It’s the vector that modern photography is taking … digital. Recently, over the last 4 months all of the photo labs in my area have either gone out of business or went dry (which means they no longer develop in house). As such, I was having to send off all my rolls of film for up to two weeks to get developed. Much to my dismay, I came to the decision to move into a strictly digital setup. My main camera is a Nikon DSLR so digital wasn’t new to me. Over the course of a week, I sold all my film-based cameras (other than my Polaroid land Camera 450) and bought the Olympus E-P2 bundle w/ 17mm f/2.8 Prime M. Zuiko lens, and the VF-2 electronic view finder (EVF). I don’t want to bore you with a huge write up on how I decided on the Olympus E-P2, but after some serious research I decided on the E-P2. If you’re really curious the primary reason I chose the E-P2 is its High ISO capability and in-camera (vs. in-lens) image stabilization.
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I. Basics/Features
I purchased the E-P2 bundle from Adorama.com for an excellent price. As usual, Adorama provided ultra-fast shipping and I highly recommend them for all your camera needs. As for the camera, below are the specs on the camera purchased …
- Olympus E-P2 DSLR (yes, the camera is tech. a DSLR)
- Micro 4/3rds Sensor
- 12.3 Megapixels
- Shutter speeds from 60 secs – 1/4000 sec including Bulb
- 3 frames per second
- In-camera image stabilization
- 3″ 230k rear LCD
- Autofocus Tracking
- Contrast Detection AF system
- ISO 100-6400 (100-1600 for Video)
- Dual control wheels
- Supersonic Dust reduction
- RAW capable
- 720p, 30fps video recording w/ stereo sound
- Multiple Aspect Ratios, 4:3, 2:3, 16:9 & 6:6
- Face recognition
- 8 in-camera Art filters and 14 scene modes
- Multiple Exposure with Image Overlay ability
- Mini-HDMI Out, which allows you to control your camera from your TV remote
- Hot shoe adapter
Bundle Included:
- VF-2 Electronic Viewfinder
- M. Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 Pancake lens (22.5mm deep)
II. First Impressions
When I first opened the E-P2 box I was impressed with how well it was packed. Everything was in an individual plastic bag and then wrapped in foam sheets. The E-P2 itself was heavy with an overall feeling of solid construction. Buttons are firm in their respective slots and not loose at all. Command dials were solid feeling as well with no wiggle room. In fact, I believe the upper command dial is made of metal.
The “black” color of the camera is more like a dark grey, but not at all displeasing. Great chrome accents help to pull across the retro feel of the device.
The overall solid feeling of the E-P2 does not carry over to the VF-2 electronic viewfinder. Compared to the E-P2 the VF-2 feels flimsy and poorly made. The outer shell is matte plastic and doesn’t match the color of any of the plastic on the E-P2 itself. But, don’t let the cover fool you, the VF-2 is a top-notch device functionally speaking.
The M.Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 lens feels well made with good heft to it. It is not at all loose when placed in the body and feels well mated to the E-P2. The chrome color matches well with the E-P2.
The body seems a little smaller than the cheaper consumer targeted E-PL1, which might be an issue at first if you are like me and possess large hands. Although, with this being said, everything is in good relation and using the E-P2 with large hands is not at all impossible. I would suggest getting a good strap to prevent dropping the E-P2 if you do, in fact, have large hands … if you have them, you know what I mean.
II. Interface
The interface on the E-P2 is a little clunky for such a high end camera. It seems horrid at first, but cycling through it for a day or three will allow you to learn it quite well. Its not really all that bad and the initial shock of the interface probably comes from my experience with full scale Nikon DSLR interfaces.
III. Performance
So, now we get to the brass tacks of the matter, the performance of the E-P2. One of the biggest complaints people have regarding the E-P2 is Autofocus speed. It is true people were very accurate in their assessment of the auto focus on the E-P2′s predecessor the E-P1. However, the E-P2, along with the recent Firmware release has significantly fixed this AF issue. In good light the E-P2 can autofocus in less than 1/2 second by my own unscientific calculations. In low light the AF can hunt a little longer than I like, so if you shoot primarily in low light the E-P2 might not be the best option for you. Olympus should consider releasing a low light AF assist add on that attaches to the hotshoe and fixing this issue in the E-P3.
