Olympus E-PM2: Small Camera, Big Surprise

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

Regards..... Guy

Thank you! A very nice write up from a personal point of view. Gives a good impression of the fine tools that are around for not much money at all.

Did you percieve the banding with the pana pancake only? If so, this was acknowledged in 2012 on the EM-5. And not corrected untill now.

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/4199580748/olympus-acknowledges-om-d-e-m5-banding-with-panasonic-20mm-f1-7-lens

Welcome!

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

Very rational review. E-PM2, which I bought a month ago was never much reviewed, but I find it delightful.

I don't agree with the ISO thing, because it's brand specific anyway. Where Olympus has ISO 100, it has poor DR. Also I just listened to the click, and it's very soft, v. good for stealth.

Would have liked some notes on the pair PM2 & 17/2.8, since you use them.

Cheers,

amalric 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

Very rational review. E-PM2, which I bought a month ago was never much reviewed, but I find it delightful.

So do I

I don't agree with the ISO thing, because it's brand specific anyway. Where Olympus has ISO 100, it has poor DR. Also I just listened to the click, and it's very soft, v. good for stealth.

Ok we dont agree.

Would have liked some notes on the pair PM2 & 17/2.8, since you use them.

Maybe I'll add some. Offhand they make a good pair and the 17 although not the sharpest lens for m4/3 is very decent. It's a bit slow to focus compared to other lenses, but its affordable, nice and relatively bright.

Cheers,

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'Photo & Poetry'
http://amalric2014.blogspot.it/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amalric

Carl

cgarrard wrote:

amalric 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

Very rational review. E-PM2, which I bought a month ago was never much reviewed, but I find it delightful.

So do I

I don't agree with the ISO thing, because it's brand specific anyway. Where Olympus has ISO 100, it has poor DR. Also I just listened to the click, and it's very soft, v. good for stealth.

Ok we dont agree.

Would have liked some notes on the pair PM2 & 17/2.8, since you use them.

Maybe I'll add some. Offhand they make a good pair and the 17 although not the sharpest lens for m4/3 is very decent. It's a bit slow to focus compared to other lenses, but its affordable, nice and relatively bright.

Cheers,

Carl

Carl, about ISO, There have been v. long threads on the difference between Olympus ISO scale and the DxO one, until a very analytic mind redefined the thing in terms of Brightness only (amplification), in an article at DPR. You might check both, because it's a core concept in Digital.

Another feature you might find interesting is the digital 2X zoom: contrary to others it is a high quaity one, with pixel binning to give the full 16 Mpx while cropping.

There is also Auto gradation, a relighting feature, which helps with High Contrast days, and a Tone control one.  B&W filters (I use the orange one) give v. impressive B&W.

I mwntion this because Olympus grows these festures across all the models, and one might miss them, when looking at one one camera only.

Basically it's like having a small dragster in your pocket.

'Photo & Poetry'
http://amalric2014.blogspot.it/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amalric

amalric wrote:

Another feature you might find interesting is the digital 2X zoom: contrary to others it is a high quaity one, with pixel binning to give the full 16 Mpx while cropping.

I'd LOVE to see your source for this creative explanation of Oly's digital zoom function.

knickerhawk wrote:

amalric wrote:

Another feature you might find interesting is the digital 2X zoom: contrary to others it is a high quaity one, with pixel binning to give the full 16 Mpx while cropping.

I'd LOVE to see your source for this creative explanation of Oly's digital zoom function.

Here it is, from the horse's mouth:

When assigned to the Fn1 button, the digital tele-converter function produces a telephoto effect which magnifies the center part of the image by two times. The excellent pixel interpolation performance of the TruePic VI image processor makes it possible to zoom while maintaining high image quality. Using this function allows a 75 - 300 mm super-telephoto lens to provide a zooming range equivalent to 1200 mm on 35 mm camera lenses, making it easy to achieve high magnification.

http://www.olympus-imaging.co.in/products/dslr/em5/feature/05/

amalric wrote:

knickerhawk wrote:

amalric wrote:

Another feature you might find interesting is the digital 2X zoom: contrary to others it is a high quaity one, with pixel binning to give the full 16 Mpx while cropping.

I'd LOVE to see your source for this creative explanation of Oly's digital zoom function.

