Olympus Pen E-PL2

Last year, Olympus unveiled the E-PL1, a consumer-grade Micro Four Thirds camera. For its price and feature set, the shooter was an extremely attractive choice for shutterbugs who wanted to step up from a compact to aninterchangeable lens camera (ILC) system. We liked it so much we gave it an Editors' Choice award.

Earlier this month, the company showed off the successor to the E-PL1, the E-PL2. Notable upgrades include the aesthetics of the snapper, improved Guide Modes and a fancier Art Filter function. The accessory port is also updated to be Bluetooth compatible. Most importantly, Olympus also retained in the E-PL2 what we liked about the E-PL1. Here's our full evaluation.

Design

The E-PL2's front looks quite similar to its predecessor. However, the handgrip area feels more substantial and this provides a better grip. In general, the Olympus camera is quite good looking, considering it is an entry-level ILC.

The top of the E-PL2 is now in black, and this gives a professional look to the snapper. That aside, the controls remained unchanged. The mode dial is still on the right with the shutter and power button. The popup flash resides at the other end.

One gripe we had with the E-PL1 was the lack of a scroll wheel, and we had to navigate menus and controls with the four-way directional pad. Olympus rectified this issue by equipping the E-PL2 with a clickable scroll wheel, and changed the square buttons to round ones. It also reshuffled the control layout to make it look less cluttered.

The rear of the shooter houses a large 3-inch display, and above that is the AP2 accessory port. We will discuss more about its functions later.

The side of the E-PL2 has a flap that hides the USB, A/V-out and mini HDMI ports, while the bottom houses the battery and memory card slots.

Using the E-PL2 was an enjoyable experience for us. Once acquainted with the new button layout, we were shooting using the snapper with ease. One gripe we had with this Olympus was the menu. We mentioned this several times in previous reviews of the company's Micro Four Thirds camera: The menu can be difficult to navigate for new users. This is especially so for the extended menu which can only be activated via a hidden option.

We had also the VF-2 electronic viewfinder, and using that with the E-PL2 proved to be a good combination. With its compact footprint, we were able to shoot discreetly on the streets. All in, the E-PL2 has great aesthetics and physical controls, which is dulled by the confusing menu.

Feature

The E-PL2 has four new features, but before we talk more about them, here's a quick comparison chart between the Olympus, the Sony Alpha NEX-3 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2.

Model/Specifications	Olympus E-PL2	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2	Sony Alpha NEX-3
Sensor resolution	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	14.2-megapixel
LCD size	3-inch, 460k-dot fixed	3-inch, 460k-dot touchscreen	3-inch, 921k-dot tiltable
Continuous shooting speed	4fps	3.2fps	7fps
ISO range	ISO 200 to 6,400	ISo 100 to 12,800	ISO 200 to 12,800
Max video resolution	1,280 x 720 pixels	1,920 x 1,080 pixels	1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Image stabilizer	Sensor-shift (in-body)	Optical (via lens)	Optical (via lens)
Memory media	SD/SDHC/SDXC	SD/SDHC/SDXC	SD/SDHC/SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo
Dimension/weight	115.4 x 72.7 x 42mm/317g	112.8 x 67.8 x 32.8mm/265g	117 x 63 x 33mm/297g
Related link		Review	First take

The accessory port on the E-PL2 now carries the AP2 label. This is an upgraded version which enables the shooter to use the new PenPal Bluetooth module. This peripheral wasn't available at the time of this review, but we were told by an Olympus representative that, with the PenPal, users can transfer pictures wirelessly to any compatible Bluetooth device, such as a mobile phone or laptop. However, the image would have to be resized in-camera first. Such a feature wouldl be useful for shutterbugs who want to quickly upload pictures to the Web for sharing, or to send them to friends without having to tether the snapper to a computer and resizing them with an image-editing tool.


A photo taken with the Grainy Film/Dramatic Tone filter and the frame around the picture. (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)
The Art Filter library gets the latest Dramatic Tone effect for photographers to shoot high dynamic range photos. Also, each filter now gets a subset that allows for more creative photos. For example, the Grainy Film effect can be combined with Dramatic Tone to get more details in the highlight and shadow regions. This feature can be dismissed as a gimmick, but first-time users will find them useful to get creative shots. These effects can also be used in video recording. There is also a frame option which you can apply to add a border to your photos or movies.

