Olympus E-P2 Compact System Camera (14-42mm lens & VF-2 electronic viewfinder) Black

Product Information

That the E-PL2 has a built-in flash is taken by many a sign that this is a ‘step up’ camera – aimed at high-end compact owners looking to move up a notch in terms of control and versatility. Neither of the two cameras that sit above the E-PL2 in the PEN range has a built in flash and nor does Sony’s NEX-5/3, but the Lumix GF2 does. In addition, the E-P3 has a 614,000 dot OLED screen that is touch-sensitive. This particular panel uses Samsung's Pentile dot layout to give VGA-equivalent resolution, coupled with capacitance-type touch technology similar to the Apple iPhone. The touch screen can be used to set the focus point and optionally fire the shutter, and can operate some of the camera's other functions too. Crucially though this is always in addition to the rest of the camera's controls, rather than attempting to replace them. If you decide such features don't have a place on such a traditional-looking camera, they can be disabled with no overall loss of functionality. The Art Filters have been expanded dramatically too, with a number of additional filters plus the ability to tune their looks and add effects such as frames and even a digital 'starburst' filter on point highlights. There's also a new tonal control that allows you to manually adjust shadow brightness independent of overall exposure. Last, but by no means least, the menu system has finally benefited from a substantial makeover, and is not only much easier on the eye, but easier to find your way around too. Olympus E-P3 key specifications: On the downside, if you’re shooting fast sequences you’ll have to turn off Review mode, because of course this will interrupt visibility, unlike with a DSLR. But in June 2009, Olympus finally revealed the camera responsible for our most-read preview ever - the E-P1. The company was able to do what very few of the current big players could - build on a history of compact photographers' cameras. And, in doing so, appeared to provide the camera we'd been asking manufacturers to make for many years - a small camera with a good level of photographic control and a large sensor (only Sigma had really tried this before).

DxOMark provides objective, independent, RAW-based image quality performance data for lenses and digital cameras to help you select the best equipment to meet your photographic needs. The Olympus E-P2 is a compact camera with a DSLR-sized sensor and removeable lens mount. Announced in November 2009, it’s an enhanced version of the E-P1 launched just five months earlier. Like that model, the E-P2 is based on the Micro Four Thirds standard jointly developed by Olympus and Panasonic to deliver DSLR quality and flexibility without the size, weight and perception of difficult operation.Alternatively, slide the provided VF-2 EVF into the vacant hotshoe, whereupon its ‘male' attachment connects with the ‘female' port below and swap from use of the LCD to EVF with a press of the monitor button provided on the EVF unit. Though useful as a compositional aid in bright sun, or providing the ability to take shots at formerly awkward angles, such as from waist height, we actually preferred to rely in the main on the larger LCD. A more comfortable eye relief for the EVF wouldn't go amiss.

The E-P2’s accessory port is located just below and behind the flash hotshoe – which itself has been slightly raised to accommodate it. This is the major new feature of the E-P2 over the E-P1, and no doubt inspired by the similar port on the Panasonic Lumix GF1. The Olympus E-PL1, announced three months after the E-P2, also features the same port.Micro Four Thirds achieves this goal by taking the sensor of the existing Four Thirds DSLR standard, but dispensing with the traditional SLR mirror and optical viewfinder to allow a much shorter lens to sensor distance; this in turn enables smaller and lighter cameras to be built, and the E-P2, like the E-P1 before it, is certainly compact considering the size of the sensor within. images (100% with Live View) with BLS-1 and Toshiba Class 6 SDHC 4GB card under CIPA testing standard All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12.3 megapixel Super Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 7Mb.

One figure hidden away in every SLR's spec is the size of the viewfinder (often in a format that makes comparison between competing models impossible). The size of the viewfinder is a key factor in the usability of an SLR - the bigger it is, the easier it is to frame and focus your shots, and the more enjoyable and involving process it is. White Balance is another area where performance is exemplary. The Auto setting covers very nicely for over 95% of the time, but for those situations where perhaps one colour is dominant the offered pre-sets deliver the goods. This of course assumes that we are discussing JPEG capture, as RAW shooters will be able to adjust the white balance to taste after the event. It is quite interesting that Auto White Balance seems to have a much wider range and can now seem to cope to some degree with even tungsten (incandescent) light. ISO range is from ISO200 to ISO1600, but this is extendible to ISO6400. White Balance offers Auto plus a wide choice of pre-sets as well as custom setting. The Olympus E-P2 features a new Picture Mode called i-Enhance. This analyses the image and selectively boosts the contrast and saturation in certain areas in an attempt to mimic your often enhanced memories of the subject. Olympus cites the example of a sunset which you may recall looking much more vibrant than captured in your photos.EVFs are not yet as good as the better SLR viewfinders, but quite honestly, when compared to the small and dim DSLR viewfinders found on many of the lower-end cameras today, the one on the E-P2 has a lot to recommend it. When capturing images in infrared with my EP2 I nearly always use aperture priority. I also always create a new custom white balance from any uniform green area, e.g. grass. I do this as the light changes when I am in the field. This enables the camera to capture the best range of tones in the infrared image.

Another very welcome addition is a built-in autofocus illuminator light, in the form of a bright orange LED on the front of the camera (previous PENs were notorious for their reluctance to focus in low light). The autofocus system has been updated too, with 35 zones covering most of the image area. The movie recording specification has also been significantly upgraded, and the E-P3 can now capture full HD 1080i60 movies in AVCHD format. The Olympus E-PL2 is equipped with six Art Filters, Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, and the new Dramatic Tone. Art Filters apply digital special effects to images, and while you can achieve the same results in software afterwards, the opportunity to do it in-camera is obviously more convenient. If you don’t want to permanently disfigure your JPEGs, it’s also possible to apply any of the Art Filters to the E-PL2’s RAW files using the supplied Olympus Master software. The Diorama Art Filter applies a tilt-and-shift effect which blurs much of the image, leaving a sharp strip in the middle. This in turn delivers the miniaturisation effect much-loved by owners of exotic tilt / shift lenses.Manual focus isn’t a problem with such a wide-angle lens and I normally set focus to infinity. The other lens I often use is the Olympus ED 14 – 150mm F4 – 5.6 11. I use this on both the EP2 and the EM5 Mark 11 as my “shoot everything” lens. Another lens that I enjoy using is the Samyang fully manual 12mm which is excellent in low light and has a reasonable distortion free wide-angle. You'll also want to play with the new Art Filters Cross Process and Diorama if buying this camera, the latter for us producing the most striking results with a little experimentation. Generally the digital effects that worked the best were pop art, pinhole, diorama and grainy film; the others we rarely used. Like the E-PL1, the Live Control menu allows you to shoot video in Program, Aperture Priority or fully manual modes or with any of the six Art Filters. As on other PEN models, though, shooting movies with the more intensive Art Filters will greatly reduce the frame rate with jerky results.