A first play with the E-PM2. Some thoughts

I finally bought the E-PM2 I've been dithering about, over the weekend, and yesterday got out of the house with it for a few hours. I'm not going to frame this as a review since it's early days. Just some thoughts (and bear with me - there are some actual photos below):

Setup

Total pain in the ar£e. They've taken an overly complicated menu system and changed it. I spent half an hour trying to get the SCP working when it was, in point of fact, in front of me (down the side). And don't ask me how I got sequential shooting working.

Handling

For how I would use a small camera like this one, it's about as easy to use as the E-PL1. I happily worked away in A mode with bracketing (though unlike the E-PL1, once I get to understand this camera a bit better, I suspect bracketing really won't be needed).

The camera feels very nice in my fairly small hands, and the grip is just about right (FOR ME!). However, I'm perhaps not as fussy as some and certainly love the handling of my far larger E-30 DSLR.

That Sensor

I don't have a clue who made the sensor (though I have the same suspicions as most other folks around here) and don't have an opinion. Other than that, compared to the E-PL1 at least, I'm starting to form the opinion the sensor they've might just be remarkable. Unlike the E-PL1 (and E-30) where I've always had perhaps less shadow latitude than I'd want, this baby probably has more than I'd ever want.

Exposure

For the first test of a camera, I like perfect light, but God doesn't always oblige. Yesterday, conditions were mixed bit mostly bad. Thoughts:

1. Olympus still seems to meter far too conservatively if the sun is behind the clouds. This one is the OOC JPEF (+1 ev) with highlight adjustment and a touch of contrast, saturation and so on:

Making the best of dull light, ©2013 Jason Hindle

2. With the E-PL1, I find I tend to avoid auto gradiation, and more often than not, in good light, I find +0.3ev works well for me. With the E-PM2, I've already concluded that auto gradiation can be used without fear. I also expect I'll be using the E-PM2 without exposure compensation, more often than not. Here's a +0.3 ev exposure, taken in good light, SOOC:

Straight out of the camera, ©2013 Jason Hindle

And here's the same file, with typical PP (contrast and so on) plus highlight adjustment:

Post processing included, ©2013 Jason Hindle

Even with the highlight adjustment, I'd say still a tad overexposed.

3. The raw files are nice, with plenty of room for manoeuvre both at the highlight and shadow ends of the dynamic range. Better still, Apple have done a far better job than usual in terms of default processing.

It does raw too, ©2013 Jason Hindle

Finally, I'm in terrible danger of becoming addicted to Dramatic Tone.

Dramatic tone does the IWM, ©2013 Jason Hindle

Dramatic Tone IWM redux, ©2013 Jason Hindle

A gallery of these and more can be found here:

http://internaut.smugmug.com/Other/Olympus-E-PM2-new-camera-test/30279861_4qbMPQ#!i=2606583768&k=JKv7nR5

I've enabled (I think) 100% viewing for visitors, for your measurbating pleasure.

Other Thoughts

S-AF is lightening fast.  Olympus claim this is the fasted S-AF there is.  I'm not sure I believe them, but the E-PL1 feels pedestrian by comparison.  It's worth noting the kit lens is a little longer when folded, than those that came before it.  The safe space in my bag where I fit my E-PL1 and kit, when I go shopping, is not workable with this camera + kit lens.