We usually don't review lenses, but the new 14-42mm kit lens deserves a mention in this evaluation. This is an improved version which Olympus deems Movie and Still Compatible (MSC). This can be seen from the buttery smooth zoom and focus rings, which also makes it possible for users to capture better audio when recording video. The optics is also smaller than the first 14-42mm Micro Four Thirds kit lens from Olympus.

Olympus claims the new Guide Mode is more intuitive and beginners should find it useful to help them get better fast-action or portrait shots. This feature is available only under the iAuto mode, and is activated via the OK button. There, you will find a series of options such as color saturation, color image, brightness, background blur and motion. Users have to select which aspect of the photo they want to change, then use the scroll wheel to adjust the image parameters. It's quite easy to use, but we think it can be more intuitive if the Guide Mode feature is clearly labeled instead of being hidden in the iAuto mode.

Performance

The E-PL2 took about 1.5 second to start up. Shutterlag with prefocusing was negligible, and without prefocusing it took approximately 0.4 seconds.

One issue Olympus had with its previous Micro Four Thirds camera was the sluggish focusing speed. The company resolved this issue in the E-PL2, and we found the focusing to be noticeably faster and on par with other mirrorless ILCs. However, this was dependant on the optics attached. When we used it with the new 14-42mm kit lens, the shooter was quick to lock on the subject. But when we tried the Pen with the 17mm pancake lens, we felt that the focusing was a tad slower.

The time taken to record a picture taken with an Art Filter effect has also been improved. It is now much faster, though certain filters, such as Soft Focus, still required a few seconds to process and transfer the image to the memory card. For our tests, we used a Panasonic Class 10 8GB SDHC media.

Image Quality

Compared to its predecessor, the E-PL2 delivered slightly cleaner-looking photos at high ISO sensitivities. The sample below shows ISO 1,600 pictures from the E-PL1 and the new Olympus.


On its own, the E-PL2 churned out clean shots at ISO 200 and 400. At ISO 800, we realized the edges of the subjects looked a bit fuzzy, but this can be easily rectified with a sharpening tool in image-editing software such as Photoshop. ISO 1,600 photos were acceptable by our standards , and we think it should hold up well for an A4 print. At ISO 3,200, noise was prominently scattered throughout the photo, and there was discoloration at ISO 6,400.



The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 is one of the E-PL2's closest competitor. In terms of picture quality, each model has its own pros and cons. For example, ISO 1,600 samples from the GF2 were sharper but colors looked a bit dull, whereas the Olympus delivered more vibrant photos but the subjects appeared a little blur. Hence, buyers will have to determine which aspect they are willing to compromise on.

Colors from the E-PL2 were rendered accurately and tones were faithful to the scene. They were not overly saturated but still had a good punch to them. Click here to see full-size samples.

Conclusion

Current E-PL1 owners won't see the need to upgrade to the E-PL2 unless they really want the new Art Filter function and AP2 accessory port. In terms of picture quality and performance, the new camera is slightly better and faster, but not significant enough to warrant an upgrade. That said, shutterbugs who are looking to buy a mirrorless ILC should really keep the E-PL2 in mind because it offers plenty of useful features in a compact body. Also, once you are familiar with the menu, it is relatively easy to navigate.

The E-PL2 is a good camera and we would have given it an Editors' Choice award if the improvements from the E-PL1 were more significant.

The E-PL2 is available in stores now for S$998 with the 14-42mm MSC kit lens. Olympus offers other bundles, too, so do check with the retail outlets for more details.

Image Samples (taken with the 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 lens)

ISO set at 200, shutter speed of 1/100 and at F5.6. Color setting and other parameters such as sharpness at default. (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)


ISO set at 200, shutter speed of 1/250 and at F2.5. Color setting and other parameters such as sharpness at default. (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)


ISO set at 1000, shutter speed of 1/60 and at F4.5. Color setting and other parameters such as sharpness at default. (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)