Olympus E-PM2: Small Camera, Big Surprise

Guy Parsons wrote:

cgarrard wrote:

Overall the camera shocked me in a good way. Its fun and enjoyable to use. Glad to knock the dust off my m4/3 lenses and have a body worthy of using them on. I put much more in writing on the camera here:

http://www.photographic-central.blogspot.com/

Carl

Interesting read, thank you for that.

My comments will concern some of the end remarks. Your list.....

A few recommendations for improvement on its successors, etc. :

• Use the standard USB and HDMI ports instead, get over yourselves Olympus
  The odd USB port is needed to enable the usual connections plus the Oly ability to control the camera from the port, we are stuck with it. The HDMI is a standard size, it is the so called Type D Micro HDMI and suitable cables are available everywhere.

Stuck with it or not, I don't like it! I'm entitled to my opinion!

• Never omit a 100 ISO setting again, for the successor to the E-PM2 or any camera you make
  When desperate we can fake that with over-exposing at 200 and then hoping the highlights have not suffered too much, just the same as the "100" does in the later cameras.

Faking an ISO isn't necessary when the base ISO value is 100 instead of 200, Oly can do that, its just a matter of choosing the right sensor and processor.

• When you state an ISO value, make _sure_ it's the value you state
  The ISO test results seem to vary with the testing procedure, just go take photos and watch the blinkies and it is all sorted out.

• Noise reduction, off should mean OFF, not low
  Noise filter off may or may not interfere (I've never checked), but no worries as I use the RAW anyway. Meanwhile the Sharpening at -2 definitely sharpens a bit and that adds noise and edge halos, again avoided by using the RAWs.

But Guy, that's my point- I'm talking about JPEG processing, not raw. Most users use JPEG, period. And what you use isnt the point either, its stating one thing and doing another. And yes, there is indeed interference with NR processing with it off. Its easy to see.

• Get rid of the banding
  Never troubled me. Usually super high ISO is a total compromise anyway, so banding is an insignificant issue for me.

For you...

• Abandon the 16:9 aspect LCD screen when you have a 4:3 native aspect ratio/sensor
  Then the camera would get clunky in size, I use the 16:9 screen of my E-PL5 by shooting 16:9 to make the details as large as possible, and recover the 4:3 from the RAWs.

No, it would not.

• Always put the tripod mount inline with the center of the lens
  Agree, but the camera will get taller again, and ruin the small size.

You agree, good enough, and no, its just internal design. It can be done without ruining the size.

• Organize the Menu system better, just don't remove anything
  It is weird but workable. I'm used to it now.

So am I, but it can improve, which is the point of my suggestion.

• Include an HDR function that stacks several images into one file, automatically
  Usually enough HDR effect can be recovered from a single RAW so for me not a worry.

Then Oly should omit the HDR bracketing function or idea altogether because Guy knows how to produce a false HDR from one raw file. Brilliant.

• Include a panorama function that auto stitches into one big file (or even in camera after shots are made)
  That would be nice if it could combine images as nicely as Microsoft ICE or Hugin etc. and be at full resolution.

Agreed :).

Regards..... Guy

Carl