E-PM2 and VF-2 usage questions

Drahila wrote:

I'm planning to buy E-PM2 and VF-2 or VF-4. I have searched answers to these questions and read the manual, but still confused.

Somehow the combination of E-PM2 and VF-4 seems wrong to me. The very small body with a large viewfinder attached seems to counter the whole idea of a small camera.

If you MUST have a viewfinder then the E-M10 makes much more sense.

In my case E-PL5 with tilting LCD which eliminates many of the screen view problems and so far in over 18 months now I have not had to use my VF-2, I'm fully converted to LCD use but not everyone can handle that.

In single focus point mode, how do I re-center the focus point? Especially if I'm looking throught VF-2 and want the focus point to jump back to the center and don't want to take my eye out of VF-2.

There's two AF schemes, one is the regular default as you turn on where the green AF box appears briefly when you half press the shutter for AF, assuming that the camera Mode is set to half press AF (the Custom Menu Control Modes can alter that).

In my case I have a small central focus point and leave it there, I half press focus then hold and re-frame and full press to shoot. That way the AF does not jump to some unexpected or undesired point as it can do with multi point AF. I sometimes change to face recognition for family shots and that is the only time I use jumpy AF spots.

The second AF scheme is via the Magnify function (already on a dedicated button with E-PL5 and some others but needs to be assigned to the Fn button with other bodies. The Magnify AF scheme is also invoked when touch screen AF/shoot is used. That scheme has the rectangular green focus box on the screen all the time in live view. The box can be slid around with the up/down/left/right buttons or by the finger in touch screen AF/shoot modes. It is returned to centre by holding the OK button for a second.

Not sure on the E-PM2 how that one is reset back to the regular AF scheme but on my E-PL5 I hold the Magnify button to get it back to default AF mode, but that may depend on other custom settings with the rather complex Custom Menus.

When in aperture priority mode, can I set minimum shutter speed for auto ISO?

Not fully tested by me but the strange act of setting a minimum shutter speed for flash helps do that, generally though the camera does follow the old rule of shutter speed = 1/(equivalent focal length) and bumps the ISO when it gets too slow for the focal length seen.

How easy it is to change shooting modes, in your opinion? Will I miss the mode dial?

Can't answer that one but most seem happy with the dial-less E-PM2. In the dial world on my E-PL5 I have assigned MySets to the Mode dial positions and that makes life so easy and predictable, no more turn on with accidental silly settings, the assigned MySets make sure that the camera works as expected.

My general M4/3 stuff starts here, but not much help for E-PM2 as I've never used one. Other general stuff is there like how to see the true shutter count of a camera, a good idea to check that on a newly acquired camera to see if really new. New means an initial shutter count of around 100 but can be near 200 in some extreme cases of factory testing.

Summary.... To me the E-PM2 only makes sense keeping it as a viewfinder-less camera to keep the whole package small (adding an expensive viewfinder to a cheaper small body is possible but weird). The E-PL5 makes more sense again in a viewfinder-less mode, but if you really must have a viewfinder then the E-M10 makes most sense of all (and has the latest features of all).

Regards.... Guy