Olympus E-PL2 Pen Camera Hands-On Preview

[vegablood1997]

nice.i have a olympus e pl2

[chadriDV]

can't wait for new years eve '11!!!!

[veetour]

The E-PL2 is gorgeous. Much nicer looking IMO than it's predecessor.

[kembooo000]

This guy looks like the son of chewbacca and chuck norris

[Liul93]

do you think the PEN e-pl2 is a better camera than the e-p2, and what are the differences between them?

[PadawanMusicien]

thinks john

[kperram]

Very informative. Thank you.

[Jenniferxxxx1]

Does the camera E-PL2 come with an editing site for your computer, like lightroom , lightroom 2, lightroom 3. And do I download them? and how? thankyou :)

[LolitaSin]

Oh gosh now I wonder if I should give up my EP2 for the EPL 2. :S HELP!

[ThKjos]

How does the camera fit in the pocket with the 17mm lens? It's written that its a pocket camera, a pocketable camera... but I doubt it with the kit zoom lens. But what about with the 17mm lens?

E-PL1 looks more retro - like that. E-PL2 looks anonymous and clean design - like that.

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@ThKjos I wouldn't call it a pocket camera - not by my standards, anyway. But if you think a Canon G-Series is a pocket camera then it might qualify with the 17mm lens.

[ThKjos]

@PhotographyREVIEW I'm interested in this camera because of the good image quality + small size combined. But if I'm able to carry it in a pocket with the 17mm lens I will consider buying it because for me I could might as well buy a bigger dSLR if it's not pocket size, but needs backpack when I go hiking in the mountains.

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@ThKjos What kind of pocket? It would fit in a roomy jacket pocket but not a pants pocket. You should probably read my complete Olympus E-PL1 review - I traveled extensively with it and used it outdoors as well. You'll find that review on the PhotographyREVIEW Web site. The two cameras are about the same size so that review is very applicable to the E-PL2.

[Mrcrazydude963]

whats better? the epl1 or the epl2? please respond.

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@Mrcrazydude963 If you look at the other comments you'll see I've already answered this question. The price on the E-PL1 makes it a great deal and they both have the same sensor and hence the same image quality. The E-PL2 does have a better kit lens and some new features, though. On the other hand, you could take the money you save with an E-PL1 and buy another lens. Two lenses makes the E-PL1 the better camera. But ultimately, you have to make the decision.

[PrinzMegahertz]

Can you lock the flash in that upward facing position, or do you need to hold it all the time?

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@PrinzMegahertz You need to hold it down with your finger. That's a cool idea, though - adding some sort of locking mechanism. There's always duct tape! :-D

[exploreryen]

pen pal~~ hhahaha

[corbraz]

what are all those iso things? whats it's for? and mean?

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@corbraz ISO is a sensitivity setting. Basically, you use a higher ISO setting for taking pictures in low light. This is one of the basics controls of exposure. If you want to learn more about how exposure and cameras work, visit PhotographyREVIEW and search, "Photography Exposure Primer."

[corbraz]

@PhotographyREVIEW ok, i sure will! thanks.

[bbq797]

Would you say it's a good family camera--fast enough to take pics of fast moving kids?

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@bbq797 That's a tough one. If you're used to a point-and-shoot camera the E-PL2 will be better. However, the E-PL2's continuous auto focus performance still isn't up to DSLR standards. So if you want the best continuous auto focus, a digital SLR will still be the better camera.

[andysmini1]

I have bought the E-PL2 and it is a wonderful camera. I bought the 14-42mm lens kit in black and the lens is silent!! It is quick to AF too and image quality is superb. If you like taking shots in mono (Black & White) the there are many custom options you can choose including built in colour filters. 10/10 to Olympus!

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@andysmini1 Thanks for the comment, Andy! Please visit PhotographyREVIEW and write a review for your E-PL2. User reviews are the foundation of the site and help make my videos here on YouTube possible :-)

[hanaonesw]

E-pl1 or E-pl2 ?

Which one would you recommend ?

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@hanaonesw Either camera will be good. They have the same sensor so image quality should be pretty much the same. The E-PL2 does have a refined body design and some new features as listed in the video. But you can save $150 if you buy an E-PL1 now. You'll have to decide what is more important to you - new features or a better price.

[mikethedrummer100]

what do you think is better? this or the Lumix GF2?

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@mikethedrummer100 I haven't actually used the GF2 so it's hard for me to say. To some extent it's two different flavors of the same thing. The main thing I like about the Olympus over the Panasonic is the Olympus has built-in image stabilization - you don't have to use their lenses to benefit.

[andysmini1]

@mikethedrummer100 E-PL2. Unless you love touch screen, which i don't! E-PL2 is wondeful!!!!

[CarlyUTube]

That camera has everything I would want but. It would be too big for me to carry around.

[bbq797]

Thanks for your response. If you don't mind, one more question--how's the AF? Supposedly, it's faster than the E-PL1 (will check out your review of that too). Would you say it's fast enough to capture candid shots of fast moving kids (toddlers)? I've narrowed my choice down to this and the Sony A55. I'd love to get the PL2, but not if it's not the right tool for the job.

Thanks again!

[bbq797]

Terrific review--thanks. I'm upgrading from a p&s, mostly for pics of kids/family. Can you fire off shots like you can w/a dslr, or is there lag time from shot to shot like there is w/p&s? Also, anticipating a trip to Disney, would you say this is the right tool for the job--pics of indoor events, night time parades etc? I'm mostly concerned about how it functions in low light.

Thanks!!

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@bbq797 Speed/burst is comparable to an entry-level digital SLR. Low light won't be quite as good but still much better than what you're used to. Have you checked my E-PL1 pro review on PhotographyREVIEW? It has lots of image samples and the sensor is the same so the image quality should be comparable.

[jessplayen]

Hello PhotoJohn, Thanks for this awesome hands on review. I have one question. I know this has a redesign lens. Does it still rotate when focusing? I hated that about the E-PL1's kit lens because I like to use GND and polarizer filters. Thanks

[xmeerzx]

do u recommend it over the canon g12?

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@xmeerzx I definitely recommend the E-PL2 over the G12. It only costs a bit more, it's much more versatile and it has better image quality. Read the Olympus E-PL1 Pro Review on PhotographyREVIEW. I go into the compact vs Micro Four Thirds / EVIL cameras more in that review.

[Groovnstar]

Nex-5 or E-PL2? can't decide..

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@Groovnstar I can't really answer that since I haven't used the NEX-5. People really do like the NEX-5. From what I've heard the image quality of the NEX-5 is better but the form factor is a bit awkward by some standards. I think either camera will work great and the best choice for you is really going to be a personal decision.

[ar4216]

Great review as always. Did they give you any idea of what the conversion lenses are gonna cost?

[PhotographyREVIEW]

@ar4216 Good question and I'm glad you liked the video. I'm on the road right now and can't remember if they gave me prices on the conversion lenses. But they're definitely a lot less expensive than actual Micro Four Thirds lenses. I would expect that they cost about the same as conversion lenses for compact cameras like the Canon G12 and Nikon P7000.