it.

I recently had a chance to compare the two side by side in a camera store, and I was surprised at how much easier the chunkier E-PL1 grip was for me to hold....I found that the base of my thumb kept hitting and accidentally moving the thumbwheel on the back of the E-PL2 too, so from that standpoint for me the E-PL1 was better also.

Where the E-PL2 was better in actual use: Much nicer LCD and much faster kit lens.

I honstly don't think you can go wrong with either one...perhaps you should handle them both in the store if you can? (I was really shocked that I preferred the E-PL1 grip myself :) )

I did get the EVF; you may want to consider it if you do a lot of outdoor shooting in bright light, even with the bigger LCD of the E-PL2. It is a very useful device. You will need it less with the E-PL2 but it really improves what you can do with the camera in general.

Anyway, try them both out and make your decision based on whichever one feels the best....There is not that big a price differential that that should be the primary deciding factor...

-Janet
 
If you are gonna use the Viewfinder for most shots and your budget is tight consider the E-PL1.

However 230K LCD for the E-PL1 is pathetic. You cannot show pictures to your friends without apologizing, they think the shot is out of focus cause it looks grainy and fuzzy.

I find I spend most time looking at my pictures on its LCD. TO me the LCD is important.
 
The faster/quieter kit lens, 3" LCD, and Dramatic Tone Art filter make the E-PL2 a better buy.
 
The EPL2 and kit lens are well worth the extra difference in price. Better build, better screen, better controls and double the maximum shutter speed. This doesn't make the epl1 a bad camera. image quality is pretty much identical but the epl2's improvements is just what Olympus needed to do.
 
photo perzon said:
If you are gonna use the Viewfinder for most shots and your budget is tight consider the E-PL1.

However 230K LCD for the E-PL1 is pathetic. You cannot show pictures to your friends without apologizing, they think the shot is out of focus cause it looks grainy and fuzzy.

I find I spend most time looking at my pictures on its LCD. TO me the LCD is important.
Click to expand...
I agree with your assessment of the -1 screen; it really is outclassed. However, if budget concerns are a priority, it seems to make more sense to buy the -2 with its superior screen than a -1 + VF-2, which will cost more.
 
Austinite said:
The EPL2 and kit lens are well worth the extra difference in price. Better build, better screen, better controls and double the maximum shutter speed. This doesn't make the epl1 a bad camera. image quality is pretty much identical but the epl2's improvements is just what Olympus needed to do.
Click to expand...
Agreed.

Other than the fiddly rear dial and the Invasion of the Red Dots, I haven't heard any negatives about the redesign. Someone suggested handling each before purchase, which I'd recommend before committing to any camera. The -2's rear dial might be a huge pain, or the -1's smaller shutter release might be awkward. Reviewers can rate handling and ergonomics, but you won't know how that applies to you until it's in your hands.
 
Austinite said:
The EPL2 and kit lens are well worth the extra difference in price. Better build, better screen, better controls and double the maximum shutter speed. This doesn't make the epl1 a bad camera. image quality is pretty much identical but the epl2's improvements is just what Olympus needed to do.
Click to expand...
Well, the double maxiumum shutter speed turns out to be a non-argument, actually, if you are concerned about brightly lit scenes...Since they removed the ISO 100 setting, the lowest ISO is 200, and ISO 200 with s4000 is equivalent to ISO 100 at s2000, thus negating the benefits of the higher speed in terms of enabling the camera able to work in a wider brightness range. If they had left the ISO 100 speed, then YES it would have been a significant advance in the camera's capability........And to be honest, I am not sure the E-PL1 is built any worse than the PL2; the Pl2 just has a nice, smooth hand feel while the E-PL1 is squarish and clunkier.

-Janet
 
oh yeah
453C said:
photo perzon said:
If you are gonna use the Viewfinder for most shots and your budget is tight consider the E-PL1.

However 230K LCD for the E-PL1 is pathetic. You cannot show pictures to your friends without apologizing, they think the shot is out of focus cause it looks grainy and fuzzy.

I find I spend most time looking at my pictures on its LCD. TO me the LCD is important.
Click to expand...
I agree with your assessment of the -1 screen; it really is outclassed. However, if budget concerns are a priority, it seems to make more sense to buy the -2 with its superior screen than a -1 + VF-2, which will cost more.
Click to expand...
 
I hadn't thought about the ISO difference relative to the shutter speeds. Did Olympus keep the true ISO values consistant between the two models?
 
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