Another complaint on the E-P2 is the low definition rear LCD. Since these cameras do not have a viewfinder images are composed on the LCD or through the VF-2 EVF. Because of this fact, the lower quality LCD is an issue that people have grumbled about. Personally, I haven’t found an issue where the lower quality screen has impeded my ability to take a good shot. Although, I can understand the issues people have with a cheap performing LCD in a 900.00 camera body.
The LCD is a perfect segue into my impressions of the VF-2 electronic viewfinder. While it might be made of cheap feeling plastic the LCD inside of it is OUTSTANDING. I would challenge anyone to be able to see the pixelation in the VF-2. It is crystal clear and color reproduction are top notch. My personal opinion is not to buy this camera without the VF-2, it is well worth the cash.
The M. Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 lens that came with my E-P2 is an upgrade from the normal kit lens (the M. Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6). While it is a good lens it does not hold a flame to the exceptional Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens that also fits the Micro 4/3rds mount on the E-P2. In my opinion, if you can’t get around it, go with the 17mm f/2.8 over the 14-42mm kit lens, if you can swing the cash just buy the E-P2 body and the Panasonic 20mm f/2.8 separately (MSRP $299.00)
The battery for the E-P2 is accurately described at being able to power the camera through roughly 250-300 shots. This is roughly what a 4GB SDHC card will hold. As such, I would advise that if you plan to shoot more than a few hours, perhaps on the streets, to purchase a second battery to have on hand.
Lastly, I wanted to address the Flash Sync on the E-P2. Officially it is listed as 1/180, however, in my experience my E-P2 was able to fully sync at 1/320 sec. Others I know have reported being able to sync at higher speeds, some as much as 1/500th sec. The camera is fully capable of using remote triggering devices for off-camera lighting. I tested the sync speed with a set of Cybersyncs from Paul C. Buff with no misfires.
IV. Art/Scenes
The E-P2 has a great mixture of special artistic settings that you can use to create some amazing shots. While I won’t go over them all and post samples, I did want to touch on a few of them that I think are amazing.
The cross process and lomo settings are just great, very artistic and works really well. However, when using the Art settings the viewfinder tends to become staggered and it slows down my shooting process.
Multiple exposures are just awesome on the E-P2. You can use any image you’ve shot to create a double exposure or chose to shoot two shots back to back. BUT, here is the kicker. When you are shooting a double exposure the E-P2 actually overlays the previous image over what you are seeing through the EVF. This allows you to line up the second image to perfection. This is a superb way of creating double exposures.
V. Accessories
So, now that you know about the camera, lets talk accessories. A leather case for the E-P2 is strangely absent from Olympus’ lineup. There was one for the E-P1 but it is oddly gone with the release of the E-P2. Perhaps this is because Olympus is preparing to release an updated model or they just decided not to move forward with the product any longer, either way its disappearance means you’re left looking for cases elsewhere. There are numerous options out there for these camera’s due to their popularity so don’t settle for the first one you find. Look around and find something that matches your personality.
Another fun accessory for the 17mm f/2.8 lens are the 37mm augmentation lenses meant for camcorders. Usually selling for less than $30.00 USD, these lenses come in a couple different styles. Wide angle, fisheye, and 2x telephoto are three of the more popular, easy-to-find, types.
Lastly, you can not talk about Micro 4/3rds cameras without talking about the plethora of adaptors available for the E-P2 and other Micro 4/3rd cameras. Everything from modern Nikon/Canon lenses to 80 year old C mount lenses designed for early motion picture cameras, you’ll find an adapter for. As a Nikon shooter the first thing I bought was a Nikon adapter. It is important to note that fully manual lenses are the best options to use due to the lack of aperture control in the E-P2 for old lenses. Also note that you need to set the camera to shoot without a lens so it doesn’t look for the electronics of a normal lens. This ability is one of the things that draw people to the E-P2. Everything from 25.00 CCTV C-mount camera lenses to 10,000.00 Leica f/.90 M mount lenses can be pulled from storage and used again. In some ways the E-P2 is being considered the “poor man’s Leica M9.”
IV. Conclusions
Overall, I have to give the Olympus E-P2 a 4.5 / 5 rating. The .5 loss comes from the low quality LCD, lack of AF assist lamp, and clunky interface.
The VF-2 receives a 4.75 / 5 rating with a quarter point knocked off for the light weight plastic housing.
The M. Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 gets a 4 / 5 rating. This is because the lens just isn’t as sharp and contrasty as a photographer would like, although it is an overall excellent lens it is not quite up to par with the E-P2.
VI. Sample Shots
