E-PM2 Upgrade

Hello M4/3ers,

It's been a while since I was last haunting dpreview, but here we go again.  I have been happily shooting an Olympus E-PM2 since December 2012.  I bought into M4/3 with a GF1 and a Pan 20/1.7.  Then added an E-PM1 and an Oly 45/1.8.  Then moved to E-PM2 when it came out.  There are a few unused kit zooms rattling around somewhere.

My E-PM2 and the 2 lenses easily fit in one tiny bag or even my purse.  I love the small gear/big image combination... that is what got me into M4/3 in the first place.  Unfortunately the cameras seem to be going in the opposite direction size wise.

Major trip is coming up (I'm a mom taking the 10-year-old twins to Yellowstone) and I'm at a loss.  In digital camera time it seems like it should be time for an upgrade, but the new sensor has hardly made it into any of the new bodies?  I have been looking at the GX85 but I went to Olympus for the nicer JPEGs.  I have no time to deal with RAW.

Curious as to your recommendations.  I have not kept up with all the buzz for the last few years.  How has the Pan/Oly JPEG issue turned out?  Is there enough development in the smaller size M4/3 bodies that I am missing out at this point?  If there were an E-PM3 I would be all over it, but I guess I am in the minority on this one.  And as a second choice, if the E-PL8 were out now I would have bought it already and not be asking you guys!

Thanks for any feedback you can offer.

RobinsNest wrote:

Hello M4/3ers,

It's been a while since I was last haunting dpreview, but here we go again. I have been happily shooting an Olympus E-PM2 since December 2012. I bought into M4/3 with a GF1 and a Pan 20/1.7. Then added an E-PM1 and an Oly 45/1.8. Then moved to E-PM2 when it came out. There are a few unused kit zooms rattling around somewhere.

My E-PM2 and the 2 lenses easily fit in one tiny bag or even my purse. I love the small gear/big image combination... that is what got me into M4/3 in the first place. Unfortunately the cameras seem to be going in the opposite direction size wise.

Major trip is coming up (I'm a mom taking the 10-year-old twins to Yellowstone) and I'm at a loss. In digital camera time it seems like it should be time for an upgrade, but the new sensor has hardly made it into any of the new bodies? I have been looking at the GX85 but I went to Olympus for the nicer JPEGs. I have no time to deal with RAW.

Curious as to your recommendations. I have not kept up with all the buzz for the last few years. How has the Pan/Oly JPEG issue turned out? Is there enough development in the smaller size M4/3 bodies that I am missing out at this point? If there were an E-PM3 I would be all over it, but I guess I am in the minority on this one. And as a second choice, if the E-PL8 were out now I would have bought it already and not be asking you guys!

Thanks for any feedback you can offer.

The PM2 is still pretty close to state-of-the-art in the sensor department.
(that is among those available in u4/3)
Nothing since its release has done better in DXO low-light testing score, if that means anything.

Unless you want some of the newer features or more control points your Pen Mini should still provide results comparable to the latest bodies.

For camera JPGs Oly is still the boss.

I have replaced my E-PM2 by an E-PL7:

• 3-axis IBIS -> Much better stabilization than with the old 2-axis one
• 0-sec Anti-shock -> No worries about shutter shock any more
• In-camera CA correction, improves especially with Panasonic lenses
• On-screen levels
• Ergonomic improvements: Tilt screen, mode dial, control dial on top
• Batteries are the same as in E-PM2

I use it mainly with Pana 12-32, but also with Oly 17 1.8, Sigma 60 2.8. I have also a VF-3 at and but not actually used yet.

JPG quality is the same great Oly one, plus the CA correction

Till

Comes down to shooting style, not IQ, I find the controls on the EM-1 and EM-5 much easier to use than the Pen cameras. I never got used to shooting with the LCD, so I demand a good EVF. Since that is 100% of the time for me, I like it built in.

Problem of course is size. But body size is only half of it. If you like the pro lenses, the larger bodies are nice. If you want to stuff it in your purse, the E-PM2 is hard to beat. My wife used it until I gave her my EM-5 after upgrading.  Now she likes the controls better.

Use point and shoot jpegs on P, E-PM2 gives the same results.

I had two E-PM2s, and still have one after I replaced the other one with an E-M1.

First, do you use the EVF attachment? What I've noticed is that as soon as I pack the E-PM2 and the VF2 viewfinder, the entire kit ends up becoming a bit larger than an E-M10 by virtue of height and dept. If you use the viewfinder, the E-M10 will end up being smaller and easier to pack.