Here it is, from the horse's mouth:

When assigned to the Fn1 button, the digital tele-converter function produces a telephoto effect which magnifies the center part of the image by two times. The excellent pixel interpolation performance of the TruePic VI image processor makes it possible to zoom while maintaining high image quality. Using this function allows a 75 - 300 mm super-telephoto lens to provide a zooming range equivalent to 1200 mm on 35 mm camera lenses, making it easy to achieve high magnification.

http://www.olympus-imaging.co.in/products/dslr/em5/feature/05/

You do realize, I hope, that "pixel interpolation" is not at all the same as "pixel binning" and that "magnif[ying] the center part of the image by two times" means that you are not using the "full 16Mpx while cropping" as you claimed above.  Sorry to burst your bubble, but there's no magic going on that allows Olympus to avoid cropping (throwing away) a large amount of the image when it does its digital zoom.

Anders W wrote:

knickerhawk wrote:

amalric wrote:

Another feature you might find interesting is the digital 2X zoom: contrary to others it is a high quaity one, with pixel binning to give the full 16 Mpx while cropping.

I'd LOVE to see your source for this creative explanation of Oly's digital zoom function.

Based on amalric's reply, it appears he either didn't see your smiley face response or didn't realize that it really meant "DANGER - YOU'RE ON THIN ICE!"

knickerhawk wrote:

amalric wrote:

knickerhawk wrote:

amalric wrote:

Another feature you might find interesting is the digital 2X zoom: contrary to others it is a high quaity one, with pixel binning to give the full 16 Mpx while cropping.

I'd LOVE to see your source for this creative explanation of Oly's digital zoom function.

Here it is, from the horse's mouth:

When assigned to the Fn1 button, the digital tele-converter function produces a telephoto effect which magnifies the center part of the image by two times. The excellent pixel interpolation performance of the TruePic VI image processor makes it possible to zoom while maintaining high image quality. Using this function allows a 75 - 300 mm super-telephoto lens to provide a zooming range equivalent to 1200 mm on 35 mm camera lenses, making it easy to achieve high magnification.

http://www.olympus-imaging.co.in/products/dslr/em5/feature/05/

You do realize, I hope, that "pixel interpolation" is not at all the same as "pixel binning" and that "magnif[ying] the center part of the image by two times" means that you are not using the "full 16Mpx while cropping" as you claimed above. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there's no magic going on that allows Olympus to avoid cropping (throwing away) a large amount of the image when it does its digital zoom.

As always you are putting words in my mouth, little man.

amalric wrote:

knickerhawk wrote:

amalric wrote:

knickerhawk wrote:

amalric wrote:

Another feature you might find interesting is the digital 2X zoom: contrary to others it is a high quaity one, with pixel binning to give the full 16 Mpx while cropping.

I'd LOVE to see your source for this creative explanation of Oly's digital zoom function.

Here it is, from the horse's mouth:

When assigned to the Fn1 button, the digital tele-converter function produces a telephoto effect which magnifies the center part of the image by two times. The excellent pixel interpolation performance of the TruePic VI image processor makes it possible to zoom while maintaining high image quality. Using this function allows a 75 - 300 mm super-telephoto lens to provide a zooming range equivalent to 1200 mm on 35 mm camera lenses, making it easy to achieve high magnification.

http://www.olympus-imaging.co.in/products/dslr/em5/feature/05/

You do realize, I hope, that "pixel interpolation" is not at all the same as "pixel binning" and that "magnif[ying] the center part of the image by two times" means that you are not using the "full 16Mpx while cropping" as you claimed above. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there's no magic going on that allows Olympus to avoid cropping (throwing away) a large amount of the image when it does its digital zoom.

As always you are putting words in my mouth, little man.

And as always, you're bungling basic concepts.  Let's start with YOUR words from YOUR "mouth."  How is Oly utilizing "pixel binning" in its digital zoom function?  Once we clarify that, we can move on to the next part about how Oly is "giv[ing] the full 16Mpx while cropping."

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'Photo & Poetry'
http://amalric2014.blogspot.it/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amalric

veroman 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/

Hi Carl. First, good to see you finally had a buyer for your LC1. I was following that auction in complete disbelief that it took so long to sell it. Almost changed my mind and bought it myself! Amazing that it had to be sold for so little.

But I didn't buy it 'cause I, too, have an E-PM2 and find it to be quite a remarkable little camera, quirks and all. Purchased mine about 3 months ago. It led me to purchasing an E-P5. I use both cameras almost daily. I haven't touched my larger DSLRs since owning them.

I enjoyed your review very much. I wish other reviewers had paid more attention to the E-PM2, for it's quite an amazing little package. Indeed, I think it's quite a bit better than "good," especially when paired with an EVF and first-rate lenses. I've compared it to some of my older full frame Canons, like the 1Ds, and find it quite similar in IQ, but without some of the FF advantages.

So ... thanks again for the review. I look forward to more of the same.

Thanks Steve, yah that surprised me too! Took very long indeed!

Glad you enjoyed the review and I've enjoyed your comments!