Some (positive) thoughts about the E-PL7

Guy Parsons wrote:
Yes, I saw the E-PL7 as not worth an upgrade from my E-PL5. The E-PL7 is a rework to try and appeal to the selfie set who have abandoned real cameras for smart-phones.

Though in Japan in November I did see a huge number of Pens of all vintages, and a couple of OM-D, and of course a colossal number of smart-phones, many on those annoying selfie sticks.

Luckily for me the E-P5 price dropped in Oz plus a brief 10% store discount plus getting back the 10% universal tax as I left on holidays made the E-P5 body cheaper than any E-PLx option and made it the cheapest E-P5 in the known universe. (Oz$462.73 = today US$374.56).

The E-P5 is a REAL upgrade from E-PL5, no question about it, better results due to 5 axis stabilisation plus 0 second anti-shock plus the heavier body for better stability. I have definitely had 5 stops advantage at times from the IBIS, it works so well.

The E-PL7 3 axis IBIS plus 0 second anti-shock would be an advantage if you find that you are plagued by shutter shock or just somehow get slightly fuzzy results.

Regards..... Guy

See, I had the E-P5. I just can't take that camera seriously for me. I know it sounds like a minor quibble, but a flash button shouldn't be so easy to trigger. I never had another camera that had its flash pop spontaneously open in my camera bag. Not only once, but many times. Eventually, the flash got mangled as a result. Thankfully, it was within the return window, but I'm not the only person who's complained about this. And speaking of flash, why doesn't it fold back like a GM1 flash?

The E-PL7 brought just enough improvements to the E-PL5 to make it a truly wonderful camera for me. I never actually used the dual control mode that everyone seems to love so much. It doesn't make intuitive sense to me. If I'm changing the ISO, I like the SCP. I did love having the dual dials on the E-P5. Though I only have one dial on the E-PL7, it's enough, since my directional pad is configured to enable quick EC adjustment. Without the rotating directional pad, I am never making adjustments I didn't intend to make, whereas I did that a lot with the E-PL5. Along with the theoretical elimination of shutter shock and all that...

I think the E-PL7 is far more than just "a rework to try to appeal to the selfie set." I think it's an update that makes the E-PL5 a 2014 body instead of a 2012 body. It's hard to "fix" a camera that didn't have much wrong with it, but it mostly fixes the most glaring issues that I had with the E-PL5 body.

And looks and holds better, too, by the way.