Next, I didn't realize how bad the IBIS was in the E-PM2 until I tried it in the E-M1. I could count on the E-PM2's IBIS to give me one, maybe two stops of stabilization if I was really careful. The E-M1's stabilization gives me plenty of confidence for two stops of stabilization - much higher hit rates. In other words, I could barely shoot my 75mm at 1/60 sec on the E-PM2, and fell back to 1/80 sec for more keepers. On the E-M1, I can shoot that same lens at 1/40s, and only have to worry about motion blur, not camera movement.

As for straight up image quality, the E-PM2 really isn't that different from what's currently on sale. I personally prefer the Panasonic sensor in the E-M1 from a post processing standpoint, but image quality SOOC is comparable.

So essentially, if you have or want a viewfinder, the E-M10 or GX85 would actually be slightly smaller than an E-PM2 with viewfinder. And if you ever find yourself needing IBIS, either of those bodies should do worlds better than the E-PM2.

Other options include the E-PL7 (almost the same size as the E-PM2, but with flip screen), and the Panasonic GMs, which are tiny, but in some ways inferior to your E-PM2 in that they don't have IBIS and must rely on e-shutter above 1/500 sec.

If you are an LCD shooter the flip out screen on the EPL7 is worth the upgrade. That and the better designed control wheel.

I'd say in general, when in doubt go for a new lens instead...but that depends.

You have a camera that's meeting your needs; if there is something it can't do then get something that CAN do that. Like better video, viewfinder, etc. I don't think the IQ is hugely different, although eg with the better image stabilization and such you might get a better shot, but that would only be true if it was needed.

I have a PM2 and went to a E-M10 and then a E-M5 II because I take more and more photos outside and of wildlife, and that M10 viewfinder helped a lot. I got a refurbed VF for the PM2, but I agree that it makes the camera pretty big, which negates one of it's nicest features, the small size, hence the M10. I also found it easier to use old manual lenses on the E-M10.

So you might find the PM2 just isn't as nice for stuff like taking pictures of elk with a longer lens and in bright light out in Yellowstone, but maybe not, or maybe you just won't take many photos like that, and the small size and portability of the PM2 might still be more important.

Maybe a used E-M10? (conflict of interest...probably selling mine; PM me if interested).

I like the recommendation by Till Kamppeter; I think the better IBIS and 0 second anti-shock are worthy upgrades.  And if you want a bit "fancier" body, the EP5 and EM5 can be found used at very good prices now (check KEH's website, for example), and the EM10 is a bargain as well.  But, you may not like the weight of the weight of any of them compared to what you have.  I have an E-PM2 and love its light weight, but I've pretty much stopped using it in favor of other bodies with better IBIS (the EP5 and EM5) or that are similarly small but with an EVF (Pany GM5).   Also, the Pany 12-32 zoom ($200 used at KEH) is a very nice wide angle zoom for those landscapes you'll take and it is quite small.

Till Kamppeter wrote:

I have replaced my E-PM2 by an E-PL7:

• 3-axis IBIS -> Much better stabilization than with the old 2-axis one
• 0-sec Anti-shock -> No worries about shutter shock any more
• In-camera CA correction, improves especially with Panasonic lenses
• On-screen levels
• Ergonomic improvements: Tilt screen, mode dial, control dial on top
• Batteries are the same as in E-PM2

I use it mainly with Pana 12-32, but also with Oly 17 1.8, Sigma 60 2.8. I have also a VF-3 at and but not actually used yet.

JPG quality is the same great Oly one, plus the CA correction

Till

Till Kamppeter wrote:

I have replaced my E-PM2 by an E-PL7:

• 3-axis IBIS -> Much better stabilization than with the old 2-axis one
• 0-sec Anti-shock -> No worries about shutter shock any more
• In-camera CA correction, improves especially with Panasonic lenses
• On-screen levels
• Ergonomic improvements: Tilt screen, mode dial, control dial on top
• Batteries are the same as in E-PM2

I use it mainly with Pana 12-32, but also with Oly 17 1.8, Sigma 60 2.8. I have also a VF-3 at and but not actually used yet.

JPG quality is the same great Oly one, plus the CA correction

Till

Good summary and recommendation, Till. I've only had the Pen PL7, but find it to be a great small camera for all the reasons you outlined.

Today I went to audition the new Pen F, thinking I might replace the PL7. However after trying it out and placing The Pen F beside both the PL7 and the E-M5 II, I decided that the Pen F was too big and heavy compared to the PL7 and actually almost the same size as the E-M5 II. Kind of left me thinking that the F was too big to be a Pen and not enough features to be an OM-D.

I'd second the recommendation to the OP to consider the PL7. I use mine with the little Panny 12-32, and the Panny 35-100 (also pretty small)