E-PL5 + PL25 and a question...
Sep 24, 2013
My love affair with my E-PM2 ended in a predictable way as my GF started using that more than her own camera, and so we decided to ditch her Canon EOS M and make the E-PM2 hers. The EOS M takes good pictures, but she had a taste of the Olympus AF speed, and she got sick of waiting for the Canon to stop hunting.
ANYWAY, that meant I needed a new camera and I thought about a lot of different things but I figured that right now, in 2013, all the top of the line cameras were missing a couple of features I'd eventually want, so I decided to get the E-PL5 to represent this generation and "hold me over," and really, the E-PM2 had been absolutely fine for me since I am part of the smartphone generation that actually likes using the touchscreen for everything. I would have loved the E-P5 for the 5-axis IBIS, but the E-PL5 will do. I also decided to get a new normal lens, the PL25. So far, I like this combination:

Just a couple of problems. I didn't realize how much bigger the E-PL5 is compared to the E-PM2. It's subtle, but noticeable, since I'm so used to the E-PM2. It's not only that the E-PL5 is a bit heavier, it just feels less dense and a bit awkward to me, whereas the E-PM2 feels a bit more solid and better balanced. Now I know why some people think the E-PM2 is a better handling camera than the E-PL5, because I think that, too. That PL25 actually felt better on the E-PM2 than on the E-PL5. That said, the camera felt great once I was actually shooting with it.
There's only one thing I really hate about the E-PL5, though. On the E-PM2, during "playback," turning the control dial will zoom the image in and also you can preview multiple images by "zooming out." On the E-PL5, it seems like I have to use another button for that and turning the dial just goes back and forth between images. I find that really clunky, since the E-PM2 had it right by zooming in and out and going back and forth between images with a single dial. It just seems far more intuitive than the E-PL5 setup. Is there any way to fix that to behave more like the E-PM2?
Thanks.